Chapter 141

In the morning, the family took Grandma into the mountains.

Father had said he wanted to take everyone for a picnic today.

Jiang Mianmian was excited; children always love new experiences.

The weather was hot, and the group walked for quite a while.

The last time the whole family had gone into the mountains together was when they were fleeing as refugees.

This time, Father led the way, bringing everyone to a small waterfall.

The cool mist instantly dispelled the summer heat.

Jiang Changtian thought this place was wonderful, feeling the urge to compose poetry like a scholar, though his poetic skills were only average.

On this summer day, the waterfall turned into a white mist as it fell into the deep pool below, which was dark and constantly pounded by the falling water.

The scenery was both beautiful and serene.

Jiang Mianmian also loved this place, opening her mouth as if she could catch the waterfall in it.

However, Mianmian noticed that Mom's expression seemed a bit unnatural.

Grandma spread out a blanket for everyone and laid out an array of delicious snacks.

Father and Elder Brother were setting up a clay stove nearby.

Mom said, "I'm going to take a walk around."

Elder Sister also said, "I'll go for a walk too."

Suddenly, the cry of a wild beast echoed through the mountains.

Jiang Mianmian was startled.

Aunt Yin quickly hugged the little girl, comforting her, "It's alright, it's alright. Grandma's here."

As she soothed the child, she looked around. The dense forest surrounding them was indeed a bit frightening.

The deep pool before them was also unsettling, so deep that its bottom couldn't be seen. If bodies were dumped here, many could be hidden without anyone discovering them.

Suddenly, there was movement in the thick forest.

Someone was coming.

A moment later, they saw Mom return with a wild boar with black tusks.

The boar had already been knocked unconscious.

But its skin was still warm to the touch, and its blood was still hot.

Jiang Mianmian wondered if the pitiful cry they had heard earlier had come from this wild boar.

Aunt Yin had obviously thought the same thing.

When Aunt Yin saw Qin effortlessly butcher the wild boar by the deep pool, skillfully cutting, dividing, and arranging the meat, she looked at the little girl in her arms who was giving her an innocent smile, then back at Qin. Suddenly, she understood why the little girl was often found dissecting small rabbits – she must have taken after Qin.

She silently recalled if she had ever acted improperly in front of Qin.

In her impression, Qin had always been a rather intelligent woman. Although her experiences were limited, her conduct was impeccable, and she learned everything quickly.

But she never imagined that this was her true talent.

Aunt Yin admitted to herself that she had misjudged Qin.

Perhaps she had been out of the palace for too long, and her vigilance had waned.

This had led to her judgment of people becoming less accurate.

With Qin's skills, why bother teaching her etiquette?

What she should teach is etiquette to others, to prevent them from disrespecting Qin.

Aunt Yin reflected silently, suddenly understanding why Mr. Jiang always acted like a weak imperial concubine vying for favor in front of Qin. So that was the way to survive.

As Qin Luoxia finished dividing the meat, Aunt Yin quickly ran over to help.

Looking at the uniformly sized pieces of meat, Aunt Yin's heart clenched, feeling as if her own heart had been cut to the same size. Her face, however, showed an even more benevolent smile as she said, "You've worked hard, madam."

Qin wiped away non-existent sweat from her forehead, saying it was no trouble at all, just a piece of cake.

However, she inexplicably felt that Aunt Yin seemed to be more respectful and deferential towards her.VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels

There was a faint scent of medicine in the air, which felt comfortable.

Aunt Yin also liked this smell in the house.

Having come from the imperial palace, she actually didn't adapt well to places that smelled unpleasant.

Although the Jiang family lived in a village, it felt clean and tidy from the moment they arrived, with no bad odors.

Unexpectedly, when they returned home, someone was already waiting for them.

Under two trees stood a young man with a square face.

The young man looked more weathered.

He had matured quite a bit.

Jiang Yu, with her sharp eyes, spotted him first and excitedly called out, "It's Elder Brother Meng, he's still alive!"

Jiang Feng also jogged forward, intending to give Meng Shaoxia a cupped-hand salute, but changed his mind and reached out to embrace him instead.

The two kindred spirits hugged each other tightly.

"Brother Meng, why have you come? Where is He Elder Brother?" Jiang Feng asked excitedly.

After their last parting, many things had happened, but he still remembered the unique feeling of meeting Brother Meng and He Elder Brother, which had subtly changed his life from that moment on.

"Brother Meng, the sword manual you gave me is excellent. I've been practicing it diligently, never stopping for summer or winter. The sword you gave me is also superb. I cherish it greatly and have never used it to kill those who shouldn't be killed."

Jiang Feng stood before Meng Shaoxia, cupping his hands again in gratitude.

Meng Shaoxia had experienced even more during this time.

First, he was thrown into the army by his family to be beaten and suffer, then he ran away to endure hardships with the soldiers. He had suffered greatly along the way, witnessed much life and death, and seen much suffering. The once vigorous young man had matured and become more steady.

He greeted everyone, and when introduced to Grandma, he addressed her as such.

Even Mianmian had her cheek pinched. Finally, Meng Shaoxia greeted Jiang Yu.

"Little Yu has become prettier, even more beautiful now," he said with a smile.

He had actually been waiting under the trees for a very long time.

When he arrived, he could barely recognize the place.

If it weren't for the two trees still standing.

The former thatched cottages were now arranged in an orderly manner. Even from the outer walls, it looked different, like the residence of a famous recluse living deep in the mountains.

It was larger and more spacious, yet still blended seamlessly with the mountain behind it, appearing very harmonious.

From a distance, only the outer buildings could be seen, seemingly not much different.

But upon approaching, one discovered a hidden paradise, with the interior appearing much more expansive.

However, no one was home when he arrived this time.

He felt very anxious.

Worried that things might have changed.

That their reunion would be different from before.

Even after waiting for two hours, he suddenly took a step, deciding to leave.

He was afraid, afraid that little Yu was no longer little Yu, but just his dream.

At that moment, he heard a horse neighing from the courtyard.

Unexpectedly, his horse still recognized him.

It actually jumped out of the courtyard and trotted over to him.

Biting his sleeve, keeping him there.

Meng Shaoxia saw Jiang Yu again.

The girl who once wore worn-out shoes and walked with a limp was now graceful and poised, with a round face, fair skin, big eyes, and apricot-shaped lips. When she smiled, she radiated brilliance.

It was wonderful.

Despite the passage of time, she was still here.

It was truly wonderful.