Chapter 18

Seeing the older one and the younger one still singing his praises for being fast, Qi Jingyan spoke up, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness: "Go and see if the bamboo tubes are usable."

"Oh, right." Meng Yuning replied. She walked around behind him, picked up the four thick bamboo tubes, and examined them one by one. Finding the nodes intact, she realized they would be perfect for carrying water.

She smiled and looked up at him: "Your Highness, they are all in good condition."

Qi Jingyan: "Then go and fetch some water."

Meng Yuning carried the two bamboo tubes back into the cabin, placed them into a wooden tub, filled them with water, and lifted them out. Carrying them like that, she walked to the edge of the platform and poured the water out.

After repeating this seven or eight times, the water in the wooden tub finally ran dry, so she carried the tub out herself.

Qi Jingyan sat in his wheelchair, watching her bustle back and forth in silence. Seeing her wobble out with the large wooden tub, unable to see her own feet, and bumping the tub against the doorframe—letting out a small "oops" as she stumbled back two steps—he could not help but warn: "Watch your step."

"Don't worry, I'm looking." Meng Yuning struggled through the doorway with the tub. Once outside, she set it down, tilted it onto its rim, and rolled it toward the spring.

Seeing how fun it looked, Yi'er scurried over to watch.

Qi Jingyan: "Where are you moving that to now?"

Meng Yuning: "I'm going to wash it."

Qi Jingyan: "Just leave it there; I'll have them wash it later."

Meng Yuning continued rolling the tub: "It's fine, I'm free right now, might as well get it done."

Seeing her persistence, Qi Jingyan said nothing more, though his gaze remained fixed on her, never wavering.

Meng Yuning rolled the tub to the spring, used the bamboo tubes to fill it, and then grabbed two handfuls of wild grass to use as a brush. She scrubbed the inside and outside of the tub clean, washed the bamboo tubes, and then rolled the tub back to the cabin using the same method.

After bustling about for so long, she had worked up a sweat, and her cheeks were flushed.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, then stood straight with her hands on her hips. Looking up, she saw Qi Jingyan watching her quietly, his expression unreadable.

Meng Yuning smiled; she couldn't be bothered to guess what he was thinking.

After all, as long as he didn't kill her or abandon her, he could think whatever he wanted.

She couldn't exactly pretend to be a delicate noble lady who couldn't lift a finger just to hide her identity, could she? That would be too exhausting.

Of course, if he were to ask why she was suddenly so capable of manual labor, she would just say that after such a great upheaval, she had long since abandoned the life of a Minister’s daughter.

She went back inside to get the clothes she had changed out of and headed to the spring. Finding a clean rock to serve as a washboard, she scrubbed the clothes, wrung them out, and returned to the cabin, only to realize there was no clothesline.

She scanned the area and spotted a patch of lush wild grass near the platform. She walked over, pulled a handful, and twisted it in her hand to make sure the color didn't bleed. Then, she draped her clothes over the grass one by one, smoothing them out, and finally used her outer robe to cover the pink undergarments and trousers underneath.

With that finished, Meng Yuning began to ponder the mattress. She circled the cabin and eventually set her sights on the lush grass growing by the mountainside. She headed over, holding a bamboo branch in one hand and a kitchen knife in the other.

She swished the bamboo branch through the grass, which grew taller than a person, to make sure no snakes or bugs were hidden inside. Only then did she toss the branch aside and start cutting the grass by the handful.

She cut two large piles and made several trips to carry them back to the flat ground in front of the cabin to dry.

Qi Jingyan’s gaze had followed the energetic woman, who spun around like a top, until he finally couldn't help but ask: "What is this for?"

Meng Yuning squatted on the ground, spreading out the grass without looking up: "My bed is too hard. I want to dry some grass to make a mattress."

Physician Tang said they would be staying in these mountains for a month or so; she didn't want to sleep on that hard wooden board the whole time.

Seeing that Qi Jingyan didn't reply, she added: "Don't worry, Your Highness. I'll cut some more to dry later and lay it on your beds too. It’ll be much softer to sleep on."

Qi Jingyan watched her for a moment, recalling how she had curled up into a small ball on the bed next to his the previous night, and suddenly spoke up: "Mu Yun."

Mu Yun darted out from the dense forest, covering the distance in a few strides to stand before Qi Jingyan. He bowed: "Your Highness."

Looking at the man who had appeared so suddenly, Meng Yuning was startled. She had assumed Mu Yun and the others had all gone deep into the mountains to forage; she hadn't realized he was hiding nearby.

But then again, with a disabled man, a child, and a weak woman, how could Mu Yun and his men possibly feel at ease leaving them alone?

Qi Jingyan commanded: "Send someone to the nearby town to purchase bedding."

Mu Yun: "Yes, I will see to it at once."

With that, he let out a sharp, resonant whistle toward the mountains. Soon, two guards emerged from the forest. Mu Yun pulled a purse from his robes, took out a banknote, and gave a few low instructions. The two men accepted it, turned back toward the forest, picked up a companion, and the three of them headed out of the mountains.

Seeing that Qi Jingyan had no further orders, Mu Yun went to the pile of bamboo and began working.

Meng Yuning looked up at Qi Jingyan, her tone sincere: "Your Highness, thank you for buying the bedding for me."

Qi Jingyan: "Since you have followed us here, I will not let you go cold or hungry."

Meng Yuning smiled: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Originally, she had intended to cut more grass, but there was no need now. She sat down on the spread-out grass, tilted her head back slightly, and squinted into the sun. As she basked in the warmth, the corners of her mouth curled upward.

If she didn't think about the future, these peaceful, sunny days weren't so bad after all.

Qi Jingyan watched Meng Yuning’s smiling face for a while, his own lips curling upward uncontrollably, and he too tilted his head back to look at the sky.

Seeing his older brother smiling, Yi'er smiled too.

Then, looking at Meng Yuning, who was sitting leisurely on the grass, he sat down beside her.

Seeing the little boy sitting on the very edge, Meng Yuning pulled over another handful of grass to spread out beside her and patted the spot: "Little Highness, there's more cushion here. Come sit over here."

The little boy stood up, wiggled his little bottom backward, and plopped down next to her.

Once seated, he turned to look at her, his voice full of childish innocence, though his face was earnest: "Miss Meng, thank you for your trouble."

That old-fashioned manner and tone were exactly like Qi Jingyan’s—he was a miniature version of the man.

Meng Yuning couldn't help but laugh, her voice softening involuntarily: "Little Highness, you can call me A'ning."

The little boy looked at Qi Jingyan. Only after Qi Jingyan nodded did he turn back to Meng Yuning: "A'ning?"

Meng Yuning smiled and responded: "Yes."

The little boy, charmed by her smile, introduced himself in return: "A'ning, I am Yi'er. You can call me Yi'er."

Meng Yuning: "Little Highness, given the rules, I should still address you as Little Highness."

Before the boy could answer, Qi Jingyan spoke up: "It is fine. You may call him Yi'er."

Meng Yuning felt a bit hesitant: "Wouldn't that be breaking protocol?"

Qi Jingyan offered no further explanation, simply repeating: "It is fine."

Meng Yuning no longer declined. She tentatively reached out and touched Yi'er's small hand: "Yi'er?"

The little boy nodded in response and then asked: "A'ning, will we have meat to eat today?"

Looking into those dark, expectant eyes, Meng Yuning nodded without hesitation: "Yes. Today, A'ning will make something delicious for Yi'er."

No sooner had she spoken than Mu Feng and two other guards descended from the mountain, each carrying something; they had returned with a full haul.

Even Physician Tang, who followed behind, was smiling, carrying a large bundle of mixed green plants.

The group piled their spoils on the ground and bowed to Qi Jingyan and Qi Jingyi.

Then, Mu Feng invited Meng Yuning over as if presenting a treasure: "Miss Meng, we had good luck today and found quite a bit. Take a look and tell us how to prepare them so the brothers can get started."

Meng Yuning stood up to see. Goodness, there were three wild pheasants, two wild rabbits, four or five thick, plump bamboo shoots, two bundles of small wild mountain shoots, wild shepherd’s purse, wild scallions, a pouch of mountain eggs, and, on top of that, three large carp still flopping about.

Meng Yuning was curious: "How are there fish on this mountain?"

Mu Feng said, still excited: "Just over the ridge, there’s a small river. We caught these on our way. There were plenty more, but we were afraid they would spoil, so we didn't take too many."

Meng Yuning became interested: "Is it far? How long does it take to walk there? If you go up the mountain again tomorrow, could you bring me along?"

Mu Feng didn't dare agree directly; he instinctively looked toward his master.

Meng Yuning followed Mu Feng’s gaze and realized that wherever she went, she needed Qi Jingyan's permission.

So she asked him directly: "Your Highness, may I go along tomorrow? I want to see if there is anything else to eat."

Qi Jingyan nodded: "You may go."

Meng Yuning smiled at him: "Thank you, Your Highness."

Physician Tang set his bundle of herbs aside, found a wooden stump to sit on, and began sorting them: "Girl Meng, how do you plan to prepare this afternoon's meal?"

Meng Yuning quickly analyzed the ingredients and the seasonings on hand before setting the menu: "Bamboo shoot stewed chicken using the small shoots, braised carp, stir-fried shepherd's purse, and wild scallion scrambled eggs."

She finished and looked at Yi'er, seeing the little boy staring at the two grey rabbits, whose feet were tied, as they struggled. She said: "These dishes should be enough for today. As for those two rabbits, why don't we keep them as pets?"

In this desolate mountain, the child had nothing to play with; he had spent half the day playing with a little animal she had woven out of foxtail grass. These two little rabbits would be perfect for him to pass the time, so he wouldn't always be moping in Qi Jingyan’s arms.

Hearing her words, Yi'er’s eyes lit up. He pulled out the two woven grass rabbits he had been holding, walked forward to compare them, and looked at Meng Yuning: "Are these real little rabbits?"

Meng Yuning nodded and squatted beside Yi'er: "Yes, these are real little rabbits. Would Yi'er like to keep them?"

The little boy nodded his head: "Keep them."

Meng Yuning smiled: "Very well, we'll keep them."

Seeing the Little Highness happy, Mu Feng and the others were delighted as well: "If the Little Highness wants to keep them, we'll build a rabbit hutch right now."

They set to work immediately, going to the mountain to cut some thin branches and vines to build a cage for the two little rabbits.

Meng Yuning didn't stay idle either. Seeing that the time was right, she began to organize the cooking. Seeing this, Mu Yun called over two guards to help Meng Yuning.

The rest of the guards returned one after another, carrying bamboo and wood for the cabins. They made trip after trip, and soon, a large pile had accumulated in the clearing in front of the cabin.

Once the materials were delivered, everyone got to work—splitting bamboo and wood. They marked out three spots behind the cabin, cleared them, and used the stones and wood they had gathered to build foundations half a leg high off the ground, then began constructing the houses.

Meng Yuning took a few moments to watch while she prepared the ingredients, marveling once again at how capable these people were; they could do anything.

With two guards helping her, Meng Yuning worked much faster and had the meal prepared in less than an hour.

The guards had already finished one cabin. Since it was a temporary shelter not meant for long-term use, it was built very simply: three walls and a slanted roof. Once thatched with grass later, it would be enough to keep out the wind and rain.

Meng Yuning first served the meal to the two Highnesses, then set aside portions for the guards who had gone to buy the bedding, and then called everyone to eat.

They had been eating these same dishes for several days, but the flavors were so fresh that they never tired of them. Everyone buried their heads in their bowls, eating so much that they were stuffed by the end.

Meng Yuning was no exception. She set down her bowl and chopsticks, cradled her stomach, and sat on the drying wild grass. Basking in the warm spring sun, she began to feel drowsy.

Yi'er, full and satisfied, climbed into Qi Jingyan’s arms as usual, his little head nodding as he began to doze off.

Seeing both of them like this, Qi Jingyan said: "Everyone, rest for a while."

The guards agreed and scattered to find places to nap.

Mu Yun and Mu Shan carried Qi Jingyan, along with his wheelchair, into the cabin.

Meng Yuning waited for them to come out before she entered as well, only to find that Qi Jingyan and Yi'er were already lying on the bed.

She walked to her small bamboo bed and discovered that a very thick-looking black cloak had been spread out over it.