For a brand, this kind of negative impression was difficult to eliminate. What made it worse was that if the Feng family had been in any other business, it might have been different, but they specifically dealt in grain. When edible goods became associated with bloody murder cases, it inevitably turned people’s stomachs. This was subconscious at work, unrelated to likes or dislikes, and completely impossible to overcome. That’s why Feng’s business had plummeted since the case, and Madam Xu had been suffering headaches for days.

However, people’s memories were short. After another month or two, the common folk would forget about Wang Po’s case, and Feng’s business could flourish again. But as Feng Miaojun had said, they probably didn’t have time to wait. Besides, this couldn’t even compare to the trouble they were currently facing.

Madam Xu raised her head, carefully studying her adopted daughter’s features, and suddenly sighed: “I’ve been foolish, thinking only of preserving the Feng family business, forgetting that you’re growing up.”

“??” Feng Miaojun was completely bewildered.

“How could any man in this place be worthy of my An’an?” Madam Xu smiled, her expression showing a kind of self-consoling relief. “The one who marries An’an should be a man as divine as an immortal. I think this Grand Preceptor Yun has quite an impressive bearing, though unfortunately, his constitution seems weak. If he became my son-in-law and something happened to him, what would become of my An’an…” By the end, her face was clouded with worry.

Hmph, who would want to be with that harbinger of disaster… Feng Miaojun quickly coughed, jolting her adoptive mother out of her daydream. No matter how good Yun Xi might be, it had nothing to do with her. They were like two happy parallel lines that would never intersect.

Madam Xu came back to her senses and continued without changing expression: “…In any case, your husband should certainly not be some rural bumpkin or common merchant.”

After all, she had once been related to royalty, and the young girl before her had once been a princess. How could she allow her beloved adopted daughter to grow old in such a rural backwater with some uncouth man, living like an ordinary woman? “You’re right, we should find a better place.”

“Eh?” Feng Miaojun was surprised, not expecting her adoptive mother’s train of thought to jump from the family’s life-and-death situation to her marriage prospects. But as long as she could persuade her adoptive mother, she could brazenly agree: “Mother is right, the men here are completely unworthy of me!”

Peng Bai, who had been left on the sidelines: “…”

Madam Xu was stunned: “What… what did you call me?” She hadn’t misheard, had she? In the two years since Princess Changle had accepted her as an adoptive mother, she had never called her “Mother,” even when servants were present. At most, she would say “Madam Xu” in private. She never expected that Feng Miaojun would one day change how she addressed her.

“Mother, of course.” Feng Miaojun’s manner was natural as she quickly took advantage of the moment of shock to give her a fleeting hug, releasing her immediately. “I’m hungry, I think I smell dinner.” At this time, most households had two meals a day, breakfast and lunch, following the practice of “no eating after noon,” though wealthy families would prepare additional food for growing children. Feng Miaojun had been spoiled by her parents since childhood, so her family always had the habit of eating dinner.

Madam Xu had been extremely good to her, so changing how she addressed her was appropriate. Feng Miaojun herself couldn’t let go of her pride, but this was something she could do. However, she rarely got close to people, so even this brief embrace was her limit.

Suspicious moisture glinted in Madam Xu’s beautiful eyes as she hurriedly turned and walked out, saying, “I’ll go check, dinner should be sumptuous…” As she passed through the corridor, she accidentally bumped into a wooden pillar.

Early the next morning, Madam Xu hurried back to the Feng family’s old residence in the county to make some arrangements. The Feng family didn’t have many members, and the two other branches of descendants were in foreign countries, so they could only meet once every few years. Now only two or three old servants guarded the ancestral home. Madam Xu gave them careful instructions before rushing back to the home she shared with her daughter in Zi County.

She didn’t dare hire people to help them move, fearing it would create too much commotion. She only directed a few loyal servants to pack their valuables and important items, preparing to depart with light luggage, and pretending to be on a trip. First, they would go to Juping Village to pick up her adopted daughter, then head toward Yao City, dozens of miles away, before continuing eastward. Having inherited her husband’s business, she was accustomed to traveling around, and since Feng’s store had a branch in Yao City, the behavior of Madam Xu and her daughter wouldn’t seem unusual.

With all these arrangements, they would need at least two days before they could depart. Feng Miaojun had finished her preparations long ago, abandoning many beautiful but cumbersome clothes and packing all her personal belongings into a bundle she could carry with one hand.

After dawn, she purposely went to check out a spot seven or eight li away where two powerful forces had clashed. To her surprise, it had been the Zheng family’s threshing ground. The once specially leveled surface had been turned into a scene of devastation, with many mysterious deep craters whose edges showed radiating cracks. Who knew what strange creature had unleashed a powerful attack there? The bottom of the craters still contained some charred debris about the size of chicken eggs.

Next to the threshing ground were three rows of granaries, none of which had been spared. Fortunately, it wasn’t harvest season yet, so they had already been nearly empty.

Faced with such results, the Zheng family was on the verge of tears but knew the perpetrators were not to be trifled with, as last night’s commotion had made clear. Thus, they didn’t even file a complaint, honestly accepting their misfortune. Feng Miaojun, however, was elated and ate half a bowl more at lunch. The Zheng family had secretly instructed Zhao Da to deal with Feng’s business. If Feng Miaojun had employed her methods from her previous life, she could have tormented them in various ways. Although Elder Zheng had been imprisoned, Feng Miaojun, admitting to her petty nature, still hoped his family would suffer more and more.

As for Hu Ping, her remains were nowhere to be found. She had no relatives in the area, so no one inquired about her whereabouts. Feng Miaojun instructed Peng Bai to make sure the two hundred taels of silver were delivered to her distant relatives.

￥￥￥￥￥

Three days later, Madam Xu and her daughter arrived in Yao City. This was the easternmost pass of the Great Wei Kingdom; traveling further east would bring them to the borders of the Yao Kingdom.

Having reached this point with smooth sailing, Feng Miaojun sighed with relief, and Madam Xu’s reluctance to leave her homeland gradually dissipated. She wasn’t too concerned about the safety of their caravan, as she knew that Empress An Xia had left a force secretly protecting Princess Changle, which must also be following the Feng family’s caravan.

They were much safer than other merchant travelers.

Feng Miaojun was jubilant about leaving Juping Village, as her sixth sense told her that she had unfortunately left an impression on both Xiao Yan and Yun Xi, making Juping Village unsuitable for a prolonged stay.

The merchant caravan made a brief stop in Yao City before continuing eastward across the border, taking another day and a half to reach Tianshui. This marked their entry into the westernmost city of the Yao Kingdom.

Rather than a city, Tianshui was only the size of a county town, but the Yao Kingdom stationed troops there, and it was a necessary stop for traveling merchants. Wei and Yao had established a customs market there for cargo trading, taking advantage of the geographical benefits, which made it quite prosperous.

As the Feng family caravan moved along the main street, Feng Miaojun saw crowds of people and vehicles struggling to advance. She couldn’t help but widen her eyes, looking around in all directions. The further east they went, the hotter the climate became. From Juping Village to here, they had crossed two large mountains, as if taking one step into summer. Even after changing into thin silk garments, she still felt sweat forming on her forehead while sitting in the carriage.