The sun rose higher and higher, hanging brilliantly overhead. The air was scorching hot as if it could burn one’s skin, and everywhere one looked, dazzling white light flickered.

Fu Tingyun’s face was flushed red from the sun, with large beads of sweat dripping from her forehead and temples, blurring her vision. Yet she stubbornly gazed toward the northeast.

Huayin was right there!

Yet she didn’t even have the chance to take one last look at it.

In her field of vision was nothing but devastation—just dried-up fields and withered vegetation, more dried-up fields and withered vegetation.

Had she known this would happen, she should have taken a good look at Huayin City when she left.

Now that she was “dead,” the maids who served in her chambers should have “recovered” from their “illness,” right?

Who had smuggled her belongings out?

And what about Lu’E and Han Yan? After everything that had happened, her mother would probably keep them by her side until the situation calmed down before making other arrangements. To others, Lu’E and Han Yan had risen to prominence, becoming maids who pleased her mother. But they knew the truth—they must be living in constant anxiety!

Then there was Chen Mama. A person had gone missing, and she wondered how Chen Mama had explained it to her aunt.

Her uncle knew she had been rescued by a man. He would probably privately contemplate Left Junjie’s words.

How did the Fu family view her “disappearance”?

And what about Zuo Junjie? Did he flee from punishment as the rumors suggested? Or had the Fu family secretly dealt with him?

Thinking of this, Fu Tingyun gently shook her head.

Zuo Junjie was a tribute graduate. Even if the Fu family were bold enough, they would hesitate to harm a tribute graduate. Besides, Zuo Junjie’s elder sister was the wife of the eldest branch, and the Zuo family only had him left as their sole heir…

The more she thought, the more anxious she became. She wished she could see her mother right away and get clear answers.

There was also a faint worry in her heart—would her mother tell the family elders about her going to her uncle’s place?

Surely not!

The family elders wanted to deal with her, and her mother knew that.

But why hadn’t her mother found a way to send her a message back then? Besides being her mother, she was also a daughter-in-law of the Fu family. Perhaps her mother thought that now that time had passed, it wouldn’t hurt to inform the family elders…

Fu Tingyun was caught between hope and fear, momentarily bewildered and at a loss.

Master Zhao Jiu looked at Fu Tingyun, whose head drooped like a wilted daylily, and felt some concern.

Throughout their journey, they had been surrounded by dust with not even a leaf for shade. They needed to find a place to escape the midday sun, or else she would become faint even if she didn’t get heatstroke. With water scarce, that would cause serious trouble.

Master Zhao Jiu walked and looked around until he finally spotted a collapsed straw shed.

By the looks of it, it was probably a temporary shelter built by a field watchman.

He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Something was better than nothing!

Master Zhao Jiu consoled himself as he and A-Sen worked together to prop up one corner of the straw shed. He had A-Sen help Fu Tingyun inside to rest.

The ground was scorching hot like a furnace. The straw overhead barely blocked the sunlight, and Fu Tingyun didn’t feel any coolness at all. Seeing Master Zhao Jiu and A-Sen standing in the sunlight, drenched in sweat, she felt very grateful.

“Master Jiu, A-Sen, it’s cooler in the shed. Come in and escape the heat!” She said, moving to a corner of the straw shed.

They had already done their best to protect her. It would be unreasonable for her to stand on ceremony now.

“No need!” Master Zhao Jiu took out a water pouch and a steamed bun from the small cart and handed them to Fu Tingyun. “Eat something and rest for a while. We’ll continue our journey at dusk.” Then he instructed A-Sen, “Stay here and watch over Miss Fu. Since there’s a straw shed here, there should be a village nearby. I’ll go take a look!”

A-Sen responded with a loud “Yes,” and Master Zhao Jiu left without looking back.

It had been since dawn that she had eaten half a steamed bun and drunk half a bowl of water. Though the weather was hot, Fu Tingyun was both thirsty and hungry.

She took a few bites of the bun with some water.

Because it had been stored for too long and lacked moisture, the bun crumbs fell like hard, dry flour.

Fu Tingyun looked up and saw A-Sen crouching beside the small cart, staring at the barren fields and drawing circles with a twig out of boredom.

“A-Sen, aren’t you hot? Why don’t you drink some water?”

A-Sen rubbed his head and chuckled foolishly.

Fu Tingyun held up the water pouch: “Find your bowl, and I’ll pour some for you.”

A-Sen didn’t move: “Miss, this water is prepared by Master Jiu for you… I only get to drink at dusk.”

Fu Tingyun was stunned.

She certainly knew water was scarce, but seeing Master Zhao Jiu give her only a little each time, she thought they were already being frugal. She hadn’t realized… She looked at the water and bun in her hands and said softly, “Do you also have to wait until dusk to eat the bun?”

A-Sen grinned.

Fu Tingyun broke off half of the bun for him: “I can’t eat this much by myself. Here, take half.”

A-Sen wouldn’t accept it: “Master said we eat buns at dusk.”

Fu Tingyun glanced at the blinding sun and said, “Master Jiu doesn’t have a clock or water clock with him. How does he know exactly when it’s dusk? A little earlier or later doesn’t matter!”

As if she had said something terrible, A-Sen looked displeased: “Master just knows! When Master says it’s a certain hour, it’s that hour. He’s never been wrong!”

A-Sen had been raised by Master Zhao Jiu and felt a filial and brotherly affection for him. Naturally, he couldn’t tolerate any doubt about Master Zhao Jiu. Fu Tingyun understood this, so although she thought A-Sen’s worship of Master Zhao Jiu was somewhat blind, she didn’t want to say anything that would diminish Master Zhao Jiu’s status in A-Sen’s heart.

“I was just trying to coax you into eating something,” she smiled at A-Sen. “Who knew A-Sen would see through me so quickly!”

When Fu Tingyun smiled, her eyes sparkled brilliantly, and her somewhat listless face brightened, making her a pleasant sight.

A-Sen smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

Fu Tingyun handed over the water pouch again: “This was originally given to me by Master Jiu. I can’t use this much. If you eat and drink, it’s as if I ate and drank. We won’t use any extra, so it doesn’t break Master Jiu’s rules.”

A-Sen’s eyes lit up when he heard this. His gaze moved from the water pouch in her hand to the bun, then back to the water pouch. After a good while, he gritted his teeth—Fu Tingyun thought he couldn’t resist the temptation of food and had agreed to her arrangement, and was feeling pleased. But to her surprise, he blurted out, “Master said we eat at dusk.”

It took Fu Tingyun a moment to recover, and she couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for the child.

How old was he? Yet he already knew self-restraint. If he were properly educated, he might become a man of his word!

She felt even more fond of him.

Fu Tingyun put the bun and water pouch back in the small cart.

A-Sen looked confused.

Fu Tingyun smiled and said, “I sit in the cart every day, and Master Jiu has to push me. Why don’t we save the food for Master Jiu? What do you think?”

“Yes, yes!” A-Sen was very happy to hear this, and his gaze toward Fu Tingyun became more affectionate. But then he worried, “But Master said you’re weak and need to recover well…”

“A few days won’t make a difference,” Fu Tingyun smiled. “Didn’t you say we’ll reach Weinan in just over ten days?”

A-Sen nodded.

Fu Tingyun beckoned him to sit beside her: “It’s so hot outside. You’d better sit in here! If you get heatstroke, wouldn’t Master Jiu have to take care of one more person?”

A-Sen heard this, dropped the twig, and sat down beside her.

Invoking Master Zhao Jiu’s name was infallible with A-Sen.

Fu Tingyun secretly found this amusing and silently sighed that A-Sen was pure-hearted by nature. Her determination to keep A-Sen by her side grew stronger.

She chatted with A-Sen: “When I reach Weinan, I’ll stay at my uncle’s house. He has fields, land, shops, and a clan school. Would you like to stay with me?”

A-Sen looked utterly bewildered.

“That way, you wouldn’t have to travel around with Master Jiu anymore. You could study with my nephews, or if you don’t want to study, you could work with our estate manager in business or farming. Later, you could become a manager or buy some land to farm.” Fu Tingyun hurriedly added, “If Master Jiu misses you, he can come to Weinan to see you. And when Master Jiu gets older, you could support him, couldn’t you?”

A-Sen heard this and hesitated, then asked, “Then, could Master Jiu and I come to see you?”

Still thinking about Master Zhao Jiu!

However, if A-Sen were to forget Master Zhao Jiu because of this, he wouldn’t be the A-Sen she liked and cherished.

She thought her uncle wouldn’t refuse to reward Master Zhao Jiu. Even if her uncle were unwilling, her two thousand taels in bank notes would come in handy. But looking at Master Zhao Jiu, a man with excellent skills who chose to wander around with his brothers, she doubted he was someone willing to settle down.

“As long as Master Jiu is willing, why not?” Fu Tingyun smiled. “I’ll have someone make pancakes for you to eat!”

“Great! Great!” A-Sen was excited. “Master says farming doesn’t make money; at most, it fills your stomach. You have to do business to make money. Brother Yucheng once taught me how to use an abacus and how to keep accounts. I want to be a manager then—a manager for Master Jiu!”

Every third sentence was about Master Zhao Jiu.

Fu Tingyun smiled and flicked A-Sen’s forehead.

Master Zhao Jiu returned.

A-Sen bounced over to him: “Master, Master, Miss Fu says we can stay with her in Weinan. After we see Brother Yucheng and Brother Yuanbao, can we stay in Weinan?”

Master Zhao Jiu was surprised and gave Fu Tingyun a deep look.

Fu Tingyun hurriedly said, “Although they say reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles, A-Sen is still young. Master Jiu, why not leave him in my care? I will look after him well. If one day you wish to settle down, you can come back and take A-Sen away!”

Master Zhao Jiu remained silent. His gaze fixed on her was as deep as a well, the calm surface seemingly rippling.

Fu Tingyun widened her eyes, trying to understand.

Beside them, A-Sen anxiously circled Master Zhao Jiu: “…Is that not allowed?”

Master Zhao Jiu glanced down at him: “We’ll talk about it later!”

When he looked up again, his eyes had regained their previous calm indifference.

Fu Tingyun felt a little disappointed.

He still didn’t want to settle down!

Was wandering around outside that great?

She couldn’t understand.

“There’s a village not far from here. The villagers have all fled the famine.” Master Zhao Jiu had already hung the cart straps on himself. “Let’s go there and rest.”

Fu Tingyun wanted to ask if there were unburied corpses or wild dogs in the village, but looking at his striding figure, she swallowed her words.

Master Zhao Jiu, as if seeing through her thoughts, suddenly turned back: “Don’t worry, the village is clean!”