Elder Hua was taken aback by Jiang Si’s question, but quickly replied, “Ahua is in a very safe place. Princess Consort need not worry.”
Jiang Si smiled, gaining a deeper understanding of Elder Hua’s caution.
Now she finally understood how Elder Hua and her granddaughter had escaped the Jinlin Guards’ net-like search back then.
With such exquisite disguise skills, after escaping from the imperial prison, Elder Hua and her granddaughter were like fish entering the sea – finding them would be harder than ascending to heaven.
The carriage was getting farther and farther from the capital, with few other vehicles on the road.
It was already the twelfth lunar month, and water routes were closed. Whether traveling north or south, land routes were very inconvenient and time-consuming.
With the New Year approaching, those who had been away had already hurried home, while those planning to leave had postponed their trips until after the New Year.
After all, New Year was a time for family reunions.
Jiang Si’s current wish was to meet her brother smoothly, then reunite with Yu Jin, and have the whole family rush back for a reunion during the New Year.
However, after traveling south for a few days, the wind and snow suddenly intensified.
The howling cold wind and snow-covered road made the carriage’s progress difficult, slowing it down more and more.
Long Dan had to walk to the carriage window and pat the side, “Mistress, if we continue like this, the horses might not be able to endure. I see a house ahead. Why don’t we stop there briefly to take shelter and have some food? We can continue when the wind and snow lessen.”
Soon, Jiang Si’s voice came from inside the carriage, “Alright.”
The carriage sped up a bit. When they reached the solitary house, they found it was an abandoned temple.
This temple was much larger than the Sanshi Temple in the suburbs of the capital and didn’t look as dilapidated.
Jiang Si got out of the carriage, looked around, and walked in.
There were four people in their group: Jiang Si, Elder Hua, Long Dan, and Old Qin, the carriage driver.
Long Dan inspected the place and chose a suitable spot. He brought out their small stools for Jiang Si and Elder Hua to sit on, then gathered dry firewood piled in a corner of the temple and skillfully started a fire.
Outside, snow was falling heavily, making the temple’s interior dim. As the fire grew, the temple brightened up.
Long Dan smiled, “It seems this old temple has sheltered many from wind and snow. There’s still plenty of leftover firewood.”
“We’ve had quite a connection with old temples lately,” Jiang Si said with a smile, glancing at Elder Hua.
Elder Hua smiled back but remained silent.
Old Qin stood at the entrance, looking up at the sky.
The snow was falling heavier, swirling like goose feathers between heaven and earth, with no end in sight.
Old Qin turned his head and said to those inside, “The snow seems to be getting heavier. I’m afraid we won’t be able to leave for a while.”
Long Dan frowned and looked at Jiang Si.
For people like them who had long fought on battlefields, even sleeping in the wilderness wouldn’t matter, let alone having an old temple for shelter. But the Princess Consort was precious – they couldn’t let her make do here.
Jiang Si’s expression remained unchanged as she said calmly, “If we can’t leave, we’ll rest here longer. If necessary, we’ll stay the night.”
Of course, comfort was preferable when conditions allowed, but since they had set out, everything was simplified.
Hearing Jiang Si say this, Long Dan said no more. He brought in a pot, hung it over the fire, poured in rice and other ingredients, and started cooking porridge.
Old Qin prepared a wild rabbit, skewered it, and placed it over the fire to roast.
This rabbit had suddenly darted across in front of the carriage while they were traveling. Old Qin, quick-eyed and quick-handed, had stunned it with his whip to improve their meal.
Elder Hua’s identity was special, and Jiang Si was currently disguised as Elder Hua’s granddaughter. To avoid being targeted by the Jinlin Guards, the group never stopped at inns these past few days to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Because of this, although they hadn’t yet spent a night outdoors, they had eaten like this many times.
The aroma of roasted meat soon spread.
Long Dan sniffed and smiled, “Old Qin, your skills are not bad.”
Old Qin skillfully turned the roasting rabbit, “Practice makes perfect.”
Long Dan became interested and moved closer to ask, “I didn’t realize you often roasted meat before.”
“Mm.” Old Qin nodded, focusing intently on the rabbit as its skin gradually turned golden.
“Old Qin, what meat are you best at roasting? Let me tell you, I’m particularly good at eating venison—” The boredom of the journey had turned into chatter at this moment.
Elder Hua looked at Long Dan very seriously, doubting if she had heard correctly.
Shouldn’t one ask what meat the other person is good at roasting, rather than saying what meat one is good at eating? What did it mean to be good at eating venison?
She had learned the language of Da Zhou since childhood and had lived in Da Zhou for so many years, yet she hadn’t realized how profound and extensive the language was…
At this time, Old Qin, who was concentrating on roasting the meat, responded, “I’m good at roasting rat meat.”
There was a time when he was so destitute that he often caught and roasted field rats to eat.
“Rat meat?” Long Dan’s mouth twitched as he stared at the golden-brown rabbit meat, his gaze becoming peculiar.
Old Qin said expressionlessly, “Back then, I often used the sky as my blanket and the earth as my bed. I’d eat a mouthful of rat meat, drink a mouthful of poor-quality wine, get drunk and sleep, wake up, and wander wherever I ended up. When hungry, I’d catch more field rats or sparrows to roast and eat. Thinking about those days—”
“How beautiful!” Long Dan couldn’t help but interject.
Old Qin gave Long Dan a deep look and said, “I don’t want to go back to those days ever again.”
That period was a nightmare for him. He had been like a walking corpse for so many years and didn’t even want to recall it. This young Long Dan, who usually seemed normal, actually envied those days of his. Could he be an idiot?
Long Dan opened his mouth, feeling quite embarrassed.
Old Qin wasn’t following the usual script. How could they have a proper conversation like this?
Jiang Si, listening to their dialogue, almost laughed.
She had thought that without Aman, being with Elder Hua all day would be depressing and boring. She didn’t expect Old Qin and Long Dan’s casual chat to be like this.
The aroma of roasted meat in the temple grew stronger, while outside, the wind and snow intensified. Before they knew it, darkness had fallen.
Seeing that the rabbit was almost done, Old Qin took out a clean dagger, preparing to cut the meat.
As the sharp tip of the dagger slid across the golden skin of the roasted rabbit, allowing a few drops of fat to fall into the fire and spark brighter flames, Old Qin’s movements paused.
At the same time, Long Dan’s smile faded as he looked towards the temple entrance.
The door had long since disappeared, leaving the temple entrance defenseless against the cold wind and snow that rushed in, causing the tattered temple banners to flutter incessantly.
Long Dan touched his scabbard and moved to Jiang Si’s side, whispering, “Mistress, someone’s coming.”
Jiang Si had already guessed from Old Qin and Long Dan’s unusual reactions. Hearing this, she nodded slightly and said, “There’s no need to be tense. They might be travelers seeking shelter from the storm, just like us.”
This old temple was right by the roadside. If they could come here, others certainly could too.
The atmosphere among them quickly returned to normal.
“Old Qin, is the meat ready?” Long Dan asked with a smile.
Old Qin turned the roasted rabbit, the firelight illuminating his face, “Almost.”
At that moment, there was movement at the temple entrance.