Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter 209: Leaving Home

Chapter 209: Leaving Home

Having deliberately chosen a place free from the gloom of dark clouds and heavy snow, Ji Meiqing first took her belongings and left for the capital.

Lu Yu will arrive later with the remaining items. The residence in the capital has already been prepared, and the tokens for entering and leaving the palace have been issued.

Everything is ready, and we're just waiting for the birthday celebration to begin.

Escorted by their own security company, the journey was uneventful. After all, their leader had extensive connections, and many bandits and robbers along the way gave them face.

Lu Yu's skills were unfathomable, so she didn't need to worry about him. However, Ji Meiqing couldn't help but look back at the goods she was currently handling, and then whispered a few words to Li Ming beside her.

"Have someone keep watch here tonight. Remember the rats we brought; feed them once at night and once during the day the next day. See if anything happens."

Li Ming nodded slightly, her expression solemn and serious. She was still a little worried, after all, it wasn't real wine, just a substitute. But the thought of so much wine being wasted still stung.

"Once we cross this mountain, we'll probably have to start traveling by water."

"Are the boatmen already arranged at the dock? Are they our men?"

"Yes, the person in charge is a very experienced one. Apart from him, everyone else was handpicked and approved by the old man."

Upon hearing this, Ji Meiqing, though somewhat uneasy, did not say anything more.

As night fell, the temperature dropped terribly. Everyone huddled around the fire for warmth, and Ji Meiqing was no exception. Using the fire's light, they set up a small table.

He meticulously wrote and drew on it with the pen he carried with him. Li Ming and his men cooked and ate nearby. The wild game in the mountains had all dug holes and were hiding, so they managed to catch a few rabbits that had come out to forage for food and made soup with them.

He stripped off the gray fur, cleaned it, and put it in a box, intending to make a scarf.

Seeing that she was still writing a letter, I brought her the meat soup that I had already prepared.

"Thank you," she said softly without looking up. Her hands continued moving, producing neat handwriting and clear strokes.

Li Ming glanced at it, then looked away.

"I'll go take a look around. Remember to eat this meat to warm your body."

Ji Meiqing looked up at him and said, "It's so late, don't go too far."

"Okay." He forced a smile, then walked away.

Ji Meiqing didn't think much of it and continued writing on it.

After she finished writing, she noticed the warm meat soup beside her. She frowned, picked it up, and poured it into the large pot.

When Li Ming returned, he happened to see this scene. Without thinking, he turned his head and walked away, but he was filled with an inexplicable anger, which no one around him knew why.

He squatted down by the firewood to warm his frozen hands, then looked at the bubbling soup and his mouth watered. So he took a spoon and ladled out a bowl for himself.

The taste of the rabbit soup was unbearable for her. She pinched her nose, took two sips, and then reluctantly ate the meat.

After putting down the bowl, even a burp smelled like that, which was really unbearable.

Thinking that I had brought some dry food, I ran over without a second thought, took it out, and ate it all up until the smell wore off.

It was late at night, and everyone around was already getting ready for bed. Several tents had been set up, but since she was a girl, she prepared a small tent for herself.

Unlike usual, the winter nights were cold and eerily quiet. The lack of usual liveliness made the atmosphere even more chilly. Ji Meiqing huddled under the covers, her neck and head hunched, but her mind was unusually sharp.

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and had no idea what to do. A slight excitement stirred within me.

With my eyes closed, I thought about many things. In the end, it was better to go for a walk; the quiet night and the cold moonlight made it seem even more eerie.

Ji Meiqing found a place to sit down and watched the swaying shadows of the trees in the night.

The sky was so dark that I didn't want to disturb them, so I just sat there quietly by myself.

The night passed quickly. She went back and tidied up her things, then waited for them to wake up.

I prepared some congee and side dishes, and once they woke up, I invited them over to eat.

"Hey, ma'am, why does your face look so yellow?" One of them looked at her with some surprise, but when he saw the red blood vessels under her eyes, he immediately understood. "Ma'am, you didn't sleep all night, did you?"

"I have insomnia, I can't sleep. I'd better go wash up and come back to eat something." She chuckled twice, putting all of this out of her mind.

Li Ming also happened to come out of the tent and saw her holding a mouse and walking towards the place where the wine was stored without changing her expression.

"Let me do it." He stopped her and tried to take the rat from her hand, but she dodged him. "This rat is filthy."

"It's alright, I'll just wash my hands later." Ji Meiqing didn't care at all, and only returned to the crowd after feeding the rats.

After getting fully prepared and going through a lot of trouble, we finally set off.

When they arrived at the boatman's dock, the people who had brought them began to carry the fermented wine into the cabin. Ji Meiqing also boarded the boat, looked around, and then jumped out again.

"How is it?" Li Ming walked to her side and looked at the boats on the water with her.

"Not bad, we'll be passing through Yangzhou on the way. You can check the headcount then."

"Understood." He nodded and went to get busy. Ji Meiqing looked at the people, then slowly left, waiting until everything was almost ready.

Li Ming then led his men away first, while Ji Meiqing rested there before riding off. Water transport was slow, and she needed to get there beforehand to arrange things; otherwise, it would be too late.

They changed horses many times along the way, and Ji Meiqing worked day and night without rest, finally arriving at their destination.

Having not rested for several days, his face was bruised and dark, as if he had been punched. As soon as he dismounted, he eagerly asked the eunuch who had come to greet them.

"Everything has been handled properly, just as you instructed, young lady."

Ji Meiqing also thanked him politely, "It's really too much trouble for you, Father-in-law. If I become successful in the future, I will never forget your kindness."

"You're too kind, young lady. I was just following the prince's instructions. The person you should really thank is the prince."

"Of course, but I still have to thank you. Here's the money for the drinks. When you have time another day, please come and visit us."

"Well... I'll accept your offer." He chuckled twice and accepted the bag of silver.