Chapter 329 – A Ten-Mile Fiancée (Part 2)
Langya County isn’t far from Hejian County; although we encountered a few greedy bandits on the road, those ruffians never even got close to the convoy before Jiang Pengji and her people wiped them out clean. Aside from these little disturbances, the journey was rather peaceful.
Upon entering Hejian County, things felt even safer.
During Jiang Pengji’s years of studying at Langya County, the nearby bandits hadn’t fared well either.
Those crooks were either caught and dealt with or quietly incorporated into Jiang Pengji’s ranks, bringing about several years of peace in Hejian County.
“Young Master, we’re home…”
Ta Xue peeked out from the carriage curtain, catching sight of the city walls sprawled across the ground, her heart swelling with joy.
Jiang Pengji held the reins, responding softly, “Yeah, home at last.”
Hejian County—this was the first place she stayed after waking up in this world.
Even though she didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging, seeing it again after so many years stirred a nostalgic pang of bittersweetness within her.
“Let’s go!”
After her moment of reflection, the convoy was all set, and Jiang Pengji cracked the whip, continuing the journey.
Thanks to an early warning, the Liu Residence had already sent someone to wait outside the city.
Jiang Pengji had keen eyesight and quickly spotted who was waiting at the front. A genuine smile crept across her lips.
She urged Big White to speed up a bit and called to Xu Ke, “Xiaoyu!”
Xu Ke returned a bow towards Jiang Pengji, a smile gracing his face, “Welcome back, Young Master.”
Now past his teenage years, Xu Ke had grown taller and broader, his facial features hardening into more mature lines. The childishness had faded, replaced with the steadiness of youth, and he exuded a sense of vitality, looking quite spirited.
Xu Ke had followed Jiang Pengji during her studies in Langya, and although he was a companion student, his experience was no different from the regular Langya students, occasionally receiving personal guidance from Mr. Yuanjing. Two months ago, Jiang Pengji had sent him back to Hejian to help prepare for the Liu family’s young lady’s upcoming marriage. Judging by his appearance, it seemed that everything had been taken care of!
“Enough with the pleasantries! After such a long journey, I haven’t had anything decent to eat. I’m starving!”
Jiang Pengji tossed Big White’s reins to the young servant.
Xu Ke replied, “Lady Die has already prepared a feast at home, just waiting for you, Young Master.”
Lady Die?
“What about my mother?” Jiang Pengji inquired.
Xu Ke answered, “The Lady was busy with wedding arrangements these past days and caught a bit of a cold this morning, so she had Lady Die host your welcome back feast.”
“Oh, I see.” Jiang Pengji pointed to the convoy behind them, “Send someone to have all of this unloaded at the residence, then make sure to check against the list. If anything seems off, you must report back to me immediately… I’m exhausted! I need to change my clothes first.”
Life in ancient times moved at a leisurely pace; even after years away, Hejian County felt much like she remembered.
But as she spotted numerous ragged beggars in the city, her brows furrowed slightly in concern.
Noting her expression, Xu Ke proactively explained, “The harvests have been poor in our vicinity for the past couple of years, especially last year’s autumn harvest resulted in a small locust plague, leaving the fields nearly barren… Without the governor opening the grain storage and borrowing from the locals, there would have been even more disaster victims… Hejian has fared better, unfortunately, conditions are dire in the other counties…”
Even though Jiang Pengji had resolved the bandit problem, sparing Hejian County from turmoil, nature remained spiteful, and calamities still inflicted suffering upon the common people.
Jiang Pengji’s expression darkened. She turned to glance at the convoy behind her.
Most of the items in the bridal dowry were things Jiang Pengji had gathered, and she was acutely aware of how many silver coins they represented.
This was merely the dowry of a Liu family young lady, while countless commoners still struggled to fill their bellies.
Such a stark contrast tightened Jiang Pengji’s heart, her expression growing graver.
“What about the tenant farmers outside?”
Jiang Pengji was inquiring about the farms owned by the Liu Residence.
“The Lady took from her personal savings to exempt the tenant farmers’ dues, and even helped cover their grain taxes, offering them small sums of silver along the way.”
While other tenant farmers suffered and went hungry, the Liu Residence’s tenants were little affected, at the very least avoiding becoming refugees.
As they discussed this, they swiftly arrived at the Liu Residence.
The doorkeeper, recognizing Jiang Pengji, was momentarily stunned before rushing to announce, “Second Young Master has returned!”
Before long, the old steward scurried out, and upon seeing fifteen-year-old Jiang Pengji, tears streamed down his face.
“Steward, returning home is a good thing; why are you crying? Wipe those tears away; I’m going to check on my mother first.”
The steward dabbed at his tears, saying, “The Lady just took her medicine and has gone to bed. Young Master, why don’t you wash up first?”
“That sounds fine.”
Back in her courtyard, her maidservants had already prepared hot soup and clean clothes.
The familiar servants were still the same, and the courtyard was spotless, as though the mistress had never left.
“Xun Mei? What are you doing…”
Jiang Pengji caught a glimpse of a graceful figure; it looked familiar. She paused before recognizing who it was.
“Hearing from Xiaoyu that you were returning today, I took the liberty to tidy up your quarters,” Xun Mei blushed, her natural beauty shining through even without makeup. She appeared more gentle and mature than before, “Please forgive me, Young Master.”
Hearing that title, Jiang Pengji turned to Xu Ke with an intrigued click of her tongue, “Ah, so the happy moment is near.”
Xu Ke seemed somewhat uneasy, but Xun Mei quickly said, “I had planned to wait until you had time to explain everything to Young Master…”
“What’s there to hide? He’s kept you waiting for years with no word; now that he finally relented, it’s time to wrap it up.” Jiang Pengji teased, causing Xun Mei to blush profusely as she gathered her sleeves and stepped out, leaving space for the two.
Once Xun Mei departed, Jiang Pengji asked, “Is it decided?”
Xu Ke understood her implication and nodded, “Yes.”
“Then don’t disappoint her; Xun Mei is a good girl.” Honestly, Jiang Pengji wasn’t too hopeful about Xun Mei and Xu Ke. The latter was destined to soar high like a swan, while Xun Mei was just an ordinary girl.
It was hard to believe that once Xu Ke became successful, he could still treat Xun Mei with the same heart.
In Jiang Pengji’s view, considering Xun Mei’s qualities, she’d be happier with a more stable and ordinary man.
But that was merely her guess.
What the future held was up to these two.
Xu Ke sensed the warning in Jiang Pengji’s words and solemnly said, “I promise to cherish her.”
Jiang Pengji patted his shoulder, “Remember your words.”
Xu Ke responded, “I will definitely remember.”
“Sit down, I want to know about the changes in Hejian County over these years, along with all the major events. How are things with the troops now?”
During her time in Langya County, Jiang Pengji received news from time to time, but due to communication challenges, the information was always overly simplified, lacking in details. Now that she had returned, she was keen to learn everything anew.
Once the serious topic was broached, Xu Ke straightened up, ready to convey the information he had in mind.
“Following the Young Master’s instructions…”
