Madam Cheng never expected that her husband, who had always been so obedient to her, would start losing his temper with her after only three days of fleeing.
A chill immediately spread through her heart, and her eyes held a look of disbelief.
Master Cheng's heart was aflutter with anxiety, worried that there might be ill-intentioned villagers lying in ambush. He had no time to coax any woman.
He simply shouted for her to return to the carriage, forbidding her from coming down to bother him without his permission.
Madam Cheng felt wronged, tears rolling down her face. She could only take Jiang Xiyue's hand and walk back quickly, her shoulders trembling as she cried.
Jiang Xiyue also found it hard to believe. Ever since she had moved in with her aunt, her uncle had been utterly devoted to her aunt, willing to give her the moon and stars. They were a loving couple, a goal she envied.
But who would have thought.
In just a few short days, he had repeatedly lost his temper with her aunt.
Today was the worst.
Jiang Xiyue felt once again that a man's favor was so unreliable.
She could only help her aunt into the carriage and say in a soft voice, "Auntie..."
As soon as Madam Cheng reached the carriage, she collapsed by the bedside and wept bitterly, her shoulders shaking, her entire being radiating a sense of defeat.
Jiang Xiyue didn't know how to comfort her. She could only watch helplessly, her mind racing. If men were such things, then Cheng Hao, who now doted on his new wife, would surely abandon her one day. She would wait and see; she would strive to take her rightful place!
A strong sense of jealousy and unwillingness churned in the young girl's eyes. She believed she was definitely more capable than her aunt and would firmly hold Cheng Hao's heart, thus avoiding being treated like a worthless trinket by someone else one day!
Madam Cheng naturally had no idea what thoughts her niece was harboring. She only felt overwhelmed at the moment. The world was descending into chaos, and the husband she thought would protect her until old age had already begun to change his heart.
She felt utterly unable to accept it and could only weep hysterically.
Meanwhile, outside.
Seeing that Master Cheng was becoming flustered, Cheng Kaichun secretly chuckled and increased his efforts, using various scare tactics. He succeeded in making the master utterly bewildered.
Ji Bo wasn't paying attention to Master Cheng; otherwise, he would have surely noticed Cheng Kaichun fanning the flames. Unfortunately, he was busy directing everyone to pack their belongings, waiting for their young master's return so they could continue their journey.
He was in a frenzy.
The old man couldn't possibly attend to anything else, so Cheng Kaichun's plan succeeded.
On the other side.
The atmosphere between Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao was quite pleasant. Their two carriages, lightly packed, followed Da Tou, who was leading the way on horseback, through the forest path.
They stopped only when the mule cart could no longer proceed, and then switched to traveling on foot.
Fortunately, they weren't far.
Da Tou was one of the two guards at the head of the convoy. He was brave, tall and burly, with a loud voice.
He was open-minded.
And quite talkative.
Cheng Fengtai was similar, with a stature that was considered excellent among men. His personality, honed by being a street vendor, also made him very eloquent.
Thus, the journey was not boring. The group quickly became familiar with each other.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao could also join in the conversation. They didn't have the delicate habits of young people. They walked when they needed to, and did what they needed to do. They didn't mind the difficult path or having to walk the latter half of the journey, showing a straightforward character.
This made the two elders feel that the young couple was quite good and very appreciative of them.
Lai Fu and Jia Wang were old friends, and Xiao Wu Zi and Xiao Liu Zi had a good relationship.
Their small team was exceptionally harmonious. They only began to control their volume and exercise caution as they approached the village.
Da Tou, with his boisterous nature, initially insisted that there was no one there, having scouted the area several times. However, remembering what everyone had said yesterday, he complied with their decision and deliberately lowered his voice.
When they were not far from the village, Cheng Hao asked everyone to stop and turned to ask, "Uncle Da Tou, do you remember approximately how many households are in the village?"
Li Da Tou scratched his head upon hearing this, his face contorted with thought. "I didn't count them precisely! But there aren't many, perhaps around thirty households?"
Everyone else was baffled, unsure why Cheng Hao was asking this.
Su Miaomiao had already started warming up and stretching when Cheng Hao began speaking to Li Da Tou. She then said resolutely, "I'll just go take a look, wait for me!"
Saying this, she stood on the small hillside, from where she could vaguely see the houses below. She looked around and spotted a large tree near another hillside. With a whoosh, she set off towards it.
Her movements were like those of a small leopard cat, agile and swift. She moved as if on level ground through the forest. The gnarled roots of the old trees couldn't stop her. Her movements were incredibly light, and she could even use hanging branches to climb. In a few breaths, she had disappeared.
Cheng Hao couldn't help but get a headache, but seeing that she was still within his line of sight, he let it be.
The remaining people were all dumbfounded, their faces a mask of disbelief. How could a young girl achieve such a feat? She truly was as light as a swallow, her qinggong skills extraordinary! They were all stunned for a long time.
Li Da Tou stammered, then bowed respectfully to Cheng Hao with clasped hands. "May I ask, where did the eldest young madam study? She is truly formidable!"
He was completely awestruck. He considered himself enlightened. From the martial arts he had learned from the master hired by the Cheng family, he knew only of brute force and techniques. The Eldest Young Madam's skills were the true martial arts!
Li Da Tou admitted he really wanted to learn. Seeing the tall, strong man staring at him, Cheng Hao felt immense pressure and could only reply helplessly, "I don't know either. She just said she figured it out herself."
As for other details, Cheng Hao claimed he couldn't disclose anything, only that he didn't know much either.
In truth, he couldn't say.
Everything about the twenty-first century would be kept buried deep in the hearts of the two of them.
Li Da Tou nodded like a pecking chick, indicating he understood. He knew that reclusive masters wouldn't easily teach outsiders.
Cheng Hao, seeing him comforting himself, could only nod perfunctorily. His gaze remained fixed on Su Miaomiao as she ran. It was a pity that his physical condition hadn't accompanied him. As a result, while Su Miaomiao could sprint over there, his bookish physique made it impossible for him to keep up with her as he had in their previous life.
He could only wait here, a feeling of inexplicable anxiety and restlessness pervading him.
Fortunately.
Su Miaomiao ran fast and returned just as quickly. In a flash, she was back.
Xiao Wu Zi, Xiao Liu Zi, Jia Wang, and Lai Fu couldn't help but become excited, their eyes shining as they looked at her, filled with immense admiration.
Cheng Fengtai was speechless. He knew that such matters couldn't be spoken of carelessly, so he simply smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, child."
Su Miaomiao waved her hand, saying it was nothing, her breathing slightly rapid. "Phew, there are thirty-three houses in the village. From the outside, there's no activity. The houses are all quiet..."
She recounted all the information she had gathered.