Fan Zehao saw his wife rush out and return with a thoughtful look on her face after a short while, his brow furrowing slightly.
Before he could ask, she spoke first, "Husband, I saw those people who were gambling in the town yesterday."
Fan Zehao chuckled. He thought she was worried about something serious, only to find out she had seen those unfortunate fellows.
"This is their home, where else would they go? Are you saying they should be bullied in the town?"
These people weren't masochists.
Zhao Jiaqi felt that he was right. This was their territory, and their return was not something to be puzzled about, so she put the matter out of her mind.
In the evening, after washing up, Zhao Jiaqi couldn't help but shiver. She rubbed her arms and quickly burrowed into the covers.
She mumbled, "The temperature felt quite mild during the day, but at night, it suddenly feels like falling into an ice cave. It's so cold."
With such a large temperature difference, if not careful, she was sure to catch a cold.
Facing the sudden drop in temperature, Fan Zehao's reaction was not as intense. His skin was thick, and he was often at war. Although he hadn't climbed snow mountains or crossed grasslands, he frequently went up the mountain in winter to hunt wild game, which could take a whole day and the conditions were even worse than this.
"I'll have someone bring a brazier. Your body is weak and can't stand the cold." After speaking, he put on his clothes and went outside to call for someone.
Not long after, Shi He brought two braziers and lit them in two corners of the tent. Once the braziers were lit, the yurt became slightly warmer.
Lying on the wooden bed, she now deeply missed the heated kang and warm walls of her old home. In the cold weather, after burning for a while, the room and the kang would be warm and cozy.
"A hundred days at home are good, but a single day away is difficult!" Zhao Jiaqi exclaimed with emotion.
Fan Zehao smiled, shook his head helplessly, took off his shoes, and then his clothes. He climbed into bed, wrapped his arm around her waist, kissed her forehead affectionately, and said with a smile, "When you're away from home, it's impossible to be as comfortable as at home. However, the scenery you see here, you can't see at home. Overall, there are pros and cons."
He was so eloquent, and now he could give a whole set of reasons. This surprised her immensely.
She turned to look at him, reached out, and pinched his firm face. "Alright, your speaking skills have really improved. You can spout big道理s at will. I really underestimated you before."
He pulled her hand off his face and said coaxingly, "A good teacher produces a brilliant student. After sleeping with you for so many years, I've managed to learn a little, haven't I? Otherwise, wouldn't I be shaming my teacher?"
She rolled her eyes dramatically and snorted, "Smooth talker. Let's sleep."
The man was more articulate than before, and he had become much more cunning. This was no longer the simple and honest person he used to be!
Now, she missed the person he used to be a little.
With the braziers for warmth and a large stove on the bed, she slept extremely well that night, waking up at dawn.
Early in the morning, Gan Jiaojiao brought the washing water. Just as she was about to wash her face, Su Ya, flustered and cursing, walked in. She bowed to the couple.
"Master, Madam, I don't know which bastard stole the dried meat from our carriage. A whole big bag is gone."
Something was lost?
How was this possible!
The couple thought the same thing, but facts spoke louder than words. The items were indeed gone, and nothing valuable in the carriage was lost, only the food.
After examining the carriage, Zhao Jiaqi couldn't help but laugh and cry, shaking her head repeatedly. "Someone must have been hungry and specifically stole something to eat."
Fan Zehao scoffed, "Is there a shortage of food in this place? There's plenty of beef and mutton in the kitchen, so why wasn't that stolen?"
"If you ask me, the thief has a better nose than a dog."
If someone was desperate with hunger, their first thought would be the kitchen, not to specifically steal food from the carriage.
After Fan Zehao's explanation, Zhao Jiaqi also felt it made sense. She waved her hand at everyone, "Disperse. After breakfast, we'll continue on our way. It's fine if some food is lost; it's not worth much money anyway."
As soon as they left, Xiao Ce began to circle the carriage, pondering how the items were stolen.
Although no one was on guard at night, the thief had managed to reach in, and they had no defense at all. If someone had malicious intentions, how could they be safe?
Soon, Xiao Ce discovered unusual footprints around the carriage. They were not human footprints, faint and somewhat like plum blossoms, but with claw marks on the ground.
If it wasn't a human, then it must be one of the beasts here. Identifying the footprints of wild animals really required Fan Zehao, who had been hunting for years, to make the determination.
After washing up, Fan Zehao's neck felt cold upon hearing Xiao Ce's words. He didn't even have time to eat before following Xiao Ce.
After examining the area around the carriage, his expression became grave. "These are wolf footprints, and not just one. It looks like there were about four or five of them."
Wolves?
Everyone was shocked. How could they encounter wolves in this place?
Xiao Ce said, "If wolves had come, the penned-up cattle and sheep should have made urgent noises, but there was no sound last night. This is truly unreasonable."
Fan Zehao glanced at him and said, "Wolves are smarter than dogs. As for why these wolves didn't tear apart the livestock, it's probably because they fear the people here."
He had raised wolves before, so he understood their nature.
Fan Zehao immediately decided to leave this place at once. "Eat breakfast and leave early, so we can reach their tribe before dark and avoid encountering the wolf pack."
His eldest wolf had died protecting his wife, and he had released his second wolf back into the mountains, but he and his wife still had a special affection for wolves, so they tried to avoid confrontation with them.
As soon as Xiao Ce heard his words, he understood Fan Zehao's intentions and immediately instructed his subordinates to pack.
After breakfast, they bought some more dry provisions and set off.
Axi Tribe Royal Palace, located in Gu'erhe Prefecture.
They traveled for the entire day and arrived. After finding a place to stay, Zhao Jiaqi's entire body felt like it was falling apart from the carriage ride.
She stumbled out of the carriage and was caught by Fan Zehao. He instructed Su Ya and the Gan sisters behind her, "When you bathe Madam later, give her a massage on her back. If the water gets cold, add more hot water. Don't let Madam catch a chill."
Su Ya quickly nodded, "Yes, Master."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fan Zehao carried his beloved wife away. Gan Jiaojiao, following behind him, sighed, "Our King treats our Queen so well, he even instructs on something as trivial as bathing."
Su Ya looked back and glared at her. "You need to change how you address them when we're out."
Gan Jiaojiao knew she had made a mistake and quickly nodded. "Yes, yes, Sister Su, I was wrong. I'll be careful in the future."
Seeing her quick and sincere apology, Su Ya didn't press the matter further and instructed them, "Master and Madam have a very good relationship, so it's normal for him to dote on her. Don't just think about this; Master even knows clearly when Madam has her period. In the future, when you two serve them closely, you should also be mindful. Don't talk too much; just do your work diligently."
These words were enough to make the Gan sisters envious.
The master actually remembered such an intimate matter as the madam's period. No wonder the entire Yun Kingdom was rumored that the former emperor had abolished his harem and only favored the Empress. They had heard it and scoffed, never believing it. After this incident, they truly believed it.
There was still true love in this world.