Jiang Wan saw that the two of them were still too agitated, so she used her powers to help them calm down.
Her powers could not only heal injuries and strengthen the body but also soothe emotions, making them quite versatile.
After Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi calmed down, they didn't rush back. Instead, they discussed how to deal with the Tai Sui.
"We can't keep this thing in our hands for too long. Firstly, it's difficult to preserve, and secondly, with so many eyes watching, if word leaks out, it will only cause trouble. So, we need to get rid of it quickly."
Chen Yuezhi, however, was a little worried, "But in this situation, even if we can sell it for a good price, we're in an unfamiliar place. Who can we find to buy it?"
Jiang Pan scratched his head, "We'll reach Tongzhou Prefecture City not too far ahead. We should be able to find good buyers there. However, to avoid arousing suspicion from the villagers, we need to find an excuse to leave first."
Jiang Wan thought for a moment and said, "How about I pretend to be sick? That way, we'll have a reasonable excuse to go ahead."
Jiang Pan nodded, "That's possible. But since Su Shi is pregnant now, it's not suitable for her to travel at an accelerated pace, and this matter shouldn't be known by too many people. So, Da Lang and the others will still travel with the group."
After the three of them discussed it and found no issues, they carried their belongings down the mountain.
To avoid suspicion, Jiang Pan and Chen Yuezhi each carried a bag and descended the mountain openly. The bag containing the Tai Sui was covered with many medicinal herbs, while Jiang Pan's bag was unadorned, containing only a bag of wild apples.
As soon as the family of three descended the mountain, they caught the attention of the villagers.
"Yo, Da Pan, what are you carrying in those two big bags?"
Jiang Pan smiled and said, "I originally intended to go up the mountain to collect some medicinal herbs, but I didn't expect my luck to be so good and found a wild apple tree laden with fruit. By the way, did you pick any when you went up the mountain? There are several trees with them."
As he spoke, he revealed the wild apples in his bag, "If you didn't pick any, take a couple to try. We've tasted them, and they're quite good."
The man was not polite and reached into the bag to grab two, "I heard them say earlier that they picked wild apples on the mountain, and I even went to look. They weren't as big as yours."
Saying that, the man looked at Chen Yuezhi's bag.
Chen Yuezhi opened the bag for him to see, "There are indeed many good things in this mountain. It's just that time is limited, otherwise, I would have dug up a few more bags of medicinal materials, and then we wouldn't have to worry about them."
The man gave Chen Yuezhi a thumbs-up, "You really think of everything."
Jiang Wan leaned against Chen Yuezhi's leg, her eyes half-closed, rubbing them, "Mom, my head is so dizzy from falling just now, I feel so uncomfortable. Let's go back quickly."
The man asked curiously, "Little Fatty fell?"
Jiang Pan said casually, "She's too mischievous and runs all over the mountain, tripped on a tree root and hit her head. But I don't see any redness or swelling, so it should be fine."
The man wasn't too concerned, "Children are resilient; falling and bumping is common. But she looks very sleepy, you should hurry back and let her sleep."
Jiang Pan called out, and then led his wife and daughter back to their horse-drawn carriage.
Jiang Wan put on a great act. As soon as she reached the carriage, she crawled inside and didn't come out, not even eating much dinner.
Everyone in the family doted on her. Seeing that she wasn't eating, they asked with concern, "What's wrong with Wanwan? Can she manage with just those two bites of dinner?"
Chen Yuezhi said, "It's fine. I'll save some food for her. If she wakes up hungry in the middle of the night, I'll give it to her then."
However, in the middle of the night, Chen Yuezhi's surprised cry came from the Jiang family's carriage: "Wanwan, what's wrong with you? Wanwan, wake up quickly!"
The others in the family were also awakened and rushed over to ask, "Mom, what's wrong with Wanwan?"
"His wife, what's wrong with our daughter?"
Chen Yuezhi poked her head out of the carriage, "His husband, Wanwan doesn't look well. Her pulse is erratic, she's delirious, and she's been talking nonsense. Could she have hit her head this evening?"
Jiang Pan jumped up anxiously, "Quickly think of a way to try and needle her."
Chen Yuezhi said with a choked voice, "Okay, I'll try."
The surrounding villagers were woken up by the commotion and also came over to inquire about the situation. Jiang Pan remained silent, his lips pressed together, pacing back and forth.
Da Lang and the others all looked anxious.
After a while, Chen Yuezhi poked her head out of the carriage again, "His husband, it's no use. My medical skills are not enough, and Wanwan still won't wake up."
Jiang Pan looked at the sky, "You find a way to stall for time. When it's dawn, we'll ride the carriage to Tongzhou Prefecture City. There must be a good doctor there."
As he spoke, Jiang Pan, a grown man, also got teary-eyed.
The villagers knew that the Jiang family loved their daughter and came to comfort them, "Don't you two worry too much. Perhaps the child is just startled. She'll be fine after a sleep."
Jiang Pan pursed his lips, putting on a brave face.
Finally, when dawn broke, Jiang Pan made arrangements for his family and then went to the village chief to explain the situation.
When the village chief heard that Jiang Wan was seriously ill, he said, "It might not be safe for you two to travel alone with her. How about I arrange for a few people to accompany you?"
Jiang Pan quickly declined, "Village Chief, we are unfamiliar with Tongzhou, and anything could happen. At this juncture, let's not trouble everyone. We are driving a carriage, and with more people, the horses won't be able to run fast, which would delay us."
The village chief knew he was speaking the truth and couldn't persuade him further, "Then you must be extremely careful on the road. After you reach the prefecture city, wait there. We will meet you in the prefecture city."
Jiang Pan nodded, "We are in a hurry to travel. Su Shi is not in a convenient condition now, and Da Lang and his brothers are young and inexperienced. I'll have to trouble you to look after them more."
"Don't worry."
After making all the arrangements, Jiang Pan immediately drove the carriage with Chen Yuezhi and Jiang Wan away from the group, their hurried demeanor as if they were truly rushing to save a life.
When the carriage had long left the group behind, Jiang Wan climbed up and asked with a grin, "Mom, how was my act?"
Chen Yuezhi smiled and flicked her nose, "You clever little thing, you really outdid yourself. You even fooled me. If we hadn't discussed it beforehand, I would have really thought you were sick."
Jiang Wan giggled, "If the act isn't convincing, how can it fool people?"
The carriage hurried towards Tongzhou Prefecture City.
Along the way, they encountered many refugee teams. Some people saw that only Jiang Pan was driving the Jiang family's carriage and had malicious intentions to stop them.
Jiang Pan took out the weapons he had prepared and swung them at those people.
The weapon was made by Jiang Pan overnight, a sharp saber tied to a sturdy pole. He was strong and wielded the simple weapon with the grace of a Qinglong Yanyuedao, scaring away any petty thieves who dared to approach.
Jiang Wan, on the other hand, utilized her powers to their fullest, making the horse run tirelessly. The journey that originally took two days was completed by the same evening, before the hour of Zi, arriving at the gates of Tongzhou Prefecture City.
The city gates were tightly shut at night, so the family of three sat in the carriage waiting for dawn.
When dawn broke, Jiang Pan drove the carriage towards the city gate.
Unexpectedly, from a distance, they heard the city guards shouting loudly, "Line up, prepare your travel permits and entry fees. One by one."