Chapter 405: Zhao Mingyan Must Not Know

Black Wind Village.

It was hidden behind this mountain slope, roughly fifteen miles away.

Ji Qingwu quietly lifted a corner of the carriage curtain.

The village was far more opulent than Ji Qingwu had imagined.

It didn’t look like a den of thieves, but more like an ancient city that had risen from the sands, only to be abandoned and later occupied by bandits.

There were even people hawking their wares on the street, carrying baskets filled with colorful red and green snacks and various trinkets. It didn’t look all that different from an ordinary village.

The only difference was that there were no women or children; everyone they passed on the road was a big, burly man.

Ji Qingwu and Chunhua were taken to a room. The little bandit must have been a minor leader in this village; he called someone over and had a water kettle and some flatbread sent in.

The little bandit stood at the door and said, "You two stay here. Later tonight, you’ll be called to meet our Madam. Clean yourselves up a bit."

A flicker of doubt crossed Ji Qingwu’s eyes. ’Who is this "Madam" he’s talking about?’ But judging by his respectful attitude, she was most likely an important figure in the village.

Ji Qingwu guessed she was probably the wife of the second-in-command.

She picked up the kettle, uncorked it, and glanced inside. "We need hot water."

Hearing her dare to make demands after being locked up in their village, the little bandit’s eyes narrowed.

He barked, "It’s water, you can drink it! Why are you so damn picky?"

Ji Qingwu was not frightened by his expression, nor was she angered by his vulgar words.

"Chunhua gave birth just a few hours ago. She needs hot water, and if possible, a thick cotton quilt."

She said coolly, "If she doesn’t rest well and can’t produce milk, how do you expect her to be a wet nurse?"

’This woman isn’t much to look at, but she speaks so softly.’ The little bandit grunted and turned to leave.

About the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the little bandit had someone deliver hot water and bedding, along with a safflower-patterned porcelain basin and a towel.

Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow, feeling the cotton surface of the quilt. ’Life in a bandits’ den isn’t half bad,’ she thought.

Not only were all sorts of daily necessities provided, but their quality was also quite good—even better than what she had used back in Nanchu.

Chunhua awoke from a deep sleep. After taking the small pill Ji Qingwu had given her, she felt much recovered. She opened her eyes to the unfamiliar surroundings.

Ji Qingwu turned around and saw she was awake. "Perfect timing. I’ll make the bed for you."

Chunhua quickly said, "I—I’ll do it myself. How could I let you help me...?"

Ji Qingwu said, "Don’t get up. You need to rest right now. Just lie down over to the side."

While making the bed, Ji Qingwu told her where they were.

Chunhua said in a panic, "My baby! And where is Brother Feng? The children are so young. Without me, what if they cry incessantly?"

It was unclear where the bandits were holding Jiao Zhengfeng, but they should not be in any immediate danger.

But Chunhua knew her husband. He was a coarse, clumsy man, and he would definitely be unable to take proper care of the babies.

Ji Qingwu reassured her, "Don’t panic just yet. The people from the convoy are probably being held together, and there are plenty of women among them who have raised children. If all else fails, my little sister is there. She won’t ignore them."

Chunhua knew that worrying wouldn’t help, but with her children away from her, she couldn’t help but be anxious.

Ji Qingwu neatly spread out the mattress pad and pulled the cotton quilt over her.

Then, her hand reached under the covers, and Chunhua’s face instantly turned bright red.

Ji Qingwu said, "Mm, you’re producing milk. That’s a good sign."

’Oh, so that’s why.’ Chunhua nodded shyly. No one besides her own husband had ever touched her chest.

As a gynecological physician, Ji Qingwu didn’t think anything of it. She had even performed acupuncture on women whose milk flow was blocked.

Ji Qingwu withdrew her hand, her expression perfectly natural. "Let me think of a way to bring the children back to you for feeding."

Chunhua could already tell from Ji Qingwu’s behavior that she was extremely familiar with matters of childbirth. It was clear she was no ordinary person.

She asked, "Benefactor, what do you do in Lin’an? With such great skill, why would you follow a convoy to a place like this to suffer?"

Ji Qingwu said, "Don’t call me Benefactor. You look about the same age as my little sister. You can just call me Fifth Sister-in-law."

Now that they were in a bandits’ lair, Ji Qingwu knew she had to be even more careful about hiding her identity.

She lowered her eyes and said without hesitation, "I’m not from Lin’an City, I’m a vegetable farmer from the outskirts. As for why I’m so skilled with childbirth... no special reason. When you’ve had a lot of kids, you just naturally learn these things."

Chunhua’s expression was one of astonishment. This benefactor looked so young; she never would have thought she was already a mother to so many children.

"How many children have you had, little sister-in-law?"

Ji Qingwu pinched her little finger, saying with a perfectly straight face, "Hmm, seven. The eldest can already help me plant vegetables."

Chunhua took her at her word and nodded. "To have such an obedient and sensible child... Sister-in-law, you were still willing to leave your home for Longzhou."

A shadow passed over Ji Qingwu’s eyes.

’She was willing to leave her child, all right. Not only did she fail to catch her ’man,’ but she also got herself kidnapped by a band of mountain bandits on the way.’

She had to find a way to save herself, and she had to keep this whole incident a secret.

If Zhao Mingyan found out that she had not only gone to great lengths to evade his Hidden Guards but had also landed herself in danger and been abducted...

At the thought, Ji Qingwu’s face scrunched up.

’No, I have to get out of this bandits’ den as soon as possible!’

Seeing her expression, Chunhua thought her words had upset her. ’What mother doesn’t miss her children?’

"Little Sister-in-law, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have brought up a sore subject. But don’t you worry too much."

Chunhua glanced at the door and whispered, "These bandits intercepted the convoy of a major figure from Lin’an. Someone will definitely come to rescue us."

Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow. "A major figure from Lin’an?"

She actually didn’t know which family the convoy belonged to, only that it was heading for Longzhou.

’Is there some major figure in Lin’an that I don’t know about?’

Chunhua quickly told Ji Qingwu everything she knew.

"This is the convoy of our Beili’s Princess Qingyun! The goods on these thirty-some carriages all belong to the Princess."

Ji Qingwu’s gaze fell on the red porcelain basin. ’Such extravagance... that does sound like something Qingyun would do.’

Five days ago, Qingyun had already accompanied Li Chengxun to his new post, arriving in Longzhou ahead of the convoy.

’So the convoy Ji Changlin found for me was dispatched from the Princess Mansion.’

’My elder brother really put a lot of thought into this. Few would dare to touch a princess’s convoy; logically, it should have been the safest option.’

Princess Qingyun had a temper so fiery she could explode without a spark.

’But for these bandits to be so brazen... isn’t that a bit too arrogant?’

Chunhua said, "If Princess Qingyun finds out about this, she’ll definitely send government troops to get her things back."

Ji Qingwu had just started to feel a sense of relief, but Chunhua’s words made her tense up all over again.

’That’s right. That’s what’s so strange about all this.’

Ji Qingwu shook her head slightly.

Chunhua said, "Little Sister-in-law, everything I said is true. I’m not lying to you."

Of course, Ji Qingwu knew she was telling the truth.