Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 279: Directing and Acting by Oneself_1

Chapter 279: Chapter 279: Directing and Acting by Oneself_1

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren slept well and had a hearty breakfast in the morning. They picked up the food prepared by the inn and got onto the carriage, which fell in with the convoy. Zhulan leaned against the window and finally saw Wang Ru. Calculating the time, it had been almost a year since they’d seen each other. Wang Ru had grown a lot taller, with her features maturing a good deal as well, becoming more delicate by the day. Even after a year of care, Wang Ru had not recovered well; last year’s injuries had been truly severe—she was quite frail.

Wang Ru didn’t notice Zhulan, so Zhulan let the curtain drop.

After a while, the carriage convoy continued its journey. They were not so lucky the next day, as it began to rain from the sky. The most dreaded thing when traveling was rain, as the road was dirt, and once muddied, it became difficult to traverse.

Zhulan curled up in her blanket, listening to the rain, "Travel really is exhausting. No wonder you said it takes three months for a round trip. This rain won’t get too heavy, will it? With no village ahead and no shop behind, we’re not going to be stuck here for a few days, are we?"

Zhou Shuren was very calm, "No problem. We have enough food to last us a few days, so there’s no need to worry even if we’re stuck for a while."

Zhulan glared, "You really are laid back."

Zhou Shuren put down his book, "It’s not that I’m laid back. I’ve experienced being stuck while traveling and am used to it. You’re just starting out; by the time we return, you’ll be as calm as I am now."

Zhulan didn’t like rainy days, with the heavy dampness. It had only rained for a morning, and the blanket was already a bit damp. If it weren’t for the hot water in the canteen placed inside the blanket, she would have caught a chill.

The caravan kept moving forward, and Zhulan missed airplanes terribly!

The convoy didn’t stop at noon, trying to push forward as much as possible. Fortunately, the rain stopped in the afternoon. The air was much fresher after the rain, and when Zhulan stepped out of the carriage wearing shoes, she saw how truly beautiful nature was. It was a sight no longer commonly seen in the modern world, except in protected woods and forests.

Zhulan tugged at Zhou Shuren, "Let’s go pick some shepherd’s purse. We still have some porridge left. We’ll wash the shepherd’s purse and put it in!"

Zhou Shuren replied, "The grass is covered in water droplets. Your shoes will get wet. I’ll go; you wait here for me."

"It’s fine; I brought six pairs of shoes with me!"

Zhou Shuren smiled, "Then let’s look by the stream!"

Zhulan didn’t pick much, just enough for a bunch. After washing the greens, the coachman had already found dry firewood to start a fire. Zhulan heated the porridge and, gazing at the beautiful surroundings, felt much better.

Zhou Shuren held a bowl and a jar, "I’ll go wash the dishes. The cold is heavy after the rain, so you should get on the carriage first."

Zhulan replied, "Okay."

Zhulan was also thinking about taking advantage of the lingering daylight to get out some paper and paint a picture.

When Zhou Shuren got back on the carriage, Zhulan was already halfway through her painting. Zhou Shuren didn’t interrupt but waited until Zhulan finished and the ink was somewhat dry before picking up the painting and examining it, "You’ve made quite a lot of progress."

Zhulan felt the same, "I really do have quite the talent!"

She had already decided that once Zhou Shuren was settled, she would find a good master to learn painting. With a rare fondness and natural gift, she was determined to learn well.

Once the painting had dried, Zhou Shuren carefully rolled it up, "We’ll find someone to mount it once we reach the capital."

Zhulan agreed, "Okay!"

Zhou Shuren went back outside to wash the brushes, then refilled the water bladder with hot water before returning to the carriage. At night, with the water bladder in the blanket, it would be warmer.

The rest of the journey did not encounter any more rainy days. As the convoy passed through Huaizhou City, its speed increased significantly.

After observing for a few days, Zhulan and Zhou Shuren noticed that every time they reached a town, there would be some cargo wagons that would fall behind. With fewer wagons to carry goods, the convoy became smaller, and naturally, its speed increased considerably.

On the fifteenth day after leaving Pingzhou, nothing had happened on the way to the capital, and more than half of the journey had been covered. It seemed that in a few days, they would reach the capital.

Zhulan’s heart, however, was clenched with tension. Zhou Shuren no longer slept with Zhulan at night but stayed up to keep watch.

The caravan’s horses and carts carrying goods were still numerous. Even though there wasn’t much danger without Shi Qing, it was still better to be cautious.

Once again at a rest stop, the night was destined not to be peaceful. Zhou Shuren, on guard, heard noises and quietly called out to Zhulan.

Zhulan, alert, sat up. The original body knew martial arts, and Zhulan had practiced it as well, but unfortunately, she was not the original person. Memories were just memories, and she still couldn’t fight effectively. She could handle one or two, but no more.

The two of them waited with bated breath all night long, and when morning came, they finally let their guard down. Thankfully, nothing bad had happened. After tonight, there would be no more worries for the rest of the journey.

No sooner had they relaxed, planning to catch some sleep, someone shouted, "Murder! There’s been a murder!"

That voice sounded familiar. It was Wang Xin’s voice, and it wasn’t far from their room.

Neither Zhulan nor Zhou Shuren wanted to go out. It seemed that the person from last night had been after Wang Ru.

Soon after, there was chaos outside the door, voices of escort guards and others. Only then did Zhou Shuren and Zhulan get up to go out and see what had happened.

Wang Ru’s room was located at the very end. Wang Xin, in a state of frightened confusion, was practically babbling. Soon, the escort guards who had gone in to inspect emerged, followed by Zhang Sanni and the young servant, drenched with water.

Wang Ru was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing that no one was dead, Wang Xin finally calmed down and glared with wide eyes, "Where’s my sister? Where’s my sister?"

Zhulan saw clearly that it wasn’t anxiety on Wang Xin’s face, but rather joy. She was happy that Wang Ru had disappeared, indicative of how much Wang Ru must have tormented Wang Xin over the past year.

Zhang Sanni was very impatient. She was frightened and afraid, and now with Wang Ru missing, she wondered how she would explain this to the young master, pushing Wang Xin away, "You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

The leading escort guard furrowed his brow. Only after taking on this job did the Armed Escort Agency realize it wasn’t so simple. They wanted to back out but couldn’t. Without Master Shi in the team, he had known for a while that there were unidentified individuals checking the goods at every rest stop. He hadn’t let his brothers deal with it, as the situation was complicated. Now that the young lady was gone, he guessed she had been kidnapped last night.

Talking about protecting the cargo with their lives was one thing, but the Shi family had planned to use the Armed Escort Agency from the start. The guards also had families, and they were not willing to lay down their lives for nothing. They had thought that Shi Qing had left enough people to ensure protection. Little did they expect that even Shi Qing’s people wouldn’t interfere, so they were even less inclined to do so.

The escort guard commanded, "Alright, we have lost someone, and we will investigate. I will send some brothers to report to the authorities at once. The caravan will rest for the day, and we will continue our journey tomorrow."

Zhang Sanni regained her composure, looking at the young servant by the young master’s side, who showed no reaction at all. A chill went down her spine; this could very well have been the young master’s doing.

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren exchanged glances. Both were keen observers, taking note of the young servant’s and the escort guard’s reactions. They returned to their room.

Zhulan spoke with a trace of amusement, "What do you think? Was this all orchestrated by Shi Qing?"

Zhou Shuren narrowed his eyes, "Shi Qing’s rapid expansion has caught the attention of many. If Yao Zheyu could find out about Wang Ru, so could others. His family serves as the moneybag for certain powers, and no one would act recklessly. But in the past year, Shi Qing has accumulated a vast fortune too quickly. Anyone determined enough could trace the clues back to Wang Ru. Shi Qing can no longer protect Wang Ru. This time, it was not only about using Wang Ru as a distraction but probably also about conveniently getting rid of her."

Zhulan, "It seems I didn’t think deeply enough. I just thought they were using Wang Ru as a decoy, but I didn’t realize how profoundly calculating this person is."

"No matter how deep their schemes are, it has nothing to do with us. As for what happens to Wang Ru, it all depends on her own fate."

"Knock, knock."

There was a knock on the door. Zhulan asked, "Who’s there?"