Chapter 1550 - 1397: Fake Commandery Princess 7
The lunch break was short. Ye Shuangshuang simply crafted two soft chairs and placed a pile of soft branches on the carriage roof to dry.
Once these branches are dry, better back chairs can be crafted, but for now, making two that can seat people will suffice.
The government officers were easygoing and gave Ye Shuangshuang ample time. With the assistance of Ye Jingyi and Ye Jingfei, the soft chairs Ye Shuangshuang made weren’t too rough.
In the afternoon, when they resumed their journey, Ye Feiying and the Shen Family sat in the chairs, carried back to back with Ye Fangchen and Ye Shuangshuang.
Soft belts were used to tie the two elders together with Ye Fangchen and Ye Shuangshuang, ensuring that Ye Feiying and the Shen Family wouldn’t fall off.
Indeed, after switching to a sitting position, Ye Feiying and the Shen Family were in much better condition. Aside from being exposed to the elements, they weren’t suffering, and even their pallor improved slightly.
However, the two elders, concerned about their son and granddaughter, insisted on getting down to walk a few steps after sitting for a while, to alleviate some burden on Ye Fangchen and Ye Shuangshuang.
Ye Jingfei also only let Ye Jingyi carry him when he became tired from walking. Ye Jingyi would then seize the chance to carry Bai Menghan while Ye Jingfei walked below.
Among the group, Bai Menghan was in the worst condition; her frail body reached its limit during the two-hour walk in the morning.
If she had continued walking, it might have been fine, but after a break at noon, her legs became even sorer. Every short segment she walked resulted in cramps.
Initially, Bai Menghan refused to let Ye Jingyi carry her, worried he’d be exhausted. However, when she could no longer walk, her legs trembling too much to move forward, she finally allowed Ye Jingyi to carry her.
This proved troublesome for Ye Jingfei, as he couldn’t walk long distances on his own and had to jog to keep up with the adults.
Though Ye Jingfei was also training in martial arts, he was still young, with limited endurance. After running for half an hour, sweat soaked his hair, sticking in strands to his flushed face.
The little boy already cared deeply for his mother. To allow his brother to carry their mother further, Ye Jingfei gritted his teeth and endured his fatigue, continuing to jog alongside the adults without complaining.
But he was too tired, distracted by the journey, and didn’t notice his footing. He accidentally stepped on a pebble and stumbled to the ground, only to be enveloped in a pair of hands lifting him into an embrace before he could rise.
Raising his head, Ye Jingfei found himself in Ye Shuangshuang’s arms. His face reddened slightly at this unexpected appearance of his sister, as Ye Jingfei always felt a bit shy around her.
Suddenly being picked up by Ye Shuangshuang, Ye Jingfei was momentarily stunned, then, upon seeing the Shen Family being carried on Ye Shuangshuang’s back, he immediately wiggled his legs, struggling to get down.
"Sister, please let me down. I can walk on my own; you don’t need to carry me."
Over there, Bai Menghan also noticed Ye Shuangshuang holding Ye Jingfei and quickly tried to get off Ye Jingyi’s back, saying, "Jingyi, go carry your brother. I can walk myself."
Ye Jingyi, already weary from carrying people, couldn’t hold on as Bai Menghan struggled. Additionally, witnessing Ye Shuangshuang carrying both the Shen Family and Ye Jingfei, he worried she couldn’t manage.
Concerned for Ye Shuangshuang, Ye Jingyi put Bai Menghan down, intending to take Ye Jingfei from her arms. "Sister, let me carry Jingfei."
Of course, Ye Shuangshuang wouldn’t allow it. Bai Menghan was already in a poor state, and exhausting herself on the first day could lead to illness easily while being exiled, which was no trivial matter.
"No need, don’t underestimate me. I was born with strength much greater than most. It’s just that while living in the Prince Nan Mansion, there wasn’t much need for it.
Also, it’s not good for a woman to be known for her strength, so mine was kept a secret. Do I look exhausted or strained right now?"
Ye Jingyi closely examined Ye Shuangshuang’s face, noting that, although she was carrying one person and holding Ye Jingfei, she indeed appeared relaxed without any sign of fatigue.
"If you get tired, please let me know, and I’ll help you," Ye Jingyi said before lifting Bai Menghan again. He remained worried about Bai Menghan, seeing her pallor.
In truth, Ye Jingyi’s complexion wasn’t great either. After the Ye Family incident, they were all imprisoned, facing insufficient food and sleep, which took a toll on their health.
The Ye Family’s health had deteriorated, and even the usually robust Ye Fangchen and Ye Jingyi weren’t as strong as before, relying merely on resilience to appear healthy.
Ye Jingyi had been carrying people for a long time and started feeling drained. Meanwhile, Ye Shuangshuang remained the healthiest among them.
Throughout the journey, Ye Shuangshuang’s eyes were busy, keeping an eye on the wild herbs growing by the roadside.
Herbs, in reality, can be found everywhere, contrary to the belief that collecting them means scaling cliffs in remote mountains like herbalists.
In fact, many herbs can be found around houses, at the edges of fields, and along roadside paths. To the untrained eye, these herbs often appear as mere weeds.
Upon spotting medicinal herbs, Ye Shuangshuang moved quickly to dig them up. Unaware of what these ’weeds’ were for, Ye Jingfei obediently helped her carry the harvested herbs in his arms, sparing her the concern of lacking bags to hold them.
The afternoon journey was indeed short and at an unhurried pace. Nevertheless, by the time they reached town, everyone was thoroughly exhausted.
The small town had no inn, but fortunately, the government officers’ travel expenses were ample, making it easy to stay at an inn.
However, the rooms were limited, so to afford housing, several people had to share a room.
Ye Shuangshuang, the Shen Family, and Bai Menghan shared one room. The bed inside wasn’t small, suitable for both Bai Menghan and the Shen Family.
Ye Shuangshuang simply laid a blanket on the floor as her bed for the night.
After setting up the blanket, Ye Shuangshuang took the collected herbs and chose some usable ones. She informed the lead government officer, borrowed the inn’s kitchen, and boiled a large pot of herbal soup for everyone to soak their feet.
Ye Shuangshuang first fetched water for Ye Feiying, Ye Fangchen, and Ye Jingyi, allowing them a good foot soak to alleviate their fatigue.