When they stopped to rest along the way, Gu Wenheng brought Jin Qianqian over to pay a visit to Mr. Wang and the female members of his family.

As it happened, several other senior brothers also came over. A lively crowd gathered, talking and laughing as if this moment of camaraderie was the sole reason for the entire bumpy journey.

Mr. Wang was traveling with his wife, a son, and a daughter this time.

Mrs. Wang had a kind, motherly face and smiled at everyone she saw.

The young girl dutifully stayed by Mrs. Wang’s side, her every movement showing the unique poise of a well-bred young lady.

His son, however, seemed a bit too reserved. After greeting everyone, he just stared silently at the tops of his shoes.

Jin Qianqian noticed Mr. Wang glance at him several times in the middle of the conversation, his eyes betraying a hint of worry.

’Mr. Wang probably decided to travel with his entire family because of his son,’ Jin Qianqian guessed.

Zhou Ping’s wife, Mrs. Zhou Liu, only offered a faint smile during the introductions before standing silently behind Zhou Ping for the rest of the time.

Watching these young ladies who strictly adhered to traditional etiquette, Jin Qianqian took her cue from them and listened quietly to the conversation.

Since this was just a brief stop, no one dared to get into a deep conversation. After exchanging greetings, everyone returned to their own business.

It was the first day, so everyone had prepared plenty of dry rations. They only needed to heat them up on their stoves to eat, and everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.

Jin Qianqian pulled out the fried chicken and hamburger she had been craving for ages, along with two bottles of coke. "Now *this* is a travel essential."

Gu Wenheng said, "Give me another piece of fried chicken."

Jin Qianqian quickly handed over the secret-sauce fried chicken she was holding. "Is this for Master Zhu?"

Gu Wenheng shook his head. When they had hired the carriage, it had been agreed that the drivers would handle their own meals.

With so many people hiring carriages, if their family set a precedent, the other drivers might get ideas. Doing it once or twice was fine, but providing food of such a high standard would be unjustifiable.

As Jin Qianqian was wondering, she saw Gu Wenheng lift the window curtain and wave at a nearby dart master.

The dart master, who had been patrolling on horseback, rode over. "Scholar Gu, what is it?"

"Could I trouble you to give this to Senior Brother Deng?" Gu Wenheng said, handing over a roast chicken wrapped in oil paper.

The dart master didn’t ask any questions. He took the item, reined in his horse, and waited for the convoy to pass, as Deng Yuanhang’s carriage was behind them.

"Why only give it to Senior Brother Deng?" Jin Qianqian asked, a little puzzled.

Gu Wenheng replied, "That rascal was planning to barge into our carriage to freeload, so I had to promise I’d send a portion his way if we had anything good. That’s why he hasn’t come to bother us.

But once we start setting up pots to cook proper meals, I bet we won’t be able to shoo him away."

Jin Qianqian said, "Isn’t he the young master of the escort agency? Would the agency really let him go hungry?"

Gu Wenheng gave a wry smile. "Yes, but he finds the escort agency’s food too simple and coarse. He knows you’re a good cook, so now he’s latched onto us."

’Deng Yuanhang isn’t married yet and is only traveling with two attendants. Looks like there won’t be much peace and quiet on this trip.’

The resting spot for the first night was not bad at all. They had probably managed the travel time well, stopping in an open area on the outskirts of a small town. Not far off, there were households that could provide meals.

If you didn’t want to cook yourself, you could arrange for meals directly with the locals.

Sure enough, not long after the convoy halted, Deng Yuanhang came over carrying a pile of things.

Looking at the meat, which was frozen solid, Jin Qianqian imagined, ’He must have tied it all to the roof of his carriage.’

"Sister-in-law, your cooking is just too good! I can’t just eat your food for free. This is my sincere contribution to join your meals. When we get to the next supply stop, I’ll cover whatever you need." Deng Yuanhang was boisterous as soon as he arrived, acting more like a host than a guest and showing no self-awareness about being a freeloader.

Gu Wenheng asked, "Senior Brother Deng, what about your two attendants?"

Deng Yuanhang waved his hand dismissively. "They’ll eat with the dart masters. I’m not so clueless as to trouble Sister-in-law."

Gu Wenheng, "..." ’Can I just say that *you’re* the source of the trouble?’

Jin Qianqian, "..." ’Now that you’re here, I’ll have to think twice if I want to be lazy.’

The long night ahead offered plenty of time for people to make a fuss.

Pots and pans of all sizes were lined up along the roadside. Some people kept it simple, just heating up pre-made food to start their meal.

Others were more particular, and fragrant aromas soon began to drift through the air, turning this long-distance journey into an outdoor cookout.

Jin Qianqian also transformed into a little chef, bringing out the side ingredients and chopped duck meat that she had prepared at home.

"Are we having duck today?" Gu Wenheng asked, noticing the few small red chili peppers Jin Qianqian was secretly holding. He knew the little rascal was up to something mischievous again.

Jin Qianqian said, "Senior Brother Deng, the stir-fried duck I’m making today will be a little different. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to handle the flavor."

Deng Yuanhang patted his chest. "Your Senior Brother here isn’t a picky eater! I’ll eat whatever you cook."

At the same time, his heart was pounding nervously. ’This sister-in-law isn’t planning to put sugar in the stir-fried duck, is she?

I’ve had her pastries, and that roast chicken from before... they all seemed to have a sweet taste. But still, would duck with sugar taste any good?’

Jin Qianqian held up a small piece of red chili pepper. "I’ll be adding this."

To her surprise, Deng Yuanhang’s eyes lit up. "Haha, it seems I made the right choice after all.

Wenheng told me before that there were no more chili peppers, but I didn’t expect you to have some hidden away, Sister-in-law.

Ever since I had those braised duck wings and feet you made last time, I’ve been savoring the memory of the taste.

I bet this duck will taste amazing too. I need to go back and grab a bottle of wine, or it would be an injustice to this dish."

Watching Deng Yuanhang turn and leave in excitement, Jin Qianqian was dumbfounded. "How could I have forgotten about that?"

Gu Wenheng smiled and shook his head. "Senior Brother Deng and the others from the escort agency travel all over the country. They’ve encountered chili peppers before. I just forgot to mention it when I came back last time."

Jin Qianqian, "..."

As the chili peppers hit the wok, their bold aroma immediately caused many people to look over frequently, curious about what was being cooked.

Some of the old dart masters from the escort agency even followed the scent over. "Scholar Gu, we were wondering if you have any extra chili peppers. We’d like to trade for some, or we can buy them with Silver."

Eating something spicy in this weather could help ward off the cold.

Jin Qianqian silently took out a small half-full bag, but she had already sifted out all the seeds.

’She could afford to give them away now because her farmstead would be planting them after the spring. She had already given all the specific planting instructions to Xiao Dongzi. By the time they returned, the seedlings might already be quite tall.’

The leader of the escort’s face lit up with joy as he excitedly accepted the bag. "How many Silver Tael?"

Gu Wenheng said, "You’ve all taken such good care of us on this journey. How could we possibly ask for Silver for such a small thing? Please, accept it as a gift."

The leader of the escort glanced at their young master standing nearby, then cheerfully accepted the bag. "Well then, we’ll take you up on your generosity this time, Scholar Gu. If you need anything in the future, just let us brothers know. We’ll help in any way we can."