Chapter 22: So, It Was He Who Was Helping

Song Shiwei’s tone carried a hint of cold sharpness. "I am not afraid."

"As long as our family stands together, we will certainly overcome these difficulties and dangers."

Tonight, she needed to speak with the men sent by the Prince of Ding to ensure that her family would truly be safe on the road to exile.

Aunt Chun thought to herself that this was the only way forward. On the journey, she would have to be extra vigilant to ensure the safety of the young mistress and the others.

"Let’s go, let us find my mother and the others." Song Shiwei led Aunt Chun to find Madam Song and the rest, who were busy picking out vegetables at a produce stall.

Song Shiwei gazed at the vegetable stall, her eyes filled with curiosity. Oh? What were these vegetables? She did not recognize any of them. As a young lady from a high-ranking family, Song Shiwei had seen these vegetables after they were prepared, but she had never seen them in their raw, natural state.

She listened to the chatter of Madam Song and the others, pondering which vegetables to buy. The problem, however, was that these vegetables would spoil quickly.

"Shopkeeper, may I ask how one might make these vegetables last longer?" she asked the vendor politely.

The vendor, assuming these people were just looking out of curiosity and not actually planning to buy, replied, "If you dry them into preserved greens, they can last for a long time."

Song Shiwei’s eyes lit up. She crouched down in front of the stall and asked for advice, "Could you please tell me how to dry them into preserved greens?"

If the vegetables could be kept for a long time, she could buy more, allowing them to have vegetables to eat throughout their journey.

The vendor explained, "Just lay them out in the sun and turn them over from time to time. Once they are devoid of moisture, find a clean bag to store them in and keep them in a dry place."

After carefully noting this down, Song Shiwei said, "Then, please trouble yourself to weigh some vegetables for us. Some... of the more durable ones."

She truly did not recognize these vegetables and would have to ask her attendants later. These were all things she had to learn.

The vendor, not expecting to make a sale, beamed and weighed out a large portion of fresh vegetables. "Rest assured, miss, the vegetables here are the freshest; none of them have been sitting overnight."

With her attendants present, Song Shiwei did not worry about being swindled; the locals were not foolish enough to extort those associated with the post house. The common people did not clash with the authorities. The vendor recognized the attendants—they were all from the same town, and who wouldn't know the postmaster’s men? Therefore, he sold the vegetables to Song Shiwei at a price even lower than the market rate.

Madam Song and the others looked at the vegetables with great wonder.

"What are these vegetables?"

"I recognize one; that long green one is a cucumber. I don’t know what the others are."

"I recognize the potatoes. This round one is a potato. Not only are they delicious, but they are also filling."

Upon hearing that potatoes were filling, Song Shiwei intended to buy more, but she was stopped by an attendant who advised, "Miss Song, potatoes should not be kept too long; they sprout easily. Besides, potatoes are very easy to buy elsewhere."

Song Shiwei was a good listener and did not buy too many, but she made a mental note of them.

After buying the vegetables, the group went on to purchase meat and other supplies. Everything necessary for the road—from firewood, rice, oil, and salt, to pots, pans, and ingredients, as well as a donkey cart—was purchased.

Once everything was bought, Song Shiwei tucked half a tael of silver into the attendant’s hand. She smiled gently and said in a soft tone, "Please, accept this. I still have matters I need to consult you about."

The attendant hesitated for two seconds before accepting the silver, his attitude becoming even more helpful. "I wonder what Miss Song wishes to know?"

Song Shiwei gestured toward the supplies they were carrying. "First, I would like you to teach us how to identify these vegetables and the basics of our supplies. It would be best if you could teach us how to prepare a few simple dishes that are convenient to eat on the road."

There was not a single person in their household who actually knew how to cook. They had those who could stew soups or make pastries, but those skills were unnecessary and impractical for the journey.

The attendant was slightly stunned; he had never expected such a request. He had assumed Miss Song would ask him for intelligence or news.

"No problem!" He quickly recovered and patted his chest in assurance. "Once we return, I will teach you and your family how to identify everything. As for the cooking, you will have to ask the cook; I am not very skilled in that area."

Just as Song Shiwei was about to speak, she heard Aunt Chun chime in.

"Young Mistress, perhaps we should learn separately?" Aunt Chun suggested. "We don't need everyone to learn culinary skills; it would be enough to arrange for a few people to learn."

Madam Song and the others agreed with this suggestion. "Cooking requires talent, and we don't have that much time for everyone to learn. Let us just learn some simple things so we can be fed on the road; we cannot be too demanding."

Song Shiwei agreed. They had to learn to identify ingredients and learn to cook; it was impossible to master everything in a single day. Splitting the tasks was the best approach.

"Very well, let us learn separately." She asked, "Is there anyone who wants to learn cooking?"

Aunt Chun raised her hand first, looking very excited. "Me, me, me! Young Mistress, back at home, I followed the cook and learned a few things. I am quite interested in cooking."

Two other concubines also expressed their desire to learn. After Song Shiwei made the arrangements, the group returned to the post house.

Upon arriving, they saw the postmaster pacing back and forth in the lobby, looking very anxious.

"Postmaster?" she called out.

The postmaster noticed them and hurried over. "Miss Song, I have already investigated the matter."

Song Shiwei first had Madam Song and the others follow the attendants to their lessons before inviting the postmaster to a corner to talk.

"Please, go ahead, Postmaster." She did not reveal her own findings.

The postmaster rubbed his temples, his expression grim. "That batch of sweet potatoes—a portion of them had been poisoned."

Song Shiwei’s mind raced, and she immediately understood the reason. "That is quite a clever tactic."

"Indeed," the postmaster said. "If only a portion was poisoned, it means not everyone who ate them would be affected, so the fallout wouldn't be as massive." He then recalled something. "Oh, by the way, a part of that batch was originally intended to be made into sweet potato porridge for dinner."

Song Shiwei’s eyes darkened. "What went wrong that caused some of the sweet potatoes to be sent to the stables instead?"

The postmaster replied, "A servant saw the sweet potatoes at the kitchen entrance and, thinking they were for the horses, took them to the stables. It just so happened to be the batch with the problem."

Song Shiwei did not believe it was such a coincidence. Someone must have been helping her family from the shadows. A figure flashed through her mind: the men arranged by the Prince of Ding!

"Postmaster, there is no need to investigate this any further," she said, stating her view. "Even if you continue, you won't find anything truly useful. It is better to end it here. Also, we will be leaving tomorrow morning."

The postmaster breathed a sigh of relief. "Very well."

"Miss Song, there is one more thing regarding the mother and daughter in the woodshed."