Finally, the floodwater receded! The houses in Dongli Town emerged!
Upon hearing the news, the common folks cheered and spread the word to one another.
In a cave on the other side, Jiang Mian was massaging the limbs of the unconscious Xiao Jingcheng to keep his blood circulation smooth and prevent his body from losing sensation after lying still for too long.
Hearing footsteps, Jiang Mian looked up. Taoist Yuanzheng and Li Zhao were walking towards her.
"Mu Jin," Li Zhao said to Jiang Mian, "the scouts just came back and reported that the water at the foot of the mountain has receded considerably. Two - thirds of the houses are already visible. I can see that the common folks are very excited. I think we'll be able to go down the mountain in the next couple of days."
Jiang Mian had also heard the cheers outside.
As she had expected, once it stopped raining, the water in the Sangshang River would start to recede, which meant it was time to leave.
Nodding, she stood up and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll start packing up later to prepare for going down the mountain."
Then she looked at Taoist Yuanzheng. "Master, I have another favor to ask. All the yellow talismans you gave me to disguise my appearance became ineffective during this heavy rain..."
Taoist Yuanzheng winked playfully. "Oh? How about it? Were the yellow talismans I drew useful?"
Jiang Mian smiled. "They were indeed useful. The journey to the capital is long. Relying solely on the Tianli Vine may not be enough to completely hide our tracks. Could you please draw some more so that we can set off?"
Taoist Yuanzheng stroked his goatee and smiled. "Of course. But there is no talisman paper in the mountain now, and the cinnabar has run out. After we reach the city and replenish our supplies, I'll draw one for each of us. The journey back to the capital will surely be smooth."
"Thank you, Master." Jiang Mian smiled.
Learning that two - thirds of the floodwater at the foot of the mountain had receded, the common folks were getting restless. Some even went directly to Xiao Wuchen and asked if they could go down the mountain tomorrow.
Xiao Wuchen had already asked for Li Zhao's opinion and replied, "Since everyone is eager to go home, we'll go down the mountain tomorrow. Go back and pack your luggage. We'll set off at dawn."
The common folks cheered again. Every cave was bustling with activity as people packed their luggage, looking forward to the next day.
Jiang Mian didn't have much luggage for this disaster - avoidance. She had used up all the medicinal herbs she had brought up the mountain. In less than half an hour, she, Qi Wen, and Li Zhao had finished packing.
After going down the mountain, Jiang Mian would part ways with Qi Wen and the others. Qi Wen was very reluctant to part with her. While packing, he kept pestering Jiang Mian. "Sister Jiang, wherever you go, you must remember to write to me and let me know you're safe!"
After getting along for so long, Jiang Mian already regarded Qi Wen as her younger brother. She smiled. "Okay, I know. I'll write to you. You also need to take good care of the medical clinic in Dongli Town. Don't ruin Master's reputation over the years."
Qi Wen put his hands on his hips and patted his chest. "Don't worry. Although there is no doctor in Huichuntang for the time being, no one is better at making medicine than me. I can keep Huichuntang running with those pills!"
Finally, he said to Jiang Mian meaningfully, "Moreover, sooner or later, Sister Jiang, you'll hear my name, Qi Wen, resounding across the land."
Jiang Mian was stunned for a moment and couldn't help but look at Qi Wen, who was smiling somewhat slyly.
This guy, wouldn't he be secretly up to some bad ideas?
Night fell over Qianren Mountain. After the rain stopped, the mountain at night became lively. Lying in the cave, one could hear the chirping of insects and the singing of birds. The cool breeze blew gently, making people feel quite comfortable.
"Mu Jin." After Qi Wen left, Li Zhao called Jiang Mian.
Jiang Mian walked up to Li Zhao, looking up at him with admiration. "Father."
Li Zhao stroked the top of her head. Glancing at the corner where someone was playing with a grasshopper woven from grass vines, he said, "There's something I want to discuss with you. Do you still remember the two people who hurt your mother on the day of the accident?"
Jiang Mian's face darkened, and she nodded. "Of course I remember."
"Xiao Jingcheng handed those two people to Zhao Hu for custody. During this disaster - avoidance, they were also brought up the mountain by Zhao Hu but were locked up in another place. We can't take them with us when we leave for the capital. I want to interrogate them before we leave. Do you want to come with me?"
Jiang Mian nodded vigorously. "Naturally. This is our family's matter. I'll go with you, Father."
She squinted her eyes, unable to hide her hatred.
These two people had almost prevented their family from reuniting. She must "interrogate" them well.
She also wanted to ask about the baby - swapping incident back then. Was there some other intention behind it? Why did Ye Wanxing claim to have grown up in Dongli Town when she had never been there? And why did the Ye family lie to her that her parents were dead?
"Da Huang, Father and I are going to be away for a while. Will you stay here and protect Mother?" Jiang Mian squatted down and stroked the yellow dog's head.
Xiao Jingcheng licked her palm, which was his way of agreeing.
This was a family matter for Jiang Mian and Li Zhao, and it should be resolved by them. But he still called for Sang Biao and Hei Bei to accompany them.
After Jiang Mian left, he controlled Da Huang's body, walked to Jiang Zhiqing, and squatted down beside her to protect her on behalf of Jiang Mian and Li Zhao.
During these days, with Li Zhao and Jiang Mian by her side, Jiang Zhiqing's emotions had completely stabilized. She was no longer as jumpy as before at the slightest sound.
So when the yellow dog approached, she just looked up at it and then lowered her head to continue playing with the small toy in her hand.
There were many hiding caves on Qianren Mountain. Jiang Tao and Wen Shi were locked up in two separate small caves that were not connected. There were two Zhao family thugs guarding each of them.
During these days, Jiang Mian and Li Zhao had done a lot for the common folks, and everyone recognized them. They greeted the two men, who were very friendly.
"Doctor Jiang, Mr. Li, why are you here?"
"Are there a man and a woman locked up in there?" Jiang Mian asked.
"Yes. These two were handed over to our boss by the Crown Prince. He said they had committed unforgivable crimes and must be locked up separately. They mustn't be allowed to die, but they also shouldn't live too well. These days, apart from water, we haven't given them anything else. Now, they're probably just barely alive."
Jiang Mian was slightly taken aback, and her heart warmed a little.
She didn't expect Xiao Jingcheng to be so considerate. Locking the two of them up separately could prevent them from colluding.
Her tone turned cold. "These two almost killed my mother. We're going down the mountain tomorrow. Such a scourge must not be taken back to the town. I must interrogate them well tonight."