Chapter 20 When has my daughter ever suffered such injustice!

Shen Lanxi shook the stick in her hand, revealing a crisscrossing network of blood lines that were horrifying to behold.

Liu Laohu's eyebrows twitched violently twice. This was no refined young man; he was a living, breathing devil!

"I just went into the mountains and killed two chickens. Brother Liu, what are you doing here?" She threw the thing in her left hand on the ground after she finished speaking.

They really were two pheasants!

Even if Liu Laohu was stupid, he wouldn't believe that so much blood on the stick came from fighting pheasants. His eyebrows twitched violently twice, and he quickly bowed and clasped his hands in a polite gesture.

"There was a night attack, so I came to investigate. Is the young master alright?"

Shen Lanxi smiled faintly, "It's nothing. I've been traveling for the past two days and I'm feeling a bit weak. I was thinking of going into the mountains to catch a couple of chickens to stew and replenish my energy!"

Liu Laohu's lips twitched violently. If he hadn't misheard, this woman who claimed to be weak was making a whooshing sound when she swung the stick. The sound and the force of the swing made it seem like the stick in her hand weighed at least twenty or thirty pounds. She swung it like it was nothing. Everyone gets weak, but he doesn't!

"Young master, please rest well. I'll go and scout around!" Liu Laohu respectfully took two steps back before turning around.

If he didn't leave soon, he was afraid that someone would see the twitching corners of his mouth on his face.

Chunxue: "This servant will go fetch water!"

Qiu Shuang: "This servant will go and bring the carriage over!"

Shen Lanxi hummed in agreement, pretending to pull a handkerchief from her sleeve, but actually pulled a piece of burlap from her spatial storage to wipe the bloodstains on the stick.

She left the bloodstains intentionally to intimidate Liu Laohu and his yamen runners.

The horse-drawn carriage and oxcart were driven back to their original positions. Chunxue fetched a basin of water for Chen Lanxi to wash her hands, and Li's mother led the whole family to clean the pheasants.

The long staff was driven three feet into the ground and stood right next to Shen Lanxi. The two maids didn't dare to look at it, and each found something to do and kept busy.

The firelight illuminated Shen Lanxi's calm, as if nothing had happened, making her appear even more unfathomable. Chunxue and Qiushuang once again realized how formidable their young mistress was, and served her with even greater respect.

The aroma of chicken soup filled the air, and Shen Lanxi stood up.

"I'm tired. You can have the chicken soup and chicken. Guard the carriage and don't let anyone disturb my rest!"

Qiu Shuang hurriedly asked, "Young Master, what should we do with the family member of the fake Wei family soldier who died?"

Shen Lanxi: "There are wolves in the mountains. Find a faraway place to dump it." Those who murder others don't need to be left with a complete corpse!

Qiu Shuang quickly accepted the order and went to carry it out.

Shen Lanxi entered the carriage, waited for two seconds to make sure no one would disturb her, and then immediately went into her space to wash up!

Although I didn't get any blood on myself during the fight, I did break out in a lot of sweat.

Not daring to disturb Miss's rest, Madam Li asked Qiu Shuang in a low voice, "Should we send some chicken soup to Master and Madam?"

Qiu Shuang shook her head decisively: "If Miss didn't say she'd give us a gift, then we won't!"

Mrs. Li hesitated for a moment, then nodded and left.

The aroma of the chicken soup wafted over to the exiled prisoners, causing their stomachs to rumble incessantly.

Shen Conglian moved closer to Old Madam Shen and said, "Father, Mother, when Lanxi brings the soup, ask her to bring over some more steamed buns as well."

Grandma Shen nodded: "Have her find a way to send some more meat!"

The old lady's sons, who were surrounding her, immediately nodded in satisfaction.

The eldest branch of the Shen family was also eagerly awaiting their turn.

"Father, will my eldest sister bring us soup?"

Shen Congwen said with a worried expression, "Our Shen family has been too high-profile these past two days. When your eldest sister sent someone to deliver the soup, tell her that she doesn't need to send us food every meal, just one meal a day is enough!"

Shen Yuantang was so hungry that her stomach was constantly churning with acid. If she had known she would be hungry so soon, she definitely wouldn't have pitied that woman and would have shared her food.

"Father, how can that be? If it weren't for our eldest sister bringing us food, how could we possibly survive!"

Shen Congwen's face turned cold: "Haven't you noticed that the other exiled prisoners have started targeting our Shen family?"

One sentence silenced everyone else.

“They’re jealous that no one brings them food!” Shen Yuanqing muttered.

Shen Congwen asked with concern, "Who was beaten up last night?"

Shen Yuanjun instinctively clutched his stomach; he had been hit. Those despicable prisoners dared to beat him in the chaos, and the constables all pretended not to see it.

"You've all seen what happened today. If our Shen family wants to arrive in Dongchuan safely, we need to keep a low profile and do as I say!"

Shen Yuantang glanced in the direction of her older sister. Even if they were to keep a low profile, it would only start tomorrow. There would be meat soup tonight!

To their dismay, the Shen family waited and waited, until the constables were all asleep, but the meat soup never arrived. They could only close their eyes and go to sleep full of resentment.

The next day, Shen Lanxi personally delivered meals to her family.

"Greetings, Father. Yesterday, I heard from Mother Li that Mother was ill. I was really worried about her, so I got up early this morning to cook some meat porridge for her. Please have some!" Just as Shen Lanxi was about to feed her mother the porridge, her father took the bowl from her.

“Lanxi, I know you feel sorry for us. But you saw what happened yesterday. Our Shen family shouldn’t be too high-profile in the exile group. From now on, you should only have someone deliver one meal a day, and try to stay in the carriage and not show yourself!” This was the decision Shen Congwen made after thinking about it all night.

Their daughter is now the only support for the Shen family on their journey of exile; she cannot be allowed to die!

"Father, can you handle eating only one meal a day?" Shen Lanxi asked with a pained expression.

Shen Congwen felt a pang of sorrow as he recalled how his daughter had been harassed by the constables when she brought him food.

“If others can endure it, so can we. Your two half-brothers were beaten up yesterday. Those exiled prisoners hate the Shen family. If they see us eating and living too well, they will definitely make things difficult for us behind our backs. I know you are a filial son. We'll suffer a little now, but things will be better once we get to our place of exile!”

Zhou Xinrou looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes: "I, Lanxi, have never suffered such injustice before!" Thinking of how her daughter had been forced to bow to the yamen runners just now, her heart ached terribly!

Shen Lanxi's eyes also reddened.

"Father, Mother, I know you're both doing this for the good of the entire Shen family. But what if Grandfather, Grandmother, and my uncles don't want to be wronged?"

Shen Congwen looked at his daughter with heartache: "Don't worry, I already told them this morning. This raid was sudden, and no one in the family had any hidden silver. When we were at the city gate, no one dared to come and see the Shen family off. As for their food, clothing, and other necessities..." In the past, these matters of the inner quarters were handled by the women of the family. Now, it seems that only his daughter in the entire Shen family has any money.

Shen Congwen was too ashamed to continue.

He can't possibly expect his daughter to support the entire Shen family by herself! He doesn't have that kind of face!

"Lanxi, my daughter, you've had it so tough! If they dare to say another word, don't bring them a single meal a day from now on. Let them go hungry for a few days, and they'll know who treats them well and who doesn't!"

In the past, her father would never have said such a thing. Shen Lanxi nodded.

"I will follow my father's arrangement. From now on, Aunt Li will still bring you meals!"

Shen Congwen tried several times to ask his daughter how much money she had left, but he couldn't bring himself to speak!

(End of this chapter)