Chapter 99 Now I know why Liu Laohu stopped Lanxi from helping us!

Shen Yuanjing said, "Father, if anyone in the family falls ill again, I'm afraid Liu Laohu won't let us buy on credit anymore!"

Madam Shen froze, then awkwardly turned her head to the side.

"Father, I want to go too!" Shen Yuanjun wasn't going to earn money to buy medicine, but rather because he enjoyed the feeling of killing bad guys.

Those bad people all deserved their fate; their actions were acting on behalf of Heaven!

Shen Congwen couldn't persuade his son and kept sighing. His son was right; this large family still had a long road ahead, and there was no guarantee that no one would fall ill. If Liu Laohu didn't let Lan Xi help them, they would only be waiting to die!

"It's because your father is useless; he couldn't protect you!" Shen Congwen said, his eyes filled with tears.

"Father, please don't say that. This is our own choice." Shen Yuanjing also enjoys the feeling of earning a living through his own abilities.

"I'll go with you!" As soon as Shen Congwen finished speaking, the old man Shen immediately stopped him loudly.

"No, the pirates are ruthless. You're just a weak scholar; you wouldn't stand a chance against them. I don't want to bury my child, so you're not allowed to go!" Old Madam Shen said firmly, her face stern.

Shen Congwen said hesitantly, "Mother, I don't want an older woman to outlive her younger one!"

Old Madam Shen was at her wit's end and had no other choice, so she angrily pounded her legs several times.

"Then none of them are allowed to go. We can survive on cornbread every day. If they get sick... I refuse to believe that Lanxi really has no way to help them!" Old Madam Shen began to resent her eldest granddaughter. Wasn't she supposed to be very capable? Why couldn't she even handle a few constables?

Shen Yuanjing frowned. Wasn't Grandmother making things difficult for her eldest sister?

“Grandmother, my eldest brother has already helped us a lot. If it weren’t for him, we would have been killed by the refugees long ago.”

Tian muttered under her breath, "What kind of big brother is he? He's clearly a girl, but he insists on dressing up as a man. Who is he trying to impress by dressing up like that? No matter how well he changes his appearance, he can't become a man!" She used to call her "Miss" because of her mother in the palace, but she's really forgotten who she is now.

No matter how arrogant or powerful she is, she's still a woman. The Shen family has always been ruled by men; it's not up to a little girl like her to interfere!

Madam Tian had long disliked Shen Lanxi. In the past, her husband was the one who made the decisions in the Shen family. If it weren't for the fact that she was good at fighting and could protect them, she would have already persuaded the old lady to drown her.

Hmph, a woman who is abandoned by her husband's family doesn't deserve to live!

"Shut up! I won't allow you to talk about my older brother like that!" Shen Yuanjing glared angrily at Tian Shi, clutching his fist.

"If it weren't for my older brother, you would have died eight hundred times over. No matter what my older brother becomes, you are not allowed to slander him!"

"Yes, Fourth Aunt, if you keep saying that, I'll tell Big Brother that I won't save you next time you're in danger!" Shen Yuantang was already furious. When there was danger, she would call for protection, but when there was no danger, she would start talking badly about Big Sister. These people should be taught a lesson.

With a ferocious expression, Tian shouted angrily, "You've all gone too far! How dare you talk back to your elders?"

Shen Congwen glared angrily at Shen Congyi: "Fourth brother, is that what you really think too?"

A dark glint flashed in Shen Congwen's eyes, and he slapped Tian Shi hard across the face, knocking her to the ground.

"The Shen family doesn't tolerate ungrateful people. Go apologize to Lan Xi!"

Looking at her husband's gloomy face, Tian turned pale and collapsed to the ground, wailing.

"Brother, our Shen family's prosperity and decline are intertwined. I absolutely will not allow anyone to disrupt our family's unity. Once we get to Dongchuan, I'll issue a divorce decree and divorce this senile man!" Shen Congyi said through gritted teeth.

Seeing that his fourth brother was clear-headed, Shen Congwen softened his attitude and sighed.

"You all know what Lanxi looks like. She's dressed like this to protect herself. Only by protecting herself can she protect us!"

Shen Congyi nodded quickly.

Madam Shen was very pleased that her sons were becoming more and more united. In the past, they had all been blinded by the wealth and luxury of life in the capital, and their relationship had grown increasingly distant. This exile had not been entirely without its benefits. Her eldest son had always been a good person, and she hoped that he could also influence her other three sons and gradually straighten them out of their shells.

“If Congwen and Yuanjing want to go, let them go. They were able to kill mountain bandits before, so they can definitely kill sea bandits too.” Having experienced the beating she suffered, Old Madam Shen felt that she couldn’t rely on her eldest granddaughter for everything.

The eldest granddaughter wasn't a criminal; if Liu Laohu wanted to keep her away from them, it would only take a word.

She wondered, what had they done to offend Liu Laohu that led to them being sent to the bottom of the hold?

Suddenly a voice came from not far away.

"Those who won't fight or help, get back to your cabin. You want steamed buns? I think you want whips..." The cursing and swearing mixed with the sound of whips reached Madam Shen's ears.

Her eyes brightened, and she suddenly realized!

"Now I know why Liu Laohu stopped Lanxi from helping us!"

The Shen family all stared at the old lady.

"Mother, what do you mean by that?"

With an expression that suggested she had seen through everything, Madam Shen calmly said, "We did not contribute to the exile team."

Some people scoffed at these words, some were disdainful, and some seemed thoughtful.

Shen Yuanjing's eyes flashed, and he immediately said, "Grandmother, all the other prisoners are participating in the battle, but no one from our Shen family is participating. Those constables will definitely continue to target us!"

Upon hearing the word "targeted," the Shen family members' eyes flickered. They had always felt something was amiss, and now they finally understood: the constables were targeting them!

The more Madam Shen thought about it, the more she realized that was the case, and she immediately began to admonish her descendants.

"From now on, you all need to be more diligent. If there's any work to be done in the team, be eager to do it and try to get some recognition from the constables!"

Looking at her grandson who was gazing at her with hopeful eyes, Madam Shen felt a pang of discomfort, but was quickly defeated by reality.

"Yuan Jing and Yuan Jun, go if you want, but be careful!"

“Yes, Grandmother!” Shen Yuanjing and Shen Yuanjun exchanged a smile.

"Grandmother, I want to go too!" Shen Yuantang also wanted to go and earn the reward money.

Madam Shen's face darkened: "What are you doing, a girl? Killing pirates is a man's job. You stay on the ship!"

Shen Yuantang retorted, "I even killed some bandits last time. The money my grandmother used to buy steamed buns came from killing bandits."

Madam Shen's face darkened: "How can mountain bandits and sea bandits be the same? Shut up, or I'll have your father teach you a lesson!"

Shen Yuantang was unwilling to give up and was about to continue speaking when Shen Yuanxin tugged at his sleeve.

Shen Yuanjing's eyes swept over his uncles and their children: "Grandmother, uncles, and the children in their rooms have been practicing martial arts for many days. Now is a good opportunity to earn money. Why don't we let them join in?"

Before Madam Shen could speak, her daughters-in-law shrieked and interrupted her.

"No, no, your uncle and the children practice martial arts to improve their health. If they encounter ruthless pirates, they'll definitely not come back alive!"

"Yuan Jing, it's fine if you go on your own adventure, but why drag your uncle and cousins ​​into it? What are you up to?"