Chapter Four: Isn't this the dog bowl that Auntie used?

"No, I didn't mean to, Dad!"

Before Chen Qing could even begin to make a point, Chen Jiao realized what was going on and immediately started to act coquettishly.

Chen Zhenyan had no interest in distinguishing right from wrong. In his eyes, one of his daughters was ugly and stupid, while the other was beautiful and charming. Naturally, the latter was more attractive to men.

Therefore, without thinking, he sided with Chen Jiao and rebuked Chen Qing, saying, "How dare you! Qing'er, you are the older sister, why won't you give in to your younger sister! What are you up to by picking fights time and time again?"

Chen Qing lowered her eyes, and if the coldness in her eyes could kill, she would have sent this vicious and foolish family of three to their deaths long ago.

She knew that pretending to be pitiful was useless.

People care about appearances. Who would pity a fat woman who weighs over 300 pounds and is not good-looking?

Chen Zhenyan stepped forward to show concern for Aunt Zhang and Chen Jiao, embracing them tightly and saying with great tenderness, "You two have suffered so much, but everything will be alright once we reach Cangcheng."

"Master!"

"Dad~"

The family of three were enjoying their good life and had forgotten what the world was like. Chen Qing was too lazy to watch their pretentious behavior, so he went around to the other side of the Buddha statue and found a corner to rest and recover.

Looking at her all alone, Chen Jiao couldn't help but smile smugly.

Chen Qing leaned against the Buddha statue and drifted off to sleep. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything for days and was starving, but she gritted her teeth and persevered in order to accumulate enough weight loss points as soon as possible to hold in her hand for any eventuality.

A burning sensation licked at his stomach, and Chen Qing felt both hot and aching inside his body.

She opened her eyes and found that the wounds on her legs were almost completely healed. Night had fallen outside, and apart from the guards and servants, everyone else was inside the dilapidated temple.

The aroma of food, accompanied by the crackling sound of burning firewood, wafted through Chen Qing's nostrils like tiny hooks, reaching straight to her internal organs.

She was extremely hungry.

"Someone, bring that little beggar in! I have something to ask him!"

Chen Jiao gave the servants an order, and soon Pei Xuan, who had been tied up outside and whose fate was unknown, was brought into the house.

His eyelashes trembled slightly, his hands were tied behind his back, he was only wearing thin clothes, and his lips were blue.

Chen Jiao squatted down in front of him. As soon as Pei Xuan opened his eyes, he saw a hint of disgust flash in the girl's eyes, followed by concern.

"Hey, little beggar, wake up, Miss has something to ask you."

A domineering voice rang out from the side, and Pei Xuan slightly turned his eyes to look over.

Chen Jiao, who was squatting in front of him, took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Pei Xuan's face. She disapproved of Zhu Yue's way of speaking to Pei Xuan and said, "Zhu Yue, don't be mean to him. He looks quite pitiful."

Pei Xuan suppressed his curiosity.

It was as if the master and servant were putting on a show for him.

His expression was blank, as if he had been frozen senseless, as he continued to observe Chen Jiao.

Zhu Yue hurriedly said, "I'm sorry, Miss. I only wanted to discipline this little beggar because he was being so rude to you."

“It’s okay,” Chen Jiao said with an innocent smile. “He probably doesn’t know who I am. He’s probably just scared.”

Pei Xuan was indeed terrified. He felt that the master and servant were like man-eating monsters in a play, trying to devour him, so they were putting on a show to trick him.

Pei Xuan was a little confused. What was there to coax about him? Could it be... his sister?

When Chen Qing and Chen Jiao got into a fight, he was locked outside and could only hear a few words of their argument being carried away by the strong wind.

But he also understood that Chen Qing and her family did not seem to have a good relationship.

Just like Pei Xuan and his uncle's family.

Thinking about this, Pei Xuan seemed to know what he had to do.

He raised his head, his slender neck like that of a dying swan, and his exceptionally clear and beautiful eyes looked at Chen Jiao with hope.

"Miss, you're so kind..."

Pei Xuan parted his thin lips slightly, his pupils seemed to be covered with a layer of water film, making him look incredibly charming and lovable.

He seemed to know he was good-looking and was very adept at using his good looks to attract women.

Chen Jiao was quite pleased to see the way he was so infatuated with her; she hadn't expected this beggar to be so good-looking.

No wonder Chen Qing shared her food with him.

Perhaps she had taken a liking to Pei Xuan, but he didn't reciprocate her feelings!

From a young age, Chen Jiao loved to compete with Chen Qing; whatever Chen Qing had, she wanted too.

That's why she took Pei Xuan to heart.

Originally intending to find out about Chen Qing from Pei Xuan, she suddenly felt a possessive desire after seeing that Pei Xuan was quite handsome.

After briefly inquiring about Pei Xuan's situation and confirming that he was only stealing food because he was too hungry, Chen Jiao generously decided to untie him.

"Since this is your first offense, I'll let you off the hook. Do you want to stay in the Chen family as a servant? I'll ask my father to take you in and at least give you some food."

Chen Jiao's words were full of arrogance.

Pei Xuan gratefully agreed.

When Chen Qing woke up, she heard Chen Jiao saying that she wanted to take Pei Xuan as a slave.

She gave a slight smile and continued to rest with her eyes closed.

"Xuannu, this is a gift from Miss. Eat it!"

Zhu Yue tossed two steamed buns in front of Pei Xuan. Compared to the cornbread that the others had been given, the steamed buns were indeed a much more generous portion.

Pei Xuan looked in Chen Jiao's direction, where she was being served a meal like a pampered young lady.

Even while fleeing famine, the Chen family absurdly brought along a cook, managing to prepare three dishes and a soup in the dilapidated temple.

The food smelled delicious, making one's mouth water.

Pei Xuan smiled gratefully, a smile that Chen Jiao took in.

He shifted his gaze slightly, looking at the woman sitting in the shadow of the Buddha statue.

Is she really the eldest daughter of the Chen family?

Recalling Chen Qing's murderous manner, Pei Xuan couldn't help but feel puzzled.

As the meal was almost finished, with only soup and broth left, Zhang suddenly remembered that there was still one person who hadn't eaten!

She quickly said, "My lord, I suddenly remembered that Qing'er hasn't eaten yet, and I almost fed the leftovers to the dog!"

Chen Zhenyan had a beloved dog that he had raised for seven or eight years. When they fled the famine, many servants in his household begged him to take them with him, but Chen Zhenyan kicked them off the carriage. He only took his beloved dog with him.

Chen Zhenyan snorted coldly and said, "She's fatter than a pig, she won't starve if she skips a meal!"

"Master, you can't say that. Qing'er is your daughter, after all. How can you let a young lady go hungry?"

Madam Zhang adopted the demeanor of a mistress and instructed the nanny to fetch Chen Qing, saying, "Qing'er loves rice soaked in soup the most, so we can use this vegetable broth to soak steamed buns for her to eat."

When Chen Qing was called over, she saw a large plate of steamed buns on the table that had been soaked in leftover soup and had swollen up. It looked disgusting.

Chen Qing looked at her expressionlessly, and she asked knowingly, "What does Auntie want with me?"

"Qing'er, I forgot to call you for dinner. Look how thin you've become from hunger. Come and eat this. It's not easy on the road of fleeing famine, so you can't waste food!"

Hearing Chen Qing emphasize the word "aunt" in her voice, Zhang Shi almost chewed her teeth to dust. She hated it when people called her "aunt," but Chen Qing always pretended to be confused and called her "aunt" repeatedly.

It was as if it was constantly reminding her that she was just a concubine who had risen to power.

Chen Qing looked at the bowl of soup-soaked steamed buns and guessed that the bowl was just a dog bowl.

That damned woman, she's trying every possible way to humiliate him.

Chen Qing wasn't fooled at all, and said in a flustered manner, "Auntie, you're too good to Qing'er. You even want me to use your special rice bowl?"

Zhang's face froze for a moment. Wh...what? This is a dog bowl! It's not her bowl!

Zhang was furious that Chen Qing kept spouting nonsense.

"Stop talking and get eating!"

Chen Qing smiled and refused, "Father, I am reflecting on my mistakes today and have decided to punish myself with a one-day hunger strike. I will not eat."

Chen Jiao became anxious: "How can you not eat! What if you get thin from starvation?"

Chen Qing said in surprise, "I didn't expect my younger sister to care about her older sister so much. I'm willing to eat this bowl of rice with you."

"Cough cough! Cough cough cough!" Chen Jiao almost choked to death, and blurted out, "I won't eat dog food with you!"

Chen Qing said in a daze, "So Auntie prepared dog food for me? I thought it was Auntie's food bowl."

Chen Qing kept stirring things up; she absolutely refused to eat. The more Zhang and her daughter tried to get them to eat, the less she would eat.

It was getting late, and Chen Zhenyan, too lazy to listen to this rambling conversation, frowned and said, "Forget it, if she doesn't want to eat, she doesn't want to eat. Let's get some rest. We still have to travel to pick up Yunniang and the others tomorrow."

"Go to sleep."

Chen Zhenyan wasn't exactly a romantic, so it's impossible that he only had Zhang as a concubine and Chen Qing and Chen Jiao as children.

It was just a coincidence that Chen Zhenyan went to a neighboring city to do business and brought Zhang Shi and her daughter along, while Chen Qing happened to be visiting his deceased mother's grave and came along as well.

Unexpectedly, a wave of refugees surged in, and the city gates were breached by the refugees. Chen Zhenyan hurriedly took the servants and property from his residence and fled the city.

In recent years, natural disasters have been frequent, resulting in reduced grain production, while tax revenue in the court has increased year after year, leading to widespread public discontent. The current unrest in Qingzhou has already broken out in various parts of the Northern Yu Dynasty, and it is estimated that the city where Chen's residence is located will also fall soon.

Therefore, Chen Zhenyan made a decision to take his whole family to Cangcheng in the north to seek refuge with Chen Qing's fiancé's family. He heard that it was not so chaotic there and that they might be able to settle down.

Chen Zhenyan did not want to get too involved in the disputes between his wives, concubines, and children, so he went to sleep soundly.

Seeing that he was not there, Zhang pretended to be earnest and advised Chen Qing: "Qing'er, do you have some misunderstanding about your aunt? Your aunt is only doing this for your own good."

Chen Qing raised her hand, "Auntie, I'm sleepy too. Why don't you be nicer to my sister and give her the food?"

After saying that, Chen Qing also left.

Zhang and Chen Jiao were left looking at each other in bewilderment.

They didn't know that Chen Qing used to eat food like a fat pig that hadn't eaten for days, not caring where it came from and eating in a very rude manner. How come she's become such a different person after only a few days?

As Zhang watched Chen Qing leave, a hint of worry flashed in her eyes.

Could it be that Chen Qing discovered she had drugged her, and that's why she's refusing to eat?

Chen Jiao naturally considered this possibility as well. She moved closer to Zhang Shi and whispered, "Mother! What should we do? What if she loses weight?"

"My dear, don't worry. I didn't bring the medicine with me when I left this time. I don't believe she won't eat when we get back!"

A glint of malice flashed in Zhang's eyes.

Chen Jiao looked at Pei Xuan not far away and suddenly had a good idea.

She asked Zhuyue to take the soup-soaked steamed buns from the dog bowl.

Pei Xuan was curled up on the ground, seemingly fast asleep. He had eaten the two steamed buns with great satisfaction. He hadn't had a proper meal or rest for many days, and now, with a fire burning in the dilapidated temple, he was planning to take a nap.

Chen Jiao woke him up, "Xuan Nu, this is a meal for you, it's all for you, eat quickly."

Pei Xuanming knew it was a dog bowl, but he didn't refuse. He said with a delighted expression, "Miss is kind-hearted, thank you, Miss!"

After saying that, he picked up the dog bowl and began to eat heartily.

Qingzhou suffered from a severe drought for three consecutive years, resulting in a complete crop failure, widespread famine, and even cannibalism by wild dogs.

Pei Xuan had forgotten when was the last time he had a full meal.

He didn't care about dog bowls or humiliation; only those who have never been hungry have such leisure time.

Seeing Pei Xuan eat like a pig or a dog, Chen Jiao was almost disgusted to death.

But for the sake of her next plan, she had no choice but to suppress her disgust.

"Are you full?"

Pei Xuan remained silent, only shoving wildly.

After finishing the bowl of meat-soaked steamed buns, Pei Xuan let out a satisfied burp and said, "Miss, I'm full."

"Come out with me once you've eaten your fill."

Chen Jiao led Pei Xuan outside the dilapidated temple.

Outside, the wind howled, but Chen Jiao, wearing a mink cloak, was naturally not afraid of the cold.

Pei Xuan was only wearing that thin, ill-fitting garment. When the cold wind blew, he shivered and his teeth chattered.

"Is there anything you need, Miss?"

Chen Jiao was still preparing herself, feigning a tearful expression as she said, "Xuan Nu, tell me the truth, do you know my sister?"

"Miss's older sister?"

"It's Chen Qing!"

"Who is Chen Qing?" Pei Xuan asked, looking completely bewildered.

Chen Jiao carefully observed his expression, then frowned. Did Pei Xuan not recognize Chen Qing? Then why did she share her food with Pei Xuan?

“To tell you the truth, the fat woman in the temple is actually my sister Chen Qing,” Chen Jiao said with a look of unspoken difficulty. “She lost her mother at a young age and has a withdrawn and eccentric personality, which has led to her developing a gluttonous nature. Who knew that she would stop eating this time when we went out? I don’t know what’s wrong with her and I’m very worried… I have no one to talk to, but thankfully I have you.”

Pei Xuan found it unbearable to watch her feigning indifference. "Sister, can you please hurry up and tell me? Don't you feel cold outside?!"

He quickly replied in a cooperative tone, "Miss, what can I do to make you happier?"

Chen Jiao said happily, "It's very simple. You just need to keep an eye on her and tell me everything she does! I think you might be special to my sister."

No matter what Chen Jiao said, Pei Xuan cooperated completely; otherwise, he would freeze to death.

Finally able to enter the dilapidated temple, Chen Jiao hurriedly returned to where her master should have been.

Remembering Chen Jiao's instructions, Pei Xuan moved closer to the Buddha statue.

Chen Qing sat in the shadows. Her skin was fair, soft, and smooth like tofu. Pei Xuan had secretly touched her skin while she was unconscious.

Of course, he wasn't trying to take advantage of Chen Qing; he just wanted to know where she had hidden the murder weapon.

Pei Xuan almost turned Chen Qing over, but still couldn't find him. However, after Chen Qing woke up, he somehow produced a sharp weapon and slaughtered wild dogs.

Pei Xuan didn't know whether Chen Qing was conscious or unconscious. His eyes flickered. Even if Chen Jiao hadn't given him any orders, he still planned to follow Chen Qing closely.

Because Chen Qing is just too intriguing.