Then, without making a sound, she withdrew her hand, gripped the spoon tightly, and turned away as if shy, to hide the hatred in her eyes!
Old Ma didn't think much of it when he saw this. Just then, Seventh Brother also noticed the unusual situation and called him over.
The young woman quietly simmered the soup, her empty eyes filled with resentment. Then, taking advantage of the others' inattention, she pulled out a package from her bosom and quickly sprinkled it into the porridge…
All of this was done in less than five seconds, and no one saw it because of Lao Ma's cover.
"Seventh Brother, you were looking for me?"
Seeing Old Ma's ingratiating smile, Seventh Brother also looked pleased. He glanced at the young woman cooking porridge in the distance and said with suspicion and caution.
What were you just talking about?
Upon hearing this, Old Ma recounted everything that had just happened, a smug smile unconsciously playing on his lips. After all, he was naturally happy to have a woman so devoted to him.
Seventh Brother frowned as he listened, his gaze fixed on the young woman, a hint of suspicion creeping into his heart.
Once the porridge was ready, the young woman quickly served each of them a bowl. The fragrant and sweet porridge looked very appetizing. Old Ma couldn't wait to pick up a bowl. After blowing on it to cool it down a bit, he was about to take his first sip when Seventh Brother stopped him.
The other two were also stopped by Brother Seven. They looked over in surprise and saw Brother Seven staring at the young woman sitting quietly to the side with a gloomy gaze, and then a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
"Old Ma's wife, you must have been hungry for a long time, why don't you have some to drink first!"
The young woman looked up, her dark eyes glancing at Seventh Brother without any hint of evasion or guilt. Old Ma and the other two men beside her also watched the young woman quietly, and as if realizing something, their expressions changed instantly!
"That's right! Seventh Brother said so, Old Ma's wife, why don't you drink first!"
Old Ma also realized something, and his expression changed drastically when he looked at the white porridge in the bowl.
Seeing their reaction, the young woman suddenly smiled.
"Thank you for your concern, Seventh Brother! I'll drink first then!"
After saying that, she picked up the bowl that her seventh brother had brought her and poured it into her mouth without fear of the heat. After drinking two mouthfuls, her lips turned bright red from the heat, but there was no hesitation in her eyes.
This decisive manner immediately put Seventh Brother at ease. After pausing for a while, seeing that the young woman's expression remained calm, he smiled and said...
"Oh, no, Old Ma's wife's porridge is so delicious! Come on, let's have some more!"
After that, the remaining people immediately lowered their guard and began to drink heartily from bowls of the sweet porridge. The large pot of porridge was quickly emptied…
The young woman sat there blankly, drinking the white porridge in her hand. After finishing the bowl of porridge, her throat and tongue were burning from the heat!
A moment later, she watched as Old Ma eagerly drank the last mouthful of congee, and Seventh Brother followed suit, finishing the remaining half bowl. The other two even emptied the pot completely…
She smiled! The first genuine smile in many days, her eyes filled with a hint of broken emotion, as she looked at Old Ma!
The setting sun was incredibly fiery red, like a crimson phoenix releasing its life force in the sky. The red glow reflected on her face, making her even more stunningly beautiful…
Old Ma finished his porridge and was about to think of a place to sleep when he caught a glimpse of the young woman's beauty. His heart skipped a beat, and he opened his mouth, his eyes wide with surprise, realizing for the first time that his wife was so stunningly beautiful.
“Xiujuan…”
He wasn't the only one who witnessed this self-harm; three other people did too…
After days of travel and enduring hardships, the group naturally needed to vent their frustrations, and at that moment, how could they ignore the poignant beauty of the young woman!
"Old Ma... could you go check if the carriage is parked properly?"
At Seventh Brother's hoarse call, Old Ma instantly snapped back to reality. Turning his head, he saw the three men's burning gazes and immediately understood Seventh Brother's meaning. His face paled, and a mix of uncomfortable emotions welled up inside him...
In the end, he opened his mouth, but didn't say the words of refusal!
"Okay! I'll go right away!"
Upon hearing his response, tears welled up in the young woman's previously empty eyes. Watching Old Ma's retreating figure, she knew... she had ultimately given her heart to the wrong person!
On the other side, Qin Qing couldn't help but urge Lao Deng to speed up. The strange feeling in her heart was getting stronger and stronger. Thinking of the resentment and despair in the woman's eyes during the day, she suddenly had a bad feeling.
Meanwhile, shortly after the woman left, she finally found the young woman's identity in the original owner's memories...
She was a woman from the same village who had been harmed by the original owner's selfishness. A few years ago, due to drought and various epidemics, many families in the village had no food. The original owner accidentally learned that a family in the town wanted to buy a wife. Regardless of the man's character, he tricked the villagers into selling their daughters to him!
Even after learning that the man's family was of modest means and that he was cunning, lazy, greedy, and sly, she still spoke of him in glowing terms until she finally persuaded him to sell his daughter. She received a tael of silver as payment in return.
You have to understand, back then, one or two taels of silver was not a small amount!
She remembered… that girl's name should be Xiujuan? Thinking of this, Qin Qing couldn't help but feel even more irritated. She should have recognized her sooner! Now that Xiujuan was being bullied, her husband was completely indifferent. It was clear how Xiujuan was living after marrying into the family!
After a while, they finally saw the flames ahead, and thick smoke rose into the sky, indicating that the fire was fierce!
When the carriage arrived, a patch of grass was engulfed in flames, and at the source of the fire, a pile of burnt firewood lay scattered on the ground, with a cooking pot overturned. Clearly, the fire had not been dealt with promptly after cooking, leading to its spread.
Qin Qing quickly stepped off the carriage, his eyes scanning the surroundings. After a moment, he finally spotted the figure lying on the ground in the distance, barely alive.
Then, she quickly ran over and saw several figures lying haphazardly on the ground. The arrogant and eloquent Seventh Brother, who was arrogant during the day, was now lying with his mouth full of blood, his eyes wide open, completely lifeless. The other two were in the same state. Old Ma, because he had eaten less than the others, was still breathing his last breath!
The young woman, Xiujuan, was sitting on the ground, her eyes vacant, holding the old horse.
"My husband...do you know?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Qing immediately stopped and stared blankly at the young woman sitting on the ground, muttering to herself with a calm expression.
The young woman suddenly smiled.
"When I first married you, you were so good to me. You would give me delicious food, take me to the mountains to dig for bamboo shoots, and boil water for me to keep me from getting frostbite. When I was sick, you stayed by my bedside without leaving me for a moment... You were so good to me!"
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