Chapter 18: Meeting the Eighteenth Concubine Again
The rain came fast and sharply, and the bean-sized raindrops smashed the soil, filling my nostrils with the fishy smell of soil.
The prisoners tried hard to hide in the corner under the shed, but the wind and rain made it impossible to completely escape.
The wing room was not big, and there were too many prisoners. If they went in to avoid the rain, it might cause a stampede. Li Rong did not let the prisoners go into the wing room, but instead asked everyone to hang up the straw curtains piled against the wall to block the wind and rain.
After this reminder, everyone started to hang up straw curtains. The wind and rain were finally blocked. Everyone was shivering with cold and the sound of sneezes could be heard everywhere.
Xie Jinrong and Xie Anhuai were lying in the carriage. Their legs had not yet healed. It took them 100 days to heal their broken bones. They had not eaten well during these days, and their medicines were not enough. Their wounds had never healed properly. When the wind and rain blew at night, they started to have fever again.
Xie Anfeng and Xie Ning silently carried Xie Jinrong into the east wing.
Xie Anhuai, Xie Yun and Xie Anhuai's two illegitimate sons came to discuss with Li Rong whether they could also go into the side room to shelter from the rain?
Li Rong said that you should drive the carriage under the shed and take care of it.
"But my father's wound has become festering, and I've caught a cold." Xie Yun said, "Why can Xie Ning and my grandfather go in?"
Li Rong ignored him. Liu Mingjie got angry and whipped him with a whip, cursing, "What are you yelling about? Do you still think you are a young marquis? Who do you want to say when I want to invite someone in?"
After being whipped, Xie Yun immediately retreated and pushed the cart under the shed. The cart took up too much space and other prisoners began to feel dissatisfied.
Xie Yuncai was so angry that he said, "How dare you! Didn't you see that this is the Marquis's car?"
"Marquis' Mansion? Haha."
The Xie family was exiled because of Xie Anhuai. At night, Xie Yun showed off and ate chicken in front of them. They could no longer suppress their anger and completely lost control. They held Xie Yun down and beat him to death.
Xie Xiangxiang had been huddled in a corner under the shed. When Xie Yun was beaten, she immediately came over to persuade everyone not to bother with him, saying that he just felt sorry for his father.
In their anger, the crowd no longer thought about the eldest lady or the young marquis. When Li Rong and the others came over with whips, Xie Yun had already been beaten unconscious.
The Xie family screamed in agony after being whipped by the guards, and they dared not make trouble again. Li Rong looked at the unconscious Xie Yun and said to Xiao Shen: "It has come to this, so behave yourself!"
There were only Xie Yanyan, Jiang Shuang and Song Lingling in the west wing. Song Lingling brought her little boy Xie Yusheng with her. There were two wooden beds covered with hay.
Jiang Shuang knew that Xie Anfeng and the others were unwilling to pay attention to her. She felt aggrieved, but she didn't dare to say much. She took the sleeping bag she had slept in yesterday from the car and found a haystack to sleep on.
Song Lingling's belly was big, and Xie Yanyan was afraid that the little bun would accidentally kick her, so she asked the little bun: "Do you want to sleep with your aunt?"
The little bun happily agreed, and Xie Yanyan took out a new quilt and also gave Song Lingling a quilt.
Song Lingling swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth and did not dare to ask in front of Jiang Shuang where the quilt came from. She felt that her sister-in-law had become very different since she hanged herself.
She touched the quilt; it was very soft and had a nice fragrance; it was obviously a new quilt.
Xie Yanyan took down the small red clay stove from the carriage, took out two bamboo tubes, and boiled them in the pot for a while.
He said to Song Lingling: "Here is some milk. Drink some. It will help you sleep better and it will also be good for the baby in your belly."
Of course Song Lingling knew, and she was so grateful that she didn't know what to say.
Three cups were poured, and Xie Yanyan, Song Lingling and Xiao Baozi drank one each.
As for Jiang Shuang, inviting her to drink? Impossible.
The three adults and one child had a good night's sleep. At dawn, the rain had stopped.
The head of the village has arranged for the villagers to make some pancakes and porridge and send them over.
Huangfu Ming's guards rode fast horses to the nearby town to buy breakfast, giving some to Li Rong and his friends and some to the Xie family.
When the guard handed the breakfast to Xie Jinrong, he relayed Huangfu Ming's words: "The master is busy with official business and will leave soon. How do you say what the Marquis promised?"
Xie Jinrong took some Chinese medicine in the evening, his fever subsided, and he was able to talk while half leaning against the carriage.
"Second brother, Jiang, come here." He shouted without allowing any objection.
Jiang Shuang didn't dare to move and looked at Xie Anfeng.
Xie An turned a deaf ear to it.
"Xie Anfeng, I can't call you anymore?" Seeing that Xie Anfeng ignored him, Xie Jinrong suddenly became angry.
Xie Anfeng then walked over and said, "I am not the second in command. I am the only one of the direct descendants. You can just call me by my name."
Xie Jinrong suppressed his anger and tried to keep his tone calm: "Let me tell you something. Huangfu Dongjia has taken a fancy to the third girl and is willing to help her get out of trouble with money. I accepted it for you."
"Why would you agree to this marriage for Yan'er?"
Xie Anfeng's forehead suddenly became bulging with veins!
Although the road to exile was a life-threatening one, and perhaps he would never be pardoned, Huangfu Ming could help Xie Yanyan escape the crime and become a commoner. Even if she became a concubine, it was still a chance for her to survive.
But, my heart aches. Who would be willing to marry their daughter to a merchant as a concubine?
Jiang Shuang was very willing and immediately thanked Xie Jinrong: "Thank you, Dad."
The three Xie Ning brothers were silent this time. They had the same idea as Xie Anfeng that it was better to live than to die.
But, I feel so unwilling!
Xie Ning thought for a while, then stood up and said, "Dad, I don't agree! We are a family together, no matter how hard or tiring it is, at most, we brothers will support her for the rest of her life."
Xie Yong: "I will eat less from now on and save my food for my sister."
"I don't agree either. Big brother is right. Can't the three of us brothers protect our sister?" Xie Lingyu pleaded, "Dad, please don't agree to this."
Xie Anfeng looked at Xie Yanyan and said firmly: "Yan'er, although your future life and death are uncertain, Dad will do everything he can to keep you alive. Dad does not want to agree to this marriage."
Xie Yanyan had been listening to them quietly with an indifferent expression.
She asked Huangfu Ming's guards: "I'm very curious, what conditions did Huangfu Ming agree to with Xie Jinrong and Shen?"
Huangfu Ming's guards looked at the pair of black and white eyes, the young but tough face, and said: "1,000 taels of silver, three carriages, to help Miss Xie and Mr. Xie get rid of the crime."
"But we are fugitives and are under the jurisdiction of Lord Li."
After she finished speaking, Li Rong understood what she meant and immediately said, "My mission is to send the prisoner to his destination. I cannot let him leave without permission during the journey."
The guard said arrogantly: "My master has a way to get you off the hook, as long as Third Miss Xie is willing."
"I don't want to." Xie Yanyan raised her eyes slightly. Everyone could feel her impatience on her seemingly calm face. "No one can control my life."
"You're not willing to help you get away with this even if I can?"
"unnecessary."
Shen was anxious: "The Huangfu family is very wealthy. Why don't you want such a good opportunity? Would you rather die on the road to exile?"
"Yes!" Xie Yanyan said, "Such a good marriage, arrange for your granddaughter to run away. If the other party doesn't mind, you can marry her!"
Xie Anfeng was so angry that his whole body was shaking. He said angrily, "Father, you repeatedly use filial piety to blackmail me, but what are you doing? Yan'er is your granddaughter, and you are going to sell her again to pave the way for you? Since you are so energetic and don't treat me as a human being, then we are father and son and we are done."
"How dare you, you rebellious son!" Xie Jinrong threatened, "If you dare to be unfilial, I will expel you from the clan. You and your children will become rootless duckweed, without the protection of the clan, and everyone can step on you."
So happy, another old friend is here, "This fish is not that fish", dear baby, raise your paws and warmly welcome the big baby back!!
Welcome dear baby 2023011791132, thank you for your support, thank you baby! (Are you an old friend?)
Yesterday it showed that I received 17 monthly tickets. I don’t know which platform sent them, so I would like to express my gratitude here!
(End of this chapter)
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