Zhang Xiu'e noticed Su Yu's wife's unusual behavior and thought she had suffered a mental breakdown, which was why she said hurtful things.
"He'er, ignore her, go and rest over there. I think she's just lost her mind!"
Qin Xiaoniang pulled Zhang Xiue back, "You should also say less, shh..."
Song Chanxing's identity was indeed suspicious, so she was separated from Song He'er and the others and kept in separate lockers. The group took a short rest here, and every now and then they would hear the woman next door wailing and howling.
The officers and soldiers were very impatient and even picked up whips to beat him.
Having been beaten, Song Chanxing lost his edge and obediently slumped into the cell, not daring to make a sound.
Qin Xiaoniang looked up at the airtight room and sighed, "We're really unlucky. Of all the places to run into that shrew, we have to come here. Do you think these soldiers will embezzle our carts and grain?"
Li Qiang's wife shook her head. "Probably not. That prince looks quite kind to me. He shouldn't make things difficult for us."
Zhang Xiu'e was still fuming. "That's hard to say. This Xizhou is already ravaged by war, and troubled times breed unruly people. Their princes aren't much better!"
"Alright, alright, don't be so impulsive. If you upset those soldiers, you'll get another beating."
As soon as they finished speaking, two or three soldiers walked in from outside, but instead of carrying whips as they had expected, they were carrying two or three trays.
The plate contained some white rice and simple vegetarian dishes, and the rich aroma made the mouths of a group of hungry people water.
"Mother, I'm hungry!" Nianjie said, clinging to Zhang Xiue.
Shh, we'll be eating soon!
The officers put down the food, their tone as cold as if their own mothers had died, "You out-of-towners, eat your food. You are not allowed to die in jail before the matter is investigated. If you are really from the General's Mansion, you cannot die in our Western Continent, lest your Central Plains' dog emperor turn around and use this as an excuse to start a war with us!"
Although it was harsh to hear, it did make sense. Song He'er didn't want to argue with these lackeys; getting her stomach full was the most important thing right now.
After the officers and soldiers finished speaking, they left, and the children, who were hungry, reached out for rice.
"Wait a minute!" Qin Xiaoniang stopped them.
"Little sister, Nian'er is hungry..."
Qin Xiaoniang patted Nian'er's forehead affectionately, "I know Nian'er is hungry, but we're all alone out here, we can't be careless. What if they poison the food? We'd be innocent victims!"
Upon hearing this, Nianjie quickly threw her chopsticks far away.
Qin Xiaoniang paused, took out a silver needle from her sleeve, and inserted it into the white rice to check whether the silver needle had changed color.
After checking everything and finding nothing amiss, Qin Xiaoniang brought the rice to Nianjie'er, saying, "Eat up, Nianjie'er, everything's fine now."
Nianjie was already so hungry that her eyes were dizzy. She picked up the rice, added a bite of vegetables, and wolfed it down into her mouth.
But as soon as it went in, before it had even chewed a few times, it was all spat out.
"Mother, it tastes terrible, it has no flavor."
"ah?"
Zhang Xiue picked up her chopsticks, casually took a bite of greens, and put it in her mouth; it tasted like chewing wax.
"It's sweet, no salt added."
Song He'er had previously learned about the food in the Western Regions during the Tang Dynasty. It was mostly sweet food, raw meat, and cold wine, with very little of the refined stir-fry dishes found in the Central Plains.
These dishes were specially made for them by others, imitating the food from the Central Plains, which shows their dedication.
"Third Aunt, maybe the people here don't know how to cook Central Plains cuisine, so let's just make do with this. As long as it's not poisonous and as long as it's edible, we should grit our teeth and swallow it down, not for any other reason than to fill our stomachs."
Zhang Xiu'e nodded. "He'er is right. Now is not the time for us to be picky. Everyone, eat up!"
After saying that, everyone picked up their bowls and began to wolf down their food.
Su Yu's wife only gave the child a bowl of rice, while she herself remained sitting in the corner, not eating a single bite.
The more Song He'er looked at it, the stranger it seemed. She lost her appetite and became depressed. If this continued, it wouldn't be a sign of longevity...
"Mother, why do I feel like Madam Zhou is acting strangely?"
Qin Xiaoniang lowered her head and whispered in Song He'er's ear, "She seems to have suffered a mental shock. Ever since she argued with Tian Niangzi that day, she hasn't spoken to anyone. She may be resenting us for not speaking up for her."
"But surely such a small thing shouldn't be remembered until now?"
"Shh, He'er, don't meddle in other people's business. Didn't you see how awful the things she said to you were? Right now, she treats us all as enemies. People like that are deep-thinking, timid, and prone to being aloof. Just ignore her."
Song He'er felt that her stepmother made a lot of sense; it was best not to meddle in things that weren't her business and to mind her own business.
If someone is willing to help you, it's normal to repay them. But if they not only can't help but also cause trouble, then just let them fend for themselves!
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the soldiers returned and pointed at Li Qiang's wife, who was squatting on the ground, and shouted, "It's you! Come here, our prince wants to find an honest person to question properly!"
Li Qiang's wife stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "Me??"
"It's you, don't you understand? Come here!"
Zhang Xiue knew that she had two children who needed care, so she planned to go in her place.
“Sir, I am honest. Take me away and I will tell you the truth.”
To her surprise, the soldier had a bad temper and pushed Zhang Xiue to the ground, yelling, "Get out! We're not telling you to go! Stay out of the way!"
When Li Qiang's wife saw Zhang Xiu'e being beaten, she turned pale with fright and quickly helped her up, whispering to the soldiers, "I...I'll go with you, please don't beat her!"
"Hurry up! Wouldn't it be better if this were the truth from the beginning?"
Li Qiang's wife stumbled to her feet and walked step by step toward the cell door.
Qin Xiaoniang spread the straw on the ground and let the children lie down on it to rest.
Li Qiang's wife's two children were much more obedient. After seeing their mother leave, they were comforted for a few moments and then stopped crying.
"Will they use torture?" Qin Xiaoniang asked.
Zhang Xiue sighed and shook her head. "Who knows? If we don't get the truth out of them, who knows what they'll do!"
Song He'er wished she were the one to leave, so she could figure out the way around the prison and make it easier to escape later.
"Those two lunatics over there are making baseless accusations against us. That mother and daughter deserve to die!"
Song He'er patted Qin Xiaoniang on the shoulder, signaling her not to rush.
"Let's wait and see. We'll figure out a way to escape tonight..."
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