Chapter 215 Zhao San Niang
Jiang Baozhu could assure her that Aunt Zhao was a good person, and given the current situation, since they had encountered her, they couldn't just stand by and watch her die.
If it were just a passerby, it wouldn't matter. Aunt Zhao had helped Jiang Baozhu before, but if she were left unattended, Jiang Baozhu would never be able to get over that hurdle in her heart.
"Auntie is a pitiful person. We were all kidnapped while watching the lanterns, but Aunt Zhao was kicked out of her husband's house."
The two worked together and chatted occasionally. Aunt Zhao was unlucky; she married a scoundrel who was lazy and idle all day long. She relied on her needlework to supplement the family income.
“Every time the needlework was exchanged for money, that scoundrel would take it to drink and make merry. My aunt begged and pleaded, but it was no use.”
Aunt Zhao had been supporting the family for over twenty years, but she had no sons and only a daughter. Now, the scoundrel saw that she wasn't doing her job as well as before, so he became very disgusted with her and divorced her.
Penniless, Aunt Zhao was kicked out of her house and happened to be robbed by barbarians. She was a step too slow and was captured.
When Jiang Baozhu heard about Aunt Zhao's plight, she thought of her own mother, Xu Shi, who was also childless, but whose fates were different and who each had their own suffering.
"I still have some water here. I'll give some to my aunt and wake her up first."
Lin Yuesha touched Aunt Zhao's forehead with her hand; the temperature was abnormally low, and she looked more like she had fainted from hunger.
"good."
Jiang Baozhu lifted the person up, fed her some water, and then started pinching her philtrum. After a while, Aunt Zhao slowly woke up.
"A precious pearl?"
Zhao Sanniang thought she was dead, but when she saw Jiang Baozhu, she trembled and asked, "Baozhu, how did you die?"
It is said that after death, one can meet acquaintances in the underworld. When Jiang Baozhu was taken away, she was worried and felt that the person was likely to die.
"Aunt Zhao, I'm still here, alive and well."
Jiang Baozhu was both amused and exasperated. She explained that the three of them were in the secret passage, and Aunt Zhao had fainted.
"Auntie, have something to eat first and calm down."
Lin Yuesha handed over food and water, knowing that the secret passage was not a place to linger and that the group had to leave as soon as possible.
Zhao Sanniang nodded. She hadn't eaten for two or three days, and now her stomach was empty and she had no strength at all.
After eating a bite of compressed biscuit and drinking some water, she felt a little warmer.
"Baozhu, Lin girl, what are you doing here?"
Aunt Zhao asked the two of them, then suddenly realized, "You also know this is a secret passage?"
"Yes, Auntie, how did you know?"
Jiang Baozhu hadn't seen Aunt Zhao since they moved, and she was very puzzled. "Did you set up the bonfire we just passed?"
"It's me."
Zhao Sanniang sighed. It was indeed she who had set it there. When she got there, she realized that she was running out of strength and was afraid that she was going to die.
“I knew this was a secret passage because I understood the barbarian language.”
Zhao Sanniang explained that her mother was skilled in cooking, so the skills were passed down to her. Since she got married, the family has relied entirely on her to make a living.
In the Great Qi Dynasty, almost every woman knew needlework, and those purses and brooches, unless they were exceptionally exquisite, would not fetch a high price.
In order to sell her purses for a few coins, Zhao Sanniang started doing business with the barbarians.
“The barbarians gave us too much work. They wouldn’t give us food until we finished it. I haven’t eaten for two or three days. I can only fill my stomach with water.”
By chance, Zhao Sanniang overheard someone speaking in a foreign language, mentioning a secret passage that could lead back to Daqi. That's when she escaped with a small package.
She ran very fast because she was afraid the barbarians would chase her.
"So when you were about to faint, just to be on the safe side, you set a fire to confuse the enemy."
Lin Yuesha admired Aunt Zhao's resourcefulness. Indeed, after seeing the thick smoke, she had considered backing out and was quite conflicted.
After much deliberation, she was truly unwilling to give up, so she gritted her teeth and pulled Jiang Baozhu through the thick smoke.
Without water and a cotton handkerchief, Lin Yuesha dared not take the risk.
"Yes, I'm worried the barbarians will come after us."
After eating the compressed biscuits, Zhao Sanniang regained her strength, gritted her teeth, stood up, and said, "Let's hurry and go."
They were in the center of the secret passage, still a long way from the Hanmen Pass of the Great Qi Dynasty, but with company, they could look after each other.
In the cellar, although Zhao Sanniang did not stand up for Lin Yuesha, she greatly admired the little girl's courage and trusted Lin Yuesha.
"Alright, but now that you've entered this humble family, what are your plans, Auntie?"
The three of them traveled together at a brisk pace. Jiang Baozhu inquired about Zhao Sanniang's whereabouts.
As far as she knew, Zhao Sanniang's family members were all gone, and she couldn't go back to her husband's family. So even if she did go back, she would be homeless.
"I don't know."
Zhao Sanniang shook her head. She was already heartbroken and couldn't bear to leave her daughter. That's why she had fled from the barbarian territory with her last breath, just to see her daughter Xiao Cui one last time.
She had difficulty conceiving, and it wasn't until she was almost thirty that she had her daughter, Xiao Cui. Now that Xiao Cui was about to come of age and had grown into a beautiful young woman, she was terrified that the scoundrel would try to take advantage of her daughter.
“Before I was kicked out of my home, my mother-in-law was still trying to persuade me to sell Xiao Cui, get a dowry, and find him a virgin to raise.”
Zhao Sanniang's face was full of bitterness. After all, she had no children first, so she couldn't stand up straight and could only let her husband's family torment her.
"this……"
Jiang Baozhu wanted to curse loudly, but everyone had the same mentality, and she didn't know where to start cursing, so she could only sigh heavily.
"I'm not good at anything else, but I'm decent at embroidery. I plan to find a workshop to work in."
Zhao Sanniang had no plans and could only take it one step at a time.
The barbarian said he would retreat to Sishui City, and the border town would soon return to peace. With her abilities, she could easily fill her stomach.
However, a woman would be bullied wherever she went, so she was more inclined to sell herself and find a kind and generous family to become a servant.
"Aunt Zhao, haven't you ever thought about divorce before?"
It's always better to divorce than to be divorced. A woman who has been divorced is like someone with a stain on her body; it's difficult for her to remarry.
"I've thought about it."
Zhao Sanniang shook her head. "This little girl isn't even married yet, how would she know how hard life is?"
After her divorce, her husband's family would inevitably use Xiao Cui to threaten her, and Zhao San Niang would have to send money to her from time to time, just so that Xiao Cui could live well.
Xiao Cui's marriage was none of her business; her life was in the hands of others. Zhao San Niang dared not break ties with her husband's family, which is why she endured it for so many years. Little did she know, she had underestimated the shamelessness and malice of that family.
After Zhao Sanniang finished speaking, the three of them stopped talking about the topic.
The secret passage ahead became increasingly narrow, until finally only one person could pass at a time.
Lin Yuesha led the way, and after walking for an unknown amount of time, she finally saw light ahead. At that moment, she almost cried tears of joy.
The group walked for about a night, and when they crawled out of the secret passage, the sky was already beginning to lighten.
The terrain nearby looked familiar; it was near Hanmen Pass. To reach the temporary residence of the Prince of Zhenbei, it would take several more miles.
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