Thirty miles outside the capital.
The scorching sun baked the earth, the vegetation on both sides of the pipes was withered, and a plume of hot steam rose in the air.
More than three hundred convicts, all scorched by the sun, sweating profusely, their lips cracked, were being driven forward by the whips of the guards.
The people of the Jiangning Marquis's mansion were pampered and spoiled, raised with silver spoons in their mouths. They complained incessantly and blamed everything and everyone as soon as they left the capital.
The old lady suddenly wailed, "I can't walk anymore! Damn God! What sins has the Marquis of Jiangning committed? Why must they be exiled in their old age? God, I'd rather have died sooner!"
"Mother, it's so hot today, and the chains are so heavy, they've rubbed my ankles raw," complained the second master of the second wife. It's no wonder, given his delicate and pampered nature.
“Our Jiangning Marquis’s mansion doesn’t usually get involved in court affairs, but now it’s been exiled. I think it’s all Mo Ran’s fault. Otherwise, why would the Third Prince have taken her into the mansion? She’s acting like she’s delusional and still covets the position of a prince’s consort.” The Second Master pondered, then realized what was going on.
"What a scourge! He's ruined us!" the second wife couldn't help but chime in.
"They were pampered at home, but now their lives are hanging by a thread." All the young ladies in the manor wept.
...
The first wife, still grieving over the departure of the time-traveling woman, listened to the complaints of those around her and was speechless. She was also exhausted and weak after walking dozens of miles.
Her husband was still injured and unconscious in the cart, his condition unknown. Her two sons, shackled and pale, were also pushing the cart. A complex emotion flashed in her eyes; even though she loved her daughter dearly, she couldn't help but feel resentful at the scene before her.
Unbeknownst to them, the people from the Jiangning Marquis's residence had fallen behind.
"You're asking for it! It's so hot, and you're delaying our journey. If we don't make it to the next post station, I'll whip you to death!" Several guards lashed out with their whips.
The people from the first and second branches of the family were the first to be whipped. Just as they were about to hit Mo Qian, the head constable intervened, saying, "Alright, a couple of lashes will suffice. If she can't walk, when will we reach the next post station?"
After walking another thirty li, the accompanying convicts, barely able to keep going, were thirsty and exhausted, and finally arrived at the post station.
"Sir, the finest food is ready. Please come in." A servant in the post station, responsible for entertaining officials and escorts, quickly approached the escort commander.
"Leave half the men to guard the place, and the rest of you go in to rest. Take turns eating, and then send a few more men to distribute the food," the commander ordered.
While resting, Mo Qian was able to remove her shackles. She took the original owner's parents to a place a little away from the group, where there was grass and trees to cover them. In addition, it was dark, so they could move around quietly and no one would notice.
"Mother, Father, don't eat the steamed buns anymore. Here are some steamed buns for you to eat." Mo Qian took out two white steamed buns from the bundle brought by her maid Zhihua.
"Girl, your maid is quite good, she even brought us things." Mo Zhong took the steamed bun and wolfed it down. She had been walking for almost a day without eating a single grain of rice, and her stomach was already rumbling loudly.
Zhang Jinxin looked at Mo Zhong eating with a pained expression, but even though she felt sorry for him, she never thought of telling him that her daughter had a spatial ability.
She only had one daughter, and she didn't know how many children her husband would have in the future. She understood the reasoning. Seeing Mo Zhong looking haggard and worried, Zhang Jinxin ate two steamed buns.
Anyway, with my daughter here, what's there to be afraid of? Such a magical treasure has fallen into her hands; even God is protecting her.
"Here, have some water to soothe your throat." Mo Qian secretly transferred half a cup of spiritual spring water from her space into a bamboo tube, mixed it with water, and handed it to the original owner's parents to strengthen their bodies so they could cope with the journey ahead.
"Father, Mother, we're far from the capital now, so I guess nobody in the capital is paying attention to this place anymore. Let's try to get the guards to remove the shackles and chains from our feet."
Mo Qian really didn't want to drag the chain around again tomorrow. Walking this far every day was already tiring enough; if her legs were burdened with this, she'd feel like dying.
Can you expect someone who wants to be a lazy bum to huff and puff while wearing shackles and walking sixty miles a day?
"Absolutely! It's a little money, but I've suffered less. I almost died today." Mo Zhong excitedly sat up from the grass. He used to be very particular about everything, and if his shoes got a little dirty, he would change his clothes three or four times a day. Now he can sit anywhere on the ground. Even his obsessive-compulsive disorder has been cured.
“I hid some money when they raided my house,” Zhang Jinxin said, pointing to her hair and the crevices in her clothes.
“We haven’t separated, so we shouldn’t have to pay for this.” Mo Zhong finally looked a bit better and showed some of his usual playboy demeanor.
“Let’s go find the eldest son’s wife. They’re the ones who usually manage the household, so they should pay for it.” He stood up as he spoke.
When someone raids a house, nobody's a fool. Everyone knows money is important, and it's likely that the other members of the first and second wives' families will also have some money on them.
“Sister-in-law, the old lady and everyone in the manor have been in shackles all day. Can you give me some ideas and spend some money to remove the shackles from the family? Besides, this crime was brought on by Ran’er, so you can’t bear to do it, can you?”
The first wife held the cornbread with a look of disgust, but she still had to grit her teeth and gnaw on it. The cornbread in her hand was as hard as iron; you could hit someone with it and draw blood. The people around her were also complaining, knowing that if they didn't eat, they would go hungry. Just then, Mo Zhong walked over.
"Yes, sister-in-law, you're usually in charge of the household. With a little effort, the shackles were removed, making the journey easier! Our exile was all your daughter's fault," the second wife said coldly, her face frosty.
"We've been really hurt!" the women sitting around chimed in, looking disheveled and exhausted after a long day, almost in tears.
...
"Don't mention that rebellious daughter, I won't have that daughter anymore."
"Now that they've all been exiled, what right do I have to manage the household? If you want to get rid of the shackles, pay for it yourself. Don't even think about me paying for it." The first wife was so angry that she swore.
“Sister-in-law, you can’t say that. We haven’t separated our families yet. This is all Mo Ran’s fault, so you should pay for it.” The second wife insisted.
"I have no money, I want to go to the shackles and get the money myself."
...
The eldest and second wives were arguing incessantly, and the young ladies of the mansion would chime in with their own opinions.
"Alright, stop arguing. You're giving me a headache. I'll pay for it, but Mo Zhong's family can pay for it themselves."
Since they were all her own children and grandchildren, the old lady had no choice but to pay for it herself. She hadn't hidden much wealth during the chaos, and it was painful to think that so many people would have to pay such a large sum of money. Mo Zhong was an illegitimate son, whom she usually found annoying, so she would rather throw the money away than pay for him.
"Mother, we haven't divided the family property yet, so my share of this house should also be included." Seeing that they didn't want to pay this money and were acting up, Mo Zhong grabbed the second son and was about to hit him, threatening him.
"You won't let me have an easy time, second brother. At least put up with it and have some pity on your younger brother." He went up and punched him.
"What a tragedy! Stop!" the old lady cried out.
"Master, how are you?"
"father"
...
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