Soon, two simple and sturdy carriages slowly drove over in the dust and stopped in front of everyone.
The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the car body, giving it a faint golden hue.
The leading official, Wu Hu, a burly figure with a resolute face, strode up to Li Xiaoliu with a frown on his face and a stern tone: "Li Xiaoliu, what the hell are you doing? How dare you buy a carriage for an exile? Do you know that this is a serious taboo?"
Li Xiaoliu had a bitter face, with beads of sweat on his forehead gleaming in the setting sun. With a trembling voice, he told everything Song Jiao had done before.
After he finished speaking, his legs went limp and he fell to his knees, crying, "Boss, I really don't want to die! I have an old mother to take care of and a young child to raise. Please be kind and let me go!"
Upon hearing this, Wu Hu frowned even more tightly. He turned to look at Song Jiao, his eyes flashing with inquiry and surprise.
Obviously, he had underestimated the means and determination of this seemingly weak woman.
He strode towards Song Jiao, his eyes as sharp as a knife, as if he wanted to see through her: "Miss Shen, aren't you going too far? You know that this is the intention of the person in the palace. We are just following orders. Why do you have to make things difficult for us?"
Song Jiao stood there with a faint smile on her lips, which contained both disdain and confidence.
She gently raised her hand and smoothed the hair on her forehead, her eyes revealing a kind of indifference: "The one in the palace? Humph, he controls everything, how can he even control this place? Now your lives are in my hands, Song Jiao, do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Wu Hu clenched his teeth, clenched his fists, and his veins bulged.
He knew very well that the woman in front of him was not someone he could deal with easily.
But as an official, he had to bite the bullet and said, "Miss Shen, you know that if we don't follow orders, we will be the ones to die. Aren't you pushing us into a dead end by doing this?"
Song Jiao's smile brightened upon hearing this. She shook her head slightly, as if looking at an ignorant child. "That's not within my scope of consideration. Now, you can either go on your way or surrender on the spot. Make your choice!"
As she spoke, she slowly raised her hand and lightly brushed her fingertips across the jade pendant at her waist. The jade pendant gleamed with a cold light in the sunlight.
Her voice was low and powerful. "You should know that if I can do something to any one of you, I can do something to all of you. Don't force me to make a choice, because that result is not what you want to see."
At this moment, the surrounding environment seemed to have stopped, with only the wind gently blowing the leaves, making a rustling sound.
Wu Hu knew he had no choice but to turn around and leave. Then another carriage was pulled over, which was for them.
Sitting in the quaint and steady carriage, Grandmother Song's frown finally relaxed. She let out a light breath and asked, "Where on earth did this carriage come from?" There was a barely perceptible worry in her words.
Upon hearing this, Mother Shen was also stunned, and then she held Song Jiao's slightly cold hand tightly, her eyes full of concern and worry: "Yunyun, you can't do something that goes against your conscience!" Her voice trembled slightly, and it was obvious that she was extremely uneasy.
Song Jiao smiled gently in response and patted the back of Shen's mother's hand gently to comfort her: "Mother, don't worry, I got this car through legitimate channels, and I have no improper thoughts." Her eyes were clear and firm, which made people involuntarily convinced.
Mother Shen was still a little skeptical when she heard this, but she finally nodded and sighed, "Okay, as long as you don't make any mistakes, I'll be at ease. But, we have very little money left. In this desolate place, even if we want to buy some steamed buns to fill our stomachs, I'm afraid it's beyond our ability."
As she spoke, she slowly took out a jade pendant from her bosom, which was as smooth as jade. The jade pendant was shining softly in the afterglow of the setting sun.
“This was originally intended as a dowry for your marriage, but now…” Mother Shen’s words were filled with helplessness and reluctance. “When you get to the next town, you can pawn it and exchange it for some silver to tide you over.”
Seeing this, Song Jiao quickly shook her head, her eyes full of determination: "No, mother, please keep it. I have my own way to find food, there is no need for you to sacrifice so much."
The carriage continued to move forward slowly. The atmosphere in the carriage was depressing and everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts. It was not until dusk that they arrived at the edge of a lush forest.
After a brief conversation with Wu Hu, Song Jiao walked into the dense forest alone.
In a short while, she returned with several plump rabbits in her hands, a proud smile on her face.
Upon seeing this, Father Shen quickly made a fire, and the others dispersed, searching for herbs and edible wild vegetables in the woods.
Song Jiao skillfully began to process the rabbit, skinning it and removing the internal organs in one go. Her movements were so smooth that everyone present was stunned.
Li Xiaoliu, in particular, felt a chill in his heart as he looked at Song Jiao's skillful technique, and muttered to himself: "If this technique is used on myself one day, I'm afraid..." He didn't dare to think about it anymore, and felt a chill on his back.
The bonfire in the woods was blazing, reflecting the solemn and determined faces of the people.
As the night deepened, the occasional growl of wild animals could be heard in the woods.
It is easy to fall asleep after eating and drinking. Wu Hu and the others kept watch, but Song Jiao didn't sleep either.
Father Shen suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. In the faint moonlight, he slowly walked to Song Jiao's side, his eyes full of guilt and pain.
"Yun'er, your father feels guilty towards you. At the beginning, I only thought about your sister Chen You's outstanding talent, but I didn't expect it would lead to the situation today." His voice was low and hoarse.
Hearing this, Song Jiao raised her eyes and looked at Father Shen, a complex emotion flashed in her eyes, but she did not speak.
Seeing this, Father Shen thought that she still had resentment in her heart, so he said again: "Even if you hate your father, your father will never complain. I only hope that you can forgive your father's momentary mistake."
Song Jiao shook her head gently, her tone filled with a mixture of helplessness and relief. "Daddy, between you and me, why should we talk about this? There's just one thing I'm really confused about. Where did all that newly sealed silver come from? And who owns that house?"
Upon hearing this, Father Shen's expression changed slightly. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke: "The house was originally intended to be given to your sister Shen You. But later, before the incident, she returned it to me. I sent people to search carefully, but found nothing unusual."
Song Jiao frowned and asked, "How long has it been since you gave it to your sister? Has it been more than two months?"
Father Shen thought for a moment and replied, "It should be more than three months ago. Before her wedding, she mentioned that she wanted that house, so I gave it to her. But I never thought that it would become the root of today's disaster."
“Dad, don’t think about it. The tunnel has been dug in March. Shen You wants all the Shen family members to die. This is the inevitable result!”
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