Xie Yuancheng saw it clearly this time. He blew his whistle, and some strange sounds came from the distant woods, followed by the black-clad men who had run out last time in the Western Regions.
"Ying'er, you are so amazing! I am so lucky to have married such a wonderful wife as you!" Xie Yuancheng led me to continue running forward.
I glanced back; these men in black were incredibly fast and ruthless, I didn't dare look at them anymore. I figured they wouldn't show themselves unless Xie Yuancheng gave the order.
"Are you scared?" Xie Yuancheng tightened the reins, and soon the horse slowed down.
I can smell that stench: "No, I'm just not used to it. If we hadn't made a move, we would be the ones lying on the ground. The three little ones would have cried themselves to death. I haven't even seen what Lin Yang looks like yet, and I'm not willing to just die like this."
"Yes~" Xie Yuancheng replied. I tried my best to remain calm, and then he steered his horse forward.
I was still a little scared. I went to the battlefield with him, but I only appeared once. I didn't see the rest of the scenes, so I wasn't very clear about this kind of life-or-death situation.
I kept reassuring myself on the way, and slowly I fell asleep leaning against Xie Yuancheng. When I woke up, I realized that the sky was beginning to lighten. Xie Yuancheng was leaning against a big tree, and I was lying in his arms.
"You really think I'm not heavy enough? Get up and move around a bit. If you're sleepy, I'll hold you while you sleep." I touched his hand; it was a little stiff.
"Ying'er~" Xie Yuancheng leaned on my shoulder. This little man's mind is too easily satisfied.
I got up and massaged him until his blood started circulating, then I helped him up: "Next time you can sleep on my lap. Your face was so pale just now, I was worried too, you know."
"I understand. I don't come here often. I'll take you to wash up, and then we'll go into the village. There are several villages connected together here. We're just passing through and won't disturb them."
"How could you possibly know that?" It's not like some people are hiding strangers in their homes; how could you possibly know if someone just rode by on horseback?
"You can tell just by looking at their eyes. If they find anything wrong, soldiers will come and investigate themselves."
I was relieved; he had come to scout the area first and then look around. After we remounted our horses, we walked for about two incense sticks' time before we saw some people starting to come out carrying hoes.
They glanced at us and walked away, probably because they hadn't done anything wrong; they walked very smoothly. We visited two villages, and the people there were very hardworking; even the children went to the fields with us.
"They were dressed quite well; they weren't wearing dirty clothes. Even if they were wearing coarse linen clothes, they were still quite decent."
"Yes, this place used to be near Liujia Village, so some people were affected and weren't very diligent. The teachers were checking the headcount last time, so they became more diligent."
There are monthly requirements, and if they don't meet them, they'll still be sent away.
"What are the requirements? They can't be too high, can they?"
"How could that be? I just don't want them to think that Linyang is good in the future and then become idle. If they can't support themselves, why waste their time there?"
"That's true. You guys are really clever. The people here are all very capable. If they don't do anything, how will they ever make a living?"
I saw several chubby kids running around. I think they're a bit too fat; their face is so chubby it's practically hanging down, their eyes are squeezed into tiny slits, and their necks and shoulders are almost connected.
But as long as they seem healthy and without illness or disaster, living with their parents, that's already good enough. We walked to the middle of the village and heard a little girl crying for help. Xie Yuancheng rode his horse over to see what was wrong.
It was a small courtyard, not very well tidied up, and looked messy. Two chubby children were fighting over the belongings of a child on the ground, even tearing off his clothes.
Xie Yuancheng flicked two small projectiles at me. I was worried he might hurt the child, but the projectiles only hit him and didn't hurt him. He then led his horse away.
I heard two fat kids go to complain. After the fence was opened, the bullied little girl didn't cry or make a fuss, but just ran forward desperately. Her coat was snatched by the two fatter kids.
"Isn't she too pitiful, with two people fighting over her? Won't she run away from the village?"
"Probably not. Her eyes were very determined. This kind of girl is very smart. I guess she went to her parents to vent her anger. If I were her parents, I would give those two naughty kids a good talking-to."
I was a little worried, so Xie Yuancheng dismounted and led me a little further ahead, where we hid behind some trees. Soon enough, the little girl really did go and fetch her parents.
"So? Don't you think I'm amazing?"
"Alright, Lord Marquis, you're the best. Let's go." I urged him to mount his horse and leave, as there was a commotion behind us.
What wonderful parents! They've raised their little girl so well; she doesn't cry or make a fuss. The whole family speaks with reason and logic, so they're probably educated people. They're well-mannered and not the kind of people who bully others just because they're loud or strong.
She shook her head and left quickly. She had two precious sons to feed at home and a bunch of money-losing girls to discipline. She didn't have time to watch other people's misfortunes.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw four little girls running over and jumping and shouting around Li Mei.
"Mom, I'm hungry, I want to eat."
"Mom, I want fish soup."
"Mom, I want to eat too."
"Mommy~" The youngest, three and a half years old, had just opened her mouth when Li Mei slapped her twice. The other girls were also hit: "All you know is eating! Eat yourselves to death, you good-for-nothings! Get out!"
Li Mei is a typical example of someone who favors sons over daughters. She has two twins in her family, who are the apple of her eye. There's no extra food for these money-losing girls.
The four little girls touched their faces with their little hands, but continued to follow Li Mei into the kitchen to call out. They were so hungry that their stomachs were sticking to their backs and their legs were trembling. Why did their little brother have food but they didn't?
"Smack!" Li Mei lost her temper and grabbed a wooden stick from the kitchen to hit the girls. The girls cried and screamed, no longer daring to ask her for food. The twin brother ran out and kicked and stomped on them, even farting to feed his three-and-a-half-year-old sister before rubbing his tummy and complaining of hunger.
"Mommy will make you fish soup right away, be good~" Li Mei's expression immediately changed. The four girls felt wronged and went out hand in hand to find something to eat.
"I can't live like this anymore!" Zhao Jia ran out of the Zhang family's courtyard. When she saw Zhang Chuchu squatting in the corner, she became even angrier.
Zhang Chuchu happened to be carrying over some boiled water. When she saw Zhao Jia, she grinned and called her "Auntie."
"A money-loser, a jinx, and his smile is uglier than a ghost's."
"Mother~" A soft, sweet voice came through, her eyes brimming with tears, looking especially beautiful, and Zhao Jia's heart immediately softened.
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