Chapter 54 Dislikes Not Changing Prison Clothes? A Whip Will Do.
The prison guards, who worked in dark, unlit cells for long periods, were short-tempered.
He had just given them the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, but only a few seconds had passed when he saw someone standing still and continuously whipping the pillar. He urged, "What are you all standing there for? Change it! Change it now!"
Damn it, these pampered kids are dawdling over changing into prison uniforms; they're going to have a hard time on their way to exile.
Some of the unmarried women had barely even seen any men before, and now they were being forced to change clothes in front of so many people. They were terrified and cried, clutching their prison uniforms and huddled in a corner, trembling. They whispered, "Officer, could you do us a favor and give us a room to change our clothes? We're not married yet. If we have to change in front of so many people, we'll lose our innocence. How will we ever get married?"
The jailer sneered, "Oh, you think you're some rich young lady? This is a prison cell, not your own private residence. If you want to change, change here. If not, we'll help you change."
As he spoke, the jailer took out his key and made a move to open the cell door.
The women screamed in terror, "Ah!—"
"No, no, we'll change it ourselves, we don't need you to change it, waaaaah..."
The jailers were just trying to scare them. They didn't get paid to change their clothes, so they were too lazy to do it.
"Hurry up, everyone! In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, change into your prison uniforms and put on your handcuffs and leg irons. Anyone who dawdles in that time will be whipped!"
Although the men loathed the musty and blood-smelling prison uniforms, they had no choice but to endure the nausea and quickly change in order to avoid being whipped.
Upon seeing the man undress, the women closed their eyes in fright, crying out, "Ah!—"
The jailers, with one hand on the hilt of their swords and the other holding a whip, walked back and forth in the corridor, lashing any resident who didn't move with their whip.
"What are you yelling about again? Change it right now, or we'll give you a whip if you don't move."
Seeing that Yun Zhaoxue had used her clothes to form a circle, creating a simple changing room, some people followed suit, saying, "Quick, everyone, use your outer clothes to form a circle."
Yun Zhaoxue told Yang to change first, "Mother, you change first."
“Okay.” Madam Yang didn’t refuse and immediately went inside to change into her prison uniform.
After Yang changed her clothes, she asked her two sisters-in-law to come in together and change as well.
Yun Zhaoxue noticed something sticking out of Yang's sleeve as she pulled at her clothes—a silver note.
She cautioned, "Mother, the sleeves of the prison uniform are wide and will easily give you away; it probably won't be able to hide it."
Yang couldn't think of anywhere else to hide it besides her sleeve. "Then where should it be hidden?"
Yun Zhaoxue thought for a moment and said, "Hide it in your pants?"
"Nowhere is suitable either, I'm worried it will fall out as I walk." The prison uniform's waistband was loose and held in place by two straps.
"If Mother trusts me, I can keep the money for you for a while. After the jailers have searched you, I will return the money to you."
"Where are you hiding? If they find out and you don't hand it over voluntarily, you might get beaten. You're pregnant." Madam Yang was afraid of implicating her.
"Don't worry, Mother, I have a plan."
She hid in the space, watching how they searched.
Xie Wanyun and Song Mingyan, who were changing clothes, also heard their conversation and took out the silver notes, loose silver, and copper coins they had hidden on their bodies. "Does our third sister-in-law have any ideas?"
The prison uniforms were just a thin layer of coarse linen, with no pockets to hide things, so they didn't know where to hide them for a moment.
Yun Zhaoxue said, "There's not much time left. If you trust me, then leave everything to me."
"Does your third sister-in-law have a solution?"
Yun Zhaoxue patted her slightly protruding belly, "Pregnancy belly."
Xie Wanyun's eyes lit up. "Third sister-in-law is exceptionally intelligent."
Yun Zhaoxue wrapped the item in a piece of cloth and tied it to her stomach, so that it would be safe to hide it in her spatial storage when the other party searched her.
Xiao Xuanwu, who had his back to them, also turned around and handed her his several dozen taels of silver notes.
"Third sister-in-law, here's mine for you too."
Xiao Xiuning also hid several dozen taels of silver. Everyone else put their money in Yun Zhaoxue's cloth bag, but she didn't give it to her because she didn't trust Yun Zhaoxue.
They even thought they were foolish, saying, "If you all give her the money, what if she defaults and doesn't pay us back?"
Madam Yang earnestly advised, "Xue'er is not that kind of person. Adversity reveals true character. Ning'er, you should let go of your past prejudices."
"Everyone in Beijing knows she's not a good person; she just wants to swindle money."
Yun Zhaoxue started changing her clothes, rolled up the cloth bag containing the silver and banknotes, and tied it around her stomach. "I don't have time to argue with you. I don't care if you don't give them to me, and I'm too lazy to keep them for you."
Xiao Xiuning was unwilling to switch with her.
Madam Yang said to her granddaughter, "Xian'er, go in and switch places with your third aunt."
Xian'er nodded obediently, "Yes, Grandmother."
Yun Zhaoxue quickly changed her clothes and then helped Xian'er.
When it was Xiao Xiuning's turn, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn was up.
The jailer didn't care whether they had changed or not, and came over to open the cell door.
Xiao Xiuning had just taken off her clothes and hadn't even put them back on when she heard the sound of the cell door being unlocked. She was so frightened that she lost her composure and her hands trembled so much that she couldn't put her clothes back on.
When the jailer saw that they were still circling around, he knew that some people hadn't changed yet. He would come over, cursing and swearing, "I told you to hurry up and change! You're all dawdling. You want a beating, huh? I'll grant your wish today."
Xiao Xuanwu rushed over and stopped the jailer, "Brother officer, please make an exception, it'll be changed soon."
The jailer impatiently shoved the man aside, yelling, "Get out of here!"
Yang quickly put the prison clothes on her daughter.
Xiao Xiuning was still clutching the silver notes in her hand, and in her panic, she could only stuff them into her sleeve.
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