CHAPTER 13: CHAPTER 13: TAKE YOU BACK TO THE MANOR AS A REWARDED CONCUBINE

The old woman dared not speak out in anger; it wasn’t just her, because Ruan Mian had started it. They really thought there was straw near the post station, and even the servants of the Uncle’s Mansion were ordered to find it.

The result was obvious—nothing was found.

Ruan Mian issued each person in the mansion a cloth strip to tie their legs with, teaching them to bind their calves well.

"With this, if we walk for a long time, our calves won’t swell or become congested with blood, which makes it much easier."

Others had never heard of the cloth strip having such a function before, and they all followed suit.

Those people struggled through to the next day.

The heavy snow had stopped, but the road was covered in a thin layer of snow, and some parts had even melted into water, making the roads even muddier.

Ruan Mian called for Nanny Fang and Cui Zhu: "I noticed some large-leafed plants behind the post station. Go gather some. When you tie them together with the cloth strips, they can help prevent your legs from soaking too much in the cold water."

After saying this, she set up a pot and stove, steamed several hot buns, and handed them out.

As for the rest, they only had a few hard, icy biscuits distributed by the government officer, so hard they couldn’t even bite!

Those people watched the Ruan Mansion eating warm buns but didn’t dare say more.

Liu Family saw her daughter, Linlin, looking both hungry and weak, feeling uncomfortable after having struck her the previous day. She could only clutch her growling stomach, full of grievance, and plead with the government officer for food.

"Lord, don’t we have anything to eat this morning? We’re about to hit the road, and if we don’t have something, I’m afraid..."

"You’ve got a nice dream going! If your good-for-nothing daughter hadn’t stolen from us, we wouldn’t have been bullied by that bunch of foul men at the post station, only giving us this bit of rations.

You brought this upon yourself! Consider yourself lucky we’re not starving you for a day! Get lost!"

Even talking about it made him angry.

The incident with the golden peanuts had alarmed the government officers at the post station the day before, leading to malicious shortchanging of their provisions, and none wanted to give them more.

With just this meager amount of rations, stretching it to the next post station was no easy task.

Liu Family was so hungry she could almost see stars, and watching Ruan Mian indulge made her so angry she felt faint.

Weren’t they just picking on them because there were no men in their family!? Because they had fewer people!?

If Nanfeng were here, Ruan Mian wouldn’t dare act so arrogant!

But Nanfeng... who knows what his situation is now.

Their family had been confiscated; he must have been thrown into jail, but he had the Princess behind him, who liked Nanfeng so much she’d surely save him.

Perhaps they wouldn’t have to go far before receiving good news about Nanfeng!!

Thinking of this, Liu Family suddenly didn’t feel so hungry.

But at that moment, Nanny Fang passed by with two buns in her hand, and Liu Family’s expression darkened. She suddenly grabbed Nanny Fang’s hair bun and snatched the two buns.

She put one into her mouth without hesitation and clutched the other tightly to her chest.

Nanny Fang was taken aback and hadn’t yet had time to speak when Liu Family launched into a storm of angry curses!

"You treacherous slave! Dare to betray me, after all the years I’ve raised you! Just for a bite to eat, you turn to that slut Ruan Mian. You’re so ungrateful, wait till we rise again, you’ll be the first whose skin I peel off!"

Nanny Fang was enraged, and now unrestrained, she retorted: "You old hag! You’ve fallen this low and talk of rising again? I served you diligently all those years, and what did I get in return?

You’re the ungrateful one! Now exiled on a long road, you’d better take care of your own wretched life!"

Liu Family never imagined being mocked by a servant one day.

For a moment, her heart swelled with indignation, and she couldn’t catch her breath.

Just then, a government officer passed by and said to his superior, "Boss, that Mr. Qi has arrived."

As soon as this was said, everyone who heard froze for a moment.

Liu Family immediately became excited: "Is it my son? Oh, it must be my Nanfeng!"

The suppressed heart instantly opened up, as if finding a backer, and she straightened her spine.

Her voice also rose a few notches: "Nanny Fang, what did I just say? Now my Nanfeng has come to save us; just wait and see how I peel your skin off!!"

Upon hearing this, Nanny Fang was startled. She didn’t care about the two buns taken from her and quickly found Ruan Mian to report the news.

"Miss Ruan, Miss Ruan, something bad is happening."

At this moment, Ruan Mian was still tying Mrs. Zhang’s legs, as the caravan was about to set off. Nanny Fang hurriedly said, "I just heard the government officer say Mr. Qi has arrived."

"Qi Nanfeng?"

Ruan Mian frowned slightly, and after seeing Nanny Fang nod, Mrs. Zhang quickly grabbed Ruan Mian’s hand, full of worry.

"Mian’er, could he have smoothed things over to come? If so, doesn’t that mean you’re... you’re in trouble! He surely won’t let you go."

Again, a separation, and again, going against their family.

Ruan Mian smiled lightly, reassuringly said, "No need to worry."

"Exile is an Imperial Decree, it’s not that simple to just take someone away, is it? Besides, I’m not afraid of him. Mother, we’ll just go on our way!"

Nanny Fang rolled her eyes, quickly pulled Ruan Mian aside: "Miss Ruan, Mr. Qi is to become the Prince Consort, Princess Wan is Your Majesty’s favorite daughter. If she truly pulls some strings, wouldn’t we..."

"Nanny Fang, do you regret coming to me?"

Hearing Ruan Mian’s question, Nanny Fang quickly shook her head, not daring to say more.

Just then, Liu Family came over with a stern face, arrogantly stood in front of Ruan Mian.

She smiled warmly, changing her tone, as if she were as close as she was to the original host back at Qi Mansion.

"Mian’er, after all, we are family. Look, Linlin has been hungry for so long, and you have delicious food. Why not share some with us?"

"Don’t you know? Nanfeng will soon meet up with us. If he comes, the Princess must have arranged it, to take us back to the mansion. If you have any sense, surely you won’t refuse to share some food, right?"

As she spoke, she eyed the steamed bun in Ruan Qing’s hand and the meat pie beside Mrs. Zhang.

"The meat pies and jerky, give as much as you can. However, we have more than a dozen mouths to feed, giving too little won’t be enough."

Ruan Mian naturally understood her underlying meaning, smiled slightly.

"Want to eat? Buy it with silver! The post station sells hot buns, your son is here, surely he wouldn’t be short of that little bit of silver."

Upon hearing this, Liu Family’s face changed slightly.

"Don’t be ungrateful. Nanfeng has arranged everything and will take us away, while you... Do you want to stay on the road to exile with your family and wait to die?"

"If you’re sensible and give us some food, as your mother-in-law, I will definitely put in a good word for you with Nanfeng. For the past three years, you have indeed made some contributions. If you can leave with us, it’s not impossible to give you a concubine position... I..."

Liu Family didn’t finish her words as Ruan Mian acted as if she hadn’t heard anything, didn’t even glance at her, and walked away.

This left Liu Family furious, her face turned red!!

She then raised her voice, addressed to the Ruan Mansion people.

"Listen up, my son will soon come to take us back, if you’re smart, give us some food, and you might get some benefits! Otherwise, prepare to suffer!! My son is to become the Prince Consort!" Yet, despite this, no one paid attention, except for Mrs. Wang from Uncle’s Mansion who heard it.

She glanced at Ruan Jiao, her gaze darkened, and called her over: "You previously used Qi Lin to steal jerky, now their young master is returning, shouldn’t you hurry up and arrange things?"

Ruan Jiao clenched her palm, not daring to say more.

She reluctantly took a bun she bought at a high price and went to find Liu Family.

Meanwhile, the team set off.

The rainy and snowy roads were hard to walk on, before long, some melted snow seeped into the shoes, making everyone shiver from the cold!

Only those from the Ruan Mansion were well-fed, warmly rested, wearing thick-soled shoes, with their legs tied up in leaves and cloth, little cold water seeped in, and they moved briskly.

They travelled at the front of the procession, causing those behind to struggle to keep pace.

The families of Uncle’s Mansion and Qi Mansion trudged through the mud, cold and hungry, in utter misery!

"Why are they walking so fast?! The ones in front aren’t stopping, it’s exhausting!"

Then a whip came down, making them not dare to say another word.

The Liu Family, dragging their heavy bodies, looked at Ruan Mian’s group with envy: "When Nanfeng arrives, I will make sure they pay!"

Two hours later, a horse quickly galloped past the team, came to the government officer’s front, exchanged a few words.

Ruan Mian sensed something wrong immediately.

Ruan Qingsong also realized, whispered: "On that day in the Ministry of Justice prison, though the Princess didn’t rescue him immediately, after I was sent out, I heard from the officers that the Princess went to the Prime Minister’s mansion.

They do have a marriage contract, if the Princess intercedes, it’s possible the Qi family could indeed be pardoned.

Mian’er, if that’s the case, we must think of a way, we can’t let them bully you!"

Qi Lin was slapped by her, Liu Family was also angered because of this, their first target would certainly be Mian’er.

Actually, Ruan Mian couldn’t be sure of the plot development now, maybe Qi Nanfeng could indeed be saved by the Princess.

But so what?

Deal with it as it comes, she wasn’t afraid of any strangeness, what’s there to fear with that bastard Qi Nanfeng!

She was about to speak when the government officer ordered everyone to rest in place.

Liu Family took the chance again to approach Ruan Mian with "false kindness".

"Mian’er, Nanfeng is about to arrive, if you kneel and admit your mistakes, I will not hold it against you, after taking you back to the mansion, reward you with a concubine position to spare you from the exile hardship, how about it?"