CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19: SUCH STRENGTH, SHE WAS KNOCKED DOWN TO THE GROUND

She took out pickled vegetables and began eating them with dry food.

In Uncle’s Mansion’s group, Lin smelled the scent of pickled vegetables in the air, and bawled incessantly.

"Mother! I want to eat it too! I want to eat it too!!!"

Mrs. Wang was so vexed by his fussing that she couldn’t console him, and could only fix her eyes on Ruan Jiao...

Not long after Ruan Mian and the others finished breakfast, the government officer called out for them to prepare to set off, and everyone hurried to pack up.

Ruan Mian had placed their luggage properly, but at this moment, she heard some commotion coming from the bushes ahead.

Ruan Jiao was kicked to the ground by a few people from Uncle’s Mansion, and an old woman cursed, "If you don’t get Lin some dry food, don’t bother coming back!"

At this moment, Ruan Qing happened to come over, and like Ruan Mian, she saw this scene.

Her delicate brow furrowed, and she clenched the bun tightly in her hand.

Ruan Mian pretended not to see and turned around to continue packing.

Unexpectedly, Ruan Qing, that girl, walked over to Ruan Jiao and reached out to help her up.

As she showed the bun, there was some awkwardness, but Ruan Qing didn’t think much about it, offering it to her.

"Third Sister, here you go."

After all, Ruan Jiao was a daughter of the Ruan Family; although her birth mother was just a concubine, and she usually lived in the annex with little interaction with Ruan Qing and the others.

Later, she married into Uncle’s Mansion as a concubine and never contacted the family again.

Yet Ruan Qing still called her Third Sister.

Now seeing her fallen and bullied, she couldn’t bear it.

Unexpectedly, Ruan Jiao stared at the bun and suddenly crushed it!

And violently threw it at Ruan Qing’s face!

"Third Sister!" Ruan Qing never expected her kindness to be trampled on by Ruan Jiao!

"Do you think I’m interested in your charity?! Ruan Qing, it’s just a bun, do you think you’re some high-born young lady? I’m a concubine of Uncle’s Mansion!"

She emphasized her status with wide eyes, showing disdain as she shoved Ruan Qing aside.

"And you, just a merchant’s daughter, should kneel when you see me! Even married, you can’t climb prestigious families like me! Look how your parents cherished you half a lifetime, yet you’re ending up at death’s door? Haha, truly a joke!"

She laughed aloud, her blood-red eyes seemingly ready to devour Ruan Qing.

Ruan Qing knew this Third Sister was always cold to her but had never seen her so manic.

Immediately, she frowned and yelled angrily, "I just wanted to help you, you ungrateful cur!"

"Besides, marrying into Uncle’s Mansion doesn’t change anything; we’re all prisoners now, what’s the difference."

Ruan Jiao swung her hand over in fury, but in the next moment, Ruan Qing was suddenly pulled behind Ruan Mian. Faster than Ruan Jiao, Ruan Mian struck her squarely across the face.

The force was so great it knocked her to the ground.

Right then, a wooden hairpin engraved with a peony rolled out from Ruan Jiao’s belt.

Ruan Mian’s eyebrows moved slightly as she picked it up.

Seeing this, Ruan Jiao panicked and scrambled over to snatch it back.

But Ruan Mian stepped back and coldly said, "Kneel! Apologize!"

It seemed that Ruan Jiao, like the original host, had some feelings for that cousin.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t treasure this item so much.

Ruan Jiao shivered with rage, glaring at her viciously: "This is a gift from my cousin, give it back to me!"

"I said kneel and apologize. If your attitude improves, I’ll give it to you."

Such a refined gentleman cousin, if he knew his Third Sister was acting so base, not recognizing her own family, he’d regret giving her this hairpin even in the afterlife.

Pitted against each other, Ruan Mian held little hope of pressing her, about to speak, when Ruan Jiao suddenly kneeled before Ruan Qing, gritting her teeth to say grudgingly, "I’m sorry, it was my fault, I shouldn’t have said that."

Even Ruan Qing was shocked, unsure how to respond, quickly seeking Ruan Mian for help.

This wooden hairpin was so important to her?

Ruan Mian recalled the cousin’s demeanor, deeply inhaled, and tossed the wooden hairpin into her hand, leading Ruan Qing away.

Not far away, Qi Nanfeng leaned against a tree trunk, intensely watching Ruan Mian, his lips inadvertently curving into a smile as he stared intently, Liu Family turned immediately with a dark glare.

"That little harlot was in our Qi Mansion for three years; I never realized she was such a formidable character!! We were all deceived by her before!"

Hearing this, Qi Nanfeng retracted his gaze and asked, "She was in the mansion for three years, and did none of you realize she was so formidable?"

The current her is like a wild horse untrainable, and a thorny rose.

If I had known she was so spirited, I might not have wandered outside for three years.

Liu Family noticed his odd expression increasingly, reminded, "Nanfeng! You mustn’t be bewitched by that vixen, we’re to eliminate her, destroy Ruan Mansion! Only then will we have better days!"

Qi Nanfeng snorted, glancing at Liu Family: "I know full well."

Seeing him like this, Liu Family felt stifled: "I gave birth to you, raised you! How dare you look at me that way?"

Qi Nanfeng was annoyed by her words, pushed her aside, shouting at nearby people to hurry and pack, they needed to hit the road.

After setting off, angry curses still intermittently emerged from Uncle’s Mansion’s group.

The government officer didn’t care, and other people didn’t say much as long as it didn’t delay the journey.

Ruan Qing gazed towards Uncle’s Mansion, her mood incredibly low.

"Second Sister, I always thought Ruan Jiao severed ties with the mansion after marrying because of Uncle’s Mansion’s strictness, and Mother told us not to trouble her. I never imagined she was such a person! I was clearly kind, yet she took it as donkey’s liver and lungs!"

"No, perhaps not even as good as donkey’s liver and lungs!" Ruan Mian comfortingly patted her shoulder, smiling as she spoke.

"Since she looks down on you, looks down on our family, we shall have no dealings with her! If she tries to bully you, fight back boldly, I, your Second Sister, will stand up for you!"

Ruan Qing was moved, tightly embracing her: "Wuwuwu, only you’re the best, Sister."

Nearby, Mrs. Zhang saw the sisters cherishing each other, her heart warmed.

Though enduring hardship, as long as family was safe together, nothing seemed bitter.

After noon, they returned to the main road.

In order to hurry, the government officer didn’t let them rest, only giving them hard, difficult-to-chew flatbread.

Luckily, the weather improved, warm sun breaking through clouds, melting rain and snow, making the journey less arduous.

Finally, at nightfall, they arrived at the post station.

Compared to the previous post station, this one appeared more prosperous, neighboring a city’s marketplace, lively despite the darkness.

But as prisoners, they couldn’t enter the city gate, directly sent to the most secluded courtyard of the post station.