Most of the officials conducting the confiscation had some background connections. Miserable tasks like escorting prisoners naturally fell to those without money or backing, like Big Beard.
Although there were many exiled convicts, he quickly finished counting them.
Thus, everyone lined up and reluctantly began moving outward.
Though they had become exiled convicts, these people hadn't fully adapted to their changed status yet.
Even dressed in coarse linen clothing, they still saw themselves in their bones as lofty aristocratic young masters and ladies, looking down on these low-ranking officials.
A young man talked back and was fiercely whipped several times by the ferocious Big Beard.
The excruciating pain immediately turned him into a cowering quail, not daring to speak again.
They looked down on the officials, and similarly, in the eyes of these officials, they were little different from pigs and dogs.
If they slowed down even slightly, they would be mercilessly whipped until their skin split open.
Amid the sharp crack of whips and desperate cries, this group of ragged exiled convicts finally passed through the city gate.
From then on, the prosperity of the capital had nothing more to do with them.
After leaving the capital, everyone realized that the previous stretch of road was nothing.
At least the capital's roads were flat, but the roads outside the city were muddy and extremely difficult to traverse.
One step forward, and their shoes would be left behind in the filthy mud.
Shen Wan, pushing the cart, naturally had an even harder time.
Zhou Yiniang had originally hoped that Xiangyang Hou might help them a little, but now that hope had vanished.
Seeing the ugly girl struggling to push the cart, she dropped her pretense and said coldly, "Young Madam, we should stop traveling together."
"Your sisters-in-law are all widows. It wouldn't sound good if word got out that they're too close to their brother-in-law."
Freed from the burden of this sickly person, Zhou Yiniang felt the journey should be much easier.
Sun Shi, who was eager to see Shen Wan embarrassed, naturally agreed wholeheartedly with this suggestion.
The eldest sister-in-law Zhao Shi and the second sister-in-law Qian Shi—one shrewd, one honest—would never speak up in such situations.
But the fourth sister-in-law, Li Shi, asked worriedly, "But can she manage alone?"
Sun Shi glanced at her sideways and sneered sarcastically, "Are you so concerned about Fifth Brother? Could it be you've developed feelings for him?"
Li Shi's face turned pale with anger at these words.
"Don't worry, I don't care to travel with you either," Shen Wan said, glancing sideways at Sun Shi with a contemptuous smile. "As the saying goes, 'He who touches pitch shall be defiled.'"
"If I stay with people like you too long, what if it taints my pure soul!"
Hearing someone speak, Big Beard raised his whip and viciously lashed at Shen Wan: "Shut up!"
"If you delay the journey, I'll whip you to death!"
Shen Wan didn't resist. She just quickened her pace.
Thus, the cold whip landed on Sun Shi, who had been gloating.
The pain brought tears to Sun Shi's eyes.
That hateful ugly girl—she must have done it on purpose!
The sky remained overcast and stiflingly hot.
Xie Mubai lay in the cart, coldly watching the sweat-drenched face before him.
He had thought the ugly girl would be upset after cutting ties with her family, but after watching for a long time, he saw no trace of sorrow on her face.
Could it be that Xiangyang Hou hadn't treated her well, so she felt no attachment?
He didn't like this ugly girl, but her various actions today made him view her in a new light.
Her wit and courage were something those delicate young ladies in the capital could never possess.
Before long, these prisoners who had been raised in comfort since childhood began to struggle.
If not for the fear of the officials' whips, they wouldn't take another step.
Finally, when the noon break arrived, everyone sat down without caring whether the ground was clean.
Already dressed in tattered clothes, now covered in mud stains, they looked more and more like a group of refugees fleeing famine.
Although the road was difficult, Shen Wan had good stamina. Moreover, the original owner had practiced martial arts since childhood, giving her excellent physical fitness.
After traveling for so long, although she was somewhat tired, she wasn't as exhausted as others who had turned into limp rags.
"Hurry up and get your food! If you're late, there won't be any!" At that moment, Big Beard came over carrying a ragged cloth bag, shouting impatiently.
From the confiscation of their homes until now, everyone hadn't eaten a single grain of rice and were already starving.
Hearing there was food, they immediately perked up.
Big Beard pulled out fist-sized Wo Wo Tou from the dirty bag and distributed them to everyone one by one.
"How can anyone eat this!" Looking at the hard Wo Wo Tou, Xie Murong immediately lost her appetite. "Even the dogs in our mansion ate better than this!"
Hearing this, Big Beard sneered contemptuously. "Please, you're no longer the young lady of a noble house. Just make do with whatever food you get!"
"If you want better food, you can buy it! I have delicious white flour pancakes here, ten coins each!"
Hah, ten coins! These officials might as well be openly robbing them!
The pancakes that cost one coin each in the capital had multiplied in price here.
Although they thought it was expensive, several prisoners who had some money still came forward to buy them.
Xie Murong had no money.
Watching others buy pancakes with money, tears began streaming down her face.
Shen Wan parked the cart by the roadside. After washing her hands with rainwater from the ditch, she handed the Wo Wo Tou to Xie Mubai.
Xie Mubai didn't take it, not even sparing her a glance from the corner of his eye.
Seeing this, Shen Wan couldn't help but sneer. "Who are you sulking with?"
"If it's because of me, there's no need."
"I know you like Shen Yan and look down on an ugly woman like me."
"In that case, let's just divorce. From now on, we'll go our separate ways and each find our own happiness!"
Hearing the word "divorce," Xie Mubai finally reacted.
So all her efforts to please him were for this!
"Hah!" He lifted his eyelids and let out a sinister sneer. "Shen Wan, since you went through such pains to marry me, how could I disappoint your good intentions?"
"Actually, I'm quite glad it was you who married over. This way, Yan'er doesn't have to suffer in that barbaric land!"
Shen Wan couldn't help but feel exasperated.
This villain was truly devoted to his white moonlight. What a pity—the female lead only had eyes for the male lead, the child of destiny, and didn't care about his infatuation at all.
"Suit yourself." She shrugged, smiling insincerely. "But it's useless even if you don't divorce. I'll definitely regain my freedom soon."
Xie Mubai was somewhat confused.
Shen Wan deliberately provoked him: "You still don't understand?"
"If you don't eat or drink, you'll eventually starve to death."
"By then, even if you want to drag this out with me for a lifetime, you won't have the chance!"
Hearing this, Xie Mubai's face darkened.
He snatched the Wo Wo Tou and took a defiant bite.
The Wo Wo Tou was poorly made—dry and hard, making his teeth ache with each chew.
Sun Shi was suffering from severe stomach pain and hadn’t gone to collect her Wo Wo Tou. Instead, she had retreated behind a large boulder and spent a long while groaning in discomfort.
“She’s been gone so long—could that woman have run off?” A scar-faced officer glanced toward Big Beard. “Boss, should we go check?”
His voice was loud, startling Sun Shi into hastily pulling up her clothes and rushing out.
After washing her hands by the roadside, she took a pearl from her bosom and exchanged it with fellow prisoners for some money.
With the money, she bought several large baked cakes from the officers.
As she ate, she deliberately shot a glance toward Shen Wan. “These cakes are quite tasty—almost as good as the ones made by the chefs back at the mansion.”
“Where did she get that pearl?” Xie Murong didn’t believe the cakes could possibly rival those from the mansion, but she was quite surprised by the pearl Sun Shi had suddenly produced.
Before their exile, Jin Po had clearly searched every one of them thoroughly!