Mother Su wept heartbrokenly, but Gu Mang could do nothing.
They were in the middle of nowhere, without even a village in sight—how could there possibly be a doctor to treat them?
“Why don’t you all drink some water first and see if it helps?”
Shang Yueli took out a water flask filled with Spirit Spring Water. Her expression showed no urgency to save anyone; instead, her eyes were filled with a desire to accumulate more virtue points.
One, two, three… a full four virtue points!
With no other options, Mother Su took the flask and tried giving them some water to drink.
“Cough, cough, cough—”
Su Moli choked after gulping down a large mouthful, her eyes welling up with tears.
She couldn’t understand why, even though everyone had eaten the same mushrooms, Shang Yueli and the others remained unaffected.
Su Er was still unconscious, but his condition had improved significantly—at least his muscles were no longer twitching.
Su San and Su Four had eaten less, so their symptoms were mild, only experiencing slight dizziness and nausea. Not long after drinking the Spirit Spring Water, they were lively and energetic again.
[Ding! A good deed a day, virtue +4. Remaining virtue points: 12.]
Yes!
Shang Yueli smiled contentedly. “Auntie, as long as everyone is alright now.”
“Yes, thank you, child.”
Mother Su wiped away her tears in relief.
She had almost lost four children in one go—thankfully, nothing serious had happened.
Once they had rested enough, the group continued their journey.
Along the way, Gu Mang repeatedly cracked his whip, urging them to move faster, as the situation was critical.
The original route was blocked by rocks, forcing them to take a detour.
However, the exile route was predetermined. If they failed to reach the relay station in Ye City in time to report to the authorities, they would be accused of collective rebellion and desertion—a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations!
After two more days and nights of wilderness survival in the mountains, they finally reached a village where they could rest briefly and replenish supplies.
“Brother, how much longer do we have to walk?”
Su Moli’s shoe soles were worn through, and the soles of her feet were covered in blisters.
Even military training in college hadn’t been this grueling. If they kept going, she feared she might die on the road.
Gu Mang finally breathed a sigh of relief as he studied the map. “After this village, we need to head east for another fifty li. If we move quickly, we should reach the relay station outside Ye City before dark tomorrow.”
Tomorrow?
That’s great news!
Shang Yueli could hardly wait to make some fragrant soap for bathing.
Although soapwort was available here, it was not only troublesome to use but also had an unpleasant smell.
After using it a few times, Shang Yueli always felt her skin dry and tight, far from refreshing!
That evening, they stayed in a woodshed a woodcutter used for storing firewood and bought some coarse rice from nearby villagers to make porridge, which they ate with pickled vegetables for dinner.
Shang Yueli sat on the makeshift communal bed, studying the fake medical book—which was actually a cookbook.
“Stir-fried dried tofu with pork, Mapo tofu… Which one should I make next? It’s so hard to choose.”
“Then choose me.”
“What?”
A pair of large hands rested on Shang Yueli’s waist, gently massaging her. It felt incredibly soothing.
Mu Yunsheng’s warm breath brushed against her ear, causing her to shiver involuntarily.
“What are you doing?”
Mu Yunsheng used his palms to gently knead the area connecting her waist and abdomen in circular motions, helping her relax her muscles and ease the tension.
Shang Yueli felt much more comfortable in her stomach.
Although drinking the Spirit Spring Water could make her body feel lighter and less fatigued during travel, the discomfort of pregnancy still lingered somewhat.
However, Mu Yunsheng’s massage had genuinely brought her considerable relief.
“How did you learn this?”
“I studied with the imperial physician in the palace before. If you feel unwell anywhere, remember to tell me promptly.”
Shang Yueli touched her noticeably larger belly and suddenly realized something. She quickly turned to ask Mu Yunsheng, “Have I gotten fat?!”
Covering her fuller face, her mood instantly plummeted.
Everyone said pregnancy leads to weight gain. Though she had been walking constantly, she couldn’t resist eating well!
Red date chicken, mushroom fish… she indulged in all the delicious dishes.
Mu Shicai’s past words echoed in Shang Yueli’s mind: “The fat daughter-in-law of the main household~”
Fat daughter-in-law…
Was she finally going to bid farewell to her peerless beauty and become a chubby little dumpling?
What an utter humiliation!
Mu Yunsheng was amused by her rapidly changing expressions, his body trembling slightly with suppressed laughter.
“You haven’t gained any weight at all. You’re just as beautiful as before,” he comforted her.
“Really? You’re not lying to me, are you?”
Shang Yueli’s eyes glinted with red light, as if lasers would shoot out and obliterate him should he tell a lie.
After a moment’s silence, Mu Yunsheng admitted honestly, “Just a little.”
“Only a tiny bit.”
Shang Yueli pressed her lips together in an awkward smile.
“It’s fine. Being heavier is better – I’ll hit harder when I fight!”
Next time she wouldn’t just dent the wall; she’d use her chubby little fists to smash it to pieces!
“If anyone needs hitting, I’ll do it. Why risk hurting your hands?”
“Alright then, time to sleep!”
Shang Yueli pulled the quilt over her head and immediately fell asleep.
Mu Yunsheng tucked the quilt under her chin before settling down to sleep himself.
In the middle of the night, Su Moli quietly got up.
Su Er jolted awake: “Little sister, what are you doing?”
“Second brother, let’s escape!”
“Have you gone mad? What if we get caught?”
Su Moli scoffed, “They don’t even have phones here. With those crude portraits, how could they possibly catch us!”
As they argued, the rest of the Su family woke up.
The family members exchanged glances while Su Moli hissed, “I can’t stand this life anymore! Stay if you want, but I’m leaving!”
Madam Su quickly grabbed her arm: “Moli, we can’t run. If caught, it would mean punishment extending to nine generations of our clan!”
Su Moli rolled her eyes.
“They didn’t even glance our way when we were in trouble, and you expect me to consider them? No way!”
“Mother, come with me. I’ll definitely make lots of money, then we’ll buy a big house and live in luxury every day!”
At this point, she no longer cherished hopes of being with Mu Yunsheng. What good would his glorious return to the capital in three years do?
Men were all unreliable – better to rely on herself to build wealth!
With her modern knowledge, becoming the richest person here would be effortless.
Then she could have as many men as she wanted without suffering three years of exile.
Though for business ventures, having more people would be better. Escaping alone wouldn’t be much use.
Su Moli looked at the other members of the Su family, her eyes resolute. “Will you come with me? I will definitely lead you to a better life!”
Su Si wavered slightly. After all, who would want to turn down wealth?
He also wanted to achieve something through his own efforts, but if he kept bearing the identity of a sinner, he would never accomplish anything!
“Alright, I’ll go with you!”