What they saw was Cuizhu’s mouth and nose leaking black blood. Her skin had turned a dark purplish-black. It was obvious she had been dead for a long time.
“Self-inflicted misfortune cannot be survived. The poison was her own doing. Now that she’s poisoned herself to death, it can only be called karma……”
Madam Zhou was afraid her daughter would be traumatized, so she forced herself to comfort her.
The two discussed and decided to drag Cuizhu’s corpse to a corner and cover it with firewood.
After that, they continued searching through the house for things to pack.
Since there was such a large space available, anything that could be taken—would be taken.
Pots and bowls—taken.
Rice, flour, grains, oil—taken.
Tables, chairs, stools—taken.
Even the two old hens kept in the yard were taken by Qin Suining into the space.
“Let’s just put a basket over them for now. We can’t let such a good place get ruined.”
Madam Zhou cherished the hens and also felt protective of the beautiful paradise.
Qin Suining agreed and did as told.
“Mother, if that princess finds out we escaped, she’ll definitely send people to hunt us down……”
Her scummy father knew where her uncle lived, so he would not help keep it secret.
“What do you think we should do?”
Madam Zhou was also worried. She feared bringing disaster to her maternal family.
“Mother, I have an idea……”
Qin Suining’s eyes turned, and she leaned over to whisper a few words.
Madam Zhou’s eyes lit up immediately and she agreed wholeheartedly.
After a whirlwind of activity, they quickly stripped the house nearly bare.
Everything they could take was placed into the space.
The water vat that had been poisoned still had half a vat of water left. Madam Zhou simply picked up a hammer and smashed it.
Water spilled everywhere, quickly soaking into the dry earth.
Normally she would have felt heartache, but now, with the space available, she didn’t care anymore.
There was even a clear river inside the space, so water was no longer a concern.
She even went to drink from it—it was sweet and refreshing, far better than the outside water with its muddy taste.
By the time they finished, night had fallen.
Qin Suining knew that, according to the original plan, this was supposed to be the time of their death.
But now that they had survived, then someone else had to take their place.
For example—Cuizhu.
And Grandma Gui……
And others.
Qin Suining gritted her teeth, a fierce light in her eyes.
If people didn’t offend her, she wouldn’t offend them. But if someone wanted her life, she would return the favor.
For now, she couldn’t touch that princess in the capital—but she could start with her subordinate.
With that thought, she called Madam Zhou into the space again.
After an afternoon of testing, they discovered something important: only Qin Suining could freely control the space.
Madam Zhou could only enter or take items with Qin Suining’s help.
Thinking it was because she hadn’t dropped blood onto the peach blossom hairpin, Qin Suining even tried to let her do it as well.
“No need, no need. As long as you can enter, that’s enough. If I need to go in, you just bring me in.”
Madam Zhou shook her head firmly, refusing.
She only had this one daughter. All good things should belong to her.
Since she refused, Qin Suining dropped the matter.
Later, after reading the floating text, she learned the truth—the space had already been bound to her alone. It could not bind to a second person.
Even if Madam Zhou had tried, it would have made no difference.
But Qin Suining did not tell her this.
Inside the space, there were three wooden houses. They chose the largest one in the center.
Furniture and bedding were already inside. They brought in their own blankets and quickly set up a home.
There was even a well in the courtyard.
Not bad—this meant they no longer needed to fetch water outside.
Qin Suining happily drew a bucket of water.
The space was not as hot as outside. They cooked and ate at the stone table in the courtyard, and the food somehow tasted especially fresh and sweet.
Everything had been brought from outside, yet it tasted completely different.
They only thought it was because of the new environment.
After eating a full meal, they suddenly felt sharp pain in their stomachs.
Thinking of the subtitles earlier—they were originally supposed to die from poison.
Could it be that after all this effort, they were still going to die in the end?
The mother and daughter exchanged a look, both feeling as if they had fallen into an ice cave.
Soon, a sticky, oily black liquid began seeping from their skin.
Qin Suining looked at her arm—and froze.
This looked… familiar.
She thought of Cuizhu, and her body began to tremble.
“Quick… daughter, I can’t hold on. Take me out first……”
Madam Zhou clutched her stomach in pain.
So even this paradise… was still where they were supposed to die?
Qin Suining helped her mother out of the space.
What followed was chaos—they kept rushing to the latrine back and forth, unable to stop.
After several rounds, the pain finally eased.
Both of them felt weak and exhausted.
“Mother… are you better?”
Night had fully fallen. Everything was dark.
Madam Zhou held her hand and said weakly, “I’m fine… I actually feel lighter. Like something was released from my chest.”
At that moment, they both felt something strange on their skin—sticky, greasy, like a layer of pork fat.
Creaaaak…
In the dead of night, the sound of a door opening suddenly came from the courtyard outside.
That sound—they knew it too well.
It was the old wooden gate opening.