The main body of refugees had already come to a stop, currently resting in an open area.
Ye Shi huddled in a small corner of the space the Ruan family had claimed, clutching the unconscious Ruan Yu in her arms, her face unable to hide her panic.
Ruan Changan and Ruan Changsheng leaned against Ye Shi on either side, their small hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes.
"Yu'er, my Yu'er, you're finally awake!"
Seeing Ruan Yu open her eyes, Ye Shi hugged her even tighter in her excitement.
Ruan Yu was not at all accustomed to this kind of intimate contact. Ye Shi's embrace made her extremely uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but push herself out of Ye Shi's arms.
The two little munchkins, seeing Ruan Yu awake, began to wail loudly, tears streaming down like broken pearls.
"Don't be afraid, Yu'er. They're all bad people. Yu'er killed them to protect Mama and your little brother and sister. What Yu'er did was right. Don't be scared, don't be scared…"
Ye Shi thought Ruan Yu was frightened, so she comforted her gently.
In her eyes, her daughter was still that simple-minded little fool. After such a big incident today, her daughter must be terribly afraid.
Ruan Yu reminded her coldly, "I'm not your daughter."
But Ye Shi's face remained gentle. "Of course you're Mama's daughter. I know you're afraid of dragging us down, but don't worry, Yu'er. No matter what happens, Mama will face it together with you."
The panic on Ye Shi's face had somehow already disappeared, replaced by a gentle firmness on her gaunt, sallow face.
Ruan Yu felt the warmth transmitted through her palm and her eyes flickered.
From Ruan Yu'er's memories, she could see that this body's mother had always been weak and timid. She never expected her to be so resolute today.
The original owner's father was spineless and cowardly. Old Master Ruan and Old Mrs. Ruan were biased and mean-spirited. For so many years, the original owner's branch—the eldest house—had worked like beasts of burden for the Ruan family, yet had been subjected to endless torment.
The journey of fleeing famine was difficult to begin with. All the food was controlled by Old Mrs. Ruan, and the eldest house never had a single day without an empty stomach.
The two little ones were so starved they were nothing but skin and bones. If Ruan Yu hadn't been so weak from hunger, she wouldn't have been knocked over and killed so easily by a single push.
The road ahead on this escape would be fraught with danger.
Years of natural disasters, coupled with the Dong Rong and Nan Man barbarians wreaking havoc in the world—Shang Guo was now beset by internal strife and external threats, with wars breaking out constantly.
The things in Ruan Yu's Space could keep her, Ye Shi, and the children well-fed and clothed for a long time. However, her things would not go to benefit those blood-sucking parasites in the Ruan family!
So her first step in this chaotic world was to completely sever ties with the Ruan family, taking Ye Shi and the two little ones with her!
"Jinx! That girl is a jinx!"
Before Ruan Yu could even make a move, it was the Ruan family members who started making a fuss upon seeing her awake.
Old Master Ruan had been scared earlier, and since Ruan Yu had fainted and everyone was in a hurry to leave that place of trouble, he hadn't been able to vent. Now that he'd recovered his composure, he pointed at Ruan Yu and began cursing loudly.
"Eldest boy, look at the fine daughter you've raised! She dares to hit her own grandmother and aunt! Our family doesn't want a scourge like her! Get out! Get out of the Ruan family!"
But when Old Master Ruan met Ruan Yu's icy gaze, he couldn't help but shudder.
"Father, please don't be like this…"
Ruan Dalang tried to speak up timidly.
But Old Master Ruan cut him off before he could finish. "Eldest, you're still speaking up for that jinx? Fine, if that's the case, then you can get out of the Ruan family together with that jinx! I don't want a disobedient son like you!"
"Father, you can't abandon me!"
Ruan Dalang panicked immediately. He threw himself forward to hug Old Master Ruan, begging him not to cast him out while also putting on a stern face to scold his daughter.
"Yu'er, what are you standing there for? Hurry up and apologize to your grandfather and grandmother!"
"What fault does Yu'er have? Yu'er did nothing wrong!"
Before Ruan Yu could speak, Ye Shi stepped in front of her protectively, shielding her like a mother hen.
"Fine, rebellion! This is outright rebellion! You disrespectful woman!" Old Master Ruan was so angry his hands began to tremble. He pointed at Ruan Dalang and commanded, "Eldest, divorce this woman right now! The Ruan family will never keep something so disobedient and unfilial!"
"Father, no!" Ruan Dalang grew even more frantic. "Wan Niang didn't mean it that way. Wan Niang, kneel down quickly and explain to Father!"
Ye Shi looked at her husband, who was kneeling on the ground with a fearful expression, weak and spineless, only asking her and her daughter to apologize. Her heart turned completely cold.
In the past, she had only thought Ruan Dalang was honest and simple. So even though their eldest house was tormented day after day, she never took it to heart, thinking they could just endure it and move on, unwilling to see him put in a difficult position.
But on this journey of escape, not only did their eldest house go hungry every day, they also had to constantly endure the mistreatment from the second and third houses. Her three children were often beaten by Cui'er and the others until they were covered in bruises.
Now the Ruan family had even sold Yu'er without her consent, just to exchange for a little bit of food rations.
Ye Shi was filled with rage.
But what truly disappointed her was the children's father.
"I won't kneel! I did nothing wrong! Husband, they've never treated the four of us like human beings anyway. So what if we leave the Ruan family? After all these years, I've had enough!"
A mother's love makes her strong.
Today's events had finally made Ye Shi see reality clearly.
Where there was one time, there would be a second. If she cowered and bowed her head again today, allowing the Ruan family to sell off her child at will, then in the future their branch of the family would be trampled upon by the Ruans, treated worse than slaves!
"How dare you!" Old Man Ruan scowled, parroting Ruan the Eldest's words without missing a beat. "DaLang, you heard what she said, didn't you? A vile woman who defies proper wifely conduct like this—my Ruan family has no use for her! Divorce her, or you can get out along with them!"
"Father, please don't!" Ruan the Eldest threw himself at Old Man Ruan's feet, clutching his leg with a face full of tears.
"Then you can get out with them too!" Old Man Ruan kicked Ruan the Eldest in irritation, continuing his threat. "Do you want your parents, or do you want them? Choose for yourself!"
"Big brother, what are you still hesitating about?" Ruan the Second stepped forward. "A bastard of unknown origins, two sickly invalids, and a shameless woman who defies propriety! How can they compare to our parents?"
"Second brother!"
Ruan the Eldest looked at Ruan the Second in shock and uncertainty.
Bastard?
Ruan Yu narrowed her eyes.
"Is there something wrong with what I said?" Ruan the Second exploded at Ruan the Eldest's reaction. "She's a bastard, of unknown origins. Everyone knows you picked her up from the wilderness all those years ago! My Ruan family has raised this mongrel for so many years, and yet she repays kindness with enmity. A jinx like her—my Ruan family wants no part of it!"
"Yu'er is not! Yu'er is my daughter!"
"Sister is not a bastard! You're a bad person—don't you dare speak ill of my sister!"
Ruan Changsheng charged forward like an enraged young bull and sank his teeth into Ruan the Second's hand!
Ruan the Second yelped in pain, and in a fury of humiliation, slapped Ruan Changsheng across the face!
"You little brat, you dare bite me?"
"Changsheng!" Ye Shi cried out in alarm.
It all happened too fast—Ruan Yu had no chance to stop it.
Seeing Ruan the Second raise his foot to kick Ruan Changsheng, she quietly produced a stone and hurled it straight at his face.