Mu Wanting was too lazy to reason with them anymore. Only magic could defeat magic.
If they weren’t made to suffer a bit, how would they feel pain—and how would they realize they were wrong?
Second Madam Shen, Zhang Caiyun, was furious.
“We never said we were taking it. Taking without asking is stealing. Don’t force us to report you to the authorities.”
Mu Wanting’s smile turned slightly cold.
“So Second Aunt also knows that taking without asking is stealing. Then when you just ate the fish and meat I made, why didn’t you think that was stealing?”
“You didn’t ask, so I’ll charge you for the grilled fish. Ten fish—just give me one thousand taels of silver.”
Hearing this, First Madam Shen, Xu Wencui, also frowned and objected.
“You’re really asking for too much! Are a few fish really worth that much?”
Mu Wanting let out a cold laugh.
“Why wouldn’t they be worth it? Is there a grilled fish shop or restaurant in this place? A bowl of meat soup with a walnut-sized meatball already sells for twenty taels of silver. My ten fish—each one is worth fifty times that amount. I’m already charging you less.”
“That money pouch of yours can count as payment for the fish.”
Xu Wencui’s face turned extremely ugly.
“We haven’t split the family yet. What’s wrong with us eating a bit of your food?”
Mu Wanting still wore a smile, but it was a cold one no matter how you looked at it.
“First Aunt, Second Aunt, you also know we haven’t divided the family, right? If we haven’t split up, shouldn’t all meals be eaten together? The first and second branches have more or less received help from relatives, while our third branch only got a few sets of Murong Rong’s clothes.”
“If I didn’t know how to catch fish, our third branch would have starved to death long ago. Back when the third branch was prosperous, the first and second branches enjoyed plenty of benefits. Now that the third branch has been wrongfully exiled, you not only eat separately but also seize our only meal. Doesn’t that chill people’s hearts?”
After saying this, she looked toward Old Madam Shen, knowing she was the authority after Shen Xinglan fell.
“Right, Grandmother?”
Old Madam Shen hadn’t expected to be dragged into it, but since all the Shen family members were watching, she had no choice but to speak.
“The Shen family hasn’t divided. Eldest and second sons, you not sharing food with the third branch was indeed your fault. I thought you had already discussed it with them when you called me over…”
She didn’t want to continue, but Mu Wanting pressed on.
“Grandmother, you are the head of the family. Since we haven’t divided, how should meals be handled from now on? Starting tomorrow, we won’t be following this river route anymore.”
Madam Shen also wiped her tears.
“Mother… Xinglan used to be the most filial. Any good thing, he would always think of you first. He wasn’t bad to the first and second branches either. Now in this situation, if they don’t take care of us, we’ll only be left to die.”
The first and second branches’ faces darkened as they desperately signaled to Old Madam Shen.
Old Madam Shen closed her eyes.
“From now on, whatever the eldest and second branches eat, the third branch will eat as well. You will cover the food expenses.”
This was already the greatest compromise the usually mediating Old Madam Shen could make.
The first and second branches were somewhat unwilling, but the words of splitting the family that had reached their lips were forced back down.
The third branch might still rise again.
But the exile journey was long, and they didn’t have much silver—how could it last until the northwest?
They also couldn’t disobey Old Madam Shen.
Shen Lin’nong and Shen Lijun glared fiercely at Xu Wencui and Zhang Caiyun—blaming those two wasteful women!
Xu Wencui and Zhang Caiyun were also furious.
They had come to take advantage, so how did they end up being the ones who had to pay?
Mu Wanting said, “Alright. Our third branch is starving. Please provide each of us with two white flour buns and a bowl of meat soup.”
Zhang Caiyun frowned. “Mu Wanting, you’re going too far! There are so many people in your third branch. If everyone eats like this, we’ll spend hundreds of taels of silver!”
Mu Wanting shrugged.
“Then fine. If you don’t do it, don’t even think about getting your money pouch back.”
In the end, Zhang Caiyun and Xu Wencui could only grit their teeth and accept.
The people of the third branch ate a few bites of white flour buns and meat soup. It wasn’t as good as grilled fish, but far better than black flour cakes.
From that day on, Mu Wanting stopped actually cooking fish and only went into the water pretending to catch fish, drying them into fish jerky instead, while storing more supplies and gaining more free time.
Every night, she changed dressings and massaged Shen Xinglan.
The first and second branches were forced to feed the third branch three meals a day and suffered miserably.
Hundreds of taels of silver were spent like flowing water, and their once-full money pouches quickly went empty.
Eventually, the first and second branches could no longer bear it and started eating black flour cakes and vegetable balls with the third branch.
But the food often went sour in the heat, causing stomach pain, vomiting, and frequent trips to the latrine.
Their slow progress enraged the government escorts, who lashed them repeatedly with whips.
“Others can eat it fine—why are you so delicate!”
Xu Wencui was already weak and unsteady. Another whip made her collapse, but she still struggled to get up before the next strike.
Zhang Caiyun, meanwhile, cursed and ordered concubine-born sons and daughters to support her, managing not to fall.
When it came time to push Shen Xinglan, even though they were exhausted, they still had to do it. Otherwise, Mu Wanting would just stand with folded arms and watch, her cold, intimidating smile sending chills through them.
But the road was difficult, and they were already suffering from diarrhea. After only a short time pushing him, they were drenched in sweat and had to take turns.
In contrast, the third branch had hats, fans, and even cool breezes.
They were so jealous their eyes turned red, but they knew everything required payment.
At night, they couldn’t endure the black flour cakes and vegetable balls anymore and asked for white flour buns—but refused meat soup, as it was too expensive.
The third branch now drank medicinal broth prepared daily by Mu Wanting to regulate their bodies; black flour cakes were nothing to them.
If they could get white flour buns, even better.
The white flour buns for the third branch were collected by Shen Xingyi from the second branch and handed to Mu Wanting.
“Wanting, white flour buns.”
Mu Wanting smiled slightly and took them, giving one to Shen Xinglan.
Shen Xinglan was weak, mostly unconscious and inactive. Mu Wanting broke the bun into pieces and soaked it in a bowl of meat soup taken from her space.
Seeing the bowl of meat soup-soaked bun, Shen Xinglan felt deeply moved.
Meat soup was so expensive, yet she was willing to buy it for him.
He knew how hard it was for her to earn money.