Thwack!
The whip landed solidly on Su Qingyu’s body.
“Young Master Su, weren’t you highly skilled in martial arts? Weren’t you capable? Show me your capability now!
How dare you strike me with stones? I’ll whip you to death today, let’s see if you can still act tough!”
Thwack!
Another lash followed immediately.
Su Qingyu’s face turned ashen, his fists clenched tightly within the restraints.
Had he been free to move, a mere Du Qiang wouldn’t have been worth his attention.
But now, his neck and hands were locked in the cangue, with heavy shackles weighing down his feet.
He was utterly helpless.
All he could do was glare furiously at Du Qiang.
“Glaring! You still dare glare at me? I’ll gouge out your eyes right now!”
Du Qiang moved to attack Su Qingyu as he spoke.
“Stop!”
At that moment, Su Yanxi’s cold voice cut through. “Officer Du, your own injuries are quite severe—your clothes are soaked through with blood.
The angrier you get, the more you’ll bleed.
And in this weather, untreated wounds easily become infected.
Is it worth risking your life just to vent your anger on us exiled convicts?”
Only then did Du Qiang look down at his wounds, indeed seeing fresh blood saturating his garments, even dampening his trousers.
Panic instantly seized him.
He’d lost so much blood, yet he hadn’t felt any pain at all.
What was happening?
Was he dying?
After the initial panic, he quickly regained his senses.
His vicious gaze shifted to Su Yanxi, his coiled whip pointing at her. “You must have medicine! Hand it over!”
Su Yanxi didn’t hesitate, directly tossing a bottle of Golden Sore Medicine to him. “This is the last bottle. Use it sparingly, Officer—it should last until we reach the next town where you can find a physician.”
“Little sister, Second Brother isn’t afraid of him. Don’t give him…” Su Qingyu’s words trailed off as he watched the medicine bottle already in Du Qiang’s hand.
His heart ached unbearably.
He also felt somewhat worried. “Little sister, Father and Eldest Brother are both injured. Now that we’ve given our only medicine to him…”
“Heh, Su Qingyu, you fool! Don’t you adore your biological sister?
Do you really think she’d consider the Su Family’s interests and help you?”
Before Su Qingyu could finish, Shen Qingyan spoke with sarcastic mockery: “She never enjoyed the privileges of your Marquis Family, yet she has to suffer exile with you. She must hate you all deeply.
She deliberately gave the medicine to the officer—both to prevent Father and Eldest Brother from receiving treatment so they’d die, and to curry favor with the officer so she can live more comfortably herself.”
Su Qingyu’s hawk-like sharp gaze shot toward Shen Qingyan.
He didn’t want to waste words on Shen Qingyan, preferring to take action instead.
Su Qinghuai let out a cold laugh and said for her: “So what if my biological sister really has such thoughts? We are siblings, and even if she wants us brothers to give our lives, we would gladly do so. Ask your biological brother if he would be willing to do the same?”
“Oh, wait!”” Su Qinghuai’s tone suddenly shifted mid-sentence. “Your biological brothers would be willing too—after all, they’ve already given their lives for you!
If not for you, this jinx, returning to the Shen Family, they’d still be peacefully running their business. How would government silver have gone missing in their household? How would they have been exiled?”
As soon as Su Qinghuai spoke these words, the resentful gazes of the Shen Family all fell upon Shen Qingyan.
But before the Shen Family could begin to blame Shen Qingyan for anything…
Shen Hongxing spoke first, “Third Young Master Su, stop trying to sow discord.
Our family is united as one, your attempts are useless!”
Su Qinghuai let out a light, mocking laugh and said nothing more.
Su Yanxi cast a scrutinizing glance at Shen Hongxing.
Then, her gaze shifted to Shen Qingyan.
Shen Qingyan was indeed quite capable.
She had actually managed to make Shen Hongxing trust her.
After all, Shen Hongxing was a selfish and suspicious man; gaining his trust was no easy feat.
Moreover, before they had gone out today to search for water and food, Shen Hongxing’s attitude toward Shen Qingyan had not been like this.
She was quite curious about what had happened in the Shen family during their absence.
Su Yanxi’s eyes met Shen Qingyan’s.
Shen Qingyan lifted her chin arrogantly.
Su Yanxi curled the corners of her lips slightly.
Fool!
Did she really think that just because Shen Hongxing trusted her, he could create a bright future for her?
That coward Shen Hongxing, ha…
At that moment, the wild boar meat at the yamen runners’ side was ready.
Du Qiang actually gave the Shen family a piece of roasted meat weighing about three jin.
Su Yanxi frowned slightly.
It seemed she really needed to find out what had happened in the Shen family while they were away.
But…
She walked over to the yamen runners at that moment.
“Liu Bantou, you promised me earlier that if I gave you the medicine, you would give me a piece of meat. Does that still stand?”
“Pah! A bunch of exiled criminals like you still want to eat meat…” Du Qiang spat before Liu Bantou could speak.
“Du Qiang!”
Liu Bantou scolded him, “If you don’t want to live, give their medicine back!”
Liu Yuan was, after all, the Bantou.
Du Qiang didn’t dare argue with him and glared at Su Yanxi before shutting his mouth.
Liu Yuan drew his saber, casually cut off a piece of meat weighing about three jin, and tossed it to Su Yanxi. “I, the Bantou, keep my word. Take it!”
Su Yanxi took the raw meat and thanked him politely, “Thank you, Liu Bantou.”
When Su Yanxi brought the meat back to the Su family, Su Qingyu and Su Qinghuai had already gathered firewood and started a fire.
Little Su Yi was also bustling about, helping to collect firewood.
Lin Shi stayed by Su Houye and Su Qinghe’s side with Xuan’er and Rui’er.
Lin Shi had stopped crying these past two days, but Xuan’er and Rui’er, looking at their father lying beside their grandfather, wept as if their tears were broken strings, streaming down endlessly.
No matter how much they wiped their small hands, they couldn’t dry the tears.
Su Yanxi walked over and asked Lin Shi, “Mother, has Father or the little girl woken up during this time?”
Although Lin Shi wasn’t crying, her voice was choked with emotion.
“The little girl woke up once. She cried that she was hungry as soon as she woke up, but we had nothing to give her.
She was probably too hungry; she held on for a while before fainting again.
As for your father… he hasn’t woken up at all…”
Su Yanxi reached out and touched Su Houye’s forehead. He was still burning with a high fever.
But there wasn’t a single drop of sweat.
If this fever continued, it would surely lead to trouble.
Su Yanxi saw Lin Shi wiping the corners of her eyes again and knew her emotions were about to break.
Her body swayed slightly, as if she might faint at any moment.
Su Yanxi quickly slipped a piece of osmanthus cake into her hand.
She also gave a piece each to Xuan’er and Rui’er.
Fortunately, most of the Shen family’s business was in goods closely related to common people’s lives, such as grains, pastries, cloth, and cotton.
She stored all the goods from the Shen family pastry shop into her Space.
Although the pastries in her Space weren’t particularly luxurious varieties, there was a considerable quantity.
Xuan’er and Rui’er’s tears had also stopped.
The two young girls opened their watery eyes wide, looking somewhat frightened at Su Yanxi, “Auntie…”