“Wiping your body will make you feel more comfortable.”
As she spoke, the woman carried a wooden basin over.
The water had been refreshed—it was secretly taken from her space, clear and cool mountain spring water.
She approached and began to remove his clothes.
Her small, fair hands reached for him, and Ye Si Ming’s eyes widened with resistance, his face full of reluctance.
“I don’t need it. Let Little Jin do it instead!”
Mu Mianmian frowned. “If you don’t wash, you’ll smell bad. It’s unpleasant.”
She didn’t dare apply medicine from afar—she couldn’t get too close!
Ye Si Ming: “… Smelly…? She thinks I smell bad?”
The man finally fell silent, but his complexion was a mix of pale and green, looking both pained and angry.
Seeing that he was uncomfortable, Mu Mianmian didn’t argue.
She stepped forward, undid his belt, and efficiently removed his clothes.
Ye Si Ming tensed, not daring to move.
And the pants? The lower half had been torn during previous medical treatment, his legs encased in plaster—completely immobile.
“I… I’ll do it myself,” Ye Si Ming said, taking a deep breath, grabbing his waistband, terrified she might strip him entirely.
Was this woman completely ignorant of the difference between men and women? He almost shouted.
“Your pants are ripped. I’ll give you a new pair—comfortable to wear.”
That wasn’t the point.
His ears turned red as he couldn’t help blurting out, “How old are you?”
She looked so small—he knew nothing about her.
“Fifteen?” Mu Mianmian replied, puzzled at why he would ask. Fifteen? That was young—he shouldn’t understand yet.
Ye Si Ming froze, struggling. He didn’t know who to ask for help—asking his mother or sister would be awkward. After a moment’s thought, he said, “I’ll do it myself!”
“No time. We need to set off soon,” Mu Mianmian said calmly.
She wanted to finish quickly and rest.
Regardless of his protests, she reached out and started removing his clothes.
Only after doing so did she regret the exposure.
Seeing her staring intently at him, Ye Si Ming’s face went dark.
He couldn’t help being annoyed:
“Turn around!”
“Huh?”
Mu Mianmian realized she didn’t have any undergarments prepared. “Wait a moment.”
She retrieved a set of clothing from her space—his old, well-fitting clothes—and quickly dressed him completely.
The undergarments, however, remained unchanged.
He clutched them stubbornly, refusing to let go. Eventually, frustrated, he snapped:
“Mu Mianmian, don’t touch me!”
Fine.
There was nothing she could do; she didn’t push him.
“Alright. Do you feel any more comfortable now?”
Ye Si Ming felt like dying.
Wronged, betrayed, his legs broken, his family ruined—he hadn’t felt this miserable before.
But now… this was truly unbearable.
“Shut up!”
The man’s gaze was dark, filled with anger, and he turned away from her.
Mu Mianmian, however, remained calm, her expression serene as ever.
She had seen plenty of patients who lost their temper at the slightest provocation, and someone like him, once a man of glory, now crippled, naturally had emotions.
“Mm. I’ll rest a little. You should rest too.”
She was indeed tired and leaned against a tree stump.
Nearby, Meiniang, little Ah Jin, and Ye Si Yun couldn’t help but doze off.
Fortunately, it was nighttime, and no one saw the once-proud Ye King being stripped.
Otherwise… Ye Si Ming would have wished for death.
The woman fell asleep instantly, while he couldn’t. He turned his head to watch her peaceful face, growing even more confused.
An hour passed quickly. The soldiers arrived on schedule.
“Everyone, get up! Time to move!”
Even though it was the middle of the night—the time for deep sleep—they were roused.
Everyone looked weary and reluctant to walk, but the soldiers didn’t care.
The journey had to continue—too hot in the day, so they traveled at night.
The exiled group numbered over a hundred.
With the second and third branches now separated, they wouldn’t help carry Ye Si Ming or Ye Da Ye.
“Sister-in-law, what do we do now?!”Ye Si Yun panicked, on the verge of tears, desperate to plead with the second and third branch members.
Mu Mianmian remained unusually calm.“Don’t worry. I’ll find someone.”
“Commander Liu.”
Liu Tao raised an eyebrow, looking at the petite, soft-voiced girl.
He knew why she had come but asked anyway, deliberately.
“What is it?”
“I want to borrow one of your grain carts.”
He had expected her to beg for people to help, but she didn’t.
“You have an empty grain cart—may I borrow it? I’ll pay you when we reach the exile village.”
In the still night, her soft voice was alluring.
Liu Tao didn’t know what she was planning but, inexplicably, agreed.“The grain cart is yours to borrow. But I won’t give you anyone to push it, and the horses are out of the question.”
He had expected her to plead—but Mu Mianmian didn’t.
“Fine. I just need the cart.”
Liu Tao: “….”
“Boss, why did you give her the cart?” Some soldiers were confused, wondering if he had taken a fancy to her.
Now that the Ye King was in such a state, leaving a delicate, charming young lady unspoiled seemed a shame. If she had been desperate and came to him willingly… well, that was possible.
Originally, he hadn’t planned on lending her the cart. But… once he did, he realized it.
This woman was truly a dangerous beauty! Liu Tao cursed silently: Damn! I won’t be fooled again!
Mu Mianmian had already brought the grain cart over and loaded Ye Si Ming and Ye Da Ye onto it.
The cart was simple—two wheels, a flat wooden plank. Not very big, but enough to barely fit the two grown men.
“Sister-in-law, are we really pushing Big Brother and Father like this?”Ye Si Yun was on the verge of tears, never imagining her sister-in-law would have such an idea. With their slender arms and legs, how could they possibly move them?
“Mm. It’s fine. I can handle it alone.”
Mu Mianmian hung the pots and bowls on the sides and tapped the plank to make sure it was sturdy.
“Sister-in-law… are you sure you can pull it yourself?”Ye Si Yun stared in disbelief.
“Hahaha! She’s crazy, right? She thinks she can pull two useless men along the road?”Ye Si Lan and Ye Si Fei couldn’t help mocking her.
“Definitely crazy! How could anyone think of something like this?”
The other Shen and Zhou ladies were all snickering, waiting for Mu Mianmian to fail and beg them for help. Liu Tao quietly observed the spectacle.
Everyone stared at her. A delicate young girl, with slender arms and legs, beautiful and fair—how could she possibly move two grown men? Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Even Ye Si Yun and Ye Si Ming thought it couldn’t be done. Several times they tried to persuade her.
At most, a few soft words would have made her stop—if she failed, she’d only make herself suffer.
“Sister-in-law, please don’t do this. I’ll go beg Second Uncle and Third Uncle instead,” Ye Si Yun’s eyes welled with tears.
Meiniang held her little son, helpless, worried.“Mi… Mianmian…”