Ziling also felt a strange, indescribable awkwardness in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
Turning toward Gong Hao, she said calmly,
“Help Mother sit over there for a while. I’m going to speak with the officers and see if they’ll allow us to fetch some water. Your brother’s wounds need to be cleaned, otherwise they’ll easily become infected.”
Hearing this, Gong Hao immediately said,
“I’m a man. This kind of thing should naturally be handled by me. You stay here and take care of Mother, Big Brother, and Ying’er.”
Seeing his earnest expression, Ziling raised her hand and lightly knocked him on the head.
“You’re just a little brat yourself. Stop trying to act tough here. Stay put and don’t go anywhere.”
With that, she ignored Gong Hao’s protests and walked straight toward the officers.
Stopping before them, Ziling took a deep breath and tried to keep her tone calm.
“Sir, I’d like to go fetch some water. My husband’s injuries are severe. If his wounds aren’t cleaned in time, they’ll become infected. Please show some leniency.”
One of the officers merely glanced lazily at her and sneered dismissively.
“You people are prisoners now. What’s there to fuss about? So what if it gets infected?”
Ziling ignored him completely and instead looked directly at Zhang Meng.
“Sir, the Great General of the General Manor spent his life defending the nation and guarding the borders. Now he’s missing without a trace. My husband’s family has been framed, their achievements erased, while villains enjoy the peace and glory purchased with their lives—only to turn their blades against the General’s own family.”
She paused before continuing slowly:
“But who can say for certain? If the old general returns one day, perhaps our family’s innocence will be proven and we’ll be pardoned. When that happens, those who kicked us while we were down and helped evil men do their bidding… they may be the ones who suffer instead.”
Zhang Meng’s heart skipped a beat.
That was true.
The old general had fought wars outside the borders for years, and the young general himself had once been famed for his military prowess.
What if…?
If the General Manor were someday cleared of charges, people like them would be the first unlucky ones.
After a moment’s silence, Zhang Meng finally waved his hand.
“Go quickly and come back quickly. Don’t even think about running away.”
“Of course!” Ziling replied brightly. “I definitely won’t run.”
Naturally, Ziling had no intention of merely fetching water.
Her storage space contained everything she needed. She mainly wanted to avoid the crowd so she could secretly take out some food for the family and perhaps gather a few medicinal herbs. That way, when she treated Gong Mohan later, the herbs could help disguise where the medicine came from.
Finding a small patch of woods, Ziling slipped into her storage space.
She hadn’t drunk a single drop of water the entire day, and her lips had become dry and cracked. She quickly grabbed a bottle of mineral water and gulped it down, then devoured a cup of instant noodles ravenously.
Only then did she finally feel alive again.
As she considered what food she could reasonably bring out without attracting suspicion, she suddenly heard the sound of dripping water.
Drip. Drip.
Could there actually be pipes here?
Following the sound, she soon discovered an actual faucet.
“My goodness…”
But why was the water flow so weak? Had the water supply been cut off?
Curious, she scooped up a small handful and tasted it.
The water was unexpectedly sweet and refreshing, carrying a faint fragrance. Instantly, the exhaustion throughout her body eased considerably.
Could this be a spirit spring?
If it really was like those transmigration novels…
Wouldn’t it help Gong Mohan’s injuries too?
Excited, Ziling quickly found a container that at least looked somewhat appropriate for ancient times and filled it with some of the spring water, intending to secretly give it to Gong Mohan later that night.
She then gathered several steamed buns and some braised eggs. She wasn’t even sure whether braised eggs existed in ancient times, but the modern packaging absolutely couldn’t be shown. So she tore off all the wrappers and packed everything into a cloth bundle along with the buns.
Before leaving the woods, she also picked several wild herbs commonly used to stop bleeding.
As she walked back, she could already hear arguing from afar.
A group of prisoners had gathered to watch the commotion.
The voice arguing loudly belonged to her family’s soft little dumpling—Ying’er—who was currently quarreling with Gong Qingshan’s sickly son.
“My sister-in-law only went to fetch water! She’ll be back soon!”
“Hah! She’s been gone this long already. She definitely ran away!” sneered the weak-looking youth. “I’m going to report her to the officers and say the new Gong family bride escaped!”
The Old Madam and Gong Hao stood nearby, both visibly anxious.
Especially Gong Hao.
Just moments ago, he had begun thinking this sister-in-law was actually a good person. Could everything really have been fake? Why hadn’t she returned after being gone so long? If she truly abandoned them, then what would happen to the family?
In only a single day, Gong Hao had already developed a deep dependence on this new sister-in-law.
At that moment, a crisp voice rang out from nearby:
“Now who’s bullying our family’s child while I’m away?”
Everyone turned toward the sound.
There stood Ziling at the entrance.
The moment Ying’er heard her voice, she immediately ran over joyfully and hugged Ziling tightly.
“Sister-in-law! You came back! They said you abandoned us and ran away!”
Hearing Ziling’s voice, Gong Hao also jerked his head upward. Excitement flashed across his face, and even the tips of his ears turned slightly red.
As for Gong Mohan…
Although he hadn’t spoken or even raised his head the entire time, his alertly raised ears had betrayed his true feelings.
Clearly, he too had been silently paying attention to Ziling’s movements all along. Hearing her return seemed to make him quietly release a breath of relief.
Ziling noticed all of this and couldn’t help finding it amusing.
She had originally assumed this husband of hers was cold and distant, barely willing to speak to her. But now it seemed…
He actually cared about her quite a bit.
Seeing there was no more excitement to watch, the surrounding prisoners gradually dispersed and returned to their resting spots.
Ziling then took several braised eggs and steamed buns from her bundle and walked toward the officers, who were still drinking nearby.