After leaving Farewell Slope, the escorting constables urged everyone to speed up.
Because they had already delayed for half an hour, if they didn’t reach Fanyang Station by nightfall, they might have to spend the night out in the wilderness.
So keeping up the pace was essential.
They certainly didn’t want to slog all day only to arrive with nowhere to rest.
With this urgent march, even a slight lag would bring the whip cracking down. Not just children, even adults would struggle to endure.
After covering roughly half the day’s distance, the constables finally called a halt.
“Rest your legs. We’ll set out again in half an hour.”
It was now midday, and the constables were hungry—they needed time to eat—so the prisoners were permitted to rest.
Tang Qingluo’s legs ached, her feet throbbed painfully against the ground.
Her mood was already sour, and now her ears had to suffer too.
“Mother, it hurts! I don’t want to walk anymore! I want to go back!” cried the brat, Xie Wenhan.
Little Yunshi was busy coaxing him, while Old Yunshi’s whining added to the noise.
“My feet hurt so much, I probably won’t be able to walk later. What should I do?” Affectedly, Big Yunshi feigned distress.
At such an age, putting on this act was excruciatingly irritating—but Xie Lao truly enjoyed this display.
“Don’t worry, Yunniang, when we continue, I’ll carry you. Your feet won’t hurt then.” A perfect match—a willing partner and a willing complainer.
Tang Qingluo had grown sick of the day’s march and the incessant whining.
She quietly stepped away, finding a large tree to shield her, and sat down without caring whether the ground was dirty.
Quickly, she removed her shoes and socks to examine her feet.
As expected, she had blisters, some of them broken. No wonder walking had been so painful.
She had underestimated the hardships of exile. Half a day’s march had already turned her feet into this condition. Once the constables finished eating, they would push onward. Without treating her wounds, she simply wouldn’t be able to walk—and the whips would not spare her.
She couldn’t afford to hesitate over medicine.
Tang Qingluo silently communicated with the system, retrieving a bottle of hemostatic powder and a bottle of anti-inflammatory ointment from the temporary warehouse.
She applied a little of each to her soles. Within moments, the blisters were gone—the medicine worked perfectly.
She slipped her shoes and socks back on and remembered the two bundles the maid had given her.
One bundle contained a thick cotton coat, a simple linen outfit, and a leather water pouch.
The other held a few bottles of medicine—anti-diarrheal, remedies for bruises and sprains, pest repellents, and hemostatic powder—along with some food: buns, pastries, small dishes, and so on.
Not worth much in silver, but clearly prepared with care for Tang Qingluo.
No guessing required—these must have been prepared by the original owner’s mother, Madam Mo.
Now, within the Tang family, only Madam Mo still cared for the original owner.
Thinking of Madam Mo, Tang Qingluo felt a sudden pang of longing.
This maternal love was enviable.
Someday, when she had the chance to return, she vowed to repay Madam Mo’s kindness and filial devotion.
Just then, Xie Wanying called out.
“Sister-in-law! What are you doing here? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”
Tang Qingluo had been hiding, back against the tree. No wonder she hadn’t been noticed—if not for little Xie Wanying, she might still be searching.
“What’s the matter? Are you looking for me?” Tang Qingluo’s voice was low.
“Are you hurt? Your eyes are red! Did someone bully you? Who?” Xie Wanying glared at the Yunshi side.
“No one hurt me. I just rubbed my eyes because of the dust,” Tang Qingluo said casually. She couldn’t reveal the real reason—talking about her jealousy would sound insane.
Xie Wanying believed her and awkwardly offered a meat bun.
“Here, this is for you. My brother asked me to bring it. It’s a little cold, but still tasty.”
Tang Qingluo hesitated.
Xie Lanyi giving her a meat bun?
That was suspicious.
The man had always been cold and sharp-tongued; he wouldn’t just give her food out of kindness. Perhaps the bun was poisoned?
But Xie Wanying didn’t wait for a refusal—she shoved the bun into Tang Qingluo’s hand.
“Eat quickly! If you take too long, someone might snatch it.”
“Snatch it?” Could it be that brat Xie Wenhan had stolen food from the little girls again?
Xie Wanying shook her head and whispered:
“No, it was Xie Lao. When my brother was eating the meat bun, Xie Lao saw it and took it for that old witch, Big Yunshi. So my brother decided to give it away quickly to prevent Xie Lao from stealing it.”
Tang Qingluo suddenly understood why Xie Lanyi had shared a meat bun with her. Compared to Xie Lao, he was the lesser annoyance.
The original owner had done many unpleasant things, but Tang Qingluo had changed much. She had even saved his family’s lives and spent money to buy him a handcart. Giving her a meat bun was the least he could do.
Relaxed, Tang Qingluo took a bite. The meat bun was surprisingly tasty, and she quickly finished it.
Afterward, she went to thank Xie Lanyi. But just as she reached him, he requested:
“Qingluo, do you still have any medicine? If you do, can you give me a bottle of the anti-inflammatory powder?”
She had known it—there was no free lunch. The bun came at a cost: one bottle of medicine.
Looking at Tang Qingluo’s changing expression, Xie Lanyi couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“You know, the little tenth and eleventh girls have been walking so long. Their feet can barely take it.”
Ah! Heartstrings attacked.
Xie Lanyi was cunning. He knew Tang Qingluo cared most for those two girls. Seeing them suffer, he knew she couldn’t resist helping.
“All right, this is the last one. I have no more medicine,” Tang Qingluo said, handing over the bottle from her inner sleeve.
She didn’t even look—what she gave up was just a bottle of anti-inflammatory powder. If it ran out, she could always buy more.
Once the bottle was delivered, she turned and ran.
She didn’t want to see Xie Lanyi again. That irritating man, no matter how handsome, was no longer cute in her eyes.
Xie Lanyi watched her flee, pleased.
He held the bottle tightly, eyes glinting with curiosity.
It seemed his lady had secrets, and he intended to uncover them.