“I am called Xiangliu. I am seventeen years old this year and a servant of the Ren family’s main branch. I originally worked in the main kitchen.”
“This old servant is called Li Cuihua. I am forty-nine this year. Everyone usually calls me Granny Li. I also work in the main kitchen of the main branch.”
Hearing this, a hint of mockery appeared on Ren Jingshu’s face.
She clearly remembered that when Ren Jingyan was being beaten earlier, these two had stood in the crowd watching the show, completely with no intention of helping.
“Go kneel over there for now.”
Ren Jingshu nodded and waved them aside.
She forcefully suppressed the urge to twist off their heads and averted her gaze.
The journey to Lingnan was still long, and no one knew what else might happen along the way. If she killed them all now, who would do the work?
“I am Lan Hua, fourteen years old, a servant of the second branch…”
“This old servant is Chen Pozi, forty-five years old, managing duties in the second branch…”
“I am…”
After they finished speaking, Wang Mama and Gui Xiang exchanged a glance and also knelt down, reporting their situations.
Though somewhat confused, seeing that the young miss was clearly in a bad mood, they did not dare ask further.
Ren Jingshu did not stop them and listened expressionlessly until they finished.
The servants were kneeling all over the ground. After counting carefully, there were five from the main branch and seven from the second branch. Including the unlucky Lüyì, that made eight.
“According to what this young lady thinks today, some of you could die a hundred times and it still would not relieve my hatred. But since I am naturally kind and merciful, I will spare your lives.”
The kneeling crowd couldn’t help twitching their mouths.
Naturally kind and merciful?
Whether separated or combined, those words made sense—but applied to the young miss, they truly could not understand them at all.
Still, hearing that their lives were spared, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At least their lives were saved; the rest would be dealt with later.
“However…”
Just as their hearts began to relax, they were once again lifted high. Their shoulders, which had just loosened, stiffened again.
Seeing their nervous expressions, Ren Jingshu couldn’t help but curl her lips slightly and said coldly:
“As the saying goes, death can be avoided, but punishment cannot be escaped. All of you have faults today, so each of you will slap the person next to you until your faces are swollen.”
She glanced at her younger sister beside her, whose eyes were already sparkling. Her face was still slightly swollen, with several scratch marks that were especially eye-catching.
Suppressing the murderous intent rising in her heart, she watched as the women immediately began slapping each other. In an instant, the sound of “pa pa pa” echoed continuously.
“Have you all not eaten? Are you waiting for this young lady to do it personally?”
Hearing her cold, emotionless voice, everyone shuddered and quickly used all their strength to slap the others hard.
The scene became even more chaotic.
Along with the crackling slaps, cries of pain rang out one after another.
Soon, some faces swelled up badly. Only after carefully reporting to Ren Jingshu and receiving her approval did they dare step aside.
After punishing them, she ordered that from now on they were only to properly serve her and Ren Jingyan, and waved them off to eat.
She then brought Ren Jingyan to the second branch’s mother and daughters.
There, their second aunt’s clothes were already soaked, dripping water continuously. Ren Yuzhu and Ren Zhenzhu stood on either side of her, crying as they wrung out her clothes.
Not far away stood Zhang Shitou and another man. Seeing the two sisters approach, they immediately knelt.
“This servant is Chen Quan, thirty-three years old, formerly an officer of Jingzhao Prefecture. I only got into this escort team through connections. From now on, I will obey the young miss and follow her lead.”
Chen Quan was the man who had retrieved the shackles. He now deeply regretted everything—he had gone through so much effort just to end up near death several times over.
Seeing their swollen faces, Ren Jingshu couldn’t help twitching her mouth, realizing they had also heard everything she said earlier.
She said nothing more and simply nodded for them to go eat.
“Elder sister, Mother is still your elder. Please let her go.”
Ren Yuzhu cried miserably.
But Ren Jingshu ignored her and lifted her chin slightly, watching her tear-streaked face.
“Oh my, look at that little face crying—so pitiful.”
“Big Sister,” Second Aunt Ren said hurriedly, her face pale and trembling. “I was mistaken this time. I was frightened by the exile and acted foolishly. Please, for the sake of family ties, spare me this once.”
She looked utterly disheveled, her hair dripping wet, her whole body cold and trembling.
The blood splatters from earlier still haunted her mind.
Those people had died terribly.
“You’re right.”
Ren Jingshu smiled and leaned closer, watching her evasive eyes.
“R-really?” Second Aunt Ren’s eyes widened in hope.
Before she could say more, Ren Jingshu suddenly chuckled.
“Pfft…”