Chapter 69: You Are Not In Exile You Are Clearly Traveling!
Chapter 69: Trouble
"Captain, the Chen family really ran away!"
Captain Sun's face turned very ugly when he heard this. "Immediately have Kuang Wei gather all the prisoners and count their numbers."
"You go with people to search the surroundings. It's nighttime now, and they're not familiar with the area. They won't get far."
"And you, hurry to the county town and ask the county magistrate for help."
"Captain, is it necessary to ask for help from the county government just because of the Chen family? This..."
"Stop talking nonsense. Do you think it's just the Chen family?" Captain Sun snorted but didn't explain further. "Move quickly. The consequences will be dire if it's too late."
Although the bailiffs didn't know what would happen, they could tell from Captain Sun's serious expression that trouble was brewing.
Soon, Kuang Wei and others woke up the sleeping prisoners with whips and drove them together.
Although the prisoners were resentful, they dared not act out and could only get up obediently and gather together.
Some prisoners seemed to be contemplating resistance with a flicker in their eyes, but ultimately held back.
"Hurry up! Do you want to die from dawdling?"
"Smack!"
"Haven't had dinner, huh? Do you want me to whip you a few times so you can eat your fill and have energy?"
"Why are you staring? I'll gouge your eyeballs out if you keep staring."
The bailiffs scolded and beat the prisoners, driving them all to gather in an open space, then slowly counted their numbers.
When Captain Sun walked over, they had already finished counting. "Captain, ten people are missing!"
"How could so many be missing?" Captain Sun became furious and kicked a bailiff down with one foot. "Are you all useless? So many people ran away at once!"
The bailiffs had no words to defend themselves. The captain had swaggered into the city with some men and left, and even Zhao Guang, Xu Tian, and others had left. Almost half of the bailiffs were missing from the exile team.
With just a dozen bailiffs, how could they keep an eye on hundreds of prisoners? Even if they patrolled constantly, there would be loopholes.
But they didn't dare to mention this, only enduring the scolding obediently.
"Keep an eye on them. Anyone who dares to run, break their legs first." Captain Sun said coldly, "Furthermore, if anyone can disclose the whereabouts of the escapees, I can guarantee you'll eat and drink your fill in the days to come..."
Captain Sun's voice was loud, and combined with the repeated warnings from other bailiffs, the entire exiled team heard it clearly.
Those who had been unaware suddenly realized what was happening, and some saw a glimmer of hope.
Ignoring them, Captain Sun turned and left. "Let's go, take me to the Chen family's place."
He wanted to confirm whether the Chen family had really run away.
...
"Miss, is this okay?"
After countless failures, Xiao Die finally succeeded in making a spicy oil filled with various peppers and spices.
Actually, Chen Xue didn't know if it was successful or not, but seeing Xiao Die's efforts for so long, she couldn't bear to discourage her.
"Well, it's alright. Once it cools down, it'll be a success."
"Xiao Die, you're amazing!"
Praised by Chen Xue, Xiao Die suddenly felt embarrassed and lowered her head. "It's all Miss's guidance. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do."
"I just gave a general idea. The hands-on work was all you, and figuring out the right amounts was all you..."
"Alright, stop complimenting each other." Madam Chen, covered in dirt, walked over, "Xiao Die, I've seen how hard you've been working these days. If it weren't for us dragging you down, you could have left the Chen family and become a free person."
"Madam..." Xiao Die suddenly knelt down, "Xiao Die grew up in the Chen Mansion since she was a child. Living and dying with the Chen Mansion is my own decision, not because of the Chen Mansion's troubles."
"Alright, don't kneel so easily." Chen Xue quickly helped Xiao Die up.
"Now that we're exiled, many rewards don't need to be fulfilled. In the future, as long as we have food to eat, we won't let you go hungry."
This statement was a true recognition of Xiao Die. Before, Chen Xue hadn't said anything about Xiao Die following them, neither opposing nor agreeing.
Now she was truly accepting Xiao Die and treating her as family.
"Take these two silvers. Although it's not much, you know the current situation."
Madam Chen took out a silver coin from her sleeve and handed it to Xiao Die. Xiao Die was pleasantly surprised. "Madam..."
"Just take it!" Chen Xue interrupted her and snatched the silver from her mother's hand, stuffing it into Xiao Die's hand.
"Save some money for yourself. You'll have money to buy whatever you want in the future!"
"Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Miss!"
Xiao Die bowed gratefully, deeply moved. Tears welled up in her eyes, clearly feeling that they regarded her as family.
"Cough cough cough!"
"Um, have you finished chatting?"
Chen Yuan, covered in dirt, walked over, wanting to complain. However, when the three women all looked at him at the same time, he instinctively swallowed his words and complaints along with his saliva.
"This field isn't finished yet. Let's finish it quickly so we can rest early."
"Why the rush!" Madam Chen said with a smile, but hearing this, Chen Yuan, afraid to complain, just swallowed his complaints along with his saliva.
"This field hasn't been fully tilled yet, but we'll be able to rest early once it's done."
"What's the hurry?" Although Madam Chen said this, she actually wanted to take a break. She hadn't farmed before, and if she worked so hard all of a sudden, she'd have a sore back.
If she didn't take a break, she felt like she would collapse in the field and not be able to get up, embarrassing herself in front of her daughter.
She had thin skin and didn't dare to complain when everyone else was working. Even though her daughter hadn't said she was tired and kept working, her mother was also working tirelessly.
So, when she saw her daughter and Xiao Die trying to shirk work, she came over. On one hand, she wanted to take a break, and on the other hand, she wanted to genuinely comfort Xiao Die and treat her as family.
Chen Xue also knew that her mother was very tired, but she hadn't said anything before, and both of them had been working tirelessly.
So, she naturally had to speak up for her mother. "That's right, Dad. It takes several days for the seedlings to grow out, and we also need fertilizer..."
This was her negligence; she had forgotten about fertilizer.
Comprehending this, Chen Yuan realized that farming wasn't as simple as he thought. Although he was curious why his daughter knew so much about farming, he didn't inquire.
Madam Chen also looked at her husband with the same expression. Worried, she wondered if they had led their daughter astray. They had hoped to raise their daughter as a young lady, not necessarily proficient in everything, but at least a little bit.
But now, it seemed like their daughter had deviated from that path. They hadn't seen her excel in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, but she seemed very proficient in farming, raising chickens, chopping wood, and cooking.
If this continued, could their daughter still find a good family to marry into?
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