Chapter 160: You Are Not In Exile You Are Clearly Traveling!
Chapter 160: Means
When Zhang Yiquan returned to his wife's side, he saw his mother-in-law taking care of her, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mom, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. How is Wei'er?"
Zhang Yiquan's mother was lucky; she just fainted during the bandit attack and wasn't injured. When those people tried to take her grandson away, she happened to be fetching food, narrowly missing them. Otherwise, at her age, any knock or bump could have been fatal.
"What exactly happened? Why did they..."
Before his mother could finish, Zhang Yiquan interrupted, "Mom, it's fine now. It's over."
His mother opened her mouth but didn't ask more, turning her attention to her grandson instead.
Although Zhang Yiquan said it was over, he was still worried deep down. He knew those people wouldn't give up easily after not getting what they wanted. However, thanks to the Chen family and Xu Tian, they didn't dare to act openly. As long as he remained cautious...
---
"Stop staring! Don't hold up the line!" an impatient bailiff glared at Zhang Yiquan. The prisoners behind him also urged him to hurry.
"Move on after you get your food."
Zhang Yiquan looked extremely upset as he glanced at his bowl, which contained less than half a bowl of thin porridge with only a few visible grains of rice. He turned to look at the prisoner who had urged him earlier and saw that when he handed his bowl over, the bailiff scooped a full ladle of porridge into it. Although it was still mostly water, the bottom was covered with grains, a full bowl.
Seeing his own half-bowl of water, Zhang Yiquan felt a surge of anger. He didn't argue with the bailiffs because it was useless; they were clearly threatening him. Having done similar things himself before, he knew their tactics well. It wasn't just about shortchanging his food; there would be other means too.
Worried about his wife, he turned and left with the porridge. Just as he turned, a figure appeared, causing Zhang Yiquan to quickly step back. However, something tripped him, and he fell backward, losing his grip on the bowl, which flew out and shattered on the ground. The porridge spilled and vanished in an instant.
He silently stood up, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, blood dripping to the ground unnoticed. Seeing this, others instinctively distanced themselves from him, sensing something dangerous in his demeanor.
The saying "a barking dog seldom bites" held true. If Zhang Yiquan had cursed loudly, people would have laughed it off. But his unusual silence made even the bailiffs uneasy.
"What's there to be afraid of? He's just a stray dog that can't cause any trouble!" Kuang Wei reprimanded his men. They relaxed, realizing he was right.
When Zhang Yiquan returned to his wife's side empty-handed, his mother was surprised.
"Where's the food for today?"
Each family was allotted one bowl of porridge per person, meaning Zhang Yiquan could get four bowls. However, with only one bowl, he had to make multiple trips. He would let his wife and mother eat first before getting more for himself. Seeing him return empty-handed, his mother sensed something was wrong.
Faced with her questioning, Zhang Yiquan explained simply but truthfully. His mother was angry, "I'll go get the food. They won't dare spill mine. I'll make a scene if they do!"
Zhang Yiquan wanted to stop her but knew it was a good idea. Xu Tian wouldn't allow anyone to die in their group, and Kuang Wei's men wouldn't dare harm an elderly woman. However, he still worried about her getting hurt.
As he pondered, his mother had already taken something to fetch the food. He quickly followed, bringing his son along to ensure he at least got to eat.
When they arrived, they heard a commotion. His mother was sitting on the ground, crying hysterically, causing quite a scene.
"Someone's going to die!"
"There's no justice!"
At fifty or sixty years old, her behavior drew sympathy from onlookers, who felt she was being mistreated. Even Kuang Wei's men were affected, with some reporting the incident to him. Kuang Wei's face darkened upon hearing the news.
"To think a former Minister of Revenue's mother would act so shamelessly. Impressive!"
He remarked grudgingly, recognizing their tactic.
"What now?"
"Give them the porridge!"
Kuang Wei sneered, "Let's calm things down first. He won't be smug for long."
Soon, Zhang Yiquan's mother returned with the food, praising the Chen family for managing the group better than before. Under the previous leader, she wouldn't have dared cause trouble, fearing for her life. Now, things had changed.
Hearing his mother praise the Chen family made Zhang Yiquan uncomfortable, but he didn't argue. He handed the porridge to his mother, who refused, saying she wasn't hungry and offering him a hard bun instead. Zhang Yiquan insisted she drink the porridge, taking the bun for himself. He softened it with water and broke off a large piece for his wife.
Holding their son, Zhang Yiquan's wife became wary when Zhang Yiquan approached, but she eagerly took the bun and started eating.
"Cuire, eat slowly!"
Zhang Yiquan gently urged, offering the rest of his bun. Suddenly, their son cried out, clutching his stomach. Panicked, Zhang Yiquan realized the porridge must have been tampered with. He saw his mother also in pain, clutching her stomach on the ground.
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