"Ah?" Ruan Xiao Jiao’s face was full of astonishnt.
"Just leave? Who will look after you along the way? Surely you can’t rely on just a driver?" Ruan Xiao Jiao asked.
"You co with , it’s that woman from the Jin Family who gave up herself. This ti, such a good opportunity, she didn’t know how to grasp it. Instead, she went to pick up soone else’s earring and ended up getting tricked. The Imperial Examination is imminent; I can’t wait four or five days."
From start to finish, Mu Dade never believed Mrs. Jin had stolen soone else’s earring.
He only thought those two won were decoys, trying to cheat Mrs. Jin out of so money.
If that’s the case, it would be quite easy to handle. If he left, Mrs. Jin would soon be released since she had no money.
Ruan Xiao Jiao was secretly delighted; this scenario was exactly as she had imagined.
However, necessary hesitation still needed to be shown.
Ruan Xiao Jiao hoped the impression she left on Mu Dade was always that of simplicity and not causing trouble.
This ti was no exception.
"Brother Dade, it’s not possible. I’m the County Magistrate’s concubine; once I hold my docunts and leave the county, soone will report to the County Magistrate, and then it will be troubleso."
"It’s okay, you use Mrs. Jin’s pass, her docunt, aning all the way, you are Jinyin’er; no one will suspect, and when we return, we’ll handle things here."
"Then... alright! I’ll go to the Capital with you."
Mu Dade was truly ruthless; ever since deciding to let Ruan Xiao Jiao go to the Capital, he didn’t want to inquire about Mrs. Jin’s situation.
Even if Ruan Xiao Jiao wanted to visit Chief Liu again for Mrs. Jin, Mu Dade showed no concern.
He just asked Ruan Xiao Jiao to prepare more of what she needed, conveniently making this enormous lie sound better.
*
This trip to the Capital wouldn’t be completed in three or five months, or even half a year.
Ruan Xiao Jiao had already thought of a reason for the County Magistrate; a relative in her family passed away, and she needed to observe mourning.
By chance, her fourth aunt died two months ago, so if soone really investigates, it would be plausible.
After spending half a day, Ruan Xiao Jiao arranged the matters in the county and sent soone back ho to explain to her parents how to answer if soone inquires about her.
With everything handled, Ruan Xiao Jiao and Mu Dade left the city gates overnight to conceal their actions.
As for Mrs. Jin, due to Ruan Xiao Jiao’s special instruction, she was locked in a separate cell.
The cell was dirty, with eating and defecating done in the sa place.
It was dark and damp inside, with snakes, insects, and rats appearing in the corners; Mrs. Jin cried several tis out of fear.
Standing for several hours, Mrs. Jin couldn’t hold on any longer.
She shouted at the top of her lungs: "Wronged, I’m wronged... I really didn’t steal anything."
No one responded, so Mrs. Jin shouted again: "I’m willing to compensate, I’ll pay as long as you let out, whatever the amount..."
Still, no one paid attention.
Instead, female prisoners in the nearby cells, upon hearing Mrs. Jin’s desperate screams, all cursed Mrs. Jin furiously.
"You’re already in prison, why are you yelling? I’m telling you, this prison is a hell for won; once you’re in, don’t think about getting out," said the prisoner nearest to Mrs. Jin.
"Mind your own business; I don’t want to be like you, dirty and slly. I want to get out; I’m a scholar’s wife, I’m the future Champion Scholar’s wife. Co, soone!"
Mrs. Jin kept shouting, and finally, soone couldn’t bear it anymore. From the corner of the cell, they grabbed a large rat and threw it in Mrs. Jin’s direction.
Though blocked by the iron bars, the squeaking sound of the rat still scared Mrs. Jin.
She backed away repeatedly and accidentally touched sothing soft, then realized it was a snake.
"Ah, there’s a snake..."
Mrs. Jin was directly scared and fainted.
That night was the hardest night of Mrs. Jin’s life.
She felt sothing gnawing at her fingernails and sothing crawling into her clothes, making her itch all over.
The cell was both cold and hungry, compounded by the fact that Mrs. Jin had only had a sip of soup for lunch and was already starving.
The next day, sunlight ca in, and Mrs. Jin finally woke up.
She was almost lying in a nest of rats and cockroaches, with rats gnawing at her fingernails and cockroaches crawling by her feet.
With another scream, Mrs. Jin jumped around like she was dancing in the cell.
The previous desire to leave surged back.
She kept shouting and yelling.
Finally, she called for the constables, and she realized they had co to open the door for her.
"Brother... Brother, I admit my mistake, I’ll never dare again; the earring was stolen by , I... I’m willing to compensate, please let out."
Mrs. Jin was frightened beyond words, speaking incoherently.
The constables ca forward and, just like yesterday, escorted Mrs. Jin out of prison.
Then they threw Mrs. Jin on the street, saying nothing, and left her there.
Mrs. Jin was freed but not as happy as she expected.
She hurried to the restaurant where she ate yesterday, but it was already empty.
The man was gone, and Ruan Xiao Jiao was also nowhere to be seen.
Upon inquiry, no one knew where her husband had gone, and nothing was left for her.
Mrs. Jin wanted to rent a carriage to chase after Mu Dade, but she didn’t have a single coin; all the money was with Mu Dade.
Most importantly, without docunts and proof of residence, as Jinyin’er, she couldn’t go find her husband, nor could she return to Er Gui Village to confront Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu.
She couldn’t even leave the city gate.
She couldn’t go forward or backward, and only then did Mrs. Jin understand the aning of being worse than death.
...
Old Mu Family
One day after Mu Dade’s family left, everyone accepted the fact that the main house was no longer there.
Mu Xiangxiang took over the entire main house’s room alone, living a life of comfort beyond words.
Mrs. Lin also wanted to intervene, applying to Old Mrs. Mu to live in the main house’s room but was driven out by Old Mrs. Mu.
Those few kicks from Mrs. Jin made Old Mrs. Mu twist her back; she couldn’t get off the ground or move, truly supporting Mrs. Jin’s words of not going out for months.
Old Mrs. Mu hated Mrs. Jin, but with Mrs. Jin gone, she couldn’t get back at her, so she tornted the other daughters-in-law.
Mrs. Lin and Mrs. Liu lived lives worse than pigs and dogs, either being beaten or scolded every day.
Life was unbearable, to the point that later, neither daughter-in-law wanted to take care of Old Mrs. Mu, wash her, or help her.
If the older ones wouldn’t go, the burden naturally fell to Huang Bita.
That day, because Mu Dalang went to the neighboring village to buy three piglets on credit, Huang Bita went to visit for a while and was a bit late in serving Old Mrs. Mu, causing her to be caught and scolded.
The scolding wasn’t about anything else but having children.
"You married into the Old Mu Family for so ti, why is there still no news from your belly? Could it be like that little wench Mrs. Jin, a hen that can’t lay eggs?"
User Comments
0 comments from readers