CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 60: TODAY’S KINDNESS, IMPOSSIBLE TO REPAY

"Oh yes, aren’t you the kindest person?"

"You’d better persuade them, don’t really let them beat him to death."

Ruan Mian chuckled softly at this.

"When have I ever claimed to be the kindest? Don’t put me on a pedestal, I’m just a person with a black heart."

"This Li Mao has bullied his way to my house; I wish he would be beaten to death. Besides, why should I intervene? It’s already a miracle of Buddha that I don’t hit him over the head myself. Since you all are so warm-hearted, why don’t you try to dissuade them?" However, it was Mrs. Yao who was the most unfortunate.

Back when they were first exiled, it was rumored that Mrs. Yao had hidden some private property and managed to exchange it with the government officers for some food, giving some to the people in the Uncle’s Mansion.

She thought life would be better when her husband returned, never expecting that Li Mao would be so selfish and still have thoughts about other women.

Her situation was indeed similar to what the original owner suffered at the Qi Mansion.

In view of this, when they set off again, Ruan Mian secretly had Cui Zhu send her a bottle of medicine.

Mrs. Yao, dragging her injured body, moved slowly through the ice and snow, and was slightly surprised to see the medicine Cui Zhu brought.

"What’s this..."

"This was sent by my lady to Mrs. Yao."

In her moment of despair, Mrs. Yao never expected that the person sending her life-saving medicine would be someone she had no connection with.

Beaten by Li Mao to such a state, none of the concubines or servants who were usually friendly with her came to offer any condolences.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she whispered, "Thank your lady for me. I have no way to repay today’s kindness."

Seeing her pitiful state, Cui Zhu pulled out a warm bun she kept heated at her chest.

"I noticed you haven’t eaten anything all day; eat this to hold yourself over."

Facing Cui Zhu’s kindness, Mrs. Yao couldn’t hold back her tears any longer and started to cry silently.

After leaving, Cui Zhu happened to see Qi Nanfeng sneaking along the outskirts of the group.

She couldn’t help but steal another glance.

But there was nothing unusual to see, only that he was itching all over.

Once a gallant gentleman in the Capital City with some reputation, but now reduced to this.

Cui Zhu could only feel that he deserved it!

Cui Zhu rolled her eyes, immediately found Ruan Mian, and said, "Miss, I just saw Qi Nanfeng sneaking around outside the group."

Ruan Mian turned on her side, smiled, and said, "Ignore him."

"Miss, haven’t you said before that this scum might be up to something? Could it be he’s already in action?"

’Scum’ was a term Ruan Mian taught her, used henceforth to refer to Qi Nanfeng.

Of course, this wasn’t the only label; there were also terms like beast, pig, dog, and others, all equally unflattering.

"Since we’re not going to Jixian County, he’s probably getting impatient."

"Ah? Then how should we deal with it? We can’t let him harm us!"

Cui Zhu had seen how shameless his family could be.

Ruan Mian looked at the gray sky outside, beckoned Cui Zhu over, and whispered a few words.

...

The road through the forest was not easy to travel, and without realizing it, they slowed down.

Before the sky completely darkened, they found a spot sheltered from the wind to rest.

The government officers ordered the crowd to find something edible in the forest.

This left everyone feeling dejected; in this ice and snow, what was there to eat? There was dry food, but they were unwilling to share.

The government officers had bows and arrows, and they found several men to hunt rabbits and birds.

Seeing this, Shaoxi turned to Ruan Mian and said, "Miss, could we ask the officers for a bow? I know how to hunt. Maybe with some luck, I can catch something good."

"You know archery?"

Ruan Mian remembered there was an armory in her space, all looted from the Qi Mansion.

So, taking advantage of everyone’s inattention, she retrieved a bow from her space and handed it to Shaoxi.

Shaoxi, taking it, was somewhat surprised. "Miss, you actually have such a fine bow!"

"Looted, it doesn’t matter. Let’s go."

Ruan Mian was eager to see Shaoxi’s archery skills. In the original story, she specialized in scimitars and archery, nearly killing Xie Huai’an in close combat, but was always saved by one of Xie Huai’an’s skilled bodyguards.

When they entered the forest, Shaoxi’s archery indeed left everyone astounded!

Moreover, she had rich outdoor experience, accurately locating rabbit nests, and after digging through the snow, she’d fiddle around in the holes.

Soon enough, rabbits would hop out of other exits. If one’s archery wasn’t swift, they’d quickly vanish into the snowdrifts.

Qi Nanfeng, with his slow archery, was left disgruntled; he saw quite a few rabbits but couldn’t catch a single one!

He gritted his teeth, determined to catch at least one; he hadn’t had meat for days and was starving.

So he focused all his attention on one rabbit, not daring to breathe, drawing his bow for a decisive shot.

Unexpectedly, before his arrow could fly, the rabbit was accurately hit and fell dead!

Looking in the direction, he saw Ruan Mian smiling coldly at him.

She casually took the bow from Shaoxi and aimed at Qi Nanfeng.

Qi Nanfeng, upon seeing this, was terrified!

Without a word, he rolled away, cursing as he went!

"Ruan Mian, you’re inhuman!! I’m your husband, your husband! Do you want to murder me, to kill me?!" Qi Nanfeng gnashed his teeth and shouted for help: "Help, help! Lord, there’s going to be murder!!"

His voice was so loud that it dislodged some of the snow from the slope above. The government officer, seeing this, kicked him aside and warned him in a hushed tone.

"Stop shouting! Can’t you see the thick snow above? Be careful, or it’ll collapse and bury you alive!"

Qi Nanfeng immediately whispered, "Lord, Ruan Mian wants to kill me, she has a bow..."

Before he could finish, Ruan Mian appeared from the forest with three fat rabbits.

She handed one to the government officer and said with a smile, "Lord, this is for you all. Quickly deal with it while it’s still warm."

The government officer immediately beamed, giving a thumbs-up, "It has to be Miss Ruan."

Then he glared at Qi Nanfeng and kicked him again, "Behave!"

Qi Nanfeng looked at Ruan Mian with tension written all over his face, sensing her smile was like a blade, reminiscent of a ghostly figure, inducing fear.

In the past, when she was widowed in the Qi Mansion for three years, she was clearly meek, doing whatever was said.

Why, after being exiled, did she become so capable!!

On several occasions, she left them humiliated.

Look, only the Ruan Family managed to light a fire on the spot, savoring delicious rabbit meat, living in relative luxury on the journey.

But them, they couldn’t even catch a crumb! The rabbit he finally had his eyes on was captured by her right then and there.

He clenched his fist so tightly his molars almost cracked.

Just wait!! She won’t be smug for long.

The gorge ahead will be her grave.