Chapter 15: Trading Her Body for Food

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Li Rong wore a beaming smile, her voice dripping with seduction as she called out, “Brother Zhang!”

The sound raised gooseflesh all over anyone who heard it. Zhang Xiang merely glanced at her before continuing with his meal.

Li Rong was not particularly beautiful. She had only come to the capital in recent years, and no matter how much gold and silver she wore, she could not shake off the vulgar air about her. When she had been betrothed before, most people had agreed to it out of consideration for the Gu family and Li Yuan—especially since he was only a concubine-born son.

The legitimate sons of respectable families would never have looked twice at her.

Though Zhang Xiang was merely a constable, if he had not gone without a woman for the past six months, he might not even have spared Li Rong a proper glance.

As for beauty, there was no need to mention the Gu family’s daughters. But Zhang Xiang did not dare provoke anyone from the Gu family. Among the vulgar women of the Li family, only Li Yuan’s concubine was truly irresistible. Though she was pregnant, that only lent her an even more alluring charm.

When women were sentenced to exile, such things were difficult to avoid. Zhang Xiang had originally not intended to make a move immediately after leaving the capital, but Li Rong had willingly delivered herself to him.

Before long, the two of them slipped into a small grove, where everyone could see them.

Li Yuan called out several times, but Li Rong did not even turn her head.

“What a disgrace! What a terrible disgrace!” Old Madam Li cried, stretching her neck as though deliberately making sure everyone could hear. She was afraid that the Gu family would be disgusted by their conduct, yet the Gu family members remained unmoved even after witnessing it.

Besides, Li Rong had brought this upon herself.

“This… shouldn’t brother-in-law do something? This… what sort of behavior is this?” Gu Mingyu said helplessly.

Zhang Yi pursed her lips. She was refined and dignified and disliked gossiping. Li Mumu thought her eldest aunt had the air of a private tutor.

Song Qiang, however, was blunt and outspoken. “Big brother, from what I can see, brother-in-law has eyes only for that woman. I’m not trying to meddle, but sister, you really need to be careful.”

Gu Mingtang glared at his wife. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Song Qiang gave a cold laugh. “I’m not talking nonsense. I’m worried about my sister. Can’t you see that? She’s right here, yet has her husband shown the slightest concern for her? Instead, he keeps fussing over that woman. Anyone who didn’t know better would think she was his wife.”

Li Mumu nearly gave her second aunt a thumbs-up. Everything she had said was exactly right.

Zhang Yi sighed as well. She seemed about to say something, but after glancing at Gu Yuru, she held her tongue, apparently afraid of upsetting her.

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Gu Yuru forced a smile. She had never imagined that Li Yuan could be so shameless.

After a while, Li Rong returned with even more food in her hands. She began eating ravenously, paying no attention whatsoever to the people staring at her with desperate longing.

Madam Zhao opened and closed her mouth. “Rongrong, what about ours?”

“Yours? What about yours?” Li Rong stuffed the food into her mouth as though afraid someone might snatch it away. “If you want to eat, go over there and get some yourselves.”

Madam Zhao did want to, but after glancing at the man whose veins stood out on his forehead, she did not dare move.

Li Yuan gave a cold snort. “Rongrong, you’ve truly disappointed me. It’s only a little food, and you… you… Ah…”

Li Rong rolled her eyes at him. “Then you should have gotten me something to eat. You refuse to feed me and won’t let me find a way to feed myself. Do you expect me to starve to death? Other people are eating well and drinking fine, while you’ve led the whole family into hunger. Third brother, don’t blame me for speaking harshly, but whose fault is it that our family has ended up like this?”

She lifted her chin and stared at Li Yuan provocatively.

Li Yuan was about to say something else, but a whip cracked across them from the side, ordering them to hurry on.

The constables had eaten their fill and naturally had the strength to walk. But the Li family had been hungry for an entire day and night. How could they keep going? Yet if they slowed down, they were beaten with whips. All along the road, the only sound was the Li family’s miserable cries.

Li Mumu was doing fairly well. The previous day, she had soaked in a bath of spiritual spring water within her hidden space, which had dispelled her exhaustion. That morning, she had also volunteered to fetch water, allowing the entire family to drink the spring water. Nourished by it along the way, they should suffer far less than they otherwise would have.

Madam Sun carried her still-unconscious son on her back and fell several times. She wanted Madam Zhao to help carry him, but Madam Zhao flatly refused. “I can barely walk myself, and I’m several years older than you.”

Madam Sun then tried asking Li Rong to carry him, but Li Rong rolled her eyes so dramatically they nearly reached the heavens.

The men all wore cangues and shackles, so they were of no use. In the end, Madam Sun set her sights on Li Fengzhu, the daughter of the eldest branch.

Li Fengzhu was fourteen and no longer a little girl, but hunger had left her seeing stars. She was wondering whether she should trade her body for a full meal, just as her little aunt had done.

That entire morning, the little aunt had been the only one who had not been beaten.

Still, Li Fengzhu was younger and not as bold as Li Rong. She did not yet dare act recklessly.

Li Rong had lost her virginity long ago and knew exactly how things worked between men and women. In any case, what difference was there between one time and two?

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Although everyone in the Gu family urged her to stay, Gu Yuru could not keep bringing her children to her parents’ home. The constables had already been turning a blind eye, and she did not want to cause them too much trouble.

But just as she and the children returned to their side, Li Yuan quickened his pace and came after them. His voice was frighteningly cold.

“Is this what you wanted to see? Rongrong is in this state because of you. How can you be so heartless? It was only a bite of food!”

Gu Yuru stared at the man as he rained accusations upon her. Thinking of everything he had done over the past two days, she realized that her heart, already dead, no longer hurt very much.

“Why aren’t you saying anything, Gu Yuru?” Li Yuan growled. “I don’t care what you say. At noon today, Siyuan will eat with you. She can’t endure this any longer.”

Li Mumu thought, Raise your voice a little more and let my three uncles deal with you.

She had just heard her youngest uncle say that if her scumbag father bullied her mother again, he would come and beat him.

Li Mumu did not know what her mother was thinking, but she could not stand by and watch her suffer. “Father, Little Aunt got food after taking a walk with Uncle Constable. If Aunt Siyuan is hungry, can’t she take a walk with him too? Then she’ll have food as well.”

“I’m not going anywhere with someone like that!” Lin Siyuan cried, both angry and flustered. Her voice was rather loud.

That was exactly what Li Mumu wanted. The louder, the better. She was not afraid of Lin Siyuan being loud; she was afraid Zhang Xiang had not heard her.

That man was narrow-minded and vicious. In the novel, he had already taken an interest in Lin Siyuan. If he learned that she despised and looked down on him so openly, Li Mumu refused to believe he would not do something about it.

Deliberately raising her voice, Li Mumu asked, “Why not? Uncle Zhang is so nice. Aunt Siyuan, do you hate him?”

If Zhang Xiang had not heard her before, he certainly did now. He abruptly turned to look at Lin Siyuan.

Lin Siyuan naturally looked down on the head of a group of constables, but she also understood that one had to bow one’s head beneath another’s roof. There would be no benefit in provoking him.

“I… Of course I don’t hate him.” Lin Siyuan forced a smile. “How could I hate him?”

Li Mumu cried out in sudden realization, “Oh! So Aunt Siyuan likes Uncle Constable!”

“I…” Lin Siyuan wanted to say that was not what she meant, but she could feel Zhang Xiang’s gaze fixed upon her, making her scalp prickle.

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