The daily life of a space tycoon raising children, doting on his husband, and farming.

Chapter 18 Send you on your way

"Young Madam." The two women were immediately moved to tears.

Shang Wan raised an eyebrow in displeasure. "What did you call me?"

"Sister!" the two exclaimed in unison, their voices ringing out loudly.

"Be good, both of you." Shang Wan reached out and ruffled each of their hair. "Once we rescue Lu Chengjing, we'll plan out how we'll live our lives from now on."

The two nodded emphatically, their hearts filled with warmth.

The young mistress is really different from before.

"Waaaaah... It's cold... I won't leave!"

Little Yuanyuan nestled obediently in her mother's arms and listened for a long time before finally realizing something was wrong.

My mother just got back, and now she's leaving again.

The little guy was upset, tears streaming down his face, and he was so sad that he kept blowing bubbles from his nose.

"Waaaaah... I won't leave!"

"Don't cry, don't cry." Shang Wan quickly comforted her, and only after the little one in her arms had cried less did she say, "Just this once, from now on I'll take Yuanyuan with me wherever I go, okay?"

"Waaah... I won't go..." Yuanyuan wouldn't listen, clinging to her mother like a koala, tears streaming down her face.

"Mother...don't leave..."

Shang Wan felt a pang of heartache, so she carried the little one to the bedroom, coaxed her to sleep, and then fed her a drop of spiritual spring water before leaving.

Shi Tou glanced into the house and whispered, "Sister, Yuan Yuan can't live without you. I'll deliver the letter to the prefectural city instead."

Shang Wan shook her head, "No, you're too slow, it won't be enough time."

Stone:?
Aren't all carriages the same speed?

Shang Wan didn't want to say much. She took the luggage that Xiao Huan had packed for her and left quickly.

Zhang Er, watching Shang Wan's receding figure from the rooftop, asked in bewilderment, "Brother, it's so late, what's Shang Wan rushing off to?"

"What's it to you? Get back to work!" Zhang Da-tou scolded his younger brother without even looking up.

"Oh." Zhang Er bent down, lifted the broken tile, and replaced it with a new one. While his brother wasn't looking, he secretly glanced in the direction Shang Wan had left, only to find that her beautiful figure had already disappeared.

……

The next day.

The chains on the cell door rattled loudly. Lu Chengjing, who was sitting on a straw mat, turned his head and saw the head constable walking in with two stern faces.

The bailiff on the left is holding a cangue, and the bailiff on the right is holding shackles.

Lu Chengjing felt a chill run down his spine; Tian Sheng was indeed no fool.

"The city has been unsettled lately. To prevent any mishaps, Lord Tian has ordered that the criminal Lu Chengjing be escorted to the capital today."

After the squad leader finished speaking in a gruff voice, Liu Tong stepped forward with the shackles and handcuffed Lu Chengjing.

Liu Tong had received great favors from Li Wenhua, and the more grateful he was to Li Wenhua, the more he hated Lu Chengjing, the murderer. He secretly replaced the 15-jin cangue with a 30-jin one, intending to take revenge.

As soon as the shackles were on, Lu Chengjing noticed the weight was off. He glanced at Liu Tong and didn't miss the resentment in his eyes.

Lu Chengjing was already weak, and today he had not eaten or drunk anything. The thirty-pound shackles on his body felt like they were going to crush him, which was nothing short of torture.

In just a moment, sweat beaded on his forehead, the color drained from his thin face, and his lips turned as white as paper.

Even so, he never bent his thin back. His long eyelashes drooped, and his bright, moon-like eyes were filled with deep black.

The act of changing the shackles naturally did not escape the eyes of the squad leader, but he said nothing and waved for Xie Zhiqiang to step forward and put the shackles on Lu Chengjing. Even with the help of the spiritual spring, Lu Chengjing's leg injuries had not fully healed, and when Liu Tong and Xie Zhiqiang forcibly pulled him up, his legs were in excruciating pain.

His legs trembled uncontrollably, Lu Chengjing bit his lip tightly, and the veins on his neck, which was hidden by his messy hair, bulged, and he was sweating profusely.

"Hurry up!" Liu Tong reached out and gave him a push.

Lu Chengjing was barely able to stand, and Liu Tong's push made him unable to stand anymore. He fell heavily to the ground, letting out a muffled groan from his bleeding lips.

Liu Tong pulled Lu Chengjing up, but then let go as if his hand had slipped. Lu Chengjing fell again, his fair cheek scraping against the rough ground, instantly breaking and bleeding, and gradually swelling up.

"It's time." The squad leader glared at Liu Tong and ordered the two men to help Lu Chengjing up, practically dragging him out.

Lu Chengjing was roughly thrown into the prison van, his face covered in disheveled hair, looking weak and pathetic.

He took two heavy breaths, barely brushed the messy hair from his face, leaned against the wooden bars of the prison cart, looked at the crowd, and slowly curled a sarcastic smile at the corner of his mouth.

Among the onlookers, a man in a blue and white scholar's robe stood with his hands behind his back, coldly watching the prison cart head towards the north gate.

As the prison cart drove out of the city gate, anxious shouts came from behind.

"Wait!" Qiao Yu'an caught up with a blue bundle in his arms and blocked the prison cart. He looked worriedly at Lu Chengjing, who was in a sorry state inside the cart. "I've come to see Chengjing off. I hope you'll be lenient with me, sir."

"So it's Young Master Qiao." The head constable recognized the man in front of him at a glance. Considering the Qiao family, he put on a polite smile. "Lu Chengjing is a serious criminal. The higher-ups have ordered that he must not contact anyone else. Young Master Qiao, please don't make things difficult for us."

"I'm just delivering some dry rations to Chengjing," Qiao Yu'an tossed two taels of silver to the head constable. "Just a cup of tea will do."

The foreman weighed the silver ingot in his hand and smiled, "Of course we must give Young Master Qiao face. Please go ahead."

He gestured for Liu Tong and Xie Zhiqiang to come to the side.

Qiao Yu'an rushed forward, "Chengjing, I believe you are not the murderer. I have already asked my father to send a message to the capital to ask my maternal grandfather for help. You must hold on."

He placed the bundle at Lu Chengjing's feet. "The bundle contains dry food and water, which I gave them. They wouldn't dare to lose it."

"Thank you." Lu Chengjing slowly raised his head, a faint smile on his lips. "It is my good fortune to have Yu'an as a close friend in this life."

"How did your face..." Qiao Yu'an stared in surprise at Lu Chengjing's swollen and bruised cheek, her eyes flashing with anger. "You have the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the imperial examinations), yet they dared to torture you!"

He clenched his fists. His once handsome face was now ruined like this. If he was left with scars, even if he cleared his name, he would be barred from any future career.

"I'll go find them!"

"Yu'an." Lu Chengjing called out to him, his voice gentle, "My future was uncertain, and now it's like this again. Don't worry about me anymore. You should focus on preparing for next year's provincial examination."

"I do not……"

"Today may be the last time we see each other." Lu Chengjing interrupted him, his starry eyes smiling. "I wish you all your wishes come true. Farewell."

Qiao Yu'an's eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears.

Why is fate so unfair to Chengjing, such a good person?

"Young Master Qiao, it's time." The head guard walked over, pulled Qiao Yu'an away from clinging tightly to the prison cart, and shouted, "Let's go!"

The prison cart moved slowly, leaving two long ruts on the official road. Lu Chengjing closed his eyes, leaning against the cart to relieve the pressure on his neck.

The sun grew stronger and stronger, and the surrounding area gradually became deserted.

The squad leader winked at Xie Zhiqiang.

The prison cart suddenly turned and headed towards the woods beside the official road.

Liu Tong asked in bewilderment, "Boss, why are we going into this forest instead of taking the main road?"

"Of course..." The squad leader drew his knife and stabbed Liu Tong in the chest, coldly saying, "To send you on your way!"

(End of this chapter)