Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

It was discovered!

The youngest child's heart tightened, and he was so frightened that he almost lost his soul. He didn't dare to look back at all, but clenched his little fists tightly, buried his head and ran forward as fast as he could.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, almost bursting out of my chest, and all I could hear was my own rapid, broken breathing.

The evening wind blew straight into my parched throat, dry and astringent, stinging me painfully. I hadn't eaten or drunk anything for days, and my legs were so weak they were almost uncontrollable. Every step I took was precarious, and I was only able to move forward step by step by sheer will to survive.

The footsteps of the thugs behind me pressed closer and closer, each step accompanied by a savage shout and curse that echoed in my ears like a vengeful ghost.

"You little bastard, I'll catch you and break your legs!"

We mustn't get caught! We absolutely mustn't get caught!

The youngest child was grinding his teeth so hard he dared not stop.

She squeezed through the gap between two mud walls, the rough plaster scraping against her cheeks and stinging, but she didn't care. Relying on her small size advantage, she created distance, escaped the abandoned house, and ran into the street.

There were patrolmen on the street; if she encountered just one, she would be saved.

But when she stumbled into the street, running and looking around with wide eyes—

Nobody... nobody... nothing at all.

The moonlight made the bluestone path appear white, like an endless mourning ribbon, with not even a corner to hide in.

The surroundings remained eerily silent, and a chill and fear crept into my heart little by little.

Just as the youngest child's legs were about to give way and he could barely take another step, he staggered around a corner and looked up to see several tall figures standing at the end of the alley.

Her eyes lit up instantly, a surge of ecstatic joy at the prospect of survival washing over her, making her head buzz. Without thinking, she opened her mouth and shouted:

"Help--!"

Suddenly, a rough, large hand attacked from behind, tightly gripping her neck and covering her mouth and nose.

The hand was heavy and cruel. No matter how hard the child tried, he couldn't pry it open. The child was being pulled backward and strangled. His throat was blocked, and his shouts were cut off deep inside his throat, leaving only a muffled "woo-woo" sound.

The villain's harsh and sinister curses echoed in my ears, like the whispers of a demon:

"You're asking for it, you little bastard. You thought you could run fast? Go ahead and run, why aren't you running anymore?"

"Behave yourself. If you shout again, I'll take you back and sell you into the dirtiest, lowest-class brothel!"

No...no...my little one wants to go home...

She struggled desperately, trying to make a sound by scratching with her hands and biting with her teeth, but her mouth and nose were covered tightly, and a suffocating feeling swept over her. Her strength waned, and she could only be dragged backward, watching helplessly as the figures at the street corner receded further and further away from her...

Despair welled up inside her, and tears finally streamed down her face, blurring her vision. She could no longer struggle.

In the last moments before her consciousness faded into darkness, she vaguely heard a voice, as if it were coming from underwater:

"Someone go and take a look..."

……

When the youngest child opened his eyes again, he sat up abruptly, his lips moving, his eyes not yet focused, and a hoarse cry burst from his throat:

"Help! Help me!"

"Alright, alright, it's alright now, child, don't be afraid."

A warm hand gently landed on his back, with a very gentle touch, like a mother lulling her to sleep.

Following the gentle reassurance, the youngest child gasped for breath, and it took a long time for him to calm down. His unfocused eyes slowly focused, and he looked up blankly.

A woman with gentle features sat beside the couch, gazing at her with concern, her palm still gently stroking her back.

"Good child, don't be afraid, you're saved."

"I..." The youngest child instinctively shrank back, his voice trembling slightly as he timidly asked, "Where am I? Am I... am I really saved?"

Oh, the poor little baby.

A'Ruo sighed inwardly, feeling sorry for the child who had suffered so much fright, and once again comforted him gently and firmly:

"Good child, you are truly saved. Now you are safe and sound, and you no longer need to be afraid. Tell your mother, what is your name?"

"My name is Yao'er."

The youngest daughter was finally certain that she had been rescued, not sold to some other place. No bad person would sell her to such a gentle person.

Her heartstrings relaxed slightly, then tightened again. She hurriedly threw off the covers and struggled to get out of bed and kneel down, but was stopped by A'Ruo.

"My dear child, what are you doing? You're still weak, don't move around, just lie down."

A'Ruo tried to help her lie down again, but the little girl refused, shaking her head vigorously, her little hands tightly gripping A'Ruo's sleeve, her eyes reddening, her voice full of anxious pleading:

"Mother, please, I beg you! There are my sister, and so many others, they are still imprisoned, they are waiting for me to find someone to rescue them... I promised them, please, please save them, okay?"

"Alright, alright, little one, no rush."

Seeing the child's voice choked with anxiety, A'Ruo's heart softened. She immediately reached out and gently pulled her into her arms, softly patting her back and soothing her with gentle words:

"Don't worry, little one, they've all been rescued. Look for yourself."

As she spoke, she turned slightly to the side, giving way to the view.

The youngest child looked in the direction she had moved aside and realized that she was lying in a spacious room filled with beds of all sizes, and on them lay other girls who had suffered the same fate as her.

Some were lying on their sides, some were curled up, and the blankets were rising and falling slightly—they were all still alive.

Lying on the couch not far from her was the older sister who had first bent down to help her climb out. Her face was clean and free of dust, and she was sleeping peacefully in the soft bedding.

"Waaah~"

The emotions that had been building up for so long finally collapsed completely. The youngest child could no longer hold back, let out a muffled sob, buried her head in A'Ruo's arms, and burst into tears.

Her little body trembled as she cried, as if she were pouring out all her grievances and fears, unable to stop.

"I thought... Waaaaah... I thought I'd never see my mother again, never... never see my brother again, waaaah... I miss home so much, I want to go home so much... Waaaah..."

Aruo didn't say anything, but gently put her arm around her shoulder, looked at her with heartache, and let her cry her heart out.

After crying for a long time, the youngest child's sobs finally subsided. She looked up somewhat embarrassed, hastily wiping away her tears with her sleeve, her voice still trembling with tears:

"Mother, I'm sorry, my little one... I got your clothes dirty." She paused, then added earnestly, "Thank you, Mother, thank you for saving my little one."

"Good child, it wasn't me who saved you, no need to thank me."

A'Ruo shook her head, gently wiped away the tears on her face with a handkerchief, then got up to fetch warm water and handed it to her, saying softly:

"Have some water to calm down first, then eat something and rest well. Once you're feeling better, we'll take you to see your parents and brothers, okay?"

The youngest child was indeed thirsty. He took the bowl, gulped it down in a few mouthfuls, put the bowl back, and looked earnestly at Aruo with his big, red, tear-filled eyes:

"Okay, thank you, Mother. But I'd like to see my benefactor first. Father said that one should at least thank someone in person when they do us a favor. I want to thank my benefactor first. May I go with you, Mother?"

A'Ruo's heart melted. Whose child was this, raised to be so sensible? Just as she was about to say something, there was a soft knock at the door.

"Miss Aruo, has a child woken up?"

It was Zhou Wenqing's voice, coming through the door, warm and clear.

The youngest child's eyes lit up.

She recognized the voice; it was the last thing she heard before she lost consciousness. Her benefactor must be the person outside the door!

The youngest child immediately jumped out of bed and ran barefoot over. Ah Ruo had no choice but to pick her up and walk quickly towards the door.

------

Note: In the pre-Qin period, "母" (mǔ) could be used not only to refer to one's biological mother, but also as a respectful term for older women.

Also, thank you to @给你坟头松靆土 for the amazing certification, what a powerful name! And thank you to all the other friends for the gifts, including a razor blade! (⊙ꇴ⊙)

Thank you everyone. It's almost the end of the month, so I'll be adding an extra chapter tonight and tomorrow night. Thank you all for your support! (*＾-＾*)

But it'll be late anyway, everyone get some rest. Let's watch it together tomorrow. Don't stay up too late, it's good for your health! └(^^*)┐ ┌(*^^)┘