Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

Pei Zhihui lay prone among the piles of rocks by the mountain path of Laoyaling, his thin blue robe soaked with the remaining snow.

The open wound on my back was stuck to my clothes, and every slight movement tore at my flesh, bringing a sharp, dull pain.

He crawled inch by inch toward the mountain path, driven solely by his survival instinct, from the cave half-hidden by withered vines.

He almost breathed a sigh of relief when his fingertips finally touched the hard dirt road surface compacted by the wheels.

But the breath stuck in his throat turned into an even more violent cough, blood and foam rushed into his mouth, and the smell of rust filled the air.

It was so cold. The chill from blood loss seeped into my bones. My vision began to blur and become unfocused. My consciousness was like a kite with a broken string. Then, darkness swallowed everything.

No, it wasn't darkness, but a dimly lit, dark prison.

In Pei Zhihui's mind, nightmares invaded.

He was dressed in a dark brocade robe with intricate dark patterns embroidered on the hem. Every step he took was steady and powerful, carrying a heavy stench of blood and the oppressive aura of a superior.

In the center of the cell in front of him hung a woman.

It turned out to be my sister-in-law.

The water reached her chest, and her long, dark hair clung wetly to her pale cheeks and neck, with a few strands sticking to her bloodless lips.

The thin prison uniform, soaked with water, clung tightly to her body, almost transparent, clearly outlining her slender collarbone, her tiny waist, and... her slightly undulating curves, trembling from the cold.

Water droplets dripped continuously from her hair, chin, and fingertips, tracing cold arcs in the darkness before splashing into the pool and into his suddenly tightening heart.

Her wrists and ankles were chained, her skin was rubbed raw and swollen, and she looked like a white lotus flower ravaged by a storm, broken and beautiful.

He approached step by step, his leather boots clicking on the wet, slippery ground, the sound amplified in the silence.

She heard the noise and struggled to lift her head. Her eyes, which were always shimmering with tears, were now red and filled with fear.

In his dream, he seemed quite pleased with that look in his eyes.

"Sister-in-law," he said, his voice hoarse and tender, a sound even he himself found unfamiliar, "How was your day?"

"Don't touch me." Her voice was dry, as if it had been sanded, and every word was filled with disgust.

Her resistance seemed to greatly please him.

His gaze swept over her soaked body inch by inch, from her delicate chin to her exquisite collarbone, and then to the fullness that was faintly visible after being soaked in water.

Then he watched with satisfaction as his sister-in-law's body trembled uncontrollably, whether from the cold or from humiliation, he couldn't tell.

He raised his hand, his fingertips hooking the sash of her soaked prison clothes, and gently tugged it.

……

"Cough...cough cough!" Pei Zhihui suddenly woke up from his dream.

My first thought was, why would he have such a dream?

In the dream, he seemed very familiar with his sister-in-law's body... and kept bullying her.

The pain in his body pulled him back to reality. The ice and snow beneath him were bone-chilling, his lungs burned with pain, and a despairing numbness gradually spread throughout his limbs and bones.

He was still on the mountain path.

.

The next morning, at the Wuxian County jail.

The prison door was opened, and a group of soldiers escorted the Pei family members out of the prison.

On the other side of the men's prison, Pei Shoulian was being carried on Pei Zhiyan's back. The old man's face was ashen and his lips were purple.

At this age, having suffered such a great ordeal, it would be difficult for him to survive the winter if he continued to serve in exile.

Shen Huaifeng and Shen Huaide squeezed through the crowd. Shen Huaifeng's left hand was still wrapped in thick gauze, and his face was pale, but he insisted on coming to see his daughter off.

"Qiongju!"

Shen Qiongju also saw her father, and her vision blurred instantly.

Shen Huaifeng rushed forward, but was stopped by the soldiers.

"Halt! Don't approach the prisoner!"

Shen Huaifeng stamped his feet in desperation. "Sirs, I just want to send some clothes to my daughter, please!"

Shen Huaide discreetly slipped silver into the hands of the soldiers.

The officers coughed awkwardly and impatiently made way for them, saying, "Hurry up, hurry up."

Shen Huaifeng rushed over and quickly stuffed a thick bundle into his daughter's hands.

"Qiongju, this is a cotton coat that your father made overnight. Wear it, it will be cold on the road. There is also some food."

His voice choked with emotion, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"You silly child, I told you long ago to ask that old man Pei for a divorce agreement, but you insisted on going back to the Pei family."

"Pei Zhichao is dead, so who in the Pei family is left? Why do you insist on staying there?"

Shen Qiongju hugged her father, "Dad, it's all because I'm too willful."

Shen Huaide also came over, carrying a large bag of things.

"These are dry rations, you'll need them on the road," he said, looking at the Pei family. "They're prepared for you."

The Pei family members looked at the cotton-padded clothes with complicated expressions.

Some people accepted it and whispered their thanks, while others turned their faces away, unwilling to accept it.

After hesitating for a moment, Liu finally took a cotton coat and wrapped it around Pei Zhichun.

Winter arrives in the North in October, and without winter clothes, they can't withstand the cold.

"Let's go!" the officers and soldiers ordered.

Shen Qiongju was pushed forward. She glanced back at her father and continued walking unsteadily with the group.

The contingent slowly left Wuxian County.

A biting wind howled, and snowflakes drifted down.

Shen Qiongju walked at the back of the group, the snow under her feet getting deeper and deeper, making each step particularly difficult.

For the past three days, Shen Qiongju had barely slept. The Pei family members eventually couldn't take it anymore and put on the cotton-padded clothes that Shen's father had sent, but one by one they fell ill and collapsed.

She was still in good physical condition, so she helped carry Pei Zhichun and used her own body to shield the little girl from the wind.

Pei Junlan's headaches were getting worse and worse, and she often broke out in a cold sweat from the pain.

Pei Shoulian's days of unconsciousness grew longer and longer, and the atmosphere among the crowd became increasingly tense.

We've finally arrived at Dabao Village.

From a distance, the low, mud-brick houses on the border wasteland look like scars growing out of the yellow earth.

A cold wind swirled sand and dust in her face, and Shen Qiongju squinted, her throat filled with a dry, earthy taste.

The Pei family members stood at the village entrance, their clothes and expressions listless, like a herd of abandoned livestock.

Pei Shoulian was being carried on Pei Zhiyan's back. The old man had been unconscious for most of the day, and his breathing was so weak that it was almost inaudible.

Pei Zhiyan's face was deathly pale. He had been carrying his grandfather on his back for almost three days, and even his youthful strength had been exhausted.

He whispered to his grandfather, who was on his shoulder, "Grandfather, Grandfather, wake up..."

The escorting officers stopped at the village entrance, and the leader took out a scroll of documents from his pocket and handed it to the officer who came to greet them.

"Thirteen prisoners sent from Liangzhou Prefecture are now in your hands."

The officer took the document, glanced at it, and then looked up at the Pei family members who were dressed even more warmly than him.

His gaze lingered on several women for an unusually long time, especially on Shen Qiongju.

Shen Qiongju lowered her eyes and clenched the bundle in her hand.

"Alright, I'll take them." The officer waved his hand. "The men will come with me to the city wall, the women will go to the laundry department with Steward Liu, and the old, weak, sick, and disabled... good luck to them."

The officers and soldiers turned and left with the men.

Shen Qiongju seized the opportunity and quickly stepped forward, stuffing two pieces of silver hidden in her sleeve into Pei Zhiyan's pocket, who was lagging behind and carrying Pei Shoulian.

She spoke quickly, "Once you get there, quickly find your brother's colleagues to help treat your grandfather's illness."

Before the stunned Pei Zhiyan could recover, she immediately returned to her team.

A middle-aged man dressed in coarse cloth walked over from a distance, carrying a roll of rosters in his hand.

"Five women from the Pei family."

He glanced around the room, his gaze lingering on Shen Qiongju's face for a moment, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

He thought to himself: This young lady is absolutely gorgeous. I wonder which of those rough men in the military camp will be lucky enough to sleep with her.

"Report to the laundry department now. Anyone who dares to slack off will be whipped."

The laundry office is located at the westernmost part of Dabao Village, consisting of a row of low earthen houses with peeling paint revealing the yellowish-brown adobe bricks inside.

Several frozen hemp ropes hung under the eaves, their tops empty.

An old woman dressed in dark blue cloth stood at the door, holding a thin bamboo whip in her hand.

She was around fifty years old, with solemn features. A noticeable scar marked her aged face, running diagonally from her left brow bone to the corner of her mouth, adding to her unapproachable and serious demeanor.

"New here?"

She glanced at Shen Qiongju and her group of five, plus a child, her gaze lingering for a moment on the three people in the back who looked disheveled.

Pei Junlan had just fainted due to a headache and was half-dragged and half-carried by her two younger siblings.

"Come in."

The voice was cold and devoid of warmth.

Shen Qiongju helped carry Pei Junlan inside. The courtyard was even colder, with the cold wind howling as it blew in through the cracks in the walls.

There were more than a dozen large wooden basins on the ground, the water in the basins was covered with a thin layer of ice, and underneath the ice was murky dirty water.

A small mountain of dirty clothes was piled up in the corner, mostly soldiers' uniforms, covered in mud, bloodstains, and sweat, emitting an unpleasant smell.

"The rules are very simple."

Scarface pointed to the pile of clothes with her bamboo whip.

"Each person is required to wash fifty pieces of military uniform every day; no one is allowed to eat until they finish washing them."

"After washing them clean, hang them on the line outside to dry."

"They must be dried and brought in before sunset. If one item is missing, a meal will be deducted."

She paused, then tapped the bamboo whip against her palm.

"Anyone who dares to slack off will be punished severely."

Liu's face turned pale, and she subconsciously took a step back, pulling Pei Zhichun closer to her.

"This is your living quarters." Granny Kong pointed to a small room on one side, which was a large communal room with straw mats and several dusty quilts on top.

"That's the canteen. They serve meals at noon and 5 pm every day. If you come late, there won't be any left. You'll start work tomorrow."

After saying that, she turned and left the room, and Shen Qiongju followed her out.

"Granny!" Shen Qiongju suddenly spoke.

Granny Kong stopped and turned to look at her.

Shen Qiongju carefully took out a small piece of silver from her bosom and handed it over with both hands.

"Granny, my aunt's headache has flared up, and she's fainted from the pain. Please... could you please fetch a doctor to take a look?"

Her voice was pleading, "This little bit of money isn't much, but it's all I have... Please do me this favor."

Granny Kong looked at the money in her hand, then at her earnest eyes, and the scar on her face twitched slightly.

Granny Kong remained silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed.

"That's rare." Her voice was still indifferent, but less cold than before. "Even at this point, you're still willing to spend money to treat your family member's illness."

She took the money and turned to leave.

Pei Junlan had just slowly woken up when she heard Shen Qiongju pleading softly to the nanny, and her hand twitched slightly inside her sleeve.

When Shen Qiongju entered the room, Pei Junlan avoided looking at her niece-in-law.

The door closed again, and the room fell into a deathly silence.

Holding Pei Zhichun in her arms, Liu finally couldn't help but sob softly, "Are we going to live in a place like this from now on?"

Shen Qiongju peeked out through the crack in the door.

The old woman didn't go far; instead, she stood in the courtyard, whispering something to an old woman dressed in gray cloth.

The old woman nodded and turned to walk towards the other end of the village.

She felt relieved.

"Take care of yourself first and get some rest," Pei Junlan said, trying to keep her voice calm despite her headache. "Since we're here, let's make the best of it."

Five women and one child began to tidy up the small dwelling.

The innermost bed in the dormitory was next to the window, which was old and dilapidated, letting in drafts and snow.

The Pei family sisters-in-law quickly threw Shen Qiongju's bundle to the innermost part of the room, and made their own beds on the other side where the wind wouldn't blow.

Pei Junlan frowned as she looked at her younger siblings' actions, and said in a deep voice while holding her throbbing forehead, "Everyone's beds should be laid together to keep warm, otherwise if anyone catches a cold, everyone will suffer."

A bunch of idiots.

The Pei family sisters-in-law looked at each other in bewilderment, and Liu lowered her head and moved Shen Qiongju's bedding back.

I had just finished tidying up when the door was pushed open again.

A woman who looked to be about forty years old walked in, wearing a worn gray cloth dress and carrying a medicine box in her hand.

She was born gentle and soft-spoken, a stark contrast to the harsh environment.

"I am the village doctor, my surname is Chen." Her voice was also very gentle. "Granny Kong asked me to come and take a look."

Shen Qiongju was surprised that it happened so quickly and hurriedly helped Pei Junlan sit down.

Doctor Chen carefully examined Pei Junlan's pulse, then looked at her tongue and the area under her eyes, his brows furrowing slightly.

"She has suffered from headaches for many years, and now she is overthinking and has caught a cold. If this continues, she could even die from the pain."

She took a small porcelain bottle from the medicine box, inside which were black pills.

"It's probably inconvenient for you to brew medicine, so this is a calming and pain-relieving pill I made myself, but it's a bit pricey."

Shen Qiongju thought to herself, it seems that in her previous life, Aunt Pei must have died from headaches. Now that she has a doctor to treat her, she hopes that in this life Aunt Pei can hold on until the Pei family is exonerated.

The Pei sisters-in-law looked at each other in bewilderment. The most valuable thing they had on them was the cotton-padded clothes that the Shen family had given them; they had no money at all.

Shen Qiongju, who was already prepared, took out a small piece of silver from her bosom, about the size of a peanut, and handed it to Doctor Chen.

"I'm so sorry, we're penniless right now, and this is all the money we have left. I don't know if it's enough for the medical fees."

Doctor Chen accepted the money, saying, "That's enough."

This sum of money is more than enough to buy her medicine.

She then taught Shen Qiongju a simple massage technique: "The medicine here is limited. Massaging these acupoints for her every morning and evening can relieve the pain. Most importantly, she must not catch a cold again, nor should she worry excessively."

Shen Qiongju took notes carefully, but her heart was heavy.

In this laundry room, how can one not get cold when their hands are soaked in ice water all day?

With the whole family serving in the military and exiled here, who wouldn't be worried?

Dr. Chen seemed to have read her mind and sighed softly.

"Granny Kong is kind-hearted and can fetch a doctor for you, but she can't change the rules here." She lowered her voice, "The amount of laundry you have to do is set by the military, and no one can reduce it. You... you'll have to figure it out yourselves."

After saying that, she packed up her medicine box and turned to leave.

After Dr. Chen massaged her head, Pei Junlan's headache was relieved by more than half.

She watched Shen Qiongju see the doctor off, and then looked at her younger siblings beside her, who were sighing and lamenting. She remained silent for a long time.

Although he harbored resentment towards his niece-in-law, he should at least let his resentment subside by now, as she was better than those useless women.