Chapter 13: Offering Oranges, Binge-Watching in the Carriage

“If my lady is curious,” Xiao Jingrui leaned closer and whispered, “your husband can tell you.”

Yun Ruoxi glanced around nervously. Seeing that Mu Ruxue was busy whispering to Xiao Jingxuan and not paying any attention to them, she finally relaxed a little. “If you’re going to tell me, I’m all ears.”

“Now’s not the time,” he said with a smile. “I’ll tell you on the road when we’ve got some free time.”

Yun Ruoxi looked back and saw the officers already mounting their horses, ready to set off.

The group began their journey as planned — though now, the exiled party included the two carriages from the Duke Ying’s estate.

Earlier, the second branch of the Xiao family had been too busy arguing to arrange anything for their departure. No one had come to see them off, and they hadn’t even managed to secure any carriages.

So when it came time to depart, Wang Shi stepped forward to negotiate, trying to convince the officers to give them more time to prepare.

But she was immediately whipped back by a round-faced, slightly chubby officer. “You may not be wearing shackles, but you’re still prisoners on an exile route. What were you doing earlier, huh? Now it’s departure time — if you delay my job, I’ll flay you alive.”

With that, the officer led the group forward. Wang Shi could only watch with burning jealousy as the main branch of the Xiao family rode away comfortably in carriages, while she and her lot had to walk step by step.

There was another pair of eyes watching the main family with that same resentful gaze — Xiao Bin. Truly, birds of a feather flock together. He and his wife both had hearts higher than the sky, yet lives more fragile than paper.

Inside the carriage, Yun Ruoxi and Mu Ruxue enjoyed the plush cushions under them. Yun Ruoxi felt a surge of gratitude in her chest.

Mu Ruxue clicked her tongue enviously. “Now this is what family should be. Not like my parents — to them, I’m nothing but a tool for climbing the social ladder. After hearing about the Marquis Manor’s downfall, they came to visit only to mock and sneer.”

“Well, you’ve still got me. And those garbage relatives? They were never truly your family, right?”

“True enough.”

Since everyone in the Wu’an Marquis Manor already knew they were souls from another world, Yun Ruoxi and Mu Ruxue were speaking more openly now.

Though technically they were being “exiled,” to the two of them, it felt more like a leisurely spring outing.

Spring had arrived, life was stirring, and it was the perfect time for a countryside excursion.

With that thought, Yun Ruoxi reached into her space and pulled out a basket of BaBa oranges — a modern variety of fruit that didn’t exist in the Daye Dynasty.

Luckily, the carriage had plenty of room. She took out two baskets, totaling 20 oranges — just enough for everyone in their group, with a few extras.

She gently knocked on the carriage door, and soon Xiao Jingrui’s voice responded from outside, “What is it?”

“I’ve got some fruit here. Can you pass them around? The extras can go to Grandmother.”

A moment later, though the carriage was still moving, the door swung open.

Xiao Jingxuan was driving, so it was Xiao Jingrui who opened the door. He looked curiously at what Yun Ruoxi was holding. “What are these? I’ve never seen them before.”

“They’re from our hometown. Please try them.”

When he heard “hometown,” Xiao Jingrui’s expression darkened slightly. He understood she meant “from another world.”

Their wives weren’t just souls from another realm — they also retained their memories. And now it seemed they could bring things from that world into this one. That kind of ability… wasn’t that something only immortals could do?

Xiao Jingrui tried to act calm, not letting his awe or anxiety show.

Anticipating that people might hesitate to try the unfamiliar fruit, Yun Ruoxi peeled one in front of him, revealing the bright orange flesh inside.

The air in the carriage instantly filled with a sweet citrus scent, making even Yun Ruoxi’s mouth water. Ever since arriving in Daye, she hadn’t had anything from the modern world — until now.

“Got it?” she asked.

Xiao Jingrui nodded and first placed two oranges into Xiao Jingxuan’s lap. Then, using light-footed agility, he leapt to the neighboring carriage where Xiao Jing and Madam Zhao were seated.

He distributed the fruits there, then brought the rest to the five elder cousins.

Finally, he handed one orange each to the two officers escorting them and showed them how to eat it.

Returning to his own carriage, he mimicked Yun Ruoxi’s motions, peeling the orange and placing the segments in his mouth one by one.

All the while, his curiosity about the “other world” where his wife had come from only grew deeper…

Yun Ruoxi and Mu Ruxue sat inside the carriage, surrounded by an assortment of fruits, duck necks, and snacks.

Mu Ruxue casually took out a tablet and resumed the Korean drama they hadn’t finished watching.

The two of them munched on duck necks while binge-watching the show, looking nothing like exiles—more like two friends on a countryside outing.

Xiao Jingrui and Xiao Jingxuan exchanged a look as the aroma wafted out of the carriage, both curious about what was going on inside.

Not long after, strange sounds drifted from within—voices of men and women crying and laughing, chattering in an incomprehensible language.

Xiao Jingrui’s curiosity was piqued to the max, but out of respect for their privacy, he refrained from opening the carriage door.

In stark contrast to the leisurely comfort of the main branch, the second branch was having a tough time trailing behind the carriage.

Many of them hadn’t even processed the fact they’d been raided, still wearing their elaborate robes—completely unsuited for travel.

After walking for half an hour, several from the second branch could no longer keep up.

Suddenly, a woman dressed in a pink gown collapsed to the ground, refusing to walk any further.

A bailiff leading the group heard the commotion and rode over to check. Seeing that only about thirty people had kept up while the second branch had fallen far behind, he frowned.

When he saw the woman sitting stubbornly on the ground, he raised his whip and struck her without mercy. “You’ve barely walked any distance and already throwing a tantrum? You think my whip is just for show?”

With that, he cracked the whip again—snap, snap.

The woman in pink was Concubine Bai, a favored mistress of Xiao Bin. She had lived in comfort and had never suffered this kind of hardship. The sudden contrast was too much to bear.

To make things worse, she recalled the gossip and ridicule from passersby back in the capital—former friends standing at the roadside, gloating at her current misery.

Under all that pressure, Concubine Bai finally broke down and began wailing.

The bailiff’s name was Liu Yong. He used to work in the Ministry of War and was once in charge of escorting exiles.

Though he had since moved up in rank and no longer needed to personally lead such trips, this time he made an exception because the Duke of England had personally asked him to take charge.

Liu Yong had served under the Duke and owed him a great deal, so he took this task seriously.

After three lashes, Concubine Bai cried even harder. But Liu Yong showed no sympathy—each time she cried out, he whipped her again.

After three or four lashes, she began to understand the pattern. They were trying to make her shut up.

But the welts burned painfully, and she simply couldn’t hold back her sobs. All she could manage was to quietly sniffle in silence.

Satisfied, Liu Yong finally lowered his whip and shouted, “You’d all better behave and keep moving! When we reach the next city, anyone who wants a carriage will need to pay for it!”

“The exile route has strict rules—at least fifty li must be covered each day. We must reach Lingnan within two months. If we’re late, getting whipped will be the least of your problems.”

“So, if you want to ride in comfort, walk faster. Everything you want to buy, you can get at the next city.”

Liu Yong had one clear goal for this escort mission: safely reach Lingnan.

He planned to complete the task quickly, settle his accounts, and relocate his family to Lingnan.

The Duke’s advice had struck a chord with him. He had sensed the growing unrest in the capital.

If chaos did break out in half a year, following the Duke to Lingnan would indeed be the wisest move.

Of course, he intended to make some extra money along the way, to prepare for the future.

Before the journey began, Yun Qingfeng, the eldest son of the Duke’s household, had already given him a generous bribe—one thousand taels of silver. That alone was worth three years of “extra earnings.”