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Ziling herself felt a trace of indescribable awkwardness, but she quickly pressed it down. Turning toward Gong Hao, she said calmly:
“Help Mother sit over there for a while. I’ll go and speak with the constables, see if they’ll let us fetch some water. Your brother’s wounds need to be cleaned, otherwise they could easily get infected.”
Gong Hao quickly protested:
“I’m a man—this kind of thing should naturally be left to me. You should stay here and take care of Mother, Brother, and Sister.”
At that, Ziling raised her hand and tapped him lightly on the head, half-scolding, half-amused:
“You little rascal, you’re just a child. Don’t try to act tough. Be good and stay right here, you’re not allowed to go anywhere!”
Without giving him a chance to argue further, she headed straight toward the constables.
When she reached them, she took a deep breath, forcing her tone to sound as respectful and steady as possible.
“Sir, I’d like to go fetch some water. My husband is gravely injured. If the wounds aren’t washed, they’ll easily fester. I beg you to show some leniency.”
One constable gave her a dismissive glance, curling his lip.
“You’re all criminals now. What’s the point of fussing about? If he gets infected, then let him be infected. What’s the big deal?”
Ziling ignored him, instead turning to the head constable, Zhang Meng.
“Sir, our general defended the nation with his life, and now he is missing without word. Yet the general’s family is persecuted, his merits erased, while vile men enjoy the peace and honor bought with his blood. Now they turn their blades against his kin. But what if one day the old general returns? Wouldn’t we then be vindicated and pardoned? When that day comes, those who kicked us while we were down will be seen as jackals aiding tyrants!”
Zhang Meng’s heart skipped a beat. She had a point. The old general had been campaigning for years, and even the young general was famed for his valor. What if…? If fortune turned, the ones to suffer would be them.
He finally said, “Go, but be quick. Don’t even think of running.”
Perfect. As if I’d escape now.
But Ziling wasn’t going to fetch water. Her space had everything she needed. What she really wanted was to slip away unseen, take out some food to nourish her family, and maybe gather some herbs as cover for treating Gong Mohan’s wounds.
She found a grove of trees and, making sure no one followed, slipped into her space.
She hadn’t had a drop of water all day; her lips were cracked and dry. She snatched up a bottle of mineral water, downing it in gulps, then tore into a cup of instant noodles. At last, she felt alive again.
As she looked around for something less conspicuous to take out, she heard the faint sound of dripping water.
Drip… drip…
Huh? Pipes?
She followed the sound and froze. Sure enough, there was a pipe—but only a trickle of water came out. A water outage?
Scooping some into her palm, she tasted it. The water was unbelievably sweet, with a faint fragrance. At once, her exhaustion seemed to melt away.
Could this be… spiritual spring water?
If so, then perhaps it was like in other transmigration tales—maybe it could help heal Gong Mohan’s injuries too!
Excited, Ziling quickly found a container that looked suitably “ancient,” filled some spring water, and set it aside for later.
She then took out a few buns and marinated eggs. The packaging was too modern to bring out, so she unwrapped everything and bundled it in cloth. To keep it convincing, she also gathered some hemostatic wild herbs in the grove before heading back.
From a distance, she already heard arguing. A crowd of prisoners had gathered to watch. The voice at the center of it all was her own little dumpling, Ying’er, quarreling with that same Gong Qingshan’s son.
“My sister-in-law just went to fetch water—she’ll be back any minute!”
“Ha! She’s been gone so long, clearly she ran away. I’ll tell the constables—Gong family’s new bride has fled!” sneered the boy.
Ziling’s mother-in-law and Gong Hao stood to the side, faces tight with worry. Gong Hao especially looked shaken. He had just begun to think this sister-in-law was truly remarkable—could it all have been a lie? If she had abandoned them, what would happen to their family?
In just one day, he had already grown deeply reliant on her.
Just then, a crisp voice rang out:
“And who dares bully our little one while I’m gone?”
Everyone turned. Ziling was standing at the gate.
The moment Ying’er heard her voice, she raced over and threw herself into Ziling’s arms, clutching her tightly.
“Sister-in-law, you’re back! They said you ran away and left us behind.”
Gong Hao’s head snapped up at once. His eyes locked on Ziling, his face flushing with relief—his ears even tinged red.
As for Gong Mohan, though he hadn’t spoken or lifted his head the whole time, the slight twitch of his ears betrayed him. Clearly, he had been listening for her all along. When her voice reached him, he too let out a silent breath of relief.
Ziling caught all of this, secretly amused. She had thought her husband cold and indifferent, but clearly, he did care—he just wouldn’t show it.
When the excitement faded, the onlookers dispersed, returning to their spots.
Ziling reached into her bundle, taking out the buns and marinated eggs. She carried them toward the constables, who were still drinking in the half-ruined house.