Chapter 23: Wang Wanqing‘s Maternal Family

After leaving, Su Nuoli found a corner to examine the items the handsome, naive man had given her. Upon opening the package, she immediately regretted not clinging to him more.

This man was indeed handsome—his looks could easily outshine modern-day heartthrobs. But he was a bit foolish. The things he prepared for her were too extravagant.

The bundle contained a package of gold ingots, a package of silver ingots, and even a thoughtful supply of small silver coins. There was also a hairpin and a jade pendant. But she was in exile! What use were the hairpin and jade pendant? Silver and food were fine, but these were completely unnecessary!

Quickly, before anyone could notice, she stored everything into her space, exchanging it for twenty pounds of rice, forty buns, four water bags, and two pieces of cured meat.

She also took two bags of brown sugar and two bags of salt. Finally, she pulled out six plain crossbody bags, without any patterns or decorations. She didn’t take more since, after all, the bundle could only hold so much.

Once everything was set, she ran over to her family, distributing the six bags. Of course, she kept one for herself.

Meanwhile, far from the lightheartedness of Su Nuoli’s preparations, Dark Six finally mustered the courage to deliver the message Su Nuoli had asked him to convey.

He was expecting a harsh reprimand, but to his surprise, the master did not get angry. Instead, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Looking off into the distance, he muttered softly, “Girl, now that you’ve caught my attention, and you’ve taken my ancestral jade pendant and the hairpin I made for you, you won’t be able to escape anymore.

I still have some things I need to accomplish. Since you’re so capable, you’ll definitely wait for me to come find you, won’t you? When the time comes, I’ll wait a few more years, and then we can consider what happens between us.”

Su Nuoli, far away, had no idea she had caught the attention of a big bad wolf. In ancient times, it was normal to marry young, and for someone like Mo Yunzi, who was seventeen, it made sense. However, someone like Su Nuoli, who had been influenced by modern views, never considered this possibility.

While Su Nuoli’s family was busy preparing, on the other side, Wang Wanqing’s maternal family was still weeping. It sounded as though they had fallen into a sea of tears, and the sound was distressing to hear.

Tears, though, were useless. Exile was inevitable, so instead of weeping, it would be better to talk more and gather as many supplies as possible.

“Elder sister, the Emperor still doesn’t know about the family’s troubles. They’re still trying to rely on Father and others. As long as Father cuts ties with you, he’ll be able to protect himself. Father has already opened the ancestral hall and removed your name from the family registry.

Mother died from the shock. The woman who was at odds with us, Aunt Sun, has now become the legitimate wife. Big Brother has been demoted to a commoner, and even the legitimate son can’t help us. This is what Mother left for you before she passed. Take it, and from now on, you’ll have to rely on yourself!”

“Little sister, I know… My mother… sniffle… Even if Big Brother could come, he wouldn’t. I know. My sister-in-law isn’t someone to get along with. Now, I’ve entered a dead-end. Sigh! Your husband’s family has nothing…”

…

On the other side, the extended family of the Prime Minister was also in an uproar, and within their own household, there were heated arguments. There would definitely be a spectacle on this journey.

Su Nuoli, using her spiritual power, detected that the Prime Minister’s family had gathered about 1,300 taels of silver and a few pieces of jewelry.

If it were anyone else, that amount might be enough, but for a group accustomed to a life of luxury, it would absolutely not be sufficient. It’s easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but much harder from extravagance to frugality!

“We’re setting off, we’re setting off. We still need to travel 30 more miles today. If we delay, we’ll have to sleep outdoors. Let’s hurry.”

“We’re about to depart. If you’re thirsty, let me know. Don’t save the water. It’ll be more troublesome if we run out. Also, I don’t have any ropes. If you need something, tell me, I’ll pass it to you.”

After traveling five miles, even Bai Luorou, who could act so composed, couldn’t help but cry out loud.

This only made the extended family more furious. They shouted angrily, “How dare you cry! It’s all because of you. Why did you have to go into the Prince’s palace? If you weren’t so greedy for status and wealth, we’d still be living happily at home!”

After traveling fifteen miles, they were allowed a short rest.

Su Nuoli quickly took out some brown sugar from her bag, mixed it with water from the water bags, and secretly added a drop of spiritual spring water to help everyone replenish their energy. She also gave each person a steamed bun.

Old Master Xue asked Xue Yu to give her silver, but Su Nuoli declined, saying, “Old Master Xue and my grandfather are good friends. Besides, we agreed that once we reach the first county, we’ll part ways. We won’t need to spend much money in these next few days. Please keep it.”

Everyone, without any regard for their image, sat down on the ground, massaging their feet here and there. Su Nuoli asked them to take off their shoes and sprayed a bit of Yunnan Baiyao on the soles of everyone’s feet.

The Xue family, as well as her grandfather, nanny, Uncle Chang Gui, and Xia Zhu, all had blisters. She applied medicine to relieve the pain, but they couldn’t pop the blisters just yet.

As for her, she had secretly used comfort insoles, making her journey much more comfortable. Her brothers, accustomed to regular exercise, had adapted. Her grandfather, however, was suffering from the long walk.