The moment both her feet touched the ground, she was drenched to the bone.
Damn it, she had gone back to the exact same point in time. The rain still hadn’t stopped!
Fortunately, she had eaten and drunk her fill, and with someone on her back, she could at least manage a few steps.
Before long, Zhan Haochen turned around to take over carrying her.
He asked in a low voice, “Has Big Brother eaten?”
Cheng Yao nodded.
Zhan Haochen gave her a grateful look, then took Zhan Haoting onto his back.
The instant he did, he sensed the changes in Zhan Haoting.
His clothes had been changed into clean ones. His body gave off a fresh scent instead of a foul stench.
His breathing was no longer labored, his breaths were steady, and his broken bones had been wrapped in thick bandages and secured in place.
How had so much been done in such a short time? How had Sister-in-law managed it?
“Don’t ask, and don’t say anything.”
As Cheng Yao spoke in a low voice, she stuffed a meatball into his mouth.
Zhan Haochen instinctively bit down.
This was meat?
The meat was tender and juicy, and absolutely delicious!
He parted his lips slightly, and Cheng Yao stepped forward to feed him another bite.
“Eat more. That way, you’ll have the strength to carry your brother.”
She spoke softly.
Zhan Haochen swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “Thank you, Sister-in-law.”
“Why thank me? We’re family. We have to support one another if we want to survive.”
Cheng Yao pinched up another meatball and held it out to him. “Open your mouth.”
Zhan Haochen opened his mouth without thinking. She fed him two in succession, nearly choking him.
“Sister-in-law, you should eat too,” he said indistinctly.
“Your brother and I have already eaten.”
Zhan Haochen: “!!!”
How had they managed to eat in such a short time?
Had they eaten air?
Perhaps Big Brother and Sister-in-law had taken some kind of restorative medicine?
“What about Mother and Little Sister...?”
“They’ll have some too,” Cheng Yao said.
They would have some, all right—just a different kind of food.
“What about Xiao Fu and Hongxiu?”
“Just eat.”
Growing impatient, Cheng Yao stuffed two more meatballs into his mouth.
She might forget anyone else, but she would never forget those two.
After feeding Zhan Haochen more than a dozen meatballs, she finally stopped when he said he was full.
Then she took out a leather water pouch and fed him some water.
Zhan Haochen belched contentedly. The aches in his body had disappeared, and he felt filled with strength.
“Sister-in-law... Did you add some kind of restorative medicine to this water?”
“No.”
Cheng Yao had already run ahead of him.
She hadn’t lied. There really was nothing added to the water.
She also had Xiao Fu eat more than half a box of meatballs. The result was that the two men actually began fighting over who would carry Zhan Haoting.
Well, having strength was a good thing. It would save her a lot of trouble on the road.
The group hurried along and found a ruined temple to shelter in before nightfall. It was a blessing in disguise.
Old Madam Zhan had either been exceptionally lucky or had benefited from the ginseng Shao Yutong had fed her. She had regained consciousness.
Second Madam Zhan was not so fortunate and remained unconscious.
But she had never been a decent person, and even her three sons were not close to her. Whether she woke up or not, no one really cared.
Everyone was listless and dispirited. Some had fallen ill and were moaning, some were crying, and some stared blankly into space, their spirits utterly crushed.
The bailiffs shouted for the horses to be slaughtered and eaten, paying no attention to them.
Scattered around the ruined temple were some dry firewood and straw, along with ashes on the ground. Someone must have stayed there overnight before them.
Cheng Yao gathered everything together and started a fire.
The firelight drove away the darkness and chill, bringing everyone a trace of warmth.
Madam Zhan opened her bundle.
It had been given to her by Madam Qi. She had stored most of the contents in her spatial storage, leaving only a small amount of food and medicine in the bundle on the carriage.
The carriage had cracked in the crash, and everything inside the bundle had been soaked by the rain.
Even so, the supplies were precious beyond measure.
Madam Zhan carefully took them out and roasted them by the fire.
Cheng Yao roasted some meatballs and dried fish for her. She also made ginger soup as before, only this time she left out the sugar and spiritual spring water, adding a little more mint and salt instead. She sent one pot to the constable and the bailiffs, then made another pot with a single drop of spiritual spring water and called the members of the group over to eat.
Not all the clansmen resented Zhan Haoting, nor were they all useless good-for-nothings. Some were even ordinary people with no connection to the matter at all. Regardless, Cheng Yao hoped every one of them could survive.
After being drenched in the downpour, everyone was exhausted and desperately hungry. Having ginger soup to drink was an unparalleled blessing.
Everyone gathered around, but Cheng Yao provided only one bowl, so they consciously formed a line and took turns drinking.
Zhan Yurong stared at Cheng Yao, who was surrounded by everyone like the center of attention, and secretly ground her teeth in anger.
Feng Xianxian, standing nearby, felt the same way. She asked in a low voice, “Aunt, didn’t you bring some medicine to ward off the cold? Why don’t we brew some as well and distribute it to everyone?”
Zhan Yurong was tempted, but Shao Yutong disagreed.
“Sister-in-law has already made ginger soup. Everyone can drink that to warm themselves up. There’s no need for us to do something redundant. We should save the medicine.”
Zhan Yurong was very obedient toward her daughter, so she rejected Feng Xianxian’s suggestion.
Feng Xianxian’s pretty face turned pale with anger. When she saw Zhan Jinmo take a bowl over to get some ginger soup, she could no longer suppress her rage. It surged to the top of her head, and she rushed over.
She shoved him. “You’re not allowed to drink the ginger soup she made!”
Zhan Jinmo had already exhausted his strength after traveling for two days. When she pushed him, he staggered backward and lost his balance, landing heavily on the ground.
Not only did the bowl shatter, but the fragments also cut his hand.
“Husband!”
Feng Xianxian panicked and bent down to help him.
“Get lost!”
Zhan Jinmo raised his hand and slapped her, then kicked her away.
She had made him humiliate himself in front of so many people, and he had grown to loathe her from the depths of his heart.
Feng Xianxian covered her cheek with one hand and glared hatefully at Cheng Yao before walking away, sobbing.
Cheng Yao had no idea she had attracted another wave of hostility. She was too busy keeping her head down and working.
Shao Yutong brought some food to Zhan Haochen and said gently, “Cousin Haochen, you’ve been tired all day. Eat something.”
Zhan Haochen glanced at the piece of chicken breast and steamed bun she had brought over. Both had been soaked by the rain.
If this had been before the rain, he would have been eager to eat them no matter how unappetizing they looked.
But Cheng Yao had fed him far too many meatballs, and he had drunk a large bowl of ginger soup. He was completely full and had no appetite at all.
“I’ve already eaten. Cousin Yutong, you should have it.”
Shao Yutong’s brows drew together slightly. “The food may have been soaked by the rain, but it’s still edible. Cousin, please don’t be picky, all right?”
Zhan Haochen frowned as well. He had made it perfectly clear that he wasn’t eating because he was already full. When had he said he was being picky?
“Cousin, I’m already full. Eating more would only be wasteful.”
Shao Yutong still refused to give up. “But this is meat. It can help restore your strength.”
“I ate meat too.”
Shao Yutong’s eyes immediately reddened. “Cousin, you’re lying to me.”
Where would their family have gotten meat?
Zhan Haochen was utterly baffled. He was telling the truth, so how had he ended up being accused of lying?
Besides, he hadn’t done anything. Why was his cousin acting as if she had suffered some enormous injustice?
It was becoming rather unreasonable.
“I’m not lying.”
Zhan Haochen spoke in a sullen voice and got up to go to Zhan Haoting’s side.
But Shao Yutong grabbed his hand without a word and stuffed the food into his arms.
“Cousin Haochen, hurry and eat. I’ll take care of Big Cousin.”
Zhan Haochen’s heart jumped. He grabbed her wrist.
“No need. Sister-in-law has already helped Big Brother wipe himself down and applied medicine.”
To secure Big Brother’s broken bones, Sister-in-law had wrapped him tightly from head to toe in bandages. If Shao Yutong found out, who knew what would happen?
