Transmigrated into the Scum Female Consort - Chapter 15

The evening wind blew. Old Madam Zhou pretended to wipe her face with her sleeve and secretly took a few sips from the bottle.

The cool water seemed to possess some kind of magical power, or perhaps it was a psychological effect; it not only quenched her thirst but also made her feel much more comfortable, as if she had regained some strength to lift her legs.

Old Censor Zhou looked at his wife’s expression, his heart aching slightly: “Madam, drink more.”

Old Madam Zhou shot him a look, cleared her throat, and looked at her daughter: “Little Yue, your father is tired. You come and support me.”

At this moment, water was as precious as gold; she could not bear to drink any more than necessary.

“Yes,” Zhou Qiyue came over upon hearing this and held her arm.

Old Madam Zhou then used the same trick, passing the bottle into her daughter’s hand under the cover of her sleeve, and quietly instructed, “Don’t make a sound. Be like your mother, and act as if everything is normal.”

Zhou Qiyue was completely shocked. What had she just heard? Her father had managed to get water, her mother had already drunk some, and now the water was in her hands…

When the water reached her mouth, she nearly cried. It really was water—delicious, so incredibly delicious.

On the side, Old Censor Zhou also walked towards his son: “Da Lang, let me hold Ying’er for a bit. You go ahead and look after everyone.”

“Oh, alright,” Zhou Qishan subconsciously agreed.

Old Censor Zhou held Little Ying’er and taught her in a low voice: “Ying’er, stop crying. Listen carefully to your grandfather. No matter what happens later, don’t make a sound… and don’t tell anyone. You absolutely must not make a sound, or you’ll never get water again.”

He coaxed her repeatedly until Little Ying’er stopped sniffling and clearly responded to him.

Only then did Old Censor Zhou feel relieved. He carried Little Ying’er over to Zhou Qiyue and cleared his throat.

Zhou Qiyue understood, and carefully passed the bottle over.

Not far away, Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin watched as Old Censor Zhou, ever since returning to the group, spent time with Old Madam Zhou, called his daughter over, and then held his little granddaughter…

They silently exchanged glances, both having the same answer in their hearts.

Ye Xuejin subconsciously looked at the person beside her. Her Princess Consort did indeed possess miraculous abilities. She hoped the Zhou family would have an easier time; an honest official like Old Censor Zhou should not be treated so harshly…

Yun Chi retracted her gaze, feeling pleased. It seemed she had succeeded; the water was indeed delivered into Old Censor Zhou’s hands. Her golden finger had given her a new surprise today.

The two unexpectedly met each other’s eyes again.

Yun Chi paused, and then whispered, “I tried giving one bottle of water. If there’s still no food later, I’ll try again.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Xuejin gently shook her head: “There’s no rush right now. Proceed with caution to avoid arousing suspicion.”

Of course, she wanted to help the Zhou family more, but the officers were watching, and the Zhou family’s servants might not be able to fully conceal things. For now, being able to help a little without alarming anyone was good enough.

In times like these, having something was better than nothing. Being overly anxious would be inappropriate.

Yun Chi understood and agreed: “I will be careful and only give it to Old Censor Zhou. For now, I can only look after those few people.”

She certainly would not openly feed all the prisoners. Besides, even if she wanted to, the supplies were insufficient.

Moreover, they were on the road to exile, where there were many eyes and ears, and Ye Xuejin’s identity was sensitive, so she dared not take too many risks.

Ye Xuejin nodded and said softly, “Thank you.”

Yun Chi smiled: “Why thank me? I also want to help him.”

A court official born in ancient times, who disregarded his own safety and dared to openly rebuke the Emperor in court, solely to seek some justice for the women of the realm.

Such a person deserved respect.

Thinking of this, Yun Chi looked at Old Censor Zhou’s back. This old man was worth the risk.

“Achoo!” Old Censor Zhou suddenly sneezed. He looked around. Perhaps due to a guilty conscience, he felt as though someone was staring at him.

Little Ying’er nestled in his arms, clutching the empty bottle. Hearing the sneeze, she looked up and blinked. Her grandfather said that if she didn’t speak, an immortal would give her water. Although she had already drunk the water, she still dared not speak.

She was afraid that if she made a sound, she would never get water again.

Old Censor Zhou noticed his little granddaughter’s gaze and said with a smile, “Ying’er, you can talk now, but you can’t mention the water to anyone.”

The explanation about the immortal was something he had deliberately considered before telling his little granddaughter. The child was still young, and slips of the tongue were unavoidable. If the secret was accidentally revealed, pushing the blame onto tales of ghosts and gods, while ridiculous, would leave no one to pursue the matter.

Little Ying’er hugged the bottle and whispered, imitating him, “Grandfather, what about this?”

This bottle was so light.

Old Censor Zhou glanced at the bottle and quietly asked, “Is there any more?”

Little Ying’er replied, “Yes, there is.” She had been holding the bottle, so it was still there.

“Hand it secretly to your father later.” The night was growing deeper and cooler. Old Censor Zhou didn’t see that the bottle was already empty. He carried his little granddaughter over to Zhou Qishan. “Da Lang, you hold Ying’er. Be careful.”

His son had always been steady and had inherited his composure, so he was reassured.

“Yes.”

Zhou Qishan took his daughter, feeling slightly confused. That last phrase, “Be careful,” seemed to have a hidden meaning.

With that thought, he held his daughter and quickly glanced at her, noticing a mysterious object in her hand.

Zhou Qishan’s heart instantly tightened. Before he could ask, his daughter quickly tucked the object into his robe.

“Daddy, Grandfather told Ying’er to give this to you.”

“Ying’er, be a good girl and walk on your own for a while.” Zhou Qishan discreetly put his daughter down and felt around in his robe.

He then grew even more puzzled. What was this object? It felt like a container, but it was empty.

He couldn’t help but look at his daughter.

Little Ying’er immediately covered her mouth, mumbling, “Grandfather said not to say anything.”

Zhou Qishan’s heart sobered. He pushed the empty bottle deeper into his robe. His father’s actions must have a profound meaning; he would follow instructions for now.

The night was deep and cold, and the relentless wind made everyone shiver.

Seeing the city gate tower not far ahead, everyone instinctively sped up without needing to be urged.

When they reached the city gate, Shi Niang led a few young women to meet Yu Lu and said, “Sir, we didn’t make it in time.”

They had rushed as fast as they could, but the gate had just closed when they arrived.

The crowd was immediately stunned. They didn’t make it!

That meant they would have to go hungry for another night.

This was the definition of adding insult to injury—what you call a leak in the roof on a continuous rainy night.

Everyone had looked to the city gate as a source of relief from their hunger and thirst, expending all their strength to rush here with that motivation. Shi Niang’s words struck them like a physical blow.

For a moment, the atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.

Yu Lu knew Shi Niang and the others were not to blame. He could only offer comfort: “There’s a river half a li south of here. Don’t lose heart, let’s go find some water first.”

Fortunately, he had scouted the path earlier in the day and knew there was a river south of the city gate. Although there was no food, they could at least fill their bellies with water.

As soon as he spoke, the atmosphere became overwhelmingly heavy. It wasn’t until two officers, carrying a few waterskins, led the way south that the prisoners finally began to move.

The Mu brothers were the first to follow.

The prisoners had no waterskins, so if they wanted water, they had to go to the river themselves.

Old Censor Zhou also waved his hand at the servants: “Go, all of you.”

Upon hearing this, the Zhou family members followed suit. Zhou Qishan looked at his parents, his younger sister, and his daughter, who were still sitting in place, and he suddenly understood, touching the empty bottle in his robe.

So this was the hidden meaning behind his father’s actions. He needed to hurry back with water.

Yu Lu sighed inwardly and said to the remaining officers, “All of you come with me. Take torches to the river.”

He had seen fish in the river during the day and thought they might be able to catch a few to stave off their hunger.

Shi Niang glanced subtly in the direction of Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin, and deliberately raised her voice: “Who else wants water? Give me your waterskins.”

However, several young women also got up and followed her closely, unwilling to separate from her.

Shi Niang again scanned the area where Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin were, frowned slightly, and then left with the young women.

In a short while, the only people left under the city gate were Old Censor Zhou and his wife, their daughter Zhou Qiyue, and their granddaughter Little Ying’er.

And Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin.

Seeing the situation, Yun Chi asked, “Did that Shi Niang… specifically look at us just now?”

Ye Xuejin couldn’t help but glance down at the waterskin on Yun Chi’s waist, guessing, “Perhaps she had good intentions.”

Yun Chi followed her gaze and looked down. She understood: Shi Niang likely intended to fetch water for them but wasn’t sure if they wanted her to.

They were mere acquaintances, and everyone was struggling to look after themselves. This person was being too kind.

She thought for a moment, deciding to temporarily ignore Shi Niang’s intentions. She moved closer to Ye Xuejin and asked in a low voice, “Are you hungry? Are you thirsty?”

Hearing the words full of concern, Ye Xuejin unconsciously curved her lips: “You must do what is convenient for you. You don’t need to worry about me.”