Chapter Thirteen The Poultice Sticks

he was the eldest daughter of the second room of Duke Jiangning's mansion, the Empress's cousin!Today, the Jiangning Marquis Mansion just received a marriage decree, and this girl came to cause troubl...>

Mrs. Sun, holding her daughter whose complexion had regained its rosy hue, sincerely thanked Old Madam Li and Jia Yin for their meticulous planning and care.

Even before Li Laotai could decline, he shoved the silver notes into her arms, leaving only ten taels outside.

And at this moment, a maid carrying a basin of water came in, ready to help Miss Sun wash up.

Li Laotai hesitated for a moment, then could only hold Jia Yin and bow deeply before retreating.

The wet nurse and maidservant moved quickly. When Lady Li had brought Jiayin back to her room, they soon delivered three large packages of clothing.

Half of them were Ms. Sun's old clothes, though she claimed they were old, they had only been worn once or twice and were practically the same as new.

The needlework is fine, the fabric soft. Old Mrs. Li looked at it over and over with delight.

The remaining half was quite chaotic, with women's garments, men's garments, and even those of a half-grown child. They were all demanded by the wet nurses, maidservants, and housekeepers of the Sun family.

Upon hearing that the Li family had just saved their master, everyone eagerly presented gifts out of loyalty and respect, filling a large bag to the brim.

"Oh, Mother! There are so many clothes and even ten taels of silver!"

Wu Cuifang held up a blue blouse with white flowers, trying it on and smiling. She kept glancing at the ten taels of silver in Lao Tai Li's hand with sly eyes.

Tao Hongying and the others were unlike Wu Cuifang, they didn't act so carelessly. Looking at the clothes and silver, they didn't even touch them, just waited for Li Laotai to speak.

Li Laotai took two puffs from her pipe before telling everyone about how she had saved Miss Sun's family.

"Goodness! Then wouldn't our Funiu become the savior of Miss Sun's family!"

Wu Cuifua was overjoyed and looked at Jia Yin with the eyes of a treasured child.

Jia Yin rolled her eyes at Wu Cuifang's quick temper, faster than any flipping page in a book. She buried her head in Tao Hongying's arms.

"Alright, Mrs. Sun is still the savior of our family! You've heard about this, just keep it to yourselves and don't spread it around."

Li Laotai saw Wu Cuifang was so excited that she had gone too far, quickly put away the silver, and scolded her harshly.

Wu Cuifang was a little unwilling, but when choosing clothes she didn't hesitate at all. She pulled several into her bosom...

The big ship sailed smoothly downstream along the river and soon arrived at Minnanling Wharf.

Minnanling is located at the boundary line between North and South. By this point, the journey has already reached halfway.

The refugees moved slowly and faced obstructions from provincial authorities along the way. By the time they reached here, the dock wasn't as chaotic.

As they got closer and closer to Kyoto, the people on board became more relaxed and happy.

"Yu Sheng, come with me to the shore and have a look Let's find some fresh vegetables and dried goods, so we can restock our pantry."

Wangguan called out to Li Laodi, planning to go ashore to buy some things.

Li Laoer responded loudly, but as he was about to disembark, he was pulled back by Wu Cuifang.

"I want to go too! I'm going crazy being on this ship for so long!"

Wu Cuiflower complained incessantly, and Old Li got tired of listening.

But Wang, the manager, was still waiting. It wouldn't be good to keep him waiting too long, so he didn't say much and tacitly allowed Wu Cuifang to follow behind.

Wangguan also brought two little servants. Seeing this, he didn't say anything.

Several people disembarked. Wang Guan, the manager, immediately dashed towards a vegetable stall by the roadside.

Wu Cuiflower's eyes darted about restlessly, pausing to touch anything that caught her interest. She trailed behind the crowd.

There were several beggars on the roadside, with messy hair and dirt-streaked faces, wailing for alms. Their tattered clothes emitted a foul odor, making people want to steer clear.

A man in fine clothes, with a big belly, swaggered down the street.

The beggars, upon seeing this, rushed forward, holding out their grimy, broken bowls.

"Master! Master, please have mercy and give us some food!"

"Get out!"

The man had a face full of flesh, he looked bad-tempered at first glance. Coupled with the smell of a beggar on him, he lifted his leg and kicked him.

The beggar was terribly hungry. He couldn't resist, let out a wail and rolled on the ground several times, just happening to roll to Wu Cuifang's feet.

She was about to scold a few words in disgust, but she was blocked by this geisha.

"Sister Big sister! Woooo, big sister, it's me, I'm Erdog!"

The peddler directly hugged Wu Cuifang's calf and cried even louder.

Wu Cuifang instinctively lowered her head and took a closer look, gasping in surprise.

"Ergouzi How are you here Didn't you leave with your father long ago"

She didn't mind the smell, and squatted down to pick up the begging child.

Li Lao'er heard the commotion and turned back, his gaze falling upon the beggar. He frowned as well.

Wu Cuiflower is the eldest child in the family, and she has a younger brother named Wu Erdog.

When he grew up, he didn't want people to call him by his given name. He would tell everyone that his name was Wu Er instead.

The Wu family doted on their only son, spoiling him rotten. This pampering led him to be lazy, selfish, and self-centered.

It's that Wu Jia's mother passed away a few years ago, and Wu Erdog still hasn't changed his temper.

When the famine struck, people fled south with their families and possessions.

Wu Cuiflower's father took Wu Er and the family's grain and ran away, not even thinking about his daughter Wu Cuiflower.

But Wu Cuifang kept thinking about it every day. During the time she had just escaped, she saw Tian'er whispering to Li Lao Er, saying that she wanted to find her father and brother.

Li Laer knew what Wu Er and his father were like, so he ignored Wu Cuiflower completely. He didn't expect to run into her here.

At this moment, Wu Cuifang was weeping in her brother's arms, clutching his arm and asking him repeatedly.

"Where's Dad Wasn't he with you"

With unkempt hair and eyes half-closed, Wu Er opened his gaze to quickly scan Wu Cuifang a few times.

She was dressed in neat clothes, not a patch on her whole body, and her face was fair and clean. At first glance, it could be seen that she was living a good life.

He clutched his stomach, his face contorted with pain.

"Sobbing, Sister, Father was killed on the road by those bandits who were stealing food. Luckily I met you, otherwise I would have starved to death too. Sister, please quickly get me some food, I haven't eaten in three days!"

His own biological father was beaten to death, but when he mentioned it, it was as if he were talking about a complete stranger. It was truly heartless and chilling.

When Wu Cuiflower heard that her father had died, she wept bitterly.

"Have you buried your father Have you erected a tombstone for him In the future, you must go and retrieve him and bring him back to our ancestral grave!"

Wu Er was becoming impatient. “He's already dead, why are we burying him I can’t even afford a meal, let alone the energy to erect a tombstone for him.”

"You really are... Come, I'll take you to the boat." Wu Cuiflower listened to her younger brother say this, although she was heartbroken, she had no choice but to pull him towards the boat.

Li Lao'er wanted to stop him, but where could he stop him He could only tell Wang Guan shi a word and chased after him.

On the deck of the large ship, Lao Tai Li was holding Jia Yin by the hand as they stood at the railing, watching the crowd coming and going on the pier.

Jia Yin's small mouth was slightly open, her big eyes blinking not at all as she looked intently.

This world was so strange to her.

In the Heavenly Martial Dynasty, there was never a period in history where productivity was so low and the people were so impoverished.

On the docks, most of the people were dressed in patched clothes and looked thin and pale, showing that life was hard for them.

Old Mrs. Li looked at her granddaughter's young face, as if she had a hint of seriousness and compassion, and thought she must be mistaken.

After all, a child who hasn't even reached one month old, how could they possibly have such an expression!smiled slyly and pressed, "What did Aunt Four and Mrs. Wen say to Miss Coral this morning When will the engagement be finalized"Jia Yi frowned, slowly picking at the rice in his bowl, mumbling, "There...