Chapter 28: Exiles
"Oh, Chaosheng was scolded by Yingying again." Liu Juhua's hand trembled as she picked up the vegetables. A piece of wild vegetables with chopsticks fell back into the coarse porcelain bowl with a "click" and was picked up by Pan Lian and put back into her bowl.

Pan Lian was not surprised. "Isn't it normal for my aunt to beat my uncle? We should be worried if he doesn't beat us one day."

Pan Dayin agreed with him and gave each of his wife and children a piece of bacon. "Eat it quickly. It won't taste good if it gets cold."

Zhao didn't even bother to raise her eyelids. Beat them, beat them. Isn't love cultivated by beating? Look at how much better the couple's relationship is now than before.

Old man Pan was a little worried. His son-in-law was howling so loudly, could something happen to him?
But please don't do that. He is now closer to his son-in-law than to his three sons, and he is the only one willing to offer wine to him as a token of his filial piety.

He hesitated whether to go over and take a look. Pan Datie saw what he was thinking and said, "Dad, don't go over there. Be careful that Yingying will be angry with you."

Pan Zhong and Pan Xiao nodded in unison.

Pan Zhong: "Master, don't go over and cause trouble. My aunt knows her limits and won't kill my uncle."

Pan Xiao: "Uncle is tough!"

Old Man Pan: Thank you for your evaluation, but your uncle may not like it very much.

The oxcart loaded with water was in the small courtyard where Yu Chaosheng and his family lived. Yu Chuner and her sister left with a bag of osmanthus candy, and Pan Yingying went to the oxcart right after them.

There were 6 wooden barrels on the ox cart, which had been converted into several bamboo tubes as big as bowls, and they were filled with water that had been drawn previously.

There were already two wooden barrels with only a shallow layer of water left. Pan Yingying went over, opened the lid and took a look, then took a ladle from the space and scooped two ladlefuls into each barrel.

Fortunately, I had stored some water in the space before, so now I can secretly add some water to the bucket from time to time.

"Sister Pan, you have worked hard. Come on, make some happy water." Yu Chaosheng handed over a bamboo tube with a straw and raised the palm-leaf fan.

Pan Yingying took the Coke and took a sip, letting Yu Chaosheng fan her.

The two were discussing the feasibility of resting during the day and traveling at night when the voices of Pan Zhong and Pan Xiao were heard outside the yard.

Pan Yingying was quick to pour the remaining mouthful of Coke into Yu Chaosheng's mouth.

"Here I come! What's wrong?"

Yu Chaosheng was choked by the sudden drink of Coke and almost cried.

The sting of a wasp is as poisonous as the heart of a woman!
She wanted to choke him to death so that she could inherit the money he had saved with great effort!
"Yu Chaosheng!" Pan Yingying shouted outside the door.

Yu Chaosheng took a deep breath, put on a smile, and ran out of the hall quickly, "Come here, come here! What do you want, Sister Pan?"

Pan Yingying raised her hand and pointed to the entrance of the village.

He looked in the direction of her finger and saw a team of officers escorting a group of exiled prisoners slowly coming. The leading officer was riding a half-dead chestnut horse, and the officers behind him were driving horse-drawn carriages. There were about 100 exiled prisoners.

When the leading officer got closer, Yu Chaosheng heard him shout, "Prepare some water and food for us. Oh, get some water first."

The Pan and Wang families all came out, and no one said a word when they heard this.

The leading officer was puzzled, "What's wrong?"

Yu Chaosheng stepped forward and bowed, "Sir, there is no water in the village, we are just passing by here and want to rest."

The officer opened his mouth, jumped off his horse, raised his hand and shouted to the people behind him to stop.

"A prisoner is sick, and we need to rest here for the night. I wonder if you can help us."

He had dark skin and his face was sunburned and peeling, and he couldn't control the twitching of his facial flesh when he spoke.

Yu Chaosheng seemed not to understand the hidden meaning of his words and extended a warm invitation to them.

"We will make room for the best rooms for you gentlemen."

Soon after, the leading officer looked at the small shabby courtyard in front of him and seemed to be hesitant to speak. His original intention was to let these people leave the village.

He turned his head and looked at the large yard not far away. More than 20 men, women, young and old were all smiling and waving at him.

Leading officer: ...It's a bit strange, but I can't put my finger on it.

The convicts were arranged to enter the village. When they passed in front of the group of people, the leading officer suddenly realized what was wrong.

Although they were dressed like farmers, they were all wearing fine cotton, had rosy complexions, chubby cheeks, and were not dirty.

Especially the young couple, who can still maintain fair skin in such an environment.

When they saw him, they did not show any of the formality that an official should have, but were extremely relaxed, as if he were not an official but just an ordinary passerby dressed in slightly strange clothes.

He doesn't look like a farmer at all!

While I was daydreaming, deputy team leader Feng Er came back.

"Liang Tou'er, we searched everywhere nearby, but couldn't find any water source."

Liang Ye frowned and rubbed his chin. After a while, he whispered something to Feng Er.

Feng Er nodded continuously and bowed to Liang Ye, "Boss Liang is kind-hearted. Whether these people can survive depends on themselves."

……

……

People were gathered in the yard in groups of three or four, some working and some resting.

Liu Juhua was sitting on a stone block in the corner sharpening her knife. Pan Dayin couldn't stand it anymore and walked over to stop her, "Why are you sharpening it again?"

Liu Juhua rolled her eyes at him and lowered her voice, "What do you know? Those are all fugitives!"

Pan Dayin scratched his head. He didn't understand what was wrong with the exiles? Why did those exiles have to sharpen their knives?

"Go away! Go away! Don't block my light!" Liu Juhua impatiently drove him away. She was annoyed by this man as if he were a piece of wood!

Pan Dayin felt aggrieved. His wife was not that kind of person before. She was quite gentle to him. How could she have become a different person without him noticing?

He returned to Pan Dajin who was watching "Pan Li's Little Classroom" in a sullen manner, and nudged his elder brother with his elbow, "Brother, there is something I don't understand."

Pan Dajin raised his eyebrows and took him to sit aside. "What's the matter? Tell me."

Pan Dayin glanced at Liu Juhua secretly, "My wife started sharpening her knife again. She said it was because of those exiled prisoners. Why?"

Pan Dajin was choked. How should he explain to this silly second brother?

He couldn't explain it! This kind of thing can only be understood but not expressed in words.

"How about...you go ask our mother?" he asked tentatively.

Pan Dayin quickly shook his head. Zhao was playing some kind of "mahjong" with Pan Yingying, Xiao Wang, and Liu Guihua. There were many people watching nearby. If he went over there at this time, he would only be scolded.

Pan Yingying was about to play a two-card card, but Yu Chaosheng hurriedly stopped her, "Don't play this one, play fifty thousand!"

As he was about to take the cards stacked in front of her, she slapped him on the back of his hand.

Zhao winked at Chaosheng and said, "Good son-in-law, your love for you is not in vain."

Yu Chaosheng didn't understand what this sentence meant until Zhao won the game.

Pan Yingying: ...

Pan Yingying: "Yu Chaosheng! You are really my nemesis!"

She gritted her teeth, wishing she could strangle him and shake the water out of his brain.

(End of this chapter)