Chapter 10: What Kind of Steamed Bun Do You Want to Eat? I’ll Treat You to a Bowl of Meng Po Soup, My Dear

Upon hearing reports of a snake, everyone rushed over, including a bailiff whom Li Mumu recognized as the cheerful one nicknamed "Liu Zi."

"Yunze!" Lady Sun shrieked, moving surprisingly fast despite the heavy iron chains dragging behind her. "What happened to you? Blood... you’re bleeding! Did a snake bite you?"

She hurriedly pulled up her son’s trouser leg, revealing two small puncture wounds oozing blood—blood that looked unnervingly dark.

"You wretched girl! You harmed my son, just wait until I—"

Wait until what?

Li Mumu smiled at the man who was barking at her. Since no one else perceived it as a provocation, she felt free to continue her silent defiance. This man, who looked as if he wanted to tear her to pieces, was her second uncle, Li Ye. With dozens of family members in this caravan, it had taken her quite some time to figure out who was who.

However, she refused to take the blame for this.

"Big Brother said he wouldn't give me any steamed buns and told the snake to bite me to death," Li Mumu said, blinking her large eyes. "But the snake wouldn't listen. It didn't bite me; it bit Big Brother instead. How come the snake didn't bite me?"

"Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting? Third Brother, are you going to control her or not?" Li Ye couldn't even lift his leg, let alone strike her.

Li Yuan frowned, his gaze icy as he looked at Li Mumu, clearly having already decided she was guilty.

The second uncle and aunt were detestable enough, but at least they doted on their son. As for her "scum" father, he didn't care about the facts. Even after she told the truth, he acted as if he were deaf. He was unworthy of being a father—no, he was unworthy of being a human being.

Still, as a former general, Li Yuan didn't panic easily. "Second Brother, it was a venomous snake. We must treat him immediately, or Yunze won't survive."

Whether from shock or the venom taking hold, Li Yunze’s eyes were tightly shut.

"Medicine... right, the antidote!" Li Ye said, his face collapsing. "But where would we find an antidote?"

The couple could only wail, completely helpless. Li Yuan was the backbone of the family, and all eyes turned to him. "Yuru, didn't Lieutenant Ling give you and your parents plenty of medicine? Go get it, quickly."

Gu Yuru was busy comforting her daughter. Although the child didn't seem afraid, her earlier words gave Yuru pause.

"Yuru, this is a life at stake. Regardless of anything else, we must save him first," Li Yuan insisted.

Li Mumu could tell that her scumbag father knew Li Yunze deserved this, but he still intended to pin the blame on her later. Seeing the second branch of the family wailing, Gu Yuru’s heart softened. She started to reach for the medicine, but Li Mumu grabbed her arm. "Mother, are there more snakes? Mumu is scared."

Gu Yuru picked up her daughter, shielding her from all the malicious and judgmental glares. Li Yuan shot another hateful look at Li Mumu, but by then, the three Gu brothers had arrived with their bundles.

"Who was bitten? Let’s see if there’s anything useful in this medicine."

Li Mumu watched her three uncles—Gu Mingyu, Gu Mingtang, and Gu Mingjing—with a heavy heart, especially the second uncle. It was exactly as it happened in the novel: the Gu family kindly provided the antidote, which saved Li Yunze’s life. But later that afternoon, her little cousin, Gu Yu, would also be bitten. When the Gu family went to ask for the medicine that should have been theirs, the Li family refused to share it, claiming they had run out. In reality, they were hoarding it for fear of encountering more venomous creatures on the road. Without treatment, young Gu Yu died that very night.

Thinking of her kind-hearted little cousin, Li Mumu felt a sharp pang in her chest. Having felt his genuine warmth, rather than just reading about it in a book, made the tragedy feel all the more personal.

This time, the one who deserved to die was Li Yunze, who had tried to get her bitten. She had known he was up to no good when he invited her to "play," but she had followed him to see what he was planning. It turned out he wanted her to catch a snake. When she refused, he poked the snake toward her with a stick, muttering, "Die, you brat! That'll teach you not to give me your buns."

Who did he think he was? That kind of small fry couldn't hurt her. As for steamed buns? Why bother with those? She would rather serve him a bowl of Meng Po's soup.

And so, just like in the novel, Li Yunze was bitten by the venomous snake. The Gu family provided the medicine, and Li Yuan found the bottle labeled "Antidote" among the supplies and handed it to Lady Sun. She hastily opened the lid, but for some reason, her elbow went numb, and she clumsily spilled all the pills—over a dozen of them—right in front of everyone. After taking the medicine, the family felt at ease, yet Li Yunze did not wake up.

On the surface, everything followed the novel’s path, but with Li Mumu present, things were bound to be different.

With venomous creatures about, the bailiffs dared not linger, urging everyone to get back on the road. Li Yunze was usually as plump as a pork bun; now that he was unconscious, he couldn't walk on his own. The task of carrying him fell to Lady Sun. With her own feet still shackled and having had nothing to eat since noon, she was in agony.

The mountain path was difficult, and Li Yuan’s attention was entirely on Lin Siyan; he didn't even spare a glance for his wife and children.

"I'm starving!" Li Rong whined louder and louder, but no one paid her any attention. The more she was ignored, the more malicious her glares toward Lin Siyan became. She knew full well that if it weren't for that woman, her third brother would have given the good food to her. Lin Siyan was disgusting; if it weren't for Li Rong, she wouldn't even be close to her brother. Li Rong was her benefactor, yet now, Lin Siyan wouldn't even share a bite of food.

Li Rong grew angrier by the minute. Of course, she hated Gu Yuru the most, but she wasn't foolish—there was no benefit in being cold to her right now. She slowed her pace and joined Gu Yuru’s group. Li Yunchao, injured and struggling, was barely trailing behind.

"Yunchao, does it still hurt? Your father is truly something, how could he beat you like that?" Li Rong asked with feigned concern. "Look at you, and you didn't even get a full meal at noon. How pitiful. Third Sister-in-law, you can be angry at Third Brother if you want, but don't let the children suffer."

Li Rong thought her motives were hidden, but Gu Yuru knew exactly what she wanted—she was trying to goad her into getting more food.

"Little Aunt, we had plenty to eat at noon, we aren't hungry at all," Li Yunchao said earnestly. "Grandfather's family doesn't have much, and there are so many people to feed. They have already given us so much, which is very kind of them."

Li Rong gritted her teeth. "Yunchao, you are so foolish! At a time like this, you're still thinking of others? Your own life is what matters. You need to ask for more—save yourself some suffering. While you’re still injured, they’ll feel sorry for you. Otherwise, it will all just go to the Gu family boys."

Gu Yuru frowned. She had always known her sister-in-law was selfish, but she never imagined she could say something so shameless. "Rongrong, Yunchao is right. Say no more."

"Third Sister-in-law, a daughter married off is like water poured out," Li Rong retorted. "You are a member of the Li family; you shouldn't be siding with outsiders."