Chapter 39: The Li Family Plunges Into Crisis Once More

Seeing that Li Yuan remained indifferent despite her repeated calls, Lin Siyan had no choice but to grit her teeth and trudge forward. However, the path was a steep and rugged mountain trail, and losing her footing, she tumbled to the ground.

It was unclear who had failed to tie the rice sack properly; half the bag spilled across the hillside. Hearing the commotion, Old Madam Li rushed over.

Before Lin Siyan could push herself up from the ground, Old Madam Li stepped heavily on her hand. The yellow mud from the old woman’s sole smeared across Lin Siyan’s skin—a sensation so painful and filthy it made her stomach churn.

"Ah!" Lin Siyan gasped in pain.

"You jinx! You still have the nerve to scream? My rice! Hurry up and gather it, you useless waste!" Old Madam Li scolded as she scrambled to pick up the grains.

But the ground was littered with grass, pebbles, and dirt, and the rice was scattered wide. It was grueling work; for every handful she grabbed, only a few stray grains remained among the debris.

Picking up the rice grain by grain was far too time-consuming, and the bailiffs would not grant them the time. The journey was already behind schedule, and camping in the wilderness was fraught with danger, which the bailiffs feared as much as anyone.

"Hurry up, or you won’t be eating at all!" Old Madam Li urged, pulling others in to help. They managed to gather the mess just before the bailiffs lost their patience.

Originally, there had been thirty jin, but now, mixed with dirt and debris, the total weight exceeded fifty jin.

Lin Siyan couldn't carry it. "Mother, I truly cannot carry this anymore."

Large tears welled in Lin Siyan’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks, making her look pitiable. But while such tactics might have worked on Li Yuan, they were useless against Old Madam Li. In good times, a mother-in-law wanted a daughter-in-law who was refined and pretty; in times of disaster, she wished for one who could do the work of three men.

"Useless trash," Old Madam Li spat. "What use are you? Eldest daughter-in-law, you take this."

Zhao was immediately indignant. "Mother, why me? I’m not exactly idle, am I? I’m already carrying my own load!"

"You two switch," Old Madam Li glared viciously at Lin Siyan. "Yours is lighter. Let her carry this one. Do you want to go hungry?"

"Mother, I can't carry this either! I’m several years older than her!" Zhao was no fool; no one wanted the heavier burden when there was no reward for it.

"You won't carry it? Should I carry it myself, then?" Old Madam Li scanned her family. The men were hindered by their shackles, and the women were a collection of the frail, the sick, and the disabled—not one of them was truly useful.

Li Sheng barked at his wife, "If Mother tells you to carry it, then carry it! Why are you babbling? I think you’re looking for a beating!"

Zhao reluctantly took the heavy sack. She hadn't even had a meal, and though she had been strong before, her body trembled as she hoisted the weight onto her back. She dared not look at her vicious mother-in-law or curse her ruthless husband; instead, she decided that all of this was Lin Siyan’s fault.

"What are you still standing there for? Can’t you even carry this?"

Lin Siyan wanted to nod, but fearing further abuse from Old Madam Li, she gritted her teeth and hoisted the bag. Twenty jin of flour was indeed lighter, but it didn't matter when the road ahead was so long.

"We’re crossing the river up ahead. Watch your step!" a bailiff shouted.

Gu Yuru and Song Qiang instructed the children to be careful. The water wasn't deep; rolling up their pant legs would suffice. Li Mumumu and Gu Yu were led by their brothers and crossed the river smoothly, but the Li family women had fallen behind.

"Hiss, ah!" Li Fenghua of the second branch cried out, "Mother, my feet hurt."

The blisters on her feet had burst, and the sting of the water was unbearable. Sun, seemingly recovered from the grief of losing her son, spoke with a sharp tongue: "You’re the only one who knows pain? Who isn't in pain? You have the body of a maidservant but the ego of a young lady—what are you screeching for? Your brother is dead; that is true pain."

Li Fenghua dared not speak again, only sobbing quietly.

The Gu family fared much better. Thanks to the medicine Ling Yunhe had given them the night before, their feet had developed callouses instead of blisters. With the weather being warm, they found walking in the water quite refreshing.

Old Madam Li was carrying some things herself, but she still hissed at her daughters-in-law, "The people don't matter, but do not lose the goods. Mind your own hides!"

The river was not deep, but it was wide, and it took a long time to reach the other bank. Li Rong, feeling weak and seeing stars after the long walk, worried that her recent miscarriage, combined with the cold water, would leave her with permanent ailments.

She approached Zhang Xiang, hoping he would carry her across, but he looked at her with utter disdain. "Carry you? Who do you think you are?"

Embarrassed by the mocking gazes of those around her, Li Rong persisted, "Isn't this so I can better serve you?"

"No need. With so many people here, I don't believe I can't find someone else to serve me," Zhang Xiang said coldly.

In their eyes, the prisoners were no different from livestock—though some livestock were more useful than others.

After being humiliated, Li Rong returned to Old Madam Li in tears. "Mother, what do I do? If I get cold, I won't be able to have children in the future—who will want me then?"

She was her own flesh and blood, so Old Madam Li couldn't bear to leave her be. She told her sons to carry her, but Li Sheng and Li Ye didn't want the extra burden, so the task ultimately fell to Li Yuan.

However, Li Yuan was shackled, and in the end, Li Rong had to cling to him to cross. When they stepped on a slick stone, Li Yuan lost his balance, and both of them tumbled into the water.

Li Rong, who had hoped to stay dry, was soaked to the bone. Even with the scorching sun and the warm weather, she shivered, feeling a chill deep in her bones. The damage to her health was done.

Li Mumumu curled her lips into a faint smile and looked at Lin Siyan, who was struggling with the heavy sack of flour. Just before she could take action, Lin Siyan tripped on her own.

Mumumu dropped the small pebble she had been holding; things had worked out easily enough.

As Lin Siyan fell, the sack of flour landed in the water, rendering it ruined. They had no money, and without the stored grain, they would soon face a crisis of starvation.

When that day came, it would be time for Li Mumumu and her brothers to return to the Gu family.

Li Mumumu stretched lazily. "Cousin, look, what is that?"

"A fish! Wow, what a huge fish!" Gu Yu shouted in excitement.

"Cousin, you’re so amazing! We can have grilled fish for lunch again." Li Mumumu had specifically chosen a large black carp and stunned it before releasing it, making it easy for Gu Yu to catch.

The Li family was green with envy. Why was it that their own family never encountered such good fortune? "You useless waste! You just walked past that spot—how did you not see it?"

Li Fenghua, having been scolded twice in a short time and suffering from foot pain, burst into loud sobs.

"Cry, cry, cry! That’s all you do! Our good luck has been cried away by you jinxes!"

Lin Siyan, equally drenched, had barely reached the bank when she was slapped across the face.