RWNEFE -Chapter 123 She Is a Daughter of My Shen Family!

Madam Song wore a look of utter disdain. She reached into her pocket, grabbed a small handful of melon seeds, and started cracking them noisily.

She didn’t bother throwing the shells outside either—she just spat them straight into the carriage with a series of ptui, ptui, ptui.

The sight made Shen Congwen’s vision go dark again and again.

“Don’t you dare say he’s from your family,” she said, spitting out another shell with force. “A family like yours couldn’t possibly give birth to someone that outstanding!”

Shen Congwen, his face black with anger, shrank backward. If he hadn’t dodged, her saliva would have sprayed all over him.

“She is from our Shen family. You’ve offended me today—just you wait, you’ll pay for it.”

Madam Song rolled her eyes again. “You’ve gone mad wanting a son, haven’t you? Whenever you see a decent young lad, you want to drag him into your family. Have you ever looked at yourselves—cowards like you—and asked whether you even have the fate for it?”

Anger surged to Shen Congwen’s head. Without thinking, he blurted out, “What young lad? She’s a daughter of my Shen family—my own biological daughter!”

Madam Song froze mid–seed-cracking. The next second, she clutched her stomach and burst into raucous laughter.

“A daughter? Did your brain get rattled? Have you gone mad? Someone that vicious—you dare say he’s a woman?”

“If you said you were a woman, someone might even believe it. But him? Do you believe Liu Laohu wouldn’t punch you straight in the head?”

“Don’t think that just because you’re on the road to exile no one can deal with you. What a piece of trash—someone helps you and you turn around and harm them. Your conscience must’ve been eaten by dogs. Whoever gets tangled up with your family is seriously unlucky!”

The more Madam Song spoke, the angrier she became. Still not satisfied, she flung the melon seeds in her palm straight at Shen Congwen and Zhang Zifen.

After that, she hurriedly shouted out to the yamen runners, “Sir! There’s a man and a woman in this carriage being shameless right in front of me. I don’t want to sit with them anymore—it’s polluting my eyes!”

The yamen runner’s mouth twitched as he bellowed sternly in their direction, “Behave yourselves! If you don’t, all of you go to the very back!”

Madam Song continued cursing under her breath. “The Shen family are nothing but jinxes—dragging me down with them…”

Shen Congwen was so furious his eyes looked ready to pop out of their sockets. What he said was the truth—why wouldn’t this shrew believe him?

“I want to see Young Master Lan. She’s my daugh—ow!”

Madam Song grabbed Shen Congwen, raised both hands, and beat him down without mercy.

“You dare lay a hand on my father! Let go of my father!” Shen Yuanhe rushed forward to save him, only to be slapped hard across the face by Madam Song.

“Shut your filthy mouth! If you dare make another sound, I’ll kick you off and let the horses trample you to death, let the wheels crush you!”

Terrified, Shen Yuanhe clutched her face and shrank into a corner, curling into a ball, not daring to make another sound.

“And you, you old thing—try spouting one more word of nonsense and I’ll strip you naked and throw you out!”

Shen Congwen was furious and humiliated. Thinking of how savage Madam Song had been earlier when she stripped people’s clothes, he could only swallow his rage back down, nearly giving himself internal injuries.

In autumn, day and night смен quickly. Just moments ago the sun had been shining brightly; in the blink of an eye, half of it had already sunk below the horizon.

“We won’t make it out of this grassland. Stop here for the night!”

Chunxue hurried to pass on the message.

The carriages stopped, and Shen Lanxi jumped down from hers.

“Clear out an area!”

“Have people gather firewood—enough to last the whole night if possible!”

“Yes!”

Liu Laohu split the men into two groups: one to clear the ground, the other to collect firewood.

Ahead lay an endless stretch of grassland. When the wind blew, the grass rippled gently.

Shen Lanxi’s gaze sharpened as she looked toward a certain direction.

“Chunxue—coin!”

Chunxue didn’t understand why, but she quickly handed over a copper coin.

The next instant, the coin flew out like a hidden weapon. A few squeaks rang out, followed by movement in several patches of grass.

Chunxue ran over to check. When she returned, she was holding a plump gray rabbit.

“Young Master, we caught a rabbit!”

Shen Lanxi nodded and said quietly, “With so many of us making such a big commotion, the rabbit didn’t even run. That means there are a lot of animals in this grassland.”

Hearing that, some people started thinking about hunting.

“Then there must be even more wolves, jackals, tigers, and leopards.”

Those who had just been tempted immediately gave up the idea.

“There are lots of wolves here—are we really spending the night?” a prisoner muttered.

Liu Yanhui frowned. “This grassland is too vast. Even if we ran all night, we might not make it out.”

Wei Dongzhu said, “The horses are exhausted too. We might as well prepare properly while it’s still light.”

That was the safest course.

Liu Laohu asked, “Should we set up some traps in advance?”

Shen Lanxi nodded. “Yes. Do you know how?”

Liu Laohu smiled sheepishly. “My ancestors were hunters. The skill’s been passed down to me—I haven’t lost it yet.” Along the way, he’d been truly frightened. When they were dealing with the sea bandits, he’d happened to pick up some usable things. He hadn’t expected they’d really come in handy.

“Brother Liu, take some men and set things up. As long as we make it through tonight, we’ll be able to leave the grassland tomorrow.”

“Alright!”

Everyone became busy. Shen Lanxi didn’t stay idle either—she helped Liu Laohu dig pits.

After just two shovelfuls, Shen Yuanhe ran over and dropped to her knees with a thud.

“Eldest Sister, I beg you—please save my aunt. She won’t survive!” Shen Yuanhe cried as she kowtowed repeatedly.

Her voice was so loud that everyone nearby heard it.

Shen Lanxi gripped the shovel and looked coldly at Shen Yuanhe.

“Eldest Sister, I’m begging you. The child in my aunt’s womb is also your flesh and blood—you can’t just stand by and watch them die!”

Liu Yanhui and Wei Dongzhu approached Shen Lanxi with dark expressions, glaring coldly at Shen Yuanhe.

Was this stupid woman brainless?

What good would it do her to expose Shen Lanxi’s identity at a moment like this?

If she wanted to die, they could grant her wish!

“Go collect firewood!” Wei Dongzhu clenched the sword at his waist, grinding his teeth as he restrained his anger.

Shen Yuanhe shuddered, forcing herself not to collapse in fear. If she didn’t plead for her aunt now, she might not have an aunt in the future.

She didn’t want her aunt to die—so she could only wrong Eldest Sister.

“Eldest Sister, I know my aunt shouldn’t have gotten pregnant on the road to exile, but that wasn’t something she could decide alone. Please, for the sake that we’re all blood relatives, one family, save my aunt and the child in her womb!”

Liu Laohu stared at Shen Lanxi in shock, so stunned he forgot to stop her.

Thankfully, someone shoved him, snapping him out of it.

“Making trouble at a time like this—are you trying to get yourself killed?” Liu Laohu cursed as he climbed out of a trap.

Shen Lanxi pushed aside Liu Yanhui and Wei Dongzhu, who were blocking her.

“You kneel before me—does Father know?”

Shen Yuanhe didn’t dare meet Shen Lanxi’s eyes. She hurriedly knocked her head to the ground.

“Eldest Sister, don’t blame Father. I came on my own!”

Shen Lanxi lowered her gaze, her eyes dark and unfathomable, and said slowly, word by word, “So it was you who acted on your own initiative and exposed my identity?”

Shen Yuanhe trembled, panic and fear making her whole body shake.

Grandmother had practically warned them three times a day not to expose Eldest Sister’s identity. If she admitted to revealing it now, would the Shen family still have room for her?