Chapter 35 - 35 Let's Roast a Pig Leg Together!
Xiang Ying rushed forward and embraced her.
Qi Fengyi didn't stand steady, and the two of them fell to the ground together.
"Let go of me!" Qi Fengyi struggled free from Xiang Ying's shackles, then turned and tried to put her neck into the noose again.
Xiang Ying pounced forward, pinning her down, Qi Fengyi raised her fist to strike but was instead caught by Xiang Ying by the arm.
"I set your arm's bones, not so you could go seek death! Since you've snatched back your life, live it well."
"Do I not even have the right to die?" Qi Fengyi cried out in a collapse of rage.
She wept: "Both my parents are dead, my country destroyed, my family gone. Dragging this broken body around, what's the point in living."
"Since childhood, I've studied the art of warfare and read military strategies. For fifteen years of hard study, I never even had the chance to go to battlefield to avenge my parents."
"At first, they said I was a woman, and that there was no reason for a woman to be on the battlefield. Later, because I was a woman, when faced with disgrace, they disarmed me, leaving me powerless."
"All my learning couldn't protect Xizhou, nor could it protect my parents or myself!"
Listening to Qi Fengyi's hysterical crying, Xiang Ying slowly stood up and let go of her hand.
Her eyes black as lacquered phoenix eyes: "I know when you face a serious setback, there will be thoughts of giving up."
"I stopped you, not wanting you to die like this. Those who bullied you didn't get to taste what revenge feels like at your hands, it'd be quite a pity to let them off just like that."
Qi Fengyi lifted her red, cold eyes to look at her, seeing in Xiang Ying's eyes more like seeing herself.
Both of them had no home.
"People play me like I'm meat on the chopping board; what talk of revenge?"
"There are ways, as long as you want," sparked Xiang Ying's phoenix eyes.
She bent down, gazing into Qi Fengyi's eyes: "Men know you're skilled in martial arts, that's why they disarmed you, because they knew they couldn't defeat you."
"You're not afraid of death, daring to fight, they knew that with swords, spears, clubs, and staffs, they couldn't really kill you, so they tarnished your chastity, breaking through your mental defenses."
"But don't forget, your dignity and courage should be tightly held in the weapon in your hand, not on your body, not beneath your skirt."
Qi Fengyi was stunned.
Her tears fell like rain: "Easy for you to say, you're not the one who was humiliated."
Xiang Ying slowly stood upright, looking into the distance where the bright sun, clear mountains, and clouds were rolling.
"I've been humiliated enough. Only eighteen and caring for three children, my former wealth has vanished like smoke, the title 'Princess of the Defeated Country' being too ostentatious, at first everyone wanted to step on me."
Qi Fengyi's tears had stopped at some point: "And now?"
Xiang Ying lowered her eyes to look at her, smiled, her youthful beauty blossoming.
"They've all learned their lesson."
Xiang Ying stretched out her hand: "Get up, the collapse of Xizhou might not be a bad thing, from now on, you can choose to live for yourself."
Qi Fengyi, as if something had occurred to her, although her eyes were not as downcast as before, she remained silent, relying on Xiang Ying's strength to stand up.
When the two turned to head back, Xiang Ying then noticed Jie Chen had been nearby.
She didn't know when he had arrived.
But Xiang Ying didn't care how much of her conversation he might have heard.
She supported Qi Fengyi, passing by Jie Chen, casually saying: "Military Supervisor Jie, good morning, we've already eaten."
Watching Xiang Ying's receding figure, Jie Chen's brow furrowed slightly.
Who asked her if she had eaten?
Xiang Ying took Qi Fengyi back to the three children.
Xiang Xiuxiu immediately passed her remaining dry biscuits.
Xiang Yuanshuo and Xiang Yuanlang split a pot of clean water for her.
The Seventh Princess, who was talking to Tao Xue, also greeted Qi Fengyi.
Over there Lin Lingxiang was looking after the just awakened Crown Prince Xiang Li, casting a comforting gaze toward her.
Qi Fengyi was suddenly somewhat dazed.
These people around Elder Princess Xiang Ying, each of their faces lacked the dejection and despair of exile.
Moreover, the words that Xiang Ying had just used to persuade her were simply not like what the infamous corrupt Elder Princess could have said.
Xiang Ying stuffed two steamed buns into Qi Fengyi's hands.
"Eat more buns, nourish your body."
"Thank you..." Qi Fengyi hadn't eaten in days and devoured the food voraciously.
Before long, she had also finished Xiang Xiuxiu's given dry biscuits.
The little girl, upon seeing the scene, mumbled stealthily, "She eats even more than me."
The Exile Team continued their journey, facing the scorching summer sun.
The farther they traveled, the more devastation they saw.
Farms affected by the earthquake lay in ruins, white mourning banners hung in the fields, and paper money was scattered along the roads leading deeper into the villages.
The path they were on had been split down the middle by a quake.
The Exile Team had no choice but to detour.
However, at that moment, the Vanguard Team that was responsible for clearing the path lost their way and led them into a deep mountain forest with no visible exit.
As dusk fell, the sky was like a sea of burning red flames.
As the golden sun was about to set, the Military Supervisor ordered the whole team to rest and regroup on the spot.
Suddenly, Tao Xue screamed.
"There are bugs! Bugs!"
Everyone around her was startled, and Xiang Qianqian even patted her chest, "It's just bugs, it's not like you've never seen them before."
She had shouted so loudly that Xiang Qianqian thought another bear had come.
But then Tao Xue said, "The bug is on your shoulder, Fifth Princess!"
Xiang Qianqian glanced over.
A caterpillar as long as a thumb, thick and black, was wriggling on her shoulder.
"Ah—!" Xiang Qianqian, terrified, flailed about, not daring to slap it away, crying out to those around her, "Get it off, get it off!"
The three little ones were amused by her comical panic.
Xiang Ying snorted, mimicking her earlier tone, "What's all the fuss? It's just a bug, it's not like you've never seen one before."
In the end, it was Qi Fengyi who silently walked over, flicked the bug off with two fingers, and then crushed it heavily underfoot.
Xiang Qianqian's face turned pale as she patted her chest, gasping for breath.
"This place is too scary, do we really have to rest here?"
Someone nearby said, "If you think you're capable, go and persuade the Military Supervisor to change his mind."
Xiang Qianqian, feeling discouraged, gave Xiang Ying a look but knew she wouldn't help, so she sulkily sat down on a rock.
The darkness of night fell swiftly.
The Military Supervisor dispatched people to light a fire every five meters throughout the team to prevent wild animals from approaching.
As Xiang Ying was preparing her bedroll, she noticed many poisonous insects crawling through the grass beside her.
If left unattended, they might end up biting the children.
Pretending to be casual, Xiang Ying walked around and gathered a good number of insect-repelling medicinal herbs from the area.
"Tao Xue, take these herbs to Mr. Lin and Yu Pin, and tell them I just picked them. Wearing them can prevent insect bites."
"Yes," Tao Xue hurriedly left to do just that.
Xiang Ying gathered the three young ones and hung sachets filled with medicinal herbs around their necks.
Suddenly, Xiang Yuanshuo's stomach made a rumbling noise.
Xiang Yuanlang reflexively retorted coldly, "It's our big brother's stomach growling, not mine!"
Xiang Ying couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Yuanxiao, look what you've done to your brother."
Xiang Yuanshuo cuddled his belly with his delicate little hands and snorted, "Second brother is heartless. But anyways, what are we eating tonight?"
Xiang Ying thought for a moment, "How about roast pork?"
"Roast pork!?" Xiang Yuanshuo's eyes bulged with excitement, "Where did it come from?"
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Xiang Ying took a pig's thigh out of the package she had brought back from Yu City.
The three little ones jumped excitedly, each taking on a task.
"I'll go gather firewood!" "I'll go bring uncle over." "I'll help mother start the fire."
Xiang Ying smiled and pulled out a dagger from her sleeve.
She first singed the pork over the fire, and then scraped off the charred exterior with the knife.
This left them with crispy fried pork skin, which she handed out to the little ones, earning unanimous praise!
The aroma drifted far, and the surrounding convicts, who had only had a bowl of porridge that evening, could only watch longingly.
Not far off, three Military Supervisors stood in a row, intently watching Xiang Ying's direction.
One of the Military Supervisors patted Jie Chen, "She's getting too arrogant, aren't you going to do something about it?"