The woman's words initially left the overseer stunned, but he quickly caught on. His hand couldn't help but wander onto the woman's delicate waist, his gaze openly assessing her from top to bottom.
"Coincidentally, there's still a bowl left. Would the lady like to try some?" The woman inquired again, "Are there any bread left?" The overseer pretended to hesitate, but his hand continued to linger on the woman's waist.
Taking advantage of her diverted attention, his hand, which had stopped at her waist, gave a firm squeeze. A soft, breathy moan escaped the woman's lips, as delicate as a feather tickling the heartstrings, sending a tingling sensation down the spine.
"Ah—Miss, your voice could enchant souls. If you were to enter the courtesan quarter, you'd rise to the top in no time..." The overseer loosened his grip. "As for the bread, there's some, but it depends on how well the lady serves."
Despite the woman's unkempt appearance and the unpleasant odor lingering around her, conditions were harsh on the deportation route, and who wasn't a bit malodorous in the sweltering heat? Plus, this overseer hadn't touched a woman in a long time, and someone offering herself so willingly was quite to his liking. With this in mind, he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
No wonder colleagues enjoyed escorting female convicts—not only were the rewards generous and the work easy, but there were also such opportunities along the way. But who would have thought—?
The woman lifted her hand to cover his hand, gently removing it from her waist under his puzzled gaze. "What do you mean by this?" The overseer was about to flare up, but the woman calmly replied, "This woman has already borne a son and a daughter. In terms of appearance, how could I compare to those young and tender maidens? Concerned about inadequate service, it's better—"
As she spoke, her gaze shifted towards Shen Tang. The overseer immediately understood and sneered, "What a cunning woman! You serve, while she drinks soup and eats bread?"
"My lord, you are unaware that this maiden was raised by me."
"Raised by you?" He looked clearly skeptical.
How could a birth mother stoop so low as to push her daughter into the arms of a man for the sake of a bowl of soup and a piece of bread? "The gentleman before made a valid point. At this stage, it's only a matter of time before she faces mistreatment in the courtesan quarter. Instead of letting this girl remain chaste and suffer throughout her life, it's better to ask for the gentleman's help. If you're satisfied, she can endure less hardship on the road." The woman's persuasive words sounded sincere and heartfelt, making it seem as if she were a compassionate mother. The overseer was left bewildered by her words. Could such a marvelous opportunity really exist? Not only could he enjoy himself, but he could also do a good deed and accumulate merit? Shen Tang: "..."
Are you polite? How could you, a woman in her early twenties at most, give birth to a daughter who's only eleven or twelve? If you want to turn her into a brothel girl, just say it directly! Instead, you shamelessly act as her mother! I can't stand it at all!
Unable to keep up the charade any longer, Shen Tang slowly woke up, staring directly at the woman with her deep black eyes. The overseer's gaze wandered between the two. "Why isn't she close to you?" The woman replied, "This child was born with mental illness, sometimes wild and sometimes foolish. She has always been carefully taken care of and has delicate skin and flesh, so she can serve well..."
"Why is her surname 'Shen' instead of 'Gong'?" Not all female convicts were suitable for involvement, and the overseer, out of caution, glanced at the tattoo behind Shen Tang's ear. Not surnamed Gong, and young in age, according to the list of prisoners, she should be just a maid. Unexpectedly, the woman quickly retorted, "She is the eldest daughter of this servant and her late husband before being taken into the Gong family. Naturally, she took her late husband's surname. The master took pity on her for being orphaned and allowed this servant to bring her into the family for care." The overseer: "..." Since she wasn't a significant female convict, he decided to take Shen Tang.
As for this woman... There's plenty of opportunity before reaching Xiaocheng. He also "kept his word," truly giving the woman a bowl of lukewarm meat soup and a piece of bread.
After exchanging greetings with his fellow night watchmen, he led Shen Tang to the back of a small slope in the distance. The night was dark, and only a vague black shadow could be seen. The night watchmen joked, "After you're done, let your brother have some fun too. Don't think about enjoying it alone, huh?"
"Of course, forgetting the benefits is one thing, but forgetting one's brothers is another." Shen Tang's fingers curled at her side, her mind racing. Refusing now might anger these overseers, and the situation would be difficult to control. But if it were done discreetly... it would indeed be an excellent opportunity.
A lone junior official is much easier to deal with than a group. Despite lacking complete memories, Shen Tang's intuition told her that the junior official was her brother! Her eyes flickered slightly, then she silently lowered her eyelids, making an effort to play the role of a mentally impaired fool.
As Shen Tang was led away, the woman was busy slurping her meat soup. When she lifted her head, she happened to meet a pair of deep, dark eyes, as if they could penetrate her soul, leaving her with no place to hide. The woman's hair stood on end as she was stared at. She muttered under her breath, "Madwoman."
Behind the small slope was a field of wild grass, dense and humid, taller than a person's waist. Because Shen Tang was "naturally mentally impaired," the overseer was not worried she would try to escape. Kneeling down, with an anxious expression, he hurriedly bent over to undo his belt. "Uh—"
Before the eyes, a fleeting shadow passed, catching the officer off guard before he could discern what it was. His neck was swiftly ensnared by a coarse hemp rope from front to back. An ambush! How could he have anticipated that Shen Tang would suddenly strike? Yet, even as a mediocre officer, dealing with an attempted escape by a female prisoner seemed straightforward. Immediately, he activated his martial prowess. His arms visibly swelled, muscles hard as rock, brimming with explosive power. This strength, akin to five stones, could easily crush her skull, twist her limbs, and shatter every bone in her body. With effortless ease, the officer snapped the coarse hemp rope, swiftly moving to apprehend Shen Tang. However, to his surprise, Shen Tang's counterpunch was swifter, almost leaving behind a ghostly afterimage. Swift, fierce, and accurate, it struck directly at his jaw, causing a faint sloshing sensation in his head.
Seizing the opportunity, Shen Tang ruthlessly pressed forward, restraining his wrists with one hand while the other silenced his roar by gripping his throat. Crack, crack — there was no hesitation in her actions. Two bone-crunching sounds echoed almost simultaneously. Shen Tang: "..." Watching the officer with his head tilted at a peculiar angle, she momentarily relaxed her mind, feeling a sense of unreality. An inferior officer... Is this all? Is this all? She rolled over and climbed to the side. "This is... too much, isn't it..."
Although she had taken advantage of the element of surprise, things had gone a bit too smoothly. At this point, she had no time to dwell on it.
Hastily searching the officer for anything of value, she found that all valuable items and food had already been confiscated. She bolted in the opposite direction. Escaping was paramount.
Once discovered and pursued, she would have only two options. Either she would have to take down all the officers herself, including the enigmatic third-tier insignia, a path that her intuition told her was not promising. Or she would be captured and brought back, facing a fate worse than death.
As for that woman — she would find an opportunity to visit the brothels in Xiaocheng and pay her a visit!
Shen Tang dashed madly in one direction, gritting her teeth, not even caring about the stones cutting into the soles of her feet. Who would have thought — she hadn't even escaped for half an incense stick's worth of time when she heard the faint sound of hoofbeats behind her, rapidly closing in. Hoofbeats? Wait a minute, the convoy had no horses or carriages, so where were these hoofbeats coming from?
Before she could ponder whether it was an enemy or a passerby, a strong sense of crisis spread from her back to her whole body. Without hesitation, Shen Tang rolled to the right like a donkey, just in time to see an arrow embedded deeply in the spot where she had been standing moments ago. Following the trajectory of the arrow, she saw the leader of the officers, mounted on a horse, with a fierce expression on his face.
Shen Tang: "Damn!"