Qin Hanyue stared at Old Lady Qin with wide eyes, her face full of disbelief.
"Mother, where would I get any silver?"
"If there's no silver, just eat whatever is to eat." Old Lady Qin was not unsympathetic to her daughter, and it was just that when she left the Qin Residence, all the silver bills she had hidden on her were confiscated, and now she was also penniless.
Although the daughter-in-law had some silver, she, as the elder, could not bring herself to ask for money from the younger generation.
"Mother, I have a little silver here; why don't I buy some white flour steamed buns from the yamen runners?"
Seeing the usually lively and cute little sister shedding tears for lack of food to eat, the Third Sister-in-law felt somewhat distressed.
"Sister-in-law, don't worry. Let's see what others are doing first."
This was Li Xinyue's intention. All the silver in the national treasury was in her space, so she would not begrudge to buy some white flour steamed buns for her family to eat.
It was just that they had only been exiled for one day so far, and she had not yet figured out the situation with the yamen runners and other exiles, so she did not want to reveal too much of her capabilities.
"He's right. Let's observe first before deciding." Old Lady Qin also agreed with Li Xinyue's proposal.
All the Qin family listened obediently without taking any action, maintaining a wait-and-see attitude.
Speaking of which, the other four exiled families were unlucky.
They had received the imperial edict to confiscate property and exile almost simultaneously as the Qin family, with practically no warning at all. It could be said to be a passing whim of Emperor Shunwu.
Because of this, these four families could be considered penniless.
Escorting exiled convicts was usually a lucrative job.
They had always turned a blind eye to relatives who came to see the prisoners off and were even happy to do so.
Only this way would the prisoners have some money on them.
If the prisoners had money, the yamen runners would profit.
But who knew, after shouting for a while that a steamed bun cost one or two silver coins, not a single person came forth with money to buy them.
In anger, the yamen runners reduced the quota of one free black flour steamed bun to half a bun per person.
The Qin family was fine. Apart from Qin Yichen, they were all women, so their appetites were small.
The sisters-in-law thought that it was fine, even if it was only half a steamed bun, as long as they didn't starve to death.
But when they got the buns in hand, their eyes popped.
Those black flour steamed buns were as hard as rocks. Just biting down would probably chip your teeth...
"Mother, the buns are so hard I can't bite them," Qin Hanyue cried again.
"Yes, Mother, if we have to rely on these kinds of buns for food throughout the journey, I'm afraid we won't die from hunger but from choking."
"Mother, I and Third Sister-in-law have some silver. Why don't we go buy some white flour steamed buns?"
Hearing the words of her daughters-in-law and daughter, Old Lady Qin very naturally looked towards Li Xinyue.
Although she knew little about this daughter-in-law who had just married into the family, Old Lady Qin could see that Li Xinyue had her own opinions.
Li Xinyue slowly shook her head at Old Lady Mo.
"Mother, don't be impatient. Let's watch a while more."
Her words had just fallen when the sounds of a child wailing came from the nearby Xie family group.
The second Sister-in-law hurried over to see what was happening.
"Big brother, what's wrong with Lin'er?"
Xie Chao's eyes were full of heartache. He held out his palm flat to Xie Fang.
"The loose milk tooth that Lin'er had got knocked out by the steamed bun."
Looking again, there were still traces of blood at the corners of five-year-old Xie Lin's lips.
Xie Lin was the Xie family's only grandson, and this child was educated very well, obedient and sensible since childhood.
Xie Fang had married Qin Erlang for only three months when the grievous news came that Qin Erlang had died on the battlefield.
Unfortunately, she did not conceive a child of her own after marrying.
Knowing she would have no children in this lifetime, she devoted all her heart and mind to her sensible and obedient nephew, even thinking of having her nephew provide for her in her old age.
Therefore, Xie Fang's feelings for Xie Lin were deeper than the average aunt-nephew relationship.
Seeing the blood still oozing from the corner of Xie Lin's lips as he cried, Xie Fang's heart ached unbearably.
She snatched the coarse steamed bun from Xie Lin's hand and threw it on the ground, then turned to argue with the yamen runners.
"Although we've been exiled, we haven't been sentenced to death after all, so we still have the right to live.
Giving us these rock-hard steamed buns that have been sitting who knows how long to eat, how are we supposed to stay alive to reach the northwest?"
Li Xinyue knew things were taking a bad turn and hurriedly ran towards Second Sister-in-law.
Because her sharp eyes had already noticed the yamen runners taking out their whips when Second Sister-in-law started reprimanding them.
It could be said she came just in time.
Seeing the whip about to land on Xie Fang, Li Xinyue dashed forward and steadily caught one end, saving Xie Fang from pain and lost skin.
These yamen runners had been escorting prisoners for many years, but this was the first time a prisoner had thwarted them and a young woman.
The yamen runner's face immediately darkened as he turned his pent-up frustration towards Li Xinyue, cursing at her.
Lying prone on the cart, Qin Yichen was like burning coals listening to everything happening.
He even had the urge to get up and stop it.
His tense body was noticed by the attentive Old Lady Mo, who gently patted his back to signal him not to act rashly.
After calming Qin Yichen, Old Lady Qin also went to stand beside her two daughters-in-law.
In Old Lady Mo's understanding, the Qin family men were heroic, and the women could not be cowards. They had to face things together.
Xie Fang knew that her rashness had caused trouble, and seeing the yamen runner about to whip her ninth younger sister-in-law, she quickly shielded her.
"I was the one who said those things. Vent your anger on me alone; don't take it out on my ninth younger sister-in-law."
Li Xinyue was already prepared to resist the yamen runner, but her Second Sister-in-law unexpectedly blocked her unexpectedly.
In her anxiety, she grabbed her Second Sister-in-law's collar and pulled her back while her other hand caught the whip and lashed at her again.
With a clever exertion of force, she wrested the whip from the yamen runner's hand and took it into her own.
The other yamen runners who had been deliberately eating the white flour steamed buns ostentatiously, planning to provoke the prisoners and enjoy the show, now could no longer watch their entertainment since their companion's whip had been seized.
Putting the steamed buns in hand, they drew the short swords from their waists and closed in on the three women.
Li Xinyue's morale surged.
"You bunch of cowards, my Qin family's men shed their heads and spilt hot blood to win you your peaceful days of today.
Now, my Qin family has been framed and reduced to this, yet you people kick someone when they are down, bullying us weak women to flaunt your might.
Looking at your pathetic manner, this is your only skill. If you were sent to the battlefield to contend with the enemy, I'm afraid your heads would have rolled home long ago."
Li Xinyue's words rang with righteousness. Old Lady Qin instantly felt her hot blood boil.
"Well said, this is how a Qin family woman should be."
As she spoke, Old Lady Qin scanned the yamen runners' expressions.
It could be seen that not all the yamen runners were villainous people, some had already quietly put away their weapons and assumed a wait-and-see posture.