"You want to ask about your husband's poisoning?"
Li Rou nodded. "I wonder if he can fully recover."
Su Ying leaned lazily against the railing and looked at the vast river. "If you hadn't met me, he would've been hopeless. You guys are lucky."
Li Rou's eyes reddened, and she was about to kneel in front of Su Ying.
Su Ying raised her knee and stopped her. "You don't have to thank me again. I'll treat your husband, and you two will bring us across the river. We're even."
Li Rou shook her head. How could she lightly forget the kindness of saving their lives? She silently remembered Su Ying's compassion in her heart.
Su Ying didn't expect her kindness to bring her much convenience in the future.
Li Rou walked into the cabin when Zhang Cuiniang came out.
Apart from Su Ying, they had to thank Zhang Cuiniang for saving them from death. If she had not recognized her and begged Su Ying, Su Ying might not have helped in the chaotic situation.
"Thank you, Cuiniang. You're our family's Savior."
Seeing that her friend was fine, Zhang Cuiniang was content. "There's no need for such courtesy between the two of us. It's good to see that you're fine."
Li Rou held Zhang Cuiniang's hand and realized she had become an exiled criminal. "Cuiniang, tell me what has happened all these years. You... How did you..."
Perhaps it was because she had met a close friend she had not seen for many years. It was like meeting her most familiar family member, Zhang Cuiniang's nerves, which had been tense throughout her exile, suddenly relaxed.
She looked at Li Rou, and her tears flowed uncontrollably.
"Rou Niang, back then, you all said that you envied me for marrying someone who only had eyes and heart for me, but you didn't know that he was an animal! After my father passed away from a serious illness, he revealed his true colors and seized my family's business. He even forced me to hand over my ancestral skills. I refused, and they slandered my child and me for plotting to kill him. They took us to the government, and we were convicted and sentenced to exile..." Zhang Cuiniang said as she started to cry painfully.
Li Rou's heart ached when she saw her close friend from the past encounter such a tragedy. It would be better if Cuiniang was acquitted and she could think of a way to help her to live on. However, Cuiniang was now a prisoner and wouldn't even be allowed in a county town with relatively strict checks...
Li Rou could only sigh in her heart.
After crying for a while, Zhang Cuiniang's anger dissipated. "Don't worry about me. Madam and the others are very nice. Fortunately, I met them. Otherwise, I don't know what would have become of me. Your husband hasn't recovered yet, and your child is still young. You should go and take care of them."
Li Rou held Zhang Cuiniang's hands longingly and nodded her head silently. "OK. Don't be afraid. Everything will be fine." That being said, what kind of place was the northern wilderness...
After Li Rou left, Zhang Cuiniang saw Su Ying standing at the cabin's entrance. Zhang Cuiniang had an apologetic look on her face.
Su Ying shrugged her shoulders innocently. "There's only one path. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
Zhang Cuiniang wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. "I shouldn't have lied to Madam at the start. I said those things in the hope that Madam would accept us."
Back then, she had told Su Ying that her husband had died on the battlefield with Xiao Jin. She had said so, hoping Su Ying would trust her sooner.
"That's not important. I can understand that you have your considerations. But there are some things that we should be more honest with each other in the future."
As long as she wasn't Xiao Jin's mortal enemy, Zhang Cuiniang's identity wasn't that important to her.
Zhang Cuiniang's eyes reddened again. "Madam, Madam is the best person I've ever met."
Su Ying raised her eyebrows. "Do I look like a good person?"
Zhang Cuiniang nodded her head vigorously. "Yes, You are a very good person."
Ha!
Su Ying chuckled. "I like your description." Compared to the 'female devil' that her enemies used to call her, she felt that the label of 'good person' sounded more interesting.
Su Ying pushed open the cabin door and walked in. The two little ones were slightly seasick, leaning on Xiao Jin's, feeling dizzy.
He didn't react when he saw Su Ying.
Xiao Jin didn't feel too good, either. The turbulence of the boat made his stomach churn, but after he circulated his Qi, he suppressed the discomfort.
Su Ying walked forward and picked up Ji, whose face had turned even paler, from Xiao Jin's arms. She reached out and massaged the acupuncture points behind his ears to alleviate his discomfort.
"What's the use of pressing there?"
"Relieving nausea and dizziness. You can also massage Ling like so."
Xiao Jin hummed in acknowledgment. He carried Ling and started to massage her.
Su Ying hummed a tune that no one could understand as she pressed. She seemed to be in a good mood.
"You're pleased?" Xiao Jin couldn't help but ask.
Su Ying's eyes lit up, and she smugly lifted her chin. "What do you see on my face?"
Xiao Jin's dark eyes fell on her face. Her complexion had improved a lot over the past few days. A lustrous and plump complexion had entirely replaced her initially pale and thin face. If she had changed into a new set of clothes, no one would believe she was a prisoner.
When she smiled, her eyebrows danced, revealing an insufferably arrogant air.
Such a smile was dazzling, and Xiao Jin was stunned. He was suddenly filled with curiosity about her past.
"A good person. Are the words "good person" written on my face?" Su Ying didn't wait for Xiao Jin's reply and laughed.
Xiao Jin raised his eyebrows. "They say you're a good person, and you're so happy?"
Su Ying sat up straight and shook her head. "I'm not happy. I just find it refreshing. There's no such thing as purely good or bad in this world. There are only people who fight for their own benefits."
"It seems like you've done a lot of 'bad' things in the past," Xiao Jin said, his eyes dark and unclear.
Su Ying didn't think much of it and asked: "What's considered a bad thing? And what could be considered a good thing? If you want to survive in this chaotic world, without some ability, even if you do something good, people could say that you've done something bad."
Xiao Jin's dark eyes narrowed. He was again sure that the Su Ying in front of him was no longer the Su Ying of the past. This woman had possessed the Su Ying, who had framed him and sent him to prison.
Su Ying didn't know that Xiao Jin had led her to reveal her secret unintentionally.
River Wu was not wide before the flood. Even now, it only took less than an hour to cross by boat.
Su Ying saw that Ji was feeling better and placed him on the bed. She walked to the deck and looked across the river. She could vaguely see tall buildings.
"Get ready to dock."
Zhang Liang's guards shouted and went to the deck to prepare.
Soon, the boat reached the shore.
Su Ying packed her things and carried the two kids out of the boat.
After Li Da made sure that everyone on the ship had disembarked, he sent a subordinate to follow Zhang Liang's guards back and pick up the remaining prisoners.