The beauty who wears fast has many babies

"Xiaoxing, go call Dongfan and his family over!" Wuli clapped his hands, put down the melon seeds he was chewing, and stood up.

"Yes, ma'am." Xiaoxing responded obediently and turned to leave.

Soon, Xiaoxing brought Dongfan and his family to the courtyard, but Dongfan himself was the only one missing. "Meet the madam."

The family huddled together timidly. Dongfan's father, limping on one leg, was supported by a woman beside him, presumably Dongfan's mother. Her hands were covered in cracks, likely the marks of long-term labor. The family wore shabby, patched clothes, looking very down and out.

The children also looked bedraggled. One was biting his finger and timidly looking at Wu Li, as if filled with fear of everything around him. His shoes were badly worn, revealing his dusty toes. The other two slightly older children watched the crowd warily, and together with the young couple nearby, they protected the elderly, women, and children in their home.

Seeing this, Wu Li was filled with sympathy and understood why Dong Fan risked his life to accept the money from his staff. Due to his impoverished family environment, Dong Fan had to take the risk just to give his family a better life.

"Madam, we have no use for the silver my brother brought. I'll return the money to you. Can you let us take his body home?" Seeing that Wuli was reluctant to speak, Dongfan's eldest brother Dongxiang pleaded sincerely while opening the cloth wrapped in several layers.

Wu Li looked at the worn bundle in front of her, the silver inside still emitting a faint glow. She didn't take the money, but turned around and ordered, "Take them into the hall and have dinner first. Xiao Xing, go find some old clothes that were discarded by the Marquis' Mansion and give them to them."

After saying that, he turned to the stunned Dong family members in front of him and said, "Do you really think that this silver alone can buy back Dong Fan's life?"

Wu Li's voice was calm and indifferent, and there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

Dong Fan's family looked at each other, their eyes full of despair and helplessness.

"The crime committed by Dong Fan is intolerable under the national law. Even if I want to let him go, the court will not let it go easily." Wu Li said slowly.

"But, Madam... He is the only pillar of our family. If he dies, how will we live..." Dong Fan's mother burst into tears.

"Mom, it's my fault."

Dongfan's eldest brother was also heartbroken when he saw his mother like this. If he hadn't been sickly since childhood, he wouldn't have been such a burden to the family.

"Brother, it's none of your fault. It's these rich people who have ruined our family!" Dongyang said angrily.

"Shut up!" Dong Xiang scolded, "Don't be rude."

Wu Li sighed softly, "I can spare your lives, but you must leave the capital and never come back."

"Thank you, ma'am, thank you, ma'am..." The Dongfan family kowtowed repeatedly to express their gratitude.

"Xiaoxing, send someone to take them to dinner." Wu Li turned and left.

Dongfan and his family watched Wuli leave with unspeakable pain in their hearts. But Dongfan was gone, and the family still had to live.

"Madam, why don't you just tell them that Dongfan is not dead?" Hui'an asked after hesitating for a moment.

"Don't forget the reason why you let Dongfan fake his death and leave Beijing." Wu Li said lightly.

"Slave understands."

"No matter what Dongfan's reasons are, in the eyes of the emperor, he is guilty of murdering the wife of the Marquis, a capital crime punishable by death." Hui'an suddenly realized.

"Why don't we just not tell this to anyone?" Hui'an thought for a moment and said again.

"You forgot that Dong Fan accepted money from the staff of Prince Rong's mansion to do things for him. What's more, if things go wrong, can Prince Rong spare the lives of their family?" Wu Li explained.

"So, Madam is putting on an act. At least when Dongfan's family leaves the city and is seen by people outside trying to gather information, she can act as if she is heartbroken. The more desperate the better. This is the only way to protect his family." Hui'an's eyes lit up as he spoke.

"Smart! I was worried that telling them in advance that Dong Fan was not dead would alert the enemy. There are many people squatting outside the Marquis' Mansion waiting for news." Wu Li thought that there were people selling things or dressed as beggars squatting at the door of the Marquis' Mansion every day. Aren't they just people from the various nobles' mansions observing the movements of the Marquis' Mansion?

They say a tall tree attracts the wind, and Xiao Cele is a delicious piece of cake. Every day, many people inquire about his whereabouts and preferences, and they all want to send people to the backyard of the Marquis's mansion. With so many people around, it's better to be cautious to avoid any complications.

"Mom, it's so delicious." The three-year-old girl said in a baby voice while gnawing on the greasy chicken leg in her hand.

But no one responded to her. The family sat in a circle, all with their heads down and silent. Dong Fan's mother lowered her head and sobbed.

The low pressure at the dinner table made little Niuniu put down the chicken leg in her hand uneasily, and she timidly called "Mom" again.

"Be good and eat." Xiuniang wiped her tears, touched her head and said softly.

"Eat, everyone. Dong Fan is gone, but our family of eight still has to live." An old voice said hoarsely.

Dong Fan's father had gray hair on his temples and looked much older than his peers. He turned his cloudy eyes and looked at each member of the family one by one, taking in their appearance.

On the right is his wife, who is only 43 years old, but looks like a 60-year-old woman. When they first got married, she was already over 20, which is considered old.

Next up was his eldest son, Dongxiang, now 23. He had been sickly since childhood and unable to do heavy work, so he learned calligraphy from a village doctor. He would often do his homework, copying books from the village academy, earning a few copper coins each month. But he knew he really wanted to make a name for himself and take the imperial examination.

Xiuniang next to them is an orphan. She married her eldest son at the age of 18 and has been married for five years. She is a capable woman, but now she is pale and thin. Next to them are their two children, a boy and a girl, Xiaoniuniu and Ping'an.

The boy was four years old, the girl three. Xiuniang had been injured giving birth to her second child, and she hadn't had any children since. It was the landlord who had wronged her. From the time she became pregnant to the birth of the child, she had only had one egg, a bird's nest dug out of a tree by her third child. The family hadn't eaten meat in years.

Next are the third son Dongyang and the fourth son Dongguang, twins. They are 17 years old this year and are old enough to find wives. The two boys are as thin as bamboo poles.

The owner was originally an outsider and naturally had no land, so he could only earn a living by doing odd jobs. Unexpectedly, he broke his leg in an accident, and the owner not only refused to compensate him, but also refused to pay his wages.

Previously, his wife and children went to beg for money together, but they were beaten out. Since then, the family's life has become increasingly difficult.

Finally, there was his second son Dongfan, who suddenly came back last year and said that he had found a long-term worker. He could bring back two taels of silver every month, and from time to time he would also bring back some fish and meat, saying that it was a reward from the master.

The whole family was very happy until Dongxiang's wife dropped a piece of paper when she was washing clothes for Fanzi. Fearing that it was something important, she quickly took it back. Fortunately, Dongxiang could read and write, and he also taught his brothers to recognize some of the words.

Only then did I realize that Dong Fan had actually sold himself into slavery! He was destined to be a slave for generations! After the truth was revealed, he even begged me to separate him from the family, saying that I couldn't let him ruin the future of his brothers.

He always knew that his children were good, but unfortunately, they were separated from him by heaven.

Thinking of this, Dongfan's father's eyes became moist. He lowered his head and picked up the chopsticks to cover his eyes. He said in a hoarse voice: "Eat. Don't let Fanzi down."

As he spoke, he shoveled the rice in the bowl tremblingly.