Scientific Travel

When Li Pingle returned, he brought back not only water, but also barbecue.

"Just make do with this meal for now, Daddy will cook you something delicious tomorrow."

Wang Xi didn't say anything, silently eating the barbecue.

Although it was supposed to be a makeshift meal, this bowl of grilled meat was actually delicious and visually appealing.

As she ate, tears streamed down Wang Xi's face. She forced herself to swallow the meat in her mouth and sobbed, "Father, when will Mother come back?"

Li Pingle had no answer to this question either; he could only repeat the word "soon" over and over again.

He was comforting Wang Xi, and also comforting himself.

The two ate very quickly, and neither of them could taste what it was like.

Eating is simply a means to survive.

For three whole days, Wang Moyu did not return, and Li Pingle could no longer wait.

The only problem now is Wang Xi. This is a very dangerous situation, and we absolutely cannot take her with us.

The secret room was very dark, and it was impossible to tell whether it was night or day. Li Pingle could only glance at the sky while cooking.

After finishing breakfast, Li Pingle hesitated several times, pondering what to say.

Wang Xi could tell he had something to say, so she took the initiative to ask, "Do you want to go rescue your mother alone?"

"Yes, but..."

"I promise."

Li Pingle didn't expect Wang Xi to agree so easily; he hadn't even uttered a single word of his prepared explanation.

The prepared words ultimately boiled down to: "Don't worry, I will definitely bring your mother back."

Wang Xi didn't speak or move, letting Li Pingle stroke her head.

Li Pingle didn't have time to marvel at how his daughter had grown up and become sensible; he had more important things to do.

The night before he left, Li Pingle stayed up all night baking pancakes. He took ten for himself and left the rest for Wang Xi.

He pickled a jar of vegetables because the food wouldn't keep for more than a few days; otherwise, Wang Xi definitely wouldn't like eating just pancakes.

At the home of the county magistrate of Xiyecheng.

Wang Moyu was tied to a pillar, and Zou Guangyu lashed her with his whip.

"Do all you county magistrates love building private jails in your homes? Aren't you afraid of being reported?"

Seeing that Wang Moyu still had the energy to joke, Zou Guangyu increased the pressure on his hand.

The whip was like a kitten's tongue, covered in barbs, and had been soaked in salt water overnight before the execution.

The clothes Wang Moyu was wearing were new ones she had changed into after arriving here. They were all white, as thin as gauze, and a single lash of the whip could not alleviate her master's pain in the slightest.

Each lash would tear a hole in the clothes. Zou Guangyu had already lashed them dozens of times, and the clothes were torn in several places, revealing bloody holes.

"It seems I went too easy on you, which is why you still haven't recognized me." The bloodstains fueled Zou Guangyu's anger, and every lash was aimed at exposing her bones.

"How come I didn't recognize you? You're the county magistrate, Zou Guangyu, the one who kidnapped me."

With each lash of the whip, Wang Moyu would let out a painful groan through gritted teeth. Zou Guangyu liked this sound; it made her feel that Wang Moyu was like a cat she could mold and manipulate at will.

The cat's claws have been clipped, and the worst thing that can be done to her is to give her a couple of light taps with her paw pads.

"It seems you really like me treating you this way, which is why you're still joking with me even now."

It's at least 50 degrees Celsius outside; an egg dropped on the ground will turn into a poached egg within half an hour.

In contrast, there was a private prison; perhaps because there were too many wandering souls, I always felt a chilling wind blowing through it.

Wang Moyu's blood and sweat mixed together, diluting the crimson of the blood, making it look somewhat like the color of a lychee.

Zou Guangyu looked at Wang Moyu's body covered in wounds and casually put the whip on the table next to him.

"What's wrong? Weren't you quite talkative just now? Why are you silent now?" Zou Guangyu unlocked the chains binding Wang Moyu's hands. Wang Moyu had no strength and collapsed to the ground.

"Whether I say it or not, it won't change your mind, so why waste my breath?"

It's always like this! Even when it's clearly her fault, she always acts like she doesn't want to argue with anyone, making it seem like it's the other person's fault.

Zou Guangyu hated this kind of look the most.

"I told you, if you can tell me who I am, I won't treat you like this anymore. But you just won't listen."

Zou Guangyu picked up the bucket of salt water used to soak the whip and walked up to Wang Moyu. "Looks like it still doesn't hurt enough."

"Ah...ah ah...ah ah ah..." Wang Moyu couldn't help but scream. The scream seemed to please Zou Guangyu, whose lips curled up into a wider and wider smile.

Zou Guangyu held Wang Moyu's head with his left hand and pinched her cheek with his other hand, forcing her to look at him. "Don't think about dying. If you die, Li Pingle and Wang Xi will bear the pain you haven't had time to bear."

Wang Moyu's clothes were torn to shreds, leaving hardly a good spot on her body. Yet, her flawless skin was fair and translucent, the contrast of red and white stimulating Zou Guangyu's senses.

Wang Moyu's appearance was definitely not something to be seen by others. There was a bed in the private cell, and Zou Guangyu placed her on the bed, applying medicine and changing her clothes all by herself.

Wang Moyu had already fainted when the medicine was applied. A person who has fainted cannot hide their emotions and keeps crying out in pain.

Zou Guangyu gently poked her lips with his finger.

So soft...like braised pork.

"If only you could always be this good..."

Warm moments are always fleeting. The next day, as soon as Wang Moyu woke up, the two of them were back to their tense standoff.

Wang Moyu looked at her intact clothes and the dried ointment, her expression unchanged. "The county magistrate certainly has a refined taste, applying medicine to me while beating me..."

"How shameless is that?"

Zou Guangyu was not angry at her words; instead, he patiently served her the porridge.

"Don't touch me." Wang Moyu slapped the porridge onto the ground. "Are you sick?"

"Yes, I am sick!" Zou Guangyu said fiercely, pinning Wang Moyu's hands down with one hand and pushing her onto the bed. "How could someone who isn't sick have searched for you for so many years! How could someone who isn't sick think about you every single moment of every day! How could someone who isn't sick let you go after you did something like that!"

Zou Guangyu is really something. Why didn't she say these things earlier? If she had, would Wang Moyu not have recognized her?

"Are you Zou Guangye's sister?"

"No."

"Is that Zou Baizhe's sister?"

"..."

"Zou Le's sister?"

"..."

"Zou Yue, Zou Baixiang, Zou Ping, Zou Lequan, Zou Guangyan, Zou Yujiang, Zou Duobian, Zou Zhengze, tell me, whose sister are you?"

Zou Guangyu gritted his teeth and said, "You've been with quite a lot of men, haven't you?"