Famine and exile: I brought the Spirit Spring to save the entire Marquis's mansion.

In the end, it was Sang Ning who shouldered everything.

Huo Chang'an was half-dead again, either staring blankly at the sky or pretending to sleep with his eyes closed.

He didn't say a word the whole way.

The sun was high in the sky, scorching people's skin.

The car stopped, and a piece of clothing was covered over Huo Chang'an's face. At the same time, a hand reached in and quickly stuffed something into his mouth.

Tai Sui meat!

Huo Chang'an quickly chewed a few bites and swallowed, feeling both surprised and suspicious.

Through her rough cotton and linen clothes, the girl's forehead gleamed, her eyes fixed intently ahead. A strip of cloth connected to the handlebars hung around her neck. Her body was so slender, yet it seemed to contain boundless strength.

With clothing covering his eyes, his gaze became unrestrained.

He examined the girl's body closely.

There was no clue whatsoever. Where was her food hidden?

Only those two small mounds on the chest could not possibly be hiding anything else.

Huo Chang'an was startled and hurriedly looked away. He had just shamelessly stared at a part of his body that he shouldn't have!

A blush quickly spread across the base of her ears.

Shameless!

At first, Yun Shuixian followed closely behind the cart, but soon she fell behind.

After a while, the car stopped again, and Li Yuzhi took over pushing it.

Sang Ning carried the listless little Jinxiu on her back.

Jin Xin was being carried on Huo Jingya's back, and she fell behind.

Sang Ning and Xie Yurou leaned against each other. Seeing that her lips were pale and her posture was strange, they knew that she must be having an upset stomach again.

She hasn't told anyone about her pregnancy yet; only Sang Ning knows.

I was thinking of talking about it after the pregnancy was more stable, so that everyone wouldn't be worried.

"Third sister-in-law, drink more water," Sang Ning whispered.

"There's not much water left."

"Don't worry about it, just drink it. I'll go look for water when we rest. I know a way to find water, I'm sure I can find it."

Xie Yurou, after all, came from a wealthy family and had never experienced hardship, nor did she understand the severity of the three-year drought.

Humans, animals, and plants are all vying for water; it's possible that even three feet underground is dry.

Hearing Sang Ning say that, she believed it.

They only thought that Sang Ning'er was not at all as immoral and uneducated as others said; on the contrary, she knew more than they did.

So she went to ask for water.

They had two water bags in total, one on Huo Jingya and one on the old lady.

Yesterday, Sang Ning added half a bag of water to each of her water bags.

If you drink it sparingly, one day's supply is enough.

The old lady had to take care of the younger children, so Xie Yurou went to find Huo Jingya.

Before she could even take it, Yun Shuixian snatched it from Huo Jingya's waist, uncorked it, and gulped it down.

"It's gone." She turned the water bag upside down and shook it, then looked at Xie Yurou apologetically.

Xie Yurou angrily scolded, "You can't even find water, yet you drink more water than a donkey!"

The two have completely fallen out, and neither is willing to give the other any face anymore.

"As expected of the daughter of the minor prefect, she speaks rudely and has no manners!"

"That's still better than you, living under someone else's roof without parents!"

These words struck a nerve with Yun Shuixian, who instantly looked aggrieved as if everyone was bullying her, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I can tell you drank the most water, yet your tears are still flowing so freely," Xie Yurou said with disgust.

They still thought she was a cousin of the Marquis's family! The whole family was fussing over her.

They really can't see their situation clearly.

"Shut up, all of you! Xie, you better shut up too!"

The old lady scolded Xie Yurou with a cold face and handed her the water bag.

"Take this and drink it."

Xie Yurou was unconvinced and thought that the old lady spoiled Yun Shuixian too much, not even as good as a proper eldest daughter of a marquis's family. Who was her real daughter?

But after taking the water bag, she fell silent.

Looking at the old lady's cracked lips, I felt very sad.

All day long, the mother-in-law didn't drink any water, only feeding the baby.

My mother-in-law was only fifty years old. When she was in the mansion, she was very well-maintained, with a graceful and wealthy appearance, and still retained her charm.

But now, half of his hair has turned white, he is thin and bony, and his face is weathered.

If Saburo could see this, he would be heartbroken!

"Mother, please drink some water first, don't ruin your health," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

"I'm fine, you drink it."

The old lady looked at the parched earth with a worried and sorrowful expression.

“Mother, don’t worry, my fourth sister-in-law said she has a way to find water.”

"That's what she said?"

"Yes, so please don't be reluctant to drink it. If you don't drink it, I won't drink it either."

Xie Yurou whispered in her ear, "Mother, I'm carrying Sanlang's child, so I can't be careless."

The old lady opened her eyes wide.

Yun Shuixian's eyes darted around. Sang Ning'er was carrying Jinxiu on her back, chattering to herself. Huo Jintang wasn't following his own mother, but instead clung to Sang Ning'er. What an ingrate!

Then look at my aunt, holding hands with Xie Yurou, looking very affectionate like mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

She was full of resentment.

He said bitterly, "I really am an outsider."

Huo Jingya heard it, but said nothing.

She was very thirsty and very hungry.

But the daffodils have already drunk all the water.

"Auntie, Auntie, I want you to carry me. Can Fourth Aunt carry Jinxin for a little while?"

Little Jinxiu climbed down from Sang Ning'er's back and ran over.

"Alright, alright." Huo Jingya put Jin Xin down.

Jin Xin was immediately led away by Huo Jintang.

"Hmph! You call her Fourth Aunt so naturally!" Yun Shuixian said coldly to the child.

Little Jinxiu shrank her neck, thinking about what she had promised her fourth aunt, and didn't dare to speak.

The little hand quietly reached towards Huo Jingya's mouth and quickly stuffed a roasted soybean in.

Huo Jingya swallowed it in one gulp.

I have no idea what I ate!

But the aroma of stir-frying lingered in my mouth, and my stomach immediately started rumbling with hunger.

"Little Jinxiu, what is this?" she asked quietly, turning her head.

"Shh, don't say it. Fourth Aunt said that if you say it, you won't be able to eat it anymore."

No wonder Xiao Jinxiu was listless before, but now she's so energetic. It turns out it's Sang Ning'er again...

How did she manage to hide so much delicious food right under the noses of the yamen runners?

The aunt and niece secretly started eating again.

My goodness, what kind of beans are these? They're so delicious!

Huo Jingya felt she had never eaten anything so delicious.

"Stop! Let's rest here!" Du Shan shouted.

"I remember there's a big river not far from here. Let's go see if there's any water."

He drank all the water in the water bag in one gulp, and couldn't pour out another drop.

The other three were the same; their water bags were all empty.

Their gaze fell upon the Huo family's water bags.

Sang Ning said in a hoarse voice, "Great! We're out of water. If we don't get more supplies, we'll die of thirst!"

"Then why don't you come with us, Fourth Madam?" Du Shan said.

"Okay."

Huo Chang'an's gaze sharpened.

Li Yuzhi and Huo Jingya spoke at the same time: "I'll go too."

"I'm going too!" Yun Shuixian hurriedly stood up and followed.

She didn't want to go, but when she saw that Li Chang was already sitting under the tree and didn't seem to be going, he glanced at her with bloodshot eyes, like a starving wild beast.

She didn't dare stay there at all.