Before confiscating their property, they emptied the imperial city and exiled them!

In an instant, the river became eerily quiet.

The way the people around looked at the old man who had fallen was terrifying.

After giving everyone a warning look, Lu Hu said, "Ahem! What are you all standing there for?"

Upon hearing this, the convicts looked away from their dazed expressions and picked up their tools again to begin chiseling at the ice.

The old man who had fallen seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and stood up shakily. Without daring to rest, he joined the ice-breaking team.

At this point, even Song Huai'an and the others realized that something was wrong.

Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that not only the elderly in the group, but even the children were tightly bound together with various ropes, connected to the adults.

Su Shi then curiously came over and asked, "What exactly happened to them?"

Song Huai'an said with a worried expression, "Although we don't know what happened, we should still be more careful in the future."

Lin Xiaoxiao recalled everyone's expressions just now and felt they were incredibly familiar.

Just like...

like.

The look in the eyes of those starving people when they spotted their prey during the apocalypse.

Meng Xiuyun, whom Lin Xiaoxiao had helped during the wolf attack, walked over to Lin Xiaoxiao with her daughter.

She and her daughter were both tied together by a rope.

Lin Xiaoxiao looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Meng Xiuyun tremblingly took out a piece of paper from her bosom and handed it to Lin Xiaoxiao.

Lin Xiaoxiao looked at her suspiciously, and after taking it, she found that it was actually a contract of servitude.

Lin Xiaoxiao stared at her in shock: "You're going to sell yourself and your daughter to me?"

Meng Xiuyun glanced down at her daughter beside her, then looked up at Lin Xiaoxiao with determination and said, "Yes, I don't ask Miss Lin for money, I only ask Miss Lin to give me a place to stay."

Protect me and my daughter!

Lin Xiaoxiao hesitated. Although she had money and could support her and her daughter, food was scarce and she couldn't easily take things out of her spatial storage.

Seeing Lin Xiaoxiao hesitate, Meng Xiuyun knelt down on the ground, her eyes red as she looked at Lin Xiaoxiao and said, "Miss Lin, don't worry, my daughter and I will take care of our own food."

"I only ask for a place to stay. From now on, my life, honor, and disgrace are entirely in your hands, Miss."

The daughter beside Meng Xiuyun had an uneasy look in her eyes. Her hands, red from the cold, were tightly gripping the hem of her mother's clothes.

Meng Xiuyun felt guilty because she saw the soft spot in Lin Xiaoxiao's heart.

That's precisely what she admired about Lin Xiaoxiao: despite her own abilities, she never did anything wrong.

They only use their own strength to protect themselves and those around them.

Seeing that Lin Xiaoxiao didn't speak, Meng Xiuyun assumed that she didn't want to leave herself and her daughter behind.

So she stood up from the ground. Her kneeling was to express her sincerity, not to coerce others.

"I was too abrupt. I hope Miss Lin won't blame me. I...!"

Before Meng Xiuyun could finish speaking, she saw Lin Xiaoxiao carefully fold up her and her daughter's indentures and put them into her bosom.

Lin Xiaoxiao squatted down and patted Liu Yue'er's head, then looked up at Meng Xiuyun and said, "I won't give up such a good deal. I just hope you won't regret it!"

Although I don't know what exactly happened on their side last night?

However, since Meng Xiuyun didn't ask for anything in return and stayed by his side with her own indenture,

Lin Xiaoxiao had no reason to refuse if all she asked for was protection from one side.

"No, of course not!" Meng Xiuyun exclaimed excitedly.

She hurriedly pulled her daughter to kowtow to Lin Xiaoxiao, but Lin Xiaoxiao grabbed her arm.

He frowned and said, "I don't like these formalities, but I am grateful. I'll just be more quick and efficient in the future."

Meng Xiuyun nodded with tears in her eyes, moved. She knew that this was Miss Lin's way of saving face for her.

In fact, Lin Xiaoxiao was really not used to someone kneeling in front of her all the time.

But she didn't expect that she would unintentionally move Meng Xiuyun once again.

After accepting Meng Xiuyun, Lin Xiaoxiao began to consider where to settle them.

The commotion just now caught the attention of the Su family.

They simply wanted Lin Xiaoxiao to make her own decision, so they didn't step in.

Now that they saw that Lin Xiaoxiao had kept the people behind, they surrounded Meng Xiuyun and asked her about her well-being.

Meng Xiuyun was caught off guard by this sudden enthusiasm.

Seeing the genuine concern in the eyes of those around her, and feeling the familiar warmth around her, she instantly relaxed.

Liu Cuizhu walked directly to Lin Xiaoxiao's side and said, "Let them stay with me!"

My house is simple, but it's quite spacious.

The place where she and Mu Qingwan lived used to be a warehouse, so it was larger than a regular room.

Lin Xiaoxiao felt relieved to see that Meng Xiuyun's accommodation had been arranged.

Lin Xiaoxiao turned to Meng Xiuyun and said, "Go pack your things first, and come find me later."

Meng Xiuyun nodded repeatedly and excitedly stayed with Lin Xiaoxiao to work, taking her daughter with her.

As supplies on the ship dwindled, the method of melting ice with firewood was discontinued.

Now, both men and women have to break the ice themselves.

Although the tools are limited, they can work in shifts.

The first thing Meng Xiuyun did after resting was to take her daughter back to the cabin to pack her things.

She deliberately wrapped the grain in a pile of inconspicuous clothes, since winter clothes are thick.

From the outside, nothing seems wrong.

Little Yue'er stood obediently beside her mother, holding the package her mother had already packed.

"Hey, where are you headed, sister-in-law?"

Meng Xiuyun knew who the sharp and sarcastic voice belonged to without even turning around.

But all she wanted to do right now was get out of this horrible and disgusting place, so she didn't have time to pay attention to her.

"I'm talking to you, didn't you hear me?" Seeing that she was being ignored, Sun Ning walked over angrily and began to tear at the things in Meng Xiuyun's hands.

Fearing that the food in her bundle would be exposed, Meng Xiuyun had no choice but to stop and glare at her, saying, "Are you sick?"

I'm packing my things here, what are you doing causing this mess?"

Sun Ning: "Who told you not to answer my question just now?"

"Why should I answer you? And what I do is none of your business."

"After all, you had a relationship with my cousin before, so I should at least care about you on his behalf, shouldn't I?"

Mentioning Liu Ziyang and Meng Xiuyun is like swallowing a fly—utterly disgusting.

She deliberately looked at Sun Ning and said, "Indeed, although Liu Ziyang is disgusting, there are always flies that want to swarm around him."

Who knows which young girls are currently fawning over him!

Sure enough, Sun Ning's expression changed immediately after Meng Xiuyun finished speaking.