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

After a month of non-stop travel, they were getting closer and closer to Youzhou City.

Looking back on this journey, the hardships of enduring wind and rain, sleeping under the stars and moon, need no further explanation.

Looking at the villagers of Peach Blossom Village, if it weren't for Lin Xiaoxiao leading them to find life-saving food, they probably wouldn't have been able to survive until now.

On ordinary days, they lived a very frugal life, having to carefully budget every grain of rice and every bundle of firewood to make ends meet.

However, things are different today. Smoke rises from every household, and the aroma of meat wafts through the air.

Not long ago, the villagers, along with Song Huai'an and others, sneaked into a nearby hill under the cover of night to hunt.

Persistence pays off; they not only successfully captured a large wild boar, but also harvested a variety of small game.

Surprisingly, faced with such a plentiful prey, none of the villagers were willing to taste it, but instead pickled it all for future use.

After all, meat is a precious commodity for people who haven't eaten meat in a long time.

Now, with the Spring Festival approaching, every household has decided to improve their meals a little to celebrate this special occasion.

Despite being in the middle of nowhere, the villagers huddled together, their laughter and chatter creating a lively atmosphere!

Speaking of the Chinese New Year, one cannot help but mention Zhao Yanfang, the chef with superb culinary skills under Lin Xiaoxiao's command.

Under her skillful hands, one delicious dish after another was served on the table, making people's mouths water.

They continued to act as before, gathering all the carriages closely together to form a small and cozy courtyard.

This wall, constructed from horse-drawn carriages, acts as a sturdy barrier, giving people a sense of security and belonging.

In the center of this makeshift courtyard, the family worked together to set up a large table.

The tabletop was smooth and flat, and it was covered with a dazzling array of delicious dishes. These dishes were beautifully presented, fragrant, and appetizing.

It is worth mentioning that the skillful Lin Xiaoxiao specially instructed Zhao Yanfang to stew a pot of tempting braised pork early in the morning and distribute it to the kind and simple villagers of Peach Blossom Village.

The rich, mellow aroma of meat instantly filled the air, drawing everyone to stop and their mouths watering.

When the villagers received this delicious food, which was full of heartfelt sentiment, their faces were filled with gratitude.

They praised the kindness of Lin Xiaoxiao's family and were filled with warmth and emotion.

Throughout this long journey, the villagers of Peach Blossom Village remained grateful and often took the initiative to help Lin Xiaoxiao and her companions gather firewood to alleviate their immediate needs.

This spirit of mutual help is deeply imprinted in everyone's heart.

Faced with this scene, Lin Xiaoxiao was filled with emotion and gratitude.

Meanwhile, Zhao Ming and his group, who were watching the lively scene from a distance, had very complicated feelings.

Especially Zhao Ming's wife, who has always been very self-important, still maintains her arrogant demeanor even now that she is on the run.

She always kept aloof and cold, as if nothing in the world could catch her eye.

When she caught a glimpse of the bustling crowd and laughter on Lin Xiaoxiao's side, she merely glanced at it dismissively before turning her head away and ignoring it.

A maid standing beside her looked on with envy and couldn't help but whisper in admiration, "Look over there, it's so lively!"

Zhou Min snorted and said with a look of disdain, "This is nothing more than self-consolation and barely finding a bit of joy in the midst of hardship."

Upon hearing this, the little girl standing to the side instantly lost her smile, but deep down she was filled with disdain.

He thought to himself: So what if I find some joy in suffering? It's still a kind of pleasure!

Speaking of her mistress, she always talked about doing good deeds and accumulating virtue. Not only did she insist on being a vegetarian herself, but she also ordered her personal maids to be vegetarians with her.

Otherwise, they would not be worthy to stay by her side and serve her.

Back then, these young maids weren't born into wealthy or noble families, but they were still respectable and honest women.

Who would have thought that they would be forcibly robbed by that heartless and corrupt official Zhao Ming, resulting in their household registration being demoted to the lowly status of slaves.

What's even more despicable is that this woman, who constantly preached good intentions, never stopped such evil deeds.

Moreover, because she frequently changed her maids, more and more innocent girls suffered.

Fortunately, Xiaolan was clever and quick-witted. She knew that as long as she went along with the lady's wishes, played her part in the play, and did her best to maintain her hypocritical image, she might be able to avoid being replaced.

In this way, at least many other girls can be prevented from suffering the same misfortune as him.

Thinking of this, Xiaolan tried her best to suppress the feeling of disgust surging in her heart.

He forced a fawning and ingratiating expression and said, "What you say is absolutely right, Madam. Those people only know how to indulge in momentary pleasures and have to pretend to be happy. It's really exhausting to look at them."

Zhou Min's tense nerves finally relaxed a little after hearing the words she had been waiting for.

The slight furrow in his brows relaxed a bit, as if a budding flower was gradually blooming under the gentle caress of the spring breeze.

However, just as her mood was improving slightly, she inadvertently glanced at him.

He was surprised to see that the repulsive Aunt Qian was clinging almost her entire body tightly to Zhao Ming, just like a vine clinging to a tree.

Zhou Min's brows furrowed tightly again, this time even more so than before. Her two delicate eyebrows seemed to be twisted into a pretzel by an invisible force, showing her extreme dissatisfaction and disgust.

Seeing this, Xiao Lan, who was standing to the side, also looked in the direction Zhou Min was looking.

When her gaze fell on Aunt Qian, a deep sense of helplessness welled up in her heart.

Recalling what happened not long ago, the entire Zhao family was facing a critical situation where enemy troops were pressing in and they had to hastily flee the city for their lives.

In this chaotic moment, Zhou Min, the mistress of the house, unexpectedly sent her men to arrest Aunt Qian and forcefully demanded that she leave the Zhao family mansion to make a living on her own.

Zhou Min even shamelessly claimed that she did this entirely out of kindness towards Aunt Qian, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that this so-called "kindness" was hardly convincing.

This Aunt Qian is no fool.

In these chaotic times of war and turmoil, a lone woman without the support of the Zhao family would not only struggle to survive, but would also be filled with anxiety simply by not having two people to support and care for her.

What's even more infuriating is that this lady, who claimed to be doing it for her own good, was so stingy that she wouldn't even leave her a single penny of travel money.

She had always been pampered in the Zhao family and was used to a life of luxury, so how could she be willing to be kicked out at this time?

So, Aunt Qian unceremoniously berated Zhou Min, and then turned around and ran to Zhao Ming to complain bitterly.

However, in Zhou Min's eyes, Aunt Qian was ungrateful and had betrayed her kindness.