The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 135 - 134

Chapter 134

The rugged man glanced at the motionless figure inside the carriage for a moment, then nodded in permission. It wasn’t out of kindness, but because his job was merely to rob, there was no need to cause unnecessary losses.

"Thank you, thank you,"

Bai Lijun murmured in relief. She quickly went to help her daughter stand. "Fei’er, listen to Mother. You must bear the pain and get off the carriage with me. Do you understand?"

Mu Luofei remained silent, her eyes vacant and devoid of emotion, like a lifeless corpse. She had lost all will to live a long time ago, a fact Bai Lijun was painfully aware of but reluctant to accept.

Assuming her daughter had heard her, Bai Lijun used all her strength to help the frail girl stand and carefully walk her down from the carriage. As Mu Luofei rose from the mattress, her previously blank face showed signs of pain intermittently.

Due to the severe injury on her right leg, she could barely move. Even though she put more weight on her left leg when walking, she couldn’t avoid the jolts that aggravated her wound, causing her immense pain.

However, despite the pain, she didn’t utter a single sound...

Bai Lijun watched her daughter’s struggle with a heart that felt as though it was being squeezed, making it hard to breathe. Seeing her daughter in such agony, how could a mother not be tormented?

Soon, the mother and daughter reached the edge of the forest by the roadside. Bai Lijun helped Mu Luofei sit against a large tree to rest for a moment before turning to bring her youngest daughter to sit nearby.

Seeing that the three women were obedient, the bandits decided not to cause any more trouble. They whispered among themselves for a moment before surrounding the carriage, with one of them climbing into the coachman’s seat.

"What are you going to do!?"

Bai Lijun, who had been silent, hoping the bandits would quickly take what they wanted and leave, now felt a growing sense of unease upon seeing the unfold event.

"Do I need to tell you what I’m going to do? Because I pity you, I won’t take your lives. But this carriage and all your possessions are ours now!"

As the leader of the bandits finished speaking, the carriage was immediately driven away, with the bandits following closely alongside.

"Th...this."

Bai Lijun couldn’t believe what was happening. Her eyes widened, watching in shock as the carriage, once theirs, disappeared from sight. She then looked around at the vast, surrounding forest, feeling completely stunned.

Not only were they robbed, but they were also left stranded in the middle of the forest!

"Those vile bandits! May they all meet a terrible end!"

Bai Lijun cursed in fury, biting her lip to control the rage simmering within her chest. Her eyes were as red as a demon’s. At this moment, she couldn’t fight back against the bandits in the slightest. Neither force nor negotiation had any use.

No matter how angry she was, no matter how much she wanted to tear those bandits apart, letting them die in suffering, she was composed enough to know what was most important now.

Bai Lijun took a deep breath, scanning her surroundings. Seeing no sign of any passersby, she decided to walk along the road to find a village.

"Fei’er, you must endure the pain and walk a bit further. We need to find our way out of this vast forest first. Once we find a village, we can rest safely,"

Bai Lijun said to her eldest daughter, helping her to stand and then turning to say to Mu Qin Shuang. "Shuang’er, walk beside me. I’ll support your sister."

Mu Qin Shuang, having calmed down from her earlier hysteria, nodded in response and quickly moved to her mother’s side.

The three of them began walking along the road the carriage had taken. During the long journey, they had to stop occasionally due to Mu Luofei’s condition, along with the growing fatigue and hunger that began to plague them, slowing their pace.

As nightfall descended, they arrived at an abandoned temple. Upon entering, they found several groups already residing there, mostly beggars, homeless people, and the mentally ill, with a few villagers who had stopped to rest for a night before continuing their journey.

Bai Lijun led her daughters to a corner of the abandoned temple to avoid drawing attention. Their feet were sore from walking continuously for more than half a day.

"It hurts..."

Mu Qin Shuang whispered to her mother, pointing to her feet, which she had removed her shoes from, revealing red, swollen soles.

"I know, dear. Just endure a bit longer. Rest tonight, and you’ll feel better," Bai Lijun consoled her, looking at her daughter’s feet with a pained expression.

She put Mu Qin Shuang’s shoes back on and coaxed her daughters to rest. Despite their hunger, they were too exhausted to stay awake, and the three of them eventually fell asleep from fatigue.

After a night’s rest, their exhaustion lessened significantly, replaced by hunger. Bai Lijun inquired with the villagers and others in the abandoned temple about nearby villages or towns for food and directions to the Mu family’s rural temple.

She received quite valuable information from these people and then set off with her daughters to the nearest town, a journey that took just two hours.

When they arrived at the small town, the aroma of various foods hit their noses, causing them to swallow their saliva. As Bai Lijun considered buying some food to eat with her daughters, she suddenly remembered that right now, she didn’t have a single coin to her name!

All she had left on her were a few pieces of jewelry, such as hairpins and a silver bracelet she wore.

Bai Lijun hesitated for a long time. These pieces had some value, but there were only a few of them, likely worth only a few taels of silver, which she needed for the journey to the Mu family’s rural temple.

The money needed for food, medicine to stabilize her eldest daughter’s condition, and travel expenses seemed daunting.

Would it really be enough?

After some contemplation, she decided to find a pawnshop and pawned all the jewelry she had for money. She managed to get ten taels of silver in total.

As Bai Lijun was tucking the money pouch into her sleeve, she was unaware that someone was watching her actions...

With money in hand, Bai Lijun bought two steamed buns for each of her daughters and herself, then took Mu Luofei to see a doctor. The long journey and continuous walking had worsened her wounds, the jolt had caused them to reopen.

She spent over one-third of their money on stabilizing her daughter’s condition for the remainder of their journey. From asking the villagers and some of the townsfolk, she learned that the Mu family’s rural temple, their destination, was only a few dozen li away.

If they traveled by carriage or wagon, they could reach it in just one day.

But if they were to walk, it would take two to three more days...

Bai Lijun looked at her remaining money and then at her youngest daughter’s swollen, red feet for a while. Ultimately, her motherly instincts couldn’t bear to see her daughters suffer, so she spent another portion of the money on medicine to reduce the swelling in her daughter’s feet.

After treating her daughters, Bai Lijun took them to spend the night at a suburban temple before setting out again the next morning.

The reason why she decided to spend a night in the temple was because she intended to save the remaining money for hiring a carriage or wagon to reach their destination, hoping to end their difficult journey.

Despite Bai Lijun’s careful planning, in the end, things often changed unexpectedly...

That same night, while Bai Lijun was sleeping, she suddenly awoke, sensing movement on her body. When she opened her eyes, she saw the thin silhouette of a man standing beside her.

Ahhhh!

"Let me go! Someone, help..."

Bai Lijun screamed in panic and then shouted, hoping someone would hear and come to her rescue. However, she managed only a few words before a rough hand clamped over her mouth, so she could no longer ask for help. The other hand grabbed both her arms to prevent her from escaping.

"I only want something from you. If you scream again, I’ll deal with your daughter, cough, cough." The thin, middle-aged man, who looked like a beggar, threatened, coughing intermittently.

Bai Lijun, struggling to free herself, suddenly stopped. She followed his gaze and saw Mu Qin Shuang bound and gagged in the corner of the room, unable to make any noise.

Her small face was stained with tears and fear, mirroring her expression from the previous kidnapping incident. The sight broke Bai Lijun’s heart again.

"Shh, don’t make a noise if you don’t want to get hurt. Once I get what I want, I’ll leave, cough, cough."

The man warned in a raspy voice before releasing her mouth. He quickly stuffed a wad of cloth into her mouth to muffle any further cries. Then, he slowly reached into her sleeve.

"Mmph mmph mmph."

Bai Lijun, not knowing the man’s intentions, continued to make muffled sounds. As she saw him reaching into her sleeve, fear overwhelmed her, nearly causing her to lose consciousness.

She had no idea what he would do to her!

If she were to be defiled by this filthy man, how could she continue living?!

Bai Lijun struggled with all her might but couldn’t break free. Tears welled up in her eyes, ready to spill over. Her body trembled uncontrollably.

Just when she was about to lose all hope, the man’s hand withdrew from her sleeve. She saw him holding her money pouch, which she had hidden there.

Her money pouch!

So...he only wanted her money!

Realizing she hadn’t been violated, Bai Lijun felt a wave of relief wash over her. However, she quickly became aware of another dire situation.

She was being robbed again!

If she lost this money, she and her daughters would have to walk to the temple for another two days!

And they wouldn’t have any money for food!

Realizing the gravity of the problem that was about to ensue, Bai Lijun’s brows furrowed tightly. She watched the mysterious man in front of her silently, observing his movements, looking for an opportunity to fight back.

Meanwhile, after the thin man had secured the money, his eyes sparkled instantly. He had seen this woman leaving the pawnshop with a large sum earlier that day. Seeing that she was just a woman with children and defenseless, he had marked her as his target since then.

He had secretly followed the three to the suburban temple, waiting for the right moment to strike. Until just now, he had successfully executed his plan.

The thin man carefully and quickly tucked the money pouch into his tattered shirt and observed the woman before him. Seeing that she seemed compliant and understanding of her situation, he released her arms and turned to flee.

However, as he turned, Bai Lijun quickly stood up and grabbed the nearest object, swinging it at him with all her might.

Thwack!

Ouch!

Caught off guard, the thin man was hit and he cried out in pain, stumbling forward and falling to the ground. The money pouch slipped from his shirt and landed on the ground in front of him.

Bai Lijun rushed to retrieve her money, but the thin man, who she thought had lost all strength, was faster, He grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall hard to the ground.

Thud!

Ouch!

Bai Lijun cried out in pain as her cheek slammed against the floor. As she tried to lift herself, a heavy force pressed down on her back.

"Ouch!"

"You wretched woman! How dare you hit me! You deserve to die!"

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The thin man cursed angrily, kicking and stomping on her back repeatedly. Bai Lijun felt pain radiate throughout her body.

Ugh!

"Let me go! Someone, help! H...help me!"

Bai Lijun tried to scream for help, but that made him attacked her more brutally, leaving her unable to fight back.

It hurt...

It hurt so much...

Initially, Bai Lijun still struggled to escape from the assault, but her strength gradually waned as her body was too battered. Her cries for help grew weaker.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, the thin man quickly grabbed the money pouch and ran off.

Bai Lijun, her consciousness fading, watched helplessly as the shadow of the fleeing man disappeared. She swallowed her pain, both physical and emotional, with no strength left to do anything else.

Why did she and her daughters have to endure misfortune after misfortune?

Why were they always the ones who had to suffer?

Why?!

Was she filled with rage?

Yes, she was furious!

She harbored resentment towards everyone who had harmed her and her daughters! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

She harbored resentment towards the fate that seemed like a cruel joke from the heavens!

She harbored resentment towards herself for being powerless to contend with anything!

Why did it have to be them...

Why did they have to face such terrible events together...

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