Exile after Divorce? Empty the Scumbag Husband First!-Chapter 141 - 139: Giving Them a Few Small Apples from the Baskets
Without Xie Huai’an by her side to restrain her, Ruan Mian decisively took out those few horses from her space in a quiet corner, each with two large baskets for carrying goods.
Besides daily food, she also purchased some special items.
For instance, a little puppy to guard the house, a domestic piglet to improve the wild boar genes, and some little chicks, filling two large baskets to the brim.
In addition, she bought some seeds for spring planting, intending to cross-plant them with those in her space, so as not to raise any suspicions.
With the family welcoming a new member, which is always a joyous event, but without the means to celebrate it until now, Ruan Mian also took the opportunity to buy plenty of red candles and red cloth, as well as items used for the child’s first birthday celebration like combs and ink brushes.
One by one, she procured everything, and before long, the baskets on her two horses were filled to the brim.
She fed the horses some spiritual spring water, patting their manes: "You’ve worked hard. Originally, all these things could have been moved into my space, but we mustn’t raise any suspicions."
The horses seemed to understand her words, twitching their ears and stamping their hooves.
Ruan Mian smiled slightly and took a few small apples from the basket to feed them.
Listening to them crunch away, Ruan Mian felt invigorated. Just then, a furry little kitten came to Ruan Mian’s feet.
It brushed against her with its tail raised high.
Surprised, she picked it up, only to discover it was the one Xie Huai’an had brought.
"Did Mr. Xie only buy a cat besides military provisions?"
None of his own belongings seemed to be purchased at all.
Xie Huai’an smiled slightly: "Aren’t the things that need buying already being handled by the help of Miss Ruan?"
Ruan Mian couldn’t help but laugh: "Mr. Xie is indeed relying on me."
However, she didn’t mind, as it was just another person to take care of.
Seeing that it was getting late and Xie Huai’an still needed to transport the military provisions to the barracks, Ruan Mian didn’t want to delay any further. The two of them, each leading two horses and four mules, left the city.
Thinking about a simple half-month celebration for Jing, she even specifically invited Xie Huai’an.
"Mr. Xie, come over to my house for a meal in a couple of days. Our Jing has reached a month old now, and we haven’t had a celebration! I’ve bought plenty of good food today, so let me know if there’s anything in particular you’d like to eat."
At this moment, Ruan Mian was already contemplating what delicious dishes to prepare that day.
Braised pork knuckle, roast goose, crispy duck, and ginseng chicken soup. Recently, the cabbage and cherry tomatoes in her space have been harvested, and there’s plenty to choose from.
Now that spring is here, wild vegetables on the mountain are in abundance, impossible to count. And just a couple of days ago, Shaoxi even dug up quite a few. Just thinking about their fresh taste is mouthwatering.
However, at such a delightful moment, unexpected guests blocked their path.
They had only just left the city when they were stopped by a few ruffians.
The leader had a scarred face, looking menacing, glaring at Ruan Mian’s bulging bags and sneering.
"This foul woman must have earned quite a lot, just look at all those things she bought. I bet there’s still plenty of silver on her!
You were selling goods in East Market without my permission, didn’t pay tribute to me, and thought you could just leave after earning money? No way!!"
Hearing this, Ruan Mian realized that she had made others envious due to her business.
They didn’t show up when she was selling, but now that she had made money, they came to collect stall fees?
She chuckled softly and calmly spoke.
"Sir, I have no grudge with you. I’m just doing a small business. Why should I pay you tribute?"
"If you want..."
Before she could finish her words, Ruan Mian suddenly saw something emitting smoke being hurled from behind her toward the group of people.
She immediately turned, pulling Xie Huai’an back a few steps!
"Watch out!"
Xie Huai’an’s eyes narrowed, pulling her into his arms. The next moment, an intense noise erupted behind him, like a small explosive detonating.
With a bang, the sudden explosion frightened the bandits blocking the way, causing them to fall back repeatedly.
Immediately, a woman dressed in vibrant red, wielding a knife, burst out, angrily roaring: "You pack of scoundrels! Can you not be decent people and insist on being worse than animals?"
"You rob people of their silver every day. I think you must be tired of living! I’m warning you, I’ve already reported this to the authorities. None of you are leaving. Wait to receive punishment at the government office!! I swear, your ancestors would be turning in their graves because of you!"
What a fierce woman.
The ruffians couldn’t withstand such a scene, burning with anger, ready to fight back when a burly and tall man, like the woman, charged out with a bloody machete in hand.
This instantly made the roadblockers weak at the knees, and they no longer cared to retaliate, running away faster than rabbits.
They quickly vanished into the woods.
Xie Huai’an instinctively shielded Ruan Mian behind him, and the two of them looked at the middle-aged woman.
He courteously bowed in thanks, but before he could speak, the woman snorted, tossed her knife to the ground, put her hands on her hips, and said.
"I originally came looking to settle a score with you, and you two just happened to run into these bastards by misfortune."
"Forget it, I helped you chase away those beasts, so you shouldn’t be stingy with a little token of gratitude, right?"
The two were slightly stunned, clearly not expecting her to turn around and demand money.
To be fair, it was indeed her who bravely chased those idiots away just now.
Ruan Mian was in a good mood today, so she was happy to offer a tip, but she was curious about something.
"Auntie, you just said you wanted to settle a score with me, what do you mean by that?"
The woman stepped forward a few steps, raising her chin to speak grandly, but suddenly her face changed dramatically!
She immediately replaced it with a look of shock, staring at Ruan Mian’s face in disbelief.
"Aren’t you... Mianmian?"
Ruan Mian furrowed her brows slightly. She didn’t recognize the woman in front of her and searched her original self’s memories but found no useful information.
In her confusion, the woman joyfully grabbed her arm, laughing heartily!
"Oh heavens!! Are you really Mianmian!! Oh Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, I’ve poured all my heart and soul, and finally found you in this godforsaken place! Mianmian, my dear Mianmian!"
She hugged Ruan Mian excitedly, tears streaming down her face.
Ruan Mian was bewildered, but at this moment, the woman’s emotions were overwhelming, leaving her with no room to react.
"Mianmian, how many years have I not seen you, but I still remember your face! You haven’t changed a bit since you were little, still just as charming."
"I’ve suffered and gone through so much, thinking I’d never see your family in this lifetime, my brother..."
Speaking of Ruan Mian’s father, the woman suddenly got teary-eyed, calming down a bit from her emotional excitement.
"Are your father and mother doing well?"
After hearing all this, Ruan Mian realized that the person in front of her was indeed her aunt.
