Sun Juanfang was now thinking about how she could survive more comfortably in the exile convoy. With so many people around and eyes watching, she couldn't just take things out from her dimensional space openly.
In the end, she could only wait for nightfall to use the darkness as cover to secretly take out a bit of food to supplement their nutrition. But she couldn't do too much—after all, if she looked too healthy or her figure didn't change, it would be a glaring sign that something was wrong.
Although Sun Juanfang had psychic abilities, they weren't omnipotent—there was no way to erase the memories of over a hundred people.
Not long after, the group set off again, and Sun Juanfang had to pull her mind back from wandering.
The afternoon journey was especially grueling, especially since she sometimes had to carry a 30-pound child on her back, which was no small burden.
By nightfall, both Sun Juanfang and Ting Jie'er's feet were blistered. In this era, women couldn't casually show their feet, so she gave up on treating the wounds immediately and just hurriedly fed her daughter dinner.
Thankfully, the troublesome mother-son duo didn't bother her that night, so Sun Juanfang assumed it would be a peaceful evening.
But unexpectedly, the eldest branch's six-year-old son, Yuan Ge'er, couldn't take the hardship of travel anymore and broke down crying.
"Mom, I don't want to keep walking like this. Can't you take Bao'er home?"
Looking at her pampered son, Li Yuexi felt miserable too, but she had no choice but to resign herself. As her son's tear-streaked face gazed at her, she couldn't help blaming her father-in-law for their current situation.
But she knew this wasn't the time to complain, so she patiently comforted her son, afraid of provoking the guards.
What she didn't notice was the jealous look in her seven-year-old daughter's eyes.
In the middle of the night, Sun Juanfang tended to their blisters first, then gently woke her daughter. She secretly took out two pieces of malt candy from her space, pretending they came from the package her parents gave her, and handed one to Ting Jie'er.
The little girl didn't question it and happily ate the rare treat, especially since she hadn't had anything good all day.
Just as they finished and were preparing to sleep again, a commotion erupted from the southeast side of the camp.
Others woke up too, and Sun Juanfang rubbed her eyes and pretended to have just been awakened. In reality, she had already used her psychic ability to scout the disturbance.
She discovered that several male members of the Qian family's side branch had tried to escape under the cover of night but were caught almost immediately by the hidden guards.
Only then did she realize that these guards had years of experience escorting convicts—almost no one had ever successfully escaped under their watch.
Wu Darén, the official leading the group, shouted:
"Bring them forward and show everyone the consequences of trying to escape!"
Soon, the guards dragged the escapees in front of the crowd. Their faces were covered in blood, and one man's leg was even broken.
That was only the appetizer. The real punishment followed: the men were tied to trees, and a guard soaked his whip in river water and lashed them until they were barely conscious.
The rest of the prisoners, watching in horror and hearing their screams, completely gave up on any thoughts of escape.
Wu Darén looked at their terrified faces with satisfaction, though his voice remained stern.
"Did you all see what happened? That's the price of trying to flee. And tomorrow—no one gets rations. Since some of you can't behave, you'll all suffer together!"
That was the real blow. It not only served as a deterrent but also cleverly turned the group's anger toward the escapees, turning the prisoners into informants.
No one could sleep in the second half of the night, haunted by the escapees' wails.
The next morning, as promised, only the guards ate their dry rations. The prisoners got nothing.
Some, like Sun Juanfang, had packages from family with food to get by.
But those without any support could only suffer in hunger—and they deeply resented the failed escapees for it.
Sun Juanfang took a flatbread from her pack and shared it with Ting Jie'er, eating slowly with water from their flask.
Zhao Yiniang, hoping to get some food for her son, approached with pleading eyes. Qian Pobo had only given them a bit of water—no food—and the master of the house didn't care whether they lived or died.
"Madam, could you spare a bite for Hongyuan, for the sake of him calling you mother? He will be very filial."
Hearing this, Sun Juanfang couldn't help but sneer. A concubine's son? Not her responsibility.
She thought about how Zhao Yiniang had always used her son as an excuse to disrespect her.
"Forget it. I have a daughter, and I can't afford the burden of your son's 'filial piety.' He's your responsibility, not mine."
Crushed by the harsh rejection, Zhao Yiniang realized she had misjudged the supposedly gentle madam.
But seeing the guards eyeing her closely, she didn't dare argue and left in defeat.
Others watching from the side were also disappointed—they'd hoped to scavenge something from Sun Juanfang too.
But there were always those who preferred force over finesse. One man began plotting to steal her bundle at the right moment.
And when she took Ting Jie'er to relieve herself in a roadside thicket, a tall man quietly followed.
Li Yuexi saw this happen and felt a flicker of excitement. For some reason, she chose not to alert anyone—just waited to watch her sister-in-law's misfortune unfold.
But Sun Juanfang heard the heavy footsteps behind her. Her lips curled into a cold smile.
Perfect. She could finally stretch her muscles a little.
Using her psychic ability, she gently put her daughter to sleep, then prepared to teach the intruder a lesson.
Qian Jiaze hadn't wanted to stoop to this level, but thinking of his starving mother, he forced himself to do it. He told himself he would only take a little—just enough.
As he moved closer, Sun Juanfang suddenly dodged, laid her daughter down, and flipped him over her shoulder with a slam.
What followed was a one-sided beatdown. Every time he tried to fight back, he got punched harder.
After a while, Qian Jiaze gave up resisting. He just hoped she'd stop once she'd had enough.
After a few minutes of pummeling, Sun Juanfang shook out her sore hands and stopped. Qian Jiaze lay on the ground, bruised and barely recognizable.
When Sun Juanfang returned unscathed, Li Yuexi's eyes widened in disbelief.
And when Qian Jiaze stumbled back out with a bruised face, her heart sank. She hadn't expected her once-meek sister-in-law to be such a tough opponent.
But now… she had already made an enemy of her.