Chapter 7: The Hope of the Entire Class!

Jiang Lili looked into the basket and noticed an “Ele.me” food delivery bag inside.

It was the porridge she had just asked Xiaopang to order for her in the group chat. Madam Yang needed to eat something light and easy to digest.

Food delivery sure was fast!

Jiang Lili took out the cylindrical paper container of porridge. The label on the container read, “Aunt Ling’s Porridge Shop.”

She had initially wanted Xiaopang to order some chicken soup, but after reconsidering, she decided that such rich food might not be suitable for someone as weak as Madam Yang.

Jiang Lili glanced at Madam Yang, who was lying on the ground. Unlike the bailiffs, who had tents to sleep in, the exiles had to make do with a piece of cloth spread on the ground as a bed. How could Madam Yang possibly recover like this?

She needed to discuss a solution with Sister Guan Yue, the bandit leader who had come to her aid. Now that she had a backpack, food was no longer an issue, but proper rest and recuperation were the real priorities.

Jiang Lili unpacked the utensils and asked Xin Che, “Can Mother drink vegetable and lean meat porridge now?”

Xin Che looked at the porridge in her hands and nodded.

“All right, I’ll feed her now. Mother hasn’t eaten much these past few days.”

Just as Jiang Lili was about to stand up, Xin Che pressed her back down.

He took the bowl from her hands. “Rest. I’ll take care of Mother.”

“You’ve had a hard day,” he added.

From his bundle, Xin Che took out a mat, spread it out for Jiang Lili, and even folded some clothes to make a small pillow for her.

Although the setup was simple, the mat was clean and carried a faint scent of soapberry.

Jiang Lili was indeed exhausted. Today’s physical exertion was probably equivalent to what she, a typical office worker, would do in an entire month. Without arguing, she lay down and fell asleep almost instantly, her breathing soon steady and peaceful.

Xin Che draped a piece of clothing over her and then turned to feed Madam Yang the porridge.

Though it was Jiang Lili’s first night after transmigrating, she inexplicably felt at ease.

She slept soundly and dreamed sweetly through the night.

At dawn, as the sky turned a pale gray, the bailiffs began rousing everyone to continue their journey.

“Get up, and make it quick!”

Wang Zifu, the head bailiff, urged his men to chase the exiles to their feet one by one.

“We need to reach the relay station quickly. Bandits are common in this area between Yanzhou and Linzhou.”

This group of exiles numbered over sixty. Among them were the members of the Marquis of Zhaoping’s household, as well as others sentenced for crimes like embezzlement, bribery, and discussing state affairs in private.

Ten bailiffs escorted the group, along with a packhorse to pull a cart loaded with their supplies—food, cookware, tents, and other necessities.

The exiles were given coarse biscuits and thin rice soup, while the bailiffs prepared better meals for themselves. Despite traveling the same road, the disparity in living conditions was stark.

In this era, people typically ate only two meals a day: a morning meal and an evening meal.

For the exiles, today’s breakfast consisted of one coarse rice biscuit each, with children receiving half portions. Busy with the journey to the relay station, the bailiffs distributed the food quickly before pushing the exiles onward.

The early autumn weather remained mild, sparing the group from any harsh conditions so far.

The Marquis’ household, having enjoyed a hearty meal the night before, was in better spirits today. They also had Jiang Lili’s chocolates and candies for an energy boost, giving them the strength to take turns carrying Madam Yang.

Wang Zifu noticed this but said nothing, as it didn’t delay the group’s progress.

For Jiang Lili, waking up early wasn’t much of an issue. Before her transmigration, she had been a dedicated office worker. To avoid the morning rush hour, she would rise at the same hour, even preparing a lunchbox to save on meal costs.

Thinking back to her grueling office life, Jiang Lili optimistically reflected that her current situation, though fraught with danger, spared her from meetings, overtime, and rent payments. All things considered, there wasn’t much to complain about—aside from the heightened risk of dying.

If they could safely reach Yazhou, Jiang Lili could finally start her idyllic retired life of farming and leisure. With that thought, her spirits brightened once more.

After traveling for about an hour, the notification sound of the group chat rang out: “Di-di-di-di.”

[Zhang Xiaopang: Sister Lili, I’ve dropped breakfast into your basket!]

The next moment, Jiang Lili felt her backpack grow heavier.

She reached inside her sleeve and touched the gold hairpin with intricate butterfly carvings. Fortunately, the original owner had hidden a few pieces of jewelry and nine silver leaves on her person; otherwise, Jiang Lili wouldn’t know how to repay Brother Xiaopang.

When the Marquis’ residence was confiscated, the soldiers had strictly monitored them, allowing no valuables to be taken. The silver leaves were originally used by the original owner to reward servants.

Jiang Lili thought, since Xiaopang could send her things through the basket, maybe she could send something back to him as well?

With that idea in mind, she reached into her basket and tossed in the gold hairpin.

The silver leaves were necessary for bribing people along the way, but the hairpin, though valuable, was cumbersome to sell and not particularly useful to her. It was better to give it to Xiaopang. If sold in the modern world, the money from the hairpin would likely be enough for him to support her for quite a while.

When the hairpin fell into the basket, it made no sound. Jiang Lili was about to take off the basket to check when another chat message popped up.

[Zhang Xiaopang: Whoa, a gold hairpin! Pure 24K gold—my eyes are blinded! Sister Lili, did you send this over?]

Jiang Lili breathed a sigh of relief and replied to Xiaopang.

[Jiang Lili: Thank you, Brother Xiaopang. Things are tough for me right now, so take this hairpin for now. I feel bad for asking you to buy so much.]

[Zhang Xiaopang: It’s nothing! You saved our lives; I can’t possibly take this from you. Sure, my family’s seafood business has been affected by the nuclear wastewater situation, but we’re not on the brink of bankruptcy just yet.]

[Jiang Lili: I’m being exiled to Haizhou, a desolate island at the southernmost edge of the Great Sheng Dynasty. There are still over 3,000 miles to go. Please accept it; I’ll definitely need your help to buy things in the future.]

Wait a minute!

After sending this message, Jiang Lili suddenly had a flash of inspiration. In this era, the seas were free from nuclear wastewater pollution—completely pure and pristine!

Sure enough, it didn’t take long before someone else had the same idea.

[Yan Chaoyue (Khan of the Grasslands): So after Lili safely arrives at Haizhou, she could send Xiaopang some fresh, pollution-free seafood through the basket?!]

[Hou Xiaoxiao (Princess of Jin): I have a concubine from Lingnan, and just yesterday, she mentioned how abundant Haizhou’s seafood is. The fish there are incredibly fresh and tender, but because Haizhou is so remote, the seafood spoils before it can reach Lingnan.]

[Vice Monitor (Head Eunuch): Brilliant! Xiaopang, it’s like you were sleepy and someone handed you a pillow!]

Xiaopang, clearly excited by the message, took a while to reply.

[Zhang Xiaopang: Sister Lili, then I absolutely cannot take this hairpin! You’ve become the hope of our entire family! You must make it to Haizhou safely!]

[Hou Xiaoxiao (Princess of Jin): More than that, Lili, you are the hope of our entire group! I’m counting on you to help us set up ancient logistics and have Xiaopang handle all our “purchases”!]

Before transmigrating, Hou Xiaoxiao had been a corporate white-collar worker, and every morning, a cup of iced Americano kept her going. Now that she couldn’t get her fix, she was feeling off.

The group continued to send multiple messages, praying for Jiang Lili’s safe journey, and even tagged Guan Yue, the one closest to her in terms of geography.

[@Zhang Xiaopang: Sister Guan Yue, I’m entrusting Sister Lili to you. If you need anything, just let me know. I’ll be happy to run errands for you! @Guan Yue]

After a while, Guan Yue’s reply popped up in the group, asking for more details about Jiang Lili’s exile convoy.

Jiang Lili explained Madam Yang’s condition and mentioned that the Marquis’ household all needed a proper rest. But, as exiles, that wasn’t going to happen.

The original owner had been the pampered young lady of the Shangshu Mansion. She could hardly run a few steps without gasping, let alone endure days without food. Xin Che and the Marquis also had injuries.

The bailiffs had it tough, but they could still extract a little extra from the exiles to line their pockets.

Many of those willing to take on the job of guarding exiles were unsavory thugs and petty criminals, eager to take advantage of the Marquis’ misfortune. Some even tried to show off their authority by bullying the exiles, and even five-year-old Xin Yan had been slapped a few times, his face pinched red and swollen.

After hearing all the details from Jiang Lili, Guan Yue slapped her thigh in realization and came up with a plan!

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