Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 12

Tao Shi couldn’t quite understand. They had finally managed to bring Ah Ning back—wouldn’t it be best for the three of them to live together in peace? Why insist on moving to another house?

“Nanny, I don’t want to leave you either. Right now, Manager Hao can still shield me from the Zhang family, but my household registration is still under their name. What if they use the Zhou Dynasty’s laws to threaten me?” Zhang Xiaolan set down her teacup, turned to sit beside Tao Shi, and gently rested her head on the nanny’s shoulder.

Tao Shi understood. The laws of the Great Zhou were clear—one could not establish a separate household while their parents were still alive. Violating this would result in a three-year prison sentence.

Right now, the Zhang family was merely being held at bay. If they learned that Xiaolan had no intention of returning, just this one law alone could land her in jail.

Not to mention the clothes, jewelry, and silver Xiaolan had brought with her from the Zhang family.

Adding up all these offenses, she might spend the rest of her life behind bars.

Tao Shi’s grip on Zhang Xiaolan’s hand tightened instantly. “The clothes and jewelry you were wearing when you arrived…”

“I already burned the clothes and threw the jewelry into the river,” Zhang Xiaolan replied calmly.

Tao Shi turned to her in surprise. Zhang Xiaolan lowered her head, making it difficult to see her expression.

“Nanny, do you think I’m scheming and deceitful?”

How could she? If those people hadn’t been so ruthless, only seeing Xiaolan as a source of profit, why would Xiaolan have to think so far ahead?

“If we could live peacefully, who would ever want to be so calculating?”

Tao Shi gently embraced Zhang Xiaolan and let out a soft sigh.

Zhang Xiaolan felt her eyes sting, and tears nearly welled up.

Yes, if life could be simple, who would want it to be complicated?

Steadying her emotions, Zhang Xiaolan sat up straight. “Nanny, Xiang Ning and I will be living together from now on, so we need a house close to the Imperial City. Preferably near an official’s residence.”

“The Imperial City? The Zhou family and Zhang family are both in the capital. If you move closer to them, aren’t you walking into the tiger’s den?” Tao Shi frowned, disapproving of the idea.

Zhang Xiaolan shook her head. “They are in the southern part of the palace city. We’ll look for a place in the eastern district.”

It wasn’t that she feared them, but right now, she was alone, and Xiang Ning would be back soon. Facing them directly at this moment would not be wise.

She needed to establish a new household and find a residence in the eastern district.

Tao Shi thought it over—since they already owed Manager Hao a favor, they might as well ask him for more help. So, bringing the silver they had just received, she went back to the embroidery workshop.

Upon hearing her request, Manager Hao said nothing. He simply called a servant and instructed him to help with the matter.

With money in hand, things were easy to arrange.

Thanks to Manager Hao’s connections, Zhang Xiaolan was able to purchase a house in Qinghua Alley. The house wasn’t large—only two courtyards—but it was more than enough for her and Xiang Ning to live in.

Zhang Xiaolan was overjoyed.

When she received the household registration, she hesitated for a moment before thanking Manager Hao.

Perhaps due to his influence, the registration stated that she was the distant niece of Manager Hao, surnamed Zhang.

Zhang Xiaolan silently noted this act of kindness.

With the house secured, she and Tao Shi went out to buy household essentials. Fortunately, the previous owner had left behind some furniture; otherwise, who knew how long it would take before they could move in?

That night, Zhang Xiaolan lay beside Tao Shi and sighed, “Nanny, from now on, I finally have a home of my own.”

The words nearly brought Tao Shi to tears. She paused before feigning anger, “Oh? So, I’ve taken care of you all this time, and you don’t even consider me family?”

Zhang Xiaolan quickly begged for forgiveness, and after some playful bickering, both eventually drifted off into a deep sleep.

Zhou Xiang Ning woke to the sweet aroma of rice porridge. She jolted awake, only to find herself inside a house—not in the wilderness.

Her heart pounded in alarm. She grabbed a small knife lying beside her and quickly hid behind the bed.

It was just a small blade, the kind used in the northern frontier for cutting meat—suitable enough for someone her age to use for self-defense.

From the day she escaped, Zhou Xiang Ning had known one thing: No one around her could be trusted.

She had deliberately dirtied her face, let her clothes turn ragged, and kept her hair in a tangled mess. Wherever she went, people avoided her.

Some even spat at her and chased her away with brooms.

But Zhou Xiang Ning never got angry—this was exactly the effect she wanted.

What she hadn’t expected was that while this kept away trouble, it also meant she couldn’t find food.

Xiaobai, the little snake, was only capable of surviving in the wild. How could he possibly help feed her?

At first, she managed to scavenge a few scraps, but eventually, there was nothing—only dry soil, and not even a drop of water.

She had endured for three days before finally collapsing from exhaustion.

Who had found her? Zhou Xiang Ning didn’t know. But she clutched the knife tightly.

She had sharp ears.

She could hear rustling noises outside, picking up bits and pieces of conversation.

Someone was coming in. Zhou Xiang Ning kept her breathing low and still, waiting for them to get closer.

“Huh? Where did she go?”

It was a girl’s voice.

One of them went to inform the master of the house, while another searched inside the room.

Zhou Xiang Ning was small and skinny. Hidden behind the layered bed curtains, she was difficult to spot.

After a short while, another person entered, questioning the girl about the situation.

Then, all sound stopped.

Zhou Xiang Ning held her breath. Her heart pounded like a drum, making her even more anxious.

She gripped the knife tightly, waiting for the right moment. Once the person left, she would grab food and run.

“Gotcha!”

A voice suddenly rang out near her ear. It was the older girl!

Zhou Xiang Ning immediately lashed out with her knife.

Even if she couldn’t stab them, she had to at least threaten them into letting her go.

That was her plan.

But she was far too weak from hunger. Her strike was feeble, more like handing over the knife than attacking.

The girl easily caught her wrist and yanked her out from behind the bed curtains.

“Let me go! Let me go!” Zhou Xiang Ning struggled with all her might.

But her strength had long since faded, and her resistance felt more like the tantrum of a spoiled child.

The girl pinned her down on the bed and sat on a stool beside her.

“Eat first. You can scream and fight all you want afterward.”

She nodded toward the small table where a meal was set.

Zhou Xiang Ning eyed the porridge warily, but her hunger gnawed at her insides.

She hadn’t forgotten her mother’s words—nothing mattered more than survival.

She deliberately glared at the bowl, pulling a face as though drinking it would spell her doom.

The girl across from her chuckled, took the bowl, and drank a few sips before setting it back down.

“See? No poison. Now eat.”

Zhou Xiang Ning studied her for a moment before grabbing the bowl and gulping down the porridge.

Seeing she wasn’t full, the girl ordered a servant to bring more.

After some time, Zhou Xiang Ning finally felt satisfied.

The girl, still watching her with great interest, seemed to find her eating habits amusing.

Zhou Xiang Ning gathered her strength and finally spoke.

“Who are you? And where am I?”