Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 3

“Nanny, help me!” Zhang Xiaolan could no longer hide the exhaustion on her face.

Madam Tao held Zhang Xiaolan’s hand. It was rough to the touch, and when she looked closely, she saw streaks of red on Xiaolan’s fair skin—traces of bl00d.

“Alright!” Madam Tao felt a tightness in her chest. She didn’t ask any more questions and focused on comforting Zhang Xiaolan, urging her to rest first. They could talk about everything else in the morning.

But Zhang Xiaolan refused to sleep. “Nanny, that wretched woman sold my Xiang Ning! Xiang Ning is still so young… Yi Ming has many connections. Please ask him to help me! You and he are all I have left…”

Madam Tao’s heart clenched. “What about your husband?”

Zhang Xiaolan gave a bitter smile. “Would that woman have dared to sell her without his permission?”

Madam Tao supported Zhang Xiaolan, holding her in her arms. She felt nothing but sorrow for the poor girl.

“Good girl, I’ll have someone inform Yi Ming first thing in the morning. If Xiang Ning hasn’t left the city yet, we’ll make sure to keep her here.”

Hearing this promise, Zhang Xiaolan felt overjoyed.

But before Madam Tao could say more, Zhang Xiaolan suddenly collapsed.

Shocked, Madam Tao quickly pinched the acupoint below her nose to wake her up.

It took a long time before Zhang Xiaolan regained consciousness. Her gaze was still unfocused. Seeing this, Madam Tao sighed in relief, knowing she was simply exhausted. She tucked her into bed and let her rest.

After all this, Madam Tao herself was drenched in sweat, both frightened and furious. She fetched some water, wiped herself down, and lay beside Zhang Xiaolan.
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At dawn, the chirping of birds, the crowing of roosters, and the cries of street vendors filled the air.

Zhang Xiaolan lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the roof tiles, casting slivers of light into the room. The window was propped open, letting in a cool breeze.

The door creaked open, and Madam Tao entered with a smile.

“Get up now. I made your favorite breakfast.”

She ruffled Zhang Xiaolan’s hair before walking away.

Zhang Xiaolan still felt dazed. Seeing her nanny like this made her feel like she was a child again.

Back then, she loved to sleep in, but her mother would constantly pressure her to study. If she didn’t finish her lessons, she would be punished by having her palms smacked.

Her nanny always felt sorry for her. She would wake up early to make Xiaolan’s favorite pastries, using them as bait to get her out of bed. One bite of those sweet treats, and she would instantly feel happy and wide awake.

After freshening up, Zhang Xiaolan picked up a pastry from the table and took a bite. The familiar taste made tears well up in her eyes.

Madam Tao quickly wiped them away with a handkerchief.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry. I already sent word to Yi Ming. You know how capable he is. Xiang Ning will surely be brought back safe and sound.”

Zhang Xiaolan blushed as Madam Tao pulled her into a comforting embrace.

When she was little, she always relied on her nanny for comfort. Now that she was grown, how could she still hide in her arms like a child?

Gently pulling away, she reassured Madam Tao that she would be fine. Only then did Madam Tao let her go.

After breakfast, Madam Tao took out an embroidery frame.

“The embroidery shop placed an order. I need to finish this quickly,” she explained.

With nothing else to do, Zhang Xiaolan sat beside her and helped with the stitching.

But deep down, she was still uneasy.
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Knock, knock, knock!

Someone pounded on the door.

Zhang Xiaolan jumped to her feet and ran to open it.

Before she could say anything, the visitor spoke first.

“Madam Tao, Yi Ming said your family needs a maid. He’s already found one for you. Take ten taels of silver and go to Granny Lin’s house in the east of the city to pick her up.”

Madam Tao walked over, and with her silent approval, Zhang Xiaolan hurried to fetch the silver.

Once she stepped out, the messenger left, looking displeased.

Madam Tao didn’t say anything, and Zhang Xiaolan didn’t ask.

They set off toward the east of the city.

Madam Tao lived in the western part of town, a neighborhood for commoners, whereas the east was home to government officials.

Granny Lin had been running a business supplying servant to the wealthy for years. Through her connections, she had even bought a house in the east of the city. She kept well-trained maids there, waiting for buyers.

As they walked, someone suddenly grabbed Zhang Xiaolan’s arm and yanked her to the ground.

“Ouch! You bumped into me! You have to pay for that!”

Her injured palm scraped against the dirt, reopening the wound. Mud mixed with fresh bl00d, sending sharp pain straight to her heart.

She looked up to see a boy grinning at her. His yellow teeth showed as he placed his hands on his hips. His ragged clothes barely covered his bony frame, and his toes stuck out of his worn cloth shoes.

It was obvious—he was no innocent victim. He had deliberately run into her, hoping to extort money.

A crowd quickly gathered to watch.

Madam Tao stood outside the circle, unable to get through.

Zhang Xiaolan didn’t want to waste time on troublemakers. She had more important things to do.

Shakily, she got up, dusted herself off, and stared straight at the thug.

“How much do you want?”

The thug was taken aback by how straightforward she was.

“Ten taels of silver. Give me ten taels, and we’re even.”

Zhang Xiaolan pulled out the money and threw it at him before turning to leave.

But before she could take a step, another person lunged at her, intending to bump into her on purpose.

Did they all think she was an easy target?

With a cold sneer, Zhang Xiaolan flicked her wrist, and a gleaming dagger appeared in her hand.

The man charging toward her saw the flash of silver and immediately veered off course, narrowly avoiding her.

“You vicious woman! You almost cut me!” he shouted in outrage.

“My dagger was right in front of me. If you hadn’t tried to crash into me, you wouldn’t have been in danger. If you act shamelessly, you bring misfortune upon yourself,” Zhang Xiaolan said calmly.

Her icy glare sent shivers through the crowd.

People quickly backed away. The excitement was over, and no one wanted to risk getting hurt.

As the crowd dispersed, Zhang Xiaolan grabbed Madam Tao’s hand and rushed forward.

At this moment, if anyone dared to block her way, she would cut them down!

Seeing the dagger in her grip, no one dared approach. They all kept their distance.

Finally, Granny Lin’s house came into view.

Zhang Xiaolan sighed in relief. They had arrived at last!

The estate was surprisingly large, with three courtyards. A plaque above the entrance read “Lin Residence,” but there was also a mourning banner hanging at the gate, which seemed odd.

Still, this was a place of business, and there were no guards. Anyone could simply knock.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xiaolan straightened her posture.

She lifted the door knocker and knocked three times.

“Who is it?” a gruff voice demanded from inside.

Madam Tao stepped forward. “I’m from Tao Yi Ming’s family. We’re here to pick up a maid.”

Zhang Xiaolan lowered her head and followed closely behind Madam Tao.

Inside, a woman stepped out from a side room.

She wore fine cotton clothing, a thick silver bracelet on her wrist, and a silver hairpin in her neatly combed hair. Her face was smooth, her eyes curved in a constant smile, and when she grinned, dimples appeared on her cheeks.

She gave off an air of warmth and friendliness.

As Zhang Xiaolan followed Madam Tao, the woman spoke with a smile.

“You are truly fortunate. The Tao family son is so filial, even getting you a maid to serve you.”

She glanced at Zhang Xiaolan and chuckled behind her silk handkerchief.

“But tell me, where did you buy this servant? She has such a noble posture. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was a lady from a wealthy household!”