Abandoning Wife and Selling Daughter? Turning Around to Marry a Powerful Minister and Wiping Out Your Entire Clan! - Chapter 5:

Zhang Xiaolan had no time to think. She tore off a piece of her sleeve and tied it over Madam Tao’s nose and mouth. Then, she lifted her onto her back and started running.

The fire was too strong. Carrying a grown woman, Zhang Xiaolan had to dodge left and right, losing strength quickly.

She adjusted Madam Tao’s position on her back and looked up. The main beam above them was burning. Zhang Xiaolan steadied her breath—this time, she had to rush out! If the beam collapsed, they would have no chance of survival.

Three… two… one!

Zhang Xiaolan counted silently and used all her strength to charge toward the door!

At the same time, the main beam, which had burned for too long, could no longer support the roof’s weight. It snapped in an instant!

People outside saw someone running out and called for help. Zhang Xiaolan felt a rush of relief—there were people waiting to catch them! They would be safe!

Faster, just a little faster!

As soon as the beam collapsed, the roof began to fall. Pieces of burning wood crashed down, barely missing Zhang Xiaolan and Madam Tao!

She was almost out the door!

But just as she stepped outside, something tripped her foot, and she fell hard!

Madam Tao rolled off her back and landed safely outside the courtyard.

Zhang Xiaolan tried to get up and run, but at that moment, a burning wooden beam crashed down onto her legs!

“Ah!” The moment it hit; she was in shock. Then, the searing heat from the fire on the beam spread to her clothes. A wave of unbearable pain rushed through her body.

She gritted her teeth and tried to crawl forward despite the agony.

But how could she possibly move the heavy burning beam on her own?

Finally, someone outside used a wooden stick to lift the beam. Another person dumped a large bucket of water over her.

The fire on her body was put out, but the pain had only just begun.

The burning pain in her legs spread through her entire body. The smell of burnt flesh filled her nose and throat, making it hard to breathe.

She wanted to curl up, but the pain from her wounds stopped her from moving.

She wanted to grab onto something, but there was only fire around her and water splashing down from time to time.

She wanted to scream, but her throat was filled with thick smoke, making it impossible to make a sound.

Slowly, her mind drifted away. The pain seemed to fade, and everything became blurry…

She dreamed of her daughter—lively, clever, even smarter than herself. Zhou Quan was beside them, unchanged. They were together as a happy family.

Then, the scene shifted. Zhou Quan’s face darkened.

“You are just a servant managing the family’s money. Now that I have a real wife, leave at once! Don’t dirty my sight!”

“Ah, sister seems unhappy,” a woman sneered.

“Ignore her! Tomorrow is our big day. You should focus on pleasing your husband,” Zhou Quan said.

“Oh, you’re so naughty~” The woman giggled.

Watching them flirt made Zhang Xiaolan feel sick!

Then, she was a child again. Her nanny was brushing her hair.

“Nanny, why does Mother only teach me how to manage a household? My brother and sister don’t have to learn.”

The nanny hesitated, then smiled. “That’s because Madam values you. In rich families, the lady of the house must know how to manage everything.”

Zhang Xiaolan felt happy but still had a small doubt—why did her mother only let her manage the shops outside? She was never allowed to handle matters inside the house.

Her hair was neatly done, and she excitedly went to her mother’s courtyard to learn about managing the shops.

That night, she came back with red, swollen hands from being beaten.

Seeing her nanny, she couldn’t hold back her tears. “Mother only loves my sister! When my sister makes mistakes, she just scolds her. But when I make mistakes, she hits me!”

The nanny said nothing, just held her and comforted her. After she finished crying, the nanny treated her wounds and brought her favorite pastries. The little girl smiled and tried her best to eat.

But there was something she never told her nanny—her sister bullied her in secret, saying she wasn’t their mother’s real child, just someone picked up from the streets.

Zhang Xiaolan believed her sister was just jealous of how quickly she learned. If she wasn’t really their mother’s child, why would her mother even let her live?

“Mother, why do you treat me like this?” Zhang Xiaolan murmured in her unconscious state.

The fire had just been put out. Her weak voice was carried away by the wind into the night.

“This woman’s burns are serious, but she can still be treated,” the dctor said. “The problem is that her legs were crushed by the beam. Her bones need to be set, but doing so will delay treating her burns. You need to decide quickly.”

Tao Yi Ming stood outside the courtyard. He didn’t hesitate—he chose to set her bones first.

Scars could be covered with clothing, but a crippled leg would ruin her life.

Nothing was more important than her health.

The doctor, having received approval, immediately began the treatment.

The firefighters had finally arrived, and the flames in the Tao residence were dying down.

Tao Yi Ming stood guard over his mother and Zhang Xiaolan.

He had always felt sorry for Zhang Xiaolan. Although she was born into the Zhang family, sometimes her life was even harder than his. After she came of age, the Zhang family married her off to the Zhou family. They hid the truth from her, letting her believe she was marrying as the lady of the house, not as a concubine.

Even after marriage, he had seen her a few times. Zhou Quan’s gaze toward her was never filled with love, only pretense. But Zhang Xiaolan thought she had found someone who truly cared for her.

Tao Yi Ming had once thought that as long as she was happy, even if it was a lie, it might not be so bad.

But Zhou Quan shattered that illusion too quickly. He even married Zhang Xiaolan’s own servant!

Not only was Zhang Xiaolan thrown out of the Zhou family, but that servant woman also cruelly tried to sell her daughter, Xiang Ning!

Tao Yi Ming had arranged to buy the girl back from Granny Lin, but Granny Lin had planned to profit from both sides.

Just as he was preparing to negotiate, a neighbor came running—his house was on fire!

Xiaolan and his mother were still inside!

By the time he arrived, he saw Xiaolan carrying his mother out, only to collapse at the last moment. His mother was safe, but Xiaolan had been seriously injured!

As people moved around putting out the fire, a shadowy figure slipped away.

Taking several turns through the alleys, the person finally stopped beside a carriage and whispered to the woman inside.

“Madam, that woman is not only burned but also has broken legs now.”

“Mm. Take your payment and leave,” the woman inside replied lazily.

The informant didn’t dare look up. He took the money and hurried away.

“Madam, the Tao family might go straight to Granny Lin to get the girl back,” the maid said worriedly.

“But curfew is about to start,” Shen Ting replied with a soft laugh, like a child playing a game.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

A deep drumbeat echoed from afar.

“The curfew has begun! All citizens must return home immediately…”

“Alright, the show is over. Let’s go back,” Shen Ting said as she lightly tapped the carriage wall.

The coachman turned the carriage around.

The maid admired her mistress even more—her plans were always so perfect.

If Shen Ting knew what her maid was thinking, she would have laughed at her foolishness.