As soon as these words were spoken, both Liu Xu and Tang Qingning's hearts tightened, and they glanced at Pei Shu'er.
Pei Shu'er wasn't angry; indeed, the original character could have done such things.
But now, if she wanted to use Tang Zan's reputation, she had to ensure Tang Zan didn't die.
She smiled and said, "Mother, sister, you clearly saw just now that it was Uncle who threw Tang Zan into the wolf pack, and it was I who saved Tang Zan from the wolf's mouth."
With these words, the conflict immediately shifted; Tang Zan was no longer in danger, and they turned their eyes back to Tang Peilin and Mrs. Li.
Pity those two who had thrown several exiles into the wolves' mouths before they ran desperately to escape.
Thinking this matter was over.
As a result, Pei Shu'er's one sentence undoubtedly stirred the conflict again.
Old Madam Tang shouted with a strong voice, "Tang Peilin, come here."
Tang Peilin walked over trembling, and as soon as he arrived, Old Madam Tang kicked him in the knee, causing him to kneel unexpectedly.
Pei Shu'er raised her brow, thinking Old Madam Tang truly lived up to her reputation as a general's daughter, being both fierce and just.
Old Madam Tang said, "You just kneel here until you sleep, all the way until Zan'er wakes up."
Her eyes were filled with disappointment; they had just been exiled, and such a thing had already happened.
If it wasn't dealt with harshly, it would only worsen.
Tang Peilin and Mrs. Li glared fiercely at Pei Shu'er, but didn't dare to go against Old Madam Tang.
Pei Shu'er benignly received this glare.
She even responded with a gentle smile to the two of them.
Making them so angry that they could almost grind their teeth into powder.
After everyone else had fallen asleep, Pei Shu'er sprayed some Yunnan Baiyao on her arm and took some anti-inflammatory medicine with Spiritual Spring Water.
Spiritual Spring Water not only stimulates a person's potential but also expedites healing of wounds.
The wolf bite on her arm had already stopped bleeding.
During the night, Pei Shu'er was awakened by the heat from the stove beside her.
Tang Zan's wound had become infected, causing him to develop a fever.
She woke Liu Xu to assist her in fetching water from the river to give Tang Zan a sponge bath and cool him down.
At the same time, she fed Tang Zan some fever-reducing and anti-infection medicine.
The wounds where Tang Zan had applied medicine showed no signs of inflammation, but the problem was the part of his left leg that lacked flesh.
Pei Shu'er mixed Spiritual Spring Water and Yunnan Baiyao in the water to gently wash Tang Zan's body.
The Spiritual Spring Water she had was only the size of a bathtub.
She needed to save it for emergency survival.
She couldn't bear to use all the Spiritual Spring Water on Tang Zan.
She wiped Tang Zan's upper body with Spiritual Spring Water, and was now at his lower leg.
Tang Zan frowned in pain, his starry eyes opened, with dark pupils reflecting the face in front of him.
The person, though somewhat disheveled with a dusty outfit, had a clean face and neat hair, pale skin like snow, and her lashes like raven feathers lowered as she tended to his wounds.
As he saw clearly, the depth in his eyes deepened, a cold gleam faintly reflecting.
It was that woman with loose morals!
This woman had been fraternizing with the Third Prince even after getting engaged with him, and had always mocked his mother and siblings.
If not for the imperial decree of marriage, he would have divorced her long ago.
After the Tang Family fell due to charges of corruption, Pei Shu'er even clamored to see the Third Prince while in prison.
Now, everyone knew about Pei Shu'er's illicit affair with the Third Prince.
Once the Third Prince met with this woman, she cried bitterly, claiming that he deceived her.
Afterward, her personality drastically changed, often mocking the third branch of the Tang family.
When the third branch was summoned for interrogation, she looked on with glee.
She even regretted that they hadn't been beaten to death.
On the road to exile, Pei Shu'er vented all her anger on the third branch.
It was her doing that caused the entire Tang Family to be arrested and exiled!
Even though he had no solid evidence now.
Tang Zan, who had lived freely, had never suffered such disgrace.
If it wasn't for his fever-induced delirium, she would be the first one he'd strangle!
Now, what else did this vile woman intend to do?
Pei Shu'er tended to his body gently and leisurely, as if unaccustomed to these tasks.
Now and then, her delicate and soft hands would brush against his skin.
The coolness from her touch tingled against his burning skin, making his scalp numb.
And as a man, how could he not react to such contact?
He was extremely averse to Pei Shu'er's closeness, wanting to push her away.
But he was too weak, found it extremely difficult even to raise his hand.
He only hoped that Pei Shu'er would hurry up.
But heaven didn't hear his call, as Pei Shu'er meticulously and slowly bathed him.
Finally, she even tied his robe into a delicate, yet odd, bowtie.
He frowned, and soon his consciousness drifted away again.
Then, a sweet and refreshing liquid eased into his parched and burning throat, soothing it significantly.
Before falling asleep, his mind was filled with thoughts.
Was this venomous woman poisoning the water?
After finishing with the medication, Pei Shu'er straightened up, rubbing the back of her neck.
Just then, she didn't know why, but she felt a sudden chill down her neck.
As if some wild beast had a lock on her.
Quickly, she shook her head again.
It must have been her imagination, just her imagination.
The heat was overwhelming indeed, and after a whole night of sleep, she awoke drenched in a sticky layer of sweat.
At that moment, the government officers hadn't ordered them to resume their journey, so Pei Shu'er began deftly weaving a large-brimmed grass hat from the long wild grass around her, ensuring that it would offer plentiful shade from the sun.
Thinking about Tang Zan's frail condition, she worried that further exposure to the sun could lead to sunstroke or worse.
But just as she finished weaving the first hat, an officer struck a gong.
"Time to move, hurry along."
Pei Shu'er quickly gathered more wild grass and stored it in her stash before moving to carry Tang Zan, but Old Madam Tang stopped her.
"Today, Zan'er will be carried in turn by his uncles. With so many men in the Tang Family, it's unsightly to rely on a young lady for such a task."
Tang Peilin, under Old Madam Tang's stern gaze, begrudgingly crouched to carry Tang Zan.
After about fifteen minutes, he handed Zan over to the second uncle.
The second uncle carried him for another fifteen minutes before handing him over to Tang Zan's fourth uncle.
The three uncles gritted their teeth, thinking Pei Shu'er had carried Tang Zan swiftly and for a full half-hour.
Yet when it was their turn, carrying him even one mile felt like a great strain.
It didn't feel too hot when they set off in the morning, but once the sun rose high, everyone's faces started peeling from sunburn.
These uncles had to endure the scorching sun while carrying Tang Zan and walking such a long distance, their feet blistering and bursting open from the strain.
However, their mother's command was not to be defied, and their sense of familial duty was paramount.
They couldn't abandon Tang Zan while he was still alive.
They unconsciously turned their eyes towards the surprisingly strong Pei Shu'er.
Once they saw her, they were stunned.
Pei Shu'er was wearing a large grass hat, her fingers deftly weaving another, like she was enjoying a leisurely spring outing.
Pei Shu'er finished weaving the grass hat and placed it on Tang Zan's head.
Yes, such a large green hat.
Even Tang Zan's fourth uncle, who was carrying him, felt a cool relief.
Pei Shu'er dusted her hands, comfortably stretched her neck.
Then she noticed two little figures standing on her left and right.
Tang Qinghuan and Tang Shuo gazed longingly at Pei Shu'er, specifically at the green hat on her head.
Looking at the sunburned cheeks of the two children, Pei Shu'er felt a pang of softness in her heart.
"Do you both want one too?"