The little ladle opened its doggy mouth wide, smiling obsequiously. "Host, what are you talking about! Little ladle would never bear to let you suffer such humiliation!"
Then, it gave Qiao Ci a pill to swallow. "Due to rather harsh innate conditions, the system is kindly gifting you a Bone-Regenerating Pill. Just stay put obediently for three days, and you'll be as good as new."
"What about these three days then?"
"Ahem, Host, please don't rely too heavily on the system. We encourage self-reliance."
As soon as Qiao Ci swallowed the Bone-Regenerating Pill, the beggars who had gone out to work began to return one after another.
Seeing such a vast number of exclusively female beggars, Qiao Ci truly felt that she had arrived in a matriarchal society.
In the past, there were more men than women, and many bachelors. Now, there were more women than men, and a horde of beggar women. Unfortunately, she was one of them.
The original host had just been brought into the beggar den by Qiao Shan, so the beggars were seeing Qiao Ci for the first time. Seeing her face covered in blood and her leg tendons severed, they were so frightened that they all walked around her.
A little girl, upon seeing her, wailed even louder.
Qiao Ci felt deeply touched. Children still possessed a pure heart and couldn't bear to see her in such a wretched state.
However, the little girl pointed at her and cried sorrowfully, "Wuwuwu... Mom, Auntie, that ugly monster stole my little flowered quilt, made my quilt dirty, hurry up and beat her to death!"
Qiao Ci: "..."
I'm truly speechless.
Qiao Ci silently shifted her body, returning the flowered quilt to the fierce little girl, and closed her eyes to recuperate.
After all, if there were a physical conflict, she, an invalid who couldn't stand, would lose dignity fighting in a group.
The adults by the little girl's side saw that Qiao Ci was sensible and didn't really step forward to hit her. After all, having enough to eat was already a problem, where would they find the energy to beat someone?
Seeing everyone pulling out the steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and corn buns they had begged for and wolfing them down in twos and threes, Qiao Ci's stomach rumbled.
Never having been in such dire straits, Qiao Ci's expression stiffened. Just as she was about to drag her crippled body out to find a solution, she found that her entire body lacked strength, and even getting up was difficult.
"Couldn't you have sent me over before the original host broke her legs?" To cover her embarrassment, Qiao Ci began to vent her anger.
The little ladle cried sadly, "Host, please calm down. Little ladle has no control over this. You just need to hold on for three days. Host, you can do it~"
At this moment, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled outside the temple, and soon a torrential downpour began.
"Young master, there's a temple here."
A crisp male voice came, followed by seven or eight boys and girls dressed in opulent attire, looking like drowned rats as they ran in.
Qiao Ci looked up, and one of the young men was particularly outstanding in appearance. The young man had a pair of light golden eyes. In those eyes, light seemed to flow, as if containing countless stars, or as if they were bottomless, making it impossible to fathom what was going on in his inner world.
His figure was slender and upright, tall and well-built, as exquisite as a sculpture!
His demeanor was even more ethereal and refined, like an immortal from the heavens. Just standing there, he could attract the gaze of many women.
The dilapidated temple seemed to be illuminated by his presence.
Dan Qing wrung the water from his wide sleeves, his eyebrows knitted. He shouldn't have listened to his elder sister and come out for a spring outing today.
All the old women in the beggar den were mesmerized, a suspicious liquid flowing from the corners of their mouths.
Qiao Ci heard her own drooling sounds.
Slurp slurp~
Her old face immediately flushed, and then her expression turned serious. Against her face, which was covered in blood, it looked particularly ferocious.
"Oh dear, that woman is so scary!"
One of the noble young masters covered half his face, looking at Qiao Ci with only one eye, fearfully.
Qiao Ci's expression became even more stiff. For the first time in her life, she had the thought of avoiding contact, fearing that her current appearance would frighten that most outstanding young man.
Dan Qing looked over when he heard the sound and saw a disheveled woman with a calm expression but incredibly fast hands pushing her long hair in front of her face. All the blood on her body couldn't hide her... poker face?
For some reason, seeing the woman like this, Dan Qing's heart contracted slightly.
"Be good, Dan Qing, don't look! Her face is covered in blood, don't let her scare you." Seeing her younger brother staring at a beggar woman, Dan Rong glanced at Qiao Ci unhappily.
So bloody and terrifying, she must be ugly enough to scare her brother, which was unforgivable.
"Ah? No." His attention was diverted, and Dan Qing ignored the slight discomfort in his heart.
The group didn't stay in the broken temple for long before the guards who had come to pick up the eldest princess and the young prince arrived, carrying sedan chairs. By then, the rain had also lessened considerably.
Before leaving, Dan Qing glanced in Qiao Ci's direction again and said to Dan Rong, "Elder sister, could you send someone to deliver some food to these poor people?"
"My brother is indeed kind-hearted. Of course, we can." Dan Rong quickly instructed the guards beside her to buy some. She wasn't in a hurry to leave, wanting to create a better reputation for her brother.
In a matriarchal country, the better a man's reputation, the more respect he would receive from his wife after marriage.
Thinking of this, Dan Rong felt worried. Her brother was already eighteen years old, but he showed no interest in marriage at all.
Since waking up after falling into the water three years ago, he had become increasingly taciturn.
After finally becoming willing to speak more, let alone getting food for beggars, even finding jobs for these beggars, as the eldest princess, she would do it without a second thought!
The guards soon returned and distributed the purchased steamed buns and buns.
Qiao Ci held a large steamed bun in each hand, feeling dazed. Was she starting her career as a beggar already?
Dan Qing looked at Qiao Ci's blood-smeared, bewildered face and felt no fear. Instead, he found it strangely a little cute.
Once, someone had ridden across battlefields with him, and blood had also blurred her face...
Dan Qing whispered a few words to the young attendant beside him, took something, and walked towards Qiao Ci.
Qiao Ci watched the little one walk towards her, her expression a little complicated.
Dan Qing walked over and handed the ointment in his hand to Qiao Ci. "A woman should also cherish her appearance. This ointment is for removing scars and might be useful to you."
Qiao Ci took the ointment from Dan Qing's hand, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
Dan Qing...
His name was Dan Qing...
Seeing that the beggar woman didn't even say thank you, Dan Rong felt displeased but didn't say much.
Her brother was finally willing to interact with the outside world. She couldn't be the bad sister who hindered her brother's act of kindness.
After giving Qiao Ci the ointment, Dan Qing turned to Dan Rong and said, "Elder sister, let's return to the palace."
"Alright." Dan Rong smiled gleefully. "I've taken you out for so long, and with the heavy rain, the Empress Dowager must be worried about you. When we get back, I'll surely be lectured again. You'll have to put in a good word for me then."
Dan Qing looked at his elder sister with a rather helpless expression. How could she be like a younger sister? With such a personality, how could she be a ruler of a country in the future?
Unlike that person, who surveyed the world with disdain and was capable of anything...
Thinking of this, Dan Qing's bright eyes dimmed instantly. He got into the sedan chair and left the dilapidated temple.
From beginning to end, he didn't notice Qiao Ci's thoughtful gaze, which followed his retreating figure.