Song Lianxin didn't know how much time had passed, but she was awakened by the sharp pain in her body.
“Hiss…”
As she tried to struggle to her feet, the intense pain made her gasp.
“Young lady, you’re awake?”
Hearing the sound, the old woman in the room quickly reached out her bony hands and fumbled around on the table, eventually finding the teapot, then a cup. She held the cup against the spout of the teapot and poured half a cup of water, then slowly moved to the bedside, a kind smile on her face: “Young lady, would you like some water first?”
Song Lianxin reached out and waved her hand in front of the old woman, but the old woman showed no reaction.
A blind person!
This old woman was blind!
Song Lianxin breathed a sigh of relief and reached for the teacup.
The moment she reached out, Song Lianxin suddenly saw her hand.
Her originally delicate, fair hand was covered in burn marks and large areas where the skin had been scraped off.
How could this be?
Song Lianxin’s face changed dramatically, and she subconsciously reached for her face.
The instant her hand touched her cheek, both her hand and face were struck by a piercing pain.
“Hiss…”
Song Lianxin gasped again, her eyes wide with shock.
Her face!
Her own face!
Could it be that she was disfigured?
As this thought appeared, Song Lianxin almost broke down and cried.
Hearing the sound, the old woman immediately asked anxiously: “Young lady, what’s wrong?”
“No, nothing, it’s just that I moved my wound.”
Song Lianxin suppressed the urge to cry out in grief and anger, shakily took the water cup from the old woman’s hand, and poured a mouthful of warm water down her burning throat.
“Oh.”
The old woman smiled in understanding, then said apologetically: “I found you fainted at the door when I woke up this morning. I felt like you had wounds on your body, but this old woman’s eyes are no good, and I don’t know how to bandage your wounds…”
Song Lianxin tried hard to hold back her tears, her voice trembling as she said: “It’s alright, I can move my hands and feet. I’ll just bandage them myself later.”
“That’s good then.”
The old woman chuckled and then casually asked: “How did a young lady like you get injured?”
Song Lianxin’s heart tightened. She lowered her gaze and thought for a moment before replying: “I’m not injured, I have leprosy. Don’t worry, I’ll leave immediately and will never infect you, old lady…”
As she spoke, Song Lianxin quickly sat up.
If the Zhao family knew she was still alive, they would definitely try every possible way to find her!
She absolutely couldn’t be found; she needed to find a safer place to hide first.
“It’s alright, it’s alright!”
The old woman waved her hands repeatedly, chuckling as she said: “This old woman is already this old, and has no children, so I’m not afraid of these diseases…”
Song Lianxin was startled and asked in surprise: “Are you the only one in the house?”
“Yes, only this old woman is left.”
The old woman sighed deeply, a hint of sadness appearing on her wrinkled face. “I used to have two sons, but they both died on the battlefield one after another, and I didn’t even see their bones! This old woman cried every day, and after crying and crying, my eyes went blind. Now I just live one day at a time…”
Listening to the old woman’s words, Song Lianxin’s heart suddenly stirred.
If she was the only one in her house, then she could temporarily hide here to recover from her injuries.
After a moment of thought, Song Lianxin continued: “Then we truly are in the same boat. My father and my eldest brother both died on the battlefield. My mother fell ill because of it and passed away not long after! After I contracted this leprosy, my in-laws kicked me out. The government is afraid my disease will spread to others, and they also want to catch me and burn me to death…”
As she spoke, Song Lianxin began to cry softly.
She wasn't faking her tears; she was genuinely crying.
Large tears streamed down her face.
Thinking of her tragic experiences, her tears wouldn't stop.
Zhao Jianzhi!
Zhao Ying!
Shen Jing!
They were all beasts!
She owed her current predicament entirely to them!
There wasn’t a single good man in the world!
She had barely escaped with her life, and she must get revenge!
Song Lianxin cried incessantly, her eyes like those of a vicious wolf.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry…”
The old woman's heart ached as she listened, and she quickly reached out to gently pat Song Lianxin. “If you don’t mind, just stay here with this old woman and recover well. We can depend on each other…”
“No.”
Song Lianxin shook her head, feigning reluctance and crying, “I cannot implicate you, old lady.”
“What implication or not.”
The old woman patted Song Lianxin, comforting her, “This old woman has one foot in the grave already, what else is there to fear?”
“But…”
Song Lianxin paused slightly, then cried: “But the government is also looking for me. If the government finds me, you, old lady, might also have to…”
“Don’t be afraid!”
The old woman chuckled again, “There’s a cellar behind this house. If the government comes, you can just hide in the cellar! In your current state, you’ll definitely be discovered by the government as soon as you go out! You should recover properly first. Once you’re well, you won’t have to fear these things anymore…”
Song Lianxin’s heart leaped with joy. She pretended to hesitate for a moment, then cried: “Thank you, Granny.”
“Ai!”
Song Lianxin’s address of “Granny” made the old woman beam with delight.
The old woman responded, then fumbled her way to the broken cabinet, took out a piece of cloth, and handed it to Song Lianxin, “This is the cloth this old woman planned to use for her own burial shroud. If you don’t mind, use this to treat your wounds first.”
“Thank you, Granny.”
Song Lianxin said pitifully: “As long as I don’t die, I will definitely buy you better cloth in the future.”
“Don’t talk about such things.”
The old woman’s face was full of smiles. “Don’t be afraid, this leprosy isn’t that deadly! When this old woman was young, someone in the village got leprosy, and they still lived well in the end! You should bandage yourself first, this old woman will go make you something to eat.”
“Mm.”
Song Lianxin nodded.
As the old woman fumbled her way out, Song Lianxin quickly tore the cloth, enduring the pain, and bandaged the visible wounds on her body.
Afterward, Song Lianxin went outside and, under the pretext of helping the old woman cook, drew a basin of water to look at her reflection.
She couldn't see clearly in the water.
But even so, she could still see the terrifying burn marks on her face.
Her originally dark and beautiful hair was also burned and messy.
Looking at her current appearance, Song Lianxin felt like dying, and tears once again streamed down her face.
Disfigured!
She was truly disfigured!
This face was once her greatest asset!
Yet now, her home was gone, her family was gone, and her face was disfigured.
Nothing left!
Absolutely nothing!
Hate!
She hated so much!
She hated her own foolishness for believing the lies of Zhao Jianzhi and his son.
She hated those damned men even more!
They were the ones who had turned her into this inhuman, ghost-like state.
She couldn’t die!
She absolutely couldn't die!
If she died, who would avenge her?
If she died, those damned men would only be happier!
Song Lianxin bit her teeth tightly, her heart filled with towering hatred!
She would find an opportunity to expose the Zhao family’s intention to conspire with Prince Ji to rebel!
If she couldn’t have a good life, the Zhao family shouldn’t expect one either!