To the west of the city, there is an alley where the Mu clan lives.
The pouring rain washed away the bluestone road and made it wet. The flowers and trees protruding from the courtyard walls of the houses beside the road were withered and yellow.
Mu Li walked behind Mu Yunhan, observing the surrounding environment vigilantly.
He saw several pairs of eyes peeking at them behind the doors and windows. When he looked over, they hid again.
The courtyard door of a house was open, and a little girl of seven or eight years old ran out with her head sullen. When she saw the group of people, she paused briefly and continued running forward.
A middle-aged man caught up from behind and shouted: "Damn girl, where can you run? If you don't take medicine, you will have no food and no clothes. Do you understand?"
The little girl hesitated for a moment, but chose to keep running forward with her head down.
A tall and thin boy ran towards her, picked her up by the waist, and walked back in a muffled voice.
The little girl kicked him hard and shouted: "Let me go, I don't want to drink that disgusting medicine... I don't want to go to Muhou Mansion... I don't want to die..."
The young man's expression changed drastically, he hurriedly covered her mouth, and looked at Mu Yunhan and others nervously.
Mu Yunhan walked forward without stopping, as if he didn't even notice what was happening.
When Xiaomi and Mu Li saw this, they buried their heads like her and continued walking forward.
The middle-aged man ran past them, raised his palm and slapped the little girl hard twice on the buttocks, and cursed in a low voice: "You debt collector! I asked you to eat and drink hot food, but you are still picky, others
I want to go but I can’t!”
The little girl cried loudly, and after her mouth was covered, it turned into intermittent sobs.
A thin woman stood by the door, watching the scene expressionlessly.
Even when Mu Yunhan and others passed by her, she didn't bother to look at them.
Soon, this family was left behind by Mu Yunhan and others.
Xiaomi shrugged her nose: "Girl, this street smells like medicine..."
She suddenly remembered that the taste was very similar to the medicine Mu Yunhan was taking these days, and her expression changed.
Mu Yunhan nodded: "That's the medicine."
It's the smell of life.
In late autumn, it's time for Mu's annual selection of girls with pure blood.
First, they were fed with the secret medicine of vitality, and then they were all bled. After a test, the girls with the purest blood were selected and brought to the Muhou Mansion for upbringing.
Then choose the best among the best and pick the most perfect one.
This is how Mu Yunhan was coaxed into it.
But at that time, she was not as reluctant as the girl she is today. She went there with the dream of being a priest's wife.
She remembered that there were some girls who were reluctant to go in, but they were usually afraid of pain, bloodletting, and leaving home. No one said they didn't want to die.
Has the situation changed again in the years since she left?
Mu Yunhan was thinking about something and unknowingly walked outside the courtyard of Grandma Guihua's house.
There is only the smell of coldness in the air, and there is no scent of osmanthus anymore.
The sweet-scented osmanthus in the sweet-scented osmanthus family has been bought by Gou Sheng'er a little bit every day, and all of it has been sold out.
The fat aunt hired a doctor for Grandma Guihua and bought a lot of medicine, which she gave to Grandma Guihua every day.
But Grandma Guihua's illness is getting worse and worse. According to Gou Sheng'er, she probably won't survive this winter.
Mu Yunhan put his hand on the courtyard door, wanting to go in, but he was worried about irritating Aunt Guihua.
The door to the courtyard next door opened with a creak, and the fat aunt came out. When she saw it was her, she said, "Go in." (To be continued)