MTSAMAPOC Chapter 25

The sky quickly brightened.

The carriage stopped.

Jiang Shouzhuo sat up, stretched, and looked at the carriage floor.

Ying Wutu was already dressed, wrapped in a blanket, hugging his knees in a corner of the carriage. The cloth used to gag him during the first half of the night was now neatly folded and placed on the floor beside him.

Hearing the noise, Ying Wutu opened his eyes, but after a quick glance, he lowered his head again, staring at the folded cloth on the floor.

The carriage door opened, and breakfast and water for washing were placed inside. The door then closed again.

Ying Wutu peeked and saw an extra cup on the breakfast tray.

Would the wicked woman let him drink it?

He wondered if the guards had put a note under the cup again today, just like yesterday. Were they caught? Were they still alive?

Jiang Shouzhuo noticed the little rabbit’s gaze and, while leisurely eating breakfast, asked nonchalantly, “Plotting mischief again? Wondering who will send you a message today, asking you to plan my murder?”

Ying Wutu shrank even smaller, his wounds aching anew.

The wicked woman was ruthless. These wounds wouldn’t heal for at least ten days to half a month.

“Not talking? Let’s play a game. Under these two cups are notes, one a punishment, the other a reward. Left or right?” Jiang Shouzhuo pointed at the two cups of milk, her tone playful.

“What reward?” Ying Wutu asked first. Last night, after having his tendons cut, his eyes were filled with despair. Now, hearing about a reward, his eyes lit up with hope, almost sparkling.

“What do you hope the reward is?” Jiang Shouzhuo found teasing him the most entertaining.

“Can you release me?” Ying Wutu’s greatest hope was this, so he blurted it out when the wicked woman asked.

Jiang Shouzhuo paused, then laughed. She put down the biscuit she was eating, dusted off her hands, and beckoned to the little rabbit.

Ying Wutu moved forward two steps, coming before her, unsure of her intentions.

Jiang Shouzhuo grabbed the little rabbit’s ear, twisting it in front of her, and smiled at the reddened ear, “Have I been too kind to you?”

Ying Wutu cried out several times, quickly begging for mercy, “I won’t dare, I won’t dare.”

Jiang Shouzhuo then let go.

Ying Wutu hurriedly covered his reddened ear with his hand. Though his fingers had no strength, he could still rub his ear with his palm. He pouted and mumbled softly, “Didn’t you ask me…”

Why hit him suddenly?

But he dared not complain. Falling into the wicked woman’s hands meant she could beat him whenever she wanted.

No reason needed.

“What are you mumbling about?” Jiang Shouzhuo heard but didn’t care. She continued, “Hurry up and choose; my patience is limited.”

Ying Wutu’s right hand still covered his ear, while his left hand hovered indecisively over the two cups.

He even worried that both notes under the cups were punishments.

The wicked woman had broken promises before, like with Lieutenant Yao, who had died miserably.

“Hurry up!” Jiang Shouzhuo had finished her biscuit.

“Left… no, right… no, left.” Ying Wutu had to gamble.

He bet on getting the reward and that the wicked woman hadn’t written punishment on both notes.

Jiang Shouzhuo lifted the left cup, opened the note, laughed, and placed the cup and note on the floor.

Ying Wutu picked up the note, but the writing was face down. He couldn’t pick it up with his fingers, so he used his nails to flip a corner and saw the word “medicine.”

“It’s a reward!” Ying Wutu’s eyes sparkled as he looked at her, marveling at his luck. He reached out for the medicine.

Jiang Shouzhuo looked at his hand, fingers weakly curled, the wound on his wrist scabbed over. Her gaze followed his arm to his excited face.

How could this fool be sometimes cunning and sometimes naive?

Last night’s beating had left him half-dead, with wounds too severe to heal on their own. Now, a little medicine made him happy again?

Where did his joy come from? Was it because he guessed the right note?

Jiang Shouzhuo pointed to a small cabinet under the table, “Get it yourself.”

Ying Wutu nodded eagerly, his stomach growling.

He should drink the milk while it’s hot. Given his current condition, he might faint if he didn’t eat something soon.

But his fingers couldn’t grip the cup, so he used both palms to hold it, like a little dog begging for food, taking small sips until he finished the whole cup of milk.

His stomach felt much better now.

Ying Wutu took out the medicine from the cabinet and carefully undressed, looking down at the two whip marks on his chest.

He sighed.

After a night, the whip wounds were still severe, some still bleeding, unable to scab over. Stitches would have been helpful, but the wicked woman planned to whip him again tonight, rendering stitches useless.

Using his weak fingers, Ying Wutu carefully applied the ointment to himself.

Jiang Shouzhuo watched him apply the medicine.

His life-preserving demeanor contrasted starkly with his desperate attitude from the previous night.

Ying Wutu felt a predatory gaze on him. He looked up quickly, then lowered his head again.

“Why are you looking at me?” Jiang Shouzhuo asked.

Clearly, she had been staring at him first, not making any sense.

“I… I…” Ying Wutu hesitated, making an excuse, “I wanted to know what the punishment note said.”

Jiang Shouzhuo had just finished the last sip of milk. She pressed the cup bottom on the folded note, her eyes showing a doting smile.

“It was three slaps.”

Ying Wutu shivered.

Three slaps!

The wicked woman’s strikes were harsh. Three lashes last night nearly killed him, and a single slap had left him seeing stars. If he endured three more slaps now… he might go deaf.

Fortunately, he had good luck and chose the reward, not the punishment.

Otherwise, things would be much worse now.

Ying Wutu even thought, if they played this game tomorrow, he’d rather go hungry for a day than risk a fifty percent chance of getting slapped.

Jiang Shouzhuo saw all his little movements and found them adorable.

Actually, the note under her cup didn’t say three slaps; it was the same as the one Ying Wutu chose—medicine.

But she didn’t tell the little rabbit.

After all, if she showed him a bit of kindness, he’d push his luck.

And… teasing him was just too fun.

Ying Wutu finished applying ointment to the two whip marks on his chest, thinking about the whip mark on his back. He couldn’t reach it, but the wicked woman had allowed him to apply medicine, and he really wanted to cover it all.

Her medicine was better than any he had used before.

It stopped the bleeding and relieved the pain.

He hesitated for a long time, afraid to speak up.

But the wicked woman seemed in a good mood.

Jiang Shouzhuo pretended to read, the carriage moving again. With the jolting, the person on the floor swayed slightly.

“Why are you looking at me again?” Jiang Shouzhuo put down the book and asked.

Ying Wutu bit his lip, and since the wicked woman asked, he summoned some courage and asked, “Could you help me apply medicine to my back? The whip wounds are too severe. Without treatment, they might get infected, and I could die. If I die, you won’t have your fun.”

He even made an excuse to try to persuade her.

“Dare to order me around? Think I’m giving you face? Come here!” Jiang Shouzhuo’s tone was neutral, showing no emotion, as she beckoned him over.

She was pretending. She knew the little rabbit would say that, and sure enough, he did. She found it amusing and cute, not really angry.

“Oww…” Ying Wutu covered his reddened ear again, feeling aggrieved and regretful. Reluctantly, he moved forward two steps, offering his other ear.

Awaiting the punishment of a twisted ear again.

Wicked woman… wicked woman… You asked first… If you don’t agree, just say no… Why bully me…

Ying Wutu tightly closed his eyes. He hadn’t dressed yet, and his chest heaved with heavy breaths, his heart pounding.

Jiang Shouzhuo leaned down slightly, savoring the sight of the trembling rabbit. After enjoying the scene enough, she softly said in his ear, “Scram.”

Ying Wutu’s eyes shot open, his heart skipping a beat. He looked up at the wicked woman in disbelief.

Seeing her go back to reading.

Ying Wutu, relieved, hurried back to the corner of the carriage, hastily putting on his clothes.

He couldn’t help but feel secretly delighted. She had only scolded him and hadn’t twisted his ear!

She hadn’t hit him!

Hooray, hooray!

Ying Wutu hugged his knees, obediently sitting, occasionally swaying with the carriage’s movement.

Jiang Shouzhuo pretended to flip a page in her book.

Ying Wutu also rubbed his sore ear, rubbing both the one she twisted and the untouched one.

Strangely, the untouched ear was just as red.

That ear had only been scolded with the word “scram,” so why was it red?

Maybe it was the heat from the carriage’s brazier?

Jiang Shouzhuo glanced at him from the corner of her eye, seeing the little rabbit rubbing his ears and secretly laughing.

What was he laughing about?

Did she hit him too hard last night, turning him into a fool?