"I'll see my parents first. Is it convenient here, big brother?"
A Jiu looked at the two buns that were refused. Although the filling was unappetizing, they still had some flavor.
She could give them to her parents first.
Visiting her parents was not a problem. A Jiu entered the prison cell as if she were at home, and skillfully went to her father's cage.
She had come early this time. Her mother was still sleeping on the straw pile.
"Dad, Mom."
A Jiu took out two buns from her embrace.
Meng Shaode woke up and nudged the woman beside him, "Lihua, our daughter is here to see us."
"Ah? Where?" Cai Lihua sat up with a head full of straw, looking around.
"I'm here, Mom," A Jiu waved.
Cai Lihua didn't have time to get up and crawled to the cell door, grabbing her daughter's hand:
"Why are you so thin again?"
"Not thin. Didn't you see how pretty our daughter is after a wash?"
Meng Shaode disliked his wife crying in front of their daughter, lest she worry.
"It's true." Cai Lihua looked closer and saw that her daughter's face had grown so beautiful.
It was a pity that it was dark in the dungeon, and she hadn't seen clearly at first.
Now that she saw clearly, a smile appeared on her face.
"Mom, I bought buns," A Jiu then handed the buns in:
"Don't worry, Grandma has a way to rescue you. Eat well when you can, and don't mistreat yourselves."
A Jiu said eagerly.
"Your Grandma? What can she do?" Cai Lihua started complaining as soon as she took a bite of the bun:
"Don't let her cause any more trouble. Just take care of yourself. You don't need to worry about your father and me."
A Jiu almost blurted out the truth but stopped herself: "Oh, the filling in these buns is as small as a fingernail. Dad and Mom, please make do with them."
"Make do? The skin is made of fine flour. How can you say 'make do'? I haven't eaten white flour in so long."
Cai Lihua wolfed down the bun, and at this moment, A Jiu's gaze blankly shifted to her father's face.
Meng Shaode averted his gaze, turning his body to prevent his daughter from seeing his expression.
"Dad, you lied to me. You said Mom cooking for Lord Wang was a lie, and you said you'd get some extra food for me. It was all a lie."
As soon as she said this, A Jiu couldn't control her tone. If everything she said was true, then her mother would certainly have had plenty of fine food.
"A Jiu, watch your tone," Yun Hao glanced around at the expressions of the guards and reminded her kindly.
"Lihua, stop talking," Meng Shaode didn't blame his daughter. He hadn't told his wife about the lie and poked her with his elbow.
"Dad, why did you lie to me?"
A Jiu glared at Meng Shaode's back.
"A Jiu, let's go..." Yun Hao grabbed her and pulled her out of the dungeon:
"What kind of place do you think this is? Yelling like that, how can I explain myself?"
A Jiu stood up and apologized first:
"Brother Yun Hao, I was wrong. I hope you'll be magnanimous and overlook my faults. I just don't understand..."
"Don't understand what?" Yun Hao was clearly scared. If this continued, he would eventually be reported by his colleagues.
"Is my mother really cooking for Lord Wang?"
As soon as A Jiu said this, she understood from Yun Hao's expression.
"She was, but your mother attempted poisoning."
Yun Hao said this, his expression hardening as he looked at the girl:
"Actually, I was still thinking about how to tell you this. Your mother will be transferred to the imperial prison soon and executed."
A Jiu's ears suddenly rang, and her body went weak.
"A Jiu, wake up!"
Yun Hao looked around, picked up A Jiu, and left through the back door, placing her in a corner.
"Yun Jie, go quickly and send her back to the Hualán Medical Clinic."
When Yun Jie took A Jiu back, the Hualán Medical Clinic was empty, with only Tongzi inside.
"Officer, what happened to Jiu'er?"
Tongzi was also scared stiff. She was Miss Liu's sister-in-law.
"Perhaps she fainted from fright," Yun Jie cupped his hands.
Tongzi bowed: "Thank you, officer, for bringing my young lady back."
"You're welcome." After speaking, Yun Jie took another look at the girl and turned to leave.
Tongzi became anxious: "Miss A Jiu, you must get better. The owner instructed me to take care of you when she left. It doesn't matter if our clinic's business is bad, but you must be well, or how can I explain myself?"
A Jiu slowly opened her eyes: "Tongzi, take me to the yamen."
"Ah? You're still going?"