"What secret?" Ajji also squatted down to pick them up.
"It's good to be an official. In such terrible weather, the officials here never lack meat for their meals. Aren't you angry? But it also gave your mother a chance to shine."
Meng Shaode picked off another handful of pomegranate seeds and handed them to Ajji, gesturing for her to eat some too.
Ajji slowly put the pomegranate seeds from her palm into her mouth:
"But this isn't a long-term solution. We still need to resolve the matter with Steward Li."
When Ajji mentioned this, Meng Shaode sighed and sat down across the cell door, his eyes dimming a little:
"Your mother is simple-minded. She has only two greatest pleasures in this life: one is loving money, and the other is using money to make you fat. What can I, your father, say?"
Ajji lowered her head silently, her eye sockets burning.
She knew all of this; making her fat had become her mother's lifelong dream.
"Dad, no matter what Mother does, we still need to think of a way to solve this. Where is Steward Li?"
Ajji calmed down, her mind becoming rational.
Speaking of this, Meng Shaode waved his hand:
"I'm living quite well here. Your mother can always sneak some good food to me from the kitchen every time she visits. You don't need to worry. Life is much better than fleeing famine outside."
When Ajji heard this, her father was still making light of the situation at this point. This dungeon was smelly and damp, and it never saw the sun. How could it be comfortable?
"By the way, Jiuer, although your grandmother is ill, she still dotes on you."
As he spoke, Meng Shaode peeled a pomegranate, his movements freezing as he peeled.
Ajji could clearly tell that her father was delivering his dying words.
"That scoundrel Li Dachang, the receipt he found on your mother, he took it all and sent it to Minister Wang. He was never detained."
Meng Shaode twitched his lips into a bitter smile. The words—your mother and I can no longer take care of you—he bit his teeth several times before he could not utter them.
"The yamen didn't even investigate. I explained the reason back then, saying he bought you first, and then he refused to return the money, which led to what happened later. But that deed was torn up by your mother, so there's no evidence."
"It's good that there's no evidence. Otherwise, your grandmother would also be implicated. Then... then there would be no one to take care of you."
Meng Shaode spoke slowly, lowering his head.
Ajji's heart sank. Her father actually understood very well.
Looking at the situation, there was no chance of a comeback.
"Was a verdict passed?" Ajji bit her lip tightly, suppressing the tears.
"It was. According to the current legal system, this crime does not involve the death penalty, but it is life imprisonment, or one can choose exile to the frontier. Or, if there is a war, they will be conscripted."
Meng Shaode suddenly looked up and smiled. The scar on his face, as always, rippled with a tenderness that didn't match his appearance:
"It's not bad either. There's food and drink."
"Time is up, little girl. Don't make things difficult for us." The armed jailer at the side called out.
"Dad, when Mother comes back tonight, tell her that I will definitely find a way to get you out."
Ajji lowered her voice, finished speaking, and got up to leave.
Without looking back, Meng Shaode squinted at his daughter's retreating figure. Honestly, his daughter looked exceptionally beautiful today.
He didn't know which scoundrel would get lucky and marry her in the future. As for Tuoba Yan, he was definitely not worthy of his daughter.
Ajji was escorted out of the dungeon and left the yamen without looking back. She looked down at the half pomegranate in her hand and turned to hand it to the yamen who was guiding her:
"Brother, thank you. Here, have this."
The man looked down and was stunned.
"A pomegranate!" another person leaned over, his eyes bulging.
The two of them stared at the retreating figure, who was clutching her skirt hem to ensure she wouldn't trip.
"There's still such a rare thing."
"Give me half." He then snapped it in half again, picked up a few fallen seeds, and put them in his mouth:
"This whole piece, I'll save it for my wife."