Next, screams echoed throughout the kitchen as Mu Anxiao, after receiving a full twenty planks from the two burly men, was unceremoniously thrown out.
Lying on the stone path, enduring the stinging pain in her back, Mu Anxiao harbored a growing resentment. This hatred fueled her resolve not to give up. "The pastries, I am determined to have them," she declared. Pushing herself up with the ground, she bore the pain and managed to stand. Hobbling towards the tightly shut gate, she began to knock.
The next moment, the insistent knocking reached the ears of the plump woman who had just sat down to chat with the burly men. The smile vanished from her face, replaced by a frown. "Who is it?" she grumbled. Surprised that Mu Anxiao could still stand, she cast a curious glance at the loudly banging door.
As the plump woman was in charge of the kitchen, the burly men only took orders from her. Seeing her merely speak without moving, they remained seated, staring at her and awaiting her command, not uttering a single word.
Under the throbbing pain, Mu Anxiao blocked out all surrounding sounds. She deliberately intensified her knocking and shouted, "You've already beaten me, yet you won't even give me a pastry? That's just unreasonable. As the saying goes…" She gasped midway, the pain seizing her. "As the saying goes, after spanking a child, one should offer a candied date to soothe their heart. Isn't it too harsh to treat me like this? Open the door, I want to eat pastries, eat pastries."
Subsequently, Mu Anxiao's voice, unwavering, reached the plump woman's ears. "It's that brat again," she said, bracing herself on her knees and struggling to stand.
Seeing the plump woman rise, the burly men also got to their feet. The first burly man inquired, "Should I go chase that brat away?" He lowered his gaze, fixing it on the plump woman's face.
Upon hearing his words, the plump woman waved a hand. "No need, I'll go. I want to see what kind of tricks that stinking brat," she eyed the door, "can pull." With that, she strode towards the gate.
After listening to the plump woman, the burly men exchanged glances and remained rooted to the spot, awaiting her next instruction.
On the other side of the gate, after listening to the sounds and movements from within, Mu Anxiao fell silent, deliberately continuing to knock without speaking.
Moments later, the plump woman reached the gate, unlatched it, and called out, "Stop that banging." Then, she opened the door, looking at Mu Anxiao, who was still in the motion of knocking, and said coldly, "You truly don't learn. Didn't those twenty planks hurt enough?"
"They hurt, yes, but," Mu Anxiao placed one hand on her hip, her face pale as she looked at the smugly grinning plump woman before her, "before you beat me, I wasn't this hungry. But after the beating, I can't take it anymore. My stomach is growling intensely. If you could, please give me a pastry, and I'll leave."
"Do you think your persistence will move me?" The plump woman crossed her arms and swept a contemptuous gaze over Mu Anxiao, sneering, "You're truly naive, you brat." Her expression hardening, she reached out to push Mu Anxiao away.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao quickly dodged. "You still want to push me away? Tsk, tsk, you really are a vicious woman." She glanced at the plump woman's outstretched single hand beside her, breathing a sigh of relief internally.
Mu Anxiao always cherished her life and her body. She only dared to sustain injuries during missions. Although those twenty planks were not a significant matter to her, the pain was undeniable. Furthermore, she was the type who never gave up until her goal was achieved. Her first objective had now been met, and all that remained was to obtain the pastry to resolve the matter. Therefore, she decided to fight the plump woman to the bitter end, all for the sake of gaining Ouyang Ye's trust.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's words, the plump woman clenched her fists in anger. "You call me vicious? Haven't I made things clear to you? You're the one who stubbornly rammed into the kitchen's rules. Now you're trying to extort me. Since that's the case, then fine…"
"You want to beat me again?" Mu Anxiao deliberately interrupted, then calmly watched the plump woman's face, a hint of disdain playing on her lips.
The plump woman, irritated by Mu Anxiao's scornful look, said coldly, "Twenty planks couldn't teach you a lesson. It seems I need to add some more."
"If you beat me to death, it won't do you any good," Mu Anxiao said deliberately, swallowing twice. She continued, "I only want two pastries. If you give them to me, I'll turn around and leave immediately. If you refuse, I'll stand here until the end, locked in a deadlock with you." Her gaze was resolute.
Seeing Mu Anxiao's demeanor, the plump woman was at a loss. "I've met stubborn people, but I've never met anyone as stubborn as you. To go this far for pastries… Now," she sized Mu Anxiao up and down, "I really suspect you used to be a beggar?"
"Beggar?" Mu Anxiao repeated, offering the plump woman two wry smiles. "I won't be afraid of you laughing, but I was indeed a beggar. If not for the general, I wouldn't have been able to come here. Of course, I have another purpose for entering the general's mansion, and that is to see Shu'er."
"Shu'er?" The plump woman repeated, her brow furrowing. "You know Shu'er?" Her eyes lit up.
Mu Anxiao calmly observed the plump woman's surprised expression, then thought about Shu'er's lost memories. She attempted to ask, "You know Shu'er? Or are you Shu'er's friend?" She fixated her gaze on the plump woman's face.
Subsequently, the plump woman sighed deeply. "Not quite friends, just acquaintances. She used to come here asking for food too. In the end, I beat her, and after the beating, she left."
"She didn't get any food?" Mu Anxiao inquired, aiming to elicit any news about Shu'er from the plump woman, however small, it would be beneficial to her.
Hearing Mu Anxiao's question, the plump woman instantly let down her guard. "She didn't get any. But after that girl went back, she fell seriously ill. Eventually, the maids who shared her room blamed me. The steward came knocking, forcing me to take care of her for a full half-month until she recovered." She sighed repeatedly, "I was exhausted and lost weight during that period."
"And yet you still beat people," Mu Anxiao said, catching her breath and feigning great pain.
The plump woman replied, "Since then, I started advising people. Those who don't listen to my advice end up like you, because the rules cannot be broken." She said this, her gaze towards Mu Anxiao becoming resolute.