The Regent's Concubine is Crazy

Chapter 182 Malnutrition

Xiao Linzi opened the door of the warehouse, and a faint smell of grain hit him. Shangguan Ziling walked into the warehouse, and saw that it was filled with sacks of grain, neatly arranged, and the amount was staggering.

She walked to a pile of grain, untied a sack, reached out and touched it, feeling the texture of the grain. It was obvious that the quality of this batch of grain was very good.

Shangguan Ziling nodded with satisfaction and said to Xiao Linzi, "Xiao Linzi, you did a good job. You can go out first." Xiao Linzi chuckled, revealed a simple smile, and retreated. Dongqing and Qiukui followed closely behind him, walked out of the door together, and waited quietly.

Shangguan Ziling looked around to make sure there was no one around, then she controlled her mind and waved it lightly. The food in the warehouse seemed to be attracted by some mysterious force and disappeared in an instant.

Shangguan Ziling said softly: "Well, now I feel more secure. In ancient times, I still had to store more food to feel safe."

The little fat boy blinked his big eyes in the space and asked curiously: "Master, there are so many foods in the space, do we still need to collect them?" His voice was crisp and pleasant, with a hint of childishness.

Shangguan Ziling smiled slightly and said, "Of course, the more the better. Anyway, there is space to store them, they won't go bad, and they can fit in there."

Shangguan Ziling walked out of the house slowly, while Qiu Kui took the key from Xiao Linzi and locked the door of the warehouse lightly.

She glanced at the empty warehouse and couldn't help feeling a little surprised, but she soon came to her senses and realized that the eldest lady possessed such a magical thing as space. However, she couldn't help but be amazed when she saw a warehouse of food disappear with her own eyes.

After locking the door, Qiu Kui quickly followed Shangguan Ziling's steps.

Shangguan Ziling instructed Xiao Linzi, "Xiao Linzi, you don't have to worry about the warehouse for now. I will send someone to quietly transport the food away and move it to another place. You can go collect new food after the harvest in the fall."

Xiao Linzi responded respectfully: "Yes, Miss."

Afterwards, Shangguan Ziling got on the carriage and prepared to return to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The carriage started slowly and moved along the tree-lined path. When it reached a lush forest, it suddenly stopped.

Shangguan Ziling frowned slightly and asked, "What's going on?"

Xiao Linzi answered from outside the car: "Miss, there seems to be a child unconscious on the road ahead."

Hearing this, Shangguan Ziling immediately got off the carriage. She walked quickly to the front and saw a ragged, pale-faced child lying in the middle of the road.

Shangguan Ziling squatted down and gently felt the child's pulse and found that he still had a faint breath. The child was actually fainted from hunger.

Shangguan Ziling pressed several acupuncture points on him, and the unconscious man's eyes moved, and he slowly recovered and opened his eyes. Seeing this, Shangguan Ziling said, "Qiukui, bring the cakes from the carriage."

"Yes," Qiu Kui soon came over with the pastries.

Shangguan Ziling took a piece and handed it to him, saying softly, "Nuo, you must be starving, eat it! Where are your family members?"

The boy looked at the pastry with shining eyes, took it and gobbled it up.

"Eat slowly, and be careful not to choke," Shangguan Ziling said, and handed another piece to the boy. After the boy took it, he said, "Thank you, brother. I don't have any family."

However, he did not eat it, but put it into his worn-out clothes. Shangguan Ziling frowned and asked, "Why don't you eat it?"

The boy said, "Thank you, handsome brother. I have never eaten such delicious cakes. My brothers and sisters are hungry. I will take it back for them."

Shangguan Ziling asked doubtfully: "Brother or sister?"

The boy said: "Sister, my name is Xiaojun. They are all like me. We have no family. We usually live by begging. I came out to look for wild vegetables today. I was so hungry that I fainted."

Shangguan Ziling asked: "Where do you live?"

Xiaojun pointed to a place not far ahead and said, "Turn left ahead, there is a dilapidated temple, we will live there." Shangguan Ziling said, "Take me to see it."

Xiaojun nodded, and Shangguan Ziling asked Xiaojun to get on the carriage. He happily sat outside with Xiaolinzi, as he was afraid that his clothes would dirty the carriage if he went in.

Their carriage turned left into another road, and not far ahead was a dilapidated temple.

The temple's roof was in tatters, with a few pieces of rubble lying randomly on the ground, and the walls were also covered with mottled marks. Xiaojun pushed open the shaky temple door and motioned Shangguan Ziling to go in.

As soon as she entered the temple, Shangguan Ziling saw a dozen children huddled in a corner. They were ragged and pale, but their eyes revealed a kind of tenacity and expectation. When they saw Xiaojun coming back, they gathered around him, their eyes full of joy.

"Sister, this is where my brothers and sisters and I live." There was a hint of helplessness and embarrassment in Xiaojun's voice.

Shangguan Ziling's heart tightened. She squatted down and gently stroked the hair of a child who looked pale, thin and malnourished.

These children are no more than seven or eight years old. Xiaojun is the oldest, only ten years old, and the youngest is only two years old. From what Xiaojun said on the road, they all have no family and met each other while wandering around.

She looked around and found that there was nothing else in the temple except a few shabby statues and worn-out cotton cloth. Shangguan Ziling couldn't help but feel a strong desire to protect it.

Qiu Kura quickly took the remaining cakes from the car and distributed them to each child.

The children took the cakes, a long-lost smile appeared on their faces, and they tasted them carefully, as if they were afraid that the wonderful taste would be fleeting.

Shangguan Ziling looked at these children, and the compassion in her heart became stronger. She turned to Xiao Linzi and said, "Xiao Linzi, you don't have to go back to the house today. Stay and take care of these children. Bring them to live in the house just now."

Xiao Linzi replied respectfully, "Yes, Miss."

Shangguan Ziling turned to the children and asked gently, "Are you willing to live a new life?"

Xiaojun answered excitedly on behalf of all the children: "Thank you, sister. We are willing to go!"

Shangguan Ziling smiled and said, "Well, go and settle down. I'll find you a teacher in a few days to teach you how to read."

After hearing this, Xiaojun was so moved that he knelt down and kowtowed to Shangguan Ziling several times to express his gratitude.

Shangguan Ziling quickly helped him up and said softly, "Get up quickly."

Afterwards, Shangguan Ziling walked to the carriage, took out a bag of rice and handed it to Dongqing, saying, "Make some porridge for these children first. They should all be starving."

Dongqing took the rice and nodded to show that he understood. Dongqing put the rice aside and drove the carriage to the house to get some bowls and a big pot.

Qiukui and Xiaolinzi went outside to pick up some dry firewood and came back to make a fire to cook.

Shangguan Ziling carefully examined the physical condition of each child and found that most of them were malnourished and some even had minor illnesses.