Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 768 Mrs. Du Released from Prison Asking for Help (1)_1

Chapter 768: Chapter 768 Mrs. Du Released from Prison Asking for Help (1)_1

In the Ministry of Justice’s Prison, dark, damp, and cold, an acrid stench of decay pervaded the space. Nearly every cell held one or two prisoners clad in tattered garments. These inmates huddled in the corners, their disheveled hair obscuring their faces, and at the slightest sound, they’d start like frightened birds, wishing they could retreat into their own bellies.

Overall, the conditions here were undoubtedly much worse than those of the cell where Mo Qingze had previously been confined.

The prison was stratified by status: those not yet sentenced or whose crimes were less severe, destined for transfer elsewhere, occupied cells with slightly better conditions; those guilty of heinous crimes, beyond redemption, were consigned to the vilest cells—once inside, there was no leaving, except in death.

Located at the very back of the prison, facing away from the sun, was a cell encased by tall walls, eternally devoid of sunlight. Only a human-height iron door offered any connection to the outside. The door, locked round the clock, had a small window a foot square through which the daily rations were passed.

At this moment, the Chen Family of three resided in this cell.

Suddenly, the door to the cell was flung open from the outside; two jailers dragged in Chen Ji, who’d once again suffered inhuman punishment. They threw him into the cell like discarded trash, slammed the heavy iron door shut with a clang, and with it, took away the cell’s only source of light.

"Brother Jie, how are you, Brother Jie?" Mrs. Du, already accustomed to the darkness, crawled blindly toward Chen Ji, who lay motionless on the ground, calling out loudly while crying uncontrollably.

Mrs. Du, hiding outside for over ten days and then imprisoned in the lightless dungeon, subsisting on a single cold, hard bun a day, now looked twenty years older compared to her former well-kept self. Her once-smooth skin was gone, replaced by the appearance of a dirty, aged woman.

In another corner, Chen Shanshan watched coldly, showing no intention of attending to her father. Seemingly annoyed by Mrs. Du’s wailing, she barked impatiently, "He’s not dead yet, you wretched woman. What are you howling for as if in mourning?"

Mrs. Du was already all too familiar with her stepdaughter’s cruelty and spite, and as if she hadn’t heard the insults, she continued to call out to Chen Ji. She dreaded that he might not survive this ordeal and die before her eyes, despite the fact that they were scheduled to be executed in a few days. She still couldn’t bear the thought of the man who had cherished her for so many years dying in front of her.

Nearing the year’s end, bloodshed was considered ominous, so the death sentence for the Chen Family trio wasn’t yet decided. But Chen Ji, acutely aware of his actions, knew that whether it was himself or his family, escape from death was unlikely. Every day, he alone was brought to the torture chamber, enduring various punishments before being returned to the cell. As days passed, the tormented Chen Ji’s spells of unconsciousness following each return grew longer.

Maybe Mrs. Du’s cries had an effect, or maybe Chen Ji was just too stubborn to die, but before long, he awoke. Straining to hear Mrs. Du’s heartbroken sobs, he lifted his right hand with difficulty, caressing her head with a breath as thin as spider silk, he said, "Lanlan, don’t... don’t cry!"

"Brother Jie, you’re awake, you really are awake!" Mrs. Du flung herself into Chen Ji’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Chen Shanshan, watching the two console each other, felt a mixture of extreme disgust and disappointment.

If neither of them survived this ordeal, one dying of grief for the other, as long as they both died, she might still have a chance to escape, no longer forced to wait for death in constant anxiety.

She was still young, with a bright future ahead. She hadn’t killed or set fires; why should she die alongside these two? She had done nothing! She refused to accept this fate, not willing to die like this!