The Eldest Daughter's Scheme for Dominating the World

Chapter 7: The Hostage Prince

The building boat bought by the Situ family appears to have two floors, but in fact, it has three floors.

Half of the bottom floor is underwater, and it is where the boatmen and helmsmen live.

On the two upper floors, the middle floor is occupied by rough maids, women servants, and young male servants. The top floor is where the masters and their personal maids and women servants live.

There were originally three boatwomen bought. Two of them were on the bottom floor with those boatmen and helmsmen. Only this one was more clever and her words were pleasing, so she was chosen by the masters to serve on the upper two floors.

It was this very boatwoman who was negligent twice and cost her younger brother his life.

"Young Lady! Young Lady! You can't sell this servant! My family is still waiting for my monthly wage to eat! My mother-in-law and father-in-law at home are old and sick, and my husband is lame and can't work. There are also five children. Without my care, they will starve to death!" The boatwoman cried with snot and tears, and slumped on the deck.

When Situ Yingxiu's stepmother, Madam Zhang, saw this, she sighed and pointed at the boatwoman, saying, "You should have been more diligent and observant since your family depends on you alone. We chose you to serve on the upper floors because we thought you were good at handling things and could take care of us in case of an emergency. But look at you. When the Young Lady and the Eldest Young Master fell into the water, you just stood by and didn't jump in to save them until it was absolutely necessary. It's really... Alas, even if I wanted to plead for you, I can't. If I plead for you, wouldn't that make our Young Lady and Eldest Young Master feel wronged?"

Then the boatwoman turned to Situ Yingxiu's stepmother and kowtowed repeatedly, saying, "Madam! Madam! Please have mercy and forgive this servant this time! This servant will definitely keep a close eye on all the young masters and ladies in the future. As soon as anyone falls into the water, this servant will be the first to jump in and save them!"

"Ugh!" Situ Yingxiu's anger reached its peak, and finally, regardless of her image, she spat at the boatwoman in public. "Are you cursing us? It's not enough for you to save two people who fell in. You want more people to fall in to your liking, right?"

"... Sister, don't be like this..." Situ Anxiang stared at Situ Yingxiu spitting at the boatwoman in shock and quickly reached out to hold her. "Sister, you are as precious as jade. Don't stoop to the level of this kind of servant. Come on, sister. Let's go inside and talk. It's quite cold outside, and Xiaolei is shivering..."

Situ Yingxiu turned to look at Situ Chenlei.

He stood quietly beside her, his face pale and bluish, and he did seem to be feeling the cold.

If they stayed outside any longer, he might develop a high fever.

Situ Yingxiu held Situ Chenlei's hand and said firmly to her father, Situ Jianren, "Father, I don't want to see this boatwoman anymore. You decide what to do. — I'm taking my brother back to the cabin."

Situ Anxiang quickly took Situ Chenlei's other hand and went back to Situ Yingxiu's cabin with them.

"Sister, should I send my brother back to his cabin?" Situ Anxiang watched as Situ Yingxiu personally cooked ginger soup for Situ Chenlei and then fed it to him.

This time, Situ Chenlei didn't make a fuss. He obediently drank two bowls of ginger soup, and soon a thin layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Situ Yingxiu shook her head. "Xiaolei can stay with me. There's no need for him to go back to his own cabin."

So many things had happened this night, and it was obvious that they were not accidental. Situ Yingxiu no longer dared to let Xiaolei live alone.

Xiaolei was not a normal child and couldn't speak. Even if he was wronged, he couldn't tell anyone.

If something else happened to him, as his sister, she might as well jump into the river and drown herself...

"But, sister, you once taught me that boys and girls should not sit together after they are seven years old. Xiaolei is already eight years old..." Situ Anxiang twirled the corner of her clothes, looked at Situ Chenlei in confusion, and then at Situ Yingxiu.

Situ Anxiang was about the same age as Situ Chenlei and was also eight years old this year.

Having been reborn, and with her most precious younger brother by her side, Situ Yingxiu no longer cared much about such empty formalities.

"Xiaolei is my own younger brother. How can it be the same?" Situ Yingxiu said without changing her expression. "The saying that boys and girls should not sit together after they are seven years old refers to unrelated boys. What does it matter when it comes to my own brother?"

"Oh..." Situ Anxiang had great faith in this elder sister and quickly agreed. "Then, how about I also move in and live with sister and Xiaolei?" As she spoke, she lowered her head shyly, rubbed the corner of her clothes, and stammered, "... I'm a bit scared living alone."

Situ Yingxiu pondered for a while and then nodded. "That's fine. But if you come to live with us, you'll have to sleep on the floor on the deck just like me. Are you willing?"

The only bed in the cabin, of course, was for Xiaolei. Situ Yingxiu had originally planned to sleep on the floor with the maids.

If Situ Anxiang also wanted to come and live with them, she would also have to sleep on the floor.

"I'm willing! I'm willing!" Situ Anxiang nodded happily. "It will be livelier and more affectionate for us to live together! — Then I'll go and move my bedding and luggage."

"Go ahead." Situ Yingxiu nodded. "Do you want Caiqin to help you?"

"No need. I have maids on my side too. I'll just ask them to help me move. I don't dare to trouble Sister Caiqin." Situ Anxiang smiled at Caiqin and Cai Sang before turning around and going out.

To get to Situ Anxiang's cabin from Situ Yingxiu's cabin, one had to pass by Situ Jianren and Madam Zhang's cabin.

The door of Situ Jianren and Madam Zhang's cabin was open, and the two of them were standing and sitting in the room, talking.

When Madam Zhang saw Situ Anxiang walking past the door, she quickly called out to her, "Anxiang, how are your sister and brother?"

Situ Anxiang had no choice but to enter, curtsy, and say, "Mother, my brother is much better. My sister is settling him down and has let him stay in her cabin."

"Ah?" Madam Zhang took Situ Anxiang's hand. "Your brother is going to live with your sister too?"

"Yeah." Situ Anxiang nodded. "Sister said that my brother was really scared and she wants to stay with him."

Madam Zhang frowned. "… This isn't very appropriate, is it? Xiaolei is already eight years old, and boys and girls should not sit together after they are seven years old..."

Situ Anxiang quickly said, "It's okay, mother. I'll also move in and live with sister and brother."

"Sigh, with so many people, will there be enough space?" Madam Zhang shook her head. "It's good for Xiaolei to live with Yingxiu since he was frightened. What are you going there for?"

Situ Anxiang bit her lower lip, and her voice was as soft as a mosquito's. "Mother, I'm scared..."

"Scared?" Madam Zhang's voice trembled. "What are you afraid of?"

"Ever since we got on the boat, I haven't been able to sleep soundly. I always feel that someone is peeking at us in front of the cabin door..." Situ Anxiang quickly glanced at Situ Jianren. "Father, where did you buy the people on this boat?"

Situ Jianren, with his hands behind his back, frowned and said, "Your uncle helped us buy this boat. The boatmen, boatwomen, and helmsmen on the boat were also bought by him. I still have their deeds of sale here." As he spoke, he walked to the corner of the cabin where the trunks were placed, rummaged around for a long time, and found a stack of deeds of sale.

The "uncle" that Situ Jianren mentioned was his own eldest brother, Situ Jianxing, who was also the head of the Situ clan. He was always fair and upright, and everyone in the clan trusted him.

Although his family was not as wealthy as Situ Jianren's, with Situ Jianren's support, it was also one of the best in the entire Situ clan.

"Hello! May I ask if the owner of this boat is here?"

The three of them were talking in the room when a loud shout came from outside the cabin.

Because it was in the quiet night, the voice was particularly loud, and even Situ Yingxiu heard it in her cabin.

She instructed Caiqin and Cai Sang to help Xiaotao and Xiaoxing pack their things, and she got up and went out of the cabin, hiding beside a ship's post and looking outside.

In the dark river, not far from their building boat, a covered boat came. There were tall wind lanterns lit on the boat.

There were seven or eight men standing under the wind lanterns. The leading man was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing a brocade robe with a dark pattern of auspicious clouds and flowing water in royal blue. He had a white jade waistband around his waist and was wearing a thin cloak in pale jade white with wide sleeves over his robe.

He stood on the boat with his hands behind his back and smiled as he looked up. His jade-like face, red lips, eyebrows as black as ink, sideburns neatly trimmed, a high-bridged nose, and slightly pursed lips, with his bright black eyes flashing, actually outshone the stars in the sky.

Situ Yingxiu was a bit surprised and slightly opened her lips. She walked out from behind the ship's post.

She recognized this young man from her previous life. He was no ordinary person. He was the second prince of the Nanzheng Kingdom in the southwest of the Dongyuan Kingdom and also a hostage prince sent by the Nanzheng Kingdom to the Dongyuan Kingdom.

Because of his peerless appearance and his status as a prince, all the unmarried women in the Nanzheng Kingdom wished to marry him. Therefore, he also had a nickname, "The Nation's Most Eligible Bachelor"…