Chapter 19

As they approached, they saw three people - two men and a woman who looked like a family of three. The middle-aged man, around thirty years old, was holding a middle-aged woman while a boy of twelve or thirteen was resting on her lap. The woman and the child were already unconscious, and the man was also in a daze.

Yang Laner squatted down and examined them. All three of them were extremely thin, with sunken eye sockets, dry and cracked lips with blood stains, and grayish-white complexions. It was obvious that they had been starving and thirsty for a long time.

The middle-aged man, barely opening his eyes, glanced at them and weakly begged for water in a low voice. Yang Laner was squatting next to him and heard him clearly.

Yang Laner took out a bamboo tube from her body and removed the stopper. She signaled to her elder brother to help and he quickly helped the boy up. Yang Laner gently pinched the boy's lower jaw and carefully passed the bamboo tube to his mouth, allowing the water to slowly flow into it. Fortunately, the boy was still able to swallow.

With the help of her elder brother, Yang Laner gave water to all three people. The middle-aged man's eyes were slightly moist, and he choked with exhaustion, "Thank you, two saviors. You saved our family. We have nothing to repay you, but we will spend the rest of our lives serving you in gratitude for your lifesaving kindness."

Upon hearing this, Yang Laner decided to wait until the other two woke up. She sat on a dirt slope and rested because she was tired from the long journey. She took out some dry food from her backpack and shared it with her elder brother. They enjoyed the food and water together.

While eating, the elder brother asked the middle-aged man, "Big brother, do you want to eat some too?" he also asked Yang Lan'er, "Sister do you want to eat some too?"

"Eating a little bit is fine. You can't eat too much at once," said Yang Laner, who didn't want to talk anymore. She was very tired, and her shoulders were burning with pain on both sides.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man quickly introduced himself, "My surname is Wang and my name is Qing. You can call me Wang Qing." As he looked at the dry food, his throat rolled in anticipation.

Second brother broke off half a piece of bread and gave him a bamboo tube of water, telling him to eat slowly and wait until the other two wake up. Wang Qing took the bread and thanked him, then lowered his head and began to chew slowly.

Yang Cunzhi took a big bite of bread and asked after chewing and swallowing, "What did you mean by what you said earlier?"

Wang Qing relaxed when he heard his benefactor's inquiry about the earlier conversation. He was afraid that his family would be a burden. "Today, you saved the lives of my family of three. We have nothing to repay you with. We only wish to be your loyal servants. If you ask us to climb mountains and cross seas, we won't hesitate. Please take us in as part of your family."

Upon hearing this, Yang Lan'er glanced at him and took a sip of water. "Oh, our family is very poor. Look at our clothes," she pointed to herself and her second brother's clothing. "Besides, we don't keep useless people. What do you have that is worth us taking you in? And today, its like you had no choice but to serve us. If you regret it later, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Yang Lane'er had to make it clear now. She didn't want to end up raising a snake in the grass.

"Don't worry, Miss. What I said today is a promise that we will keep for life. We are only loyal to you, and if we break this oath, we will suffer the consequences. We are willing to sign a contract of lifelong loyalty to you," said Wang Qing, but he received no response. He quickly added, "We are willing to sign a contract of lifelong loyalty to you."

Coughing, Yang Lan'er replied, "Actually, you don't need to become my servants. I can provide you with some food, and you can find a way to make a living on your own. You don't need to become slaves." Yang Lan'er felt sorry for them, as they were currently living in a cave, and she didn't want to make them suffer. However, if they insisted on staying, she had to follow the rules of society and have them sign a contract of servitude as a precaution.