Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 85: NEW BEGINNING

The people who had been forced to move to the left side walked away slowly, their heads lowered and their steps heavy, while the rest of us remained where we stood, watching in silence as if none of us wanted to imagine that we could have been the ones sent away instead.

I let out a quiet breath and folded my arms again, my gaze shifting toward the guard as a faint thought crossed my mind.

So the first step to surviving this barren place was very simple—

Have money.

The guard clapped his hands once, drawing everyone’s attention back to him, and his eyes swept across us with impatience.

"Enough wasting time," he said loudly. "Anyone who wants a proper house, bring your money now."

He pointed toward a wooden table that had been set not too far away, clearly prepared for this moment.

"Pay here and collect your token."

For a moment, no one moved.

Then—

The same man who had earlier paid to move to our side stepped forward again without hesitation, his posture much more confident this time as he walked straight to the table and placed a pouch down.

"I will take one of the better houses," he said.

The guard picked up the pouch, opened it, and checked inside, and almost immediately, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"Fifty taels," he said, nodding.

He reached into a small box beside him and took out a wooden token, handing it over.

"House number seven."

The man’s face lit up with relief as he quickly took the token, holding it tightly in his hand as if afraid it might disappear, and then he stepped back toward his family, his shoulders visibly more relaxed.

Not long after, another man stepped forward, then another.

One by one, those who still had some savings began to come out, each placing their money down with reluctant hands but hopeful eyes, and each time, the guard would check the amount before handing over a token.

The small pile of coins on the table grew steadily.

Soon enough, the number of people left standing grew smaller.

Eventually, it was only our group the Fu family, Bai Ming, Han Fuji and a few others who remained where we were.

No one stepped forward.

The silence felt heavier now.

Fu Li was the first to break it, clicking her tongue in annoyance as she crossed her arms tightly.

"Fifty taels... are they trying to bleed us dry?" she complained under her breath. "We barely have enough left to survive, and they still expect us to pay that much for a house."

Fu Tong let out a frustrated sigh beside her, shaking his head.

"We do not even have half of that," he muttered. "Even if we gather everything together, it would still not be enough."

Madame Fu’s expression grew dim at their words, and she instinctively tightened her grip on her sleeve, while Master Fu sat on the carriage beside her, his brows slightly furrowed, his face filled with quiet worry.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Fu Sheng’s calm voice broke through the tension.

"It is fine," he said gently.

Everyone turned to look at him.

"Even if we do not stay in a bigger house, we will still manage," he continued, his tone steady and reassuring. "This place may be harsh, but as long as we work hard, we will slowly improve our situation."

His words were simple, but they carried a quiet confidence that made people pause.

Fu Teng nodded after a moment, his expression firming up slightly.

"Brother is right," he said. "We have endured worse than this. A house is just a place to sleep. We can make do for now and change things later."

His agreement seemed to ease the tension just a little.

But Madame Fu did not look convinced.

She hesitated for a moment, then slowly turned her head toward Master Fu, lowering her voice as she leaned slightly closer to him.

"...Should I give up the hairpin you gave me on our wedding night?" she asked softly.

Her fingers unconsciously moved toward her hair, as if she could already feel the weight of it there.

Master Fu froze for a brief moment.

Then he shook his head almost immediately.

"Why would you do that?" he said quietly, his voice firm despite being low. "I know how much that hairpin means to you."

Madame Fu lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening slightly.

"But what if this is the only way for us to—"

"No," Master Fu cut in gently, but with clear resolve. "We will not sell it."

He looked at her, his expression softening.

"That was a gift I gave you when we had nothing," he continued. "It is not something to be exchanged for a house, no matter how difficult things become."

Madame Fu fell silent after that, her lips pressing together as she nodded faintly, though the worry in her eyes did not fade completely.

Beside them, I watched everything quietly, my arms still folded as a small, almost amused smile tugged at my lips.

Fifty taels...

To them, it was an impossible amount.

But to me, It was nothing.

The faint curve on my lips did not fade as I watched the scene in silence, my eyes resting lazily on the guard, who seemed to be growing more impatient by the second.

He glanced around once more, clearly expecting at least one more person to step forward, but when no one moved, his expression darkened slightly.

"Anyone else?" he asked, his tone already carrying a trace of irritation.

No one answered.

A few people avoided his gaze, while others simply stood still, as if pretending not to hear him at all.

The guard rolled his eyes, letting out a short, annoyed scoff.

"Since no one else can afford it," he said coldly, waving his hand dismissively, "the rest of you should just follow me."

He turned toward the table, clearly ready to pack up the coins that had already been collected, his hand stretching out as if to gather them—

But before he could even touch a single coin—

"We will pay for the house."

The voice was loud, clear, and filled with confidence.

It cut through the air so suddenly that everyone turned at once.

I did not even need to look to know who it was.

Still, I shifted my gaze slightly—

Li Manman stood there with a proud smile on her lips, her chin slightly raised as if she had just said something impressive.

I rolled my eyes without bothering to hide it.

Of course.

Beside me, Fu Li let out a quiet scoff, leaning slightly toward Fu Fei.

"She really cannot stand being ordinary for even a moment," she muttered.

Fu Fei’s lips pressed together faintly, her gaze cold as it flickered toward Li Manman.

"She just wants attention," she said softly.

Not far from them, Bai Ming’s expression turned completely dark, her eyes fixed on Li Manman with a glare so sharp it almost felt like it could cut through her.

Li Manman, however, did not care in the slightest.

She lifted her sleeve slightly and walked forward with slow, confident steps, every movement graceful, as if she were deliberately making sure everyone was watching her.

When she reached the guard, she did not hesitate.

She took out a pouch and placed it directly into his hand.

"We will take one of the better houses," she said.

The guard froze for a brief second.

Then he looked up at her and for a moment, his eyes lingered.

A smile slowly spread across his face, but this time, it was different from before, carrying a hint of something unpleasant.

"Well..." he said, his tone softening slightly, "this is unexpected."

His gaze moved over her face again, openly this time, without even trying to hide it.

"Such a beauty... and you ended up here?"

Behind her, I could already see the change in expressions.

Fu Fong’s face darkened instantly.

But the guard did not stop.

He held the pouch in one hand, but his other hand began to lift slightly, as if he intended to reach out to her hand but before he could move any further

Fu Fong stepped forward.

His movement was quick and firm as he grabbed Li Manman’s arm and pulled her back to his side without hesitation.

"Stand properly," he said coldly.

The sudden action made the guard’s expression freeze.

Then, in the next second his face darkened.

"How dare you—" he snapped, his voice rising sharply as he took a step forward, his hand lifting as if he was about to strike.

But before things could escalate—

Uncle Fu and Aunt Fu both stepped forward at the same time.

"Sir, please calm down," Uncle Fu said quickly, his tone respectful despite the tension.

"He is her husband," Aunt Fu added, forcing a small smile. "He was only being protective."

The guard paused.

His gaze shifted between them, then back to Fu Fong, his expression still filled with irritation.

After a moment, he let out a cold scoff.

"Husband?" he repeated.

His eyes slid back to Li Manman again, this time even more openly, his lips curling slightly.

"The barren lands is no place to keep beauties," he said mockingly.

Then his gaze snapped back to Fu Fong, his voice turning harsh.

"You will not have a moment of peace, you bastard."