♂?，，

  It's almost there~

  Lin Lan thought about it and decided to store the box at Bao Zhu's house instead of keeping it at home.

  "Lin Lan, what are you going to do?" Bao Zhu asked worriedly.

  Lin Lan shook her head and sighed: "Now I don't know either." Now the key to the problem is that she still doesn't know who to find to take responsibility.

  Bao Zhu's face showed a rare solemn expression, and he fell silent for half a moment. His eyes suddenly became determined: "Lin Lan, if it really doesn't work out, then escape!"

  Run away? Isn't that easy? She has medical skills, not outstanding but not bad either, she can make a living anywhere. But she ran away, what's brother going to do? Can Zhang Dahu take it lying down? The more Lin Lan thought about it, the more annoyed and angry she became, thinking that Yao Jinhua had taken advantage of their inability to beat Zhang Dahu, that's why she dared to act first and report later.

  "This is the worst plan." She would have to leave this small mountain village one day, and after being reborn with great difficulty, she didn't want to spend her whole life here. In fact, she had thought about becoming a traveling doctor, roaming all over the country, and when she was tired of wandering, she could settle down, open a small pharmacy, and make just enough money to live comfortably and have some left over to do what she wanted. In her previous life, what she longed for most was freedom, wanting to be able to go to school, make friends, and travel like an ordinary person. Unfortunately, there were always bodyguards around her, and she wasn't free in either mind or body... As for a good husband, she rarely thought about it; in ancient times, men with slightly better conditions mostly had three wives and four concubines, which she couldn't accept, and those with poor conditions she looked down on.

  "Baozhu, take care of this box for me first. I want to go for a walk alone and calm down." Lin Lan handed the box over to Baozhu and walked aimlessly along the mountain road.

  Bao Zhu looked at Lin Lan's thinning back, feeling both helpless and heartbroken. If only he could help share some of her burden.

  Unconsciously, Lin Lan walked to the front of Li Xiucan's thatched cottage.

  The sun sets in the west, and the clouds in the sky are dyed with colorful hues by the sunset. The continuous green mountains also soften their colors in the warm afterglow. A gentle breeze blows, and the leaves rustle softly. The small grasses between the mountains sway gently in the wind, their movements elegant... Everything is so beautiful, but my heart cannot calm down. Can I really only escape?

  "Miss Lin Lan, ...come to see me?" Li Ming had just sent Chen Ziyan down the mountain and returned to find Lin Lan standing in front of his thatched cottage, lost in thought, thinking she must have come to him for something.

  Lin Lan turned around, looking a bit dazed at Li Xiuciai walking towards her in the remaining light. His half-old white clothes, handsome face, deep eyes and elegant gait made him a man who was pleasing to the eye. Suddenly, a bold idea popped up in Lin Lan's mind.

  Why not find Li Xiutai? He is not a local, and he has been here for three years only to observe filial piety. A man who values filial piety so much should be reliable! And he will leave eventually, so why not ask him for help, give her an excuse not to marry Zhang Dahu, and an excuse to leave Ganxi Village smoothly.

  It was as if a glimmer of light had appeared in the darkness, Lin Lan saw hope and thought to herself: "No matter what, I'll give it a try!" Lin Lan smiled faintly: "There's something I'd like to ask for your advice on."

  Li Mingyun raised an eyebrow, with a hint of doubt in his eyes: "Speak."

  "What should one do if they have received kindness from others?" Lin Lan asked.

  Li Mingyun hesitated slightly: "Having received someone's kindness, one should naturally remember it in their heart and repay it with gratitude."

  Lin Lan was delighted, this was exactly what she wanted. Not to mention that she had no choice but to resort to such a tactic after being forced into a desperate situation.

  "Then...the lives I've saved, the favors I've done, do they count as having earned someone's gratitude?" Lin Lan asked with a serious expression, her big eyes blinking.

  Li Ming allowed a moment of stunned silence before regaining his composure, squeezing out a few words from between his teeth: "Naturally... it's only fair." His tone betrayed a hint of resentment and unwillingness, acknowledging that he owed her a favor, but she had also caused him no small amount of trouble. Not to mention past grievances, just today, Zi Xuan had come all the way to visit him, only to be left in a sorry state by Lin Lan's doing. If this got out in Kyoto, people would likely laugh their teeth off.

  "Now that I've run into some trouble, shouldn't you help me out too?" Lin Lan's expression was even more sincere and genuine, with a hint of slight grievance.

  Li Mingyun was hesitant in his heart, but he had already acknowledged that he owed her a favor, so how could he refuse?

  "If Li can help, he will certainly do his best."

  Lin Lan's expression changed to a happy one: "Actually, it's nothing big, I just want to ask for your cooperation and help me tell a small lie."

  Li Mingyun was shocked and had never helped anyone tell a lie before.

  Lin Lan ignored his shocked expression and continued, "As it turns out, this matter also started with a cause. If I hadn't been afraid of being harmed by bad people this morning, I wouldn't have come to help. If I hadn't helped, Wang the matchmaker wouldn't have come to my house, and my sister-in-law wouldn't have had the opportunity to sell me to Zhang the wealthy merchant as his concubine. Does Zhang know? This kind of evil tyrant and lecher, how could I become his concubine? So, this favor must be done for me."

  Li Mingyu finally understood that Lin Lan's situation was indeed very bad, and what's worse, he himself might be in trouble.

  Li Ming's sharp eyes caught the flash of cunning in her innocent-looking big eyes, and he felt a chill run down his spine as he nervously asked: "How can I help?"

  Lin Lan saw that he agreed, and her whole person became lively, with sparkling eyes and a charming smile: "Li Xiūcái, let's make a deal. I'll propose a fake marriage contract, first to help me get through this difficult time, and then to help me leave Jiān Xī Village. After things have passed, the marriage contract will be annulled, and we can consider it as repaying my favor. In the future, we won't owe each other anything, right? This way, neither of us will suffer any losses. Of course, if I become a high school champion within three years, I'll consider whether to really marry you." Lin Lan spoke beautifully, but becoming a middle school champion was not that easy! It's the top in the country! And it happens only once every three years, with a probability smaller than winning 50 million. This sentence was equivalent to an empty check. Unfortunately, she forgot that in this life, she didn't have a superior family background or the halo of being a high-achieving student. In Li Xiūcái's eyes, she was just an ordinary village girl.

  If it weren't for the second half of the sentence, Li Mingyun might not have to consider it for so long, and booking a fake marriage contract to take her away wouldn't be difficult. He had already planned to leave anyway, as his three-year mourning period was over, and there were many things waiting for him to resolve. The news brought by Wu yesterday had made him feel suffocated all night. Li Mingyun thoughtfully sized up Lin Lan, this woman often didn't play by the rules, her mouth was sharp, and she had a lot of clever ideas... Generally, people couldn't take advantage of her even a little bit... Maybe taking Lin Lan back could help him resolve some troubles? But what if she really clung to him... Li Mingyun was very hesitant, very conflicted.

  Watching Li Xiuciai frowning and not speaking for a long time, Lin Lan became somewhat impatient: "Hey! A gentleman's word is like a horse that cannot be caught once it has galloped away, you can't go back on your promise. You know I'm at my wit's end now, if you don't help me, I won't guarantee what unpleasant things I might say or do."

  Li Ming's eyebrows furrowed even tighter: "Lin Niang, are you taking advantage of me?!"

  Who asks for help with threats?

  "What's there to worry about? Afraid I'll be a burden on you? Don't worry, I have my own hands and feet and some medical skills, I can take care of myself. As long as I leave Feng'an County, we can go our separate ways." Lin Lan said, probing his thoughts.

  Li Mingyun was still hesitating. Lin Lan urged: "Are you willing or not, just give a word!"

  Li Mingyu let out a sigh and looked up at Lin Lan with a faint gaze: "I'm afraid you'll regret it, Miss."

  Lin Lan smiled, did she regret it? Did she still have the chance to regret now? As long as they could resolve the current crisis, whether it was a broken-down pirate ship or a luxury cruise liner, they would get on first and talk later: "If you don't trust me, we can make a written agreement, black and white, clear and straightforward, and we'll follow the rules and each be at peace."

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