Originally, I thought it was quite funny, but after seeing Lin Xiangnan with mud all over his face from the explosion, I instantly lost interest.
"I’m not playing. I’ll just watch from the side. Xiangnan, you play," Gu Nian said, gradually distancing herself from the small group and heading towards the adults.
No one noticed the arrival of this little child; several women were gossiping loudly about village matters.
Of course, the most talked-about was the Lin Man family, who had just returned to live in the shanty outside the village.
The Lin Man family hadn’t been away from the village for long, but what happened was truly eventful.
First, they tried to settle in another village by marrying off their eldest daughter Lin Zhaodi to a lame man, but their scheme backfired when the man refused to acknowledge them after the marriage and, ultimately, they failed to settle there.
Upon returning, to persuade the village chief to let them stay, they even planned to marry off their second daughter Lin Pandi to the village chief’s wife’s brother.
Moreover, there was the incident where Little Niu pushed Gu Nian into the river, and they only agreed to compensate the village chief with a daughter to gain his support, not expecting Nan Jin Yu to intervene.
Gu Nian really couldn’t listen any longer. Fresh chapters posted on N0velFire.ɴet
The village chief’s wife’s brother was about the same age as Lin Man, no wonder Lin Pandi wanted to jump into the river!
"Sigh, I just saw that girl Pandi. I heard she went to the river this morning, came back all wet, and kneeled at the village chief’s house. Who knows what was said, but just now she left the village again. Do you think she might be thinking of something desperate and go to the river again?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Nian could no longer squat still. She stood up and asked, "Auntie, did you see which way she was headed?"
"Over there..."
Seeing that the direction was not towards the Great West River, Gu Nian breathed a sigh of relief.
But thinking it over, she still chased in that direction.
It seemed that Lin Pandi most likely gave the ten taels of silver to the village chief’s family, hoping to buy back her freedom.
She didn’t go home, and no one knew where she went, or what she intended to do!
Gu Nian didn’t know if she could catch up with her, and was rather conflicted in her heart.
She was even unaware that this direction led to the shanty where Lin Man’s family lived.
She hadn’t run far when she saw a makeshift shed by the roadside, and Lin Pandi happened to come out of it.
"Niannian, what are you doing here?" Lin Pandi asked in surprise.
Gu Nian, panting, explained, "Nothing, I’m just out for a stroll."
"Oh, then you play by yourself, I’m leaving," said Lin Pandi, turning away with a somber expression, "I’m leaving this place, but I’ll remember the silver I owe you. If I ever have the money, I’ll definitely come back and repay you."
As for what would happen without the money, she didn’t say.
A penny can defeat a hero, without silver, any words are empty.
"Have you decided where to go?" Gu Nian asked as she watched her departing back.
Lin Pandi just shook her head lightly.
Since her elder sister was forced to marry, she had already envisioned her own future and was thoroughly disillusioned with this family.
Even though she had no destination after leaving, she would rather beg outside, starve to death by the roadside, than stay here.
This time she managed to untangle herself with ten taels of silver, but what about next time?
No one would foolishly give her ten taels of silver again.
Gu Nian ultimately couldn’t bear it, "Pandi, why don’t you just stay?"
This is ancient times, nowhere near as safe as modern days. Outside, there were rogue bandits everywhere; Lin Man, with his whole family, found no way to survive after leaving. Wouldn’t Lin Pandi, a girl who couldn’t even truss a chicken, be seeking death by going out alone!