The cannon fodder heiress trembled with fear after being recognized as a member of her family.

Han Cuiyin quickly recovered and moved closer to Luo Jingqian, "You wouldn't just make a verbal promise, would you?"

The scent of fresh grass wafted to his nose. Luo Jingqian shifted back, his back touching the edge of the cellar, and lowered his eyes. "A gentleman's word is his bond. If you don't believe me, I'll leave you a contract. Come find me at Princess Jinghe's residence then..."

Han Cuiyin was stunned. This life was completely different from the last one.

When she was taken away by the Han family, she had thought about looking for them.

Remembering the humiliation she suffered in the inner quarters back then, she quickly tore a piece of cloth from Luo Jingqian's clothes. "Write it down!"

"..."

Luo Jingqian took the charcoal she handed him and smiled helplessly.

“I can read, don’t try to play tricks on me.”

"You can read?" Luo Jingqian looked up in surprise. This country girl didn't seem to be doing well.

He wore faded cotton and linen clothes, had dry, yellow hair, and was as thin as a stick, yet he could read.

"Looking down on people? Hurry up and write it down, clearly state the price of 100,000 taels!" Han Cuiyin urged.

She had absolutely no trust in this person.

The next time they saw each other after they got married was when she was drowned in a pig cage and her own mother died by hitting her head against a pillar.

The initial goodwill and affection have been worn away by time.

She naturally wouldn't be polite to the person in front of her.

He grabbed his finger, and with a light stroke of the metal sheet, the blood that seeped out was imprinted directly on the contract.

"Stamp it with your personal seal!" Han Cuiyin added after doing all that.

"Private seal? You know quite a bit about it." Luo Jingqian sucked his fingers, looking inquisitive.

Han Cuiyin ignored him and stood up, taking a few steps away from him. "How about exchanging the antidote for wound medicine?"

"You've searched me, don't you know if I have the other half of the antidote?"

Luo Jingqian glanced at the wounds; the wounds on his arm had already scabbed over, but the wounds on his shoulder remained untreated.

"I only searched the top part; I haven't had time to search the bottom part yet."

The woman in front of me is cunning; even if I don't exchange my belongings, she'll still search me.

Luo Jingqian quickly made a decision: "Deal! Also, you have to let me leave safely."

After saying that, he took off his right shoe and boot, took out a copper ball, and said, "Crush it, the antidote is inside."

Han Cuiyin didn't miss the smile in his eyes, and pinched it open fiercely, "If you want to leave safely, fine, but use that to exchange! There's a Miss Xu outside with a team looking for you."

"I've taken them on a long tour of the mountains this past half day, and we're going again tomorrow and the day after!"

"With your current injuries, you're no match for those people."

She endured the stench lingering in her nose, ignored the man's mockery, and forced herself to swallow the antidote.

Luo Jingqian's shoulder injury was so deep that the bone was visible, and even with the best external medicine, it would take some time to heal.

He weighed the pros and cons, and with a heavy heart, handed over the jade pendant he was carrying, saying, "Keep it safe, I'll redeem it later."

He didn't know who this Miss Xu was. All the young ladies in the capital avoided her like the plague. She seemed to have ill intentions, so it was best to stay away.

Upon hearing the origin of the jade pendant, Han Cuiyin quickly stuffed it into her bosom, saying, "If you want to redeem it, you'll have to pay a price."

"Don't leave yet! I need to find somewhere else to heal. This cellar is full of clutter; it's not good for my wounds. Also—"

“It’s good enough that you have a place to stay. That Miss Xu’s people searched every household in Yan Family Village tonight, just to find you. This place,” Han Cuiyin glanced around and said gloatingly, “smells terrible. Miss Xu won’t come down to investigate.”

She had only been back for a few days and wasn't very familiar with the courtyard.

She used to live in the Yan family courtyard, a place that was rumored to be haunted and had been abandoned for a long time.

The cellar was indeed cluttered, and Luo Jingqian didn't have much room to move around.

Before leaving, Han Cuiyin felt a little reluctant and wanted to secretly help him clean up tomorrow, but the man's next words made her think of it disappear.

"My name is Geng Liyan. What's your name, young lady? When I'm looking for someone in the future, I'll need to—"

"Don't worry, even if you can't find me, I'll find you! Didn't you say you were at the Grand Princess Jinghe's residence in the capital? You can't escape!"

Han Cuiyin left in a huff. This person wasn't as honest as she was in her previous life. Trying to renege on her debt by giving a fake name? Dream on!

"..." Luo Jingqian was completely bewildered. His savior's attitude had changed so drastically that he could only sigh helplessly, "How fickle!"

After Han Cuiyin returned to her room, Han Lingzhi fell fast asleep on the kang (a heated brick bed).

There was some noise outside, though it was faint, but it didn't escape her ears.

It seems those people have returned, but they didn't find anyone. This young lady will probably leave in a couple of days, right?

I made a lot of money from Han Lingzhi this time, and I'll go to the nunnery after she leaves.

With a plan in mind, Han Cuiyin drifted off to sleep.

The commotion outside did not alert the Yan family.

Those who stayed at their house disappeared overnight, but Yan Dali didn't pay any attention to it.

"Brother, are we just going to let these people cause trouble?"

Yan Erwen was a teacher in the village school. The strangers who came into the village today searched through every household at night, which did not go unnoticed.

"Let them be! Didn't the clan chief say before that everything should be left to nature?"

"These people don't seem to be after Cuiyin. They'll leave once they don't find what they're looking for."

Yan Dali said a couple of sentences, then changed the subject, "Second brother, why do I feel like Cuiyin is acting a little strange?"

"Strange? What makes you say that?" Yan Erwen was rarely home during the day and spent little time with Han Cuiyin. "She's just gotten a bit darker?"

“I’m not at ease with this. I need to go to the clan chief’s house and have a good talk with him. You come with me and give me some advice.”

Yan Dali grabbed Yan Erwen and hurriedly headed towards the clan chief's house.

Fortunately, those people were not active in the village at the moment.

"It's pitch black, what brings you two brothers here?" Clan Chief Yan Qingping had already gone to bed, but they managed to knock on his door.

"Uncle Qingping, Cuiyin suddenly moved to the yard next to mine a few days ago, and the child's face suddenly turned dark. Her once good appearance has now become ugly. Have we been too harsh on her?"

When Yan Dali met his elders, he quickly poured out his worries so that they wouldn't have to worry about it alone.

“Cuiyin is a child with great fortune. The teachings left by my great-grandfather are being applied to her. Her face turning black is the beginning of this change.”

Yan Qingping stroked his sparse beard, a look of delight on his face.

"Uncle Qingping, I'm really worried about what might happen to the Yan family. I'm suffering terribly every day playing the villain. Today, my third brother almost got his head cracked open by Cuiyin, like they were enemies!"

The honest and simple look that Yan Dali used to have on his face disappeared, replaced by shrewdness.

"Let's wait and see. That courtyard was once occupied by a very important person; perhaps Cuiyin can benefit from that good fortune..."

"That's true, but she's my only niece. If something happens to her, how can I face my poor sister!"

The three members of the Yan family discussed the matter almost all night, and the Yan brothers did not leave until dawn.

“Cuiyin, are you going into the mountains so early? Have your cousin come along too, so you can look after each other.”

Han Cuiyin and her group were about to enter the Pinglian Mountains when they encountered the two brothers returning.

“No need! Now that we’ve separated our families, it’s not right for me to take advantage of the Yan family anymore. I have hands and feet, and I can support myself. I will always remember the care my uncle has given me over the years.”

The word "take care" is used with great emphasis.

Yan Dali chuckled twice and watched the group walk away.