Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

"People aren't commodities, Su Yan," Li Xiangyang said coldly. "Even if you wanted to sell her, I wouldn't want her."

His voice carried a hint of weariness: "You're always like this, treating everyone as a stepping stone. You never consider other people's feelings; you're willing to sacrifice anything to achieve your goal."

Su Yan's face paled: "What do you mean by this? Are you trying to humiliate me?"

"Is it necessary? You're practically selling yourself like merchandise. And you're even picky about your buyers. The key is, whoever you sleep with, you can live off them for life. You're someone I can't afford to mess with."

Li Xiangyang waved his hand, signaling the other party to be quiet.

"To be honest, I can never forgive you for what you've done, but I should say goodbye to the past."

He paused, looking directly into Su Yan's eyes: "Tell me the truth, is it really just about going back to the city? After we go back, will we have nothing to do with each other anymore?"

"Yes," Su Yan answered without hesitation, "As long as I can get back to the city, I promise I will never appear in front of you again."

Li Xiangyang nodded: "Okay, remember what you said today. Don't regret it later. There's no possibility between us. Don't come looking for me again, and don't interfere with my finding a partner."

His tone turned exceptionally stern: "Have I been blunt enough? I'm helping you not because I want you, but because I want to end all of this once and for all."

Under the moonlight, Su Yan's face alternated between pale and flushed.

She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

"Just wait." Li Xiangyang turned his back. "I'll find a way to help you, but this is the last time. From now on, we're strangers."

Li Xiangyang closed the door and turned around to meet the gazes of everyone in the room.

Wang Ying and Li Xiaohua both had their ears covered.

But obviously, it didn't work; the two kids heard everything.

Everyone's expressions were somewhat unnatural.

For a moment, the room was so quiet that you could hear the crackling of the firewood in the stove.

"Ahem," Wang Jingyun cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence, "We really don't want to hear it, but you're all talking too loudly."

Li Xiangyang felt his face burning.

It's really not very respectable for so many people to hear about this.

“Xiangyang,” Wang Jingyun pondered for a moment, “do you think you can get rid of this? Letting her return to the city is a good thing, but I feel that if she encounters difficulties in the future, she will still bother you.”

"Uncle, you don't need to rely on your feelings anymore. Don't believe a single word of her promises."

Li Xiangyang sat down with a wry smile. "Honestly, I really regret not making her commit to Wang Ming. Now, what can I do if I don't agree?"

He turned to Wang Jingyun, his voice pleading, "Uncle, could you please help me get her back to the city? Even if it means I don't see her for three to five years, that would be fine. I beg you, otherwise she'll keep bothering me, and I'm afraid I'll be a bachelor for life."

Wang Jingyun didn't say anything, but just looked at him with sympathy.

"Please don't look at me like that, I'm scared," Li Xiangyang continued. "Please, help me, just once. Since you've heard my conversation with her whether you wanted to or not, you can see how ruthless she is. She went to the city, with such a big stage for her to perform on, why would she still remember a country bumpkin like me?"

"Dad," Wang Ying suddenly spoke up when she saw Li Xiangyang was almost in tears, "please help Brother Li."

Wang Jingyun glanced at his daughter, then at Li Xiangyang, and finally nodded: "Okay, I'll give it a try. I'll do it as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Uncle." Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s getting late,” Li Xiangyang glanced out the window. “Uncle, why don’t you and Ying stay with us tonight? It’s the middle of the night, and the mountain roads are difficult to navigate.”

Wang Jingyun glanced at the sky, then at Wang Ying, who was yawning sleepily, and nodded: "Then I'll take my leave."

As Li Xiangyang spoke, he began tidying the bedding on the kang (a heated brick bed), saying, "Uncle Qu and I have moved to the side room."

The two went to the side room, where Li Xiangyang started heating the kang (a heated brick bed), seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

"Don't worry," Wang Jingyun said knowingly, "I will absolutely not arrange for that girl to be in the same system as me."

Li Xiangyang nodded, feeling somewhat relieved.

He was truly ashamed.

With Su Yan's personality, whoever she associates with is doomed.

He knew no one who, besides Wang Jingyun, was capable of getting her away.

As night deepened, only the sound of firewood burning in the stove and the black leopard cat's soft purring remained.

The next morning, Wang Jingyun took his leave with Wang Ying, who was still yawning.

"Uncle, be careful on the road." Li Xiangyang saw him off to the gate of the courtyard.

"Don't bother seeing her off," Wang Jingyun patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll take care of her as soon as possible. But let me tell you, hurry up and find someone, get married quickly. Who knows when she might come back and bother you?"

Watching Wang Jingyun and his daughter's figures disappear into the morning mist, Li Xiangyang let out a long sigh of relief.

This turbulent New Year's Eve is finally over.

But Wang Jingyun's words before she left echoed in his ears: "Hurry up and find someone, get married as soon as possible. Who knows when she might come back and bother you?"

Li Xiangyang couldn't help but shiver.

Indeed, he now regrets more and more that he didn't completely lock Su Yan and Wang Ming up back then.

If that were the case, at least it would put an end to her hopes.

But now, even though Wang Jingyun agreed to help bring her back to the city, who can guarantee she won't come back later?

"Son," Li's mother's voice came from behind, "your Uncle Wang is right. You're of age; it's time to settle down."

Li Xiangyang turned around and saw his mother looking at him with a worried expression.

He knew that his mother must have heard Wang Jingyun's words as well.

"Mom, don't worry," Li Xiangyang tried to reassure his mother. "This needs to be done slowly."

"Take it slow?" Li's mother sighed. "Look at Su Yan, she forced you to help her even if you didn't want to, all for the sake of what she wanted. If you don't find a good girl soon, you might end up spending your whole life with her..."

"Mom!" Li Xiangyang quickly interrupted his mother, "Don't worry, I will definitely find a good girl."

“Lin Qiaomei from the supply and marketing cooperative is quite good,” Li’s mother’s eyes lit up. “She’s good-looking and has a respectable job…”

Li Xiangyang was both amused and exasperated: "Mom, it's only the first day of the Lunar New Year, and you're already setting me up for marriage?"

"Then you must hurry!" Mother Li said sternly. "Look how good you are now, you can hunt, you know how to manage a household, you should settle down while you're still young. Do you really want to spend your whole life with Su Yan? It's not that I'm worried, but she's too materialistic, she'll stumble sooner or later..."

Li Xiangyang understood his mother's worries.

He thinks so too.

Now he can only pray that Su Yan doesn't fall too quickly after returning to the city.

Thinking about it this way, marriage is indeed an important matter that cannot be delayed.

"Okay, you're right," Li Xiangyang reluctantly agreed. "I'll take a good look after the New Year."

Only then did Li's mother smile, turn around and go back into the house.