Mother Li hurried over to support her. When she saw the silver in her arms, her eyes widened, and she exchanged a glance with her husband.
Father Li was stunned. “Xianglian, this…?”
Wen Zhile also stood up.
“Master Wen, this is fifty taels of silver. Please help intercept the situation. Also, I need you to obtain Qinglan’s divorce document and travel permit.”
Wen Zhile frowned. He hadn’t expected that a rural woman could so easily produce fifty taels of silver.
“Xianglian, where did you get so much money?” Father Li couldn’t help asking. His daughter had been living with them for a long time—he had never heard of her having such savings.
Then it dawned on him—this must be Chen Lang’s hidden money.
It was from the time Chen Lang claimed the house had been robbed. What was actually stolen wasn’t some object—it was this money, taken by their daughter. And Chen Lang couldn’t openly admit what he lost, or people would mock him—a grown man living off his wife, yet somehow having so much hidden cash.
Mother Li came to the same realization. The couple’s resentment toward Chen Lang deepened.
Wen Zhile accepted the silver. “Then I won’t refuse. Leave this matter to me. I will make sure Qinglan is safe. However, I have a question.”
“Please ask.”
“You yourself are still struggling—why spend so much money to help someone unrelated by blood?”
“Qinglan and I may not be sisters by blood, but we are close as sisters. I cannot bear to see her trapped. If my dream hadn’t begun to come true, I might have ignored it—but now that it has, if I do nothing, I would be betraying my conscience.”
Wen Zhile nodded firmly. “Alright. I will help.”
“Thank you.”
Li Xianglian tried to bow, but he quickly reached out to steady her. “No need for that.”
He found a tree branch in the yard and carefully shaped it into a crutch for her.
As Li Xianglian sat watching him work so attentively, she felt an unfamiliar stirring in her heart.
Mother Li noticed and nudged Father Li to look.
“Look at Master Wen—what a fine young man. Same age as Xianglian, and still unmarried. If only Xianglian hadn’t married that scoundrel Chen Lang… how good it would be if she were with him,” Father Li murmured.
Mother Li sighed softly. She thought the same.
“That kind of thinking is dangerous. Even if Xianglian weren’t married, someone like Master Wen is far beyond our reach.”
Father Li nodded. “It’s not our daughter’s fault—it’s just that we’re poor and couldn’t give her a better life.”
Mother Li smiled gently. “What are you saying? Neither I nor Xianglian has ever looked down on our family. This home is warm.”
Father Li felt embarrassed and lowered his head, continuing to prepare the chicken for dinner. He planned to cook something nourishing for his daughter—and to properly thank Wen Zhile.
On the day Father Li went to the post station, Qinglan was beaten by Liu Shun after he got drunk—her head was split open.
Li Xianglian had thought things might turn out differently from her previous life, but she hadn’t expected Liu Shun to become violent so soon. The next day, Qinglan was tied up and taken away on an ox cart toward town.
Li Xianglian prayed that Wen Zhile would save her. She waited from morning to night, worried all through the evening. Finally, the next morning, Wen Zhile arrived.
“Master Wen, how is Qinglan?”
“Let’s talk inside.”
He helped her into the house. Mother Li brought tea, and the three of them sat down.
After wiping the sweat from his forehead and taking a sip of tea, Wen Zhile looked at her and said gently, “Everything happened just as in your dream. Liu Shun sold her to a wealthy man, Master Wang. I reached him before Liu Shun did. After understanding the situation, Master Wang said he only wanted his money back—he had no real intention of buying Qinglan.”
“He only agreed out of anger and helplessness. I negotiated with him in advance. In the end, he provided a divorce document and travel permit for Qinglan.”
Wen Zhile took out the documents and handed them to Li Xianglian. “Take a look.”
Seeing Liu Shun’s signature, Li Xianglian finally relaxed. In her excitement, she grabbed Wen Zhile’s arm, then quickly let go.
“Sorry—I’m just too happy. Qinglan is free now. My conscience can finally rest.”
She asked anxiously, “Where is she now?”
“I’ve arranged a vacant courtyard for her. She’s resting there for now. When your leg improves, I’ll take you to see her.”
Mother Li’s eyes reddened with relief. Then she asked, “What about her child? Can she bear to leave the child behind?”
“I asked her,” Wen Zhile replied. “The child belongs to Liu Shun. His family won’t allow her to take the child. And even if she did, she wouldn’t be able to survive alone with it. At least staying with the Liu family, the grandmother will care for the child.”
Li Xianglian nodded. “Thank you, Master Wen. I have no way to repay your kindness…”
“We’re friends now,” he said with a smile. “Friends help each other. Don’t say that again. I’m still waiting for you to recover so you can help gather herbs.”
Li Xianglian smiled. “Don’t worry—I’ll recover within ten days.”
“There’s no rush. Focus on healing first.” He hesitated, then asked, “You really don’t plan to go back? Don’t you miss your children?”
She didn’t expect the question. She shook her head with a faint smile. “Go back for what? To be treated like a servant again? As for my children… those ungrateful ones—I’ll pretend they don’t exist. Let them do as they please.”
“You really intend to divorce?”
She nodded firmly. “Yes. But before that, they must pay a price.”
Wen Zhile lowered his gaze with a faint smile, then looked up. “If you need anything, I will do everything I can to help.”
Li Xianglian stared at him. This man was almost too good—too perfect. She wondered which woman would be lucky enough to marry him one day.
“Thank you.”
After Wen Zhile left, Mother Li went to the village entrance to cool off. She heard the village women cursing Liu Shun, which reassured her.
“Poor child—so young and already without a mother.”
“Who would’ve thought? Liu Shun always seemed so honest, yet he fell into gambling.”
“He’s spent all his money. His mother is bedridden from anger. The children barely have enough to eat. And Liu Shun hasn’t come back since he took Qinglan to the Wang residence.”
Mother Li was shocked. “Then where did he go?”
“Who knows? His relatives have been searching, but no luck. He’s probably hiding out of shame.”