Chapter 53: Save Me, Doctor!
Lin Xin looked at her coldly with an indifferent expression as she vomited her guts out, but her mind was filled with countless thoughts. Ever since severing ties, she had thought she had escaped the plot, and with so much time having passed, she had almost forgotten that she had transmigrated into a book.
He Luan’er, the original book’s female lead. After the original owner and Lin Nan died, the house was taken over by the Lin Family’s eldest branch. As a result, the young son of the Lin Family’s eldest branch—who should now be in Xu Shi’s belly—developed a gambling addiction. To pay off his gambling debt, Xu Shi had no choice but to sell this courtyard. The buyer was none other than this He Luan’er.
At that time, He Luan’er, who had already married into the Capital City, happened to return home to visit her family. Ignoring her parents’ objections, she spent money to buy this small courtyard.
No one knew why she bought the courtyard, but Lin Xin knew. He Luan’er had married the scholar Zhao Shuyun from the town. In a few years, he would pass the recommended scholar exam, then the Jinshi Scholar exam. During the palace exam, he placed fourth as the Chuanlu, catching the eye of Grand Tutor Feng Yuan’s daughter. Using the Grand Tutor’s influence, she forcibly demoted He Luan’er from wife to concubine and married him herself.
He Luan’er, a village girl by origin, was no match for Feng Yuan, who was raised in a great noble family. Within two years, she was worn down to death in the inner residence.
Then, she was reborn, reborn on the second day after Zhao Shuyun placed as Chuanlu. When Zhao Shuyun hesitantly proposed demoting her to concubine, she decisively proposed divorce. She quickly went to the government office to register the divorce papers. Afterward, she took the one thousand taels of silver compensated to her by the Grand Tutor’s family for her “sensibility” and returned to Willow Forest Village.
In ancient times, life was not easy for a divorced woman. Her maternal family looked at her unkindly because she had given up Zhao Shuyun, this golden son-in-law. In a fit of anger, she spent money to buy this courtyard from Lin Xin’s home.
No one knew what luck she had. When the Lin Family’s eldest branch took over the house, they had renovated it and found nothing. But when she renovated the house, she dug up a fairly large wooden box full of gold, silver, and jewelry right next to the house’s foundation. Crucially, everything inside was intact.
With this money, whether it was He Luan’er’s maternal family, the Lin Family, or the villagers, they came to her every day. In the end, all they wanted was the money in her hands. Finally, He Luan’er, unable to bear the harassment, chose to take the money and leave the village.
Later on, the book went unfinished, and He Luan’er’s storyline ended there.
According to the original book’s plot, He Luan’er should now be in the midst of a marriage proposal with Zhao Shuyun, very enthusiastic about it. But now she had actually appeared in the village and shown malice toward her, which made Lin Xin think more deeply.
Could it be that her rebirth timeline had advanced? Or had she been reborn again?
Lin Xin narrowed her eyes. The plot had already collapsed into a messy state. Even she had come, so it didn’t seem like a big deal for the female lead to rebirth at a different timeline or even twice······ right!
As if! From their first encounter, it was clear the female lead came with ill intentions. Could it be she was about to stand against Heaven’s own daughter? For some reason, she felt a strange surge of fighting spirit.
Right, there was still a box of gold and silver treasures buried in the courtyard. She had to dig it up and put it into the space. She absolutely could not let the female lead benefit from it.
He Luan’er finally finished vomiting. She barely propped up her weak body and looked at Lin Xin. She wanted to ask publicly why she had twisted her good intentions, but she didn’t quite dare open her mouth, afraid she would put some more disgusting stuff into it. Thinking of that taste from earlier, she dry heaved several more times.
At this moment, the sound of carriage wheels came from the village entrance. Two horse carriages plus four fine horses arrived in the village one after the other, heading this way.
He Luan’er’s eyes lit up. Her mother had already told her that Lin Nan had taken the doctor from the town as his master. This was probably them. She had to go over and leave a good impression. What if they saw she was pretty, obedient, cute, and polite, and looked at her differently!
Thinking of this, she ignored the strange taste still lingering in her mouth after vomiting and the vomit on her shoes. She smoothed her somewhat messy hair and bangs, then walked toward Lin Xin’s home with what she thought was an extremely graceful gait, preparing to stand with her and wait for the carriage.
Before she got close to Lin Xin, she saw her frowning and covering her nose, pointing at her with the other hand. “Stop, don’t come any closer. Can’t you smell that sour rotten stench on you? Get far away from me quick. I’m afraid if you get any closer, I’ll be affected and vomit too.”
He Luan’er stood awkwardly in place, her face turning pale in an instant. She held her breath in her chest until her eyes reddened. From afar, she looked a bit like a pitiful little rabbit, making Lin Xin secretly sigh. Sure enough, she was Heaven’s own daughter—truly looked the part.
The carriage drew near. The curtain of the first carriage was lifted, revealing Cui Shi’s old face, full of anxiety as he looked at the expressionless Lin Xin standing at the door.
The curtain was lifted a bit higher, and Meng Yichen’s head poked out from the side. Perhaps because the weather had turned cooler, his complexion looked a bit poor, and his lip color was excessively pale.
Lin Xin took a step back, letting the people on the carriage that had arrived come down.
Cui Shi and Meng Yichen got off the first carriage. The one behind was larger. Ling Qing, Chu Yu, Gao Yong, and Zhou Qi all jumped down from their horses.
“Um, Miss Lin, we······” Chu Yu scratched his head, his face full of embarrassment. “The previous matter was our fault, but we really didn’t think that much. Could you······ not be angry······ and still let Yi Chen be your younger brother’s mister?”
“Yes, yes,” Gao Yong took over. “Zi Yuan has already criticized us. We know we didn’t do right. You’re magnanimous—forgive us, okay?”
Four big men, each a head taller than her, stood in a row in front of her, “fidgeting” as they expressed their apologies. Lin Xin covered her eyes, indicating she couldn’t quite handle it. This visual impact was too jarring. She quickly said:
“Last time Mo Ziyuan already explained. It wasn’t your fault. We siblings have always relied on each other. I overreacted. I should be the one apologizing to you.”
A group of big men immediately showed smiles on their faces and waved their hands repeatedly, saying no need, no need.
Cui Shi walked over from the side, his little mustache twitching as he said: “Stinky girl, last time you didn’t even give this old man a meal before shooing me away. You have to make it up this time!”
Lin Xin looked speechlessly at the sky and made way at the door: “Fine, you’re always right. Nan Nan is in the room. Do you want to come in and talk?”
“Hehe,” Gao Yong grinned, revealing a mouthful of big white teeth. “We brought a lot of things this time as compensation to you, miss. I’ll go get them now.”
With that, the whole man shot out like a rabbit—impressively agile for his large build.
“Yes, yes, miss, you must accept them.” The remaining three followed Gao Yong, diving into their carriage to start unloading things.
Cui Shi stroked his little mustache with a beaming smile for a moment, then strode toward the courtyard in his square steps. He had to go see his little disciple.
He hadn’t taken the first step when a howl came from behind him: “Doctor, save a life, doctor!” It startled the little old man.
Lin Xin frowned and looked over, seeing Lin Laosan half-kneeling on the ground, holding Zhou Shi’s upper body in his arms. Zhou Shi’s head hung limply, clearly having lost consciousness.
