Chapter 73: Conflict

Translator: Lonelytree 

When Lin Yuelan was working in the house, she could hear the villagers gossiping about her to the Liu Siblings.

Lin Yuelan expected Liu Qi’s attitude. However, Liu Jiayin’s insistence on protecting Lin Yuelan made the latter’s heart warm.

Lin Yuelan had placed her trust in the wrong friend in her previous life. But now, an eight-year-old was staunchly defending her for no reason at all. She knew the girl was sincere. She was too young to be so calculative.

From that moment on, Lin Yuelan truly regarded Liu Jiayi as a friend, and not just because she was the daughter of a wealthy family. Technically, Lin Yuelan was old enough to be Liu Jiayi’s grandmother, but who said they couldn’t be friends?

As for Liu Qi, his attitude was not as clear. But it didn’t matter. Lin Yuelan wanted to befriend Liu Jiayin and not Liu Qi. To put it bluntly, Lin Yuelan would see Liu Qi as a friend only because he was the eldest young master of the Liu family.

Lin Yuelan didn’t quite care about Liu Qi’s reaction. If he would continue to be her friend, then she secretly protect him and the Liu family. If he would not, she would not care about anything other than protecting Liu Jiayin.

After Lin Yuelan came out of the house, Lin Jiayin rushed over and asked in a loud voice, “Sister Yue, they all say that you are a jinx. Is that true?”

Lin Yuelan’s attitude was very calm as she walked to the front of the carriage. Then, she glanced at the villagers around her with her sharp eyes and answered lightly, “Yes.” Then, she easily and neatly took a large bag of flour from the carriage, which weighed twenty catties.

Seeing this, Liu Jiayin immediately went forward to give her a hand and said angrily, “Sister Yue, how can you be so indifferent? They said that you are a jinx. How can you just let them call you that?” Her angry little face was flushed red as if she was the one being called the jinx. Her eyes were wide with anger, and her cheeks were puffy with anger. She wore a pink dress, which made her look very cute.

Lin Yuelan suddenly chuckled. She patted Liu Jiayin’s little face and said, “They are talking about me. What are you angry about? Besides, we can’t control their mouths. If they want to call me a jinx, then so be it. It’s nothing off my back anyway.”

Liu Jiayin still said angrily, “But, they are isolating you and spreading slander everywhere. This is too much.”

Lin Yuelan said, “Jiayin, we walk our own paths. Don’t care what others say.”

These villagers were still frightened by what happened to Lin Mingqing three years ago. Coupled with the instigation of some people, for the past three years, Lin Yuelan had been ostracized and isolated from the Lin family village.

But now that Lin Yuelan had been reborn, as long as the villagers didn’t provoke her, she could ignore the gossip behind her back. Once they did, she would take revenge immediately.

Liu Jiayin slowly calmed down. Since sister Yue did not care, she would listen to sister Yue. However, in her heart, Liu Jiayin was sure that the girl, who could go up the mountain to take down a tiger, wouldn’t be a jinx. They only called her a jinx because they were jealous of her.

Lin Yuelan really did not know that she had unknowingly received a loyal fan.

Compared to his sister’s closeness to Lin Yuelan, Liu Qi’s attitude was clearly much more distant than before.

He cupped his hands and smiled, “Miss Lin, the weather is a little late. My sister and I have to go back already!”

Lin Yuelan looked at the unnoticeable frost in his eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled into an unnoticeable smile.

It seemed that the eldest young master of the Liu family was still a little wary of her.

Lin Yuelan said with a chuckle, “Young Master Liu is right. The day is getting dark. You should leave. Otherwise, if something did happen on your way back, you’ll blame it on me. That would truly make me a jinx.”

Lin Yuelan’s straightforward words made Liu Qi feel a little embarrassed. But, he said with a little embarrassment, “Miss Lin, please don’t say that.”

Then, Liu Jiayin was reluctantly dragged into the carriage by Liu Qi.

After getting into the carriage, Liu Jiayin said to Lin Yuelan, “Sister Yue, I will definitely come and play with you again. Sister Yue, when you go to town, you must come to the Liu family to find me.”

Lin Yuelan nodded at Liu Jiayin and said, “Alright. I will come to visit you often in the future.”

After that, Liu Jiayin was dragged into the carriage.

…

“In the future, you are not allowed to make friends with Lin Yuelan anymore.” On the way back, Liu Qi said to his sister, Liu Jiayin, with a serious expression on his face.

Lin Yuelan was a jinx. She was a girl who was ostracized and loathed by all the villagers. No matter how capable she was, they were not allowed to have anything to do with her.

What if they ended up like the elementary scholar of the Lin Family Village? That would make Liu Qi lose all his power in the Liu Family. They would be chased out of the Liu Family then.

Thinking of these consequences, Liu Qi felt a chill run down his spine.

Therefore, he made up his mind. No matter what, he couldn’t have any contact with Lin Yuelan, let alone allow his sister to have any contact with her.

Even Lin Yuelan did not expect Liu Qi to be as ignorant as the villagers.

Then again, it was understandable.

Superstition was common for all ancient people, regardless of age, region, race, or class!

As the son of a large family in An Ning town, Liu Qi was the legitimate heir of the Liu family.

However, he was not the only heir. He had a lot of brothers from different mothers. They all wanted his spot.

If something happened to him…

What would happen to his weak mother?

What would happen to his naive sister?

Could he rely on his father, who loved his concubine more than his wife?

Liu Qi had to be careful. In order to prevent anything from happening, they had to keep a distance from Lin Yuelan. This was Liu Qi’s concern.

He could not let anything happen to him because he could not gamble with the future of his mother and sister.

Therefore, when he heard the Lin Family Village’s villagers call Lin Yuelan a jinx, he frowned.

Liu Jiayin had been well protected by her brother since she was young. She had never considered such things.

Therefore, when her brother forbade her from being friends with Lin Yuelan, she immediately became angry.

She glared at her brother with red eyes and said loudly, “Brother, don’t tell me you also believe that nonsense?”

Liu Qi said seriously, “It’s not nonsense! That is the truth.”

Three years ago, the news of an elementary scholar being expelled caused big news in An Ning Town. However, Liu Qi had no idea that it could be traced back to a jinx.

Liu Jiayin did not believe in these things at all.

She explained loudly, “That must be an accident, a coincidence. Sister Yue didn’t do anything. Brother, you are being very unfair.”

Liu Qi also said loudly, “Then, why would the whole village call her a jinx?” Then, Liu Qi warned her sternly, “In the future, you are not allowed to associate with her anymore, do you hear me?”

“I don’t!” Liu Jiayin was stubborn.

Then, she suddenly stood up, looking as if she was about to jump off. When Liu Qi saw this, his face immediately turned pale with fright.

“Ying ‘Er, it’s dangerous!” Liu Qi cried out in alarm. He stopped the horses, and the inertia threw Liu Jiayin out of the carriage.

There were stones on both sides of the road. If Liu Jiayin hit them, her face would be ruined, or she’d be crippled. Then, her life would be ruined.