Rebirth Space Pretty Girl Chapter 5: Leave

Chapter 5: Remaining Behind

"Spare me the nonsense. Beggars once snuck into your own home and perished from the cold during winter. Why didn't you feel the need to drive out evil spirits back then? You continued living there for years after they died. Claiming you'll move once a new house is built—save those lies for a ghost!"

Listening to these words, Murong Lingran's lips twitched slightly. Despite the speaker's advanced age, he clearly possessed a sensible mind.

Old Mrs. Gao’s face flushed crimson instantly. This situation was humiliating; after all, they were from the same village, yet he refused to shield her and chose to side with outsiders instead.

Observing Mrs. Gao standing there motionless, Li Zheng spoke with an air of righteousness, "Azhe, it appears I can no longer maintain discipline here. Come, let us settle this at the magistrate's office. I shall act as your witness!"

"Wait, my sister-in-law will return the money." Seeing Li Zheng preparing to lead Murong Zhe away, Mrs. Tian interjected anxiously, "Sister-in-law, they have both physical evidence and witnesses. You must pay them back. If you go to the government, you'll endure at least fifty strokes of the board. The rent money won't even cover the cost of your medicine then, so stop being so stubborn."

Mrs. Gao understood that Mrs. Tian meant well, yet she still shot her a fierce glare. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a piece of silver and hurled it toward Murong Zhe without a shred of courtesy.

The silver slipped through Murong Zhe's fingers as soon as he tried to catch it, tumbling to the ground right at Murong Lingran's feet. Murong Lingran, whose head was beginning to spin with dizziness again, failed to notice her father's strange lack of coordination and picked it up in a daze.

"Take it and go." After spitting out those words, Mrs. Gao locked her door in front of the crowd and stomped away, fuming.

She hadn't managed to keep a single copper, and now she had become the subject of village gossip. The thought left her absolutely livid.

Seeing the way things had turned out, Mrs. Tian knew she couldn't linger. She bid Li Zheng a shameful farewell and hurried off.

As for the wages she was owed for tending to Murong Lingran over the past two days, she felt far too embarrassed to even mention them.

Once the others had departed, Li Zheng let out a heavy sigh and asked, "Azhe, what are your intentions now?"

Murong Zhe glanced down at his daughter, who was drifting toward sleep once more. He shook his head and replied, "We will take it one step at a time. Now that A Ran has regained consciousness, things will never be as dire as they were twenty days ago."

"Are you thinking of leaving Lihua Village?" Li Zheng could read the man's intentions clearly from his expression.

"I have considered it." Since he was at odds with the local villagers, he felt there was little reason to stay. The world was vast; surely there was a place where they could belong.

Li Zheng shook his head in disagreement. "Azhe, listen to the advice of your Uncle Zhuang. I understand your plight. However, your daughter is still frail and ill; this is no time to be wandering the roads."

"As you mentioned earlier, her recovery might require a great deal of medicine. We may be poor here, but we are nestled against Wuming Mountain. You are skilled in medicine and recognize all sorts of herbs. By gathering them yourself, you can save a significant amount of money."

"Furthermore, you can earn a good living by selling those medicinal materials. Even without a job or fields to farm, you won't go hungry. You must have realized this lately, so why not remain here?"

Murong Lingran, who was on the verge of sleep, perked up at the mention of saving money. She glanced toward the distant mountain peaks and whispered, "Father, let's stay."

"Does A Ran like this place?"

"Mm-hmm."

Though their family was currently in a wretched state, she possessed the confidence to build a prosperous future as long as she was there. Those mountains surely held countless treasures.

"Akuan, what do you think?"

"I will follow the wishes of Father and Sister."

After contemplating for a long moment, Murong Zhe finally nodded in resignation. "Very well, we shall stay."