Chapter 242 Extortion

Bai Youran's attitude was humble and sincere. Without the maid Jixiang interfering, Lin Yuesha couldn't say anything more, since the other party didn't intend to cause trouble.

"In that case, let's just forget about it."

Lin Yuesha wrapped her handkerchief around her palm and said coldly, "It's true that I'm in a bad mood because I suffered an undeserved calamity, but it's not that I'm intentionally giving anyone the cold shoulder. I hope you can also manage your maid properly, Miss."

This kind of gossipy and arrogant maid is likely to cause trouble if taken out. Fortunately, Bai Cha is more steady and reliable, and she gives her timely advice.

"My surname is Bai. I look about two years older than you. If you don't mind, you can call me Sister Bai."

Bai Youran wore a faint smile; she would definitely punish the maid.

Indeed, she was unwilling to argue with the servants, so she didn't discipline them much. Who would have thought that Jixiang would take advantage of this and develop such a personality.

This is the prefectural city. Her father, as the prefect, is a powerful official in charge of the area. If this were in the capital, among all the young ladies, she would only be a supporting character.

My surname is Lin.

Since the other party was polite, Lin Yuesha didn't want to pursue the matter further. She quickly introduced herself and planned to go home early.

She would compensate the coachman for the damage to the carriage.

Nearby, the coachman was still pounding the ground and wailing, heartbroken over his dilapidated carriage.

"Ruyi, give the driver twenty taels of silver."

Bai Youran instructed her other maid to quickly shut the coachman up with silver.

The coachman thanked him profusely, said he needed to repair the carriage, and left early.

"Miss, I won't accept the money for the carriage and horses. See you later."

After the coachman finished speaking, he hurriedly drove the carriage away. He had to leave quickly to avoid the other party going back on their word and demanding the money back.

Five taels of silver were enough to repair the carriage, so I made fifteen taels for free. I'm so happy!

Lin Yuesha: "..."

She knew this boastful driver had no professional ethics; he actually abandoned her and Bai Cha, and now that she's injured, she can't walk back at all.

"It's alright, but the carriage can't carry any more people anyway."

Bai Youran smiled and said, "In that case, Sister Lin, why don't you get into my carriage and I'll take you home."

She wasn't trying to get close to Lin Yuesha on purpose, but the purse Lin Yuesha had just shown was from the girls' school, so the two of them would probably meet on the first day of April, and they would be classmates.

After that, at the girls' school, we would see each other all the time. We didn't need to build a good relationship, but we also didn't need to become enemies.

Moreover, Bai Youran could tell that the girl surnamed Lin was a straightforward person and didn't seem like someone who held grudges.

Jixiang's words were indeed excessive, and Bai Youran also wanted to punish the girl severely.

Some servants' personalities are innate, and no matter how they change later, they will always show their true nature given the opportunity.

Bai Youran wouldn't keep someone like Ji Xiang around, and there's a reason for that.

"No need, there are plenty of carriages in the city, I'll just call another one myself."

Lin Yuesha shook her head. Before going home, she had to go to the clinic to check if she and Bai Cha had broken any bones.

It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone. She still remembers how excruciating it was when she twisted her ankle and had the pockmarked man set her bones.

"No, we caused this mess, so we have to take full responsibility for you."

The more Lin Yuesha declined, the more Bai Youran wanted to tease her. She was quite an interesting little girl; she might not really want to deal with her.

In the prefectural city, all the other young ladies wanted to curry favor with her, but only because of her father's official position. For the first time, some people avoided her like the plague.

"No need."

No matter what Lin Yuesha said, Bai Youran wouldn't budge, insisting on taking the person to the clinic and then back home.

Lin Yuesha rolled her eyes. Couldn't she just let it go? And yet she was still being entangled with.

The daughter of an official was eccentric; compared to her, Zhang Qing'er was much easier to get along with.

Lin Yuesha pursed her lips, thought for a moment, and finally nodded.

Just as the group was about to leave, a loud crying suddenly came from the side.

"Oh dear, my little grandson, why are you so unlucky? You were hit by a carriage. I wonder if you'll get brain damage and become an idiot!"

An elderly woman with gray hair wailed loudly, and while crying, she unconsciously looked up to examine Lin Yuesha.

Lin Yuesha frowned. There was clearly no one lying down here. After she got off the carriage, she immediately paid attention to the passersby, afraid that someone might have been hit by the carriage like her.

"Miss, this old lady and her grandson just collapsed not long ago."

Bai Cha said softly that she had noticed it just now and was worried that someone might take advantage of the situation to extort money, but she was right.

"What does that have to do with the carriage?"

Lin Yuesha was confused and did not intend to pay attention.

"Little girl, don't go! It was your carriage that hit my little grandson."

Bai Youran has two maids, both wearing jade hairpins. They don't seem like people the family can afford to offend, so the old lady made a quick decision to try and extort money from Lin Yuesha.

"The carriage is not mine; it's rented."

Lin Yuesha looked at the old woman; the old woman's eyes darted around, and she wondered what mischief she was up to.

She is clearly the victim, yet some people still insist on trying to extort money from her. Do they think they can just pick on someone who is easy to bully?

"I don't know, anyway the coachman ran away, and only you and your servant were in the carriage at the time. If I don't look for you, who else can I look for?"

The old woman kept crying, "My poor little grandson!"

Her grandson, who was always lively and energetic, fell into a coma after being hit by a carriage. The little girl has to pay compensation!

"Fifty taels of silver, not a single word less. If you're short even a copper coin, we're going to see the authorities!"

Seeing that Lin Yuesha didn't say anything, the old woman assumed the little girl was scared and was very pleased with herself.

This wasn't her first time engaging in staged accidents; it also depended on chance. Ordinary girls from poor families, who had never seen the world, would immediately turn weak with fear upon hearing that the matter had been reported to the authorities.

"Fifty taels?"

Bai Cha shook his head; the old woman really dared to ask for a price.

"Miss, her little grandson's eyelids are twitching the whole time, he must be faking it."

Bai Cha was afraid that her young mistress would be too soft-hearted and fall for a scam. There are all sorts of birds in a big forest, and in the prefectural city, there are even scoundrels who make a living by staging accidents.

The difference is that the old woman's use of the little child easily evokes sympathy in people.

Bai Youran remained silent. She could tell that the other party was trying to extort money, and was simply curious about how Lin Yuesha would resolve the matter.

People always have sympathy for the vulnerable. Although someone could testify that the little child had just collapsed, the old woman insisted on getting on the carriage, leaving Lin Yuesha speechless.

Nevertheless, Lin Yuesha was not one to be fooled; she couldn't possibly afford to pay fifty taels of silver.

"Little one, I know you're alright. As long as you wake up, I'll buy you some crispy candy, pork jerky, spiced melon seeds, roasted peanuts, and all sorts of delicious cakes and pastries!"

Lin Yuesha squatted down next to the little child and said enticingly.