This time, not only Shui Qing was unwilling, but Qin Yilin and Bai Ziqian were also unwilling.
“Where can you go by yourself? You can stay here and be well-fed and clothed. Your stepmother won’t be able to find you. You’re perfectly safe. Why risk going to Sihui?” Qin Yilin said earnestly.
The men in the village would search for him if they could, and if they couldn't, that was fate. They couldn't just think about their own survival and ignore Ling Ran's life or death. The lives of a group of people mattered, and so did the life of one person.
Bai Ziqian thought of another feasible solution and hurriedly said, "I will go back to Nandu to find my father! He has a good relationship with the prefect of Nandu. If we ask the prefect to send someone over, as long as we can suppress my uncle and prevent him from causing trouble for Shanshui Village, that will solve the problem."
If all else fails, our Bai family will offer plenty of gold and silver jewelry. As long as the money is plentiful, my uncle will likely not make things difficult for Shanshui Village, considering the financial incentive.
Shui Qing pondered for a moment, then looked at Ling Ran and said, "Chaos has its advantages. Our village has protection, manpower, and plenty of food and meat. So what if Magistrate Wu tries to make things difficult? We are not afraid at all!"
Chaotic times have their own rules!
Magistrate Wu doesn't have many troops, and most importantly, she still has the marketplace, which can replenish all kinds of supplies. This is not a peaceful and prosperous era, and the law is just for show. In a few years, the person on the throne will be replaced. What's wrong with confronting Magistrate Wu openly?
It's not like we lack the ability.
Ling Ran's eyes were slightly moist. He raised his chin and pressed his lips tightly together.
He was afraid, afraid that he would continue to cling to this warmth and be unwilling to leave.
He never received the treatment or attention he was given at home, but at his aunt's house, this group of people made up for it all.
For him, they would risk their own lives, placing him in the position of family, doing what they could for their family for him.
But that's precisely why he needs to leave.
He couldn't hide in Shanshui Village forever, nor could he rely on their protection forever. He hoped that one day he could protect them.
Instead of what it is today, where a mere county magistrate holds the power of life and death over everyone, and he has no choice but to bow down and beg for help from the person he has always despised.
Ultimately, true strength lies in one's own abilities.
"I...I've already decided to leave. If I stay here, I'll be at their mercy for the rest of my life. I can't let those who harmed me live a carefree life!"
The three understood this principle.
They could barely find a way to deal with Magistrate Wu, but dealing with the wife of a second-rank official who was also the Vice Minister of War was like throwing an egg against a rock.
Moreover, Ling Ran's predicament is not only about fighting against his stepmother, but also against his younger brother and his father. He can't keep waiting for his father to give him charity first, and then for his younger brother to give him charity later. Wouldn't that make his dead mother even more resentful?
Shuiqing asked with concern, "Where are you going?" Where could you possibly go?
Qin Yilin thought worriedly, no matter where she went, she couldn't compete with a high-ranking official of the second rank who was about to enter the cabinet.
"Go to Beidu to find my maternal grandfather." Ling Ran didn't hide anything from his family, but when they asked him when he first arrived, he could naturally give them his maternal grandfather's official position. Now, however, he felt a little embarrassed.
"Who is your maternal grandfather? Can he protect you?" Bai Ziqian asked hesitantly.
Will they be afraid of Ling's father's power and abandon Ling?
Ling Ran glanced at Bai Ziqian, and then at Shui Qing and Qin Yilin's expressions. He understood what the three were worried about, so he had no choice but to tell them everything: "My maternal grandfather will protect me, and he can protect me too."
His surname is Zhu, and his given name is Neng. He is a general under the King of Yan. He fought alongside the King of Yan in the past, making great contributions, and he is not afraid of my father.
Previously, my maternal grandfather was only slightly displeased with my father's quick marriage, feeling that my mother's body was still warm, but he didn't say anything. However, after learning that my father had a younger brother who was only one year younger, he became so angry that he cursed loudly.
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