vrcanaries Chapter 155 He Saved Himself
Chapter 155 He Saved Himself
Since they couldn't leave anytime soon, Lin Ziping took off his cloak and draped it over Hu Rongrong's shoulders, then sat down silently beside her.
The Wuling Hongguang stood quietly to the side, occasionally snorting and exhaling hot air that condensed into white mist.
Finally, Hu Rongrong's crying subsided. Lin Ziping picked up the water bag that had fallen to the ground, shook it to make sure there was still water inside, and then handed it to her.
Having cried herself to exhaustion, Hu Rongrong reached out, took the lid, opened it, and drank two large gulps before closing the lid and handing it back to Lin Ziping.
Lin Ziping took out a handkerchief from his backpack, tested the water in the water bladder to make sure it was still warm, and poured some out to wet the handkerchief.
"Wipe your face," Lin Ziping said, handing her a handkerchief.
Hu Rongrong took the handkerchief, rubbed it on her face, stood up, and threw it at Lin Ziping, shouting, "Are you pitying me? I don't want your pity!"
Lin Ziping picked up the handkerchief, saw that it was wet, and threw it away in disgust. He picked up the cloak that had slipped off, brushed off the dust, and said, "It's okay, I'm leaving."
After saying that, he stood up, took the Wuling Hongguang van, saw the lantern at his feet, thought for a moment, and continued, "Never mind, you can keep the lantern."
He flipped himself onto the vehicle and pulled on the reins, signaling the "Wuling Hongguang" to leave.
Unexpectedly, Hu Rongrong suddenly blocked the way in front of the Wuling Hongguang and said, "How can you leave?"
Lin Ziping rolled his eyes: "I still need to go to Pingding Village, why can't I leave?"
"What will I do if you leave?" Liu Rongrong's voice was trembling with tears.
Lin Ziping frowned. Since when did helping someone have to come with a lifelong commitment?
Seeing that the other person was a girl, Lin Ziping patiently said, "It's almost dawn. You can just follow the road and go straight back to the county town."
After thinking for a moment, he took out two steamed buns from his backpack and handed them to her, saying, "Eat these on the way."
Hu Rongrong raised her hand and slapped the steamed bun out of Lin Ziping's hand, saying, "Who wants your steamed bun?"
This is my lunch!
Lin Ziping was a little unhappy. He got off the bus, picked up the buns on the ground, and pulled the Wuling Hongguang around Hu Rongrong before leaving.
"Are you angry?" Hu Rongrong laughed triumphantly. "Do you know, I told the county magistrate that you were colluding with bandits, and that old man Jiang also said you were in league with them, hahaha..."
Lin Ziping paused. Could this be the reason he'd been ostracized these past few days?
Whatever, it doesn't matter. Let them say whatever they want.
Lin Ziping did not turn around and continued walking forward.
Seeing that Lin Ziping didn't react, Hu Rongrong lifted her skirt and ran forward quickly, blocking Lin Ziping's path: "Why aren't you angry?"
Lin Ziping said, "Stop fooling around, I should go to Pingding Village."
Hu Rongrong held onto Lin Ziping, her stubborn gaze fixed on him.
"I'm angry, I'm angry, I'm so angry!" Lin Ziping roared. "I saved you, and you repay kindness with enmity! I'm furious! Are you satisfied now? Can I leave now?"
Hu Rongrong was yelled at by Lin Ziping for a while, then started crying again: "Why is it always you! Why is it always you who saves me!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Ziping realized that the girl was upset.
Looking at the girl in front of him, who was only sixteen or seventeen years old, an age when he would have been a clueless high school student, Lin Ziping's heart softened immediately.
He said earnestly, "I didn't save you; you saved yourself."
Hu Rongrong paused in her sobbing and looked at Lin Ziping with a blank expression.
Lin Ziping continued, "In the cave, it was because you never gave up calling for help, it was because you never gave up on yourself, that I found you. It's the same here; it was because you called for help time and time again that I came here. It was never me who saved you, but yourself!"
Is it me?
"Yes!"
"Is it wrong of me to want to live?"
"That's right!"
Hu Rongrong froze for a moment, then covered her face and squatted on the ground.
Lin Ziping sighed softly, pulled her up, and looked her in the eye: "Hu Rongrong, you did nothing wrong, and it's not wrong for you to want to live!"
Hu Rongrong stared unblinkingly at Lin Ziping, tears streaming down her face, and softly asked, "Do you think I'm dirty?"
"Do you think you're dirty?" Lin Ziping asked in return.
"Then why did my father throw me away?" Hu Rongrong murmured.
Lin Ziping had some suspicions about Hu Rongrong's presence here, and now, after hearing her words, he was still shocked, but his shock quickly turned into anger.
"He doesn't want you, so you don't want yourself either? You might as well have died in that cave. You could have just shut up earlier, but Hu Rongrong, are you willing to accept that?" Lin Ziping said coldly.
Hu Rongrong was taken aback, then her eyes slowly brightened, and she said gently, "I'm not reconciled."
"Then let's pack up and go back!" Lin Ziping said.
"I..." Hu Rongrong lowered her eyes and said, "Can you take me home?"
Lin Ziping shook his head: "I'm going to Pingding Village, and besides, it's inconvenient for me to take you back now."
Hu Rongrong's eyes dimmed slightly, and she clutched the hem of her clothes without saying a word.
"Come with me to Pingding Village. I'll ask the village head to arrange for someone to accompany you back later," Lin Ziping said impatiently.
Hu Rongrong nodded.
There was only one donkey, and Lin Ziping was currently portraying himself as a man, so they couldn't ride together.
Fortunately, the carriage where Hu Rongrong was staying was complete except for the horse. Lin Ziping put the tassels and braces on the "Wuling Hongguang" and drove the donkey cart away with Hu Rongrong.
Sitting in the carriage, Hu Rongrong whispered through the curtain, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said you were a traitor."
Lin Ziping waved his hand.
I've figured it out myself. Everything in the county government is now revolving around Maomao Mountain. The situation on that mountain is complicated, so it's wise for me not to get involved right now.
Furthermore, it's not that wages haven't decreased but promotions haven't been possible. All workers want is for their wages to arrive on time, hoping to get rich through it.
Hu Rongrong continued, "My family are grain merchants in Fuchun County. I am the only child in the family. I always thought my father wanted to find a son-in-law to live with his family, but later he wanted to give me to Magistrate Wei as a concubine. Magistrate Wei is old enough to be my father. How could I agree to that?"
Hu Rongrong paused, then continued, "Besides, Liu Yong saved me before. At that time, I had already pledged my life to Liu Yong, but I couldn't win against my father, so I ran away with Liu Yong. Who knew that Liu Yong... Liu Yong abandoned me..."
"Didn't you leave with Jiang Wanyu back then? What happened to you in the cave later?" Seeing that Hu Rongrong wanted to speak, Lin Ziping tried his best to be a good listener.
“I originally planned to feign defection and then use the opportunity to escape, but I was caught during the escape and then locked up in that underground cave,” Hu Rongrong said.
Thinking of what he had seen in the tunnel, Lin Ziping didn't ask any more questions. He raised the reins and slammed them down, and the Wuling Hongguang sped up immediately.