Chapter Two – Asking the Hunter

From Lin Furong’s memories, Wen Lan learned the origin of the hunter standing in front of her—he had moved here from elsewhere three years ago.

Lin Furong’s village sat at the foot of Yunzhong Mountain and was called Yushou Village. When a hunter suddenly appeared in the mountain, it sparked the villagers’ curiosity. The village chief sent people to inquire, but they all came back empty-handed.

Fortunately, ever since this hunter took up residence in the mountains, there hadn’t been a single wild boar coming down to trample the crops or a fox sneaking into homes to steal chickens in Lin Furong’s village.

Because of this, the villagers of Yushou Village stopped worrying about where this hunter came from or even what his name was.

Now, this hunter had just tossed out such an unpleasant remark. How could Wen Lan possibly let him leave? She wanted to argue with him, give this cold-hearted man a proper lesson in social morality.

“Sir, I was trying to die just now! How can you talk like that?”

The hunter replied flatly, “What’s it got to do with me?”

“Wh—” Wen Lan was momentarily speechless.

True, Lin Furong had wanted to commit suicide because Meng Qiancheng had betrayed her and turned her into the village laughingstock. Her family, trying to save face, arranged to marry her off to a widower over fifty years old who lived on the west side of the village.

Sixteen-year-old Lin Furong couldn’t accept this fate and had run into the mountains to hang herself.

This really had nothing to do with the hunter in front of her.

Fine. So much for her social morality lesson—she’d been completely shut down instead.

Wen Lan wasn’t just speechless—her heart felt heavy.

Just think about all those transmigrated heroines in books: weren’t they always noble ladies from grand estates or imperial concubines in deep palaces, surrounded by maids and eunuchs upon waking?

But her? Not only was she a peasant girl from the mountains, the only beings by her side were a man who told her to hang herself somewhere else and a big yellow dog who couldn’t care less.

Honestly, comparison really does kill.

It looked like Wen Lan had only two options now: keep trying to hang herself or obediently go back and get married.

The widower from the west side of the village…

Wen Lan rummaged through Lin Furong’s memories and instantly shivered.

That widower—not only was his face covered in pockmarks, but he also had a mouthful of yellow teeth. Marrying him really would be worse than death.

Suicide? The Wen Lan who loved life and valued it above all else—how could she commit suicide? In a split second, she shifted her gaze back to the hunter who had almost made her die of anger.

Not related to him? Ha! Who said it wasn’t? This girl would make it his business.

“Brother Hunter!” Wen Lan suddenly forced a smile and said in the most flattering tone, as if offering New Year’s greetings to a chicken, “You’re absolutely right. My coming here to hang myself really has nothing to do with you. But honestly, if people had any path to survival, who would ever choose death? I had a reason for hanging myself here.”

And so, Wen Lan used the fewest words possible to briefly explain the unfortunate events that had happened to Lin Furong.

The hunter still showed no expression. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Wen Lan, clearly on the verge of cutting her off again with another, “What’s it got to do with me?”

Wen Lan wasn’t stupid. Before he could say a word, she suddenly dropped to her knees with a loud thud and tearfully pleaded, “Brother, I beg you, please have mercy and show this poor girl a way out!”

Wen Lan thought, if this hunter could give her some money, with her skills, she’d definitely be able to build a life for herself in this place.

But—the hunter didn’t do what she expected. After watching her performance in silence, he said nothing and simply turned around and left.

Yes. That’s right. He just turned and left.

In that moment, Wen Lan really wanted to curse out loud.

“Hey! Do you have any compassion?!” Wen Lan stood up, hands on her hips, and shouted at his back.

The man seemed not to hear her at all. But at least his dog had some manners—it turned back and barked once at Wen Lan.

Woof~~~~