Chapter 168: Someone Wants to Harm You

People around gradually turned to look. Li Erya bit back the pain and hurriedly got up, taking two steps forward. “I have something to tell you.”

With a mysterious air, Lin Jingyue raised an eyebrow slightly. Thinking of Lin Xinjian, she nodded her chin. “Over there.”

Li Erya eagerly followed along.

They left the grain-drying yard, and Lin Jingyue found a secluded corner. She looked back. “Speak. What is it?”

Li Erya glanced around nervously before finally speaking. “Someone intends to harm you…”

Seeing Lin Jingyue silent, she grew anxious. “It’s true. It’s your brother—or rather, Lin Xinjian—who sent me to tell you.”

“Huh?” Lin Jingyue seemed to hear the biggest joke in the world. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

If anyone wanted to harm her, it would be Lin Xinjian.

“Do you think I would believe that?”

“Lin Xinjian guessed you wouldn’t trust what he said, so he sent me,” Li Erya said anxiously. If this matter succeeded, Lin Xinjian would look at her differently, and she wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.

“Well, he asked me to give you this.” She pulled a letter from her bosom.

The envelope was blank. Lin Jingyue took it with a cold expression and looked deeply into Li Erya’s eyes, noticing only urgency, without any nervousness or guilt.

She had a rough idea.

Opening the envelope and taking out the thin sheet of paper, Lin Jingyue’s eyes narrowed sharply as she read the contents.

But her expression quickly returned to calm. “I’ll accept this letter. What does Lin Xinjian want?”

Seeing her believe it, Li Erya relaxed. “He only wants you to act alone.”

“Not Lin Xinrou, right? I won’t save her.” Saving Lin Xinrou would be foolish.

“No, it’s Lin Xinrou’s child.”

“Huh?”

Lin Jingyue learned the general situation from Li Erya.

Lin Xinrou’s child was born weak, barely surviving. They could only barely get by on the farm, with no nutrition at all, and naturally, no milk.

The child survived on the occasional rice soup and porridge that Lin Xinjian secretly provided.

Given the poor medical conditions, recently the child caught a cold and kept coughing without getting better. Lin Xinrou had no chance to take the child to the hospital, only able to ask Lin Xinjian to secretly get some medicine when he came by.

But the child was too young with weak immunity, coughing incessantly, and the medicine had no effect.

Lin Xinjian took the child to the hospital, but they couldn’t do anything. Now, when the child was dozing off, someone mysteriously approached him, asking him to cooperate in dealing with Lin Jingyue.

After all the trouble Lin Jingyue caused this year, how could he dare resist? His parents and older sister were all on the farm. Unless he was out of his mind, he wouldn’t do anything reckless.

At this moment, he was their only support and dared not risk it. So he came up with a plan: he would tell Lin Jingyue everything truthfully, hoping to exchange it for a chance to cure the child.

“Lin Xinjian said he’s begging you. Whether you can save the child or not, he’s willing to accept it,” Li Erya said anxiously, almost grabbing Lin Jingyue’s hand.

“Go bring him here. I’ll talk to him myself,” Lin Jingyue said coldly.

Saving a child was no big deal, but being asked to save a life just because of a piece of information felt like a loss to her.

Li Erya hurried off eagerly.

Before long, Lin Xinjian followed her over, apparently nearby.

“I know the situation, but my help doesn’t come cheap. Last time I saved someone, they gave me a garden house in Shanghai,” Lin Jingyue said directly upon seeing him.

Lin Xinjian choked before he could speak. He had never been to Shanghai but had heard of it.

A garden house there? He probably wouldn’t own one in eight lifetimes.

He didn’t think Lin Jingyue was bluffing. Though he didn’t know if it was true, she loved money. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be uninterested in being the barefoot doctor for the brigade because she looked down on petty gains.

“What do you want? As long as I can manage it.”

Lin Jingyue narrowed her eyes, a cruel smile playing on her lips. “I want Lin Xinrou’s life—one life for one life. Lin Xinrou should be willing, right?”

Hearing the seriousness in her tone, Lin Xinjian’s pupils constricted instantly.

Li Erya swallowed nervously. My goodness, so terrifying.

After a long moment, Lin Jingyue chuckled lightly. “Just kidding. I can help, but prepare two hundred yuan for the medicine.”

If the child stayed in good condition, Lin Xinrou’s chances of staying in the countryside would be much higher.

Otherwise, with the college entrance exam approaching, if she stubbornly took the exam and by some stroke of luck returned to the city, she wouldn’t be happy.

At this thought, Lin Jingyue suddenly had an idea. Not only was there a child, but Sun Tiezhu had been sentenced to three years and would be released just before the exam. Well, the family should be close and loving.

A scoundrel like Sun Tiezhu wouldn’t easily let go of a wife as beautiful as a flower.

Lin Xinjian didn’t know what Lin Jingyue was thinking. He wanted to bargain, as two hundred yuan was really too much, and they could barely afford it. But seeing Lin Jingyue’s cold gaze, he knew this was her lowest price.

Thinking of his nearly crazed sister, he gritted his teeth. “I’ll pay you twenty yuan as a deposit now. You treat the child now, and I’ll prepare the rest within three days.”

“I’ll give you an IOU,” Lin Xinjian quickly added, knowing Lin Jingyue’s nature.

“That’s more like it. Where’s the child?” Lin Jingyue asked.

These two probably brought the child straight home—bold move.

“At home.”

“I’ll go get the medicine kit from the educated youth camp, then head over.”

“I’ll accompany you,” Li Erya eagerly raised her hand at Lin Xinjian’s glance.

Lin Xinjian took twenty yuan from his pocket—colorful bills ranging from one yuan to a few cents. It was clear how difficult it was for him to gather this money.

It was somewhat heartbreaking.

But… what did that matter to her?

Lin Jingyue took the money and, with Li Erya, went to the educated youth camp. She left Li Erya outside while she pulled out a medicine box and some powder she had made in her spare time.

If she guessed right, the child was probably suffering from pneumonia.

Tsk, that was indeed troublesome.

Everyone had gone to the grain-drying yard to watch a movie, and there was no one on the road. They smoothly arrived at Lin Xinjian and Li Erya’s home.

Opening the door, Lin Jingyue immediately heard faint cries.

“Lin Jingyue, she…”

“Quiet. Let me see.” Lin Jingyue frowned and interrupted, checking the infant on the kang bed.

This child was born almost simultaneously with Wang Xueping’s, but the difference was vast.

Neither child was bigger than Wang Xueping’s.

The skin was waxy yellow, the small face not even palm-sized, and the weak cries resembled a cat’s, as if about to breathe no more at any moment.