Chapter 3

Chapter 3

My brother was unwilling, but he worked himself to the bone as a laborer to earn money despite his injured hand.

Every day when he returned home, his shoulders were rubbed raw and bloody from the heavy loads. When he bathed, the blood would mix with sweat and stick to his clothes, often tearing his skin when he tried to strip them off.

Later, when I went to the docks to bring him lunch, I ran into Jiang Wanru.

Somehow, I was pushed from the side and ended up pulling Jiang Wanru into the water with me. Jiang Wanru struggled to push me back onto the bank, but she sank straight to the bottom. In the end, it was my brother who dove in to save her.

With people coming and going at the docks, Jiang Wanru was held in my brother’s arms with her clothes in disarray, causing her to lose her reputation. Master Jiang personally brought a matchmaker to our door.

This time, my brother did not refuse.

Because I had fallen into the water in the dead of winter, my health was severely compromised. The physician said that if I wasn’t properly cared for, I might never be able to bear children.

The night before the wedding, my brother sat alone in the courtyard until dawn. After the marriage, he was meticulously attentive and considerate toward Jiang Wanru. However, there was never a shred of love in his eyes, and a smile never graced his face again.

Thinking of the dozen or so years my brother spent living like a walking corpse, I couldn’t help but clench my fists.

In this life, I will never let that tragedy repeat itself!

I went back to my room, gathered all my savings, and rushed out the door, ignoring the shouts of my mother and brother.

“I want to hire your best Escort!”

In the end, I was kicked out.

After my father passed away, the family didn’t have much money left, and my brother’s studies were quite expensive. I didn’t actually have much silver in my hands. Clearly, three taels of silver were not enough to hire an Escort for a year.

I sat dejectedly at the entrance of the Escort Agency.

Jiang Wanru had her sights set on my brother; something was bound to happen when he went to Wenquxing Temple tomorrow. Even if he didn’t go to the temple, something might happen on his way to the imperial examinations. The Jiang Family was wealthy and could hire countless thugs. Even if I could follow my brother all day, I couldn’t even protect myself-how could I protect him?

The late autumn sun shone down on me, but it didn’t bring a hint of warmth. I sat blankly on the threshold, anxious and desperate.

“Hey, are you looking for an Escort? What do you think of me?”

I wiped my tears and looked up, my eyes suddenly lighting up.

Lu Yuan!

It was Lu Yuan!

Lu Yuan was also a legendary figure in our South City. He was a little beggar who had become the leader of the city’s young beggars at the age of twelve. He even gave himself the title of Beggar Gang Leader.

When he was seventeen, Lu Yuan took his group of young beggars and joined the army. Later, when I saw him again, he had become a renowned Young General.

If my calculations were correct, Lu Yuan was only thirteen this year?

The light in my eyes dimmed instantly. No matter how formidable Lu Yuan would become, he was just a thirteen-year-old kid right now. Could he really go up against the wealthy and powerful Jiang Family?

“How much silver do you have?”

Lu Yuan completely ignored my disappointment. He looked at me with great interest, his dark pupils reflecting golden light under the sun.