They found a relatively clean inn in the next town and settled in.
After ordering several dishes, their servants were sent to the rooms with the luggage, while Lin Yan and the others sat downstairs at a table, drinking tea.
"Yan Di, why didn't you take that woman in today?" one of the cousins finally voiced the question that had been on his mind all along.
The woman was good-looking, and she had volunteered to follow Lin Yan. She explained her reasons and considerations to him clearly.
Lin Yan didn't have many people serving her at the moment, so adding another woman wouldn't be a problem.
He thought perhaps Lin Yan was still young and didn't understand the benefits of having women. Of course, he didn't dare to say this out loud, as they were not alone; there were elders present.
"Does my cousin think I should have taken her in?" Lin Yan raised an eyebrow, asking him with feigned seriousness.
"She has nowhere else to turn. Even if we can resolve her situation now, who's to say she won't be threatened by that man after we leave?"
Seeing his cousin's worried expression, Lin Yan realized that despite her best efforts to live as a man, her thinking was still different from men's.
For instance, she couldn't bring herself to be tender and protective like that.
Lin Yan had already given her money and a way out. The money was enough for her to bury her father, and her personal connection could offer their family protection.
She had two older brothers at home, so she wasn't entirely without support. Besides, the saying about one's body and hair being gifts from one's parents, not to be harmed carelessly, existed for a reason.
If she had made a decision early on, with her father's consent while he was still alive, and perhaps disfigured herself, then perhaps none of this would have happened.
Of course, one could argue that none of them expected things to escalate to this point. But for her to rashly offer herself up for sale was seeking a backer, without considering the trouble she might bring to that backer.
Furthermore, she had run away secretly while her brothers were out. Imagine how heartbroken her brothers would be if they knew she had so little regard for herself.
This was all assuming what she said was true. But what if it wasn't? What if this "selling herself to bury her father" was a staged act? As soon as she was bought, her family members might step forward and accuse them of forcing a good woman into prostitution.
In that case, Lin Yan and Lin Bo, who had just passed the imperial examinations, might be disqualified from further advancement due to their questionable conduct.
Lin Yan didn't go into these details with her cousin, but simply said, "She was raised pampered by her parents and brothers. What would be the point of buying her and treating her like a pampered young lady?"
Naturally, she would be a concubine, but he didn't say this aloud. Lin Yan and the others were already officials and could certainly take in such personal attendants.
However, looking at Lin Yan's innocent eyes, he realized that although she was tall, she was only fourteen or fifteen years old and wouldn't understand such things.
Lin Yan understood what her cousin was thinking, but she couldn't agree. Regardless of whether she was truly a man, there was no reason for a man to take a concubine before marrying a wife.
And taking in a concubine of such dubious origins was unacceptable to a modern person who believed in monogamy.
It seemed this cousin had some issues. Fortunately, his father was by his side. Lin Yan glanced at the clan elder, whose expression was not quite right, and realized the elder also found the cousin's thinking problematic.
This cousin seemed to be clouded by carnal desires. Such a person wouldn't go far. At the same time, it made Lin Yan realize she couldn't entrust certain matters to him.
He should focus on preparing for the exams. She would do her best to ensure he at least passed the provincial examinations.
Lin Yan decided not to say anything more. Just then, the innkeeper began serving the dishes, and everyone started eating, effectively ending the discussion.
That woman was very intelligent and skilled at leveraging her strengths and weaknesses. However, she was facing someone who wasn't a real man.
It wasn't until evening that Dong Mei and the others arrived at the inn, accompanied by two men.
"Young Master, they insisted on coming to thank you for sending Miss Dong back," Dong Mei explained why there were two extra people.
As soon as the two men saw Lin Yan, they kowtowed and called her "benefactor."
Lin Yan knew then that these must be Dong Lin Lin's brothers.
"Please rise. This was a small matter for me. The deceased should be respected. You should return quickly to handle your father's funeral."
"Thank you, benefactor, for your help. If it weren't for you, we truly don't know what would have happened to our sister," the two grown men said, their voices choked with emotion.
They didn't blame their sister for running away, but felt useless for not being able to protect their father or their sister.
"What are your plans now?" Lin Yan looked at the two brothers who genuinely cared for their sister and felt a pang of sympathy.
Just as she had felt sympathetic towards Dong Lin Lin after hearing her story, she also knew that if they didn't stand on their own two feet, they would only become victims again.
"After our father is buried, we plan to take our sister and leave here."
"Yes, whatever we do, we can still support ourselves."
These two seemed to have their own plans.
"That's for the best. My influence can temporarily prevent that man from bothering you again, but this is not a long-term solution. Leaving here might be the best choice for you," Lin Yan said gently.
"Please also advise your sister when you return. This matter is not entirely her fault, and she doesn't need to bear the burden of guilt.
I cannot stay for long, but my influence is considerable. The magistrate should order that man to compensate your family. You should accept it then."
The two brothers' faces showed resentment, but they refrained from directly contradicting Lin Yan because she had spoken.
"As long as you are alive, there will be hope. With this money, your lives can improve, and at least you'll have the capital to establish yourselves.
No one can predict the future. Perhaps one day you will have more power than that man." Lin Yan had said enough. As a stranger, she had spoken a bit too much.
Whether they listened or not was no longer her concern.
The Dong brothers left. Before they departed, Lin Yan gave them another suggestion, but judging by their demeanor, they seemed to have their own plans.
However, they seemed to have taken Lin Yan's words to heart. As the two brothers left, a look of forbearance appeared on their faces.
This minor incident on the road was now over. Lin Yan and the others soon rejoined the Cui family's merchant caravan and headed towards the capital together.
The prosperity along the way and the treatment provided by the Cui family's caravan opened the eyes of Lin Yan's cousins, who had rarely ventured out before.
At the same time, they secretly resolved to pass the imperial examinations and become officials themselves.