Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Chapter 119 Let's Cooperate

"Really! When have I ever lied to you?"

Song Lianghan decided to reveal that he had been working as a guide for the government officials. He trusted his companions completely. Besides, they had all been harmed by bandits and hated them to the core.

As the Lin family grandfather and grandson listened to Song Lianghan recount the whole story, they were moved to tears. Lin Fang lay on the bed, too ill to get up, so he bumped his head against the wooden board instead of kowtowing, making a "thump, thump" sound.

"If the newly arrived magistrate can wipe out these damned bandits, this old man is willing to erect a longevity tablet for him and offer incense to him morning and night!"

They held Yu Wanran and others, who were willing to take the risks themselves, in even higher esteem.

"Miss Yu, we were unaware that you were government officials. Please forgive our negligence. The Lin family has been utterly destroyed, and their entire fortune was looted by bandits..."

With trembling hands, he rummaged under the wooden bed and pulled out a square object wrapped in cloth, which he then handed to Yu Wanran.

"This old man has nothing to offer you, sirs. This Chengni inkstone was brought out with great difficulty, so I'll give it to you!"

Officials would plunder even a passing goose. They'd take advantage of anyone, let alone someone they needed something from. So Lin Fang simply offered up his treasured possessions.

Yu Wanran smiled and pushed Lin Fang's gift back, speaking frankly.

“Grandpa Lin, you’ve got it wrong! I’m not an official, just a merchant. I heard that bandits are rampant here, and the government is recruiting people to suppress them. I’m willing to do my part for the suffering people, so I’ve come here.”

"merchant……"

The Lin family grandfather and grandson were astonished. Even Song Lianghan looked at Yu Wanran in disbelief.

Are businessmen this audacious these days? Not only is she a businesswoman, but she also has the audacity to participate in bandit suppression?

A hopeful light shone in Lin Fang's eyes.

"Our area is isolated and underdeveloped, with inconvenient transportation. We used to hope that merchants would come by and promote our unique Chengni inkstones, but..."

Tears welled up in his cloudy eyes.

"Now all three villages have been wiped out! We...we haven't even had a chance to see hope before we've fallen into despair!"

Generations of people hoped to get rich by making Chengni inkstones, but in the end, their remains were never found.

Lin Anzhi silently shed tears alongside his grandfather.

A spark of hatred ignited in Song Lianghan's eyes.

"Grandpa Lin, do you think the reason our three villages were all massacred by bandits is because of Chengni inkstone?"

Lin Fang paused for a moment when he heard the question, then shook his head.

"How could that be? We don't sell these Chengni inkstones for much... Who would be so heartless as to kill hundreds of people from three villages for such a small profit?"

"They are bandits, there's absolutely no reasoning with them!"

Yu Wanran looked at Song Lianghan with a serious expression: "Genbao, your grandfather is right. Listen to your grandfather. Making wild guesses without any evidence will only bring you death!"

Although Song Lianghan's idea coincided with her previous considerations, their combined abilities were simply insufficient to reach the mastermind behind the bandits.

It was fortunate that Xue and Yu were able to wipe out the bandits in the open and thwart their evil plan.

Song Lianghan took a deep breath and fell silent. His current inability didn't mean he wouldn't be capable in the future!

A cold wind whistled in through the cracks in the wrecked ship. Yu Wanran looked around at the desolate surroundings and decided to spend the night there. But before settling down, she had to make sure it was safe.

She asked Lin Fang, "Grandpa Lin, will bandits come here to raid this place?"

Lin Fang coughed a few times and replied in a hoarse voice, "A few months ago, they came every day, searching for survivors along the riverbank. Now the villagers are either dead or have fled, and they haven't come back since."

Yu Wanran understood.

He gestured to Yanqing and the other two outside to gather firewood and start a campfire: "Then we'll spend the night here. Grandpa Lin, why don't you come back to the city with us the day after tomorrow?"

The Lin family grandfather and grandson cannot stay here for long.

Seeing Lin Fang hesitate, Song Lianghan helped persuade him: "Grandpa Lin, the government troops will be suppressing the bandits soon, this is not a place to stay for long. For Xiao An's sake, you should come with us!"

Lin Fang was filled with sorrow and sighed deeply.

"Brother Han, it's not that we don't want to leave! Look at us now... apart from this Chengni inkstone, we have nothing left. All our belongings, including our house, have been looted and burned by the bandits!"

“What can we use to relocate? If we stay here, at least Xiao An can catch some fish and shrimp in the river and barely make a living.”

Song Lianghan was stunned.

He and his sister were barely scraping by, so of course they had no way to help the Lin family. But when he thought of Yu Wanran's identity as a businesswoman, he couldn't help but cast hopeful glances at her.

"Sister Yu, didn't you just say you wanted to buy Chengni inkstones? Grandpa Lin knows how to make Chengni inkstones! Besides, Grandpa Lin is a master inkstone maker in the village. Could you help Grandpa Lin and his family settle in first, and then..."

His voice grew softer and softer, and finally he lowered his head, too embarrassed to look at Yu Wanran.

He thought to himself that Sister Yu was a businesswoman, not a philanthropist! He couldn't let Sister Yu help the Lin family grandfather and grandson just because she was a kind-hearted person.

Grandpa Lin is quite ill now, and taking care of Xiao An is a heavy burden. It's unknown how much it will cost to cure him. He's just making empty promises on behalf of the Lin family to coax Sister Yu into giving him money.

In fact, Lin Fang had also thought of this.

Rather than driving the inkstone-making recipe to the brink of extinction or even having it stolen, it's better to sell it to a merchant at a reasonable price while he's still conscious.

But this person must be honest and reliable. Otherwise, the old man and his grandson will only be bullied and controlled, no different from being robbed.

Upon hearing Song Lianghan's suggestion, Lin Fang instinctively expressed his agreement. In his view, Yu Wanran, a chivalrous businesswoman who dared to speak up for suffering people, was a perfect fit!

But since he has no relatives or friends, people don't know him, and have never even seen his skills, why should they trust him and let him get something for nothing?

Yu Wanran's gaze fell on Lin Anzhi, who was staring at her expectantly, and she spoke without hesitation.

"Grandpa Lin, if you trust me, we can talk about cooperation!"

Although things turned out differently than she planned, out of consideration for Lin Anzhi's past life of risking his life alongside her, she was willing to help the Lin family in this life.

"Cooperation? How can we cooperate?"

Lin Fang had originally planned to sell his son, but judging from Yu Wanran's words, it seemed there was another opportunity. He immediately perked up, propped himself up on his elbows on the bed, and sat up with Lin Anzhi's help.

Yu Wanran paused for a moment, pondering the plan that had just taken shape in her mind.

"Grandpa Lin, aren't you skilled at making inkstones? Why don't we set up a workshop together in this area to produce Chengni inkstones after the bandits are eliminated and Decheng is at peace? I'll provide the capital, and you can provide the technology! As for the profits, we'll each take 50%!"

"This……"

After thinking about it for a long time, Lin Fang felt that this kind of cooperation was indeed the best way for the Lin family to develop.

But in this way, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Yu Wanran is the one who suffers the loss! There are plenty of people who know how to make Chengni inkstones, and he is just one of the better ones.

Why should Yu Wanran have to pay such a high price to cooperate with him? In the early stages, the Lin family didn't contribute a single penny, and later they didn't care about finding customers or expanding sales channels, yet they could just sit back and collect profits?

If the other party hadn't been brought by Song Lianghan, he would have thought this girl was just trying to fool him and making empty promises!