Brandon panicked. "Miss, please save me. I'll repay you generously."
At the promise of a reward, Taylor finally halted her steps. “If I save you, how much will you give me?”
“My family is very wealthy. If you're willing to save me, I can give you four hundred and fifty dollars!”
In the 1980s, four hundred and fifty dollars was an enormous temptation for our poor little mountain village.
Taylor's eyes lit up. “Alright. It’s a deal!”
Since she was powerful, she could carry Brandon on her back easily. In my previous life, I had nearly broken my waist when I carried him home.
After I knew who his unforgettable first love was, I could finally go home with peace of mind. And once the last batch of hazelnuts in the crate sold, I would have enough money for college tuition.
In my past life, I gave up admission to Tanulo University for Brandon, dedicating myself solely to being his devoted wife. Yet he despised me for being uneducated and lacking cultural refinement. He only fixated on that fleeting glimpse of beauty from his youth.
So this time, I would live for myself.
Just as I was packing for school registration, Taylor suddenly burst into my house.
“Chloe, come with me, now!”
Her anxious look startled me. “Where are we going?”
“Just come with me!”
She dragged me to her place and pointed at Brandon, who was badly injured on the bed. “Chloe, you know how to bandage wounds, right? Help me dress that guy's injuries.”
When Brandon saw me, he became agitated. “No! I don't need her help! I'll never owe her anything in this lifetime!”
I took a step back. “This patient is clearly resistant to my help and besides, I only know basic wound care. His leg is clearly broken and needs to be set. You should find him a doctor.”
“We can barely afford to put food on the table! Where would we get the money to hire a doctor? Chloe, do you have any money?”
Suddenly, Brandon roared, “I don't need her money!”
“Taylor, please go borrow some money for medical expenses from someone else. Once I'm better and back home, I'll repay them double!”
Taylor sighed and walked out with me.
I asked her, “Are you going to borrow money?”
“Borrow money? I'm not going to get into debt for some random stranger! Who knows if what he says is even true? What if I heal him and he runs off? Who would I ask for the money then?”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“I’ll go gather some herbs for him. Whether he lives or dies depends on his own fate. I already saved him—he should be grateful to me. And he still wants me to borrow money to treat his injuries? Dream on!”
Brandon had incredible luck. Even though Taylor only slapped some hemostatic herbs on him, he miraculously survived. But since his leg bone wasn't set properly, he became permanently lame.
Two months later, I saw him again. He stood at Taylor's doorstep with a backpack slung over his shoulder, saying goodbye to her.
He clasped her hands. "Taylor, as soon as I get home, I will have my parents send you money. You must not move away. I will marry you when I graduate from the university!"
“You must stay here, so I can find you!”
Taylor nodded. “I will, don't worry.”
As I looked at Brandon limping away, I really hoped he would not regret this.
"Taylor, that guy just said he'd come back to marry you. Does he know about you ...”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “He doesn't know. I think that guy's got some issues.”
“Then ... are you really going to marry him?”
“How could that be possible? It's completely impossible for the two of us, okay?”
In my previous life, Taylor fled to another place to avoid debt, abandoning her ancestral home and we lost contact from that moment.
If Brandon really sent her money in this life, she probably wouldn’t be forced to leave her hometown.
