It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and it is normal for Xia Lan to have such thoughts.

He is just an ordinary person now, and it is no problem to deal with three or five ruffians who are provoking trouble, but Valker is different, with his background as the sheriff of the patrol garrison, the other party can make up a reason at will to arrest and punish him, if the two clash, not only will it be true, but Valker, who has the strength of a median warrior, can easily beat Xia Lan with just one hand.

The taste of being bullied by dogs in Pingyang is absurd and ironic, and the so-called reality is nothing more than this.

Aside from leaving Faan, Charan didn't seem to be able to figure out how to solve the trouble that Valk had caused.

However, will Xia Lan really leave Joanna's mother and daughter behind?

The answer is no.

When avoidance becomes a habit, it means the embodiment of cowardice.

He's been on the run for years, he's run away so exhausted that he doesn't want to run anymore.

He was so tired, so tired that he couldn't move anymore.

What's more, Joanna's husband once saved his life, and Xia Lan's principles and bottom line did not allow him to abandon Joanna's mother and daughter.

……

……

From that day on, the business of Joanna's shop became worse and worse, and the merchants who had promised to sign the supply agreement repented of their breach of contract, and the bustle and busyness of the past turned into a deserted depression, and even the ruffians who had disappeared for a long time jumped out to fight the autumn breeze, which was unbearable.

Guy sat listlessly on a bench in the shop, his eyes always looking at Joanna at the counter, who was concentrating on flipping through the ledgers, and the sudden turn in business these days had made him quite uneasy, and it was rumored that the proprietress had offended Lord Valck, who was in charge of the security of the city. That's why such a bad luck happened.

Compared to the big guys in the political chamber. Valker's small patrol captain was naturally insignificant. But in the eyes of the merchants who make a living in this urban area, they have to curry favor with each other, because no one wants their business to be troubled every once in a while, and Valk is just the talisman to ensure their normal business.

"Boss, I heard that you offended Lord Valk? Is this true? ”

After hesitating for a long time, Guy finally mustered up the courage to ask the doubts in his heart.

"Offended? Nope! Guy, don't think about it too much, just do your job with peace of mind. Joanna looked up at the guy in the store and denied it.

"But there's a lot of rumors about it......," Guy couldn't help it.

"Guy! Don't believe the rumors outside in the future, if you can't handle the pressure. I can settle your employment fee now and let you find a new store. Joanna frowned slightly, and her tone was a little unkind and stern.

"The hostess...... I ......" The honest and simple Guy blushed all of a sudden, it was the first time he had seen Joanna like this, the whole person was at a loss, and he couldn't organize his words, he stood up suddenly, and walked towards the storeroom without looking back. "I'll go inside and see if there's anything I can do to help!"

Looking at Guy's back as he left, Joanna suddenly smiled bitterly, she deliberately said something serious just now, in order to stimulate Guy to quit his job. Staying away from the whirlpool of right and wrong, he made the opposite choice because of his dull brain. Her reluctance to be too blunt and hurtful to make it clear may be a mistake in itself.

The rumors are true, Joanna knows that Valk is persecuting herself, if she doesn't marry him, the decline of the shop will be sooner or later, and this may be just the beginning, if Valk gets angry, it will inevitably affect her family in the end.

The best way to avoid Valk was to leave Fayne, but it took her two years to settle down, so how could she be willing to leave easily?

She's troubled, she's sad.

She misses her dead husband so much.

However, she was not the only one who was troubled, and the same was true for Xia Lan, who was sitting by the wall of the warehouse and watching the sky in a daze.

For a long time, for a long time, he reached out and touched his throat unconsciously, then closed his eyes.

At a quarter past three o'clock in the afternoon, Xia Lan left the shop to pick up Nina from the school according to her usual custom, and Joanna, who was sitting at the counter with her forehead in contemplation, suddenly stopped him.

"Brother Alain, I may go back later in the evening, Nina is bothering you."

It's not Joanna's style to sit still, she wants to try to work hard and talk to the merchant who regrets the breach of contract in the evening to see if there is room for things to turn around.

Xia Lan nodded in agreement.

The capsized ship, everyone is looking for a way to save themselves.

Children will never understand the world of adults, and on the contrary, adults will not understand the world of children.

Xia Lan looked at the scene of Nina saying goodbye happily to the richly dressed little boys around her at the entrance of the school, and it was difficult to connect it with Nina's tireless appearance a few days ago.

"Uncle Ugly, do you know? The last time the juggling troupe performed at Vanilla Square, it turned out that Bennett and they were there, but we didn't see each other, do you think it's funny? ”

Nina recounts the events of the school along the way, and Bennet is one of the few young boys who often surround Nina.

Charan didn't know who Bennet was, but he knew that Bennett's family background must not be simple.

Because the carriages that carried the boys were marked with the family crest unique to the nobility.

As long as it's a nobleman, everything is easy.

Nina is a very smart child, although the rumors have not yet spread to her ears, but she can see some clues from Joanna's usually inadvertent sad face, especially when she learns the news of Joanna's late return, she finally spoke out to Xia Lan.

"Uncle Ugly, has your mother been in any trouble lately? There were a few times when I wanted to ask my mother, but I was worried about causing her trouble, so I didn't say anything. ”

Even if Nina knew that Uncle Ugly was mute and couldn't ask too many questions, perhaps, all she needed was to confirm her guesses.

On the dining table, the dim candle flame reflected Xia Lan's terrifying face wrapped in bandage and gauze, and only those eyes were filled with indescribable depth.

"Yes."

An extremely hoarse voice, as if a blunt knife cutting through a steel plate, sounded unpleasantly.

"Original...... Well? Ugly uncle, can you talk?! Nina, who was tinkering with the creamy mushroom soup in the bowl, had just said half a sentence unconsciously, and then as if she was greatly frightened, the whole person jumped up, the spoon in her hand didn't know where it flew, and her big bright eyes stared at Xia Lan across the table.

Xia Lan slowly tore a dry cake into small pieces and soaked it in the soup, stirring back and forth with a spoon in his hand, and soaked the soup into the dry and hard dough as completely as possible.

"I can talk."

"Wow-"

Nina seemed to see a novel toy, her eyes were full of incredulity, and she even forgot about Joanna before.

"Why does that ugly uncle keep being dumb?"

"Because I don't want to speak, and I ......," Xia Lan said as she looked at Nina, who looked like a curious baby, "It's easy to cause pain in my throat when I speak." ”

"Does it hurt?" Nina's eyes unconsciously looked at Xia Lan's throat and bit her lip.

"It hurts, it's no different than a knife cutting through it." Xia Lan said calmly.

"That ugly uncle won't talk anymore." Nina couldn't help but feel distressed.

"It's okay, as long as it can solve your mother's troubles, this pain is nothing." Charland Road.

"Trouble? That's right! Mom is really in trouble! Uncle Ugly! You tell me! Nina came back to her senses, her little face full of pleading.

"Of course, because only Nina can help her mother solve this matter." Xia Lan nodded and said, "But I need to make an agreement with Nina to tell you." ”

"What agreement?" Nina hurriedly said. "As long as I can solve my mother's troubles, I will agree to Uncle Ugly no matter what the agreement."

"The agreement is simple, don't tell mom that I'll talk, and it's the same today, it's a secret between the two of us." Charland Road.

"Good! I promise Uncle Ugly! It's a secret for both of us! The child seemed to have a special love for secrets, and as soon as she heard Xia Lan's agreed request, Nina immediately nodded her head and said.

"Your mother has messed with a bad guy, but neither I nor your mother can solve this bad guy, but Nina can do it." Charland Road.

"Ugly uncle and mother can't solve the bad guy, how can Nina solve it?" Nina wondered.

"I think you and Bennet were supposed to be good friends, right?" Xia Lan's words changed, and the question seemed inexplicable.

"Of course!" Nina puffed up her small chest and said proudly: "Bennett, they all said that they want to marry Nina when they grow up!" Some time ago, I had a fight over this! ”

"Do you know what Bennett does at home?" Xia Lan began to follow the path of good temptation.

"I don't know, Bennett hasn't said it, but they know that their family is so big, and there are a lot of servants, it seems to be amazing!" Nina pouted.

"Since their family is amazing, it's naturally easy to deal with the bad guys who cause trouble for Mom, right?" Charland Road.

"I guess so." Nina wasn't sure.

"I believe Uncle Ugly, the next time you go to the school, you deliberately pretend to be sad and sad, and when Bennett asks why you are sad, you cry and say that there is a bad uncle named Valker who plans to rob his mother and Nina as his wife, which is why he is so sad." Charland Road.

"So the bad guy is called Valker? But why do I say that? Nina said.

"Nina just needs to listen to Uncle Ugly, because only then can Nina make that bad guy stop causing trouble for Mom." Charland Road.

"Oh—" Nina nodded in understanding.

"One more thing." Xia Lan seemed to remember something: "No matter what happens at home, don't panic, as long as you follow Uncle Ugly's words and do everything, you will be safe." ”

Click-

At this time, the door of the entrance suddenly heard the sound of the key opening.

Xia Lan closed her mouth and said no more, lowered her head and silently ate the dry cakes that had already been soaked in the bowl. (To be continued.) )