"My... my... my house is right there, the one closest to the mountain. My grandmother and mother both passed away last year, leaving me all alone. I want to help you, but I can't..." Wan Qing hesitated as she considered whether to go home and ask for Chen Qian's help. But then she realized he would be of no help. If she promised him that in the future she would reciprocate, he might have helped her before he achieved his academic success, but now that he had, and being an official was within his reach, he wouldn't bother getting involved.
Now that she was all alone and needed assistance, who wouldn't want to help someone who may become a benefactor in the future? But she wasn't strong enough to carry a man, and moreover, it wasn't appropriate. If someone saw and the news got back to the Chen family, she would be in trouble. The sense of hurt and difficulty were evident in Wan Qing's words.
