41 Grandma Only Likes Fifth Uncle
Lin Yuanshan was the fifth son in the Lin family and the village scholar. Most of the money that the Lin family earned was spent on him. They hoped that he could make the family prosper through his studies.
Unfortunately, he was already 16 years old but had yet to pass the examination. He passed the county examination but failed in the capital examination.
Because of that, the Lin family still had high hopes for him.
Lin Yuanshan was going to take the examination again next year, so he asked for more money from the Lin family so that he could ask the headmaster to give him special lessons.
This put the Lin family in a difficult situation. However, Old Lady Lin was always willing to spend money on Lin Yuanshan.
She gave Lin Yuanshan the forty taels of silver that belonged to her father, but she also wanted to sell her off to an old widower in a neighboring village in exchange for more money.
If not for her mother's desperate opposition, she would have been sold by now.
However, her mother had thoroughly angered Old Lady Lin because of this, resulting in the three of them being banished.
Her mother's embroidery work was good enough to earn some money, so the Lin family did not really want to completely cut ties with her. Instead, they let them live in a shabby house with nothing to eat to force her into submission.
Unfortunately, her mother would not budge.
Now that she had transmigrated, she could hunt for money. When the Lin family heard about this, they had plans for them.
"Fifth uncle, if you really care about us, why would you chase us out of the house? After leaving the Lin family, not only did the three of us not have enough to eat and proper clothes to wear, but you even come to steal from us from time to time…" Lin Xiaoyue looked pitiful as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
The people around her were very sympathetic. They did not believe that Lin Xiaoyue was an unfilial child.
"Xiaoyue…" Lin Yuanshan frowned and was about to speak.
But he was interrupted by Lin Xiaoyue.
"Look…" Lin Xiaoyue pointed at her forehead.
When one looked carefully, one would notice a scabbed wound.
"Grandma did this the day before yesterday. She pushed me to the door and knocked me down. The doctor said that I was dead. If father didn't help me come back to life, I would have already been killed by grandma!"
Killed?
These words struck everyone's heart.
Everyone looked at Old Lady Lin and started to gossip.
If she really died, then Old Lady Lin would be the murderer. How could she kill her own granddaughter?
"Xiaoyue, you've misunderstood…" Lin Yuanshan frowned even more. He didn't expect Lin Xiaoyue to sound so convincing.
"No!" Lin Xiaoyue wiped away her tears and looked at Lin Yuanshan.
"I've seen through everything. Grandma doesn't care about us at all. She only cares about you. Otherwise, why would she give you all the money? We all gave the money to grandma, and she gave it all to you! Even the forty taels of silver that was given as compensation after father died was given to you! You even took the money that mom earned from doing embroidery work!"
42 How Could You Say That
Once she said that, everyone looked at Lin Yuanshan, even the Lin family members did so.
Obviously, the Lin family's people were not completely fine with Old Lady Lin's favoritism.
The Lin family had many men, and they usually earned a lot of money, but they did not live well, because the money was all taken by Old Lady Lin,
Everyone in the family, young and old, wore old clothes except Lin Yuanshan. They ate poorly except Lin Yuanshan.
The adults were used to it, but when they saw their children staring at Lin Yuanshan's food with envy, they sometimes felt a little angry.
When Lin Yuanshan saw this, a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.
Then, without batting an eyelid, he tugged at his mother's sleeve.
Old Lady Lin understood and turned around to scold her sons.
"Don't listen to this b*tch' nonsense! Yuanshan is our hope. If he does well, then so do we! If you listen to her and cause a rift, then I will beat you to death!"
As soon as she said that, they quickly suppressed the unhappiness in their hearts.
Their mother was right. Their fifth brother could help them if he did well. They could have a better life when he succeeded.
"I didn't expect you to think this way. No wonder your grandmother was angry at you, you're trying to sow discord in the family." Lin Yuanshan looked at Lin Xiaoyue with a pained expression.
With just one sentence, the tables turned again.
The older ones felt that Lin Xiaoyue was short-sighted. Farming families were not rich, so it was normal for the whole family to provide for a scholar.
Lin Xiaoyue looked at Lin Yuanshan with a hint of admiration.
As expected of a scholar, he was good with words.
"I also didn't expect you to think like this." Lin Xiaoyue put on an even more pained expression.
"Everyone worked hard with very few days of rest while grandma gives you six taels of silver every month."
The people around were all shocked, even the Lin family members.
Old Lady Lin told them that she only gave him two taels of silver every month. Six taels of silver was three times the amount! No wonder they were still so poor even though so many of them were earning money.
Six taels of silver was enough to cover the expenses of the entire family for about two months.
"This is not including the money for school, the clothes, the brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. Also, you go home every five days and they prepare extra food for you. Even the youngest ones in the family can only watch as you eat."
As soon as she said this, the villagers looked at Lin Yuanshan strangely.
"I don't believe that you don't realize what everyone eats and wears every day. There are hundreds of families in our village, and you are not the only scholar."
Lin Xiaoyue's gaze turned to the village chief.
"Huaiyu and my fifth uncle go to the same school. Tell me, does Huaiyu need six taels of silver a month?"
Everyone immediately turned to look at the village chief.
Before the village chief could speak, the families of other scholars started discussing.
"My eldest son only needs one tael of silver, but the he actually asks for six taels!"
43 Fifth Uncle Spent Our Money?
"Exactly, my eldest grandson only needs at most two taels of silver a month. His mother already thought it was too much. Now it seems that my grandson is really frugal."
"Damn, six taels of silver a month. This should be enough to support several scholars…"
Once they said that, the Lin family's eldest son, second son, and their wives could not remain calm.
First Uncle Lin had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son, Lin Dazhuang, was older than Lin Yuanshan, and the youngest son was only one year younger than Lin Yuanshan. Previously, he had mentioned to his mother that he wanted to send his children to school.
However, she said that Dazhuang was not smart enough to study and was far less intelligent than Lin Yuanshan.
When it came to Xiaozhuang, she said that the family couldn't afford to support two scholars.
Now they realized that other scholars only needed two taels of silver a month, but his fifth brother actually got six.
Thinking that the money that Lin Yuanshan spent might be the money that Dazhuang and Xiaozhuang could use to go to school, First Uncle Lin and his wife looked at Lin Yuanshan differently.
Not only them, Second Uncle Lin and his wife were also in the same situation.
The two of them also had two sons. Lin Dashan and Lin Xiaoshan also did not go to school.
Meanwhile, Fourth Uncle Lin was not married because they did not have enough money.
When he thought about the money that Lin Yuanshan spent might be the betrothal money for his wife, he was upset.
"Grandma! Is what Xiaoyue said true? Fifth uncle spent our school money!" Lin Xiaozhuang was not as calm as his father and uncles.
He always envied his fifth uncle. He had good food and clothes, did not have to work in the fields, and the whole family spoiled him.
If he could go to school, his grades would definitely be better.
He had asked his parents about going to school, but he had been rejected. They said that the family could not afford two scholars. And his fifth uncle was smart, and he was already in school for so long.
It took a long time before he accepted it.
But know he knew that other scholars only spent one tael of silver a month!
Six taels was enough for six scholars. Only he and his brother could go to school, even Dashan and Xiaoshan could!
Fifth uncle was too selfish! Was he afraid that they would become scholars and threaten his position in the family?
Old Lady Lin looked anxiously at Lin Yuanshan, not knowing how to answer her grandson's question.
She did not expect that others only need one tael of silver a month.
Lin Yuanshan's face was pale, and he looked at Lin Xiaoyue with a murderous look
But he could not attack Lin Xiaoyue, instead he tugged at Old Lady Lin's sleeve.
He lowered his voice and said to Old Lady Lin, "mother, I'll explain this to you later. Let's settle Xiaoyue first."
Old Lady Lin froze. When she heard her youngest son say that he could explain it to her, she calmed down.
Her fifth son was the most promising one. He had been smart since he was young.
He told her before that he spent the money to socialize and prepare for the entrance exam next year.
His situation was different, so how could he be compared to those blockheads in the village?
"Aiyo, you unfilial child! How could you question your fifth uncle like that? Do you know how much he spent on networking? I will beat you to death for talking nonsense!" Old Lady Lin suddenly picked up her cane and was about to hit Lin Xiaoyue.
Of course, Lin Xiaoyue would not just take the hit and immediately dodged.
44 How Dare You!
Old Lady Lin missed and fell.
"Ouch!" She fell to the ground and cried.
Instead of getting up, she slapped her thigh and wailed.
"You unfilial b*tch! You're going to ruin our family! God, please punish this child !"
The village chief frowned as he watched the drama.
The others did not sympathize with Old Lady Lin.
Who wouldn't feel upset at the head of the family who was so biased?
"Mother, please let us go!" Suddenly, Liu Shi cried.
She ran in front of Lin Xiaoyue and knelt in front of Old Lady Lin.
Then, she kowtowed to Old Lady Lin.
"Mother, please let Yue'er go. Please let me go." Liu Shi kowtowed and cried.
"I didn't care that you gave my husband's money to fifth uncle, but I will never let you sell my daughter!"
"You were the one who chased us out of the Lin family back then. We no longer have anything to do with the Lin family. I beg you, let us go…for the sake of your son…" Liu Shi cried sadly, her voice was loud and powerful, and it stunned Old Lady Lin. It also made the people around her feel sad.
They all understood that Old Lady Lin chased them out because she refused to sell Lin Xiaoyue.
Old Lady Lin was vicious enough to sell her own granddaughter even though they weren't desperate for money! Moreover, her father had just died.
Lin Xiaoyue's heart ached. She figured out her mother's intentions and wanted to help her up.
"Shut up, you despicable thing!" At this moment, Old Lady Lin was so angry that she picked up her walking stick to hit Liu Shi.
Liu Shi did not did not dodge and was hit.
"Mother, I beg you to let us go…" she continued to kowtow to Old Lady Lin.
Just as Old Lady Lin was about to hit her again, Lin Xiaoyue ran up and grabbed her walking stick.
"Stop!" Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, the village chief hurriedly shouted.
"Lady Jiang and Lady Deng, aren't you going to help your mother-in-law up?!" He looked at the two daughters-in-law of the Lin family.
The two women looked at each other and quickly went to help Old Lady Lin up.
Clearly, it was all for show.
If they helped her up just now, they would be in trouble later.
Moreover, they were upset that she gave all the money to Lin Yuanshan.
"No! If these two b*tches don't return the money and the wild boar to us today, I won't get up!" Old Lady Lin shook them off and shouted again.
She even raised the walking stick and wanted to hit Liu Shi again.
"How dare you!" The village chief shouted and stopped Old Lady Lin.
This shocked Old Lady Lin.
"Help her up!" The village chief looked at the two daughters-in-law of the Lin family again.
The two women quickly went to help her up.
This time, she did not resist.
Liu Shi was still kowtowing to her, asking her to let the three of them go.
Lin Xiaoyue's heart sank. Then, she suddenly knelt in front of the people around her.
After kowtowing once, she faced the village chief.
45 I will Help You
"Dear all, please uphold justice for us. Help my mother be independent and receive my father's inheritance! My father is dead and the Lin family refuses to house us, so we no longer have anything to do with the Lin family!" She respectfully kowtowed to the village chief.
Everyone immediately began to talk.
In this case, some people heard that a widow with a son could indeed leave her late husband's household.
However, most people would not choose to do so. After all, life for a woman with a child was difficult.
However, if they stayed in the Lin family, they might be tortured to death.
"I…" The village chief looked troubled. Daishi Village had more than two hundred years of history, but there was no woman without a family.
"Please…they won't let us live…" Liu Shi turned around and begged the village chief.
"Sir, I beg you!" At this moment, Lin Xiaozhi, who was held by Aunt Wang, also ran out and knelt beside his mother, kowtowing to the village chief.
Seeing this, everyone felt sad. Some women even cried.
The village chief's heart softened. "Quickly help your mother up," he said gently to Lin Xiaoyue and Lin Xiaozhi.
Lin Xiaoyue stood up and helped Lin Xiaozhi up. Then, they helped their mother up.
However, Liu Shi refused.
"Please… please have mercy on us…" Liu Shi's kowtowing slowed down, as if she would faint at any moment.
Lin Xiaoyue and Lin Xiao looked at the village chief pitifully.
"Aih…" the village chief sighed.
"Get up. I'll help you," he finally said.
It was not good to have a female household, but if he refused, they would not survive.
Lin Xiaoyue's face lit up. "Mom, get up!" She quickly went to help her mother up.
After thanking him, she stood up.
The moment she stood up, she staggered and almost fell.
Everyone immediately held her.
"Stop pretending." Old Lady Lin glared at Liu Shi and spat on the ground.
Someone finally couldn't stand it anymore.
"Old Lady Lin, you're going too far! Your third daughter-in-law is already in such a state, yet you're still slandering her!"
"That's right, she's too vicious!"
"…"
"Who's vicious? Don't spout nonsense! This is none of your business!" Old Lady Lin yelled back at them.
Hearing this, the village chief's face turned dark again.
"Old Lady Lin!" He shouted angrily.
Only then did she stop.
Seeing the village chief's angry face, she also felt the anger. She said rudely to the village chief, "this is our family's matter. Even if you're the village chief, you can't interfere!"
The village chief's face was furious as he recalled how rude Old Lady Lin was.
"You're trying to murder them, is that still a family's matter?! If Lin Dachui can't control his wife, then I'll ask him to leave the village!" He said angrily.
As soon as he said that, panic flashed across the faces of the Lin family members.
If their father (grandfather) was banished from Daishi Village, then the rest of them would also have to leave. What would they do then?
46 Lin Dachui
Old Lady Lin kept quiet as well.
"Go get Lin Dahui. We will not leave until this matter is settled," the village chief said in a deep voice.
The surroundings were completely silent, and no one from the Lin family dared to retort.
"Move!" Seeing that the Lin family members did not move, the village chief looked at First Uncle Lin.
He panicked.
"I'll go!" Lin Yuanshan suddenly said.
Then, he turned around and ran away.
The village chief frowned and didn't say anything.
The people around started to speak.
Old Master Lin was never in charge of anything, so the family's matters were all in Old Lady Lin's hands.
But this time, he had to step in. After all, he was the head of the family.
No one left as they wanted to watch the show.
Meanwhile, Liu Shi and Lin Xiaozhi were taken into the house by Aunt Wang and a few other women.
Before they left, Liu Shitold the village chief that Lin Xiaoyue could make the decision on their behalf.
Not long after, Lin Yuanshan came with his father, Lin Dachui.
Along the way, Lin Yuanshan told him what happened. When he arrived, he looked at Old Lady Lin with displeasure.
Actually, he didn't approve of his wife treating his third daughter-in-law and her children like this. After all, his third son was already dead, so there was really no need for them to give their money to Lin Yuanshan.
However, she insisted on doing things her way. What could he do?
Now, the matter had been brought to the village chief's attention. Their family's dirty laundry was exposed, and he had lost all of his face.
"How do you plan to resolve this matter?!" The village chief saw that Lin Dachui was just glaring at his wife without saying anything.
Lin Dachui hurriedly went over.
"Sir, this is my fault. I didn't discipline my wife properly and embarrassed my family. I'll bring her back now," Lin Dachui said.
With their family's current situation, they couldn't let their third daughter-in-law leave the household.
Furthermore, Xiaoyue and Xiaozhi were the grandchildren of the Lin family after all. They couldn't let them go.
The village chief's gaze turned to Lin Yuanshan, who was beside Lin Dachui, and his gaze darkened.
"Please help us get back my father's inheritance and the compensation so that we can be independent!" Lin Xiaoyue hurriedly stood up.
She did not know the laws of this world, but this should be possible.
"Bah! You want money from us? Over my dead body." When Old Lady Lin heard this, she could not help but curse loudly.
The village chief frowned and immediately looked at Lin Dachui.
Lin Dachui's heart sank. Then, he slapped Old Lady Lin.
"Ah! How dare you hit me!" Old Lady Lin was furious and was about to charge at Lin Dachui.
However, she was stopped by her two daughters-in-law.
A hint of fear flashed in Lin Dachui's eyes. He subconsciously wanted to retreat, but he resisted.
However, everyone noticed it.
The others sighed. The men looked at him with sympathy.
What a coward.
Lin Dachui's expression was ugly. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he finally lost his cool.
"Let her go!" He shouted sternly.
After Old Lady Lin gained her freedom, he slapped her again.
This slap was much more vicious than the previous one. It almost made Old Lady Lin lose her balance.
When the men of the Lin family saw this, they finally came out of their trance and hurried to help Old Lady Lin up.
Old Lady Lin was struck dumb and didn't have the courage to make a scene anymore.
47 Establishing a Female Household
"If you spew nonsense again, I will divorce you!" Lin Dachui said angrily. He felt a trace of joy in his heart.
When Old Lady Lin heard this, she panicked. With her sons by her side, she started crying.
Divorce? This time, she actually panicked.
She was already so old. Her parents were long gone. If Lin Dachui really divorced her, what would she do?
Seeing that Old Lady Lin did not dare to speak, Lin Dachui's felt victorious. He turned around and looked at the village chief again.
"Sir, it was my negligence that caused my third daughter-in-law to suffer. Xiaoyue and Xiaozhi are my grandchildren. As their grandfather, I will take good care of them. Both of us are still alive, what will others think if we give them their inheritance now?"
The village chief's expression softened as he looked at Lin Xiaozhi.
In his opinion, since Lin Dachui had spoken up, then their situation should be better.
"Grandpa, we don't want the inheritance, but we want to separate from the Lin family. In the future, we will not be the Lin family, but the Liu family. When Xiaozhi becomes an adult, he will be the head of our household. We just want to take back what belonged to father." She had discussed the matter of establishing a female household with her mother previously.
She knew that it was possible in their situation, and the choice was still in her mother's hands.
As long as Liu Shi wanted to, she could even get married again and change the head of the household.
Lin Dachui was a little confused, until Lin Yuanshan tugged at his sleeve.
"As long as I'm around, the Lin family cannot be separated!" Lin Dachui immediately said.
The people around somewhat agreed.
It was an old tradition that a family should not separate as long as the elders were still around.
Glancing at Lin Yuanshan, Lin Xiaoyue smiled on the inside.
"According to the Imperial Court's regulations, my mother can choose to set up a female household without anyone's consent in a situation like this."
"Since ancient times, when a woman is married, she follows her husband. When her husband dies, she follows her son. When my father died, my brother knew that he was the head of our family. However, he knew that he was still young and needed my mother's supervision. The Imperial Court had considered this situation and issued this decree," Lin Xiaoyue said.
"Fifth uncle is studying in school, so he should know this, right?" Seeing that Lin Yuanshan was about to tug at Lin Dachui again, Lin Xiaoyue suddenly looked at him.
Lin Yuanshan instantly froze.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were focused on him, Lin Yuanshan's face became white.
"Well, yes…"
"In that case, then please help us." Lin Xiaoyue immediately interrupted Lin Yuanshan and bowed to the village chief.
The village chief frowned. He felt that he had been set up by Lin Xiaoyue today.
But when he thought of their situation, he could empathize.
It was indeed the rule. If Liu Shi insisted on establishing a female household, he could not interfere.
"Xiaoyue, although this is true, the choice is in third sister-in-law's hands. If third brother were still alive, would he want you to leave the family?" Lin Yuanshan looked at Lin Xiaoyue with a pained expression.
The corners of Lin Xiaoyue's mouth curled up into a sarcastic arc.
"Of course! When father was still alive, he had already mentioned to mom that he wanted to separate from the family."
48 It's Hard to Become an Official
As soon she said that, the surrounding people sighed.
Lin Xiaoyue didn't care, she continued, "Xiaozhi is smart, but fifth uncle depleted the family's savings. No matter how hard my parents work to earn money, he won't be able to go to school."
"Hey, we're all family. What's the difference? If your fifth uncle is successful, won't he also help you and your brother?" Lin Dachui said.
Lin Xiaoyue immediately looked at Lin Yuanshan mockingly.
Then, she looked at Lin Dachui.
"Don't you know that gandma gives him six taels of silver every month, and this doesn't include the money for the ink, paper, and inkstone. The other scholars in our village only spend one tael of silver every month."
Lin Yuanshan's face instantly turned pale, and he clenched his fists.
Seeing that Lin Dachui was looking at him, he hurriedly whispered that he would explain it to him later.
Lin Dachui believed him just like Old Lady Lin did.
"How can your fifth uncle's situation be the same as the other families? He almost passed the exam the year before last, and he's going to take it again next year, so he needs more money to prepare for it."
As soon as he said that, the people around him became upset.
What did he mean by that? There were other scholars in the village who would also take the exam. Was he looking down on them?
"Heh." Lin Xiaoyue chuckled.
You could never wake a person who pretended to be asleep.
"Aren't you too naive to think that one can pass the exam just by networking? If that works, then the quota would have been filled long ago."
Her words were quite harsh, causing the village chief to frown.
Lin Yuanshan's face was even paler.
Was this girl insinuating that he was cheating? If this rumor spread, it might ruin him!
Without waiting for anyone to speak, Lin Xiaoyue continued, "If I remember correctly, fifth uncle took the exam at the age of fourteen. He failed to pass it two times in a row. Do you think that he would be able to proceed further with his qualifications?"
Lin Xiaoyue said sarcastically, "do you know what rank a scholar has to get to be an official?"
Lin Dachui and Old Lady Lin looked a little lost.
Lin Xiaoyue glanced at the crowd and suddenly looked at a ten-year-old boy.
"Aunt Zheng, can Yongzi tell everyone how a scholar proceeds to the next rank? And what level does he have to be to become an official?"
Aunt Wang told her that Aunt Zheng's child was also a scholar, so he should know these things.
"Hehe, of course! Yongzi, tell everyone!" Aunt Zheng immediately pushed her son forward.
Zheng Yongzi's face was a little red. He walked out of the crowd and bowed to the village chief.
Then, he quickly avoided Lin Yuanshan's murderous gaze.
Under Lin Xiaoyue's encouragement, he said, "the headmaster said that…"
"If you want to become an official, you have to at least become a high scholar. But there is a quota for high scholars and it's difficult to get a place. If the family has money, they can consider a donation. But it will cost at least a thousand taels of silver. Ordinary families can't afford it at all…"
Hearing this, Lin Dachui and Old lady Lin almost fainted.
Was it so difficult to become an official? This was different from what Lin Yuanshan said?
49 It's Good to be Educated
He would only be qualified to participate in the imperial exam if he passed the state exam? After that, the best scholar was selected from those that passed the imperial exam? Before he could become an official, he first had to spend thousands of taels of silver?
How could a family of farmers afford thousands of taels of silver?!
If they couldn't afford it, they would have to try again, but the more they waited, the greater the competition.
Could a person who couldn't even pass the state exam go that far?
Lin Dachui and Old Lady Lin could no longer listen to the rest of the sentence.
Their dream to have a son who was an official was shattered.
The other members of the Lin family were also shocked when they heard this. They even felt that Lin Yuanshan had wasted their family's money.
After talking for a full 15 minutes, Zheng Yongzi finally finished explaining the process to become an official.
Lin Yuanshan felt a great sense of shame which made him wish he could hide in a hole.
The villagers, on the other hand, had learned a lot.
After knowing that it was that difficult to become an official, they thought that it was pointless to spend so much money on studies.
Lin Xiaoyue thanked Zheng Yongzi.
Hearing the villagers' discussion, she said to everyone, "actually, studying is not just to become an official. It can broaden one's horizons. In reality, for example, to make a living, those who are educated could find better jobs. Just because it's hard to become an official doesn't mean that studying is useless."
"Yeah, those who are educated could go to town to find work. Those who aren't can only do hard labor like my husband," said a woman.
"Besides, being educated makes it less likely for one to be scammed!" Another person said.
"Yeah, it seems that it's important to be educated…"
The village chief looked at Lin Xiaoyue with admiration.
"In addition, although scholars are only qualified to become officials if they pass the imperial exam, there are also benefits even if they only pass the preliminary exam," the village chief said to the villagers.
"What benefits, village chief?" someone asked.
"First, if there is a scholar in the family, two people in the family can be exempted from mandatory labor."
"Second, they will be given preferential treatment. If you are a scholar, you don't have to kneel before an official, and you can not be tortured in court."
"Third, you are exempted from grain taxes. You can be exempted from the grain tax of 20 acres of land."
As soon as he said that, the villagers immediately started chattering, especially when they heard about the grain tax exemption. This could save a lot of money for farming families.
Thus, many families wanted to send their children to school.
Seeing that the villagers no longer had any misunderstandings about studying, Lin Xiaoyue looked at Lin Dachui again.
"Grandpa, do you still think that letting fifth uncle go to school is the same as letting all the children in the family go to school?"
As soon as she said that, everyone turned to look at Lin Dachui.
In particular, the sons and grandsons of the Lin family all turned to look at him.
It was good to go to school, even if one couldn't become an official. Perhaps one could earn a better living in the future. If one had knowledge, one could become a teacher.
However, their parents (grandparents) favored his fifth son and spent all the money in the family on him. He was convinced that he could become an official after he passed the exam.
However, Yongzi explained that the process was much more complicated than they had expected.
Lin Yuanshan had failed the state examination twice. Was it possible for him to become a scholar? Even if it was possible, how many years would it take?
50 Are They Really the Lin Family's Offsprings?
The preliminary exam was held once every year. After that, the state exam was held twice every three years. Then, the imperial exam was once every three years.
Three years. When that time came, many students would take the imperial exam at the same time. In addition, those who failed the exam before would also be retaking it. What chance did they have to pass?
Seeing Lin Dachui's pale face, Lin Xiaoyue smiled and continued, "grandpa, why are you so surprised? Didn't father tell you this before his accident?"
"Although he couldn't explain it in such detail, he did express it clearly. But not only did you not listen, grandma even hit him. She even made him go to town to help repair a house. Father fell off the roof and died because he hadn't recovered from his injuries and was worried about Xiaozhi not being able to go to school." Lin Xiaoyue wiped her eyes.
"But what did you do? You took his life money and gave it to fifth uncle. You even want to sell me off! Mom didn't agree, so you kicked us out!"
"Is father your biological son? Are Xiaozhi and I really the offsprings of the Lin family?" Lin Xiaoyue looked up at Lin Dachui and asked.
Usually, it would be unfilial to ask such a question.
However, under such circumstances, others were wondering about the same thing too.
That's right. Old Lady Lin had always disliked her third son. He contributed the most yet he received the worst treatment.
At his age, he was even beaten by his own mother. Furthermore, he was severely injured and still asked to go to work, resulting in his death. After his death, not only was his money not given to his wife and children, they even gave it to his brother. His children were almost sold, and finally his wife and children were chased out of the house.
How could he rest in peace?
Didn't Lin Xiaoyue say that her father brought her back to life and even cured her?
The villagers thought that if they were Lin Xiaoyue's father, they would definitely take revenge on the Lin family!
Lin Dachui staggered and almost lost his balance.
Old Lady Lin was already weak. If not for her two daughters-in-law supporting her, she would have fallen to the ground.
She caused her third son's death. She even had a nightmare in which he came to look for her and asked her why she was so cruel to him.
But Yuanshan was the hope of the family, what could she do?
The more Yuanshan pestered her, the crueler she was towards her third son.
Suddenly, Old Lady Lin saw a person appear behind the crowd.
In the blink of an eye, she recognized that person as her third son.
She was so scared that her face turned pale. She mumbled and then fainted.
Seeing this, the Lin family members quickly held Old Lady Lin.
After waking her up, they wanted to leave
However, the village chief asked Lin Dachui and his four sons to stay behind.
Lin Xiaoyue's eyes looked cold.
After Old Lady Lin and the others left, she bowed to the village chief again.
"Sir, my father's only wish before he died was to let my younger brother go to school. Please help us get back my father's inheritance."
The villagers immediately looked at Lin Dachui.
Some people were discussing in low voices, saying that they had heard Old Lady Lin call out Lin Laosan's name before she fainted. This was clearly a projection of her guilt.
The village chief sighed and turned to look at Lin Dachui.
51 Inheritance
"At this point, Lin Dachui, your family will give out a portion of the 40 taels of silver that belonged to Lin Laosan. Also, give them their share of inheritance."
As soon as he said that, the Lin brothers looked upset.
"We don't have any money, all the money has been spent on Yuanshan!" First Uncle Lin said.
"That's right, all the money has been spent!" Second Uncle Lin added.
"Since we're splitting the family, shouldn't Laosan's family also take care of the two elders?" Fourth Uncle Lin added.
After he said that, the surrounding people started talking animatedly.
Their brother was already dead. How could they let their sister-in-law and her children take care of the elders? Were the other sons of the Lin family all dead?
The village chief's brows furrowed as well.
"Lin Laosan is dead. The Liu family has no obligation to support their in-laws. As for Lin Xiaoyue and Lin Xiaozhi, with all of you around, they have no obligation to support their grandparents," said the village chief in a deep voice.
"So they're just going to leave and take the money?!" Fourth Uncle Lin was furious.
The village chief glared at him. "Hmph. That's the law. Are you trying to question the law of the Imperial Court?"
If it were other families, they would take care of their brother's family, but the Lin family actually wanted to suck them dry. No wonder Xiaoyue would do this.
Fourth Uncle Lin's face turned pale, and he didn't dare to say anything more.
The village chief's gaze swept over the Lin family members.
"According to the law of the Imperial Court, the forty taels of silver should be divided into five shares. The two elders of the Lin family will get two shares, and the wife and children will get the remaining. The Lin family will have to give them 24 taels of silver."
"Then there's the property. Lin Laosan will get a share of the Lin family's house, but since they will not live there, you must give them cash."
"Your house, together with the furniture, will be valued at 150 taels. Dividing it into 5 shares, that'll be 30 taels for each of you. These 30 taels will be divided equally between the two elders and Liu Laosan's wife and children, so they will get…"
"18 taels," Lin Xiaoyue continued.
The village chief paused.
He silently calculated it, and then looked at Lin Xiaoyue's eyes with admiration.
"Yes, 18 taels of silver."
Thinking about how well Lin Xiaoyue did as the cashier just now, the village chief was amazed at her arithmetics
"Next is the farmland. The Lin family has 20 acres of land. Dividing it the same way…"
"2.4 acres." Lin Xiaoyue quickly calculated the answer.
The village chief was stunned again. The arithmetic was more complicated this time. Without the abacus, paper, and pen, he couldn't figure it out. But she actually came up with the answer right away.
"Ahem, Gengtian, get Huaiyu to bring some ink and paper." Thinking that he would have to write a letter anyway, the village chief said to his eldest son.
"Yes, father!" Li Gengtian quickly left.
At this time, the Lin family's faces were filled with anxiety.
The land was their most important asset. Giving away 2.4 acres of land would greatly reduce their food supply.
Lin Xiaoyue, however, smiled as she looked at the Lin family, and her gaze finally stopped on Lin Dachui.
"Grandpa, we don't want the Lin family's land."
As soon as she said that, the Lin family immediately looked at Lin Xiaoyue. Even the village chief was surprised.
52 Disownment
"After leaving the Lin family, the three of us have no place to stay, so we have to buy land to build a house. You just have to give us this house and the four plots of land around it."
Fourth Uncle Lin's eyes lit up.
"How can we do that? The land here is not valuable, but it's about three acres. Also, the courtyard is also worth some money. If you want it, there's no problem, but you have to pay for it!" He immediately said.
The dilapidated house and the four pieces of land around it were indeed their family's, but the house was in a state of disrepair and the four pieces of land were barren, so they couldn't grow anything there. Although they still had some crops planted, they rarely cared about it.
The villagers started talking again.
That house was still worth any money? The four pieces of land were useless. The crops they had were only enough to pay the grain taxes.
The corners of Lin Xiaoyue's mouth curled up. "Heh, forget about it then. You guys can take back the land." She had a helpless expression on her face.
"Then please give us the 2.4 acres of land. You can also help us sell it," she said to the village chief.
Just as the village chief was about to speak, Lin Dachui hurriedly spoke up.
"Fine! We'll give you the four plots of land!"
After saying that, he glared at his son.
Even though the land was barren, they still had to pay grain taxes. So they were making a loss.
Now that they could finally get rid of it and avoid losing the good land, they could just give it to them.
Lin Xiaoyue nodded.
"Then there's no need to divide the land. Please continue with the rest." She smiled and looked at the village chief.
The Lin family members were in a panic. Were there more?
"Then there's the Lin family's cash."
"We don't have any!" Fourth Uncle Lin said immediately.
"Right, it's all spent on Yuanshan!" First Uncle Lin continued.
"Right, there's no money! Laosan's family lived at home when he was still alive. Didn't they spend money too?" Second Uncle Lin said.
"We really don't have any money!" Lin Dachui also said gloomily.
The village chief looked at Lin Xiaoyue with a troubled expression.
As an outsider, he really wouldn't know how much money the Lin family had.
Lin Xiaoyue gave the village chief a grateful smile and turned to look at the Lin family.
"We can let go of the money…"
"That's what you said!" Fourth Uncle Lin looked at Lin Xiaoyue angrily.
"Yes. But there are conditions." Lin Xiaoyue did not take his gaze seriously at all.
"What conditions?" Lin Dachui looked at Lin Xiaoyue.
"Please sign a letter disowning me and Xiaozhi. From now on, the three of us will have nothing to do with the Lin family."
The villagers were in an uproar.
Lin Xiaoyue continued, "oh, also, please promise me that grandma and the rest of the Lin family will not come to our house to steal things. Otherwise, I will report the crime of theft to the authorities!"
At this point, the smarter ones understood.
She wanted to break things off with her family not only because she was disappointed, but to avoid being harassed by them, especially Old Lady Lin.
In the past, Old Lady Lin had come to rob them because she was her grandmother, so even if she knew or even caught her, she wouldn't be able to do anything.
But after the disownment, the situation was different. If they were caught stealing, they would have to go to jail.
Thinking about it this way, this might actually be good for them. Perhaps they would have peace in the future.
Lin Dachui's face was dark.
"Alright, then let's break things off!" He said in a deep voice.
He really wanted to see if the three of them could survive without the Lin family! If they couldn't, don't even think about coming back to them!
53 42 taels
A glint flashed across Lin Xiaoyue's eyes.
She looked at Liu Shi, who was sitting by the door and looking at her.
Liu Shi was currently hugging Lin Xiaozhi, who was nestled in her arms, and she nodded at Lin Xiaoyue.
She understood her daughter's intentions completely. Today, she had given up her pride for her daughter.
From now on, the three of them would rely on themselves and live well.
Not long after, Li Gengtian brought his nephew, Li Huaiyu, along with pen, ink, and paper.
Then, the village chief asked Li Huaiyu to write the letter of asset division. He then asked Lin Dachui and Liu Shi to sign the papers.
Then, he asked Li Huaiyu to write the letter of disownment. He asked Lin Dachui, Lin Xiaoyue, and Lin Xiao to sign the papers. The village chief, as a witness, also signed the paper.
There were three copies of each document. Both parties kept one copy and the village chief took the remaining copy. He said that he would send it to the court for the record.
"Go and get 42 taels of silver, as well as the land title for this house and the four plots of land around it. Then everything is done." The village chief looked at Lin Dachui.
At this point, it would be best for him to settle everything. Otherwise, it would be very difficult for the three women to get the money.
A look of struggle flashed across Lin Dachui's face.
"It's so late now. Why don't we do it tomorrow?" Second Uncle Lin rolled his eyes and said.
"Yeah, we have to think of a way to get the money," said First Uncle Lin.
Fourth Uncle Lin was also about to speak, but was stopped by a look from the village chief.
"Hmph, if you can't pay them, then use the land title to pay for it. Do you think this is just for fun?" The village chief said in a deep voice.
In his opinion, Xiaoyue had already compromised a lot when it came to dividing the property. Not only did the Lin family members not appreciate that, they were even shameless enough to not pay them the full amount.
Lin Dachui's body trembled.
How could he use the land title to pay?
"I…I'll go back and get the money now," he said and quickly left.
The sons of the Lin family saw that the village chief would not change his mind, and Lin Xiaoyue and Liu Shi did not even look at them, so they turned around and chased after their father.
The Lin family fled in a panic, causing the villagers to point and talk about them. Even the village chief shook his head repeatedly as he watched them leave.
Excluding the house and the two plots of land, the Lin family only gave away 42 taels of silver. Most of it was the money that Lin Laosan had worked so hard for. In other words, they had only paid 2 taels of silver…
Eh, with such a family, it was a good thing that they broke things off with them.
Once the Lin family left, many women surrounded them to comfort Liu Shi and Lin Xiaoyue.
After a while, Lin Xiaoyue was the first to respond.
"Dear all, thank you for your help and concern! It's getting late, let's continue dividing the meat! We've wasted everyone's time!"
"Not at all! Let us know if you need anything in the future!" A lady said.
"That's right! Let us know if you need anything!"
"…"
Hearing the villagers' enthusiastic voices, Lin Xiaoyue smiled. Her heart was filled with gratitude.
Then, she continued cutting up the wild boar.
After that, no one asked for a discount anymore. They would even say a few words to comfort Lin Xiaoyue.
There were people who did not leave even after they bought the meat, waiting to see when the Lin family would send the money over. They wanted to be the witnesses.
They waited for more than two hours.
And at this time, no one was buying the meat anymore.
Seeing that Lin Dachui still did not show up, the village chief finally asked Lin Gengtian and Li Laishun to go get them.
54 Gratitude
The two of them had just set off when Lin Dachui came with First Uncle Lin.
Everyone noticed that Lin Dachui had a wound on his forehead and had their own guesses.
Lin Dachui did not care about the villagers' gossip and gave the money and the land title to Liu Shi in front of the village chief.
"You are ruthless," said First Uncle Lin.
Liu Shi avoided his gaze and didn't reply.
"Remember, from now on, whether you live or die, don't come back to us! Hmph!" After saying that, he left with his father and brother.
Liu Shi staggered and she almost fell again.
Lin Xiaoyue hurriedly held her.
Her eyes narrowed as she looked at their backs.
She said, "we'll remember what you said. As your niece, I'll give you one last piece of advice. Only believe in your own children. Don't be foolish enough to give up your own children for the sake of your brother. Otherwise, you might end up like us."
First Uncle Lin's body froze, and he almost fell on his feet.
Lin Dachui, on the other hand, quickened his pace. He didn't want to hear more from Lin Xiaoyue.
That girl was trying to sow discord. Perhaps his eldest son would also leave his family.
After they left, Lin Xiaoyue thanked the villagers again before everyone left.
Then, Lin Xiaoyue asked Uncle Wang to help her cut a few more pieces of meat.
Two of the three-catty pieces were given to Li Gengtian and Li Laishun respectively, thanking them for helping her carry the boar and cleaning it. The remaining five catties were given to the villagers as a token of gratitude.
"I didn't help much. In the end, you guys are the ones who suffered the loss." Seeing that Lin Xiaoyue gave him the best meat, the village chief refused to accept it.
"Please accept it. If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have gotten it today." Lin Xiaoyue handed the meat to him again.
"Aiya, just take it. It's her way of showing appreciation." The village chief's wife smiled and looked at her husband.
The village chief looked at the expressions of gratitude on their faces and finally accepted the meat.
Because it was too heavy, he handed the meat to his son.
"I'll report the matter of establishing a female household to the authorities tomorrow. It should be done within three days." The village chief looked at Liu Shi.
"Thank you!" Liu Shi quickly thanked the village chief.
"You're welcome. This is my duty as the village chief."
"However, what are you going to do next?" The village chief looked at the dilapidated house in front of him.
"This house is not livable."
This was his first time coming here. If he had not seen it with his own eyes today, he would not have known that they were actually living in such a dilapidated house.
Fortunately, they had received Lin Laosan's inheritance. Now, they at least had the money to renovate the house.
"Regarding the house, I plan to discuss it with mom to see if we can rebuild the house," Lin Xiaoyue said.
The village chief frowned slightly. Seeing that Liu Shi was looking at her daughter helplessly, he didn't say anything.
It wasn't easy to build a house, but this girl was confident right now. As an elder, he didn't want to discourage her. Her mother was here after all. She should come up with a reasonable plan later on.
So the village chief left too.
Liu Shi was weak, so they asked her to stay while Lin Xiaoyue brought Lin Xiaozhi to send the village chief's family off.
She then looked back and saw that the Wang family was still helping them tidy up the yard.
55 Kindness
Lin Xiaoyue was touched. She asked her brother to go back to their mother while she walked to the shelf where the wild boar meat was hung.
Then, she picked up the knife that Uncle Wang put aside and started to cut it.
"Hey, girl, why are you still cutting the meat? Let me do it!" Uncle Wang, who was cleaning a bucket, saw her and quickly walked over.
"Hehe, I didn't expect it to be so difficult." Lin Xiaoyue smiled.
"Please help me cut up another piece of meat. Right here, cut along here." Lin Xiaoyue moved aside and showed Uncle Wang where she wanted to cut.
"There's a lot of meat here, at least five kilograms. If you want to cut it all up, you don't have to cut it from here, I'll help you." Uncle Wang took the knife and said to Lin Xiaoyue.
"No, please just cut it like how I described," Lin Xiaoyue said with a smile.
Uncle Wang looked at Lin Xiaoyue suspiciously, "okay."
Not long after, a piece of meat weighing more than ten catties, with more fat than lean meat, was cut off.
Uncle Wang took the meat and was about to put it in a bucket, but Lin Xiaoyue stopped him.
"This is for you."
Uncle Wang was surprised. He couldn't accept it.
"Your aunt said that she just took four meat buns from your family. If you give us so much, how much money can you get from selling the remaining meat?"
Lin Xiaoyue smiled, "I'm not a fool. I knew why you asked the village chief, his son and his nephew here! What you did for us is worth more than this piece of meat!"
Seeing that Aunt Wang and Wang Shuanzi had also come to persuade her, Lin Xiaoyue quickly continued.
"You and Shuanzi contributed the most. Aunt Wang also helped me take care of my mother and brother. After everyone has left, only you are still helping us."
Lin Xiaoyue's eyes were filled with gratitude.
"We will remember your kindness."
At this time, Liu Shi was slowly with Lin Xiaozhi.
"Please take it. She is still young, she will repay your kindness in the future."
"Aiyo, what are you talking about? What are you doing here? Quickly go and sit down!" Aunt Wang quickly went over to help Liu Shi.
She forcefully brought her back to the stool by the door and made her sit.
"As the saying goes, distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors. We live the closest to each other, so it's only right for us to take care of each other," Aunt Wang said.
"Besides, I didn't help you for nothing. Isn't my second son learning embroidery from you? It would have cost one tael of silver a month to learn it in town. I don't see you taking money from me, do you?"
She did have this intention when she was being nice to them initially. However, when she saw how pitiful they were, she subconsciously started to take care of them.
"Hehe, I'm not as good as those in the workshop," Liu Shi said. After hearing what Aunt Wang said, she felt a little more at ease.
When Uncle Wang and Wang Shuanzi saw that they were getting along so well, they smiled.
"Then I'll take this piece of meat. It's getting late. See what you can do with the rest of the meat. I'll help you clean it up."
"Let's cut it all up. Leave the boar's head and internal organs. I'll send the rest to Ruyi Restaurant tomorrow," Lin Xiaoyue said.
56 I Can Do It
This wild boar weighed no less than 500 catties. After they sold off more than half of it, but there was still a large piece left.
She could have kept some for her family, but she needed the money to build a house. Moreover, she was going to Ruyi Restaurant tomorrow anyway, so she might as well sell it.
"Okay! But there is still a lot of meat. How about this? Tomorrow, come with me and Shuanzi, we'll help you send it to Ruyi Restaurant." Uncle Wang said.
"It's okay. I am going to take the cart tomorrow," Lin Xiaoyue said.
The other prey she hunted today already weighed more than 300 catties.
With so many things, it would still be more than 100 catties for each person to carry. She couldn't walk 4 kilometers with so much weight on her.
"The driver will make you pay more since you're carrying so much. Shuanzi and I will send them to town for you." Uncle Wang thought that Lin Xiaoyue didn't want to trouble them, so he quickly added.
"There's really no need for that. I have already told Grandpa Shi of Shangyang Village that I will wait for him at the side of the main road tomorrow."
This was not entirely true. Grandpa Shi, the driver, only said that the first journey to town was usually not full.
Therefore, if she waited by the main road at that time, even if she was carrying a lot of things, she should be able to get on.
Uncle Wang paused.
She knew that she was going to sell things in town tomorrow, and she even made an appointment with the driver? He remembered what his wife had said about this girl's hunting ability, and he understood immediately.
"Alright then. Uncle Shi of Shangyang Village is easy to talk to. When you get there, you can discuss with him to see if he can help you send the things to Ruyi Restaurant."
"Yes! Don't worry, I know what to do!" Lin Xiaoyue said with a smile.
Then, she got back to work.
After Uncle Wang finished cutting up the meat and the courtyard was tidied up, the Wang family left.
Lin Xiaoyue sent him out of the courtyard and returned to the house. Then, the family ate together.
It was almost 11 o'clock at night, and they were already very hungry.
Eating the delicious food and steaming hot buns, the family of three was so happy that they teared up.
After eating, Lin Xiaoyue went to do the dishes.
After they finished washing up, Lin Xiaoyue took out some medicine to treat the wound on Liu Shi's forehead and bandaged it.
"Mom, don't go out tomorrow. Just rest at home. I'll go to the main road and wait for Grandpa Shi. Then, I'll pay him a bit more and ask him to send me directly to Ruyi Restaurant to deliver the goods."
"But…" Liu Shi was worried.
"Don't worry. I can take care of everything." Lin Xiaoyue patted the back of Liu Shi's hand.
Then, she took out the money she had earned from selling the wild boar meat tonight.
"Take these. Count them tomorrow. Let's see how much money we have now."
"Okay." Liu Shi nodded. She thought about the house.
"Yue'er, this house…"
They had more than forty-five taels of silver now.
This money might not be enough to build a courtyard and buy furniture, but it should be enough to build a small house.
If she saved a bit more, soon, the three of them could have a decent home.
57 Mirrors
Lin Xiaoyue knew what her mother was thinking. However, she wanted to build a bigger courtyard so that they didn't have to worry about it anymore in the future.
This house did look shabby. Now that they had some money, it was good to build a new house as soon as possible.
Lin Xiaoyue had some ideas.
"Mom, we can't start building houses right away. I'll go to town tomorrow and ask around. I'll ask Uncle Wang if he knows any construction team."
Liu Shi nodded.
She was relieved.
Lin Xiaoyue quickly got Liu Shi to go to bed while she sat at the table thinking about going to town the next day.
She took out a lot of things from her interspatial ring.
There was a notebook, a pen, a lighter, a solar-powered flashlight, two mirrors, a comb, a few boxes of sanitary towels, towels, clothes, shoes, and so on.
Then she began to pick the items that she could sell.
The notebook and pen were different from the stationery used in this world. It was probably hard to find people who were willing to buy them.
As for the lighter, this world probably had a lighter. Although it didn't have a long lifespan, it was still very useful. It probably wouldn't sell for a high price.
The solar-powered flashlight should be able to sell for a high price, but she only had one. If she sold it, she wouldn't be able to use it in the future.
As for the mirrors,..
Lin Xiaoyue's eyes lit up.
In this world, only wealthy families had a mirror. The poor could only use the surface of water to check their appearance.
Her mirror was more than ten times clearer than the bronze mirror. If she could find a discerning buyer, it was not impossible to sell it at a high price.
Lin Xiaoyue quickly put the two mirrors aside.
Then she continued to look at other items.
After tidying up, she decided that only the solar-powered flashlight and mirrors were the easiest to sell at a high price.
Feeling sleepy, Lin Xiaoyue packed up all her things, blew out the oil lamp, and went to bed.
She had a good night's sleep until dawn.
Lin Xiaoyue was woken up by the smell of her mother's cooking.
Liu Shi rested for a night and felt that she had recovered. She even tore off the band-aid that Lin Xiaoyue had given her. She said that she was afraid of people noticing it and asking her about it.
Lin Xiaoyue saw that Liu Shi's wound had already scabbed, and it was not serious, so she did not say anything more.
After eating breakfast, she went to the Wang family to borrow the wicker basket and the shoulder pole.
When Uncle Wang heard that, he insisted on bringing Wang Shuanzi to help Lin Xiaoyue move the things to the side of the main road.
Lin Xiaoyue could not refuse, so she accepted their kindness.
She thought that it was fortunate that she had taken the prey out of her interspatial ring and put it in the yard in advance.
When Uncle Wang and Wang Shuanzi saw the amount of prey in the yard, they were all shocked.
A deer, four rabbits, three pheasants, four snakes, and a basket of wild eggs… damn, she was too good!
Lin Xiaoyue glanced at Uncle Wang and Wang Shuanzi and thought to herself, "there's more…"
She thought about it. It would attract too much attention to have so much prey every time. Moreover, there was a limited number of animals on the mountain. With her unrestricted hunting, perhaps the wild animals would soon become extinct.
Besides, she had to sell more than 100 catties of wild boar meat today. It would get more difficult with an increasing amount of prey.
After selling them, she would walk around town to see if there were other business opportunities that could make her rich.
58 Bumping Into Lin Yuanshan
"Did you…did you get all these yesterday?" Wang Shuanzi looked at Lin Xiaoyue in surprise.
"Yes, there is a lot of prey in the mountains during this season. I was lucky!"Lin Xiaoyue said with a smile.
"I admire you!"
Uncle Wang also complimented her.
Then, he helped Lin Xiaoyue to pack up the meat and carcasses.
Uncle Wang carried two baskets, Wang Shuanzi carried the deer and three pheasants, while Lin Xiaoyue carried the remaining.
Because they left home later than yesterday, the three of them met many villagers along the way.
Last night, many people went to Lin Xiaoyue's house to buy meat, so they knew that Lin Xiaoyue knew how to hunt. Now that they saw her prey with their own eyes, they were all asking questions.
Lin Xiaoyue responded to them enthusiastically. She said that she was lucky and hurried off to catch the cart.
Soon, they reached the side of the main road, and Lin Xiaoyue noticed someone.
Lin Yuanshan.
Lin Yuanshan was surprised to see Lin Xiaoyue. He was even more surprised to see Uncle Wang and Wang Shuanzi helping her carry so many wild animals.
Remembering what the villagers said about Lin Xiaoyue being a good hunter, and the wild board from the day before, Lin Yuanshan finally understood.
It seemed that the girl was indeed different from before.
Uncle Wang and Wang Shuanzi also saw Lin Yuanshan and left after telling Lin Xiaoyue to be careful.
After the two of them left, Lin Yuanshan looked at Lin Xiaoyue and walked towards her.
"Er'ya…"
Unexpectedly, Lin Xiaoyue stretched out her hand to stop him from approaching her.
"Fifth Uncle Lin, you'd better call me by my name in the future. Also, if you have something to say, just stand there and say it," she said coldly.
She remembered that today was the day Lin Yuanshan returned to the academy. She figured that he was probably going to take a cart to town just like her.
She didn't expect that Lin Yuanshan could still live such a comfortable life after she had given the Lin family such a big warning last night.
He was taking a cart even though he wasn't carrying anything heavy. How indulgent…
Lin Yuanshan saw the sarcasm in Lin Xiaoyue's eyes and his face became stiff.
Standing there, he didn't know whether to advance or retreat.
"Er…"
Seeing Lin Xiaoyue glaring at him, Lin Yuanshan quickly said, "Yue."
"Yue, things at home are not what you think…
"What does it have to do with me?" Lin Xiaoyue interrupted Lin Yuanshan.
"Xiaozhi and I have already severed our relationship with the Lin family. Fifth Uncle Lin, there's no need to tell me about the Lin family matters."
A hint of gloominess flashed in his eyes.
Then, he saw Lin Xiaoyue roll her eyes at him.
"Enough, stop pretending. What you do with the Lin family has nothing to do with me. Just don't come and provoke me."
Lin Yuanshan was stunned.
"Hmph!" Knowing that Lin Xiaoyue wouldn't be fooled by a few words from him, he snorted, turned around and walked away.
Just then, an ox cart arrived,
Coincidentally, it was Old Man Shi.
This time, there were two people sitting in the cart, and there was still a lot of space.
"Grandpa Shi!" Lin Xiaoyue hurriedly waved her hand and shouted.
"Hehe, it's you again!" Old Man Shi replied. Soon, he parked the ox cart in front of Lin Xiaoyue.
"Oh, you got so many goods again?!" Old Man Shi exclaimed and got off the cart.
"Yeah. I caught a wild boar last night, and I still have about 100 catties left. I'm going to send it to Ruyi Restaurant. Grandpa Shi, can you send me directly to the restaurant today?"
59 A Cheap Cart
Old Man Shi's face stiffened as he hesitated.
"I'll give you three more copper coins!" Lin Xiaoyue quickly said.
"Okay! But you have a lot of goods. The fare to town will be six coins," Old Man Shi said.
After all, with so much goods, he could only get one more person if he took her on, although there was a high probability that he wouldn't be able to get more people after that.
"Alright! Thank you so much!" Lin Xiaoyue quickly thanked him.
"You're welcome! Come, let's put them into the cart!" Old Man Shi said as he helped Lin Xiaoyue.
The two women asked about Lin Xiaoyue's family when they heard "Ruyi Restaurant" and saw the amount of goods she had with her.
Lin Xiaoyue answered honestly, no longer hiding it like yesterday.
They had already left the Lin family, what was there to hide now?
After a while, the goods were all moved into the cart.
Lin Xiaoyue got into the car, and Old Man Shi was prepared to set off.
Seeing that Lin Yuanshan was looking at him, Old Man Shi asked, "hey, young man, there's still room in the car. I'll charge you two coins. Do you want to get in?"
Usually, it was three coins per person to go to town from Daishi Village, and five coins for two people. He would only charge more if the passenger had a lot of things.
But his cart couldn't hold too many people with luggage now. This young man didn't have many things, so he could take him with just two cents. Since they were heading to the same place, it would be nice to earn two more cents.
"No, thanks." Lin Yuanshan immediately rejected him and even took two steps back. He looked as if he was afraid of Old Man Shi.
"Hehe." Lin Xiaoyue laughed out loud.
"Grandpa Shi, forget about it. He is the scholar of the Lin family. He is too vain to save money."
The two women in the carriage immediately looked at Lin Yuanshan with a strange look in their eyes.
When Old Man Shi heard this, he did not even look at Lin Yuanshan and directly got into the cart.
Then, he rode away.
Lin Yuanshan looked at the cart leaving, and the look in his eyes turned into hatred.
It was only after the cart had left that Old Man Shi began to rant.
"Hmph, a scholar? Isn't he still provided for by his family?"
"He thinks it's easy to make money? It's only a short distance, and he didn't bring any luggage, yet he's not willing to walk."
"Furthermore, he wouldn't take the cart for two coins? How dare he look down on my cart…"
Lin Xiaoyue, who was listening, tried to suppress her laughter.
"Uncle Shi, you really empathize with the parents. If you fix up this cart and build a roof to cover it, I'm sure no one can look down on it," a woman said with a smile.
A roof? What's the use of that? If I did that, I'd have to charge the same as the other carts, where would you find a cheap ride then?" Old Man Shi replied.
Carts with a roof were slightly more expensive. It would cost three coins per person, and if there was too much luggage, it cost an additional three coins.
Although he also charged three coins per person, he did not mind if they had a bit more things on them. If there were two people, he would charge one coin less. Because of this, many people who came back from town would specifically wait for his cart.
Hence, he did not earn less than the others.
Therefore, there was really no need to build a roof for the cart. Besides, it was easier to move things without it.
60 A Different Kind of Scholar
However, he was annoyed at those who looked down on his cart.
They were all country bumpkins anyway. If they were so superior, why didn't they ride a carriage?
"Yes, then you'd better not change it! Your cart is the only ride from our village!" The woman hurriedly said.
Old Man Shi was about to argue with her.
"That's right. I think this is nice. That scholar surnamed Lin is just pretentious!" Another woman said.
When Old Man Shi heard this, his expression softened.
"Hey, little girl, do you know the scholar?" The woman asked Lin Xiaoyue.
Lin Xiaoyue smiled.
"Yes. He's Old Man Lin's fifth son. He's studying at Qingyun Academy in town." She didn't mention her relationship with Lin Yuanshan.
"Qingyun Academy. Oh, my nephew is also studying there. I heard that it costs five taels of silver per quarter!" The woman's expression was exaggerated as she gestured with her hands.
The other woman was surprised.
"So much?!"
"Right? The food in the academy is expensive. But my nephew is also a good man. He is not picky with his ride." As the woman spoke, she glanced at Old Man Shi.
Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyue couldn't help but cover her mouth.
What? He's a good person just because he wasn't picky with his ride?
The woman saw Lin Xiaoyue's expression, but she didn't get angry. She smiled and continued, "not only that, he even walked to town when he didn't have any things with him. He even helped others write notes to earn extra money."
Hearing this, Lin Xiaoyue stopped smiling and her eyes were filled with admiration.
"Not only did he not ask for money from his family, he even gave them an allowance from time to time."
Lin Xiaoyue and the other woman nodded as they listened, and they admired the scholar even more.
"My eldest brother hurt his leg when he went out to work before the New Year. Otherwise, my family wouldn't have the heart to let him work so hard. The academy already gives a lot of homework, and he still has to work. We are afraid that he won't be able to take it."
The other woman sighed.
"Eh, he'll be fine. Your nephew is so sensible. He'll definitely have great prospects in the future!" She comforted her.
"That's right. Great talents emerge from trials and tribulations. Your nephew will definitely become great," Lin Xiaoyue encouraged her
…
As they spoke, they arrived in town in a short while.
The two women reluctantly said goodbye to Lin Xiaoyue and got off the cart.
Then, Old Man Shi rode the cart to Ruyi Restaurant.
When they reached the place, the waiter noticed Lin Xiaoyue. Those who saw her yesterday quickly came up to help her unload the goods.
Old Man Shi asked and found out that Lin Xiaoyue wasn't going to go home so soon, so he left.
Lin Xiaoyue went inside and saw Chef Liu.
After checking the goods, Chef Liu immediately asked a waiter to weigh them on the spot.
Then, he handed the list to Lin Xiaoyue.
"What a pity. We also accept whole wild boars. Next time, you can send it over directly. I'll give you 18 coins per catty!" Chef Liu looked at the wild boar meat and said with a regretful expression.
The owner of their Ruyi Restaurant was not the only restaurant in town. It was not hard to get dishes with wild boar meat.
"Hehe, okay. Thank you, Uncle Liu!" Lin Xiaoyue took the bill and thanked him.
"Okay! Go and claim your money." Chef Liu didn't say anything more and left.