Lin Ran woke up in the morning and saw Wang Zhaodi actually helping out in the kitchen with breakfast; truly, the sun must have risen in the west. However, a little thought made it clear: Wang Zhaodi was likely frightened by Shen Wenfang and Lin Lao’er’s attitude last night, so she didn’t dare cause a scene today. But as the saying goes, it is easier to change rivers and mountains than one’s nature. Lin Ran felt that Wang Zhaodi wouldn’t stay well-behaved for more than a few days; who knew how long she could last?
Just as the Lin family brought breakfast to the table, two uninvited guests arrived.
“Big Brother, Big Sister-in-law, are you having breakfast?”
It was Lin Weijia bringing Lin Meng over. Lin Meng followed behind, dutifully greeting everyone one by one. Lin Weiguo wondered what brought them so early, but he still greeted them politely.
“Yes, have you two eaten? If not, come and have a bite with us.”
Lin Weijia looked at the sweet potato porridge on the table and immediately rubbed his hands together.
“Hehe, since Big Brother has spoken, I won’t be polite.” Saying this, he sat directly at the dining table.
Seeing this, Shen Wenfang rolled her eyes and gave Lin Weiguo a harsh glare. Look at the trouble you’ve caused!
Lin Weiguo also rubbed his nose embarrassedly; he had only offered out of polite habit—who knew his younger brother would actually sit down! This wasn’t because Shen Wenfang was stingy; putting aside the fact that grain was scarce for every household these days, who didn’t tighten their belts when eating? Much less inviting others to a meal! Most importantly, the two of them had come for breakfast without giving any prior notice, and every meal in the house was cooked in fixed portions. With two extra mouths suddenly added, a breakfast that was already barely enough to stave off hunger would definitely not be enough now. Who could endure going to work in the fields on an empty stomach?
Seeing Lin Weijia sitting there waiting to be served, completely without a hint of embarrassment, Shen Wenfang was stifled with anger but helpless. Things were already like this; she couldn’t well deny them food, could she? She could only serve each of them a bowl of sweet potato porridge. Lin Meng, on the other hand, was thin-skinned and a bit embarrassed to reach out, because they had already eaten breakfast at home before coming over.
Once everyone was seated, Lin Weiguo finally spoke up. “Second Brother, is there something on your mind, bringing Meng-ya over so early in the morning?”
Over there, Lin Weijia finished his porridge in two or three gulps, wiped his mouth, and finally spoke. “Actually, it’s nothing major. It’s mainly about Meng-ya. You see, this child heard a piece of news yesterday…”
He then recounted the matter of Qin Jianyi going to the city’s textile factory as a temporary worker, and then rubbed his hands together again. “So, Big Brother, I was thinking that once the third Qin son leaves, that scorekeeper position will be vacant. Since ‘fertile water shouldn’t flow into outsiders’ fields,’ as Meng-ya’s eldest uncle, shouldn’t you make some arrangements for her?”
Lin Meng also put down her bowl at this time, looking at Lin Weiguo with expectation. “Eldest Uncle, please help me!”
Hearing this, the rest of the Lin family lost their appetite for porridge, as they all knew Lin Ran also had her eye on this job. Lin Ran’s heart also skipped a beat. Yesterday, she had been worried that Zhou Manman would compete with her after hearing the news; she hadn’t expected that before Zhou Manman could make a move, her own cousin would speak up first. It seemed Lin Meng had also heard the news yesterday.
Lin Weiguo felt very conflicted. On one side was his own daughter, and on the other was his niece; if he had to choose, he would certainly help his own daughter. But he knew his younger brother’s temperament and feared that if he made a scene, it might lead to his own “pigtail” being caught by others.
Seeing Lin Weiguo remain silent for so long, Lin Weijia thought he didn’t want to help and immediately grew angry. “Big Brother, we are biological brothers, and Meng-ya is your biological niece. It’s rare for us to ask you for help; you wouldn’t refuse even this small favor, would you?”
Lin Ran looked at her somewhat aggressive second uncle. He had a square face just like her father, but while her father had thick eyebrows and large eyes that made him look very upright, her uncle’s eyes were slightly upturned, giving him a shrewd appearance. Lin Weijia’s attitude not only made Lin Ran uncomfortable, but even Lin Weiguo frowned.
Beside them, Lin Meng realized that Lin Weijia’s words might be inappropriate and were upsetting Lin Weiguo, so she immediately feigned a reproachful tone. “Dad, I know you’re anxious, but Eldest Uncle hasn’t agreed immediately because he surely has his own considerations. Don’t be in such a hurry; let’s hear Eldest Uncle’s thoughts first. We are all one family; I’m sure if Eldest Uncle has a way, he will definitely help.”
This tactic of “retreating to advance” made Lin Ran look at her with a bit of newfound respect, but she felt Lin Meng was being a bit too impatient today. As Lin Meng’s voice fell, almost everyone at the table cast surprised glances at her—even Liu Ping, who was usually the most submissive, was no exception. One had to consider what Lin Meng’s personality had been like before: her face was gloomy all day, she ignored everyone, and even eight blows from a stick wouldn’t knock a single word out of her.
Shen Wenfang remarked, “After falling into the water, Meng-ya’s personality has certainly become much more cheerful.”
A flash of panic crossed Lin Meng’s face, but she forced herself to stay calm and said, “Yes, Eldest Aunt. After taking a turn around the gates of hell, I’ve gained a lot of perspective on things.”
The others were enlightened and accepted her explanation. Seeing that everyone was no longer staring at her, Lin Meng finally felt at ease. She had indeed been anxious just now, but she really had no choice. Ever since she transmigrated into this book, she hadn’t had a single comfortable day. Every day she was forced to cook, do housework, and work in the fields for work-points. If she didn’t do it, she’d be beaten—truly beaten with a broom! She knew how to resist, but she was small and weak; could she possibly outfight Lin Weijia and his wife? So she could only find a way to make her life as easy as possible. Today, she had persuaded Lin Weijia for a long time to come and ask Lin Weiguo for help, even listing all the benefits of her becoming a scorekeeper before she successfully moved him. Otherwise, she worried that after hearing the news, Lin Weijia would be the first one to snatch the job for himself.
Lin Meng’s words indeed made Lin Weiguo feel much better. If not for the consideration for his daughter, he certainly would have agreed to help. Knowing that Lin Weiguo found it difficult to respond, Lin Ran took up the conversation.
“Second Uncle, Cousin, this is truly a coincidence. I also heard this news yesterday, so last night I already discussed it with my parents and decided to try for this job myself.”
“What? You want to be the scorekeeper too?”
Lin Weijia wasn’t stupid; he knew that Lin Ran, at the very least, was a junior high graduate and was more qualified and held more of an advantage than Lin Meng, who had only finished primary school. Upon hearing this, Lin Meng’s expression also changed, her tone becoming somewhat ambiguous.
“Didn’t Ranran use to stay at home and not work? Why are you suddenly going to earn work-points?”
Her words came just short of saying directly that Lin Ran was intentionally competing with her for the job. Shen Wenfang’s face soured upon hearing this, and just as she was about to say something, she was stopped by Lin Ran.
Lin Ran gave a light laugh. “There is one more thing I haven’t had the chance to tell Dad yet. The people at the youth reception center likely also know about this, so it’s hard to say whose hands the scorekeeper job will eventually fall into. Dad, it would be best if you didn’t intervene in this matter, lest you end up covered in trouble.”
Hearing that the sent-down youth also knew the news, Lin Weiguo’s brow furrowed tightly, and he instinctively reached for his tobacco leaves. After taking a puff, he sighed. “Those sent-down youth from the city are always clamoring for me to arrange some easy work for them. But what part of field work is easy? Now, if a scorekeeper position opens up, I’m afraid they’ll fight tooth and nail for it.”
Lin Weijia was still a bit skeptical, wondering if Lin Ran was making excuses because she didn’t want to help them.