Helpless, he had no choice but to return to Old Lin’s house.
Looking at the dark courtyard and the shaky door, what on earth had happened here?
“Mom, Dad, what’s going on? How did the house end up like this?”
Old Mrs. Lin saw her eldest son return and immediately ran up, patting his thigh as she cried, “Son! Dayong! You’ve finally come back!”
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
Lin Dayong’s heart sank. “Was our house robbed too?
Wait Lin Xiulan? What happened with her? I heard she climbed over a wall, got married to Wang Dasha, and even slept with him?!”
“That’s right!”
Old Mrs. Lin’s face twisted with rage at the mention of Lin Xiulan’s name. “That shameless woman, she doesn’t follow the ways of a proper wife!
The day you took Baogui to the hospital, your younger brother and the captain’s son went to Wang’s Village and saw Lin Xiulan come out of Wang Dasha’s room.
Seeing the marks on her body, everyone said they had consummated their marriage! Our Lin family’s face is completely ruined!
Later, the captain brought her back, but she was the one who… humiliated that fool, no she humiliated that fool!
The fool’s mother, Wang Fen, came knocking early this morning. I won’t repeat all the nasty things she said, but the main thing is she demanded the dowry back from that cursed girl.”
“Return the dowry?” Lin Dayong’s eyes widened.
Where would he even get the money now?
The money for Baogui’s hospital visit had been borrowed by him from the village account.
“Where’s Lin Xiulan?”
“That shameless woman hid at the captain’s house. Wang Dasha’s mother didn’t dare cause a scene there, so she came to our house instead… and even threw feces all over the place. She threatened that if we didn’t return the money, they would deduct our work points and grain rations—and the captain agreed.
Son, what are we going to do? If all our points are deducted, we’ll starve this winter!”
Lin Dayong’s head was buzzing.
The house had been emptied, he owed the brigade twenty yuan for Baogui’s hospital visit.
Baogui wanted to marry the forty-year-old Widow Liu, yet they were using his father’s scandal to extort twenty yuan in dowry. If the scandal about father and grandson sharing the same woman got out, they’d never be able to raise their heads again.
And now Wang Dasha’s side was demanding repayment!
“Money, money, money! Where am I supposed to get so much money!” Lin Dayong tore at his hair.
He had to think of a plan.
Frustrated, Lin Dayong paced back and forth in the room.
Then he had an idea.
The dowry was collected by Lin Xiulan herself. She had acted so shamefully and should bear the consequences.
He would divorce Lin Xiulan!
Once divorced, the dowry would be her debt, and if Wang Fen caused trouble, she would have to deal with it. It would no longer involve the Lin family!
“I’m going to find Lin Xiulan!” he said, turning and rushing out.
“Lin Xiulan!” Lin Dayong headed straight for the captain’s house.
“Dayong, you’re back!” Lin Xiulan immediately came out upon hearing his voice.
Her cheeks were swollen, her lips red and puffy, eyes like walnuts all thanks to Wang Fen and Lin Yinyin.
Just as she was about to complain to Lin Dayong, he spoke coldly, “Lin Xiulan, you seduced Wang Dasha and slept with him. I am divorcing you.”
“What?”
Lin Xiulan froze. How could this be possible?
“Dayong, I was set up… I…”
“No matter the reason, so many people saw it, it’s a fact.”
Lin Dayong impatiently interrupted her. “The Wang family’s dowry was collected by you. After we divorce, that money is naturally yours to repay! It has nothing to do with my family!”
“What?” Lin Xiulan couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I said, come with me right now, we’re going to divorce!”
“No, wait, Lin Dayong, you bastard! What did you just say?”
“I said, you’re a shameless harlot, running off to bed a fool. Now we’re going to the brigade to divorce!”
Lin Dayong grabbed Lin Xiulan’s wrist, ready to take her to the nearby brigade office.
Lin Xiulan immediately pulled away.
Wait! She clearly heard that he intended to make her pay for Wang Dasha’s dowry debt entirely.
“Lin Dayong, I’ve known you for almost twenty years, I know what’s in your heart, you scumbag! You actually want me to take the blame? Impossible! No way! I won’t divorce you!”
“You will, whether you want to or not. You caused the problem first. Do you want me to tell your cousin about what happened?”
Lin Xiulan instantly blew her top!
Damn it, she seduced the captain all for Lin Dayong back then, and now he dared to threaten her in return!
With a burst of energy, she leapt at Lin Dayong and clawed at his face.
“Ah!” Lin Dayong was unprepared; three red scratches appeared across his face. He touched them—blood!
“Lin Xiulan, you’re crazy!”
“Yes, I am crazy! You drove me crazy!” she shouted, lunging at him again.
But Lin Dayong, being a man and strong, raised his hand and slapped her face “smack! smack!”
Lin Xiulan’s head turned, blood trickling from her mouth.
But she didn’t flinch, fiercely grabbing his hair and tearing at his clothes.
“Ahhhh! Lin Dayong, you scumbag, you want me to take the blame? Impossible! I’m telling you, the money Wang’s family wants, I gave it to you that was for your son’s wedding! You think you can pin it on me? Not a chance! I’ll fight you!”
Their struggle in the captain’s courtyard caused quite a commotion, drawing many onlookers.
“Stop it!” the captain came out from next door, shouting.
“Take it to your own home if you want to fight! Don’t make a scene here!”
Old Mr. and Mrs. Lin also arrived, seeing Lin Dayong covered in blood and Lin Xiulan’s face swollen like a pig’s head. They wailed, “This is a curse! Truly a curse!”
Meanwhile, at the hospital.
Not long after Lin Yinyin left, Lin Baogui woke up choking.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh!”
He clutched his throat, struggling, his face turning blue-purple.
“Help… help!”
A passing nurse heard him and rushed in.
She saw Lin Baogui lying in vomit, barely breathing, lips turning purple.
“Doctor! Doctor! Emergency!”
She screamed running toward the doctor’s office.
The commotion drew a crowd.
“What happened here?”
“Yes, why is there an emergency but no family in the room?”
“Looks like he was fed food right after surgery!”
“This is ridiculous!”
“I know a bit about this family,” an old man pushed through.
“The young man’s… thing got severed at a young age. His wife is over forty. His father got cuckolded and rushed home in a panic.”
“Ah! What a tragedy!”
(The story of Lin Family Village basically ends here. The next section begins a romance story. Everyone, please give this book a five-star review! Thanks also for your comments! Love you all!)