That evening, Jiang Ping feigned concern and told Lin Xinyao that there had been a mishap—no one was taking the sea shipment business. Immediately, terrified, Lin Xinyao clung to him, pleading as if he were her last lifeline.
“Leader Jiang, can’t you think of another way to help me? My uncle and Uncle Wang specifically asked you to get me to Gangcheng.”
At this point, Lin Xinyao was completely under Jiang Ping’s control—whatever he said, she obeyed. So when Jiang Ping told her that he had used part of the gold bars to grease some palms, she relaxed, knowing that only by spending money could she hope for a chance at survival.
While Lin Xinyao spent the invisible money of her uncertain future without hesitation, back in Gangcheng, the Lin family was already falling into internal conflict. The second and third branches were arguing over splitting the family assets.
“Big brother, we initially agreed to go abroad to develop our business. Now we’ve been stuck in Gangcheng, no property has been secured, and money is disappearing faster than we earn.”
Gangcheng in the 1960s was rife with gangs. Even during the day, street fights between gangsters often ended with bloodshed. Ordinary families without power could only live cautiously, keeping their heads down.
The second and third branches of the Lin family longed for the good life abroad. How could they stay in this small city? They were now demanding either to follow the original plan to join relatives abroad or to split the family and go their separate ways.
“Second brother is right. We’ve been here more than half a month. There’s no word from Xinyao. Although we’re worried, we can’t just linger in Gangcheng forever!”
“Second brother, third brother, what are you trying to do?”
Lin the Elder didn’t expect that even before officially going abroad, his two younger brothers would start rebelling. In the past, as head of the Lin family, his word was law—everyone held his decisions in high regard.
Now, because Lin Suyu, in a moment of impulse, privatized the treasure chest in the Lin family’s secret vault, the flapping of a small butterfly’s wings had stirred the entire family toward division.
“Split the family!”
The second and third brothers exchanged a glance and declared in unison the words that would officially divide the Lin household.
“Second brother, third brother, we’ve worked so hard to reach Gangcheng safely. We were about to enjoy a stable and prosperous life, and now you want to split the family? With the money we brought together, we could secure a good future. Split it, and there’s no guarantee everyone will fare better than before.”
Lin the Elder had ruled the family for years—he had no intention of dividing it. Seeing his second and third brothers rebelling, he knew he couldn’t impose authority, but he could use promises to try to sway them.
“Big brother, if we don’t split, I’m afraid we won’t enjoy a peaceful life; we might even risk our lives.”
The third brother pouted, determined that the family would split no matter what. Even if he could only take the money in hand, he would take his family away.
“What do you mean, risk whose lives? Who dares to hurt you?”
“Big brother, do you really not know, or are you pretending? Your eldest son dared mix with Gangcheng’s gangs. He’s a prominent figure under the Yian Society’s third-in-command. Countless people envy him! But the prince of the Axe Gang has issued a threat: if he can’t touch that big shot, he’ll go after our family.”
Here, the second brother’s tone turned even colder—he practically hated the eldest branch.
“My son nearly got killed yesterday. Luckily, his cousin’s reputation in the underworld saved him. If people couldn’t touch his cousin, they took it out on my son. Had he not pawned some jewelry his mother gave him, he might not have come back alive.”
Though his son’s clever spending ensured safety, who could continue living like this?
“Fine, take what money and chests you have! You know there’s little left in the Lin family now.”
Lin the Elder didn’t expect the second and third branches to be so timid—they wouldn’t bear even small risks.
“Wait, big brother, haven’t you forgotten our father had our aunt keep U.S. dollars in an overseas bank?”
The third brother had always been close to their aunt. He wasn’t supposed to know this secret, but upon reaching Gangcheng, he cleverly contacted her and explained the family’s situation.
The Lin family aunt, concerned for her nephew, told him to come find her immediately and revealed that a large sum of money was stored in an overseas bank.
With the aunt’s backing, the third brother wanted to rush abroad to her for protection. The eldest branch’s lack of cooperation infuriated him. Now that they were talking about splitting the family, he wouldn’t let that fortune go.
“Third brother, what do you mean our father has money overseas?”
The second brother had never heard of it and was both shocked and thrilled.
“Of course. Our father is a crafty old fox. Before the Liberation, he arranged for a large sum of U.S. dollars to be kept in our aunt’s bank, and the proof is with big brother.”
The third brother smirked at Lin the Elder, curious about his reaction. The second brother gaped—he never expected his usually transparent eldest brother to hide such money.
“Yes, our father did leave this sum, but it’s the Lin family’s last leverage and our capital to rise again. So I intend to take it out and divide it now.”
“Impossible. This money isn’t yours alone. The eldest branch cannot monopolize it.”
The fierce argument between the three brothers marked the official split of the family. Lin the Elder wanted to use the money to restore the family’s former glory, while the second and third brothers insisted on splitting and seeking protection from their aunt abroad.
Meanwhile, Lin Xinyao, having struggled to reach Gangcheng, arrived at the sparse seaside fishing village to find only two people to meet her.
“Xinyao, my girl, you’ve suffered.”
As they approached, her mother smelled the stench of the girl’s body and covered her nose with a handkerchief.
“Sister, why are you so filthy?”
Seeing her elder brother’s fleeting look of disgust, Lin Xinyao restrained her anger. She had suffered so much, and all because the family insisted she go abroad first—if they had waited for her, she wouldn’t have had to endure this!
Unable to blame anyone else, she vented her frustration on her own family, especially now, filthy and disheveled, while her mother and elder brother were radiant and elegant. Comparison brings pain!
Once settled, she learned that the Lin family had already split—the second and third branches had quickly bought tickets to travel abroad to seek their aunt’s protection.
Lin Xinyao was stunned. This… this was completely different from her past life. Her foresight advantage in this rebirth was almost gone.
“Big brother, why would you and father want to stay in Gangcheng? Why not go with us to find Aunt? With her protection, we’d be safer than in Gangcheng, right?”
She remembered that Gangcheng at this time was a chaotic city full of gangs. Money alone didn’t guarantee safety—only strength and influence could secure survival.
The Lin family were all merchants, none skilled in fighting. In Gangcheng, they’d be torn apart by the gangs.
“Don’t worry about it. A woman just needs to look after herself. I have backing here in Gangcheng—no one will dare touch our family.”
Having experienced numerous “welcome drinks” in Gangcheng as the eldest son, Jiang the heir had been indulged and grown even more arrogant. Lin Xinyao’s words felt like an offense.
Lin Suyu didn’t realize that her impulsive actions had changed the Lin family so much. The family was now on a completely different path than in Lin Xinyao’s previous life.
Most of Lin Xinyao’s foresight advantage had been wasted, meaning she would suffer far more than the story had described. When she appeared before Lin Suyu again, Suyu would finally realize what had changed.