Lin Suyu intercepting the Lin family patriarch was quickly reported to Lin Xinyao by Lin Haoyu.
“Suyu, why did you go to see my father? If you’re in trouble, you can tell me—I can help you think of a solution.”
“Miss, I want to go to school. Before Lin Ma left, she told me that women in the new era should be educated. She suggested that if I have the chance, I must go to school.”
Hearing this, Lin Haoyu immediately jumped in, mocking Lin Suyu.
“You stopped our uncle just for this? Hilarious. You little concubine-born brat, what right do you have to go to school like the rest of us?”
“Haoyu, you shouldn’t say that to Suyu. Wanting to study is a good thing.”
Lin Xinyao casually said a few words to Lin Haoyu without much care. She then carefully observed Lin Suyu’s expression, seeing nothing unusual, and relaxed.
“Suyu, don’t worry. If you want to go to school, there will be a chance. When the time comes, I’ll help petition Father for you.
You’ve recovered from your accident, right? Now that Lin Ma and the others are gone, you’ll have to handle the household chores yourself. You’ll also need to put in extra effort in the kitchen.”
As usual, whenever there was work to do, the Lin family would immediately think of Suyu. But whenever there was anything good to share, they would conveniently “forget” she existed.
“Got it? Lin Suyu, don’t even think about slacking in the kitchen, or I’ll scold you to death. Well, just take care of yourself from now on.”
Perhaps thinking about their imminent departure, Lin Haoyu stopped scolding.
“Cousin, let’s go! Should we pack some food from outside? Otherwise, if we wait for Lin Suyu to cook, we’ll starve.”
Since they were about to leave, Lin Haoyu thought there was no need to save money or ration tickets like before. They might as well spend everything before they left. Lin Xinyao thought the same. Delighted, the two ignored Lin Suyu entirely and headed straight for a nearby state-run restaurant.
Left alone, Lin Suyu watched their backs with a dark look. Annoying siblings—never doing anything proper and only ever bullying the original Suyu.
With no one watching her, Lin Suyu retrieved the seeds and tools Lin Ma had left and entered the space. She was grateful that Lin Ma had been practical.
The Lin estate was vast. Lin Ma had cleared patches along the backyard walls to plant vegetables and fruits. Now, all of that was hers to use.
Lin Suyu had never planted before. Her knowledge was mostly theoretical, gleaned from online videos: turning the soil, digging shallow holes, planting the seeds, and watering.
After a while, she evenly scattered the seeds in the prepared soil. With well water for irrigation, the seeds should sprout and grow nicely.
The night passed uneventfully. Compared to the Lin family’s restless, anxious nights before their departure, Lin Suyu slept soundly, waking naturally late in the morning since there was no Lin Ma to rouse her.
But when she went to the kitchen to prepare something to eat, Lin Haoyu jumped out again, ruining her mood.
“Why aren’t you staying in the servant quarters? What are you doing out here? Planning something bad?”
His words made Lin Suyu, who hadn’t thought much, wonder if he was spying on her.
“I just wanted to get something to eat in the kitchen. How… how can you say that?”
Her submissive demeanor seemed to reassure him. “Alright, alright, don’t wander around.”
He left after saying this, and Lin Suyu continued toward the kitchen. She glanced back deliberately at the corner—and sure enough, Lin Haoyu was sitting in the corridor.
Was Lin Xinyao behind this? Otherwise, Lin Haoyu wouldn’t bother supervising her.
Lin Suyu quickly reviewed her actions, wondering what he might suspect. Besides intercepting the patriarch, she hadn’t done anything questionable.
Satisfied that she had left no trace, Lin Suyu continued to the kitchen. Seeing a shallow layer of cornmeal at the bottom of a jar, she poured it all out and made herself a simple dumpling soup.
The Lin family had even taken the last of the food, leaving the three large grain jars empty.
In the afternoon, Lin Suyu was summoned by Lin Dafu.
“Suyu, I’ll ask you again. You really don’t plan to leave with us?”
Perhaps swayed by her previous pleading, Lin Dafu showed a trace of fatherly warmth.
“Yes. I want to stay,” Lin Suyu said firmly.
“Alright then. I’ve registered your household under a former Lin family servant. Your father in the records is Lin Chaoying, our old accountant. He grew up without parents under our care and passed away in 1952.”
He had thought carefully all night about the choice and spent three hundred jin of grain to make the registration official. Seeing Lin Suyu’s satisfied expression, Lin Dafu felt gratified.
“Thank you, Father, for your effort.”
Lin Suyu wasn’t shy about giving him a respectful look of gratitude.
“Suyu, I’ve registered a small independent courtyard under your name. Remember to report it at the local office. Also, take this envelope—it contains documents I prepared for you and 500 yuan. From now on, everything depends on you.”
A thick envelope in her hands was a wonderful surprise. Lin Dafu’s final act of kindness left Lin Suyu extremely pleased.
Indeed, crying gets you treats. She had simply feigned a desire for parental affection, and Lin Dafu had generously arranged all these benefits for her.
“Thank you, Father, for your care. I will take good care of myself. I wish Father a smooth and prosperous life…”
Words are free, and her blessings pleased Lin Dafu. In return, he gave her a contact, including a name, phone number, and address.
“This person owes your father a favor. If you ever face an unsolvable problem, contact him. Just say it’s the last request from the Lin family of Jinmen, and he’ll help. But remember, favors are one-time only. Don’t abuse them unless it’s really serious.”
Now even connections were provided! Lin Suyu was thrilled. She thought about further sweet-talking him to get more, but Lin Dafu had no time to listen.
“Alright, Suyu, go finalize the house matters quickly. Just go to the local office and see Director Wang.”
After giving these instructions, Lin Dafu hurried out with the second patriarch. Lin Suyu placed the registration envelope and documents into the space.
No sooner had she stepped outside than she saw Lin Haoyu again. Persistent as ever, being watched like this made things difficult. Annoying!