After a busy round of work, Lin Lao’er finally managed to send Lin Doudou back to the village head’s house.
After that, Village Head Lin Changhong personally sent Lin Doudou home. Lin Qimo only gave a verbal thank-you.
“Thank you, village head.”
“I’ve written a recommendation letter for setting up a workshop. Please help me submit it. If it gets approved, I’ll still need Aunt Qiu to come help manage things.”
Lin Changhong looked at Lin Qimo with suspicion, feeling even more puzzled.
“You want to set up a workshop? What are you planning to do?”
“A tofu processing workshop. I heard from people in the city that everywhere is encouraging agricultural development and agricultural product processing now. Our village grows a lot of soybeans every year, so I thought I’d try making tofu.”
As the village head, Lin Changhong couldn’t reject enthusiasm for agricultural development and rural production.
“That’s a good thing. Uncle will help you submit the application tomorrow.”
Just after returning home, Lin Lao’er ran into Old Man Lin, who had just returned from the county town.
The father and son saw each other but didn’t greet one another. They each found a place to sit and rest.
Old Man Lin glanced at his second son’s bandaged leg and said unhappily:
“Look at you loafing around all day. Thirty years old and still no wife, no job. Why can’t you be like your youngest brother and find a proper job?”
“Are you really my father? You don’t even ask how I got injured, you just know how to scold me. If the youngest is so good, go find him instead,” Lin Lao’er snapped back.
“You deserved the beating. Your younger brother is still lying in the hospital,” Old Man Lin said, lighting a cigarette. He didn’t even bother asking how Lin Lao’er got hurt. “Go call the eldest girl here. Tell her I have something to discuss.”
“I’m not going. Go yourself,” Lin Lao’er said, lying back on a rocking chair and refusing to move.
“The eldest girl cut off one of your younger brother’s fingers. The surgery fees are expensive. We don’t have that much money at home now. If you don’t go, are you going to pay?”
Hearing that even Lin Lao’er’s younger brother was worse off than him, Lin Lao’er immediately felt a strange sense of relief.
“My leg was also hacked by her. And now you want me to go ask her for money? What if she chops my leg off completely? I’m not going.”
“I told you long ago the eldest brother’s daughter isn’t someone easy to bully. You didn’t believe it. Now look she bites back when pushed too far. Let’s see how you clean this up.”
Seeing his second son so useless, Old Man Lin angrily pounded his chest.
“You’re a grown man can you have some backbone? She’s just a little girl, and you, as an elder, can’t even deal with her. What use are you?”
“Yes, I’m useless, I have no backbone. But your youngest son has backbone? He’s lying in the hospital right now, with his finger chopped off. If you can handle it, go deal with her yourself,” Lin Lao’er retorted as he stood up and walked out with his crutch.
That eldest niece goes crazy and cuts people. And there’s also that fierce woman backing her up.
It seemed like bringing a son back through “exchange-raising” wouldn’t work. If they wanted a son in this lifetime, they’d have to rely on themselves.
After thinking it over, Lin Lao’er decided to go find his old lover.
Old Man Lin didn’t die from anger at his second son’s words, but he was still furious.
After much thought, he felt it would be too embarrassing to go personally.
In the end, to save face, Old Man Lin decided to pay out of his own pocket.
Lin Qimo was unaware of what was happening back at the old house.
With Lin Doudou safely back home and all three younger sisters still by her side, she should have been happy.
But she was now troubled by the many things that Si Chongguang had bought back.
If she refused them, it would feel ungrateful.
Seeing her hesitation, Qin Wenying stepped forward.
“Before, we planned to give you money to rent your house. Now that we’re staying here and eating your food for free, we feel really bad about it. So we bought these things as a small token of our appreciation.”
Lin Qimo understood immediately. Qin Wenying was essentially gifting her things in another way.
Ever since her parents passed away, her family had no income. Occasionally, they could earn a little by collecting firewood, but that was only enough to cover school expenses for her two younger sisters.
“I like all your sisters too. These are just small gifts not worth much,” she said.
Looking at the pile of items that clearly cost at least fifty yuan, Lin Qimo knew exactly what it meant and silently remembered this kindness: “Thank you, Sister Ying.”
Lin Doudou smiled brightly. “Sister Ying, you’re so nice! My sister is really lucky to have met you in this lifetime.”
“You’re exactly the kind of rich young lady my aunt always talks about good temperament, beautiful, kind, and rich. Most importantly, you even like helping poor families.”
Lin Doudou never stopped talking.
Qin Wenying liked how sweet-mouthed she was.
“What do you mean by helping poor families?”
“It means rich young ladies with too much money helping poor households,” Lin Doudou explained with her big eyes rolling thoughtfully. “Aunt said our family is a poor household, so she took me to find rich people to help us. It’s just a pity I only went for one day before my second uncle brought me back.”
When she said this, she even looked regretful.
“But I know our family isn’t without good things it’s just that Grandpa and Grandma secretly gave all the good things to Aunt and Uncle, so the heavens sent Sister and Brother-in-law to help us instead.”
The three of them were all amused by her words.
“Don’t listen to your aunt’s strange ideas anymore,” Lin Qimo said, tapping her forehead. “What Sister Ying is doing for us is kindness. She’s not our relative, but she treats us better than relatives that’s called gratitude. You must learn to repay kindness, understand?”
Lin Doudou nodded. “I understand! When I grow up and have money, I’ll buy the best things in the city to repay Sister Ying and Brother-in-law!”
Lin Qimo could only sigh helplessly.