Lin Yuming then slowly rose and walked into the courtyard. Seeing Zhao Guihua, she spoke calmly, "I just returned myself and haven't seen anyone yet."
"Even now you still won't admit it!"
"Mother!"
A crisp, clear voice rang out from the neighboring room, and a neat little girl came running out, trotting over to Lin Yuming's side. "I fell asleep waiting for you! Why didn't you wake me up?"
"If you're tired, sleep, but don't sleep too long or you'll get dizzy." Lin Yuming gently patted Xiaoya's head and looked up, meeting Zhao Guihua's astonished expression.
"Your Grandma Zhao is here to see you."
Xiaoya's eyes immediately lit up, and she ran into Zhao Guihua's arms. "Grandma Zhao, why are you visiting Xiaoya today?"
Zhao Guihua's expression shifted slightly, a hint of awkwardness crossing her face.
If she remembered correctly, the former Lin Yu'er would have practically wanted to fight her the moment she stepped through this door! The two children were always filthy, and their faces would fill with panic at the sight of Lin Yu'er!
But now, why was this child suddenly unafraid?
As Zhao Guihua pondered, her gaze deepened.
"Lin Yu'er, don't think you can fool anyone just because children forget easily! Every single thing you've done in the past is remembered clearly by everyone in our village." Zhao Guihua glared coldly at Lin Yu'er.
"Aunt Guihua, I truly have changed."
Lin Yuming sat on a stone stool and sighed softly. "All these years, I was only with Tieniu because Lin Mengting harmed me. He was always cold and harsh with his words, and my heart grew bitter. Over time, my mind fell ill."
"This time, I accidentally saved someone at the dock. Not only did he enlighten me, but he also taught me how to do business." Lin Yuming suddenly shifted the topic, a smile spreading across her face. "That's how I started to get better."
Zhao Guihua looked at Lin Yuming with a mix of skepticism and curiosity.
"Is that so?"
"Of course. The money I used to buy groceries today was all earned by myself." Lin Yuming pointed to the jelly and toffee on the table. "These are the goods that person taught me to sell."
Looking at the exquisite packaging, Zhao Guihua was filled with disbelief. Just then, Xiaoya very sensibly brought over a piece and handed it to Zhao Guihua!
"Grandma Guihua, try it quickly!"
Under the expectant gazes of the two children, Zhao Guihua placed the milk-flavored toffee in her mouth. The smooth, soft texture, accompanied by the rich taste of milk, instantly filled her entire mouth!
She had been feeling uncomfortable all over, but with just this one piece of candy, her whole body relaxed!
"This taste…"
"It's really good, isn't it?" Lin Yuming smiled gently.
"Do you have more? How much are they?"
Thinking of her younger daughter, who had been married off for years and hadn't returned, Zhao Guihua glanced at the candies on Lin Yuming's table. "I'd like to buy some to send to Xi'er."
"To send to Sister Xi'er?" Lin Yuming paused for a moment. "Then why don't I give you some as a gift?"
"All these years, when I wasn't taking care of Xiaoya and Dabao, I know it was you, Aunt Guihua, who helped look after them." She spoke earnestly. "These are just small treats."
"But aren't these things the person you saved asked you to sell?" Zhao Guihua waved her hand. "At the very least, I should cover the cost for you."
"No need, Aunt Guihua." Lin Yuming quickly declined, but still wrapped a pound of sugar for Zhao Guihua, though she ended up having ten copper coins pressed into her hand.
After seeing Zhao Guihua off, Lin Yuming let out a soft sigh.
"Where's your father?"
"Father went up the mountain. He probably won't be back until tomorrow."
Up the mountain? Lin Yuming frowned as she looked toward the hills behind the house. The rolling mountain range, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, appeared deep and distant. For Yin Chiyan to go in alone and stay the whole night—how dangerous that must be!
Meanwhile, at the Lin household.
Zhang Liushan lived not far from the Lin family and was quite familiar with them. After tying up his ox cart, he saw Lin Yu'er's grandfather, Lin Zhengzhong, walking slowly toward the house.
"Brother Lin, back so late?" Zhang Liushan approached with a smile. "Been discussing literature with your grandson-in-law again?"
Lin Zhengzhong was something of a scholar himself. Relying on the family property passed down from his ancestors, he had studied diligently for years and finally became a Tongsheng (Entry-level Scholar) in his fifties. Because he was literate, he had been working at the Julai Restaurant in town, assisting the storyteller by drafting scripts—tasks akin to transcribing or editing.
Thus, he held great admiration for Zhou Huaisheng, a Xiucai.
"Though Huaisheng is young, his perspective on literature is quite unique. No wonder he became a Xiucai at such a tender age," Lin Zhengzhong said with a smile. "Why are you back so late today?"
"It's all because of your third son's granddaughter. She wasted quite a bit of time," Zhang Liushan sighed. "She went to town today and actually bought a piece of meat! That Tieniu is truly a good man, but to end up with such a wife—she probably sold her child to afford that meat!"
"What! That wretched girl!"
Lin Zhengzhong's face flushed with anger, and he turned to head inside.
His anger wasn't because Lin Yu'er had sold her child, but because she had bought meat without even telling the family!
In the Lin family kitchen, smoke curled from the stove. Soon, Liu Xia, the wife of Lin Chunsheng, filled the table with dishes. Lin Zhengzhong sat at the edge of the table, staring at the spread of leafy greens, and his anger only grew.
"Grandfather, what's wrong?"
A young woman around twenty years old asked cautiously. Though her clothes were somewhat worn, she still carried herself with the air of a delicate young lady.
"It's all because of Lin Yu'er!" Lin Zhengzhong snorted coldly. "I never imagined that just because she married that Tieniu, she could go to town and buy meat today!"
"According to Zhang Liushan, the cart driver, she sold her own child. Our Lin family, after all, comes from a line of scholars—how could we produce such a disgrace!"
Lin Chunsheng and Liu Xia, sitting nearby, were stunned to hear of their daughter's misdeeds and trembled with fear.
"Father, Yu'er would never act like that…" Liu Xia ventured timidly, only to be slapped hard by the woman beside her.
"Since when do you have a say in this family? Don't you know what kind of daughter you raised? If Tieniu hadn't married her, she should have been drowned in the pond long ago!"
Qian Ruyu, Lin Mengting's mother, cursed viciously.
"Mother, don't be so angry," Lin Mengting maintained her ladylike composure from start to finish. "I'll go talk to my sister later. Although a married daughter is like spilled water, it's still not right that we haven't visited her all these years."
"Now she dares to sell a child without even informing the family, and even used the money to buy meat—truly unfilial!"
Liu Xia covered her stinging cheek, tears welling in her reddened eyes as she looked at Lin Chunsheng beside her. The man ate his meal in silence, expressionless.
Her poor Yu'er! How could she have fallen to the point of selling a child!
…