Lin Zhilan nodded, picked up the buckets, and went to the well to draw water.
"Let me help you."
Chen Jin avoided Lin Zhilan's hand, snatched the carrying pole, and without a word, carried the two full buckets of water toward the house.
Lin Zhilan had no choice but to follow behind.
When they arrived at the house, the door was locked.
Chen Jin thought to himself that this girl was quite cautious.
Lin Zhilan wasn't doing this for money, but for her daughter. However, she didn't explain. She opened the door and let Chen Jin sit in the courtyard.
She left the main courtyard gate wide open so that people outside could see inside at a glance.
She poured a cup of water and placed it on the stone stool. "The house is messy, so I won't invite you inside to sit."
Chen Jin looked around the small courtyard. It was clean and tidy, and even the firewood was stacked neatly. He knew it was just an excuse, but Lin Zhilan was right to do so.
"Comrade Lin, I came to see you today to ask if you have any plans to remarry?"
Lin Zhilan was taken aback. She remembered the note Su Lang had left behind, which she had long since thrown into the stove.
As for remarrying, there was absolutely no need.
Thinking this, she said exactly that, "No."
Linlin slowly woke up on the bed. Not seeing her mother, she called out anxiously.
Lin Zhilan quickly went back into the room and carried her out.
Last time at the Zhou family's house, Linlin had kept her face buried in her mother's embrace, so Chen Jin hadn't gotten a clear look at her.
Seeing her this time, he praised her in his heart. Like mother, like daughter; she was also a little beauty in the making.
Lin Zhilan coaxed her daughter, "Linlin, say hello to..."
"Call me Grandpa."
Linlin hugged her mother's neck, turned to look at Chen Jin, and called out softly, "Hello, Grandpa."
"Ah, good, good, good." Chen Jin hurriedly patted his pockets, only to find them empty. He had to say, "Come to Grandpa's house tomorrow, and Grandpa will buy you candy."
Linlin pursed her lips and revealed a small smile.
In the past, even though she was the only child in the Zhou family, Old Man Zhou never looked at her or smiled at her.
Chen Jin had just gotten a little grandson, and seeing how cute Linlin was now, he couldn't help but feel a bit fond of her.
He said earnestly to Lin Zhilan, "Comrade Lin, I suggest you think it over carefully. I know you have money, but is it really good for your daughter to live in this kind of place?"
Lin Zhilan fell silent.
She did want to take Linlin to a new environment, but this era was just like that; without a letter of introduction, it was impossible to move an inch.
"Leader, is there a traditional Chinese medicine hospital in the town or city? I know traditional Chinese medicine and want to find a job at a hospital."
Lin Zhilan had graduated with a Ph.D. and was at the level of a chief physician. She had the confidence to be competent for this job.
Chen Jin glanced outside the door and whispered, "Don't say things like that anymore. Right now, many doctors in big hospitals are being publicly criticized and sent down to farms. Traditional Chinese medicine, in particular, has been classified as feudal dross and is subject to criticism!"
Lin Zhilan was startled and cursed herself inwardly for not being cautious enough.
Although this book was set in an alternate universe, its historical context basically followed real historical events.
Right now, it was exactly during those ten years.
"I understand. Thank you for the reminder."
Chen Jin waved his hand and added, "However, there is one place where, as long as you are capable, you might still have a chance to practice traditional Chinese medicine."
Lin Zhilan's eyes lit up. "Where?"
"The military."
The military...
"Comrade Lin, I am from a military background myself, and my wife used to be a director of the Women's Federation. Let's set aside the matter of remarrying for now.
I'm going to be thick-skinned and ask: would you be willing to acknowledge us as godparents?
I only have one son. If you are willing, I can be considered to have both a son and a daughter."
This was what Zheng Hui had discussed with him.
Chen Jin was, after all, the section chief of the Civil Affairs Section. If Lin Zhilan wanted to remarry, this would help elevate her status.
If she didn't want to remarry, it meant they were willing to be Lin Zhilan's backing.
Lin Zhilan, of course, recognized his good intentions.
It was just that...
She didn't really know how to get along with elders.
In the past, when she was at the hospital, some elderly people had even complained about her bad attitude.
Chen Jin didn't rush her; instead, he teased Linlin and talked to her.
After a long while, Lin Zhilan spoke, "Leader, as long as you don't mind..."
"I don't mind, I don't mind."
Seeing her relent, Chen Jin immediately pulled out two red paper envelopes from his pocket and placed them on the table.
"These are for you and Linlin. Whenever you have free time, come over to our house for a meal."
Lin Zhilan wasn't used to pushing things back and forth, so she could only accept them. "Thank you, Leader."
"Don't call me Leader anymore. Call me Uncle for now. When you come to the house and we finish eating, you can change how you address me."
Lin Zhilan pursed her lips. "Thank you, Uncle."
After seeing Chen Jin off, Lin Zhilan bolted the door. She turned around and opened the red envelopes, finding ten yuan in each.
Twenty yuan was roughly a month's salary for an ordinary worker.
This was not a small amount.
Lin Zhilan felt a bit of a headache. She had a thousand ways to deal with an elder like Wang Guifen.
But encountering someone like Chen Jin, who was good to her, was a bit tricky.
She didn't have much experience interacting with elders.
Perhaps the wind in Zhoujia Village was a bit wicked; in less than half a day, the entire village knew about Chen Jin visiting Lin Zhilan.
Wang Guifen came to the door cursing again, accusing her of seducing an old man.
Linlin had been sitting in the courtyard with her mother learning to count. Upon hearing her biological grandmother's voice, she was so scared that she pulled her mother, wanting to run into the house.
Uncle Chen was right. Zhoujia Village was indeed not a good environment for Linlin to grow up in.
Comforting Linlin, Lin Zhilan opened the door. "What are you here arguing about again?"
Wang Guifen pointed at her nose. "You surnamed Lin, my son has only been dead for a few days, and you already dare to bring wild men into the house!
You cheap bitch, you can't sleep without a man, can you?!"
For thousands of years, the words used to curse women were mostly the same old routine.
It was just slut-shaming.
The original owner of the body had been driven to her death by these very words.
Lin Zhilan kept a cold face and asked in return, "How am I as desperate as you, his mother? Zhou Chen has only been dead for a few days, and you led a matchmaker and a man to your daughter-in-law's house.
Within a hundred miles, I'm afraid one couldn't find a good mother as considerate as you. Later, when you go down to the underworld, Zhou Chen will have to kowtow and thank you!"
The onlookers watching the spectacle all laughed.
Zhao Jinbao and the matchmaker were brought by Wang Guifen, after all. Everyone was well aware of what she was planning in her heart.
Wang Guifen stuttered, "I... I was just..."
She stammered for a long time but couldn't utter a complete sentence.
Lin Zhilan leaned against the door, looking down at her slightly. "I warned you before that if you came looking for me again, I would settle the score with you properly.
The year Zhou Chen married me, his monthly allowance was 48 yuan. Not counting his promotions, that's 576 yuan a year, and 1,728 yuan for three years. He sent it all back untouched.
You and Dad are the elders. If you want to split the family, fine. But shouldn't Linlin and I have a share of Zhou Chen's money?"
The villagers were in an uproar.
Nowadays, it was incredible if a household could save 20 yuan a year.
Nearly 2,000 yuan was simply an astronomical figure.
Wang Guifen swallowed hard. "That money... that money was all used to build the house."
In the crowd, Zhou Jianjun's mother and Song Fang were also watching the spectacle.
Lin Zhilan's gaze suddenly locked onto them.