After returning home with Grandpa Lin, the two of them first had lunch that Grandma Lin had prepared in advance.
Afterward, Lin Baiyu told Grandpa Lin about receiving her manuscript payment, the package her brother had sent back, and her visit to thank Doctor Lin.
Then Lin Baiyu said, “Grandpa, it looks like my health should be much better now. I don’t think I’ll need medical treatment or medicine anymore in the future.”
“Right now, it’s just you and Grandma who need to nourish your bodies the most. I think when we go into town from time to time, we should buy some fine grains and meat.”
“Of course, on the surface we’ll still mainly eat coarse grains, but since I’m earning quite a bit now, we can keep the eggs and grain for ourselves and just alternate with coarse grains.”
Afraid Grandpa Lin might disagree, Lin Baiyu used the same reasoning she had once used with Grandma Lin to persuade him.
“Eating coarse grains all the time isn’t good for your health. You two have always given me the best food because you were taking care of me.”
Her tone shifted as she continued, “But things are different now. Your health is the most important thing. I’ve already graduated from high school, I’m an adult now, and I can support the family just like my brother.”
“Grandpa, you know me. If I weren’t capable, I wouldn’t say such things. I’m confident I’ll have a stable income. You two just need to stay healthy and wait for me and my brother to take care of you.”
She looked at Grandpa Lin with bright, determined eyes as she finished speaking.
Looking at his granddaughter’s steady and hopeful gaze, Grandpa Lin agreed to her suggestion.
Lin Baiyu did not know it, but Grandpa Lin was aware that their family was not actually struggling.
It was only that as Lin Baiyu grew older, her health had become increasingly fragile. Later, the ongoing turmoil made them even more cautious and low profile.
Now that both their grandson and granddaughter had grown up, he believed they would be able to protect themselves in the future. For him, as long as he and Shu Xiu lived peacefully and saw the children build their lives, it would be a life without regrets.
It just so happened that this trip to visit an old comrade had also brought him some unexpected gains.
According to him, although the situation outside was still not entirely stable, after so many years, life had gradually become more settled. Many people were quietly operating on the side, and living a better life was not impossible.
After a brief moment of thought, Grandpa Lin made his decision. He said to Lin Baiyu, “I agree with you. Health comes first. Our current situation is already decent enough. However…”
He paused deliberately and gave Lin Baiyu a meaningful look. “If we’re going to spend more on food and improve our meals, then the extra expenses will have to come from your household contribution.”
Lin Baiyu treated this as no issue at all. Not only had she previously saved two hundred yuan, but after giving Grandma Lin fifty yuan this time, she now had four hundred and fifty yuan in savings. She was practically a little rich girl.
With confidence, she said, “Don’t worry, Grandpa. I’ll work hard.”
Seeing his granddaughter so energetic and confident, Grandpa Lin felt deeply comforted and patted her head.
Still, he deliberately sighed and said, “These are small matters. What I’m really worried about is your future dowry. You’ll need to save that yourself.”
Lin Baiyu paused. She had grown up as an orphan in her previous life, without anyone pressuring her about marriage, so she had never seriously considered the topic.
Now, in this world, she was only eighteen, yet her family was already bringing it up.
She did not respond to the talk of dowry and instead said, “I’m only eighteen. Are you already in such a hurry to marry me off, Grandpa?”
“I’m not in a hurry,” Grandpa Lin quickly clarified. “I won’t force you to marry. The most important thing is that the person treats you well and that you like him too. I trust your judgment. Whoever you choose will surely be good.”
Because he felt she was still too young, he did not continue the topic and instead shifted to something else.
“Xiaoyu, Grandpa knows you’re filial, but you also know the outside world isn’t peaceful. There are some things you need to think carefully about before acting.”
“I agree with buying more fine grains and improving our meals, but you must remember that on the surface, everything should remain as it was before. Do you understand?”
“Don’t worry, Grandpa. I understand,” Lin Baiyu replied.
Grandpa Lin nodded and continued, “Leave this matter to me. I’ll find a way to improve our meals, but we have an agreement. From now on, you must contribute household expenses every month.”
Lin Baiyu agreed immediately.
Only then did she recall fragments of old memories.
Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin were very different from the other villagers she knew.
They never believed that loving children meant spoiling them. They felt that indulgence would only make a child incapable of independent living.
They also never favored boys over girls.
Because Lin Baiyu had been sickly since childhood, they never let her do heavy labor. But since she was filial, she would still do whatever housework she could manage, and the two elders never stopped her, nor did they allow Lin Bai’an to take over for her.
This was partly to let her exercise and strengthen her body, but more importantly, they believed that teaching a child responsibility was the true way of caring for them.
Lin Baiyu felt this might be what the saying meant: when parents love their children deeply, they plan far ahead for them.
Grandpa Lin’s voice continued beside her.
“Don’t be fooled by how things seem calmer than a few years ago. The waters underneath are still murky.”
“There are indeed people making a good living through the black market, but it’s like walking along a cliff edge. One careless step and you fall.”
He did not elaborate further, only added, “I believe you understand what I mean.”
Lin Baiyu nodded solemnly.
To be honest, she had never really understood the behavior of some female protagonists in period novels she had read before.
Whether they were transmigrators or reborn individuals, they often relied on foresight or so-called golden fingers to act recklessly in the black market or start various businesses.
Perhaps it was plot protection, or perhaps the protagonist halo was simply that strong, but they always managed to succeed in ways that made little sense.
Just like the female lead in this world, Zhang Meifeng.
As the protagonist of the original novel Kicking Away the Scumbag and Marrying the Future Tycoon, Zhang Meifeng was truly favored by fate.
The story described her rebirth, cutting off a scumbag fiancé, marrying the male lead through careful planning, and eventually reaching the peak of life alongside him.
She not only took revenge on the scumbag’s entire family, but also reshaped her own family’s fate. Using her foresight and bold, decisive methods, she entered the black market. The male lead was gradually drawn to her, and the two eventually fell in love, even achieving the so-called “three children in three years” outcome.
By the time restrictions were lifted, they had already accumulated significant capital. With connections built during the years of helping relocate big figures and their experience in the black market, the male lead eventually became a tycoon.
Lin Baiyu had only read up to this point before stopping. While she found it somewhat nonsensical, she had treated it as simple entertainment and did not care about the rest.
Later, she saw comments online saying the author ruined the ending, so she skimmed summaries and discussion posts.
The ending was that after everything, the female lead, still carrying emotional wounds from her past life and influenced by her family, ultimately chose to return to domestic life. She handed over all her hard-earned achievements to the male lead and became the supportive wife behind a powerful man.
Together, they had four sons and three daughters and were widely regarded as a happy family.
After reading that, Lin Baiyu completely lost interest. She had expected an empowering female lead story about career success, but in the end it was still romance-driven.
She even remembered leaving a comment at the time: rebirth really doesn’t increase intelligence. A female lead like this will end up digging wild vegetables someday.
That comment received many likes, but also fierce criticism from the author’s loyal fans.
It was said there were later bonus chapters that filled plot holes, but Lin Baiyu had no interest in reading even the ending, let alone the extras.
And so the novel was forgotten.
If she had not been chosen by the system and brought into this world, she never would have crossed paths with it again.
After their long conversation, seeing the fatigue on Grandpa Lin’s face from the journey, Lin Baiyu knew he must be exhausted.
She urged him to rest, while she returned to her room to continue working on her own plans.
Now that she needed to contribute monthly household expenses, she could not afford to slack off. She had to quickly come up with her next article.