readytorunbook Chapter 122 First Proposal to Sever Ties
Chapter 122 First Proposal to Sever Ties
Mr. Shen sent out seven or eight letters in a row, but did not receive a single reply from his daughter.
The elderly couple sat in the courtyard sighing and lamenting. Their sons lay on the couch, refusing to eat or drink, and their two daughters-in-law had red and swollen eyes from crying. The whole family was shrouded in gloom and despair.
Sun cried and cursed, "Jinzhu is really outrageous. When we found her a husband, we made sure he was from a wealthy family. The family we found was one of the most prestigious in the surrounding villages. Now that she's living a rich life, she doesn't even want her own parents anymore. She has no gifts or money during holidays. And now, she doesn't even reply to a single letter."
Mr. Shen frowned deeply. "The old saying is indeed true. Girls are all a waste of money. When it really matters, they are completely unreliable!"
Thinking of her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Sun quickly tugged at her husband's sleeve.
"Alright, just talk about Jinzhu, why bring up the girl? It might upset your two daughters-in-law."
Now, the family has six hundred taels of IOUs. What if the two daughters-in-law can't stand it and go back to their parents' home in a fit of anger?
Because she made a mess of things, her status at home plummeted.
Now she gets up early and works late to cut pig feed, feed the pigs and chickens, cook for the whole family, and even takes care of all the clothes for the whole family, young and old.
She was afraid that if her daughter-in-law was dissatisfied, she would go back to her parents' home, leaving her two sons as bachelors.
"Father, if Jinzhu doesn't reply soon, we don't know where to look for her. What are we going to do with that six hundred taels IOU?"
Old Mr. Shen, holding his anger in his heart, said in a muffled voice, "Keep one-third of the remaining grain at home, sell the rest, stop feeding the chickens and pigs, and sell the millstone for making tofu. Raise as much silver as you can, first return some to Manager Zhang, get the oxcart that's been impounded in town back, and return it to my cousin."
That day, the second and third brothers were tricked back to town. The restaurant staff immediately detained them and the oxcart. Later, they were given an IOU and returned, but the oxcart was not released.
When my cousin heard about it, he and his wife came running over angrily demanding the oxcart. Their words were laced with sarcasm, and if the two families weren't still close, they probably would have already smashed it up.
After much persuasion, they managed to calm the couple down and promised to return the oxcart intact. Only then did the cousin and his wife temporarily give up.
Madam Sun asked, "What about those children going to the restaurant to work and pay off their debts?"
“Go, otherwise Manager Zhang will charge interest on that IOU. At the very least, the children have to work until we have enough money.”
……
A few days later, Lin Xiaotang had just returned to town with her father after shopping in a mule cart when she heard that several of her uncles were working at Juxian Restaurant to pay off their debts.
She breathed a long sigh of relief, thinking to herself, "Serves me right!"
Little did they expect that, no sooner had they finished cursing than their grandfather blocked them on the road.
Lin Qingchuan parked the mule cart by the roadside, stood still, and called out, "Father."
Mr. Shen said with a stern face and annoyance, "You still know I'm your father? Your younger brothers are all doing hard labor at Juxian Restaurant, but you, who have money in your hands, won't spend a single penny to help them out."
"Father, we really don't have any money, especially since it's six hundred taels. When you were secretly making braised pig's trotters, didn't you ever think that something bad would happen?" Lin Qingchuan's voice grew softer and softer, as he dared not criticize his father and stepmother, lest his father accuse him of taking the opportunity to ridicule them.
To be honest, if nothing had gone wrong, my father and stepmother's family would never have given them a single copper coin when they made money. But when something did go wrong, they would think of asking him for help to cover their losses.
This is such an extreme case of favoritism!
Old Mr. Shen said angrily, "What sins did I commit in my past life to give birth to such a heartless and ungrateful son? If you don't come up with money today to help pay off the debt, we're severing ties right now!"
Lin Xiaotang was so excited she almost clapped and cheered. She jumped off the oxcart and stood next to her father, unable to resist speaking up for him.
"Isn't it all because of Grandpa and Stepmother that Father is like this? When the family was divided, Father didn't take any of the Lin family's brick house and sixteen acres of fertile land under Grandpa's coercion. He left them all to you. Is that still not enough?"
Is it enough that your father and mother gave their lives for you?
If you want to sever ties with us, then do so. Don't always forget about us when good things happen, but come to my father to cover your losses when trouble comes your way.
Don't talk about sins committed in a past life. In this life, I've been living off the children of my first wife, and I've been tormenting her son relentlessly. Yet I can still be so self-righteous. You and your stepmother are the kind of elders you can only find in the surrounding villages. Do you think anyone would want to be related to you?
Now, Xiaoyu and I both take our father's surname, Lin. We started from scratch and built the Lin family's legacy. Grandpa, do you even know what it means to start from nothing? You're a scholar, full of knowledge, but you probably never know what it's like to start from nothing, do you?
Lin Xiaotang spoke fluently and eloquently, venting all the words she had been holding back for a long time. After speaking, she felt relaxed and refreshed.
Mr. Shen was rendered speechless by the young girl, who was only a few years old, and could not find any words to refute her. He was so angry that his face turned pale and then red, and his whole body trembled.
He clutched his heaving chest, his trembling finger pointing at Lin Xiaotang, his eyes filled with malice, and he gritted his teeth as he angrily rebuked, "You wretched child, you know so much at such a young age, and you speak so sharply and meanly, you're practically a demon possessed by a ghost! If my family weren't short of money, I would definitely have someone perform a ritual to exorcise you!"
Oh my, are you really that angry that you want to kill her?
"Grandpa, what you're saying is just unreasonable and stubborn. I'm so young, and I've spoken up for Dad and pointed out a few faults in you. Now I'm a demon possessed by a ghost? We've lived together as a family for so many years. When I was a young child cooking for the whole family, why didn't anyone say I was possessed by a ghost?"
Although she really is, she would never admit it!
She's getting older, and her husband's words are baseless; who would believe him?
Even if word gets out, people will say he got angry and deliberately framed her because he couldn't get the money!
Mr. Shen was furious, gritting his teeth as he said, "You brat, don't be so arrogant! You little brat will grow up and get married sooner or later, why should I argue with you?"
He thought to himself, "Just bear with it a little longer. I'll get my eldest son to throw this money-losing brat out of here sooner or later!"
Struggling to suppress his anger, he composed himself and said, "Qingchuan, I was just angry. Don't take what I said to heart. No matter how much you and Fengniang have saved, just take some out and let me pay back Manager Zhang, okay?"
Lin Xiaotang immediately asked, "Should we write an IOU?"
Since things have already turned sour, and she's said so many nice and mean things, one more word won't make a difference, right?
Mr. Shen's face instantly turned red, and he was so angry he was almost fuming.
"Nonsense! What kind of father borrows money from his son and issues an IOU? You're just spouting nonsense."
Lin Xiaotang scoffed, "Master, you're just talking nonsense. A father borrowing money from his son who has separated from the family without a note, without any proof or witnesses, is Master determined not to pay it back?"
Lin Qingchuan knew what was going on; he had already guessed that his father wouldn't return the money he was asking for. Not wanting to be taken advantage of, he simply said he didn't have any to save himself the trouble.
“Father, we have no money. If you are really angry and want to sever ties, then let’s do it. I am now the pillar of the Lin family and I am associated with the Lin family’s ancestral graves. It doesn’t matter whether the Shen family has us or not.”