Chapter 12: Sever Ties Successful
Her finger moved slightly, and the water spray under the spirit tablet churned again. Soon, a clear line of water characters appeared out of thin air in front of everyone.
“Retrieve the jade pendant from Big Brother that can prove my identity and return it to my daughter?” It was still that literate villager who read out the words, then looked at everyone in bewilderment: “What does this mean? What is a jade pendant that proves identity?”
The old clan leader’s face could no longer be described as merely dark and sullen. He shakily raised the walking stick in his hand and pointed it at Lin Lao Nian Er. “That child from back then really wasn’t yours?”
As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers instantly exploded.
“What? Lin Erge isn’t Old Uncle Lin’s child? Real or fake?”
“How would we know? We’re younger than Lin Erge. We weren’t even born when he was!”
“That’s right!” The speaker scratched his head foolishly and happened to see Auntie Qiuju standing beside him, the village’s biggest gossip. He quickly sidled up to her with a fawning smile and asked, “Auntie Qiuju, you’re older. Do you know what’s going on?”
“You little brat, you’re the old one!” Auntie Qiuju first smacked the back of the man’s head with her palm, then said with a strong sense of superiority, “As for what happened back then, I do know a little bit.”
“Tell us quick.” Very quickly, many people gathered around Auntie Qiuju to hear her gossip from over thirty years ago.
Things weren’t looking good for Lin Lao Nian Er. He was first startled by the read-out words, then nearly lost his composure from the old clan leader’s questioning. His gaze turned somewhat ferocious. Only he, his wife, and the midwife knew about that matter back then, but the midwife had died of a sudden illness not long after. Now, only the couple knew, so how did Lin Lao Er know?
Could it be that ghosts really existed in this world?
Seeing his flickering gaze, Lin Xin could pretty much guess what he was thinking. She chuckled inwardly. Of course no one else knew about this matter, but she had read the original story.
Five years later, when the weeds on Lin Xin and her younger brother’s graves were already tall, a noble person came from the capital city searching for relatives. Upon seeing Lin Laoda’s jade pendant, he recognized it as the one unique to his family. Lin Laoda didn’t claim to be the owner but said the jade pendant was given to him by his dying younger brother Lin Lao Er, hoping he would help raise his son.
The noble person then asked where the child was, and Lin Laoda pointed to Lin Yang, who had already passed the child scholar exam, saying it was him.
Thus, the noble person not only took away his “grandson” Lin Yang but also left a large sum of money for Lin Laoda’s family. Lin Laoda used it to buy vast amounts of land and became a carefree, leisurely landlord in the village.
When Lin Xin saw that plot, she had complained about the author forcing the NPCs to act dumb. Today, seeing Lin Laoda, she suddenly remembered this plot and manipulated the water to write those words.
“I’m asking you, Lin Lao Nian Er!” The old clan leader trembled with anger, shouting his words.
“That child from back then······”
“Of course that child was born by me,” Old Madam Lin suddenly flung off Old Man Lin’s hand gripping her arm like a madwoman and rushed to the spirit tablet, actually trying to grab it down.
Thus, in full view of everyone, the spirit tablet suddenly rose more than a foot high. The water spray below suddenly grew larger, drenching Old Madam Lin from head to toe, chilling her to the bone.
“Ah~” Old Madam Lin let out a scream, not caring about the water all over her, and shouted hysterically, “You, Lin Lao Er, dare to treat your biological mother like this. No wonder you died so young. This is your retribution, retribution!”
As soon as her words fell, the water spray changed shape again. This time, it condensed into a huge palm that slapped toward Old Madam Lin’s face.
With a crisp “smack,” Old Madam Lin was hit squarely. Her skinny body spun in place like a top. When she barely steadied herself, everyone saw her left cheek red and swollen, her mouth broken, a thin line of blood slowly trickling down the wrinkles on her old face.
Seeing this scene, everyone fell silent.
Old Man Lin’s heart was filled with terror. When Lin Lao Er was alive, he was especially filial to the two elders. Even though he was unfairly split off, he still sent many things to the old house every New Year and holiday, just hoping the old couple would give him a good look.
But now? The scar on Old Madam Lin’s face from the slap was so obvious that he couldn’t even deceive himself. Could it be that Lin Lao Er had really turned into a ghost and come back? So he not only knew about the jade pendant but also wanted to sever ties with him, to cut off any chance of him clinging to future wealth?
Thinking of this, Old Man Lin felt utterly unwell. He admitted he was scared. Could a person fight a ghost?
“Laoda!” He turned back to Lin Laoda. “Take out the jade pendant and give it to Xin Yatou.”
“Dad!” Lin Laoda was extremely shocked. Wasn’t it agreed that this matter would rot in their father-and-son bellies, as if it never happened? How did he change his mind so quickly?
“Take it out quick!” Old Man Lin roared in frustration.
Lin Laoda had no choice but to use his uninjured hand to remove a jade pendant strung on a red cord from his neck. He clutched it for a long time before reluctantly letting Lin Laosan take it to Yan Xin.
“So that child really wasn’t yours. Lin Lao Nian Er, you really have some nerve!” The old clan leader was truly furious to the extreme. Supporting himself on a junior’s hand behind him, he stood up, flung his sleeve, and sternly said to Old Man Lin, “I won’t expel your family from the clan, but from now on, the Lin Clan will no longer handle any affairs of your branch, Lin Lao Nian Er. Take good care of yourself from now on!”
After speaking, he walked to Lin Xin and Lin Nan, asking with barely concealed guilt, “Your dad hoped you would sever ties with Lin Lao Nian Er’s family. But now we know you siblings have no relation to them. Do you still want to sever ties?”
Lin Xin looked at Lin Nan, still somewhat dazed in her arms, nodded and said, “Sever! My dad hoped Nan Nan and I would completely cut off from that family. No matter what, my dad did grow up in the Lin Family. In the eyes of the world, we are one blood family. If we don’t make it clear now, I’m afraid there will be entanglements in the future.”
The old clan leader was silent for a moment before nodding. “Since this is your decision, I’ll make the call for you this once.”
“Thank you, Clan Leader Grandfather, for making it possible.” Lin Xin held Lin Nan and properly kowtowed to him.
Next, in front of most of the village, witnessed by the old clan leader and several clan elders, Lin Lao Nian Er’s family formally signed and pressed their handprints on the severance letter. From then on, Lin Xin and her younger brother had no relation to their family. No matter how the two families fared in the future, neither could cling to the other.
Lin Xin solemnly folded the severance letter and put it in her bosom, actually smuggling it into the space. Then she took out the sachet the old doctor had given her from her bosom and handed it to the old clan leader. “Clan Leader Grandfather, this is the silver left from selling the ginseng. Today, in front of everyone, I give it to the Old Lin Family as remuneration for raising my dad from childhood.”
“You······” The old clan leader sighed inwardly and took the sachet. “Good. I’ll hand this silver to the Old Lin Family on your behalf. From now on, you truly have no ties. Keep this jade pendant safe; it concerns your dad’s identity.”
Lin Xin’s gaze flickered. After thanking him, she took the jade pendant that had made Lin Laoda’s family soar in the original story.
