Chapter 40: Who Else But That Scoundrel Meng Yichen
Before the apocalypse, Lin Xin had read countless books and watched countless movies and TV dramas about palace intrigues and family feuds, so how could she not see through this little trick of hers?
Moreover, since the apocalypse, she had developed the habit of getting irritable when hungry. Seeing Lin Duo looking like she was going to stay here and not leave, she simply stopped talking nonsense and directly slapped her across the face with her palm.
“Lin Xin, you hit me again!” Lin Duo covered her face and glared at her angrily.
“So what if I hit you? Didn’t you want to play the pity card? I’m kindly helping you out. Look at yourself now—don’t you look much more pitiful than before?” As she spoke, Lin Xin even nodded seriously.
“With that face of yours now, it’s too humiliating to come to my home begging for food. I’ll give you a clear path: there are plenty of people in town who are richer than Zheng Tuhu and like good-looking faces. Go beg them for food! Don’t come disgust me anymore. I’ve already cut ties with your family—no, I’ve never had any relation with your family.” Lin Xin said this with a very serious attitude.
Originally, two villagers had planned to come over and back Lin Duo up, but as soon as they saw Lin Xin make a move, their feet involuntarily stopped. This girl really had a ruthless streak and didn’t even recognize her own kin. They were also afraid of ending up with a palm print on their own faces.
Suddenly, a wail like ghosts crying and wolves howling rang out from not far away. Lin Xin looked over and saw that it was Lin Duo’s mother Zhou Shi, who was slapping her thigh with one hand while howling and coming this way. Strangely, while one hand slapped her thigh, the other firmly protected her belly. The two hands each did their job without interfering, and it actually looked quite funny.
Zhou Shi walked quickly, and as soon as she arrived, she went straight to Lin Duo. The hand that had been slapping her thigh pushed away the hand covering Lin Duo’s face, and that clear palm print came into her view.
Lin Xin swore that this time, she saw genuine worry and anger in Zhou Shi’s eyes.
“Lin Xin! How dare you hit my Lin Duo?” Zhou Shi glared at Lin Xin fiercely and demanded loudly.
“Why? Because she’s asking for it! Instead of staying home nicely early in the morning, she has to come to my home to disgust me and wants to eat with us. If I don’t hit her, who do I hit? You, to stop giving her food?” Lin Xin crossed her arms, raised her chin, and looked at Zhou Shi with contempt, just short of writing “I look down on you all” on her face.
“She…” Zhou Shi choked, turned her head and glared fiercely at Lin Duo, then faced Lin Xin again: “Even so, couldn’t you just talk nicely instead of hitting her? Our Lin Duo is about to get married soon. You’ve beaten her face like this—how is she supposed to get married now?”
“Heh,” Lin Xin sneered coldly, “Still getting married? Your precious daughter showing up at my doorstep has everything to do with the great in-laws you’ve found for her! After all, just a few days ago, she was begging me to lend her some money to return the betrothal gifts you’ve received!”
“What did you say?” Zhou Shi’s scream was ear-piercing and shrill. After shouting, she turned back to look at Lin Duo, only to find her keeping her head down, avoiding her gaze.
“Impossible! My daughter’s in-laws are top-notch people. Don’t spout nonsense!” Zhou Shi could tell from Lin Duo’s reaction that Lin Xin was probably telling the truth, but how could she admit it at this point?
Everyone’s impression of the Lin Family had already plummeted because of Lin Xin’s family. If it got out now that they were selling their daughter to get a daughter-in-law for their son, how could they still hold their heads up?
Even though this daughter was the one she gave birth to, and the son was from the main branch, she still had to protect the Lin Family’s face. After all, their second branch’s son was now in her belly.
“Yeah! Top-notch people! So keep your precious daughter in check and don’t come disgust me at my home anymore, or else one day I might not be able to control my mouth and reveal your precious son-in-law’s identity.” Lin Xin said with extreme sarcasm on her face.
“Remember what you said today.” Zhou Shi blustered despite her inner panic, then turned back, grabbed Lin Duo’s arm, and dragged her home. “You wretched girl, your guts are getting bigger and bigger. You even dare to come here and embarrass us. Wait till we get home and see how I teach you a lesson…”
Zhou Shi’s voice grew fainter and fainter until it could no longer be heard. Lin Xin scoffed indifferently, then sharply turned her gaze to the corner where Lin Duo had been squatting earlier, catching an old face that hadn’t hidden in time right in her sight.
It turned out to be Lin Shenzi. No wonder Zhou Shi had arrived so quickly—someone had snitched.
But Lin Xin didn’t care. If this trouble named Lin Duo could be resolved without her lifting a finger, she might even have to thank this ill-intentioned Lin Shenzi who had accidentally done a good deed this time.
However, Lin Xin was a bit puzzled. The threat she had made to Zhou Shi was just off the cuff. Any normal person could figure out that who was marrying Lin Duo couldn’t be kept secret, right? Even if it was tightly covered up now, what about on the wedding day? Wouldn’t everyone see then?
Yet Zhou Shi had
Whatever, this has nothing to do with me, so it’s better to worry less about it.
Lin Xin thought so, then finished eating, tidied up, and righteously moved the lounge chair out. She sat in the courtyard rocking back and forth to sunbathe, while Lin Nan was diligently reciting the Soup Head Song beside her.
Just as Lin Xin was drowsily falling asleep, she suddenly heard the sound of carriage wheels rolling on the ground from afar, and not just one vehicle. In Lin Xin’s and the original owner’s memory, this village almost never had horse carriages come in, with the only time being the last time Cui Shi came over to mooch a meal.
Therefore, it seems that the only people who can let the horse carriage enter this village are her and Lin Nan.
So, are these horse carriages here for her?
With this realization, Lin Xin felt completely unwell. Couldn’t they let her rest for a bit? She didn’t want to enter the mountain at all right now!
As expected, the rumbling sound of the horse carriage stopped right at her doorstep, followed by the little old man’s slightly excited voice: “Stinky girl, obedient disciple, Master is here!”
Lin Nan had been sitting obediently by the lounge chair, but upon hearing this voice, he immediately stood up, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Lin Xin. “Sis, Master is here!”
Lin Xin resisted the urge to roll her eyes and said kindly, “Then go open the door for your Master!”
“Mm, got it, sis!” With that, Lin Nan waddled over with his little short legs, trotting to open the front door. Upon seeing Cui Shi, he immediately offered his childish voice: “Master, you’re here!”
Cui Shi’s old face broke into a grin so wide his eyes disappeared. He bent down to pick up Lin Nan. “Aiyo, my obedient disciple, did you miss Master?”
Lin Nan nodded seriously. “Yes, every time I missed Master, I recited my books, so I’ve memorized everything Master taught me before!”
“Nan Nan is so amazing? Master has to test you to see if you’re really that good.”
“Master, test me all you want. Nan Nan really memorized it all!” Lin Nan said with utmost confidence. Lin Xin felt that in that instant, it was as if light appeared on Lin Nan, and she suddenly felt a bit moved.
However, when she saw the things the medical hall’s little disciple was unloading from the horse carriage, she felt that her previous moved was completely wasted.
A pile of rice, flour, grains, oil, half a side of lamb ribs, two slaughtered chickens, a large piece of premium pork belly, a wooden bucket taller than a knee with water spray occasionally splashing out—clearly filled with either fish or shrimp—a basket of all sorts of vegetables, and a small basket of seasonings like star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and ginger.
Lin Xin watched with her brow twitching. Before she could question Cui Shi, a familiar clear voice rang out from outside the door: “Miss Lin, sorry to intrude. I hope you don’t mind.”
She turned her neck with a series of cracks to look—it was none other than that guy Meng Yichen.
Thanks to xy Xiaoyue, Song of the Goat, Story of the Eyes, Ji Jia Xinxiang, Mmy Dang, Wu Xing Que Qian 768, Sleeping In in the Early Morning, caroletu, Meng Mommo, and Wu Xing Que Qian 768 for their votes; thanks to caroletu for the tip. Thank you for your support!
