Chapter 23: The Brainless Cousin

The girl was quite pretty, dressed in a green gown, her hair carefully arranged into a maiden’s bun.

Lin Sangqian thought for a moment and recognized her as Lai Ruyu’s daughter—her cousin, Lin Shuimei.

Lai Ruyu had only this one daughter and treasured her dearly. Lin Shuimei was fifteen years old, already at a marriageable age in their village. However, emboldened by her own beauty, she looked down on the local boys. Lai Ruyu, too, hoped to marry her into a wealthy family, so Lin Shuimei’s marriage had yet to be settled.

This Lin Shuimei often bullied the original Lin Sangqian, dragging her into a corner to slap her whenever she was in a bad mood. The original Lin Sangqian was meek and dared not resist, nor would she tell anyone.

Thinking on this, a cold smile traced Lin Sangqian’s lips.

She had been fretting over how to make Lin Zhangshi believe that the eldest and second eldest were deceiving her, but now Lin Shuimei had delivered herself to her doorstep.

At that moment, Lin Shuimei spotted Lin Sangqian.

“Little beggar, where are you going?” she demanded fiercely.

Because Lin Sangqian was always in tattered clothes, often hungry, Lin Shuimei had long since taken to calling her “little beggar.”

With lowered head, Lin Sangqian imitated the original’s timidity, “I… I’m too hungry, so I wanted to find something to eat.”

“Where would you find food?” Lin Shuimei sneered. “Come, bark like a dog for me, and I’ll give you a steamed bun!”

Lin Shuimei often played such tricks in the past. When the original Lin Sangqian was desperate with hunger, she would actually bark for her, and then Lin Shuimei would toss her a moldy steamed bun.

Lin Sangqian clenched her fists.

Wait and see, Lin Shuimei—your retribution is yet to come.

“Why aren’t you barking? So boring,” Lin Shuimei grumbled impatiently. “Hey, I heard your family’s been living well lately, eating stewed chicken and eggs. Is it true?”

Lin Sangqian gave a bitter smile. “How could my family possibly have such good things to eat? Cousin, do you think that’s likely?”

Lin Shuimei considered it. Indeed, it did seem unlikely; how could Lin Sangqian’s family get such delicacies?

“Then why did Second Aunt say she saw eggs at your house?”

Lin Shuimei was the eldest’s daughter, so unlike Lin Sangqian, she called Lin Lao’er and Li Fulan “Second Uncle” and “Second Aunt.”

“Second Aunt has never liked my family, cousin—you know that,” Lin Sangqian said quietly. “Besides, I overheard her say she doesn’t want to care for grandmother anymore and wants to send her elsewhere.”

Lin Shuimei was startled. “What did you say? Second Aunt doesn’t want to care for grandmother?”

Could it be that Li Fulan wanted to send that old crone to their house? She certainly didn’t want to care for that old woman herself!

“Yes,” Lin Sangqian replied slowly. “But she can’t say so directly. If she stirs up trouble with grandmother, maybe she’ll have an excuse to send her away…”

Lin Shuimei, fierce and malicious as she was, wasn’t particularly clever. At Lin Sangqian’s words, she instantly believed her and stormed home, ready to complain to her mother, Lai Ruyu.

Watching her leave, Lin Sangqian’s lips curled in a cold smile. Humming a tune, she made her way to the little shop.

“Mother! Have you been tricked by Second Aunt?”

Lai Ruyu was busy cooking when Lin Shuimei burst in. She scolded, “Useless girl, always running about instead of helping me cook!”

“What’s the point in cooking now? You don’t even know you’ve been tricked by Second Aunt!” Lin Shuimei fumed.

“What nonsense is this? How did your Second Aunt trick me?”

“She doesn’t want to care for grandmother and wants to send her here!”

Lai Ruyu was so shocked she almost dropped her spatula. “How do you know that?”

“Think about it—why did Second Aunt say she saw eggs at Third Uncle’s house? Third Uncle’s family is dirt poor—where would they get eggs? She just wants to stir up trouble between you and grandmother so she can send grandmother here and be done with it!”

Lai Ruyu trembled with rage. “No wonder she wanted me to go see grandmother that day, and tried to get grandmother to go to Third Uncle’s place!”

Thinking further, she hesitated. “But your father said he smelled stewed chicken at their house that day, and I saw them making braised pork!”

“Father must have been mistaken. Where would Third Uncle’s family get stewed chicken?” Lin Shuimei stamped her foot. “And that braised pork you saw—maybe Second Aunt brought it over on purpose. Think about it—wasn’t it Second Aunt who called you to her house that day?”

Lai Ruyu thought back—it was true. Besides, Li Fulan’s family was wealthier than hers; they could afford braised pork.

“That Second wife! To shirk caring for grandmother, she really went to great lengths!” Lai Ruyu muttered, taking off her apron. “I’m going to see grandmother right now and tell her exactly what her precious daughter-in-law has done to drive her away!”

With that, she abandoned her cooking and stormed off to the second son’s house.

...

Lin Sangqian bought a small jug of wine for five copper coins and returned home.

Lin Hongda and Liao Shuxia were inside, waiting for her with eager eyes, swallowing their drool. When she returned, both their faces lit up with joy.

There wasn’t much wine in that small jug. Lin Sangqian found a tiny cup in the cupboard, washed it, and poured a serving; only half the jug remained.

“You can have this much tonight. The rest, next time,” Lin Sangqian said.

“Alright,” Lin Hongda agreed cheerfully. He was never much of a drinker; a little was enough for him.

He took a small sip and then said, “Come, let’s eat!”

Lin Sangqian’s cooking needed no praise—whether it was shrimp or beef, it was exquisitely delicious. Even the tofu was crispy outside and tender within, each bite pure delight.

Liao Shuxia wasn’t fond of barbecue, so Lin Sangqian and Lin Hongda each had a grilled chicken wing. The skin was slightly charred, perfectly so, and the aroma was irresistible. Lin Hongda sucked the bones clean.

Liao Shuxia asked if anything had happened in town that day. Lin Hongda, brimming with pride, recounted how he’d given a scoundrel a sound beating, making Liao Shuxia laugh heartily.

But when she heard what had happened at the restaurant, her laughter faded.

“Scoundrel! Daring to bully my son!” Liao Shuxia smacked the table, furious. “If I’d been there, I’d have slapped him twice myself!”

“He just lost half a year’s wages in one go. That’s probably worse than a slap,” Lin Sangqian said with a hint of glee.

“That’s true.”

“That restaurant owner isn’t any better,” Lin Hongda said grimly. “If this hadn’t happened today, who knows when the boys would’ve gotten their wages.”

“Bring them home. Don’t let them work for a boss like that,” Liao Shuxia said.

“When we’ve saved a bit more, we’ll bring them home,” Lin Sangqian said. “And then, I want to send them to school.”