Chapter 17: It’s All Your Fault

Upon hearing this, the aunts and older women, who had previously been a little envious of Lin Chaoyang working in the city, no longer felt that way.

People in the city were just like them—struggling to get enough food and relying on their harvests.

“By the way, Yangzi, your younger siblings keep bothering your uncle’s family for food. Your uncle’s family isn’t doing well either. What do you think about that…?”

Lin Chaoyang furrowed his brow. “Do they work on the farm?”

“They definitely work, but not much. I reckon they won’t earn much food.”

“Your family’s main food supply likely still comes from the rations you earned while at home.”

“Your younger siblings can’t be relied upon, especially Xiao Yun. She’s always half-hearted, doing something for three days, then slacking off for two.”

The aunts shook their heads when talking about the younger children in the Lin family.

These children were not reliable. If they were expected to support themselves, they would probably starve.

“Yangzi, I’m not trying to be nosy, but you really need to plan ahead for yourself.”

“Exactly, you’re already eighteen, and you need to think about finding a partner. How are you going to get married without any family support?”

“Xiao Yun is already fourteen. If she doesn’t get married soon, maybe she can help support the family. What do you think?”

Lin Chaoyang nodded perfunctorily. “I know. I’ll talk to her about it.”

With that, Lin Chaoyang’s objective had been achieved, and he wasn’t keen on continuing the small talk.

“I’ll leave now. I need to check on my uncle’s family. I’ll talk to you later.”

The aunts waved their hands and watched him leave.

Lin Chaoyang didn’t head home immediately; instead, he went to his second uncle’s house.

His second uncle and second aunt were kind-hearted, and it seemed the younger siblings often went there to “borrow” meals.

But his second uncle and aunt were also struggling, and they barely scraped by with whatever food they could manage.

Since Lin Chaoyang had arrived empty-handed, everyone was watching, so he couldn’t suddenly pull out food.

Instead, he secretly took out ten yuan from his pocket and tucked it away.

This was around the time everyone else was at work, so his second uncle and cousins weren’t home, leaving only his second aunt and younger cousin at home.

When his second aunt saw him, she was pleasantly surprised and quickly invited him in.

“Yangzi, what brings you here? Aren’t you working in the city now?”

Lin Chaoyang smiled. “I got some time off, so I thought I’d come visit you.”

His second aunt poured him a cup of water. “You must be thirsty after the long journey.”

Lin Chaoyang took a few sips before smiling. “Second Aunt, I heard that Xiao Yun and the others keep coming over to eat.”

His second aunt smiled kindly. “Since you’re not home, Xiao Yun and the others have no food, so they come over to make do. It doesn’t bother us.”

Lin Chaoyang quietly took out the ten yuan from his pocket. “Second Aunt, I don’t have any food to bring, but please take this money.”

His second aunt quickly shook her head. “No, no, how can I take money from you, little one?”

Lin Chaoyang insisted, gently stuffing the money into her pocket. “I’m working now. I have the means. I don’t need to spend money in the cafeteria, so it’s fine.”

She was a bit flustered, but after touching the bills in her pocket, she reluctantly accepted it, her face red with embarrassment.

Her family wasn’t doing well, and that ten yuan could help her buy some grain from the black market to fill in the gap.

After handing over the money, Lin Chaoyang didn’t stay any longer. If he sat down, his second aunt would surely insist on feeding him.

After leaving his second uncle’s house, Lin Chaoyang finally headed home.

It seemed to be around work hours, but Lin Chaoyang found that Lin Chaoyun was still at home, sitting in the yard, lost in thought.

As soon as she saw Lin Chaoyang, her expression changed instantly.

“What are you doing back here? You came to see how miserable we are?”

Lin Chaoyang didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he countered with a question. “Why aren’t you at work?”

Lin Chaoyun suddenly stood up, her voice filled with suppressed resentment as she pointed at Lin Chaoyang.

“Going to work, what’s the point of working?!”

She glared at him with burning anger.

“You get to work in the coal mine, but I’m stuck at home farming!”

“If I could live again, I should be someone important!”

Lin Chaoyang didn’t want to argue about being reborn, so he repeated the words that one of the aunts had said earlier.

“You’re already fifteen. If you think life is tough at home, then just get married.”

In the countryside, getting married at fifteen was a bit early, but for families in difficult circumstances, most of them did just that.

They would start matchmaking, and marry during the agricultural off-season, around sixteen.

“I won’t marry! I absolutely won’t marry some country bumpkin! I still have a bright future ahead!”

Lin Chaoyang didn’t actually plan on forcing her to marry; he wasn’t interested in getting involved in this matter.

“If you won’t marry, then figure out a way to earn food. Stop mooching off Uncle’s family, it’s shameful.”

Lin Chaoyun knew very well that it wasn’t right to keep borrowing food from Uncle’s family, but she had no choice—there was simply nothing to eat at home.

“If it weren’t for you hiding the grain, would we be begging Uncle for food? It’s all your fault, Lin Chaoyang, you’re so selfish!”

“This is all your fault! And you still have the nerve to talk about us mooching from Uncle?”

Lin Chaoyang sneered. “You three ingrates think everything I give you is something owed to you. Do you even know what ‘gratitude’ means?”

“Uncle gives you food—what have you done for Uncle’s family? You eat and then run off, don’t you?”

“I, as the eldest brother, raised you all, and you still think I’m incapable, that I didn’t give you a good life.”

“If I were as selfish as you claim, you’d have starved to death by now. You wouldn’t still be alive.”

Lin Chaoyun gritted her teeth in fury. “But now you’re a worker, you have the rationed food, and you want to just abandon us. You have no conscience!”

“We share the same parents! You’re the eldest brother, and you should take care of us!”

“Lin Chaoyang, don’t you remember what Mom said before she died?”

Lin Chaoyang didn’t want to talk to her anymore. It was useless to argue with someone like her.

Without saying another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Lin Chaoyun behind, cursing him in the yard.

In his past life, he had carried the responsibility that his mother gave him on her deathbed to take care of his younger siblings.

He worked hard to raise those three ingrates, and it ruined him.

His mother’s request had been fulfilled in his past life, but in this life, he wasn’t going to be the fool anymore.

Besides, wasn’t Lin Chaoyun also reborn? She couldn’t possibly be helpless.

He wasn’t going to keep being the blood bank for these bloodsuckers.

After leaving the village, Lin Chaoyang went straight to the city.

Since he had time off today, he decided to visit the black market.

As Sister Hong and the others had mentioned, people in the city were scrambling for grain, so the black market trade in grain must be booming.

Instead of trying to buy grain by himself, it made more sense to cooperate with someone at the black market.

He could easily make money by regularly supplying grain to those operating in the black market.

He had already gathered the location of the black market.

Many people from the coal mine bought things at the black market. Though the prices were higher, they didn’t need any ration tickets.

Lin Chaoyang followed the directions and found an old warehouse.

A few people were sitting outside, soaking up the sun, but their eyes were constantly scanning the surroundings.

These people were probably from the black market. Lin Chaoyang walked right up to them.