Chapter 15: Nearly Got Into Big Trouble

Lin Chaoyang’s face turned cold. He had known all along that those ungrateful siblings wouldn’t stay obediently at home.

“Alright, I get it. I’m going now.”

He followed the young worker to the coal mine’s front gate, and even before they got there, he could already hear Uncle Guo’s strong, booming voice.

“No one’s allowed in until someone comes to pick you up!”

Lin Chaoyang stepped forward. “Uncle Guo, I’m here.”

The moment he appeared, Lin Chaoyu rushed up to him.

“Big brother! Are you trying to starve us to death?!”

Lin Chaoxia immediately started crying. “Big brother, we’re your real siblings! You’re just going to abandon us?”

It was the end of the workday, and a lot of people were coming and going. Many stopped to look over.

Lin Chaoyang stared at them coldly. “I didn’t take care of you? I didn’t take a single grain of food with me when I left—what more do you want from me?”

Uncle Guo chimed in at the right time, “Exactly! When Xiao Lin came here, he only brought a few pieces of clothing, not a single grain of food!”

Lin Chaoxia kept crying. “There’s no food at home! Big brother, just tell us where you hid it! We’re going to starve!”

Lin Chaoyang pushed Lin Chaoyu away and shoved him into Lin Chaoxia’s arms. Then he looked straight at Lin Chaoyun.

“Lin Chaoyun, you know perfectly well whether I took the food or not. Coming here to make a scene—is that going to produce grain out of thin air?”

“And another thing, I just started working here. I’m not in a position to get you a job. Causing a fuss won’t change that.”

Just as he finished, Zhang Qinghong and Ye Honglian came rushing out from inside.

“How can you treat your big brother like this? He finally got a job—what are you trying to do?!”

“You’re all expecting him to feed you? Without your big brother, you’d all be dead by now!”

Zhang Qinghong and Ye Honglian were fierce, raising their voices and yelling without holding back.

“Everyone, take a look! What kind of village kids are fifteen and still sitting at home doing nothing, waiting for their brother to feed them?”

“That’s right! You don’t know the half of it—Comrade Lin Chaoyang has had a hard life! He’s been supporting four younger siblings, and they still think he’s not doing enough!”

People around them began casting judgmental looks at Lin Chaoyun and the others.

After all, Lin Chaoyun was already fifteen, and Lin Chaoxia was thirteen. Depending entirely on their older brother really did seem irresponsible.

“My eldest is fifteen too. Already working as an apprentice in a factory—might not earn much, but at least it’s something. Can’t just sit at home and eat for free.”

“Poor kids grow up fast. Their parents are gone, and they’re still expecting the older brother to carry everything and then blaming him? That’s just rotten.”

“This Xiao Lin’s still so young, and he was farming in the village before this—had to feed all those mouths. No wonder they couldn’t get enough to eat.”

Lin Chaoyun hadn’t expected Lin Chaoyang to be doing so well here—so many people were defending him.

But since they had already made a scene at the mine, she had no choice but to press on.

“You’ve all been fooled by Lin Chaoyang! He acts one way in front of people and another behind their backs! He didn’t leave us any food—he hid it all!”

Lin Chaoyang looked at her coldly. “So in your eyes, I’ve made a mistake raising you all as your big brother?”

Lin Chaoyun’s eyes filled with resentment. “Who knows? Maybe you’re just hoping we’d starve to death so we wouldn’t cause you trouble.”

Zhang Qinghong couldn’t hold back any longer and snapped, “You ungrateful wretch! Without your brother, you’d all be dead already!”

Lin Chaoyang shook his head. “Lin Chaoyun, our parents are gone. I’ve raised you until now—I don’t owe you anything anymore.”

Before Lin Chaoyun could respond, Lin Chaoxia piped up. “Big brother, now that you’re a city worker, you’re just going to abandon us?”

“How else am I supposed to take care of you? I left all the grain for you. I didn’t even take anything from the house.”

Lin Chaoyang suddenly shouted, “You’re all grown up now—can’t do a single chore? Is working in the fields going to kill you?”

Ye Honglian backed him up, equally loud. “Exactly! That old and still living off your big brother? Bleeding him dry! Your big brother doesn’t owe you anything!”

The people around them also felt that Lin Chaoyun and the others were way out of line. Were they treating their brother like some kind of long-term servant?

“These kids—are they trying to be landlords now, exploiting others?”

“Yeah! This is just exploitation of their brother so they can live the landlord lifestyle!”

“They might actually think they’re landlords—don’t work, just expect food to show up when they open their mouths.”

Lin Chaoyun’s heart jumped. She had forgotten—this was an era where one careless statement could ruin you.

What they were doing now, if taken the wrong way, could easily be framed as exploiting others.

If Lin Chaoyang decided to make a fuss, or if someone with an agenda overheard, they’d be in serious trouble!

Realizing this, Lin Chaoyun quickly pulled her younger siblings to their feet.

“Big brother, we didn’t mean anything by it. We just missed you and hoped you could come home more often on holidays.”

With that, she hurriedly dragged her two reluctant siblings away.

Zhang Qinghong spat on the ground. “What kind of people are they?!”

Lin Chaoyang gave a bitter laugh. “That’s just how they are. I’m used to it.”

Ye Honglian patted his arm. “Xiao Lin, don’t be so foolish in the future. It’s more important to save up for your own future—find a wife someday.”

Lin Chaoyang nodded. “I understand. Thank you, Sister Hong, thank you, Sister Lian.”

The two women smiled. “We just couldn’t stand seeing you bullied by your own siblings. Had to say something.”

Then Lin Chaoyang turned to Uncle Guo and thanked him sincerely before heading back inside with the two women.

Meanwhile, the three embarrassed and dejected siblings were in no mood to talk.

Lin Chaoyu didn’t understand—why did they leave without getting any food from big brother?

“You idiot!” Lin Chaoyun snapped. “Everyone there was siding with Lin Chaoyang. They even called us landlords! Say a few more things, and we could’ve been arrested!”

Lin Chaoyu finally realized how serious things were and fell silent.

Lin Chaoxia, still resentful, muttered, “So we just go back like this? What about the food?”

Lin Chaoyun’s face darkened. “What else can we do? You think you can make Lin Chaoyang give us food?”

Then Lin Chaoyu started acting up again. “I’m hungry! Second sister, I’m hungry! I want to eat!”

Lin Chaoyun shoved him away. “If you want to throw a tantrum, do it by yourself!”

She then turned and walked off, leaving Lin Chaoxia and Lin Chaoyu staring at each other.

Now that big brother wasn’t helping them, they realized they had no choice but to cling tightly to second sister.

The two quickly chased after Lin Chaoyun, silently following her back home.

Life quieted down again for Lin Chaoyang—but work was anything but calm.

At the Housing Office, they were holding countless meetings every day about the upcoming housing allocation. The fight over slots was giving everyone a headache.

This round of housing was based on stricter qualifications, and the units being allocated were newly built apartment blocks—far more comfortable than the older courtyard houses.

Even though the first-round list hadn’t been published yet, people were already showing up daily to argue for bigger units.

Many staff members also complained that the constant visits from vote-seekers were severely disrupting their daily work.

Even Lin Chaoyang was getting worn out by it all. After thinking it over for a while, he finally knocked on the office director’s door.