Selling the House

Mother Xiao and Father Xiao had once been sent to a farm labor camp. After the Xiao family was rehabilitated, their house was returned to them. However, the emotional scars from that period never healed and remained as permanent wounds. Mother Xiao had always disapproved of her daughter marrying into the countryside, and even though Lin Chengshan had sent gifts to Mother Xiao and Father Xiao,in the eyes of the Xiao family, it was merely a small favor.

Had the Xiao family not been brought down, they would not be short of these things at all.

Mother Xiao believed her daughter was forced to marry Lin Chengshan. Her daughter, with her background, had to go down to the countryside as an educated youth and do various kinds of hard work. Her daughter had not done much work throughout her life. She was too delicate to endure it. Her daughter, being so fair and tender, was bound to be bullied. So it was nothing for her to find someone to marry.

Since the family was rehabilitated and her daughter had been admitted to college, everything should return to normal.

“I’m not divorced yet,” Xiao Man said.

“Whether you’re divorced or not doesn’t matter,” Mother Xiao replied. “Lin Chengshan is not worthy of you. If necessary, our family can give him a bit more money to get a divorce certificate. Even if you don’t get the divorce certificate, it’s not a big deal. How many people don’t get divorced but still get married through blind dates?”

“……” Xiao Man remained silent.

“Are you going to continue living a hard life in the countryside?” Mother Xiao said. “Didn’t you go to college to get away from that place?”

“I’m going. I’ll go on a blind date tomorrow.” Xiao Man never liked Lin Chengshan, and she didn’t like Lin Qingqing either.

When Xiao Man wrote letters to her parents before, she never mentioned Lin Qingqing much.

At this moment, the Xiao family directly ignored Lin Qingqing. They were aware of her existence but had no intention of bringing her back to the city. Since Lin Qingqing was Lin Chengshan’s biological daughter, it was enough for Lin Chengshan to take care of her.

There is a significant difference between remarrying without children and remarrying with children. Most people do not like their partner to have a child from a previous relationship. Father and Mother Xaio felt that if Xiao Man had a child, it would affect her future. Even though the child was their biological granddaughter, they didn’t care. After all, they had never met Lin Qingqing, so why would they be sad over someone they hadn’t seen?

“That’s right.” Mother Xiao said. “You’re not young anymore, twenty-three or twenty-four. You’ll still be in the college for another four years. By the time you graduate, you’ll be even older. It’s time to get married through a blind date now.”

“Okay, Mom, I’ll do as you say.” Xiao Man smiled.

Seeing her daughter’s smile, Mother Xiao felt slightly relieved. She feared that her daughter might insist on staying with Lin Chengshan. Although Lin Chengshan was originally a soldier, he had retired, and now he was just a man with an elementary school education, without much future. If Xiao Man stayed with Lin Chengshan, her life would never be easy.

By the time Xiao Man graduated from the college, she would end up supporting Lin Chengshan and his daughter, making him a freeloader.

Xiao Man felt that her mother was right and wasn’t particularly upset.

At that time, if Lin Chengshan hadn’t pulled her out of the river and others hadn’t seen it, she wouldn’t have been forced to marry him. If Xiao Man didn’t marry Lin Chengshan, others would have criticized her, and she had only one path to choose.

Xiao Man even thought that Lin Chengshan should have had a woman help her out of the river, rather than doing it himself. She didn’t consider that if someone else had pulled her out, Lin Chengshan wouldn’t have needed to act himself.

However, Xiao Man harbored resentment in her heart. She felt that Lin Chengshan had tarnished her reputation, and the villagers all said she should marry him. Those people forced her into marriage with Lin Chengshan.

“Forget about that daughter of yours,” Mother Xiao said. “She’s not just yours. Lin Chengshan can’t just ignore her. He has hands and feet and can work. The child will have something to eat.”

“Yes, I understand.” Xiao Man nodded.

Xiao Man didn’t think much about Lin Qingqing. No matter how well-behaved she was, it was of no use. Xiao Man was even annoyed by the need to provide food for Lin Qingqing. When she went out to the market, she had to buy food for Lin Qingqing, which restricted her freedom.

Aunt Lin and Old Lady Lin had a fight and finally, an elderly villager acted as a mediator.

“Look at you two, so old yet fighting like this.” The old woman said, “Here’s the deal: two yuan, one yuan as medical expenses, and the remaining one yuan should be given to the old Lin family.”

“Why?” Old Lady Lin pointed to the scratches on her arm. “She even hit me!”

“If you don’t want it, then don’t take it!” Aunt Lin was unwilling to give Old Lady Lin any money.

“Old Xu family, stop arguing and quickly give the money.” The old woman insisted.

In the end, Aunt Lin could only give one yuan to Old Lady Lin.

For these two yuan, the two of them fought fiercely, and Zhou Laidi stood by, not daring to speak. She hadn’t expected them to actually fight. She hadn’t planned for it.

“Still not leaving?” Old Lady Lin looked at Zhou Laidi after receiving the money. “You are really useless. If you had given me the IOU earlier, would things have turned out this way? You lost a yuan for nothing.”

Old Lady Lin felt that Zhou Laidi hadn’t done a good job. “Are you trying to hide private money?”

“No, no, that’s not it.” Zhou Laidi said.

“If you’re not hiding money, why didn’t you tell me?” Old Lady Lin said. “A hen that doesn’t lay eggs just cackles all day.”

“……” Zhou Laidi was silent. She had originally wanted the money but ended up with nothing.

After Lin Qingqing finished her bath, Lin Chengshan didn’t let her stay alone at home.

Previously, when Lin Chengshan had left Lin Qingqing alone at home, Old Lady Lin took advantage of his absence to try to sell his daughter. Lin Chengshan decided to take Lin Qingqing with him to the town. He had already washed Lin Qingqing’s clothes and hung them out to dry.

Looking at Lin Qingqing’s patched clothes, which were old clothes worn by someone else, Lin Chengshan resolved to buy her several new outfits when they moved to the city.

The village head saw Lin Chengshan and offered some words of comfort. “At least you have a child to think about. You must consider her well. Are you planning to take her with you?”

“Yes, I am taking Qingqing with me,” Lin Chengshan said. “Uncle, I’m going to sell the house.”

“Sell the house?” The village head was surprised. “This house was just built a few years ago.”

“Yes, I want to sell it,” Lin Chengshan said. “One hundred yuan, including the bed, furniture, and bedding. I need to take Qingqing with me and can’t carry all this stuff.”

“Are you not planning to come back?” The village head asked. “Are you going to find your wife?”

“I’m not looking for her anymore,” Lin Chengshan said. “We’re from different worlds.”

“Since that’s the case, why sell the house?” The village head was puzzled. If Lin Chengshan wasn’t planning to be with Xiao Man, why sell the house?

“I suspect that I am not the biological son of the Lin family.” Lin Chengshan said. “They used to help others raise children and have received gifts from them over the years. I heard that I was born only two or three months apart from that child.”

This was not just known to the village head but also to others in the village. The Lin family had received gifts from that family many times.

“The Lin family didn’t want me to join the army, and they also obstructed my marriage. They never wanted me to have a good life,” Lin Chengshan said. “They didn’t want me to join the army because they were afraid I would run into my biological father? Afraid I would hinder the development of their own son?”

Lin Chengshan had this suspicion in his heart and expressed it openly, without hiding his feelings. Since he had been reborn, why should he care about these people’s opinions? He deliberately shared these thoughts with the village head.

“You all know that I don’t look like the Lin family members. The Lin family said I resembled a so-called uncle who went missing. Such a convenient excuse for the missing person, with no comparison to be made. Given all this, shouldn’t I suspect this?”

“Ah.” The village head sighed. Initially, when the Lin family didn’t want Lin Chengshan to join the army, the village head had tried to persuade them, saying it was Lin Chengshan’s duty. If he was selected, he should go. The village head had also intentionally said that if Lin Chengshan didn’t go at that time, it would affect the Lin family, which was why they finally allowed him to go. “Alright, I’ll buy your house.”

The village head had several children who were now grown up, married, and had children of their own. The village head had originally thought that such a big family should split up, and to split up, they needed a house. Without a place to live, how could they divide?

Lin Chengshan’s house was quite good, though not a brick house but a mud house. Such houses were warm in winter and cool in summer, and at a hundred yuan, the price was reasonable, especially with the furniture included.

Lin Chengshan had made sure that the house, initially meant for Xiao Man to live comfortably, had a special bathroom and toilet. The beds, quilts, and other items were all quite nice. The house also had a kettle and other necessities.

“Let’s handle the paperwork tomorrow,” Lin Chengshan said.

Lin Chengshan originally wanted the village head to help find a buyer and settle it quickly.

In his previous life, when Lin Chengshan went to the city without selling the house, the Lin family moved in directly. When Lin Chengshan returned, it took considerable effort to make them move out.

Now, Lin Chengshan wanted to sell the house early, so he could take the money and his daughter to the city. Once in the city, there would be many places to spend money, and his daughter was of the age to start kindergarten.

Lin Qingqing didn’t understand much. She sat aside eating the candy given by the village head’s wife. It was sweet and delicious.

“There’s one more thing I need to trouble you with, Uncle,” Lin Chengshan said. “When we handle the paperwork tomorrow, keep it quiet for now. Once the paperwork is done and we’ve left, you can move in.”

Lin Chengshan thought that once the paperwork was done, it would be fine if the Lin family found out. He didn’t want to waste time with them or argue. If not for his daughter being so young, Lin Chengshan was ready to leave immediately after finishing the paperwork.

“Alright, no problem,” the village head nodded.

The village head didn’t try to persuade Lin Chengshan further. He felt that Lin Chengshan was capable and should be allowed to develop. With the new policies in place, young people wanting to explore outside should be encouraged.

As for the Lin family, the village head agreed with Lin Chengshan’s remarks, though whether or not he was biologically related was hard to say. It was no wonder Lin Chengshan doubted his origins, given how the Lin family treated him.

“After we handle the paperwork tomorrow, we’ll leave the day after,” Lin Chengshan said, already prepared to leave the village. “We’ll stay in the county city tomorrow.”

Lin Chengshan thought that if they arrived at the village the next day, the Lin family might complain. It would be better to go directly to the county city to catch them off guard. Since Lin Chengshan’s household registration had already been separated, he wasn’t worried about the Lin family’s complaints. He also wasn’t afraid of them badmouthing him, as he wasn’t staying in the army anymore.

“So soon?” the village head asked.

“Yes,” Lin Chengshan nodded, looking at his daughter playing in the yard. “Qingqing should start kindergarten soon.”

“Alright,” the village head said. “Although her mother ran away, the child is still well.”

The village head knew that many people abandoned their children. He didn’t think Lin Chengshan was like that. However, he was concerned that Lin Chengshan might be so angry that he might end up abandoning his child in a fit of rage, making it difficult to find her later.

“Qingqing is fine,” Lin Chengshan said. “Uncle, I don’t plan to remarry in this life. I just want to take good care of Qingqing.”

“If you meet someone suitable, you can still get married,” the village head suggested.

“I don’t think so,” Lin Chengshan replied. He believed that his rebirth was to make up for the regrets with his daughter, not for romantic pursuits. Lin Chengshan was afraid that if he wasn’t good enough to his daughter, he would wake up from his dreams and could not continue to stay with her.

The village head didn’t say much more after hearing this. He thought Lin Chengshan would come to understand things eventually.

Having said everything, Lin Chengshan went to the yard and picked up his daughter. “Qingqing, we’re going home.”

“It’s a pity, such a good person as Chengshan, and his wife just left him,” the village head’s wife lamented. “Even a child couldn’t keep his wife’s heart.”

“She will regret it,” the village head said, thinking how good Lin Chengshan was. He wondered if Lin Chengshan would really look for his so-called biological parents. If Lin Chengshan had a better background, would Xiao Man come back? “Tomorrow, I need to go out early to cook. It’s fine if I haven’t eaten. I’ll eat when I come back.”

At the Xiao family, Mother Xiao was introducing a man to Xiao Man. “This man is a relative of the Ji family, a high school graduate who works as a manager in a factory. He has a son and a daughter from his deceased wife. Since you’re a second marriage and older, he’s a suitable match for you.”

***

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