Old Man Lin and Old Woman Lin couldn’t sleep either.

They heard Lin Yongjia’s voice from outside: “Dad, it’s me, open the door.”

“Yongjia, why aren’t you sleeping and running out here?” Old Man Lin sat up.

“Dad… open the door, please!”

After opening the door, Old Man Lin looked guilty, and when he saw that Lin Yongye’s door was still closed, he allowed Lin Yongjia to enter, closing the door quietly behind him.

Once inside, Lin Yongjia knelt down on the floor.

He grabbed Old Man Lin’s leg and started crying.

“Dad, I’ve lived for thirty years, and this is my only chance. Please, have mercy on me. I’d rather be killed by the second son than live my life unable to rise again.”

“Dad, I really want this chance!”

“Please, have some pity on me!”

His crying was sincere, and before Old Man Lin could say anything, Old Woman Lin was already moved.

She got out of bed, crying, and tried to help Lin Yongjia up.

“Yongjia, it’s not that we don’t want to help you, but we really can’t. If we don’t give in, the second son will really hurt you. What do you want us to do?”

“Mom…” Lin Yongjia cried even harder.

“My son!”

The mother and son embraced, crying together, but they had to keep their voices down so they wouldn’t wake Lin Yongye.

Old Man Lin walked around the room restlessly. It was supposed to be a good thing, but now the whole family was falling apart. And the third son was so unreliable that he had no choice but to sacrifice the eldest son’s future. He was furious at the two little beasts—they were pushing him to his limits!

Lin Yongjia continued crying.

“You don’t know how much I envy the third son. He has a future. Everyone on the team praises him. Everyone says he’s the most promising young man in our village.”

“As for me? I’m his older brother, but I can’t compare to him. We have the same parents, but I don’t look as good as him, I’m not as strong as him, and I’m not as capable. Every time I hear others say that we’re brothers, I ask myself why I can’t be like the third son, and it breaks my heart…”

“This is the only hope I’ve had in my life. I don’t want to give up.”

“Dad, Mom, please have mercy on me!”

Old Man Lin also felt sympathy for his son.

But he didn’t want to end up alone in his old age, nor did he want to sacrifice his son’s life.

“Yongjia, listen to me, let’s just pretend the news about the third son didn’t come through.”

Let’s act as though this job opportunity never existed—it will be easier on our hearts.

But Lin Yongjia wouldn’t accept that!

He picked up the kitchen knife from the floor and pressed it against his neck, crying even more pitifully.

“Dad, that’s my future. How can I pretend I didn’t hear about it?”

“The second son forced me to give up my future. I’d rather you take my life!”

“I’m an unfilial son. I’ll make you live to see your gray hair bury your son. I hope in my next life, I can be your son again. I won’t make it hard on you next time.”

Lin Yongjia made a move as if to cut his throat with the knife.

Old Woman Lin immediately pounced on him and grabbed his wrist, “My son! You’re digging out my heart! What will your father and I do if you’re gone? Why are you so stubborn!”

“Mom… I have no other choice!”

The mother and son cried together again.

Old Man Lin’s tears also fell. He understood Lin Yongjia’s envy of Lin Yongcheng. He could relate to the feelings of inferiority he felt when facing Bai Shu, and he could empathize with him.

Born of the same parents, one is the sky, and the other is the ground. Can the mind find balance?

“Stop crying.” He wiped away his tears, and his shoulders slumped. “I’ll go find the third brother tomorrow and think of another way. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll have the second brother go into the city too. The money for work will be considered a loan, and you’ll pay it back with your salary.”

Lin Yongjia was finally satisfied, but the act still had to continue.

“Dad, I’ve embarrassed you!”

“You should go to bed. I’ll look for the third brother tomorrow.”

Once Lin Yongjia left, Old Lin seemed to age ten years overnight.

“Ah, children are debts!”

Lin Yongcheng had long flown away, but Lin Yongjia was still enduring. Finally, there was a chance. If he didn’t help, Old Lin would regret it for the rest of his life.

Four hundred yuan, he gritted his teeth and could manage that.

Eight hundred was impossible; he’d have to use those things.

That night, Old Lin and Old Mrs. Lin cursed their children all night.

…

The next day, the drama at the Lin family was known by some.

Though outsiders didn’t know what happened, the noise when Lin Yongye chopped with a knife wasn’t small. In the end, how it calmed down, no one knew.

It inevitably reminded people of the recent bloodshed at the Lin Yongdong family.

Outsiders speculated that Lin Yongjia had done something excessive, pushing Lin Yongye to a breaking point.

When Lin Yongcheng heard the rumors, he couldn’t help but shake his head. “Deserved! How much could the second brother endure before? Now, for a job, the whole family’s falling apart.”

It was the old couple’s favoritism causing this.

If they had treated things fairly, there wouldn’t have been such a mess.

“I feel a bit guilty, what should I do?” Bai Ji sighed, “I suggested the four hundred yuan. If I hadn’t stirred things up, everything would have been fine.”

“What’s it got to do with you? They were the ones eyeing your job.”

“True, they brought it on themselves.”

Bai Ji relaxed and let Xiao Baiguo munch on some melon seeds.

Wow, my villain parents are amazing!!

Just a few words, and they’ve stirred up all this chaos in the Lin family.

Even if they never become villains in this lifetime, their villain aura still shines, and their ability to cause trouble is top-notch!

Quick, praise them! Praise them for me!!

With so much drama in the Lin family, Old Lin showing up was expected.

Lin Yongcheng even offered him an opportunity, taking Xiao Bai Guo for a walk.

Another melon to eat, and Xiao Bai Guo finally smiled at him.

Lin Yongcheng scratched her little nose.

“Little lazybones, why so happy today? This is the first time you’ve given me a good face!”

Before, she either peed on him or ignored him.

Today, she smiled at him—so rare!

Lin Yongcheng felt a bit flattered.

They walked for a few minutes, and soon ran into Old Lin, who was waiting.

“Dad, what are you doing here?” Lin Yongcheng greeted him first.

“Why do you think I’m here? Don’t you know?” Old Lin’s eyes were bloodshot, and he almost wanted to slap Lin Yongcheng, but remembering how ruthless Lin Yongcheng could be, he held back. “I need to talk to you about something. Let’s find a quiet place.”

“Alright, let’s talk on the mountain.”

They went to the tea tree from last night.

The shade under the tree was quite cool.

Xiao Baiguo yawned on Lin Yongcheng’s shoulder.

She was getting a bit sleepy.

When Old Lin started speaking, she woke up.

“Are you intentionally causing trouble?”

“What trouble did I cause?” Lin Yongcheng feigned innocence, acting like an angel, “Last night, the second brother came to find me. He said you were trying to take Bai Ji’s job for the Lin Yongjia family. I saw he misunderstood you, so I just explained a bit.”

Old Lin got even angrier.

This little brat was just adding fuel to the fire! It would have been better if he hadn’t explained at all!

“Enough, stop fooling me.”

“Dad, I can’t accept that. I’ve never gone looking for you guys. As for the job in the city, I thought four hundred yuan was too expensive, and the family might not be able to afford it, so I didn’t bring it up. If my mom hadn’t gone to ask Bai Ji, nothing would’ve happened.”

The implication was, they brought this on themselves!

Didn’t they? They were eyeing someone else’s stuff, and there’s a price to pay!

Old Lin didn’t want to hear this.

He was sure Lin Yongcheng had started the trouble and only wanted to believe that outcome. Otherwise, would he admit his own failure?

Even if they brought it on themselves, Lin Yongcheng had to bear the blame!

“Enough, I don’t want to hear your explanation. You just can’t stand seeing your older brother doing well!” Old Lin shouted again, “If this was your trouble, then you can lend me four hundred yuan to send both your brothers into the city. I’ll forgive you!”

The gossipers were stunned!

Xiao Baiguo slowly turned her head and stared at Old Lin’s shameless face.

Such an unashamed old man, a perfect match for Old Mrs. Lin.

They truly are a pair!

Lin Yongcheng looked at him like, “Are you joking?”

“Dad, do you think I’m an idiot? Forget it, I won’t mention the job. I’ll go ask Uncle Changjin if his son wants it.”

Team leader Lin Changjin had some savings and could definitely afford the four hundred yuan.

In a rural place like this, four hundred yuan was quite a bit. But the opportunity to go to the city was rare—compared to a job in the city, is four hundred yuan a lot?!

When Old Lin heard that, he got anxious.

“Don’t go!” he shouted.

“You don’t want to pay, but you don’t want anyone else to either?”

“Fine, you just want to force me, right?” Old Lin’s temples were throbbing, and finally, he spat out, “I’ll pay this money!”

“Dad, looks like you’ve got some savings?” Lin Yongcheng looked him up and down.

“Shut up!” Old Lin shouted again, “You wait here!”

“Alright, I’ll be quiet!” Lin Yongcheng shrugged nonchalantly, then added, “Hurry up, I’m with the kid, she’ll get hungry soon.”

Old Lin gave Xiao Baiguo a cold look.

Little brat! Just here to collect debts!!

“You looking at my daughter? If you scare her, you’ll be fishing her out of the river tomorrow!”

Lin Yongcheng was worried Old Lin might frighten Xiao Baiguo, so he tried to cover her eyes, but she wasn’t scared at all and even tilted her head at Old Lin.

Old Lin left.

Lin Yongcheng knew he was going to get something, but didn’t consider following him.

That old man was very crafty.

After so many years, he hadn’t taken those things out.

If Lin Yongye hadn’t caused a commotion, forcing him to act, those things might have been hidden for a lifetime.

The situation was tense outside. If there were good things, they couldn’t take them out—it would invite trouble.

Old Lin had no connections to sell them, so he could only hold onto them tightly.

…

After waiting for almost half an hour, Xiao Baiguo yawned again.

There were mosquitoes in the woods, and mountain mosquitoes were more vicious than house mosquitoes.

A bite left a bump, painful and itchy.

Children’s skin is delicate, and mountain mosquitoes were even more uncomfortable for her.

While waiting, Xiao Baiguo got several red bumps.

“Daddy shouldn’t have brought you out. Let’s go home now, we’re not waiting anymore!” Lin Yongcheng’s patience was running thin, let Old Lin get anxious!

They had just walked a few steps when Old Lin’s voice came from behind.

“Third son, wait!” He was running, his voice still a bit out of breath.

“I’ve been waiting for you for more than half an hour!” Lin Yongcheng replied impatiently. When he turned around, he saw Old Lin holding some clothes, something wrapped inside.

“What is this? People want money, not stuff!”

“I know they want money,” Old Lin said, catching his breath. “These are good things I got when I was young. I couldn’t come up with eight hundred yuan, and I don’t know anyone outside, so I can only exchange these things.”

Old Lin unwrapped the clothes, revealing a redwood jewelry box.

He opened the small clasp, and inside were two pairs of gold-inlaid jade earrings, a gold bracelet, and three small yellow fish—all valuable but not much.

Lin Yongcheng shook his head. “Dad, forget it. This is too risky. If something happens to me, what about my wife and kids? Are you going to raise them for me?”

“You’re also a son of the Lin family; you should do your part. If you won’t help with the money, I won’t force you, but you won’t even help exchange these things for some money?”

“The risk is too high! I’m not doing it!”

“You want me to beg you?” Old Lin, who had been yelling at Lin Yongcheng, was now holding something shameful, unable to yell because they were in a secluded spot. He could only speak softly: “Lin Yongcheng, I’m your real father!”

To push Old Lin to this point, Lin Yongcheng felt quite proud.

He was willing to help retrieve these things for a benefactor, but he couldn’t be too proactive. If he acted too eager, Old Lin wouldn’t appreciate it and might think he was taking a cut.

“Dad, I have a family to support.” Lin Yongcheng shook his head. “My child is still young. If something happens to me, it will be a stain on them.”

“Third son, I’ve never begged anyone in my life.”

“Dad… don’t say that.”

“You want me to kneel and beg you?”

“Dad…”

“Will you help or not?”

At this point, Old Lin had no other choice. Both his sons at home were pressuring him, and this one outside wasn’t considering him at all.

Old Lin’s tears started flowing.

“Third son, just pity me a little. If there were any other way, I wouldn’t come to you. Pity your two older brothers and the other children at home. You have a bright future. Your children won’t have to worry about the future.”

“We don’t…”

“Father,” Lin Yongcheng’s face finally showed a trace of emotion.

Under the expectant gaze of Old Man Lin, he reluctantly gave in.

“The city people are also hiding and sneaking around. We’re in a hurry to make a move, so we might be undercut. These good things might not fetch a good price. Let’s not spoil them. Let’s save them for the next generation. When times get better, they can exchange them for money.”

Little Bai Guo’s face remained expressionless.

If she didn’t know the inside story, she might have believed it!

The villainous father not only had great acting skills, but also understood Old Man Lin’s intentions perfectly, forcing him to take the initiative and give him these valuable items.

Tsk… Luckily, she was born into the villain’s family!

If she had been born into the protagonist’s group, she’d probably be a salted fish turned into a dead fish!

After Lin Yongcheng reluctantly gave in, how could Old Man Lin let him retract?

“Father knows you’re in a difficult position. We’re in urgent need of money, so it’s unavoidable to be undercut.” Old Man Lin took a jade pendant out of his pocket and placed it into the jewelry box before closing the lid. “Add this jade pendant. You bring me back four hundred yuan!”

Lin Yongcheng hesitated for a while.

“Father, you must promise me, just this once! I can’t risk it a second time, and I don’t want my wife and children to live with a stain on their lives forever!”

“Just this once!” Old Man Lin agreed readily.

Lin Yongcheng took the jewelry box with a serious expression.

“You wait at home for my news!”