Making money, taking exams and supporting the family

chapter 11: Separating and cutting off family ties

Lin Sangui did not expect his wife to be capable of such a thing.

He had always known that Chen Shuju was not a virtuous and reasonable woman. She was unreasonable and hot-tempered, but since he had married her and she had borne him children, as long as she did not cross his bottom line, he tolerated all of Chen Shuju's faults.

But his bottom line was his eldest son, and Chen Shuju had completely crossed that line by sacrificing his future for the sake of their second son.

"Li Laoge, I want to divorce this woman, and you, you will testify for me..."

Lin Sangui covered his chest, gasping for breath, almost fainting from anger.

Chen Shuju was stunned upon hearing these words. Her husband had mentioned divorcing her before, but it had only been said within the confines of their home. Lin Sangui cherished the reputation of the Lin family, and unless he genuinely meant it, he would not speak recklessly in front of others.

The last time Lin Sangui had talked about divorce with the village chief was when she wanted to send Lin Ze away for adoption.

This time, Chen Shuju was genuinely panicked. She was more anxious than when she faced the accusation of being partial and cruel. At her age, being sent back to her parents' home was no different from being forced to death.

"No, you, as the head of the household, cannot divorce me. I, I know I was wrong. It was my momentary confusion. Sangui, you can't divorce me. If our second son has a divorced mother, how will he face others when taking the imperial examination..."

Chen Shuju quickly burst into tears and pleaded instead of causing a scene. She even brought their son into the conversation, begging for mercy.

It wasn't that she was clever, but she understood Lin Sangui's temperament. He never really valued her in his heart. All these years, he had only indulged her for the sake of their children's reputation. Providing for their son's success was also Lin Sangui's wish.

But this time, she miscalculated. In Lin Sangui's heart, the position of the eldest son was much more significant than she had imagined.

"You only think about the second child, what about the eldest? Have you considered what would happen to the eldest in the future when you did those things? I don't know how much money we have in the family, whether we can afford to educate several children. Even if it's not enough, I'm willing to work and support both children's education. How could you ruin the eldest's future like this?"

Lin Sangui's eyes turned red as he spoke, resembling the despair Lin Ze had shown earlier.

Only, Lin Ze's despair was intentionally acted, while Lin Sangui's distress and despair were genuine. It was his indulgence that gave Chen Shuju such audacity. Could the eldest son not feel some resentment despite his words of not blaming him?

"But, but he wasted many years of his education. Even if you divorce me now, he won't be able to pass the imperial examination. Sangui, I know I was wrong, even if you blame me, you should also consider the second son. Now our family's hopes lie with the second son..."

Although Chen Shuju's expression showed remorse, her tone was somewhat manipulative.

She still had a promising second son. For the sake of his (LJW) reputation, Lin Sangui could not divorce her. The village chief and the elders would not agree either. One scholar had already been ruined, would they be willing to ruin another one?

Li Laofu and the elders stared at Chen Shuju with unpleasant expressions but had no choice but to help plead her case.

"Head of the Lin family, let's forget about divorcing your wife. What this woman said makes sense. The township exam is about to come. If word spreads, it will have a great impact. Let's send this woman to work in the ancestral hall for two years, so that she can reflect on herself..."