Making money, taking exams and supporting the family

chapter 12: Original owner's identity

The people in the village were all astonished as they witnessed the dramatic twists and turns of the Lin family’s household drama today. Even Li Laofu and a few other elders stood rooted to the spot, looking at each other with a sense of unease.

Only the elderly man and woman who were hiding in the yard heard the conversation, and the color of their faces slightly changed color. They dared not look at Chen Shuju, who was silenced, let alone at their son who was now furious but laughing sarcastically. They felt guilty, lowered their heads, and pretended to be deaf and mute.

“No, it’s impossible. Wasn’t Jiang Rongniang unable to bear children due to her health issues?”
Chen Shuju shook her head, unable to explain, refusing to believe it.
She was well aware of Jiang Rongniang’s existence, Lin Sangui’s original wife.

Initially, her aunt, who was the Old Lady Lin, wanted her to marry Lin Sangui and become his wife. She had always liked her cousin Lin Sangui, but unexpectedly, he fell for Jiang Rongniang and went against his mother’s wishes, personally arranging the marriage through a matchmaker.
She held a grudge against Jiang Rongniang for a long time because of this. It was difficult to find someone who could match her (CSJ) feisty personality, so marrying her capable cousin was the best option.

However, her resentment subsided when the doctor later confirmed that Jiang Rongniang had difficulties with childbirth. As a result, she tried to please her aunt, and after some commotion, the Old Lady made the decision to let Lin Sangui divorce Jiang Rongniang, forcing him to marry her instead.

These matters were not a secret in the village; everyone knew about them. However, the true identity of Lin Ze was still unclear to everyone.
“Lin Ze is indeed the son of both Rongniang and me. My parents are aware of this as well. It was only after Rongniang was divorced that we discovered she was pregnant.”
Since things had reached this point, Lin Sangui no longer had any reservations and began to despondently recount the events of the past.

…

The entire situation in the Lin family was not actually that complicated; it was simply the result of feudal thinking causing trouble.
Originally, the elderly mother did not like Rongniang as her daughter-in-law. After the young couple got married, one day, upon hearing the doctor’s diagnosis that Rongniang could not conceive, she seized the opportunity and decided to send her back to her parents’ home using seven specific reasons for divorce.

Lin Sangui, of course, objected vehemently and despised his mother, but in the wicked feudal society, he had no way to defy the elderly mother.

He did consider bringing Rongniang back, but the Jiang family was also ruthless. They took his mother’s money and married off their daughter to someone else the very next day, far away where he could not find her even if he tried.

Later, under pressure from his family, he reluctantly married Chen Shuju, and with the Old Lady’s medication (aphrodisiac), they consummated the marriage. The die was cast.
Since then, Lin Sangui had been greatly affected, until one day when someone from the Jiang family quietly brought a baby to him, claiming it was his flesh and blood. That was when he found out that Rongniang was already pregnant when she was divorced.

“This child was born to you by Rongniang enduring beatings and abuse from her new husband’s family. He is the blood of your Lin family. Ten taels of silver, if you don’t give it to us, we’ll sell him to someone else.”
Even their daughter was married off casually, so it was natural that the Jiang family had ulterior motives when they came with the baby, seeking to extort money.

The child was indeed from the Lin family; his features resembled Lin Sangui’s own. He could not ignore his own biological son, so he brought the child home. Coincidentally, Chen Shuju was experiencing a difficult delivery and gave birth to a stillborn, so it was only logical for Lin Ze to be recognized as part of the family.