Making money, taking exams and supporting the family

chapter 14: There are visitors at the door

After having breakfast, there was no rush to tidy up the luggage in the house, so Lin Ze took Zhang Xiu directly to the old house to clean up.
Passing by the courtyard, they could hear Lin Sangui’s angry voice and Chen Shuju’s crying from the bedroom in the east wing. They faintly heard the words “family property.” It seemed that Chen Shuju was still putting up a final struggle.

Although Lin Sangui did not like Chen Shuju, he had been good to her over the years. The money and deeds of the house were all kept by the wife.

If it were another couple, their lives would have been peaceful in another household. But for a woman like Chen Shuju, it was a disaster. She only fueled the other party’s arrogance and temper, without understanding the ways of husband and wife.
It was only because Lin Sangui was honest/modest that he allowed the other party to be so arrogant for many years.

Lin Ze was not affected by the noisy atmosphere and happily held his wife’s hand as they headed towards the old house.

Although he had some understanding of this world through the memories of the original owner, actually witnessing it was a different feeling.
Heba Village was considered a relatively well-off village within a hundred miles, but the sights he saw along the way were even more backward than the impoverished rural areas he had seen in modern times.

There was not even a single house with blue bricks (clay bricks). The best ones were made of adobe bricks (dry mixture of clay, sand and straws) and tiles, while most of them were mud-walled thatched cottages, clearly reflecting the words “poor” and “hardship.”

Most of the villagers were dark-skinned and thin, clearly hardworking farmers. Their clothes were patched up, but fortunately, there had been no wars in the country for the past ten years. Although the living conditions were not good, they were stable, and their spirits were good. The people were warm and welcoming.

On the way, Lin Ze encountered villagers who greeted and teased him for holding his husband’s hand, but he did not let go. Instead, he sighed and responded to them.

“I was the one who was bad before. Ah Xiu is truly foolish. Now I know how good he is, everyone, if I ever make the mistake of bullying Ah Xiu again, you all must teach me a lesson and not hold back.”

“That’s right. Xiu Ger is the most capable and obedient person in the village. You must treat him well. Otherwise, based on what you just said, we, as your uncles and aunts, will have to teach you a lesson…”
Most people in the village were simple-minded, whether Lin Ze’s words were casual or not, they took them seriously.

Xiu Ger had a tough life since childhood. His father died early, and as an orphan with a widowed mother, he did not receive good care. Instead, he worked like a horse for the Zhang family and endured constant scolding.
After growing up, he was married off without any consideration for his wishes, continuing to live a life of being beaten and scolded every day. No one in the village could help but felt pity for him.

People have compassion in their hearts, and Zhang Xiu and his mother had a good reputation in the village, so many people stood up for them.
Lin Ze knew all of this from his memories. He could not stop it before he arrived, but now that Zhang Xiu was his wife, he would not let Ah Xiu suffer anymore.

“You’re right, uncle and aunt. I will take good care of Ah Xiu from now on.”

No amount of talking could compare to taking earnest action. (Doing is better than speaking) Lin Ze smiled warmly and greeted the villagers on the road, never letting go of Zhang Xiu’s hand.

He did not feel a hint of shyness; instead, he had an expression of pride.

Zhang Xiu secretly stole glances at him several times, and his ears turned slightly red.