Chapter 267 - 265: The Lin Family

Chapter 267: Chapter 265: The Lin Family

"This was a perfectly willing arrangement, but Cao Cao, I feel like you’re treating me like some human trafficker. Hmph! Can’t you tell who’s on your side, you little traitor?"

Seeing Cao Cao—floating before her, invisible to everyone else—cover its face, Gu Nuan Nuan feigned annoyance. While Lin Qiao wasn’t looking, she grabbed it and tossed it back into its Companion Space. Out of sight, out of mind. Having Lin Qiao sign that "deed of sale" hadn’t been premeditated; it was just a spur-of-the-moment idea. ’To her, the future was still an unknown. Who could say for sure right now whether Lin Qiao would prove capable?’

However, Gu Nuan Nuan’s opinion began to change after she met Lin Qiao’s parents and two younger sisters. Lin Qiao’s parents both seemed like remarkably honest and good-natured people.

Lin Qiao’s father, in particular, rubbed his hands together awkwardly when he saw the oil and apples Gu Nuan Nuan had brought. "You shouldn’t have," he said as he accepted the gifts. "Just having you over is more than enough." Lin Qiao’s mother nodded in agreement. "That’s right. Lin Qiao, why didn’t you make it clear to your classmate? You’re just here for a casual meal, there was no need to bring anything."

"I forgot to tell her. I thought she knew, but who knew she’s never been a guest before!" Lin Qiao said, sticking her tongue out. Her parents were clearly taken aback by her words but didn’t press the matter. Lin Qiao’s two younger sisters were still little; one looked to be about six or seven, the other only four or five. When they saw the bag of big, rosy-red apples Gu Nuan Nuan had brought, their faces filled with longing and they couldn’t stop gulping, yet they were so well-behaved that neither of them clamored for one.

’To buy a good pig, you first check the sty.’ Gu Nuan Nuan thought. ’And it seems this sty is a good one.’ The children’s good manners showed that their parents weren’t greedy people. So, when she overheard Lin Qiao’s mother pull her daughter aside and quietly scold her for not being clear and causing her classmate to spend money, Gu Nuan Nuan nodded to herself in approval.

"Mom, where did we put the bags? I told you yesterday I was taking Nuannuan to dig for bamboo shoots today," Lin Qiao said as she started searching around for them.

"You’re going to dig for bamboo shoots?" Hearing this, Lin Qiao’s mother also began looking for bags. After a moment of thought, she added, "In that case, dig some extra. I’ll have your father go help bring them back later. Your uncle is bringing some colleagues and friends over today, so they can take some home with them tonight."

"Okay." Lin Qiao agreed. She grabbed a bundle of three or four rolled-up fertilizer bags and a hoe, then found a small hand shovel for Gu Nuan Nuan. With everything in hand, she started to pull Gu Nuan Nuan out the door.

"Big Sister, I want to go too!" Lin Qiao’s sister, Lin Long, quickly cried out.

"Me too! I want to go too!" her youngest sister, Lin He, added, trotting over.

"No, you’re staying home," Lin Qiao refused without a second thought. "Don’t go, you two. The steamed cakes will be ready soon, and Mom will get you some to eat first," their mother said, beckoning to her two younger daughters.

Lin Qiao’s two younger sisters hesitated.

"Be good girls. Your cousins from Grandma’s house will be here soon. Don’t you want to play with them?" their mother continued to coax. Lin Long and Lin He finally nodded slowly, though their faces still showed their reluctance.

Gu Nuan Nuan couldn’t help but smile. She’d taken a liking to the two children, and ’what child doesn’t have a sweet tooth?’ she thought. Her storage ring happened to be filled with snacks, so she pretended to rummage through her pocket. She pulled out two bars of chocolate and a few White Rabbit creamy candies, then crouched down and offered them to Lin Long and Lin He.

The two girls’ eyes lit up. They looked up at their mother, who wiped her hands on her apron. She glanced at Gu Nuan Nuan, hesitated for a second, then gave a slight nod. "Well? Go on and thank your big sister."

"Thank you, Big Sister."

"Thank you, Big Sister."

Lin Long and Lin He were instantly overjoyed. They happily accepted the chocolate and candy, cupping them carefully in their hands. After their loud thank-yous, they scampered over to their mother, holding up their treats as if presenting precious treasures for her to see. Lin Qiao’s mother smiled and gently patted their heads.

"Let’s go."

As Lin Qiao pulled Gu Nuan Nuan out the door, she didn’t forget to explain, "They’re still too little to come along, and besides, we have to dig a lot of bamboo shoots. Mom wants to have enough for everyone to take some home with them tonight. We don’t really have any other nice things to offer as gifts. Mom also said they’ll dig more tomorrow to pickle. We’ll send some over to your family then. You have no idea how delicious my mom’s pickled bamboo shoots are! Every year when she sells them, people are scrambling to buy them. I’m sure you’ll love them once you try them."

"So, can anyone just go and dig for bamboo shoots in your village’s grove?" Gu Nuan Nuan asked, confused.

"Of course not! Our family has the lease on that grove. We can’t just let other people go and dig as they please," Lin Qiao said, her eyes widening at Gu Nuan Nuan as she laughed. "My mom’s the one who knows how to pickle bamboo shoots, so she was the one who encouraged my dad to lease the grove. Nowadays, most of our family’s income comes from selling bamboo and bamboo shoots."

"So how’s the profit each year?" Gu Nuan Nuan asked, glancing at Lin Qiao. Recalling that their house was only a single story, she already had a feeling she knew the answer.

"Not very good." Sure enough, a dejected look washed over Lin Qiao’s face, and she shook her head. "My grandparents were against my parents leasing the grove from the start. They said it would never make money. But my mom didn’t listen; she insisted on convincing my dad to lease it anyway. Unfortunately, they eventually found out that the income from the grove really wasn’t that great. Now, my grandmother and my uncles all laugh at my parents behind their backs. They say my dad is a fool who listens to his wife instead of his elders, and that it serves him right for suffering the consequences now."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Thankfully, my dad is a good-tempered man. Even with all this, he’s never said a single word of blame to my mom. And whenever my grandma picks on Mom, he always helps her and takes her side. That’s why my mom always says that even though she met a man who isn’t very capable and can’t earn a lot of money to give us a good life, she has no regrets. My dad dotes on his wife, and he’s never been disappointed that he only has daughters. In that respect, he’s already so much better than most men."

"Having a father like that sounds wonderful. So why are you still sighing?" Gu Nuan Nuan asked, curious.

"How could I not sigh? Among all my dad’s siblings, our family is the poorest. On top of that, we don’t have a son, yet my father still protects my mom and us girls. Because of that, my grandparents like him the least, and they look down on our whole family. When they divided the family property back then, my grandparents were completely unfair. They secretly gave all the money and good things to their other sons. In the end, my mom and dad were kicked out with almost nothing. It doesn’t stop there. Whenever my aunts come back to visit, there’s never a share for our family in the gifts they bring... It’s not that we covet their things, it’s just that their behavior is so infuriatingly unjust. That’s why my mom wanted to lease the grove—to make some money and regain a little dignity. But... Sigh... now that our family is like this, I can only imagine how much my grandmother and uncles are gloating behind our backs."