Good Man Operation Guide

Chapter 150: Ancient Farmer's Son (7)

Throughout the day, Mother Lin had something on her mind, mainly her youngest son’s plan to sell the copied books in the county town. She worried that something might go wrong.

Previously, when Father Lin wasn’t bedridden, Mother Lin never allowed her son to earn money using his scholarly identity. On one hand, she felt that as an educated person, he shouldn’t profit from trivial things. On the other hand, she was concerned that he would focus too much on making money and neglect his studies.

This morning, she discovered that her son had secretly copied books to earn money for the household expenses. Her heart felt warm and yet bitter at the same time.

If it weren’t for them giving away most of the family’s possessions to their unfilial eldest and second sons, the youngest son wouldn’t have to endure such hardships.

From childhood to adulthood, he had only immersed himself in studying. Now, for the first time, he was copying books to earn money. Would he be deceived by others?

Eager to see her youngest son as soon as possible, Mother Lin didn’t work in the fields today. Instead, she sat at the entrance of the courtyard, occasionally standing up anxiously to look outside. Her hands absentmindedly sewed shoe insoles.

In comparison, although Li Lanlan also worried about her husband, her absolute confidence in him brought a sense of calmness to her heart. She sat next to her mother-in-law, diligently sewing a long green robe.

The triennial provincial examination was approaching, and Lin Shiheng would have to go to the capital to participate in the exam. Mother Lin worried that her son would be looked down upon if he didn’t dress well outside. Even in their difficult situation, she mustered up the courage to go to the county and bought some good fabric, which she handed over to Li Lanlan to make a garment.

Li Lanlan was skilled in needlework, and now that she was sewing her own husband’s clothes, she put even more care into it than when sewing her own. Every stitch was meticulously and tightly done.

Because her two sons were unfilial, Mother Lin regarded her only filial son as a precious treasure. To please her, it was simple, just treat her son well.

Therefore, in Mother Lin’s eyes, Li Lanlan’s attentive demeanor made her appear as an incredibly virtuous daughter-in-law.

Furthermore, she was nothing like the wives of the eldest and second sons, lazy and unable to handle household chores inside and outside. Every time, without needing a word, Li Lanlan would already be immersed in her work, completely contrasting with the two on the other side who would only start doing anything after being scolded by the eldest and second sons. Mother Lin felt even more satisfied in her heart, thinking about that.

Thinking about her youngest son, Mother Lin absentmindedly sewed a few stitches on the shoe. She turned her head and kindly told Li Lanlan, “Lan Lan, are you tired? Why don’t you go rest in the house for a while?”

Li Lanlan shook the clothes in her hand and smiled, “It’s just making a shirt. I’m not tired.”

“Mother, would you like some water? Shall I bring you a bowl?”

Surprisingly, after working for such a long time, Mother Lin was indeed thirsty. Seeing her agree, Li Lanlan carefully placed the clothes down and went inside to fetch some water.

The flaw of their house was that it used to be a big house. Although they had separated now, if someone in one room wanted to observe the activities in another, it was all too visible. Mother Lin and Li Lanlan sitting together at the entrance of the house all day long, the granddaughters-in-law left behind by the eldest and second families could see everything clearly.

They didn’t have the courage to treat Mother Lin like their own grandmother, so they always kept their heads down and focused on their own tasks. Occasionally, they would catch a glimpse of how Mother Lin smiled at Li Lanlan and spoke kindly to her, which stirred a hint of envy in their hearts.

The wives of the eldest and second sons treated their own husbands with kindness and respect, carefully serving and were also very kind to their sons. But when it came to their own daughters-in-law, they wished they could lie in bed and have their daughters-in-law serve their every need.

Observing Li Lanlan’s complexion, the expression on the eldest daughter-in-law’s face changed several times.

During this period, Li Lanlan had been eating and drinking well. Her mother-in-law was satisfied with her, and although her husband didn’t talk much, he was considerate in his actions. Moreover, with counter to her father’s actions at hand, her mood was exceptionally good, and she had no interest in bothering with those who didn’t matter.

Considering all that, her complexion had improved significantly compared to before she got married. Her face even had a bit more flesh, making her even more beautiful.

In the eyes of the eldest daughter-in-law, these changes were attributed to Mother Lin treating her well.

It was the same as that day with those eggs, she couldn’t help but feel extremely envious, yet she could only watch Lin Shiheng put spoonful after spoonful into Li Lanlan’s bowl.

Furthermore, just yesterday, the third family had fish for their meal. When she caught a whiff of the fishy aroma, she stood by the wall and secretly listened. It was said that Lin Shiheng and Li Lanlan came back from a visit and, feeling bored at home, brought out some books and a fishing rod. They fished by the river while reading, and they actually caught two big fat fish.

Mother Lin made fish soup, and the family enjoyed a delicious meal. While they were savoring the meal, the fragrant aroma wafted over to the neighboring rooms, enticing the other two households. Even the little grandson made a fuss and demanded to have some several times.

The eldest daughter-in-law couldn’t believe the nonsense about Lin Shiheng catching the fish. He used to hate those fishy things the most. It was strange for him to go fishing by the river. Who knows, maybe he wanted to eat fish and used the family’s money to buy them outside. Perhaps he mode up lies because he was afraid of being scolded by Mother Lin.

Even if she thought that way, she couldn’t help but feel as if a cat had scratched her heart, causing great discomfort.

She also wanted to eat chicken, and she also wanted to eat fish.

They had originally separated the households to get rid of the burden, Lin Shiheng, the money-consuming scholar, and Father Lin, the father-in-law who required medical care and medication. Clearly, they had successfully achieved their goals, but after the separation, they, who no longer had a source of support, were suffering and living frugally every day. On the other hand, the third family, which should have been living in hardship, was living so comfortably. Even the newly wedded daughter-in-law living there seemed to be leading a better life than her.

The eldest daughter-in-law felt a sourness in her heart. After she finished scolding, she saw her daughter-in-law bowing her head and working, while nobody in the neighboring third family paid any attention to her. This made her even more uncomfortable.

Feeling distressed, her mind heated up, and she ignored her previous reprimand from her husband. She directly addressed her daughter-in-law with a scolding tone, saying, “Even though your eldest daughter is still young, you should start looking for a good husband’s family early on. It doesn’t matter who you find, just never let her marry a scholar. Even if they study for ten thousand years, they still won’t bring money into the household.”

Mother Lin couldn’t stand hearing that. She slammed the shoe in her hand on the ground and stood up with a fierce expression on her face.

Before she could get angry, she heard her son’s gentle voice echoing from a distance.

“Mother!”

Lin Shiheng walked quickly and arrived at the door. Without taking rest, he immediately handed over two jewelry boxes in his hand and smiled, saying, “I made some money from copying books and bought two gold jewelry pieces for you, Mother. Take a look and see if you like them.”

As he spoke, his slender hand opened the wooden boxes.

Under the sunlight, the sparkling gold jewelry almost blinded the eyes of the eldest daughter-in-law.