Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Chapter 14 Lin Yi Gets Beaten
Lin Yi prepared the sweet potato porridge and even splurged two eggs to bring to Chen Wenjun.

"Eat it while it's hot, it'll be dawn soon, let's go for a walk in the vegetable garden."

Lin Yi had overheard his daughter's conversation with Chen Wenjun. The way the two spoke so naturally made them seem more like an old married couple than strangers.

He believed that his daughter and Chen Wenjun had nothing to do with each other, but as a father, he had to consider his daughter's feelings and didn't want her to get too close to Chen Wenjun.

Chen Wenjun had no idea of ​​Lin Yi's plans. After breakfast, he went out with Lin Yi.

Lin Qin helped clean the table and washed the fish that Chen Wenjun had brought.

That noon, the family still drank fish soup.

The next morning, Lin Yi got up and found a fish in the kitchen, and even some more snails, which made him frown.

When Lin Qin woke up, he couldn't help but whisper to her.

"I told Chen Wenjun yesterday not to send any more, but he still sent an extra pot of snails. I'm so angry!"

Lin Qin was speechless. "Dad! You're not happy that they gave us things for free!"

"What am I happy about? Is there such a thing as a free lunch? Don't think I can't see what Chen Wenjun is up to! He's after you! Dad, let me tell you, even if you can't make it with Liu Yongming, I won't let you be with Chen Wenjun."

Lin Yi made his point clear for the first time.

Lin Qin looked at him leisurely, resting her chin on her hand. "Why? Is it because he's a Tanka person with no fixed abode? Or is it because he has a son who isn't very handy?"

"You already know all this, why are you asking!" Lin Yi glared at her irritably. "Our family is already too ashamed to hold our heads up in the village, otherwise the Liu family wouldn't dare to bully you so blatantly! If you end up with Chen Wenjun, our family will become the laughingstock of the whole village!"

It wasn't that he looked down on the Tanka people, but rather that the general environment was like this, and people's deeply ingrained ideas couldn't be changed. He would rather Lin Qin marry a widower with land and property than have her get involved with Chen Wenjun.

Seeing Lin Yi's excited expression, Lin Qin laughed, "Dad! Why are you saying so much? I'm not divorced yet. Even if I were divorced, would I have to remarry? Can't I stay at home to take care of you in your old age and see you off when you die?"
"What if I marry into an even worse family than the Liu family? How am I supposed to live?"

"Pah, pah, pah! Can't you wish for something good for yourself? What's the point of saying all this nasty stuff? If you don't get married, what will happen to Yaya when she grows up? Can I stay with you for the rest of my life when I'm old?!"

Lin Yi became more and more worried as he looked at Lin Qin. He only had two daughters. The eldest was doing well and had a supportive husband's family. Why was it so difficult for the youngest daughter?

Lin Qin promptly shut up, ran to the kitchen to look at the snails, and said, "Dad! Let's keep the snails for a couple of days to let them purge the sand before cooking them."

Lin Yi listened to her and took another wooden basin to raise snails.

Liu Yaya rested for another three days until her back was completely scabbed over and no longer painful before Lin Qin allowed her to go out and play.

Lin Qin took her for a walk around the village. When the kind-hearted old ladies asked questions, Lin Qin lifted Liu Yaya's back to show them and relentlessly denounced the Liu family's crimes.

Now the entire Shanglin Village knows that the Liu family is inhumane and that Lin Qin and her daughter were abused in the Liu family.

Lin Yi heard the rumors but didn't say anything, and went out to work as usual.

In the evening, Lin Qingxiang suddenly rushed to Lin Qin's door in a panic, "Qin, your father was beaten up in the vegetable garden by someone who put a sack over his head, you have to go and see him right away!"

Lin Qin knocked over the bowls and chopsticks and hurriedly led Liu Yaya to the vegetable garden. When she saw Lin Yi lying on the ground covered in blood and groaning, she was stunned and anxiously begged everyone to help take Lin Yi to the hospital.

Fortunately, this was Shanglin Village, and Lin Qingxiang was able to call for help, so Lin Qin didn't have to get involved at all before Lin Yi was taken to the hospital.

While Lin Yi was still receiving treatment, the captain arrived with the police officers. "Lin Qin, how is your father?" the captain asked, looking worried.

Lin Qin quickly stood up while holding Liu Yaya, and replied in a hoarse voice, "She's still inside, waiting for the doctor to come out."

The captain glanced at Liu Yaya in Lin Qin's arms, his eyes filled with pity. "What's been going on in your family lately? One thing after another has happened. Is there something wrong with the feng shui?"

Police officer: "."

Lin Qin didn't know how to answer.

After a while, Lin Yicai was wheeled out and transferred to a ward.

The attending physician told everyone, "The patient has a head injury, two broken ribs, and a broken small bone in his left leg. X-rays of the leg bone have been taken, and surgery will be performed tomorrow. The ribs can only be healed by lying down and resting, and it will take about three to five months to fully recover. Fortunately, the head injury was not to any vital organs. The family will go and pay the hospital fees in a little while."

Lin Qin's mind went completely blank.

The captain and police officers waited until Lin Yi regained consciousness and asked him about the situation before leaving.

Seeing that the brigade leader was about to leave, Lin Qingxiang told Lin Qin, "I'll go back and get the money. You stay here and watch over your father and the child. Don't wander off."

"Uncle, I have money. I'll pay you back as soon as my dad is discharged from the hospital," Lin Qin said gratefully, tears welling in her eyes.

Lin Qingxiang waved his hand, "We'll talk about these things later."

Lin Qingxiang and his group left in a hurry, and Lin Qin used the phone at the nurses' station to contact her older sister, Lin Ying.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief after Lin Qingxiang brought the money and completed the hospitalization procedures for Lin Yi.

After recovering, Lin Qingxiang cursed outside the ward, "If I catch that bastard, I'll kill him! Aqin, has your dad offended anyone?"

Lin Qin shook her head with red eyes, "Uncle, don't you know what kind of person my dad is? He's never argued with anyone in the village all these years. The only people he's offended are the Liu family."

Especially Liu Yongming, that day he came to snatch the child, my dad scolded him, I slapped him, smashed his bicycle, and that's it.”

Lin Qingxiang angrily pounded the wall, shouting, "I knew Liu Yongming was no good! Where does he live? I'm going to find him and settle the score!"

"No! Uncle, don't be impulsive. We have no evidence, and the captain has already called the police. Let's wait for the police to investigate." Lin Qin was afraid that Lin Qingxiang would act impulsively and make things worse.

The captain had just arrived when he heard Lin Qingxiang's words and scolded him with exasperation, "You're not even as sensible as Lin Qin! You're so old and still so foolish, are you really not afraid of death?"

After finishing with Lin Qingxiang, the captain looked at Lin Qin and said, "I just came from the police station. The police have already investigated. Although your father's vegetable plot is near the village entrance, it is still in the village. The fact that his money wasn't stolen means that the other party wasn't after his money. The fact that they went so far as to attack him like that seems like they were venting their anger. Think carefully about who your father has offended recently."

Lin Qin and Lin Qingxiang exchanged glances.

Lin Qingxiang roared, "It's definitely Liu Yongming! It's absolutely him! That bastard, I'll never forgive him!"

Just as Lin Qin was about to say something, she caught a glimpse of Chen Wenjun at the end of the corridor and shook her head slightly at him.

Chen Wenjun immediately understood her meaning and turned to leave.

(End of this chapter)