CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER 23: BUILDING A LIFE TOGETHER

Chen Wenjun didn’t expect Lin Yi to ask so abruptly. After a brief silence, he earnestly nodded, "I do want to marry her, but I also understand that with my current situation, you wouldn’t approve. Besides, I don’t want her to suffer with me. My original plan was to work hard for two or three years.

Once I’ve saved enough money to move to the mainland, I would then propose to you. But I didn’t expect such a big incident to happen on your side. I can only muster my courage and propose to you now, Uncle, I want to marry Lin Qin. Please give her to me!

Although I don’t have much money right now, I will work hard to earn more. I won’t let her suffer with me!"

"What guarantees do you have? I’m well aware of the situation with the Dang family people. I’m only letting Ah Qin get close to you because I see you as an honest man. Alas! Why does my daughter have such a bitter fate? Fine, since things are as they are, I dare not hold her back any longer. If she agrees, so be it!" Lin Yi felt very bitter yet helpless.

Chen Wenjun was overjoyed and immediately stood up to bow to Lin Yi, "Uncle, rest assured, I definitely won’t disappoint you!"

Lin Yi twitched the corner of his mouth. He dared not hope that someone in Chen Wenjun’s situation could give Lin Qin a good life; he just hoped that he wouldn’t be a burden to Lin Qin in the future.

A happy Chen Wenjun followed Lin Qin to the vegetable field.

Liu Yaya was the first to spot him, excitedly waving her hand, "Uncle Chen, we’re here!"

Chen Wenjun gave her a brilliant smile, ran over to help them, and said next to Lin Qin, "I just talked to your dad, said I want to marry you. Do you agree?"

Lin Qin paused, looking at him in surprise, "Is my dad okay with it?"

Chen Wenjun nodded, "Your dad is worried about you. I know proposing now might seem opportunistic, but with your current situation being so dangerous, I can’t be at ease. Lin Qin, I believe destiny has given us another chance. I won’t be as cowardly as I was in the past life. I will strive to give you a good life, for everyone to envy you."

Lin Qin’s nose tingled as tears fell, "It’s not that you’re cowardly; it’s that I wasn’t capable. If not for me, you and Ping’an could have had a good life in the past life."

Back then, the government made a concerted effort to reform the Dang people, allocating land for them to settle. But due to her bad reputation and fear of societal judgment, Chen Wenjun opted to continue fishing, only building a stilt house on the edge of Nanxi, far from Dang Village. It thrived later, yet had nothing to do with Chen Wenjun.

Until she died, Chen Wenjun’s life remained impoverished.

"That’s not it! You gave Ping’an motherly love, filling the void of having no mother. It’s I who should be thanking you!" Chen Wenjun told Lin Qin his true feelings for the first time.

Chen Ping’an was his only son, abandoned by his biological mother at a young age, disabled, sensitive, and self-conscious, only ever smiling in front of him. Since Lin Qin joined their lives, his son’s eyes gleamed; he noticed his son was much happier.

Lin Qin sobbed uncontrollably, squatting down, burying her head in her arms as she cried.

Liu Yaya was bewildered and helpless.

Chen Wenjun quickly lifted her up, comforting, "From now on, let’s live well together, okay?"

Lin Qin nodded vigorously.

Chen Wenjun smiled even more happily, teasing Liu Yaya in his arms, "Yaya, you, Mom, and Grandpa can all come live at Uncle’s house, alright?"

Liu Yaya naively asked, "Mom and Grandpa too?"

"All of them!"

Liu Yaya clapped joyfully, "Great, great! I want to go, I want to go..."

Lin Qin wiped her tears, stood up to continue working. Once the gloom in her heart dispersed, it seemed the sunshine had entered her heart, warm and comforting.

The three picked all the harvestable vegetables in the field and filled a large basket.

Chen Wenjun carried it all back.

On the way, he ran into a familiar grandma.

The grandma eyed Chen Wenjun, gossiping, "Who’s this young lad?"

Lin Qin didn’t hide it, smiling as she introduced, "Grandma, this is my fiancé."

The grandma’s eyes lit up instantly, "Where’s he from?"

"From over by Nanxi." Lin Qin didn’t elaborate.

The grandma nodded, not prying further, only saying earnestly, "With a fiancé, your dad can relax a bit more. Otherwise, who knows what troubles your second uncle and aunt might stir up!"

Everyone knew about Li Lian’s antics in arranging a match for Lin Qin during this time.

That woman even activated all the elders to persuade Lin Qin to remarry, and everyone knew their true intentions.

Lin Qin nodded, thanking the grandma again.

After returning home, Lin Yi wasn’t at all surprised by Lin Qin’s decision.

Chen Wenjun immediately asked Lin Qin to pack, taking all valuable things with her.

Lin Yi worried about the vegetable field and house, so he asked Lin Qin to get Lin Qingxiang.

Lin Qingxiang laughed heartily upon hearing about Lin Qin and Chen Wenjun, "I suspected this guy before, didn’t expect it was true! Since he wants to take care of you, you can move there comfortably, recover your health, then return, I’ll watch over this shabby house, and help manage the vegetable field."

Lin Yi quickly added, "You plant the paddy this year, and return it next year for me."

Lin Qingxiang agreed to all.

Beside them, Lin Qin reminded, "Dad, you’d better draft an agreement with Uncle Qingxiang. Otherwise, when we leave, Second Uncle and Aunt might cause trouble for Uncle Qingxiang, and it wouldn’t be right for him to help us and not be well regarded."

Lin Yi immediately urged Lin Qingxiang to get the village head to draft an agreement.

They discussed these matters without notifying Lin Zhi and his wife.

By the time Lin Zhi and Li Lian heard the news and came to Lin Yi’s house, they found the door locked, everyone gone.

The couple angrily went to confront Lin Qingxiang.

"Why is my brother’s land given to you for planting! If anyone’s planting it, it should be us!" Lin Zhi shouted loudly, yet didn’t dare enter Lin Qingxiang’s house.

The village head stepped out from the neighboring house, "What’s all this noise?"

Lin Zhi approached indignantly, "Village head, since my brother’s leaving the village, his land should be for my family to plant. Why was it given to Lin Qingxiang? You can’t favor him just because he’s your relative!"

"Am I biased?" The village head laughed angrily, "Lin Zhi! When Lin Yi was injured and hospitalized, did we see you? And when they were robbed, were you around? Yet when someone gives the land to someone else to plant, you jump out! Who do you think you are?

How come? Lin Yi can’t decide his own land? What gives you the right to dictate to him?"

"I..... just because I’m his biological brother! When our parents died, he promised to take care of me for life!" Lin Zhi spoke confidently.

The village head squinted, examining him closely, "Lin Zhi! Are you bedridden at eighty or seriously ill, unable to care for yourself with no children? Your brother hasn’t taken care of you enough? Listen! You two aren’t even on the same household registration! His land and property have nothing to do with you! Don’t come here causing trouble!"