CHAPTER 39: CHAPTER 39: BUY ONE FOR YOUR BROTHER TOO

Mrs. Lin got a good lecture from Lin Xiang, finally realizing how unfairly her own siblings had treated her.

"Mom’s getting old, will you really take care of me?"

"Oh, the way you’re talking!" Lin Xiang simply took out the other banknote from her crossbody bag and handed it to Mrs. Lin, "I’ll give you all the money I have on me, so you’ll have some more cash to carry and won’t overthink things."

Mrs. Lin refused to take it, "This is the money for your tuition, I can’t take it."

Though she was somewhat selfish and indulgent, her love for her only daughter was genuine.

Lin Xiang grabbed Mrs. Lin’s hand and placed the banknote in it without letting go, "Even if I start school, it would be after the New Year, when the next semester begins. For now, you keep it safe for me."

The fact that Lin Xiang didn’t tell Mrs. Lin about the eight hundred yuan from selling her job was not because she was unwilling to part with the money.

After all, she didn’t know when she might travel back, and she couldn’t bring the money and coupons from here with her. Eventually, wouldn’t she just leave it all to Mrs. Lin?

Her main concern was that once Mrs. Lin got the money, she wouldn’t be able to resist bragging in front of Aunt Lin and the others, and then things might get out of hand.

Lin Xiang believed that Mrs. Lin would totally do such a thing!

"Oh, my brain! I almost forgot something so important! Mom, come to town with me tonight."

"What for?" Mrs. Lin stared wide-eyed at Lin Xiang, "Going to town at night? Girl, you wouldn’t..."

"What are you thinking! Director Chen told me there’s an overseas call with foreign buyers tonight to discuss orders. If an unmarried young woman like me doesn’t come home all night, who knows what the village people will say? If you come with me, it’ll shut them up."

While talking, Lin Xiang pulled Mrs. Lin up from the bed, "Change your clothes quickly, and let’s head out now. If we’re late, the state-run restaurant will close, and we won’t get braised pork."

Lin Xiang certainly knew how to handle Mrs. Lin. At the mention of braised pork, she immediately got out of bed and started rummaging through the closet for suitable clothes.

But there weren’t many clothes in the closet, and many of them had patches. Mrs. Lin could only pick out one with the least patches, looking relatively new.

She also combed her hair very neatly, not a single stray hair was visible.

Fortunately, there was no makeup around, or Lin Xiang had no doubt she would have put on foundation, drawn eyebrows, and applied bright red lipstick.

Mrs. Lin, feeling a bit bashful and lacking confidence, asked, "Girl, I won’t embarrass you by going to the cotton spinning factory like this, will I?"

"Of course not," Lin Xiang proactively linked her arm with Mrs. Lin’s, "Mom, you’re the most beautiful mom!"

"You and your sweet talk!"

Mother and daughter walked out hand in hand. Mrs. Lin had just locked the door with her key when Lin Yun, carrying a hoe, returned home.

"Why are you back so early today? Earned enough work points?" Mrs. Lin looked at Lin Yun with a harsh glare, seemingly having forgotten what Lin Xiang had just told her.

Lin Yun leaned the hoe against the corner of the wall, "The work in the fields is mostly done, the team leader said it’s time to rest."

Rest meant no work points would be earned.

Every year during this season, it was the most difficult time for Lin Yun.

Working in the fields meant spending most of the time there, without having to face Lin Xiang and Mrs. Lin directly.

Now, Mrs. Lin, with twenty yuan in her pocket, didn’t care for the little earnings from work points, "Then take care of the house. I’m going to town with the girl and will be back tomorrow."

At least she didn’t yell at Lin Yun as an excuse, which was an improvement for Mrs. Lin, wasn’t it?

Lin Xiang snatched the key from Mrs. Lin’s hand and accurately found the keys to the kitchen and cabinet on the keychain, "Brother, we’ll return tomorrow. You should cook for yourself later, then take a good rest after you eat."

"Girl, how can you..."

"Mom, let’s hurry up, or we’ll miss the ox cart and have to walk on foot!"

Once they were on the ox cart, Mrs. Lin still grumbled to Lin Xiang, "There’s only some rice and flour left at home, what if you give Lin Yun all the food from the cabinet and he finishes it all?"

Lin Xiang whispered, "We’re going to do Director Chen a big favor today; he can’t not invite us for a meal, right? The cotton spinning factory’s canteen will surely fill you up!"

"Is there really such a good thing?"

"Tomorrow morning, I’ll even take you to the state-run restaurant for big meat buns!"

"Then... then bring one for your brother too."

Lin Xiang thought she misheard, "Mom, what did you just say?"

Bring one for Lin Yun?

Did Zhao Xiuli really say that?

If she didn’t exploit Lin Yun to his last value, it was considered good, and now she wanted to bring him a big meat bun?

Lin Xiang’s tone and expression made Mrs. Lin feel uncomfortable.

She let out a cold humph, "When the family was poor, I couldn’t even support you, my own child. How could I care for him, an adopted one? Moreover, I did listen to your aunt and uncle’s instigations and treated him badly. But you were right earlier, those cousins of yours are so unreliable, how can they take care of me in the future?"

"It’s just a big meat bun, only fifteen cents. The ox cart fare is twenty cents; what’s the harm in giving him one?"

"But I need to make it clear, giving him a big meat bun doesn’t mean I’ll treat him as my own. I won’t be responsible when he gets married later!"

Mrs. Lin felt a bit regretful for speaking so fast earlier.

What if giving Lin Yun a big meat bun made him think she was treating him well, and then he clung to her?

She wasn’t earning any money!

Lin Xiang thought the current Mrs. Lin felt like one of those endearing villains in a novel.

Bad, but not bad to the core.

Such plots were written to highlight the protagonist’s tragic fate, forcefully diminishing intelligence for conflict, and Mrs. Lin did indeed get swayed by her family’s instigations, treating oppressing Lin Yun as the only joy in her miserable life.

Yet, with Lin Xiang’s influence, her thoughts were consistently altered, and Mrs. Lin would certainly change imperceptibly over time.

This was a good change, at least Mrs. Lin wouldn’t keep oppressing Lin Yun, preventing the male lead from utterly resenting the mother-daughter duo.

Once successful, the male lead wouldn’t just ignore them, allowing the mother and daughter to meet a tragic end.

"Of course, you shouldn’t be responsible for him! It costs so much to get married, you need to save your money for yourself to live comfortably."

"Exactly! Let him build his own foundation, my money still needs to support your education!" Mrs. Lin justified herself, "As a foster mother, not letting him starve is already kind of me!"

"Right, my mom is the best mom in the world!" Lin Xiang complimented Mrs. Lin endlessly, making her feel quite proud.

Soon, the ox cart arrived in town.