Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots
Chapter 970 - 142 Guarding oneself and steals_4

Chapter 970: 142 Guarding oneself and steals_4

Sighing, Lin Jiazhong really did start dragging Butler Qi by the sleeve to head outside.

This move left Butler Qi utterly confused, "Jiazhong, you’re truly muddled. Do you think once you’re in prison, there’s nothing to worry about? That you won’t have to pay back the silver?"

The old village chief was so furious he raised his cane and struck Lin Jiazhong hard on the back, causing his frail body to begin shivering and coughing continuously, "You scoundrel! Scoundrel! Old Master Huang sent someone over clearly not wishing for you to go to prison, aiming to give you a chance to turn over a new leaf! But look at you, you’re actually rushing to get in there! Scoundrel indeed!"

Lady Ma, who had been beaten black and blue by Lin Jiazhong, had no time to attend to her own injuries as she threw herself crying at him, "Head of the house, you must not go to prison! If you go, what will happen to us, mother and daughter? Butler, listen, I have a daughter; she is the little concubine of Master Magistrate. Just wait, I’ll go find her, I’ll find her, she will definitely give us some silver!"

Before Lady Ma could even stand up and leave, Lin Jiazhong had already dragged her back in a fit of rage, "Why bother seeking that ungrateful daughter? If she was willing to give us silver, would I still be waiting here?"

"What did you say?" Lady Ma turned around incredulously, not understanding at all the meaning of Lin Jiazhong’s words.

Lin Jiazhong stomped his feet in fury, spit flying as he cursed, "That ungrateful girl, I went to ask her for silver, and she had the audacity to throw me out and even threatened to beat me with a stick if I dared to come again!"

At this point, Lin Jiazhong could no longer care about losing face and blurted out the humiliating experience of being thrown out when he asked Lin Siyu for silver.

Hearing what he said, Lady Ma also gave up hope, murmuring, "So, she truly resents me, she really hates me."

Unwilling to give up the house, and having no silver, they certainly couldn’t just let Lin Jiazhong be taken to prison!

Lady Yang shakily emerged from the crowd and approached the old village chief, "Old village chief, whatever silver I have left, give it to them, the rest... we will pay back slowly."

The old village chief’s white eyebrows furrowed, "What silver do you have left? The little you have wouldn’t even cover a fraction of the debt."

Lady Yang sighed, "Whatever can be paid must be paid, but..."

Unable to lift her head from shame, Lady Yang felt sorrowful for having to use her second son’s silver to pay off the debts of the eldest, knowing she would no longer be able to face him.

Pity the hearts of parents all over the world; how could the old village chief not understand Lady Yang’s painstaking effort? But the silver, it just wasn’t enough to pay off the debt.

Butler Qi was also in a difficult position, "Madam, it’s not that I, Qi, am being insensitive. It’s just that the master, ah, let me put it this way, although the master seems amiable usually, when it comes down to his bottom line, he doesn’t mess around one bit. Not sending Jiazhong to the Yamen is already the greatest kindness he could offer."

What this meant was that today, they absolutely had to come up with all the silver or the house.

Lady Yang begged desperately for a long while but still couldn’t convince Butler Qi, and the old village chief was also very troubled. Fifty-six taels of silver was not a small sum for the people of Lin family village; nearly half of them had never even seen that much silver.

Of course, except for Lin Yuan’s family.

Lin Jiaxin was in great distress, for the matter was both difficult and simple at the same time. It merely involved giving up the house, after which his family of three would move into the small house where Lady Yang currently lived.

But Lin Jiazhong still stubbornly refused to move, because to give up the house was tantamount to declaring that he had given up on his own son. Without a house, where would his son live? Even though everyone else said that his son only had a few months left to live, as a father, he couldn’t believe it.

Lin Yuan looked at Lin Jiaxin, then at Lin Jiazhong in the courtyard, who was adamant about going to the Yamen, and shook her head helplessly. At that moment, she wanted to help not her great-uncle but a father who stubbornly refused to believe that his son’s life was nearing its end.

Although Lin Jiazhong was not exactly a good person, he was, after all, a good father. He had committed theft under his own watch for the sake of his son, which also took courage, didn’t it?

"Butler Qi, I will take care of the fifty-six taels of silver," Lin Yuan’s clear voice rang out in the silent courtyard. Lin Jiazhong suddenly looked up at her, utterly unable to believe that someone really wanted to help him, especially the "Little Disaster Star" whom he had bullied for many years.

Butler Qi was also familiar with Lin Yuan. Not just him, but even Old Master Huang knew everything about the Lin family and thought Lin Jiazhong was foolish for severing ties with Lin Yuan’s family.

Now that Lin Yuan stepped forward to resolve the situation, Butler Qi also breathed a sigh of relief and repeatedly bowed in gratitude.

Xia Zheng happened to have a silver note on him. Butler Qi immediately left with a joyful smile, not forgetting to admonish Lin Jiazhong before leaving to be more prudent in the future.

As for Lin Jiazhong, his eyes were fixed on Lin Yuan, and yet he found that besides a clear smile, there was nothing on her face. There was no mockery, no sense of superiority after helping him, and even less contempt and disdain.

Lin Jiazhong suddenly realized, compared to Lin Yuan, he was utterly contemptible.

"You, I..." After stammering for quite a while, Lin Jiazhong didn’t know what to say.

Lin Yuan smiled and waved her hand, "Forget it, I don’t want your thanks, because I didn’t help you for nothing. After doing such a thing, you shouldn’t think about being Mr. Accountant for someone else ever again. I think you should just go back home and farm earnestly."

"Farm?" Lin Jiazhong gave a bitter smile; however, all the fields at home had long been sold off.

Lin Yuan continued, "I know your fields were sold long ago. However, if you want to farm, I can lease a piece to you. As for the rent, just give me a hundred catties of grain each year, how about that?"

A hundred catties of grain a year? A piece of land could yield two harvests a year, and even the dullest person could collect a thousand catties of grain. Yet she only asked for a hundred catties as rent! Such good fortune would be joyously welcomed by anyone.

Lin Jiazhong knew that Lin Yuan was helping his family, and he nodded repeatedly, eventually becoming so choked up that he couldn’t speak: "Alright, alright, I will certainly farm well, I will definitely farm well."

On the way back, Lin Jiaxin’s steps were unusually heavy. Lin Yuan knew he was uneasy because his daughter had to clean up the Lin family’s mess, which made him feel guilty. But for Lin Yuan, it didn’t bother her at all. As she said, she wasn’t helping because Lin Jiazhong was a member of the Lin family, but because he was a pitiful father. Fatherly love was profound, without distinction between noble and humble.

Xia Zheng gripped Lin Yuan’s hand tightly. She turned her head and smiled, a smile of relief.