??Chapter 180: Chapter 181 Selling Sister for Glory_1
Chapter 180: Chapter 181 Selling Sister for Glory_1
Mrs. Lin was so overwheld with emotion that she began to cough again. Muniang quickly supported her, “Mother, are you alright? Take a deep breath and sit down.”
Qingya had already brought over so hot tea, and Muniang hurriedly fed it to Mrs. Lin.
Lin Kexin couldn’t help feeling distressed as she looked at Mrs. Lin, “Sis, how did you get into this state?”
The last ti Lin Kexin saw Mrs. Lin was four years ago, on the Lin Family elders’ final visit to the Qiao family to see their daughter, bringing Lin Kexin along. At that ti, Lin Kexin was only twelve years old, but she clearly rembered that Mrs. Lin was still very healthy.
Mrs. Lin sighed, “I’ve gotten old, and no longer of much use.”
Muniang glared and said, “You’re not even thirty yet, how can you be old?”
Mrs. Lin laughed softly, “Alright, alright, I’m not old. My daughter, you have quite the temper.”
Lin Kexin, however, couldn’t smile, “I had no idea you were driven out by the Qiao family. When I arrived, I asked around before I found out that you don’t live with the Qiao family anymore. This is such a big matter, why didn’t you co back to tell us? It’s been three years since you were chased out. You and your daughter have been left without land or property; how have you survived these three years?” Tears stread down Lin Kexin’s face.
Mrs. Lin didn’t want to ntion the past and worry Lin Kexin, so she said, “Anyway, we’ve made it through. Look, we are doing quite well now. Muniang is capable and knows how to earn money. Our family’s life has also improved.”
Mrs. Lin deliberately avoided Lin Kexin’s earlier question. She didn’t want to ntion it, to prevent causing Lin Kexin any difficulty. When she was driven out by the Qiao family without a penny to her na, her first thought was to return to her mother’s ho. However, she was scolded by her brother’s newly-wed wife and not even allowed to see her brother or sister. She didn’t have the face to go back after that.
Lin Kexin looked at Muniang in astonishnt, “How did you make the money?”
Mrs. Lin smiled proudly, “My daughter is impressive, isn’t she?”
Admiration and envy filled Lin Kexin’s eyes, “Indeed impressive. For such a large mansion, it must have cost a lot.” She had noticed earlier that there were even doorkeepers and maids at the entrance; they even had servants now.
Mrs. Lin suddenly asked, “But why did you co all of a sudden?” She had wanted to ask earlier. The Lin Family was a well-off family; even if they couldn’t afford silk, their clothing shouldn’t be this poor. Moreover, Lin Kexin looked completely disheveled—it was not a fitting sight.
Upon hearing this, Lin Kexin, who had managed to stop crying, began to tear up again, her tears falling like rain.
Mrs. Lin, seeing her like this, beca anxious, “What’s the matter? Has sothing happened at ho? What about your brother?”
Lin Kexin wiped her tears before saying, “Brother is fine. It’s my sister-in-law—she wants to marry
off to a decrepit old man as his continued wife for fifty taels of silver. I refused, and she said she’d even have
knocked out and stuffed into the bridal sedan.”
Mrs. Lin’s eyes widened, “What about your second brother? Why doesn’t he do anything!”
Lin Kexin spoke bitterly, “How would he care? Ever since the second sister-in-law entered our ho, he has been completely controlled by her. Whatever she says goes, and he doesn’t dare disobey. He didn’t utter a word of protest regarding this matter! For years, I’ve wanted to co see you, but the second sister-in-law rules the household. She forbids
from roaming freely and even calls
a burdenso freeloader. Haven’t I suffered enough under her bullying all these years? This ti, I had no choice but to sneak out in the middle of the night and co to you, my sister, to seek justice.”
Mrs. Lin was furious, “What burdenso freeloader, at soone else’s threshold? That’s the Lin Family! You are the legitimate daughter of the Lin Family, how can she treat you like this!”
Lin Kexin just wept, “Brother dotes on her, and there’s nothing I can do, sister. I don’t want to marry that old man; he’s nearly dead. The second sister-in-law has a fine sche—she just wants to get her hands on that sum of silver. Once the old man dies, she plans to sell
off again!”
Muniang slightly furrowed her brow. This woman was too outrageous. To treat her sister-in-law like this? Yet, after their discussion, Muniang felt greater disappointnt towards Mrs. Lin’s younger brother; how could a man, for the sake of a wife, even consider selling his sister? That was utterly unmanly.
Mrs. Lin hugged Lin Kexin and cried again. It had been too long since the sisters had seen each other, and there were many heartfelt words to share. Muniang and Qinghe tactfully left, giving the sisters privacy in the room.
Qingya then said, “Lady, shall we have the kitchen prepare so food? Miss Lin looks like she hasn’t eaten in a long ti.”
Muniang nodded, “Mmm, go and make the preparations, and send it directly to them later.”
Qinghe, pulling Muniang to the yard, said, “This situation is quite difficult to handle. After all, we are no longer considered part of the Lin Family. If we interfere, we’d have no justification. Moreover, now that the Lin Family is without elders, decisions naturally fall to the eldest son. Since your second uncle is so influenced by his wife, that indicates your second aunt is the real decision-maker. By rights, whatever marriage arrangents she makes for Kexin can’t be opposed.”
Muniang was also conflicted, “I understand we have no reason to intervene, but seeing mother like this, I know she can’t ignore her only sister. I don’t want to leave mother with a heavy heart.”
Qinghe sighed, “Every family has its own hard-to-read scriptures. It’s so important to marry a good daughter-in-law. I didn’t understand before why my brother was worried about marrying off a daughter-in-law who might mistreat , but now I do.”
Muniang snorted coldly, “It depends on what kind of man we are talking about. If it were my brother, he would have dismissed such a wicked daughter-in-law long ago. I have no respect for n without a backbone. But since Kexin—my auntie—has co to find my mother, it shows that she still holds so sway in the heart of my second uncle. We’ll see how things go.”
Muniang always felt odd calling soone just a year older than herself by senior kinship terms. Curse these convoluted familial hierarchies.
Qinghe could only respond, “Then, we will see and act accordingly when the ti cos.”
Mrs. Lin watched Lin Kexin wolfing down her food, her heart aching. What kind of life had her sister been leading at ho? She reminisced about the days before she had married, when their parents were alive, pampering the three siblings incessantly. Those days were joyous, but who would have known that after their parents’ deaths, their lives would beco so desolate?
Muniang also ca in and, seeing Lin Kexin eating, smiled and asked, “Is the al to your liking?”
Lin Kexin smiled gratefully, “It’s delicious. I haven’t tasted anything so rich in years!”
Mrs. Lin couldn’t help but curse, “That sister-in-law of yours is excessively tyrannical!”
Muniang searched her mory for an image of that woman. When she was twelve, driven away by the Qiao family, Mrs. Lin led her on a two-day journey to seek refuge with her maternal family. Before they even entered the house, they were scorned by that woman, who claid that a married daughter is like spilled water, with no right to return.
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