Chapter 63 House Arrest
For some reason, Fu Bao fell ill, and when she recovered, the house was turned upside down.
Father died, Mother was heartbroken and bedridden, Eldest Brother woke up after falling into the water and remained silent in his room, Second Brother broke his leg and lay in bed with a growing temper. Perhaps out of pity, the villagers helped with the funeral arrangements and brought them food every day, but there were always guards at the door to prevent them from leaving.
The atmosphere at home was oppressive, and Lin Fubao was no longer as cheerful as before. On the day she was born, her father found ten taels of silver on his way home, and she was born as soon as he arrived home.
Lin's father was overjoyed, believing her to be a lucky star in the family and doting on her. As she grew older, her family gradually discovered that her luck was indeed extraordinary, and she would bring benefits to the family every now and then. When she turned three, her mother took her to a temple to ask a fortune teller. The old master said that she was a lucky star incarnate, with a noble destiny. As long as they treated her well, the family would prosper. Therefore, she was cherished by her family from a young age.
Most of the girls in the village had to work regularly, but she didn't have to do any work every day. She just ran around playing all over the mountains and fields. All the children in the village envied her, and what she thought always came true.
When she wanted to eat meat, she could find pheasants; when the family was short of money, she could find Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushroom) in the countryside. This time, as usual, she thought that with the witness dead, her father would be safe. But why? Why did her father still die?
Isn't she a lucky charm? Why has her good fortune suddenly stopped working?
Fu Bao curled up in bed, the thick blanket covering her body, but she couldn't help feeling cold. Although the room wasn't too cold, it was as if her body was a funnel after her last fever, with cold seeping from her bones and spreading through her limbs. The bed didn't feel warm at all all night.
When exactly did her good fortune run out?
It seems that when she fell in her fifth sister's courtyard last time and pulled out a box, she had a gut feeling that it contained money, and a considerable amount of money at that.
The night before, her father had said that her eldest brother needed a large sum of money for his studies, and the family's money was not enough. She wished she could find a large sum of money. The next day, when her father went to her aunt's yard to buy land, she secretly followed him. She originally wanted to see if her fifth sister was alright and if she remembered that she had mentioned there were fresh wild vegetables on the other side of the river. However, she accidentally tripped and fell. By some strange twist of fate, she dug up the patch of land and found a small box.
Her heart was pounding like a drum. Just as she was about to take the box out, her sixth brother grabbed her and scolded her for being a thief.
She guessed then that the box must contain money buried by her uncle's family. Although she understood, she still felt a little regretful. If her sixth brother had found her later, the money could have been used for her eldest brother's education.
Of course, she knew this was wrong, but she would just treat it as a loan and return it to her sixth brother's family when her brother passed the imperial examination and became an official.
But good fortune seemed to be losing its power. She heard that her sixth brother was now an official, and that her father had done something wrong and was investigated and punished by her sixth brother according to the law, and was beaten to death.
Everyone says Father deserves it, but Father is the best father in Fu Bao's heart. Father did wrong Uncle and his two brothers, but Father never wanted to take their lives. Mother said that Uncle died on the road because of bad luck, but why should Father have to pay for other people's bad luck? Father may have made mistakes, but his crimes do not warrant death.
The sixth brother also ruined the eldest brother's reputation. The eldest brother once said that scholars value their reputation most. It was the eldest and second brothers who persuaded Father not to do anything wrong.
But how could Sixth Brother be so cruel? He was once a scholar and studied hard for many years. Why did he have to ruin Big Brother's life?
My older brother gets up before dawn every day to study and practice calligraphy. Even when his hands and feet are covered in sores in winter, he never slacks off. Eighteen years of hard study have finally paid off. Has my older brother never harmed anyone? Why should he?
My second brother's leg was broken, and he's now lying in bed, screaming in pain at the slightest movement...
Fu Bao curled up in bed, sobbing uncontrollably. The successive blows were too much for her to bear, and her eyes were red and swollen from crying, just like a rabbit's.
"Dinner's ready! Fu Bao? I've put the food on the table, remember to eat."
The person left after saying a few words. Lin Fubao heard the creaking of the wooden door and knew that the person had left again after putting down something. Fubao rubbed his red rabbit eyes and got out of bed.
She also had to deliver meals to her mother and brothers. She was the only one in the family who was still relatively healthy. Helpless, Fu Bao endured the grievances and took on the heavy responsibility of taking care of her family.
Fu Bao clumsily scooped the thin soup from the pot, her lips trembling as if she were about to cry. The curtain of the west room was lifted, and Fu Bao turned her head, seeing the thin and pale Da Da, her heart aching even more.
"Big brother~"
Lin Changqing stayed in his room for three days without eating or drinking, in a daze, and almost became emaciated. He was suddenly awakened by a soft rustling sound. He had to take care of his younger sister and brother at home, so he got out of bed and went out.
He was greeted by his younger sister, who had been crying. Her delicate round face had become thin and oval, and her red, rabbit-like eyes clearly showed that she had just been crying. She was standing in front of the table ladling rice for them, and when she saw him, she pouted with grievance.
Lin Changqing stepped forward and took the bowl and chopsticks from his sister's hands, saying gently, "Fubao, it's good that your big brother is here. Please sit down."
Tears streamed down Fu Bao's face as she threw the bowl and chopsticks she was holding onto the table. "Big brother, I don't have a father anymore, I don't have a father anymore, waaaah~"
Overwhelmed by pent-up grievances, Lin Fubao hugged her brother's thin waist and cried uncontrollably.
Lin Changqing stroked Fu Bao's head silently, gently patting his sister's back as Fu Bao vented her emotions.
Clang!
The sound of something falling to the ground came from inside the room. The two looked up in the direction of the room, and when they heard a muffled groan, they ran to the back room at the same time.
Lin Changqing was the first to pull back the curtain of the back room, and saw his second brother sitting on the ground with a pained expression on his face.
The two rushed over anxiously, helped Lin Changxiao up, and carried him back to bed. Lin Changxiao angrily pounded the bed, saying, "I'm so useless! Damn it!"
Lin Changqing and Fu Bao sat by the bedside to comfort him.
"Don't touch your second brother, his leg injury hasn't healed yet."
With red eyes, Fu Bao grabbed her second brother's hand: "Second brother, just call me if you need anything, I'll bring it to you, don't move around."
Lin Changxiao chuckled dejectedly, "The doctor has examined me, brother. Even if I recover, I'll still be a cripple..."
Lin Changqing's expression darkened: "It's my fault for causing you trouble, brother. I shouldn't have told you that Lin Changping threw me into the water that day; I just fell into his trap!!!"
Upon hearing Lin Changping's name, Lin Changxiao's expression instantly changed, his face contorting into a ferocious grimace as if he were about to devour someone: "Damn it! That little beast Lin Changping, just as Father said, should be killed outright!!!"
Lin Changqing grabbed his second brother's shoulders and straightened him up, his expression serious. "Second brother! Don't talk nonsense anymore! Haven't you learned your lesson? Things are different now. He has the power; he can crush us with ease! If you continue to speak like this, you'll be just like Father!"
Lin Changxiao, his face contorted with resentment, pounded the bed, gritting his teeth in hatred: "I hate it! Brother, I hate it!"
Lin Changqing's expression was inscrutable as he patted his sister's head: "I know, but Changxiao, remember, before you have the strength to match your hatred, don't reveal your hatred. Your father's dishonesty was exposed, which allowed Lin Changping to seize the opportunity. In truth, your father wasn't decisive enough in that matter, but now the situation is beyond our control. If you want revenge, you must be like Lin Changping: endure first, endure until he lowers his guard, and then strike a fatal blow!"
As he spoke, Lin Changqing suppressed the surging murderous intent in his heart. So what if he was placed under house arrest? So what if his reputation was ruined? The results of the provincial examination were already out, and he was now a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination). Although his father's mistakes had tarnished his reputation, he was not the one who did the wrong thing. Even the county-level examination could not revoke his academic degree because of this.
One day, he will climb to a high position and use his power to crush Lin Changping's family!
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