Chapter 94 Judging by Actions, Not by Intentions
What did Lin Anyuan do? Why did his teacher refuse to acknowledge him?
“I am your father-in-law. I didn’t take you as my disciple back then, so don’t call me that.” The old man said as he walked to the table in the courtyard and sat down.
Lin Anyuan also went over and sat down. "Father-in-law, Wanwan just fell asleep, so I won't pour you any tea so as not to wake her up."
The old man felt a lump in his throat and glanced at him.
"Father-in-law, what's wrong?" Lin Anyuan asked, puzzled.
The old man coughed and snorted coldly, "I just can't stand the sight of you."
Lin Anyuan: "..."
"Then I'll go back inside. Father-in-law, please don't look."
The old man coughed: "..."
The two sat facing each other, neither of them speaking.
After a long while, the old man sighed, "You, you've done so many good deeds, yet your reputation is ruined, and now you're injured like this. What enemies have you offended?"
He heard from Constable Li that Lin Anyuan was injured and had asked for leave, so he came to see him overnight.
"Which matter is Father-in-law referring to?" Lin Anyuan asked, looking at him.
"Don't play dumb in front of me. Over the years, you've been the one who helped beggars, recruited thugs and thieves. How many of those villagers would be alive if it weren't for you?"
"You saved so many people, and what do they think of you? Believe me, they'll forget about you the moment they turn their backs!"
"You still want to become an official and benefit the people of this world? What are you after?! Are you after all these injuries? Or are you after being scorned by everyone?!"
The old man stood up agitatedly, feeling it wasn't worth it.
The moment he saw this kid in the prison cell, he knew he was no pushover.
Sure enough, the person who tried to humiliate him on the first night had one eye gouged out and was castrated.
This guy got beaten up too, because of his outstanding looks; too many people had their eyes on him. Later, his attacks became increasingly ruthless until no one dared to mess with him anymore.
A man who murdered his father and humiliated his mother, yet harbored a kind heart; if it weren't for him, he would have died in prison long ago.
In return, he taught Lin Anyuan to read and write.
The old man sighed countless times, saying that Lin Anyuan was the smartest student he had ever seen. It was a pity that, burdened by such a reputation, he would never have a career in government.
He was indeed not Lin Anyuan's teacher, and he did not receive Lin Anyuan's apprenticeship ceremony.
He even wished he had never met him, never seen the pearl, so that he wouldn't feel sorry for the pearl being covered in dust.
This is precisely why he is unwilling to acknowledge being called "teacher."
The old man realized he was speaking too loudly and sat down again. "Lin Anyuan, if you were to become an official, it would be a blessing for the people of this world. If you could clear your name, you might be able to embark on a career in government. Do you know who exactly wants to kill you?"
"What did my father-in-law say?" Lin Anyuan asked, tugging at his sleeve with his head down.
"If you walk the night road too often, you're bound to encounter a ghost."
Seeing that he was unwilling to talk, the old man stood up and said, "Never mind, it's getting late, I'm going back."
“Treat my daughter well. If one day you can’t protect her, then leave her. You two are not meant to be together.”
"Father-in-law, let me see you off." Lin Anyuan stood up.
"Need not."
The old man waved his hand, his heart heavy.
After seeing the coughing old man off, Lin Anyuan closed the courtyard gate and stood in the courtyard for a while.
He stood there for as long as Ye Wan watched.
Even from the distance between the house and the gate, Ye Wan could see the desolation on Lin Anyuan's face.
A gentle breeze lifted the hem of his robe, making him appear aloof and independent.
If the world has wronged him, has he not wronged the world?
After a long while, Lin Anyuan got up and went into the house, where he saw Ye Wan watching him come in.
His body stiffened instantly. "Why are you up so early?"
Ye Wan looked at him and said, "I wanted to ask you that too. Why aren't you lying down and wandering around the yard? Your injuries haven't healed yet. Do you really not want to live?"
"Afraid I'll die?" Lin Anyuan laughed upon hearing this.
"Yes, I'm afraid I'll be a widow if you die." Ye Wan nodded.
Regardless of whether she and Lin Anyuan were married or not, in this rural area, they were nominally husband and wife.
Lin Anyuan stared at her, wondering what had gotten into her.
Ye Wan walked straight to his side, helped him sit on the kang (a heated brick bed), and said softly, "Lin Anyuan, you are really handsome."
She had never seen such a handsome person before, and to be honest, she was a little tempted by him.
If he didn't have three daughters, Sanya would likely still be his biological daughter, and he would have taken her long ago.
"shallow."
Someone's Adam's apple bobbed, and they unconsciously looked away, their ears feeling slightly hot.
Why compliment his looks at this time?
At night, Ye Wan washes away her disguise, as if her whole body is bathed in a soft light. She may not be stunningly beautiful, but she is exceptionally captivating.
"Just consider me a shallow person, I just like pretty things," Ye Wan chuckled.
His voice was soft, like a hand caressing all his sensitive spots.
"Lin Anyuan, may I ask you why you killed him back then?"
Lin Anyuan instantly suppressed all his thoughts, looked up and stared directly at her, "Didn't you already know?"
Seeing him instantly bristle like a hedgehog, Ye Wan subconsciously softened her tone.
"I don't believe what people outside say; I want to hear it from you yourself."
The old man's arrival tonight made her want to understand him and his past.
She couldn't believe that such a person would actually kill his biological father and insult his own mother.
"You heard what I just said?" Lin Anyuan looked at her.
Her gaze was open and honest. "I heard you. My father is your teacher."
Lin Anyuan shook his head, "No, he didn't accept me as his disciple."
Ye Wan brought a stool and sat down opposite Lin Anyuan. "Whether he considers you a disciple or a son-in-law, the fact that he came to see you proves that he cares about you. Don't listen to his hypocrisy."
Lin Anyuan glanced at her several times; her words sounded a bit awkward and strange.
After a long silence, Lin Anyuan finally spoke, "Zhao Yong is a beast. He and my mother met on our journey to escape famine..."
At first, he pretended to be a respectable person, taking care of the mother and child everywhere. But after his mother settled down in Min County, he revealed his true colors, wanting to humiliate her and then sell them to a dirty place.
At that time, his mother was willing to accept him, but then she discovered Zhao Yong's true colors. Zhao Yong chased his mother to a cliff and tried to kill her. When his mother resisted, she was pushed off the cliff.
He searched at the bottom of the cliff all night but couldn't find anyone.
When he returned at daybreak, he saw Zhao Yong's disgusting gaze sweeping over his face. He picked up a machete and slashed at the disgusting beast.
The beast cried out in terror for help, and in front of the villagers, he stabbed it in and twisted it...
Ye Wan felt a pang of sadness and grasped Lin Anyuan's hand. "You must have been terrified back then, right?"
Come to think of it, how old was Lin Anyuan back then?
Twelve years old, a child in his late teens.
He watched as his mother was forced to fall off a cliff by the trust and care she had always received, and was even branded with such a stigma.
Lin Anyuan looked at her, his gaze deep and undisguised, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent. "I'm not afraid. I only regret not tearing him to pieces. I've killed many other people since then. I'm ruthless. Are you really not afraid of me?"
Ye Wan grasped his other hand, "When judging a person, one should judge them by their actions, not their intentions. No one in the world is perfect in terms of their heart."
"Lin Anyuan, you are very good, don't doubt yourself."
Ye Wan thought to herself, "Poor little thing, I should treat him better from now on."
He's kind to everyone, but nobody's kind to him. That's so unfair.
Lin Anyuan stared blankly at her. Was she judging by actions rather than intentions?
So much so that he remembered that night for many years, as if it were engraved in his mind, and he could never forget it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com