Chapter 13 Extortionate Annulment Letter
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"Oh? Wen Zhixu still remembers that calligraphy!" Lin Xihe said, smoothing out the wrinkles on her skirt. She secretly thought that she would definitely thank Wen Zhixu when he came—she was best at flattering him.
A maidservant carried a tray into the room. Lin Xihe immediately realized that this was ancient times, and Wen Zhixu would never come to visit.
On the plate was a roll of ivory-white embossed paper, its surface plain, yet with faint, light gold patterns.
Several thoughts almost clashed in my mind.
"This was written right after I came out of a brothel, after I touched so-and-so's hand! It's filthy!"
"But he is, after all, a direct disciple of Master Xie Yan, and his calligraphy is quite valuable!"
"That won't do. In modern times, which auction house would dare to sell the calligraphy of a disgraced artist like him?"
Lin Xihe threw them one by one into the brain recycling station.
The handwriting on the note was upright and elegant, reflecting the man's character. She quickly dispelled the thought—she absolutely mustn't be fooled by Wen Zhixu's handsome appearance.
Lin Xihe frowned slightly as she read the page filled with traditional Chinese characters.
"I have never met Miss Lin before. If we were to hastily marry her because of our parents' arrangement, I fear we would not be a good match?"
Lin Xihe was not angry; a mocking smile appeared on her lips: Wen Zhixu's actions were far too arrogant.
I caught him going to a brothel yesterday, and today he sent someone to deliver this.
She could almost picture Wen Zhixu's defiant gaze: "What can a mere woman do to me?"
"What is this? A divorce certificate?" Lin Xihe remained unmoved, not even lifting her eyelids.
The blush on Qingwu's face vanished instantly: "Miss, this is the letter of annulment from the Wen family!"
Oh right, in ancient times they weren't called divorce certificates.
Fine, let's get a divorce! What are you afraid of?
Lin Xihe calmly slipped the annulment letter into her mother-of-pearl-inlaid dressing case.
She has more pressing matters to attend to right now.
She searched everywhere, but couldn't find even half a silver ingot.
Something's not right.
She, the legitimate daughter of the Imperial Censor, has no money in her room. Is that reasonable?
Qingwu, afraid of upsetting her mistress, changed the subject: "Miss, you didn't talk much before, so you naturally didn't need money."
"Who are you trying to fool? Even a mute likes money! Tell the truth."
Qingwu was speechless for a moment.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of Chuiyun tea, Lin Xihe pieced together the clues from the maid's hesitant explanation.
The original owner was an idiot, a complete idiot, a truly idiot, an idiot who never uttered a word.
Now it all makes sense—no wonder her father, the censor, always treated her like a precious treasure.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" She was naive, but she had the right to know.
"Master said that we must not upset Miss. If she gets upset, she might go back to being stupid."
"Pah, pah, pah! You jinx!"
When Lin Xihe was still mentally challenged, Lin Zhaoheng was wary of the servants at Tinghexuan squandering his daughter's money, so he never gave them cash.
"Alright, I don't have a single penny in cash." Thank you for Dad's "love".
After transmigrating, Lin Xihe became a poor girl who had plenty of good food, drink, and shelter.
Lin Zhaoheng was, after all, a high-ranking official, and he was busy with court affairs all day long.
Want money? Your cheapskate dad's at work. Go ask your stepmother? You might as well kill her.
Lin Xihe turned her gaze to Qingwu and reached out her hand: "You have a salary, right? Lend me some."
"Salary?" Upon hearing this unfamiliar word, Qingwu felt a sense of foreboding.
Lin Xihe touched her nose and changed her words: "...Monthly allowance?"
Qingwu shook out a handkerchief containing a few copper coins and said hesitantly, "Miss, yesterday when we went out, the roasted golden flower cakes, snow foam shrinking drink, and the 'Bu Bu No. 2' that you asked Zhang the dough maker to make were all paid for by me."
That sparrow is stuck on the young lady's bedside.
Lin Xihe felt a pang of conscience; she was truly despicable! She even stole her assistant's salary!
"Wait here, I'll go get the money right away."
Qingwu protected the dressing case. Although her young lady had no money, all the jewelry in the dressing case was genuine. "Miss, you mustn't!"
"Those are my possessions! How could I possibly sell them!"
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The carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Li Su Academy.
Lin Xihe appeared at the school gate with a proud and imposing air.
The teacher had not yet arrived, and a group of teenagers were laughing and playing.
Lin Xihe glanced around and pinpointed the location: "Younger brother."
Lin Pinyan, who was sitting down, looked up at the sound and his eyes lit up when he saw it was his sister. He immediately threw down his calligraphy brush and rushed over: "Sister!"
Lin Xihe patted his sturdy shoulder with a smile: "Fifty times copied?"
"I copied it a long time ago! Thanks to my brother-in-law—" The chubby boy quickly changed his tune, "My second brother helped me copy it! It must have been my sister who asked him to help me, right?"
As he spoke, the chubby boy grinned innocently and said, "My older sister loves me the most!"
"Good boy." Lin Xihe's eyes curved into two crescent moons as she opened her hands to her younger brother, like an older student extorting a younger one, "Give me some money."
"?"
“Your second brother’s tenosynovitis flared up after copying fifty times. Is that considered a work injury? I need to buy him some medicine to help him recover.”
Lin Pinyan hesitated, wondering why he hadn't understood a word his older sister said.
Seeing Lin Pinyan pull out the silver with a mournful face, Lin Xihe felt a pang of guilt, but it was immediately replaced by another righteous thought.
What extortion? This is called cash flow management!
"Is that all?" Lin Xihe weighed the silver in her hand and then bit it with her teeth.
"It's gone, really gone..."
"Sleeve pocket, purse, waistband, shoe sole," she recited slowly and deliberately.
Lin Pinyan gasped, her pupils dilating in shock—her older sister was indeed an expert! Lin Pinyan took a half-step back in astonishment, her eyes filled with awe as she looked at her older sister.
expert!
Lin Pinyan pulled out a silk sash from his robe, which not only contained silver coins but also revealed some glittering gold.
It's gold! It's so dazzling!
Lin Xihe's eyes widened: I'm rich!
I wasn'tted reading those ancient romance novels and watching those period dramas before I time-traveled.
Lin Xihe bit her lower lip and forced a serious expression, saying, "At such a young age, carrying so much money on you, are you trying to run away from home?"
She vaguely remembered running away from home as a child, carrying a backpack full of instant noodles. Halfway there, she realized she'd forgotten her bowl and had to silently return. Pushing open the door, she found her alcoholic father passed out on the floor, completely unaware that his child was missing.
No one cared whether she lived or died.
Lin Pinyan hesitated for a moment, then honestly said, "I didn't run away from home, I went to cockfighting..."
During the prosperous Ning Dynasty, in the bustling capital of Shengjing,纨绔子弟 (sons of wealthy and powerful families) were everywhere. The young masters of official families had no interest in learning, spending their days indulging in cockfighting, dog fighting, and the pleasures of raising birds. Even a small cricket competition had exorbitant stakes that could bankrupt ordinary people.
"You, Lin Pinyan! Gambling at such a young age!" Lin Xihe raised her eyebrows and scolded him on the spot.
"Sister, I..."
At that moment, all the guilt I felt for swindling pocket money from the child vanished.
"The stolen money is confiscated. You should reflect on your actions!"
"..."
A note from the author:
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Chuiyun Tea, Roasted Golden Flower Cake, and Snow-Soaked Skin-Shrinking Drink: These are from Part 4 of "Pretending to Live in the Song Dynasty": A Taste of the Song Dynasty. Enjoy them while you can.
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