Chapter 631: Shifting the blame
Xiao Qi realized he couldn't continue the joke. He just wanted to surprise his little sister, but instead, he got beaten up for no reason. He could have dodged it, but he couldn't.
"Little sister, you shouldn't hit someone in the face. Besides, the academy only gave us three days to rest. I have to go up the mountain the day after tomorrow and won't be able to go home until before the New Year."
Xiao Qi patiently explained that after passing the exam, one must prepare for the provincial examination the following spring, which is the key to whether one can pass the imperial examination and be granted an official position.
"What? Big brother, you won?"
Lin Yuesha was both amused and exasperated. She strode forward and punched Xiao Qi several times. Her stepbrother was really something, scaring her into thinking he had suicidal thoughts.
For the first time, Xiao Qi experienced the feeling of being wronged, and he was filled with mixed emotions. Not only that, he was also beaten up.
The last person who laid a hand on him is no longer alive.
Granny Fang opened the door, about to serve tea and fruit, but upon witnessing this scene, she immediately stopped.
The young lady was too fierce; she directly beat up the master, and the master looked like this, with two handprints on his face, which showed that he had seriously offended his young lady.
"Brother, tell me what happened?"
The people in the mansion are all acting strangely. Uncle Liu, Liu Quan's wife, and even her parents won't see her. They've all conspired to frame her.
"Little sister, this is what Aunt Xu said, she wants to give you a surprise."
Seeing the situation was turning sour, Xiao Qi immediately shifted the blame.
"I thought you hadn't passed, so of course I was happy to hear that you had. It was a pleasant surprise. Everyone else was fine, but you went too far, brother."
Lin Yuesha strongly suspected that Xiao Qi was trying to mislead her and make her anxious by saying things like her parents would only need her to take care of them in the future. Of course, she misunderstood.
Everyone was lying, and the younger sister was bullying him alone; Xiao Qi had no way to express his bitterness.
"Little sister, I'm sorry."
Xiao Qi sincerely admitted his mistake, saying that only Madam Xu would come up with such bad ideas, and he never left any evidence to support his schemes against his younger sister.
"Never mind, congratulations, brother."
Lin Yuesha couldn't bring herself to be angry with her family, especially her stepbrother, so she took out the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone she had bought as a congratulatory gift.
The brother and sister chatted casually for a while. Xiao Qi had to admit that his true self was not as useful as his disguise. Lin Yuesha would unconsciously reveal her true feelings to his pockmarked disguise.
The whole family was having hot pot to celebrate that evening. Halfway through the meal, people from the Lin family arrived, saying that Old Madam Lin wanted Lin Yuesha to return home.
"Moonlight Gown, why don't you go home?"
When Chen heard that Qin had died, she sensed something was amiss. Lin Shusheng had given her a hint, which made her uneasy, and she wanted to bring her daughter back.
"Mother, I'll be back in a while."
Lin Yuesha was filled with resentment as the murderer remained at large.
Lin Yuesha got busy again because Old Madam Lin had conscripted men. Even though she didn't know many words, she was afraid of being laughed at, so Old Madam Lin took over the account books and asked the servants to bring them up directly. Lin Yuesha had to do all the hard work to help check them. As a junior, she also had to help her scumbag father arrange the wedding, which made her miserable.
Before they knew it, it was the fifth day of the ninth lunar month. The day of the marriage between the Qin and Lin families was drawing ever closer. The Lin family had already replaced the lanterns used for worshipping the Qin family with large red lanterns, instantly making the place festive and joyous.
The Qin family's former courtyard was renovated from the inside out by craftsmen hired by Lin Shusheng. Even the blue bricks on the ground were dug up. After more than ten days of hard work, it was already taking shape.
"Father, why are you like this?"
Lin Yue'e looked at the unfamiliar house before her, her eyes stinging. She couldn't find a single piece of evidence that her mother had ever existed here.
The roof tiles, window frames, and plants were all replaced with new ones, and while they weren't as luxurious as before, they were very refreshing.
The craftsmen we hired are quite skilled; their designs are based on southern garden styles, capturing the beauty and delicacy of the Jiangnan water towns.
“Your mother likes heavy, ostentatious things, like the nouveau riche, but your father doesn’t.”
Lin Shusheng could alter the courtyard at will without needing to inform anyone. If time weren't so pressing, he would have loved to demolish and rebuild the house, erasing all traces of Qin Shi. He was worried about potential problems with the marriage, so he specifically warned Lin Yue'e, "Your cousin is still a young girl and doesn't like those fancy decorations."
After Lin Shusheng finished speaking, he was secretly pleased.
Over the years, he had cheated on Qin Shi with many affairs, but Hua Niang was a prostitute who served men and sold their bodies, and she was very flamboyant, which he disliked.
This time, he married a delicate, pure, and innocent young woman.
These past two days, he's been going to the Qin family whenever he has time, and Old Master Qin seems to understand his intentions, tacitly leading him to Qin Nanyan's courtyard.
If it weren't for these twists and turns, Qin Nanyan would have had a chance to become the princess of the Prince of Luo. Now that the beauty is about to enter his arms, how could Lin Shusheng not be excited!
Marrying Qin Nanyan had another advantage: it made the Qin family, who had enslaved him for over a decade, so angry that their souls were scattered!
Looking back, Lin Shusheng realized that all his humiliations were brought about by Qin Shi. If it weren't for Qin Shi, he wouldn't have had to fake his death and be separated from his wife and daughter for more than ten years.
More than a decade later, she tried to salvage the relationship but it was too late. Chen remarried, and thankfully her daughter did not change her surname.
After Qin's death, Lin Shusheng's ambition rekindled. He would rise to a higher position and then seize Chen, leaving her to remain a widow. This was the consequence of betraying him!
"When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out. Don't mention your mother again."
Mentioning the Qin family made Lin Shusheng feel very dejected, and he emphasized this to Lin Yue'e.
In comparison, her son Haoran was much more pleasing; as long as he had food and toys, he was content and never mentioned Qin Shi.
"Why? My mother died less than a month ago and you remarried. Not only that, the courtyard has been cleared clean. Where are all the things my mother left behind? How am I supposed to remember her in the future?"
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
