"Mother, I regret it. I was ignorant before, young and impetuous, and didn't know my place, so I hurt your heart. But I've realized my mistake now, and I promise I will definitely take good care of you from now on. You are my own mother, how could I hurt your heart?" Lin Jingyue said with red eyes, giving a long self-criticism that left everyone stunned.
Instead of being pleased, Granny Lin felt something was amiss. However, she couldn't pinpoint what it was, so she simply went along with what the woman was saying.
"I'm your mother, and you're my daughter. Blood is thicker than water, and I don't blame you." As long as you hand over the work, everything will be fine.
"I knew you were the best, Mother. You're the only one in the world who's ever been good to me. I promise I'll live a good life from now on and won't cause you any trouble. My family is my strongest support. With you here, Mother, I'm not afraid!"
"Wait, what do you mean by that? Did you get into trouble outside?" The more Granny Lin listened, the more uneasy she felt. Her attire and strange words made it seem like something was amiss.
Lin Jingyue's eyes darted away, and she stammered, "What could be wrong with me? I just tripped and fell. Mother, you're not disgusted with me, are you?"
Yes, I do feel disgusted, but can I say it out loud? "No, I'm your mother, how could I possibly dislike you?"
"Mom, you're the best!" She smiled happily, but perhaps because it aggravated her wound, she couldn't help but twitch her lips in pain.
"Mother, I want to discuss something with you."
"What's up?"
"Well, my job, even though it's temporary, there's a chance I can get a permanent position. I'm not planning to continue doing it now, so I'm thinking of selling it. I asked about the price, and it should sell for five hundred yuan. Mom, do you have any money at home? I'll sell it to you then, how about that?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Lin thought her daughter had finally come to her senses and laughed, "Daughter, look at what you're saying. Don't you know the situation at home? Let alone five hundred, we don't even have a hundred. What are you talking about with your own family? You could just give up your job. You said yourself that your family is your support."
"I promise you, even if you don't have a job, you can still live a good life when you go back to your parents' home." Then you can find someone else to marry and get another dowry, right?
Lin Jingyue was not surprised at all by her greed. She bit her lower lip in a dilemma, thought for a long time, and finally nodded with difficulty.
"Mom, how much money do we have at home? Can you just consider it a loan? Give me whatever money you have first, and I'll find a way to pay you back later."
"What do you need the money for?" Granny Lin was very sensitive to money, but in fact, everyone is sensitive to money.
"Don't ask about this, I have a use for it."
"No, not a single penny!" Granny Lin shook her head mercilessly, showing none of her previous kindness.
Lin Jingyue was almost in tears. "Mom, I can earn at least five hundred yuan from selling my work. Please give me some money. Give me whatever you have at home, I really need the money urgently!"
Granny Lin frowned deeply. Having detached herself from her earlier joy, she now felt from an outsider's perspective that something was very wrong.
The injuries on her face didn't look like a fall; they looked like she'd been beaten. Her clothes, while tattered, weren't this ragged. And the job offer was so generous—could something be going on?
"Daughter, tell me, is something wrong? Has something happened to Zhaodi? Why are you in such a hurry for money?"
"Mother, that's your grandson! Can't you hope for something good? My daughter is fine, it's me who's in trouble!" Lin Jingyue shouted angrily.
So what do you need the money for?
As if suddenly snapping out of her daze, her eyes began to dart away again. "No, nothing's wrong. Mother, how could anything be wrong with me? I just... just came back to see you."
After a while, she asked again, "Mom, I'm your own daughter, you wouldn't want anything to happen to me, would you?"
Grandma Lin replied without hesitation, "Of course! You're the flesh and blood of my own flesh, how could I possibly want anything to happen to you?" Anyone can say sentimental things.
"Then lend me the money, I'll pay it back, please."
"What money do you need? We don't have any!" Sister-in-law Lin suddenly walked in from outside. She had just overheard them talking about borrowing money. This sister-in-law has been married for so long, and she actually came back to borrow money? No way!
"Daughter, tell your mother, is something wrong? Tell your mother first, and I'll think of a way to help you, okay?" Granny Lin patted Lin Jingyue's shoulder kindly, looking like a caring old mother.
Sister-in-law Lin rolled her eyes. While she didn't dislike her sister-in-law, she didn't want her to come back to her parents' home to freeload. Anyway, with her there, this sister-in-law couldn't cause any trouble!
Encouraged by Granny Lin, Lin Jingyue was moved to tears. She stammered out the story, "I... I accidentally incurred a loan shark debt. They said I have to pay it back this month, or else they'll have someone kill me."
"What?! Loan sharking?!"
"How much money do you owe?" Granny Lin's breathing quickened. She knew loan sharks were no good.
It is said that a landlord once gambled away his entire fortune. Still wanting to gamble, he borrowed money from loan sharks. However, he lost everything and incurred a huge debt. The loan sharks were nothing more than a band of bandits; they not only robbed the landlord's house of everything but also murdered him.
Since then, no one dared to borrow money from loan sharks anymore; anyone who got involved with that stuff was doomed.
Under the wide-eyed gaze of Granny Lin, Lin Jingyue slowly extended a finger.
"One hundred yuan? That's alright, you can pay it back in a few months of work. You can pay off the debt first, and then give me the job in a few months." Granny Lin breathed a sigh of relief.
One hundred yuan isn't a lot, but it's not a small amount either. If you borrow some and scrape together the money, you can pay it back.
But Lin Jingyue shook her head.
"That's a thousand? Are you out of your mind? How dare you borrow money from loan sharks? Do you know what happened to that guy? Both his hands were chopped off before he died! Are you stupid?!"
She blinked and then shook her head.
"It's ten thousand."
Granny Lin's breath hitched, and she fell backward uncontrollably.
Sister-in-law Lin rushed forward to catch her, "Lin Qiumei! Are you crazy? Look how scared your mother is, she's fainted. You'd better get out of here right now, or I'll have to personally escort you away!" The most important thing right now is to get her out of here; so much money, she'll have to pay it back in her next life!
"No, my mother said she'll help me!"
Granny Lin woke up immediately, yelling, "Get out! Get out of here!"
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