Lin Shikang felt that the phrase "beset by internal and external troubles" was the most fitting description of his current situation.
Lin Sanjin rebuked, "Jin family, is this the time to talk about this?"
"Elder, it's not your child who's lost, of course you're not worried!"
“You…” Lin Sanjin choked.
Lin Shikang looked at Jin Shi: "What kind of explanation do you want me to give?"
“I don’t ask for much. You’re about to take up your post in Ganning County. Take my Xiaoqiang with you and arrange a position for him in the yamen. Then we can let this matter drop.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Fan flew into a rage: "Bah! Your grandson can't even read a single word, yet he wants to get into the government office? Dream on!"
Lin Jiankang said, "Auntie, you can't say that. Lord Lin is going to Ganning, where he is unfamiliar with the place. He needs someone to go with him and run errands. Although our Xiaoqiang has never been to school, he is always able to work hard. He is also honest and reliable. He will definitely be Lord Lin's right-hand man."
Lin Shikang did want to bring a few capable people from his clan to Ganning County to help him with his business, but he was unwilling to be forced or threatened to bring them there under these circumstances.
“I can’t take her with me. Da Ya’s intention in sending Xiao Lian to dig for earthworms was good. Nobody wants anything to happen to Xiao Lian. For the sake of being from the same Lin family, I can give you ten taels of silver, and that will be the end of this matter.”
Upon hearing that money was to be given, he felt as if Fan's flesh was being torn apart: "Shikang, why are we giving them money? It's not like we kidnapped Xiaolian. Besides, Lin Xiaolian's looks wouldn't even be worth ten taels of silver as a bride price."
Lin Jiankang: "We don't want any money, just take Xiaoqiang with you."
Jin's eyes darted around, and she made up her mind. She pushed her son, Lin Jiankang, aside and said, "Ten taels of silver is too little. Our Xiaolian can still help the family with chores for two more years! At least fifteen taels!"
Madam Fan: "Why don't you just rob me? You want fifteen taels! Do you think your Lin Xiaolian is made of gold? Bah! You're trying to extort me, don't you even take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror..."
Lin Sanjin: "Shut up, all of you! What's all the noise about? Jinshi, why don't you go rob someone? Did your son pay ten taels of silver for a bride price? Which girl asks for ten taels of silver for a bride price? Stop babbling on and on, isn't that chaotic enough? Get out of here!"
Currently, the Lin clan does not have a clan leader. As the eldest ancestor in the clan, Lin Sanjin is not allowed to cause any trouble.
Lin Qi said, "You should be grateful that Shi Kang gave you ten taels of silver. Logically speaking, he shouldn't have to pay for it. If you keep making trouble, get out of the Lin family!"
"Get out of the Lin family" means to be expelled from the clan. The Jin family was also scared and immediately gave in: "Okay, okay, just give me ten taels of silver."
Lin Shikang had exactly ten taels in his purse and tossed it to Jin Shi, saying irritably, "Prepare your things, we're going to Anjia Village."
Jin was overjoyed to receive the money, her mouth agape. She felt it was a good deal that her granddaughter could be exchanged for ten taels of silver. Other members of the clan were envious when they saw the money in Jin's hand.
Ten taels of silver is a huge sum for farming families. A girl's dowry is usually three to five taels of silver at most, and once married, she can no longer help her family. If a daughter can be exchanged for ten taels of silver, many of them would be willing to do so.
When Jin and the others returned home, they immediately hid the money. Now that there were no outsiders in the house, Lin Jiankang asked, "Mother, why did you agree to take ten taels of silver? If Xiaoqiang goes to the yamen and gets a job, he might be able to earn that much in a month. Look at those constables, aren't they all so powerful? They have government stipends and other people's tributes. If our Xiaoqiang goes with them, he'll be considered a trusted confidant of the county magistrate. Others will definitely have to give him tributes too. I think he can earn back ten taels of silver in less than a month."
Zou, the youngest daughter-in-law of the Jin family, said, "Even if Xiaoqiang can't go, Xiaoju can go instead. Xiaoju can follow Daya, and maybe she can find a good family in the future."
Jin slapped Lin Zou on the forehead: "Idiot!"
"Mom, why are you hitting and scolding me?"
"So what if I hit you? That ingrate Lin Daya, you still expect anything from her? What did Yang Cui do to her? When Yang Cui was still her mother, wasn't she good to her? Even her own mother wasn't as good to her as Yang Cui! But she actually slandered Yang Cui. You still expect anything from this kind of heartless wretch! It's a miracle she didn't sell your daughter!"
When Lin Daya testified against Yang Cui, the Jin family and other members of the Lin family were shocked. In fact, everyone now felt that Lin Daya was an ingrate.
Lin's husband said worriedly, "If you take this money, Lin Shikang and Fan Shi will definitely be unhappy. It will be difficult for us to benefit from it in the future..."
Jin said, "Lin Shikang's family is all bad. They want to benefit from this? Pshaw! What are they dreaming of? Even if they could benefit, they're in Ganning County, which is far from the emperor's reach. When will we ever benefit from this? It's better to take the money. This is a tangible benefit. With this money, Xiaozhu and Xiaoqiang won't have to worry about their marriages."
Kim's plan was meticulously executed, but it later proved to be the right choice, but that's a story for another time.
When Yang Cui returned home, Cen Xiao saw that her hair was disheveled and there were scratches on her neck, and he felt extremely distressed.
"What happened? Was it the Lin family who did it?"
"It's just a minor scratch, I'm fine."
Cen Xiao got angry: "The wound is so long, and you still say it's nothing! I'm going to break Lin Shikang's legs!"
"Don't panic, listen to me. Actually, I did it on purpose. I just wanted to put the Fan family in jail..."
"What? You did this on purpose? You..." Cen Xiao was both angry and heartbroken, angry that Yang Cui didn't cherish herself.
Yang Cui told Cen Xiao everything, big or small. When Cen Xiao heard that it was that old woman Fan who did it, he secretly decided to teach her a lesson tonight!
It can touch Lao Tzu's women too!
"From now on, under no circumstances are you allowed to intentionally harm yourself to restrain the enemy. You might be willing to do it, but I wouldn't!"
Seeing the heartache in Cen Xiao's eyes, Yang Cui felt a sweet warmth in her heart. She hugged Cen Xiao's waist and leaned against him, saying, "I'm fine. You don't know how angry Lin Shikang is. Just thinking about it makes me happy. Eunuch Liu will definitely tell the Emperor about this. The Emperor will definitely dislike him even more. I don't think he has any chance of being made a marquis or prime minister."
"He still wants to be ennobled and appointed prime minister? Humph! It's questionable whether he'll even live to see next year."
"What do you mean? You want to assassinate him?"
“I don’t need to do anything. When the time is right, someone will naturally send him to his death!” Cen Xiao explained. “Several county magistrates have died in Ganning County. It’s a den of dragons and tigers!”
This is also the fundamental reason why Cen Xiao asked Chen Shaoyun to propose that Lin Shikang be appointed as the magistrate of Ganning County!
Cen Xiao knew that the Emperor disliked someone like Lin Shikang, who was embroiled in scandals. However, Lin Shikang had established the Scholarship Program and the Scholar's Study, which would surely attract the attention of some civil officials. Therefore, the Emperor could not strip him of his official rank just because he disliked him; he should at least give him a minor official position.
Just as Cen Xiao predicted, Lin Shikang is indeed going to that den of thieves in Ganning County!
Yang Cui is very clever. As soon as Cen Xiao mentioned it, she knew that Gan Ning County must be in turmoil. In the original story, after Lin Shikang became the third-ranked scholar, he stayed in the capital to serve as an official and never went to Gan Ning County. But now he is going there. So what will become of the original male protagonist?
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