Er Ya and San Ya flanked Yang Cui, saying, "I want to go with Mother!"
Da Ya stammered, "I...I choose my dad."
Yang Cui glanced at Daya and wasn't surprised by her choice. Daya was often like Lin Shikang. In the original story, she was also a heartless, selfish, and ruthless person who harmed her sisters.
"Thirty taels, and you want a house too? Why don't you just rob us? Besides, what did you good-for-nothings eat to grow up in my Lin family? Did you eat farts?"
"Is what he's eating yours?" Yang Cui sneered. "When has Lin Shikang ever taken the imperial examinations without the Yang family paying for it? Have you and Lin Shikang ever worked in the fields? It was all grown by me and the children. Have some shame!"
"Stop talking nonsense! Where did your Yang family contribute any money? What evidence do you have?"
"Is the lady of the third-ranking scholar trying to renege on her debt? You may not know, but to prove he's not a gigolo, your son always has a written agreement every time he takes money from the Yang family. Do you want me to show it to everyone?"
Madam Fan was taken aback! She really didn't know that!
The Lin family members were inwardly cursing Lin Shikang for being so stupid. The money was given voluntarily by the Yang family, so how could he sign a receipt? Foolish!
Chief Lin said, "Thirty taels is too much. You also asked for a house and a vegetable garden. I can't give you that much money. Ten taels."
"Ten taels? Two taels at most!" Madam Fan almost jumped up when she heard the number! This old woman, who was always so stingy, was known for her extreme miserliness!
After Lin Shikang passed the imperial examination, his family was no longer poor. As the saying goes, "a poor scholar becomes a high-ranking official, while a low-ranking official becomes a high-ranking one." Passing the imperial examination was equivalent to being qualified to become an official, with a high social status, certain subsidies from the imperial court, and many local gentry would actively offer him money to win him over.
However, Lin Shikang took a lot of money with him when he went to the capital for the examination, but Fan Shi must have had thirty taels of silver with him!
“Clan Chief Lin, the Yang family has lent Lin Shikang more than this amount. Thirty taels is non-negotiable. Even if I take the IOU to the yamen, the yamen will still rule this way! Of course, after I take the money, I can write a letter of severance with you, along with Er Ya and San Ya. I will never come to your door again under the guise of the children.”
"But you took the house and the vegetable garden!"
"The house and vegetable garden are compensation I received from the divorce! What? You want your Lin family's daughter to have nowhere to live? Er Ya and San Ya are your Lin family's children, and I didn't even ask you for child support. I only asked for the house and vegetable garden, which is already a bargain for you."
Ultimately, Yang Cui had no obligation to Er Ya or San Ya. As their former stepmother or aunt, she could take care of them, but she had no obligation to raise them! It's not like they didn't have a father!
“I don’t think Yang’s offer is anything special,” said Village Chief Zhou. “Paying back debts is a matter of course. The thirty taels of silver is what your Lin family has borrowed over the years, and you should pay it back! Yang is taking care of your Lin family’s children and will have to support them for eight or nine years. All you’re giving her is a vegetable plot and three dilapidated houses. No matter how you look at it, this deal is a bargain for you!”
“You can think about it too, I’m not in a hurry,” Yang Cui said with a smile. “Whenever you’ve made up your mind, we’ll go through the formalities and sign the agreement. But you should think it over as soon as possible, because… I’m afraid I won’t be able to control my mouth.”
Chief Lin gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "You're threatening me!"
“Yes!” Yang Cui nodded, making no attempt to hide it. “However, you can also choose not to be threatened by me and just let me be the third-ranked scholar’s wife.”
"You wish! Bah!" Madam Fan spat in Yang Cui's face.
"Hehe, then I'll go to the next village this afternoon, Linjiachong tomorrow morning, and Xujia'ao tomorrow afternoon. Lin Shikang is the third-highest scorer in the imperial examination, so everyone should be happy."
The Lin family was furious!
What does Yang Cui mean by this? Don't be so obvious!
If the Lin family doesn't agree to these conditions, she'll spread the word everywhere, and then the Lin family will have no reputation or credibility whatsoever!
Village Chief Zhou continued, "Clan Chief Lin and Clan Fan, you'd better agree quickly, otherwise if the rumors spread outside, it won't just affect your Lin clan, but also our Zhou family and several other families of different surnames in the village."
The Lin clan chief suppressed his hatred, stared intently at Yang Cui, and said, "Fine! Everything is as you wish, but all the children belong to our Lin family!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Cui sized up the clan chief, Lin. This old man was trying to use the child to pressure Yang Cui! He was certain that Yang Cui couldn't bear to part with the child and would compromise by using the child's custody.
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