Back to 1984: Let's Work Hard Together to Raise The Kids!-Chapter 214: Lin Zhi Is Dead

Nobody stopped Lin Zhi, so he sold the land very smoothly. Once he gathered a thousand yuan, he immediately went to find Liu Chunzhi.

Seeing the money, Liu Chunzhi beamed with happiness and shyly threw a flirtatious glance at Lin Zhi. "Since you’ve already given the betrothal gift, I agree to marry you. Come to my house to marry me in three days. During these three days, I’ll have my parents prepare for the wedding, and we won’t meet in the meantime."

Lin Zhi grinned like a simpleton, nodding continuously.

"Of course, we’ll first live in the house you were in before. Later on, I’ll build a big house for you and the children."

This time, Liu Chunzhi, unusually agreeable, not only accepted but also thoughtfully packed him a bag of fruits.

Lin Zhi couldn’t contain his joy on the way back, thinking that Liu Chunzhi was indeed someone who cared for him. His life had been stalled by Li Lian, but thankfully, he finally met the right person now.

After returning to the village, Lin Zhi smiled at everyone he met, announcing that he would get married in three days and inviting everyone to his house.

The villagers outwardly smiled and nodded in agreement, but behind his back, they made all sorts of derogatory remarks.

Lin Qingxiang and his wife got the news and, having nothing else to do, decided to visit Lin Yi in Nanyu for tea.

"That day, Li Lian and Lin Zhi had a huge fight. Jianqiang beat Lin Zhi to the ground and forced him to transfer the house ownership. The next day, their family went to handle the paperwork, the marriage was over, the house went to Jianqiang, and the fields to Lin Zhi.

But then, Lin Zhi sold the fields, and just now, he was brimming with joy, telling everyone he’d get married in three days and inviting us to his house for the wedding feast!"

Huang Yuzhen took a bite of watermelon, squinting happily, "So sweet! The watermelons from your family are the best! How come Ah Qin didn’t go to work today?"

Lin Qin handed her another plate of mango, pondering, "The TV station isn’t busy lately. I got everything done in the morning, and it’s too hot in the afternoon to feel like moving around."

Huang Yuzhen felt envious, "Your life is so comfortable. Are you going in three days?"

Lin Qin looked at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi didn’t even raise an eyelid, "Only he would find such a disgraceful thing glorious. We’re not going."

This answer was within Lin Qingxiang and his wife’s expectations.

They had relayed the situation and wouldn’t concern themselves with what happened next.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Lin Zhi happily went to the Liu family to pick up his bride, only to find the doors shut tight, not a soul in sight.

Lin Zhi’s heart sank, and he quickly went to the neighbors to inquire.

"You mean their family? Chun Zhi’s parents went to the provincial capital a few days ago, supposedly to look after their grandson. It’s just been Chun Zhi and the kid home these days. The day before yesterday, the door was locked. I thought she had returned to her in-laws with the child!"

Lin Zhi panicked, "She didn’t go back to Shanglin Village at all. She promised to marry me and took my thousand yuan betrothal gift!"

The villagers gasped, looking at Lin Zhi as if he were a fool, "A thousand yuan as a betrothal gift? That’s enough to marry a maiden! What were you thinking? Let me tell you, that Liu Chunzhi isn’t trustworthy. Before she got married, she was ambiguous with the young men in the village, and even after marriage, she flirted with others.

You had a thousand yuan; why didn’t you choose someone better than her?"

The villagers shook their heads in disapproval.

It finally dawned on Lin Zhi that he had been conned!

"My money! My money!" Lin Zhi’s anger got the better of him, and he fell straight down.

The villagers were startled, "Help! Help!"

Lin Jianqiang was still at work when Li Lian came all the way to find him and called him out.

"Your father is dead!"

Looking closely, her eyes were red.

Lin Jianqiang was momentarily stunned, "Wasn’t he getting married to that widow today? Did he die on the widow’s bed?"

Li Lian’s face alternated between red and green, almost in tears, "Your father sold the fields for the betrothal gift, a full thousand yuan to Liu Chunzhi, and that woman took the money and ran with the kid.

Your father went to pick up the bride, only to find he was deceived, and the Liu family was nowhere to be seen. According to people in their village, Liu Chunzhi already had someone else, and that kid probably wasn’t your father’s."

Lin Jianqiang laughed in anger, "So he broke ties with us for such a woman, and now he’s dead from anger! Serves him right!"

Seeing Lin Jianqiang this mad, Li Lian secretly wiped her tears, "The village chief wanted me to ask you to go back and see what to do. Even though I divorced your father, you’re still his son, and we can’t just let that thousand yuan go like that."

Lin Jianqiang calmed down, took leave from his supervisor, and returned to the village with Li Lian to report to the police and arrange Lin Zhi’s funeral.

Lin Zhi’s death was disgraceful. Lin Jianqiang felt ashamed, hastily set up a makeshift mourning hall, and finished the funeral the next day without even notifying Lin Yi and Lin E.

Lin Qingxiang only told Lin Yi and Lin Qin about it afterward when they visited Nanyu.

Lin Qingxiang patted Lin Yi’s shoulder, looking forlorn, "He was a mess in this life, never understood anything. Now that he’s gone, you should let go of the past."

Lin Yi sniffed, holding back tears, "I let go a long time ago. I just treated him like a stranger. It’s better that he’s dead, clean and gone, so he won’t harm anyone else."

Lin Qingxiang thought the same, "Jianqiang reported it to the police. But that thousand yuan is likely gone for good."

Lin Yi waved it off, "Liu Chunzhi indirectly caused a death, committed fraud and theft. Unless she never returns, she’ll face legal punishment as soon as she does!"

Lin Qin had no comment on the matter.

Because Lin Jianqiang didn’t notify them, they pretended not to know and didn’t return to the village to mourn.

In the blink of an eye, autumn turned to winter.

The south remained lush and green, while the north was barren, covered in snow.

Chen Xinyue wore her newly-bought floral pajamas and carried a kettle of hot water back to the dormitory, feeling her ears nearly numb from the cold. She quickly climbed back into bed, snuggling under the warm covers with only her eyes showing, looking at her roommate Tang Jing across the bed, "Next week is the winter break; have you guys bought your tickets home yet?"

Tang Jing pursed her lips and shook her head, "I want to stay in the capital this year to work and save money, not planning to go back."

She came from Long Province, which was poor and backward. Her parents scrimped and saved to support her through college, and she wanted to lighten their burden by becoming self-reliant as much as possible.

Chen Xinyue nodded, understandingly, then turned her gaze to Zhou Miaqing, who was opposite Tang Jing, "What about you? Are you going back?"

Zhou Miaqing nodded immediately, "If I don’t go back, my mom would come all the way to the capital to drag me back. Xinyue, let’s buy tickets to return together!"

She was from the same province as Chen Xinyue, but her family was in the provincial capital, while Chen Xinyue’s was in a prefecture-level city.

Chen Xinyue agreed happily, not even glancing at their other roommate, Ji Fang.

Ji Fang, feeling ignored, angrily banged her chair, making a loud clatter, but no one took the bait.