Chapter 39.2

“Grandmother?”

Lin Shiheng had an epiphany. “Oh, I remember! The grandmother who drove my mother and me out of the house with a stick when I was a child.”

“What’s the matter? Today is not my father’s death day, even if this elderly would like to give a kowtow, aren’t you a bit early?”

Old Lady Lin, who was thinking of saying a few more words, felt choked by Lin Shiheng’s impolite attitude. She was used to being an elder at home, so how could she stand this attitude?

Besides, even if she drove people out, it was because she had already split up the family. Where’s the reason behind having split the family, yet still bringing the child to come back and eat?

Old Lady Lin completely ignored that in the so-called separation, she only gave her daughter-in-law and grandson some food that couldn’t even support them for a month. Instead, she only grudges that the grandson didn’t know how to honor this old lady.

Since Lin Shiheng didn’t give her face, she also didn’t think about blood relations anymore.

Old Lady Lin straightened her face and appeared like she was singling out a culprit.

“When you were young, I had already found that you were a cunning person, already stealing food at an early age. I didn’t expect you to be more courageous when you grew up, daring to touch such a large sum of money, yet not even afraid of being caught by the public security bureau and getting executed.”

This was also what she often said to fool several grandchildren. The disaster that just passed heavily scared the villagers, especially Grandma Lin, such an old woman. It was exactly because this group of seniors was scared that they would avoid the topic. The type like Grandma Lin, who would take it out to intimidate younger generations, she was probably the only one.

Only she forgot that Lin Shiheng was no longer the child that anyone could bully. After hearing what she said, his face just showed a cold smile: “I didn’t break the law, why would the public security bureau execute me?”

“You didn’t break the law?”

Grandma Lin only thought that he was stubbornly holding on. “If you didn’t break the law, where did you get the money?”

“Don’t think I don’t know that there are several red banknotes. On account that I am your grandmother, it’s possible for me to not tell the police.”

She said this ferociously, but Lin Shiheng only raised his eyebrows slightly after hearing it. He didn’t say where the money came from but asked, “You would be so kind?”

“Just that if you still had traces left on you, it wouldn’t be good if the police searched and found it. This would be better.”

Thinking about the several red banknotes that Widow Zhang mentioned, a glimmer of light flashed in Old Lady Lin’s eyes and she took more effort to put on a kind and benevolent face. “Give the money to grandma for safekeeping. Grandma is already so old, the police wouldn’t dare to search me. When this critical period passes, you can then take it back.”

Lin Shiheng twisted up his eyebrows as if he didn’t believe Old Lady Lin very much, a pair of good-looking eyes staring straight at her. Staring at her until she felt weak, only then did he hesitate to ask, “If I gave it to you, you would still give it back to me?”

“Look at what a child like you is saying.”

Seeing his attitude softened, Old Lady Lin waved her hand and said, “I am still your grandmother, would I harm you?”

Lin Shiheng’s brow wrinkled even tighter. “That can’t be ascertained. At that time, I almost starved to death, so my mother took me to your house to ask for some food. Yet without even giving a little, you just chased us out.”

“If it weren’t for you, this grandma, not caring for me, how would I become a ruffian?”

As soon as he spoke so frankly, Old Lady Lin’s wrinkled face slightly stiffened.

In fact, she really had no relationship with this grandchild. After all, when he was young, Old Lady Lin was worried that her grandchild would come and bother her for something to eat, she would always hide herself.

After her grandson grew up and became a ruffian that everyone feared, Old Lady Lin had to hide away even more.

Although she would appear unaffected and justified every time she ran into people discussing the matter of her driving out her daughter-in-law and grandson, it didn’t mean she didn’t know how ruthless she was.

Furthermore, one could tell at a glance that Lin Shiheng bore grudges easily, therefore, naturally, Old Lady Lin would avoid him.

Because of this, in reality, she doesn’t know much about Lin Shiheng. The extent of her understanding was what she heard people say when they were chatting in public, about how powerful Lin Shiheng was and what kind of ruffian he was. As for his character, she wasn’t very clear.

Unexpectedly, while she was only acting, it seems like this incredibly fierce Lin Shiheng actually believed her.

Old Lady Lin couldn’t help but feel pleased.

Just right. With so many grandchildren, she naturally knew that the more she ignores them, the more they would try to fawn over her.

Lin Shiheng, who lost his father when he was young and grew up with his useless mother, was naturally the same.

With such beautiful thoughts, she gradually relaxed her vigilance. She took back her ferocity and spoke in a low voice how pained and helpless she was when she drove the two of them away.

“At that time, all your uncles also had their children. As you were young, you would always get bullied by your cousins at home. Grandma wanted to look after you, but had to work, being so busy that I couldn’t manage to help you. There was just no other way, so I had you and your mother separate from us. Although life would be a bit harder, at least you would be able to make your own decisions in your household. After the initial hardships, you would have been able to live more relaxedly.”

As she said that, Old Lady Lin sighed and looked melancholic. “Look, isn’t your family living well now?”

“What’s so good?”

Lin Shiheng sneered, “I haven’t eaten meat in days. I can’t eat chicken even if I wanted to.”

Old Lady Lin’s eyes lit up. She was just worried that there was no way to rope in this grandson so that he would relax and give her the money, but he just offered it up himself.

Thinking of the old hen meticulously raised in her family that would lay an egg every day, Old Lady Lin hesitated for a second, gritted her teeth, and said, “How is that a problem? Grandma is raising so many chickens. If you want to eat, I’ll kill one for you right now.”

“Is that okay?”

Lin Shiheng’s looked pleasantly surprised. “Aren’t all your chickens laying eggs? Can you really give one to me? Don’t you feel distressed?”

To be honest, it was still a little distressing.

After all, it was an old hen.

Even if the chicken didn’t lay eggs, you could sell it on the streets for quite some money. And even if it couldn’t be sold, if you stewed it for yourself, it was also a tonic for your health.

As soon as Old Lady Lin thought about this, the words Widow Zhang said flashed through her mind.

Quite a few red banknotes.

Yes… With so many red banknotes, what is an old hen worth?.

She considers this as: if one feels pained over the bait, how can one catch a wolf.

After trying to convince herself in her mind, Old Lady Lin firmly replied, “Isn’t it just a chicken? You are my grandson, and I’m your grandmother. Let alone one chicken. Even a chicken a day, that also isn’t a problem.”

“A chicken every day is also okay?”

Lin Shiheng’s eyes obviously lit up, he was a little interested. He simply stood up and said directly, “Let’s go to your house and eat chicken now.”

“Now… now?!”

Even if she was ready to sacrifice her chickens, Old Lady Lin didn’t expect it to be so soon.

“Of course now.”

After the handsome young man answered as a matter of course, the gaze he gave Old Lady Lin suddenly held a hint of suspicion, and even the tone that had improved slightly before, again lowered, “You’re not trying to fool me, right?”

“Saying you wanted to treat me to an old hen, but in fact, you didn’t want to give it to me at all.”

Old Lady Lin’s face stiffened again, she really did have this idea.

“Of course not, of course not. Why would I think something like that? Come, come, come, let’s go home now. I’ll immediately kill an old hen to replenish your body. Shiheng, you’re Grandma’s own grandson. Of course, Grandma dotes you. Don’t listen to those gossiping women in the village talking nonsense. When you and your mother moved, you were too young to know all of those things. Grandma truly dotes you.”

Towards Old Lady Lin’s appearance of ‘I’m sincerely telling you, I truly love you from the bottom of my heart,’ Lin Shiheng chose not to comment and only faintly smiled.

This smile made Old Lady Lin pleased.

A young person is just a young person, so what if they are usually violently aggressive? As long as she uses her identity as his grandmother and deceives him with a few words, wouldn’t it still be settled very quickly?

Old Lady Lin felt complacent in coaxing Lin Shiheng to leave the money in her care. As for Widow Zhang, who tipped her off about the news, she had no intention of sharing the money with her after she got it.

Originally, this was her grandson. The money her own grandson gave her due to filial piety, on what reason should it be given to someone with a different surname?

There was no such thing in this world!

Imagining those red banknotes in her hands, Old Lady Lin became more and more pleased, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that she had the feeling of walking on air.

***

The villagers, who ran into Old Lady Lin and Lin Shiheng on the road today, were very surprised at how the two, grandmother and grandchild, who had always been at odds with each other, were walking together amiably.

Did the sun rise from the west today?

Facing everyone’s doubts, Old Lady Lin didn’t want to explain to them. After all, valuables shouldn’t be displayed; furthermore, she had no plans to return the money to Lin Shiheng. If people knew about it, what if Lin Shiheng asks these idle people to testify later?

Thinking such, Old Lady Lin just continued walking forward without even paying attention to anyone, at the same time whispering to her grandson, “Shiheng, you mustn’t tell these people about your money. The less people that know about it the better. Grandma has already lived for so many years; I’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice, you won’t go wrong if you listen to me.”

(TNote: Eaten more salt = has tasted the salt of life/ experienced more things.)

“Okay,” Lin Shiheng easily promised. After a while, sure enough, someone with strong curiosity came up and asked, “Lin’s, why are you here walking with the Shi youngster?”

“What do you mean by that? What do you mean ‘why are you two walking together’? I’m his own grandmother and he’s my own grandson. Is it strange for a grandmother and grandson to be walking together? How does it involve you!?”

Old Lady Lin’s voice was terrible. When she speaks, she sounds as if she had sand in her throat. Yet if it was just this, it wouldn’t have mattered. After all, there were always strong winds in their village, almost everyone has some throat problems. But she particularly likes to swear. When her messy voice and dirty words were mixed together, people were unable to understand a word and at the same time be thoroughly disgusted.

The tone of the curious person was originally quite good, but after she was scolded for asking, her complexion immediately turned poor.

She originally didn’t want to ask any more questions but Lin Shiheng smiled and said, “My grandma said she would take me back to stew some chicken soup.”

“Oh!”

The old lady immediately perked up. “Stewing chicken soup? Aren’t all the chickens in your family kept for eggs? How come they are stewed now?”

Furthermore, it was stewed for the grandson who she never even cared about before. Who would believe that there was nothing to it?

Old Lady Lin was originally disgusted with the old woman’s gossiping and asking questions as soon as they ran into each other on the road. But now she was delighted to hear her mention it.

She was just worrying over there being no way to show Lin Shiheng how much she, as a grandmother, dotes on him.

Thinking of this, she looked lovingly at Lin Shiheng, who stood in place with a smile. While smiling, she said, “Isn’t this just because my Shiheng wanted to have some? A young man of his age should eat more good food. Look, he’s already so tall and yet so thin. Of course, those who don’t care certainly wouldn’t think much about it. However, as his grandmother, I’m so distressed. Old hens are the most nourishing. If Shiheng would get healthy after drinking it, I would be relieved.”

“I really couldn’t tell that you still care about your grandson. The last time your family killed a chicken seemed to be two years ago? I remember at that time your little grandson just sat on the ground crying hungrily for the meat. You didn’t even look at him and just put the meat in your own mouth. That scene… Tsk tsk.”

“Can that brat compete with my Shiheng?”

Hearing her mention the past, Old Lady Lin’s complexion immediately changed and pulled Lin Shiheng forward. “Shiheng, let’s ignore her. Let’s go, Grandma will stew chicken soup for you.”