Lin Tuo was universally recognized in his unit as a quick-witted and resourceful person. Full of ideas, clever, and persistent in whatever he did, he was also eloquent and adept at handling situations. His superiors had originally planned to groom him for greater responsibilities. However, the sudden introduction of an “optimization and restructuring” policy from above disrupted all their plans. Nevertheless, Lin Tuo didn’t have to worry about being left without a position.
Sure enough, those with the means to contract storefronts were eager to choose Lin Tuo. To make things easier for his family, Lin Tuo ultimately chose to partner with the person who contracted the village store. Those without money or connections had no choice but to face layoffs.
Lin Tuo’s new partner was a married woman with children. After working with her for a few years, the woman, due to family commitments, no longer had the energy to manage the store. They then switched to a profit-sharing arrangement: she took 70% of the profits while Lin Tuo handled the store’s operations, and she simply collected her share each month. The two became true business partners.
Eldest brother Lin Yong didn’t return home with Lin Fang either. Instead, he went to the agricultural machinery station to look at four-wheel tractors—even if he couldn’t afford one, at least he could indulge in some wishful thinking.
After retiring from the military, Lin Yong had married and moved out two years prior. He had long wanted to buy a four-wheel tractor, but money was always tight. When his wife, Yan Ping, finally borrowed enough from her family to cover the cost, before he could make the purchase, Lin Fang fell ill and was hospitalized. Without consulting Yan Ping, Lin Yong used the tractor money to pay for Lin Fang’s hospital bills—and even that wasn’t enough. The family had to borrow from relatives and friends.
But Lin Fang’s illness required repeated hospitalizations, and each time, the doctors issued critical condition notices. In others’ eyes, Lin Fang was living on borrowed time. Lending money to the Lin family was like pouring it into a bottomless pit—no one knew if they’d ever get it back. As a result, the family found it harder and harder to borrow money. If not for Lin Tuo giving up part of his store profits to his partner out of goodwill, prompting her to lend him some money, Lin Fang’s latest hospitalization wouldn’t have been covered at all.
Lin Fang remembered that this cycle of debt lasted until she went to college. It was only after her second brother followed her to the city where she studied and, by chance, landed a few big business deals that their situation improved. Not only were all their debts cleared, but the business also grew steadily. At the very least, Lin Fang no longer had to worry about hospital expenses.
Amid their mother’s constant nagging, they finally arrived home. The first to greet them was a large, pitch-black dog without a single stray hair, followed by Yan Ping, holding their nephew.
Looking at the black dog, Lin Fang felt another pang of sorrow. “Heipi” (Blackie) was the dog’s name—and also the nickname she had given Qi Biao. Now, separated by lifetimes, he would live his future as a noble prince or heir, while she struggled under the weight of debt. Their paths would never cross again.
Before Lin Fang could dwell on her sadness, Yan Ping spoke up: “Discharged? How long do you think you’ll last this time?” Her words, though delivered with a smile, were chilling.
Lin Yuanmin’s face darkened instantly. Ignoring his daughter-in-law’s sharp tongue, he silently walked into the courtyard.
After more than ten days apart, little Yuanyuan didn’t seem shy at all, reaching out for his grandmother. Dong Huixin took her grandson from Yan Ping without acknowledging her, standing at the gate and playing with the child while waiting for Lin Fang to enter first. Lin Yuanmin, already inside, stood just beyond the threshold, also waiting for Lin Fang. In truth, the elderly couple were keeping an eye on Yan Ping, afraid she might deliberately bump or push Lin Fang when they weren’t looking—something that had happened before.
Now that she was back, living under the same roof again, passive defense wouldn’t work. It was better to take precautions. Instead of rushing inside, Lin Fang smiled and teased her nephew, “Yuanyuan, come on, call me ‘Auntie.'”
“Dou!”
The baby’s sweet, crisp voice instantly melted Lin Yuanmin and Dong Huixin’s stern expressions into laughter.
Lin Fang teased again, “Say it again—’Auntie.'”
“Dou!”
“One more time—’Auntie.'”
“Dou! Dou! Dou! Hehe… Dou! Hehehe… Dou! Dou…”
Little Yuanyuan seemed to have found a fun game, babbling nonstop and amusing himself endlessly.
“Hahaha!” Lin Fang laughed along with the little one, while her parents roared with laughter. Even Yan Ping, despite her sour expression, couldn’t help but chuckle. Only then did Lin Fang address Yan Ping: “Sister-in-law, you’ve been waiting for us so long—you must be freezing. It’s cold out; let’s go inside before you catch a chill.”
Yan Ping paused, then retorted sharply, “Oh? Did this hospital visit fix your brain too? Since when do you care about me? Not only are you smiling, but you’re even showing concern.”
*I’m not concerned about you—I just want you to go in first so you can’t pull anything behind my back.*
Of course, Lin Fang didn’t say that out loud. Instead, she replied, “While I was in the hospital, Eldest Brother had to keep running back and forth. You’ve been alone at home—that couldn’t have been easy. Even if I’m usually thoughtless, I can still appreciate that. Let’s talk inside—Yuanyuan’s still small and shouldn’t be out in the cold for long.”
Glancing at her son, happily playing in his grandmother’s arms, and her in-laws standing like sentinels at the gate, Yan Ping finally stepped into the courtyard. Only after she had gone a few steps ahead did Lin Fang follow, keeping a safe distance.
The moment Lin Fang stepped inside, Yan Ping suddenly spun around. Dong Huixin quickly moved between them.
Yan Ping didn’t approach but asked Lin Fang, “Now that you’re back, you’re not going back to school, right?”
Bringing up the old argument again, Dong Huixin scowled. “Whether Fang goes to school or not isn’t your call. If you’ve got nothing better to do, go wash coal.”
“Wash coal until it turns white”—a local sarcastic phrase implying someone was so idle they’d do pointless tasks.
Yan Ping opened her mouth to retort but suddenly paled and hurried back to her room without a word. Lin Fang didn’t need to guess—Eldest Brother Lin Yong must be standing behind her, and his expression was undoubtedly grim.
Lin Fang turned and asked, “Eldest Brother, why are you back so soon? Didn’t you go look at the tractor?”
Pushing her gently toward the house, Lin Yong replied, “Didn’t go. Ran into an old comrade on the way—haven’t seen him in ages. We talked for a while, and he gave me a ride back on his motorcycle. Took a shortcut, so I got here faster than you did on the bus. Come on inside—standing around after such a long trip must be tiring.”
“I’m not that weak. I actually feel stronger than before—not tired at all.” Lin Fang wasn’t just saying this to reassure her family. She genuinely felt better, which even surprised her. She remembered always feeling drained in the past, as if her energy had been sapped away.
“Alright, alright. Even if you’re not tired, let’s go inside first.”
With that, Lin Yong ushered Lin Fang into the house, followed by Lin Yuanmin and Dong Huixin. Ever since Lin Fang started teasing Yuanyuan, the little boy had been chattering nonstop, though no one could understand what he was saying.
Lin Yong took his son from his mother and tossed him playfully into the air. The child giggled, fearless. Just then, Yan Ping pushed through the curtain, holding a brown fleece jacket. With exaggerated cheer, she said, “Little Sister, your second brother brought back two defective items a few days ago—one large, one small. I altered the smaller one for you. Try it on—see if it fits.”
Before Lin Fang could respond, Lin Yong frowned and scolded, “I told you to alter the *larger* one for her.”
Glancing at her much shorter sister-in-law, Lin Fang took the jacket with a smile and chided, “Eldest Brother, Sister-in-law’s put on weight after having a baby—of course she needs the bigger one. Besides, look at me—I’d drown in something too large.”
Yan Ping quickly agreed, “Exactly! That’s what I thought too.”
Going into the inner room to remove her heavy coat, Lin Fang unfolded the new fleece jacket and couldn’t help but admire Yan Ping’s skill. The garment had clearly been uneven—one front panel shorter than the other—but Yan Ping had patched it with matching fabric and even embroidered decorative stitching along the seams. In this era, such a jacket looked quite stylish. When Lin Fang put it on, it fit perfectly.
As a child, Lin Fang had been short and scrawny, always in the front row at school. In high school, though still thin, she shot up in height, making her clothes seem even smaller. With no money for new outfits, the family found a compromise: whenever Lin Tuo went to purchase goods, he would stop by small garment factories and pick out defective items at cost.
At first, Dong Huixin altered the clothes for Lin Fang herself. Later, Yan Ping, seeing how cheap they were, began eagerly taking on the task whenever Lin Tuo brought them home—sometimes keeping a piece for herself if it suited her. Lin Tuo didn’t mind; eventually, he started picking items for her too. As for who got what, Lin Tuo didn’t need to worry—Yan Ping, despite her pettiness, was skilled with her hands. Even the ugliest clothes became stylish after her alterations, surpassing even Dong Huixin’s work. Besides, Lin Yong always looked out for his little sister—as long as she wasn’t shortchanged, it was fine.
Originally, all of Lin Fang’s clothes had been handmade by Dong Huixin—as was common in rural areas, where women grew up skilled in needlework. But after Lin Fang tested into the county’s No. 2 High School, twenty miles from home, she had to board there. Seeing her classmates dressed in stylish clothes, Lin Tuo wanted his sister to look nice too. Feeling that homemade outfits were too plain, he started buying clothes for her.
When Lin Fang stepped out wearing the altered jacket, Yan Ping gushed theatrically, “Oh my, Little Sister looks so good in this! Just like a city girl—no, even better!”
In front of Lin Yong, Yan Ping always acted affectionate toward her sister-in-law.
Playing along, Lin Fang praised, “Well, of course! With your skills, how could it *not* look good?”
The moment the words left her mouth, the room fell silent. Even Yuanyuan, who had been babbling moments ago, stared at Lin Fang without a sound. After a long pause, Yan Ping forced a smile and said, “It’s because *you’re* so pretty.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage