Lin Moyang stood before the eight-immortals table, looking at his adoptive parents: "Since we are dividing the family, let's make a thorough break of it. The family's money and grain should also be brought out and divided."
His tone was neither servile nor overbearing, his attitude resolute.
Lin Zhensheng's grip on his dry tobacco pouch suddenly tightened, his knuckles turning white, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He glared fiercely at Lin Moyang.
If Director Wang and the fellow villagers hadn't been here, he would have rushed forward and beaten Lin Moyang to death.
Liu Huiru also widened her eyes and shrieked angrily, "You ungrateful wretch, are you trying to drive us to our deaths? There's barely any grain left in the house—what are we going to eat if you take it? And as for money, where on earth do we have any? We haven't even paid back the money we borrowed from your second uncle. Where are we supposed to find money to give you?"
With that, she immediately sat down on the ground and burst into loud wails, slapping the floor with both hands. "Heavens above, how did I raise such a heartless son! The family gave him a house, fields, and even prepared pots, bowls, and ladles for him, yet he's still not satisfied! Is he trying to suck the very marrow out of us old folks?"
"Fellow villagers, all of you, you must judge this fairly for me."
Her crying sounded desolate enough to move heaven and earth.
Hearing Liu Huiru's tearful complaints, the villagers wore expressions of sympathy and began to murmur among themselves in low voices.
"This kid is too ungrateful. The Old Lin Family raised him all these years—isn't this biting the hand that feeds you?"
"Which family isn't having a hard time these days? Asking for both money and grain like this—what are the old couple supposed to do if he takes it all away?"
"The family already gave him so much stuff, why is he still so unsatisfied? He really grew up in vain!"
"..."
Listening to the villagers' discussion, Liu Huiru cried even more bitterly, as if Lin Moyang's demands had driven her to a desperate impasse.
Lin Zhensheng remained silent, puffing fiercely on his dry tobacco pipe. Through the thick smoke, his gaze grew increasingly gloomy.
Faced with Liu Huiru's tantrums and the villagers' accusations, Lin Moyang appeared unusually calm.
He raised his eyelids slightly, swept his gaze over the crowd, and finally landed on Lin Zhensheng and Liu Huiru. In a steady, unhurried tone, he said, "Mom, don't rush to cry just yet. Let me lay it all out for you."
"That's right, you did raise me this all these years, but ask yourselves honestly: how have I been treated in the Lin family?"
"Don't forget, you were the ones who collected my biological parents' pension back then, and you also took over their lifelong savings. I didn't get a single thing!"
"Now that I don't need to earn work points anymore and you say you want to split the family—fine, I have no objections!"
"However, that old house has been abandoned for so many years. When it rains outside, it rains inside too. Does it cost money to repair a house?"
"And all those things you gave me are old leftovers that your family finished using and threw away. Taking those to get married—how can I look the bride's family in the eye regarding her 120-yuan dowry?"
As soon as these words left his mouth, the murmurs of the villagers instantly quieted down, and quite a few people began to look thoughtful.
Lin Moyang continued, "Dad is a glorious member of the working class and has had savings all these years. The family has at least 400 yuan in savings. Since we are dividing the family, me getting 100 yuan as a son isn't too much to ask, is it?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't give me a bride price, but you can forget about getting your hands on the bride's dowry. And as for not dividing the grain—aren't you simply intending to starve the two of us to death?"
His words were logical and well-founded, and the villagers' gazes gradually shifted from Lin Moyang to Lin Zhensheng and Liu Huiru.
Seeing that the situation was turning against them, Liu Huiru immediately started crying again, her voice even more piercing than before: "The dowry is supposed to go to the parents—that is only right and proper! Even if we give you nothing at all, you should still obediently hand over the dowry. That is your bounden duty!"
Hearing this, the villagers finally understood.
This so-called division of the family was probably just an excuse to kick Lin Moyang out.
Not only were they refusing to give him money or grain, but they also wanted to swallow up the bride's dowry money. Wasn't this eating people without spitting out the bones?
However, since these were other people's private family matters, the villagers found it hard to speak up, and could only shake their heads and sigh.
As the village director, Wang Shunyou wanted to say a few words, but Lin Zhensheng interrupted him.
Seeing this, Lin Zhensheng calmly stepped in to stop him: "Director Wang, we invited you here today to be a witness. As for how the division is done, our Old Lin Family decides based on our actual situation. With no money and no grain, what am I supposed to give him?"
"Why don't you show some kindness and lend me some?"
Hearing this, Wang Shunyou sighed, shook his feet—no, shook his head—and said no more.
Seeing this, Lin Moyang let out a light laugh, swept his gaze over Lin Zhensheng and Liu Huiru, and said in a calm tone, "Since that's how it is, let's decide by drawing lots."
Hearing that Lin Moyang wanted to draw lots again, Liu Huiru immediately started wailing to the heavens and beating her chest, her voice as piercing as if the sky were falling: "What kind of sins have I committed in past lives to end up with such an unfilial son! Heavens above, open your eyes and take a look!"
"If you don't open your eyes, this family will be destroyed by him, sob, sob..."
However, this time her crying looked like a mere performance in the eyes of the villagers, and no one pitied her anymore.
Everyone felt that Lin Moyang should draw lots; that way, whatever he drew would be what he got, which was fair to everyone.
Just then, a hurried sound of footsteps came from outside.
The eldest son, Lin Changsheng, brought Lin Changming as they pushed the door open and walked in.
As soon as Lin Changming entered, he shouted loudly, "If anyone draws, I draw first! Whoever dares to flap their gums, I'll sweep them out with a broom! Outsiders have no right to meddle in the affairs of the Old Lin Family!"
His tone was arrogant and overbearing, his eyes wide as he stared fixedly at Lin Moyang.
Lin Moyang's academic performance was top-notch, and as the biological son of the Lin family, he absolutely could not let Lin Moyang take the family's only spot for further study!
"You solitary, short-lived wretch! The Old Lin Family is already doing you a favor by not driving you out to beg for food! Giving you anything is a favor; not giving it is our duty. You should be down on your knees in gratitude instead of standing here refusing to know what's good for you!"
Lin Changming wore a look of utter contempt, his tone full of disdain.
Seeing that both the eldest and the third son had hurried back, Liu Huiru instantly let out a sigh of relief, stood up from the ground, and sat back down on the stool.
Seeing that Lin Changming was getting more and more out of hand, Lin Zhensheng immediately cut him off: "You're a child, don't talk nonsense! Hurry up and draw lots!"
Although it looked like he was scolding Lin Changming, his gaze flicked toward Lin Moyang with a trace of disgust.
Having just been named an outstanding worker, he naturally had to mind his reputation. His wife and children could act wild, but the superficial work he was supposed to do still had to be done.
Lin Moyang looked coldly at Lin Zhensheng, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.
He despised this kind of hypocritical posturing the most, but it was precisely this hypocrisy of Lin Zhensheng's that gave him the opportunity to carry out his next step.
Hearing his father's reprimand, Lin Changming felt a bit reluctant, but he still obeyed the arrangement and reached out his hand to draw the lots.
However.
Before his hand could even touch the bowl, Lin Moyang had already swiftly snatched the two paper balls into his hands.
"You... what do you think you're doing?"
Seeing this, Liu Huiru panicked, her voice sharpening to near-breaking point.
Lin Zhensheng's face also turned ashen, and the tobacco pouch in his hand was almost crushed to pieces.
Lin Moyang smiled coldly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "What am I doing? Since everyone is here, wouldn't it be unreasonable not to show everyone what's really going on?"
Looking at the writing on the two paper balls, Lin Moyang couldn't help but wear a self-deprecating smile.
Then, holding the slips of paper tightly in his hand, Lin Moyang looked at Lin Zhensheng: "Dad, you tell me—were the demands I just made really unreasonable?"