Ch. 456..460: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 456-460
Chapter 456: Chapter 456 Losing Face (5)_1
"My maternal grandfather?" Lin Ziyin asked back with a faint smile, "Such a man has never existed in our siblings’ minds. He’s a man who, after the death of his wife, takes a new one, and lets his old wife’s children be oppressed by the new woman. Can he still be considered a man? Can he live up to the term ’elder’? Maybe he’s been good to you, but he owes my mother and Uncle’s family."
"No matter what, he is your maternal grandfather, and there’s no denying it. Even if you hate him, you cannot talk ill of him." He Zhen remarked ruefully.
"Maybe to you, but to me, reputation doesn’t mean much. As long as I’m without shame in the face of heaven, earth, family, friends, and others, that’s enough. We siblings of the Lin Family are harmonious, respect our elders, help villagers, and care for our friends. What should I be ashamed of? As for you bloodsuckers, even if you have some kinship with us, I don’t want to get too close to you. Rather than keeping you vampires around, I prefer helping the kind-hearted neighboring villagers get rich. At least they are good people who won’t think about taking advantage of my family." Lin Ziyin retorted with a mocking look in his eyes.
The faces of the old lady and the others turned liver-colored. The idea of giving up on entering the Lin Family was simply a pipe dream. Lin Ziyin could not shoo them away with a few words.
"Humph, if you don’t let us in, we can lodge a complaint at the government offices about your disrespect. Let’s see who would dare to marry you then." He Lian threatened.
"Don’t you care about your reputation, afraid that your family’s name would be tarnished because of you?" Lian Family’s Madam sneered while giving Lin Ziyin a disdainful look.
"Our Lin Family’s reputation doesn’t need to be worried about by you all, get lost." Lin Changshu stood up, these people dared to bully Ziyin, they were clearly looking for a fight.
Hei Yi and Hei Er almost couldn’t help but stand up and tell these people that Lin Ziyin wouldn’t remain single, as she would be the most distinguished woman in the Northern Land. They certainly wouldn’t let anyone bully their future lady.
If the Prince knew they stood by while Lin Ziyin was being humiliated, they wouldn’t have the right to breathe anymore.
"If they love the government offices that much, send them there." With Hei Yi’s command, a group of well-trained men immediately caught the He Family’s people.
"You’re nothing but hoodlums." As soon as He Lian saw the men trying to catch her, she screamed in fright. Lian Family’s Madam, Madam An, and a few children also started to curse at the Lin Family.
Hei Yi’s men showed no mercy. These men were skilled fighters placed by Chu Suifeng in the village specifically to protect Lin Ziyin. They wanted to start fighting when the He Family began making threats, but they kept themselves in check till Hei Yi and Lin Ziyin gave them the explicit command.
Now that they had orders, none of them cared about the ravings of these women from the He Family.
"Smack smack." Without hesitation, they gave Lian Family’s Madam and He Lian a few resounding slaps. As for He Bang and He Nian, who tried to charge at them, they were kicked to the ground, blood oozing from their mouths.
"Break the arms and legs of anyone who resists." Hei Yi lazily issued a command.
The He Family members were so scared that they widened their eyes and stopped making any noise. By now, they probably understood that Hei Yi was not someone they could offend, "The Residence Judge should take good care of them."
"Yes."
Several men, like hawks catching chicks, each hoisted a person and walked out. Even the old lady who fainted didn’t escape.
"Big brother, do you have the heart to do this?" He Zhen, the only one from the He Family who had neither moved nor berated the Lin Family, so he was the only one allowed to stand and speak.
Chapter 457: Chapter 457 Losing Face (6)_1
He Fuxing gazed at the unconscious old woman, then at He Nian and others being dragged onto the ox cart like dead dogs, their mouths gasping open but no sound escaping.
"Father." He Dingfan anxiously looked at his father.
Yinshi, unable to bear the sight, turned her head away from the He Family. Her heart felt heavy.
"Father, they..."
"Since the moment they wrote that disowning letter, everything related to the He Family has had nothing to do with us." Even before his eldest son could finish speaking, He Fuxing stuttered out his stance, "If you weren’t so greedy, why would the manager punish you?"
"Are they really the Prince’s men?" He Zhen asked again, unwilling to give up hope.
He Fuxing nodded. He Zhen’s face turned ashen. It was over. He had been clinging to the slim hope that these men were only bluffing, but they were indeed from the Wang Residence. He felt like his world was collapsing.
Half-conscious, He Nian and He Bang were so frightened they nearly wet themselves. They knew He Fuxing never lied. The He Family had genuinely offended someone from the Wang Residence. They were doomed, all the grown-ups in the He Family thought so.
"Let’s go, let’s leave right now. Spare us, we won’t come back, alright?" He Nian, his face pale with fright, was pleading desperately while clutching his child.
"I don’t want to go to prison." He Lian was crying, gasping for air.
"Are you sure that, once we let you leave, you will never come to the Lin Family again?" Lin Zige suddenly broke his silence. His tone was heavy but left no doubt.
"As long as you let us go, we will never bother you again." The old woman, now conscious, was stunned with fear. She finally recognized the two men standing next to Lin Ziyin as not to be trifled with. The Lin Family had the backing of the Prince and showed such a strong stance, she could not hold any hope. "Please, have mercy on our family. For the sake of the dead old man, help us this one time. We promise we will no longer appear before you."
"Alright, I’m giving you this one chance. Listen to me carefully, if we ever see you again, we’ll show no mercy. If you don’t believe me, give it a try." Zige gritted his teeth as he spoke.
"Okay, okay. We won’t come back." He Zhen was the first to agree, followed quickly by He Nian and He Bang. They had done their research before coming and concluded that the heavily pregnant woman speaking might be the eldest daughter of the Lin Family.
The He Family was filled with hope upon hearing that the siblings of the Lin Family were on good terms. With the eldest daughter interceding on their behalf, perhaps they might avoid imprisonment.
"Alright. In respect to my sister, I will spare you this once. But next time, not even the manager would need to step in, we can take care of you ourselves." Lin Ziyin’s warning was even harsher.
"Remember these faces clearly." Lou Zheng spoke, "If you see them again in our village, you beat them up."
"Yes, beat those shameless people up." A few hot-blooded teenagers, who had long held a grudge against the He Family, showed off their skills after hearing Lou Zheng’s words.
The He Family, seeing the teenagers’ impressive display, wished they could turn back time. If they had known how intimidating the villagers of Shili Village were, or how influential the Lin Family’s backers were, they never would have come.
As they thought about it, they started blaming Ma Zhicai, who had urged them to come in the first place.
"In fact, we didn’t know about your situation. It was a pretty-faced boy from your village who lured us here." Having gained no advantage and nearly put in prison, He Nian bluntly threw Ma Zhicai, whom he hardly knew, under the bus.
Chapter 458: Chapter 458 Losing Face (7)_1
So, there’s a traitor in the village! The villagers of Shili realised in an instant, and each one started exchanging glances, speculating who had been deliberately stirring up trouble for the Lin Family behind their backs.
"Go," Hei Yi, seeing the Lin Family letting the group go, finally showed mercy.
The He Family, having regained their freedom, quickly fled the scene, each person supporting the other as they hurried away as if they were being chased by wolves. It seemed they were genuinely frightened this time.
Watching the fleeing members of the He Family, He Fuxing’s family was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. At least from now on, they wouldn’t have to worry incessantly about the He Family trying to take advantage of them.
"Village chief, something is amiss," one villager finally spoke after a heated discussion among them.
"Gao Dashan, what’s wrong?" Lin Ziyin turned to look at hulky man in front of him.
"I keep feeling like the person they were talking about is Ma Zhicai," Gao Dashan responded with some confusion.
"It must be that Ma Zhicai. The pretty boy with the tall face, isn’t that him?" many people chimed in.
"Don’t underestimate him just because he’s read some books. He’s cunning. Village Chief, don’t let him off this time, let us give him a good beating for plotting behind our backs. He’s not a good person," some people clamoured angrily.
"Stop spreading rumors," Lou Zheng glared at the young men stirring up the crowd, then turned to Lin Ziyin and said, "Ziyin, how about we find Ma Zhicai and clarify things. If it’s true, we’ll deal with his family according to village rules. If it’s not, then we’ve wronged him."
As expected of Lou Zheng, his consideration of the matter was far more thorough than the others.
"He will surely deny it," some people harrumphed. Most of them agreed.
But in fact, everyone was wrong this time.
"It definitely can’t be Zhicai. He’s a scholar, he cares about etiquette, wisdom, faithfulness. How could he instigate trouble behind our backs?" When the villagers went to the Ma Family to find Ma Zhicai, the Ma Family, not knowing what had happened, were all present. Upon hearing the story, Ma Dalang was the first to stand by Ma Zhicai’s side.
"We were wrong before and have apologized many times. Why can’t you let it go?" Yan Shi, considering it a question of honor, was so angry she almost lost her mind.
Ma Xincai and his wife stood speechless nearby with their child, not wanting to get involved.
"We’ll ask Ma Zhicai himself," Lou Zheng solemnly said. Hei Yi and Hei Er grinned as they watched Ma Zhicai, looking like they were ready to pounce.
"I bumped into a young girl with a dark complexion in the city a few days ago while I was getting ready to come back. We had an argument and, just as it was getting heated, He Dingyi and He Dingfan arrived in the city to deliver furniture. The girl and her family heard the noise and stopped arguing with me. They found out that I was from Shili Village, and they called themselves relatives of the Lin Family and apologized to me, also asking about you all. I thought they really were looking for their relatives, so I simply answered their questions." The rest of the Ma Family denied the villagers’ claim, but to everyone’s surprise, Ma Zhicai readily admitted it.
"How could you be so careless?" As soon as Ma Dalang heard this, he began to chastise Ma Zhicai. Yan Shi’s face also darkened, "He didn’t do it on purpose, why are you scolding him?"
"What a fool," Ma Dalang chided, looking at Ma Zhicai with disappointment.
"I truly apologize, I didn’t know they were intentionally trying to cause trouble. Here, I apologize to you." Ma Zhicai then bowed deeply to Lin Changshu and the others, appearing very sincere in his apology.
"You must have done it on purpose," one of the villagers accused bitterly. Currently, every household in the village relied on the Lin Family for their livelihood, so nobody wanted to see any trouble for them. Since the news was leaked by Ma Zhicai, whether intentionally or unintentionally, everyone was displeased with him.
"I don’t know them. I think if it were another person from the village, they would have honestly informed them as well." Ma Zhicai argued, his sincere face turning red.
Lou Zheng and the village elder exchanged glances, both letting out a sigh. If Ma Zhicai refused to admit it, they really had no way to deal with him. After all, he was right. If someone came to find their relatives, the villagers would definitely guide them with enthusiasm when they didn’t know the situation.
In a certain way, Ma Zhicai wasn’t wrong at all.
"Let’s forget it. They’ve already left, we didn’t lose anything, so let’s just drop this matter," Lin Ziyin had also reached this conclusion. "It’s getting late, everyone prepare, let’s go to work."
"Ziyin, you promised to give me a chance to manage the workshop, when can I start?" Just as everyone was about to disperse, Ma Dalang suddenly spoke up.
The murmuring crowd suddenly fell silent, all of them staring at Ma Dalang as if he were a fool.
Chapter 459: Chapter 459: Losses (1)_1
Shameless, truly shameless! This was the thought running through the minds of all the villagers at this moment.
The Lin Family had many workshops, which produces various kinds of goods, so naturally, countless merchants came to purchase them. Such a thriving business was indeed a great responsibility to the shopkeeper of the accounting department, and it definitely had desirable perks. No one would dare tamper with the books because Lin Ziyin, the current head of the Lin Family who was an expert in handling finances, probably had more skills than all other accountants combined. Secondly, most of the accountants employed by the Lin Family were purchased through ironclad contracts, so they were reliable.
However, the shopkeepers of the accounting department could not gain benefits from the books, but they could accept gifts from merchants as part of business courtesies. This rule was tacitly endorsed by Lin Ziyin.
Thinking about the hustle and bustle of the Lin Family’s trade every day, one could perceive the perkiness of the shopkeeper’s position. Many villagers envied such an important position but didn’t have a way to acquire it, and Ma Dalang, who always had a strained relationship with the Lin Family, incredibly aspired to land the role of the accounting shopkeeper in one step? All the villagers thought that Ma Dalang had made the biggest joke of the year in Shili Village.
Ma Dalang didn’t think he had done anything disgraceful and was very confident in himself. After all, he had been a secondary shopkeeper in the city for over a decade. His abilities in accounting, and handling matters, were unquestionably much stronger than those of the villagers in Shili.
In a certain sense, Ma Dalang and Ma Zhicai were very alike, both being incredibly narcissistic.
Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou were nearly infuriated to death. They wanted to kick the Ma Family out so much that it was out of their sight, out of their mind.
However, Lin Ziyin gave Ma Dalang a chance, "Alright, since everyone is present, and it’s not time to start work, I’ll give you a chance."
"Thank you, Miss Lin." Ma Dalang was delighted. He thanked her following the villagers’ way of addressing Lin Ziyin.
"Call over the shopkeepers from each workshop and get five children who are good at calculations from the school." Lin Ziyin ignored him and only looked at Ma Dalang after giving instructions to a runner, "I won’t play favorites. Anyone who comes to work for the Lin Family must have some skills. If you’re applying for the shopkeeper’s position, you should deploy all your skills and compete fairly with our shopkeepers."
"Alright." Ma Dalang immediately agreed, confident about the competition.
"To ensure fairness, Lou Zheng and Ma Zhicai will each prepare ten questions." Lin Ziyin added.
Ma Dalang was even happier when he heard this. He originally feared that the Lin Family might cheat, but Lin Ziyin had proposed a condition that was to his advantage, so he readily agreed.
Hong Ying and Lun Luo moved quickly, and soon the shopkeepers from various workshops and the children from the private school were rounded up.
The villagers of Shili Village were usually very busy and hadn’t had the opportunity to enjoy such an entertainment in a long time. Ever since the He Family made a disturbance, people had been gathering here. Even the merchants who had yet to buy goods swarmed in. For a moment, the crowd almost packed the dining hall to full. Yes, today’s competition venue, set up by Lin Ziyin, was in the dining hall.
For the first time, Ma Zhicai, Lou Zheng, and a few foreign merchants sat in the top seats and was observed by so many people. His heart felt a bit complex. This kind of attention should have been bestowed upon him when he successfully passed the examinations to become a scholar and then to become a provincial candidate. But now...
Thinking about it, he clenched his fist in his sleeve. There will be a day when all the people in Shili Village fear him, and his name will be inscribed in Shili Village’s village hall.
Most of Shili Village’s villagers had different last names, unlike other places there were tribal elders, and naturally, they wouldn’t have ancestral halls. But the village had built a village hall where some respected elderly people elected by everyone presided. When the village encountered major issues that could not be resolved, these elders and Lou Zheng could fully assume the role of tribal elders.
Chapter 460: Chapter 460 Loss (2)_1
If Ma Zhicai’s initial ambition was to become an official, his current goal has become to ensure his name is enshrined in the ancestral hall of Shili Village.
This thought has recently become like a demon in his heart.
"Are you prepared, I am going first to set the question," the moment Lou Zheng spoke, the chattering crowd immediately quieted down.
"Ready." An abacus and ink stand were set up in front of Eldest Brother Ma, similar to the rest of the shopkeepers and children.
Frankly, alongside the other children arranged by Lin Ziyin for the contest, Eldest Brother Ma felt quite upset. Wasn’t Lin Ziyin blatantly demonstrating his lack of faith in him, humiliating him?
However, to ensure a prosperous life in the future, Eldest Brother Ma dared not show his true feelings. Instead, he cheerfully joined the shopkeepers and children as if nothing was bothering him.
Seeing that Eldest Brother Ma raised no objections, Lou Zheng quickly announced a series of numbers. The numbers weren’t naked figures. Lou Zheng was a literate scholar before becoming the village chief of Shili Village and now a whiz at Lin Family’s external procurement. Hence, the issues he set were highly challenging and completely in line with practical applications.
With his expertise, Eldest Brother Ma was startled after hearing the problems set by Lou Zheng. He had never expected that Lou Zheng could create such profound questions. If hadn’t been operating a store in the city for so many years, he would have surely been puzzled by Lou Zheng.
"Withdraw one hundred and fifty taels, three mace of Silver." Before he could announce the number, those around him had already figured out the answer. Eldest Brother Ma looked surprised at the shopkeepers beside him. Most of these people were young, with complex expressions on their faces. They were all holding up cards with answers, leaving Eldest Brother Ma embarrassed, even the pupils from the school had solved it.
Among these children, some were from the village, and some were the children of the Lin Family’s servants. Eldest Brother Ma hastily wrote down the answer on a piece of paper and held it up.
However, no matter how quickly he moved, he was still half a beat behind everyone else.
In the face of the upcoming problems, Eldest Brother Ma no longer dared to underestimate the challenge and quickly focused on confronting Lou Zheng’s questions.
Lou Zheng asked ten questions, most of which involved complex calculations. What frustrated Eldest Brother Ma was that no matter how fast he calculated, he couldn’t match the speed of the Lin Family’s shopkeepers and the school children.
He privately suspected that Lou Zheng had secretly leaked the answers to those of the Lin Family participating in the contest.
He didn’t feel nervous though and wasn’t willing to expose Lou Zheng and Lin Ziyin’s shenanigans yet. Later, when his son, Ma Zhicai, set the question, they would see their real power, and by then, the villagers would be able to realise the trick without him saying anything.
Composing himself, Eldest Brother Ma honestly finished Lou Zheng’s ten problems. Fortunately, although his speed was slow, he did not make a single mistake.
Yan Family’s mother Yan and Ma Xincai’s mother Huang were both a little nervous as they stood nearby. As members of the Ma Family, they naturally hoped that Eldest Brother Ma could work in the Lin Family store. They could clearly see the improvements in the lives of the families in the village and were quite envious.
Eldest Brother Ma’s response was slow, but his wives were even more anxious than he was. They held the same suspicion as him, suspecting that Lou Zheng and Lin Ziyin had manipulated the situation behind their backs.
Finally, it was Ma Zhicai’s turn to set a problem. Ma Zhicai solemnly announced the problem with the elegance of an intellectual. There were comparatively larger and more complex numbers.
Eldest Brother Ma gave him an approving look. The complexity was good; it was time to demonstrate his capabilities. He was eager to see how the Lin Family would cheat this time.
Ma Zhicai spoke coldly, then sat to one side, indifferent. He only cared about setting the problem; as for the answer, he didn’t know. However, Ma Zhicai did not think there was any shame in this. Mathematics was only a tool for elegance, and he had initially aimed at becoming a government official. Naturally, he would not put his mind on such difficult and refined subjects like mathematics.