Making money, taking exams and supporting the family

chapter 10: Both sides argue cunningly

The accusations Lin Ze made were even more shocking than what Xue Liang just said.

Although his intention of suing his own mother was an action of disobedience and unfilial, if what he said was true, then his actions now made sense. His entire future has been ruined. Even though the person involved was his own mother, it was difficult to swallow this.

“Chen Shuju, is what Lin Ze said true?!”

After hearing it, Li Laofu‘s anger was no less than that of Lin Ze, and the faces of several elders in the clan did not look good either.

In ancient times, it was emphasized that everyone shares honor and shame. The honor of a village was earned and maintained together. It took over a hundred years for Lin’s family in Heba Village to produce two talented scholars, and they were both young people who achieved success. The village’s expectations were not less than Lin’s family’s own expectations.

In these years, while Lin’s family has indeed scrimped and saved to support their two sons’ education and exams, during the county-level exams, every household in the village would contribute some money to help, to a greater or lesser extent. The whole village was counting on these two scholars to bring honor to the village.

Especially Lin Ze, back then he was truly a genius. At the age of twelve, he achieved a top score in the exams. If it were not for a strange illness that caused him to faint during subsequent exams, his future would have been boundless.

But now, all because of the partiality of one woman, one of the hopes of the village has been destroyed!

Not only the village chief and elders, but even the villagers themselves began to resent Chen Shuju when they looked at her. If all of this was true, Chen Shuju had harmed the entire village’s interests.

“No, it’s not like that. It’s all this little beast’s false accusations against me…”

Facing the unfriendly gazes of the crowd, Chen Shuju’s heart trembled. She repeatedly shook her head in denial. How could she dare to admit it? If she did, she would offend the entire village.

If she could not admit it, then the only option left was to put on a show.

“Oh my, wuwuwu, they want to drive me to death. They unjustly accuse me based on mere hearsay. Lin Ze, I am your mother, how can you falsely accuse your own mother like this? Even if I am partial, you are my own flesh and blood. My brain must have gone bad if I ruin my own son’s future, wuwu…”

“Village chief, I haven’t done anything. You can’t believe what Lin Ze says. All these things he’s saying are his own speculations. He resents me because I arranged a different marriage for him and didn’t let him marry Zhang Yinzhu. He holds grudges against me in his heart.”

“I wanted him to marry Xiu Ger for his own good. If he couldn’t pass the imperial examinations and didn’t have any skills, at least Xiu Ger looks decent and can do work. His life would be easier in the future. But he resented me instead. And now, he even wants to sell off Xiu Ger. He has no evidence to support his words, wuwu…”

Although Chen Shuju was not particularly intelligent, she was quite shrewd when it came to her own interests.

Moreover, she had been contemplating how to deal with Lin Ze for many years. She had privately discussed it with her second son. Lin Jianwen, being well-read and knowledgeable, had imparted some logical thinking to her despite her own ignorance.

Anyway, besides the matter of checking medicine, Lin Ze’s current words had no evidence. If she did not admit it, there was nothing he could do.

“Lin Ze”’s actions were indeed foolish. To sell off his own husband, Xiu Ger, just for the sake of eloping with Zhang Yinzhu. She had to seize this opportunity to completely sever Lin Sangui’s attachment to his son. In the future, she would only provide money only for her second son’s education.