Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 34 Lin

Now that she had money, everything about her changed, from what she ate to what she wore, making her seem like a different person. Especially seeing her sitting in such a luxurious car, her eyes were shining. Everyone knew that Lin Sisi's biological parents were wealthy, but they hadn't expected them to be this rich. In their village, just having a bicycle or a motorcycle was already considered remarkable.

At this moment, everyone sighed with envy, and their admiring gazes all unconsciously fell on Lin Sisi. Sensing these looks of envy or jealousy, Lin Sisi lifted her chin high. She intentionally rolled down the car window, afraid that others wouldn't see her splendor. At this moment, her vanity was greatly satisfied.

Meanwhile, on the other side,Sinian andZhou YueShen had already arrived at the entrance of the Lin family's house.

The Lin family's house was even worse, just a simple adobe house with walls mottled and even cracked. The roof tiles were yellowed, with many places showing holes, probably because they couldn't bear to replace them. Some areas were patched up with plastic bags held down by a few stones, indicating their poor condition. Rural houses were often patched up over decades, much like their clothes.

There wasn't even a lock on the outer door; instead, it was propped up with a wooden stick. After coming from the spacious farmhouse of Zhou Yuanshen's family, Shen Nian was initially in the house, so she didn't feel the stark contrast too much.

It wasn't until she saw the Lin family's house that she realized the true face of rural life in remote mountainous areas. Although she had grown up in the countryside herself, it wasn't as impoverished as this.

Zhou Yuanshen remained calm, raising his hand to knock on the door. Soon, footsteps approached, and a woman's voice asked, "Who is it?"

As the wooden door was pulled open, a woman in a patched cotton-padded jacket appeared before them, looking a bit disheveled. She seemed surprised to see the two visitors, but her expression brightened noticeably when she saw Zhou Yuanshen. Her voice stuttered a bit as she spoke, "Comrade Zhou, Comrade Zhou."

Zhou Yuanshen nodded slightly, his deep voice asking, "Is Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin at home?"

The woman shook her head. "My in-laws went to the fields. I'll go call them back right away."

"Quick, please come in," she said, hastily making way for the two to enter the house. Without asking too many questions, her gaze fell on Shen Nian, showing some confusion but not daring to stare.

In a hurry, she called out to the people in the house, "Xiaofeng, Xiaoyu, quickly go to the fields and call Mom and Dad back."

Seeing her somewhat flustered expression, Shen Nian guessed that this woman must be her eldest brother's wife, Zhou Suisui. Although she hadn't met these family members before, she still had a rough idea of who they were in the storyline.

The Lin family had a total of six children, as was common in those days when contraception wasn't widely practiced. In a couple of years, the government would start implementing family planning policies, advocating for late marriage, late childbirth, and fewer births to control the population.

The eldest brother of the Lin family was Lin Xiao, twenty-three years old and married to Zhou Suisui from the same village. Then there was Lin Sisi, the same age as Shen Nian, who had just turned eighteen. Following them were the twin younger brothers, born late, and only ten years old, named Xiaofeng and Xiaoyu. Despite being nine years old, they had only just started first grade, so now at ten years old, they were in second grade. It was evident that the Lin family placed great importance on their daughter, sending Lin Sisi to high school.

However, when Lin Sisi learned that she was not the biological daughter of the Lin family, she immediately left and returned to the embrace of her biological parents.

Soon after, Shen Nian saw two dirty-faced, identical-looking young boys running out of the house, casting a curious glance at the two before hurrying out the door. The Lin family's genes were undeniably good; otherwise, Shen Nian wouldn't have been so beautiful, and the two younger brothers, despite their tender age, were already quite handsome. However, starting school late made their future path difficult to tread.

The poverty in the Lin family wasn't solely due to the large number of family members but more because both parents were in poor health. The father had a lame leg, and the mother suffered from asthma, making it impossible for them to do heavy labor. As a result, all the household chores fell on Lin Xiao's shoulders. This was also why Lin Xiao married relatively late; otherwise, they would have had children by now. The family relied on a few acres of land to make ends meet, and Lin Xiao couldn't even go out to work because the two younger brothers were still too young. If anything happened to him, there wouldn't be anyone capable left at home.

There were rumors circulating outside that the Lin family had been eyeing the three thousand yuan dowry. If they were really greedy, they shouldn't be living in such dire conditions.

Shen Nian withdrew her scrutinizing gaze as Zhou Suisui approached, carrying two bowls of water to offer to the two visitors.

ZhouSuisui, feeling uneasy and anxious, wiped her hands on her trousers. In her view, Zhou Yue Shen had come knocking for money.

To add to their misfortune, the Lin family had just received the three thousand yuan dowry, only to find out that Lin Sisi wasn't their biological daughter. When they went to the city to find their biological daughter, she refused to meet them. Upon returning home, they discovered that their house had been ransacked, and the three thousand yuan had been stolen. No one believed their story, and everyone accused them of fabricating excuses because they couldn't find their daughter and were reluctant to part with the money.

Later, when Lin Sisi left and their biological daughter refused to meet them despite several attempts, the Lin family understood that their daughter didn't want to return to endure the hardships they were facing, and they didn't want to force her.

Not only did they lose their daughter, but they also incurred a debt of three thousand yuan. They felt ashamed to face others, and they were currently trying to raise money to repay the debt. This incident had taken a toll on them, and Lin Er's couple seemed to have aged ten years overnight.

With Lin's mother experiencing more frequent asthma attacks after stopping her medication, and Lin's father unable to sleep due to rheumatism in his legs, their situation was becoming increasingly difficult.

LinXiao took up a job as a porter in the city to earn money, and he had to walk back home for three hours every night to help with the household chores. The whole family was engulfed in gloom during this period, and life was tough. However, no one complained. Little did they know that more trouble was on its way.

"Zhou, Zhou Comrade, we didn't mean to withhold your money. We've been trying to gather the money, and we'll definitely pay you back," stuttered Zhou Sui Sui.

Zhou Yue Shen paused for a moment, glancing at Si Nian. Si Nian was visibly agitated, gulping down a bowl of water. It tasted sweet, indicating that sugar had been added. Perplexed, she asked, "Sister-in-law, are you saying that the three thousand yuan is missing?"

Zhou Sui Sui thought Si Nian had come with Zhou Yue Shen to ask for money, and without much thought, she blushed with embarrassment. "Maybe you won't believe it, but the dowry was really stolen. We couldn't recover it; we really couldn't..."