Chapter 18: The Books Are Old, But the Knowledge Is New

By the time they returned home, it was already three in the morning due to the mountain roads.

If they had taken the dirt road, they probably wouldn't have returned until 11 or 12 the next morning.

"Woof! Woof!"

The quiet night made the village dogs' barking seem unusually loud.

Not long after the barking, voices could be heard from outside the yard.

"Brother, you're finally back!" Caiyun ran over to help carry things.

"You really went to the city?" Lin's mother asked as she took the items.

"We'll talk when we get home, we're all exhausted!" Lin's father impatiently handed the items to his wife.

After they put everything down at home, Lin Heng collapsed onto a bench, feeling as though his bones were falling apart.

His younger sister Caiyun served tea to the four of them and brought out cornmeal buns she had made, known as "wo wo tou."

"Dad, you bought so many things, and two grass carps?"

His sister-in-law Liu Juan also came out of the room and looked at the items with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, yes, tell us what happened, and how did you end up bringing a dog back?" Lin's mother also urged.

Lin Heng didn't want to talk, lying down on his wife Xiulan's lap to rest while she gently massaged his shoulders.

"This fish was caught by Lin Heng and Xiulan on the road, and the fish eggs in the bucket are theirs too, and the dog is raised by Lin Heng," Lin's father explained after taking a sip of water.

"Raising a dog wastes food? We can't even feed ourselves properly!" Liu Juan frowned upon hearing that Lin Heng was raising a dog.

Lin's father frowned and looked at her, saying, "Mind your own business. Lin Heng can raise and feed his dog however he wants. He's been hunting wild chickens and squirrels; he doesn't eat them all himself, does he?"

"Besides, if it weren't for Lin Heng, we would have suffered today. That damned Liu Qicheng only gave 400 yuan for the ginseng, but thanks to Lin Heng taking me to the city, and him knowing Manager Jin from the state-run purchasing station in the city, we managed to sell the ginseng for 900 yuan instead of 700. Without him, we wouldn't even have enough money to build a house."

Lin's father looked at Liu Juan, a little displeased with her words.

Lin Heng, though somewhat idle at times, was still helpful to the family, and why only criticize him without remembering his good deeds?

Hearing this, Liu Juan lowered her head, no longer daring to speak.

Lin's mother and Caiyun were a bit shocked. Did Lin Heng really have this kind of ability?

But since Lin's father never lied, it must have been true, making both of them look at Lin Heng curiously.

"With the money from selling the ginseng, everyone in the family got a new piece of clothing and a pair of shoes. The extra set for Lin Heng and Xiulan was a reward from me," Lin's father said, starting to hand out the clothes.

Liu Juan took five pairs of shoes and five pieces of clothing in one go, her smile so wide it seemed like it wouldn't go away. She kept examining the items.

"This is really good clothing, much better than the ones Li Caifeng and the others bought."

Liu Juan couldn't wait to put them on, happily exclaiming.

Lin Yue, holding a pair of hiking shoes, couldn't stop admiring them. His old shoes had been worn out for a long time, and he'd been wanting a new pair.

"Yeah, this fabric must be expensive, right? And these shoes look really new and stylish."

Lin's mother was amazed by the good quality of the clothes but began to worry about the cost.

"You should thank Lin Heng. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to make up my mind to buy them," Lin's father added.

"What, did he encourage you to buy them?" Lin's mother glared at Lin's father with a tone of disapproval.

She had always thought it was too wasteful, and now her gaze toward Lin Heng held some suspicion.

"In town, these clothes cost at least two yuan each, and shoes are four to five yuan a pair. Even in the city, they wouldn't cost less than one yuan. But Lin Heng took us to a place selling goods cheaply, a few mao per item, and that's how I bought everything for everyone. Other tools were also bought there, saving us at least tens of yuan."

Lin's father spoke while looking at his eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Juan.

Liu Juan, feeling a bit embarrassed, turned her head away as if she hadn't heard.

"Does he really have this ability?" Lin's mother still questioned.

"Mom, you doubt my ability so much? After all, I've studied a lot and been to the city many times," Lin Heng replied, feeling helpless.

"I'm not doubting, I just don't think you have it!" Lin's mother shot him a glance.

Lin Heng: "..."

"It's really Lin Heng's merit. He is somewhat capable," Lin's father added.

Once everything was distributed, no one said much more. They were all exhausted, so after washing up and soaking their feet, they went to rest.

Lin Heng took the bucket and went outside with Xiongba.

"You can sleep here for now; I'll make you a dog bed tomorrow," Lin Heng patted Xiongba's soft head, smiling.

"Woof~"

Xiongba barked, licking Lin Heng's hand to express its affection.

After putting on the new dog leash and tying it to the leg of the nearby ladder, Lin Heng left.

He transferred the grass carp eggs to a larger wooden basin to keep them. He didn't change the water since the fish eggs were very sensitive to fluctuations in water quality; changing it carelessly could result in large-scale death, so it was better not to change it for now.

Splash!

His sister Caiyun came over with a basin of foot water and poured it on the ground, looking at Lin Heng, "Brother, you're not sleeping yet?"

"I'll sleep soon," Lin Heng replied, covering the basin with a dustpan to prevent anything from eating the eggs.

These grass carp eggs were hard-earned, having been carried for over 20 kilometers.

"By the way, I have something for you." Lin Heng looked at his sister.

"What is it?" Caiyun blinked and asked curiously.

"Come here."

Lin Heng said, and then went into his bedroom, taking out the books he bought from the trash station.

Except for Grimm's Fairy Tales and The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he gave Caiyun the other three books.

"What's this?" Caiyun's eyes widened when she saw the three books.

"I bought them cheaply at the trash station. Though they're old, the knowledge inside is definitely new. Study well, and I'll send you to school next semester. Knowledge can change your destiny."

Lin Heng patted his sister's shoulder, smiling.

Caiyun held the three books and looked at her second brother with tears in her eyes. She never expected her second brother, who seemed the least reliable at home, to be the one who understood her the most. She had never felt so close to him.

She had thought he was just bragging, but after only a day, he brought her these books.

"Don't worry, second brother, I'll study hard!" Caiyun nodded vigorously, now believing her second brother's words.

Her voice choked with emotion, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

Lin Heng wiped her tears away and smiled, "Go to sleep, don't overthink it."

Afterward, he took a bath and returned to his room. Xiulan had already gotten into bed, massaging her legs, clearly exhausted as well.

"You lie down, I'll massage your legs," Xiulan said, looking at him.

"No need, you're tired too," Lin Heng smiled and shook his head, removing his shoes and getting into bed. His feet were sore from the long trip to the city, with two blisters already burst, causing a lot of pain.

"Lie down!" After Lin Heng got into bed, Xiulan climbed over with some red flower oil, her eyes wide as she looked at him.

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(End of chapter)