Chapter 235: Lin Jia Bao’s Scheme

Chapter 235: Chapter 235: Lin Jia Bao’s Scheme

"Jia Bao, you promised you wouldn’t leave! Please stay. Stay here with me, okay? If you don’t go, Grandma and Grandpa definitely won’t go either—"

Gu Jiayi clutched Lin Jia Bao’s clothes, sobbing hysterically. She knew perfectly well that without Lin Jia Bao, she would lose out on so much. She had to convince him to stay. "Jia Bao, we’re the closest of siblings! We’ve had only each other since we were in the womb. We’ve never truly been apart. Are you really going to be so heartless and abandon me like this?"

Mrs. Tao clutched the five hundred yuan in her hand, wiping away a steady stream of tears. The Lin Family no longer had anything to hold over her son, and her own daughter was gone. By all rights, their past grievances should be water under the bridge.

She had originally thought that since her grandson was a child of the Lin family, they would at least maintain some basic family connection. Even if they didn’t visit each other like normal, close relatives in the future, they couldn’t become complete strangers. At the very least, if her family could just win over their grandson and keep him on their side, then after a few years when he was older, all she would have to do was coax him a little, and her family would surely reap some benefits, right? But who could have imagined this? The Lin family was actually so ruthless as to move their entire household away, making it impossible for them to get close to their grandson...

The thought that in a few years their bond would fade with the distance brought fresh tears to Mrs. Tao’s eyes. She looked at her grandson with a sliver of hope, wishing his sister could convince him to stay. ’At least that way,’ she thought, ’the Tao family would be raising a Lin family child. The Lins would have to send money and supplies over every month, wouldn’t they?’

"Sister, I don’t want to leave you either, but I have to go. Grandma and Grandpa are old, and Dad isn’t with them. I can’t be selfish and abandon them too." Lin Jia Bao had clearly made up his mind. Wiping away his tears, he spoke to Gu Jiayi with great seriousness. "Sister, this five hundred yuan from Grandma and Grandpa is for your education. You have to study hard from now on and get into a university. Getting into a university is your only way out."

He glanced outside, hesitated, then leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Sister, stop crying. Grandma and Grandpa don’t want me to contact you all anymore, but you’re my sister. How could I ever truly ignore you? After I get to my new school, I’ll secretly write to you. I’ll find a way to give you a classmate’s address for correspondence. From now on, I’ll try to save up all my New Year’s money and allowance to send to you. Just hang in there for a few years. The most important thing is to study hard. If we can get into the same university, we’ll be able to see each other again."

Gu Jiayi’s crying stopped. She stared blankly at Lin Jia Bao.

"Sister, Grandma and Grandpa already asked me what I wanted to do. They said I could choose to stay here at Grandma’s house or move away with them. You see? They aren’t forcing me to go. But I’ve thought it over and over, and I can’t stay. It’s not that I don’t want to stay with you. It’s that if I do, I might never see Grandma, Grandpa, or Dad ever again."

Lin Jia Bao gave a bitter smile and squeezed Gu Jiayi’s hand. "Just think about it. If Dad remarries and has other children, will Grandma and Grandpa even remember they have me for a grandson? It’s not like you don’t know how much they hated Mom. The only reason they accept me now is because I’m their only grandson. But once Dad gets remarried and has new children, with me being so far away... it would be a miracle if they still remembered me."

"Jia Bao." Gu Jiayi’s hand tightened, and her face grew pale. Even Mrs. Tao, listening from the side, instinctively stopped crying at his words. She glanced unconsciously at Lin Jia Bao, then toward the doorway.

"So, Sister, for the sake of our future, I have to leave. And you have to study hard. Otherwise, we’ll be trapped in this small county town for the rest of our lives, surrounded by gossip and ridicule, with no way to escape. Only if we both get into university will we have a good future. Only then can we turn around and properly repay Grandma and Uncle." Lin Jia Bao looked up at Mrs. Tao. "Grandma, isn’t that right?"

"That’s right." Mrs. Tao sighed internally. ’I really couldn’t tell. My own grandson is so young, yet he’s already this calculating. With a sharp mind like that, I really can’t keep him here today. Besides, as long as he still cares about Jia Yi, who’s to say I won’t get a chance to be cared for by my grandson and granddaughter in the future...’

A thousand thoughts raced through her mind in an instant. Mrs. Tao was already looking at her grandson in a completely new light. She put on a loving expression and took his hand. "Don’t you worry. Your uncle and I will help take good care of your sister, and this money will definitely be used for her education. You need to study hard too. In this day and age, education is the only way forward. In the future... in the future, as long as you both do well... whether or not you’re able to repay your uncle and me doesn’t matter."

As she spoke, she began dabbing at her eyes again, peeking at Lin Jia Bao’s reaction from the corner of her eye.

Lin Jia Bao couldn’t help but scoff internally. ’To think it was their shortsightedness that led to Mom’s death, yet here Grandma is, speaking such insincere words.’ A wave of contempt for his grandmother and uncle rose from the bottom of his heart.

But then he remembered that his sister would have to rely on their grandmother and uncle for protection for the next few years, and he dared not let a hint of that contempt show. Instead, his expression grew even more moved, and his words became sweeter. "Now that Mom is gone, Grandma and Uncle are the closest people my sister and I have. We’ll never forget that it was Grandma and Uncle who saved us from that fiery pit of the Gu Family. When we’re able to in the future, we will definitely repay you."

Mrs. Tao was relieved. Gripping her grandson’s hand, her gaze grew even more affectionate. She didn’t forget to add, "When you’re over there alone with your grandpa and grandma, don’t be too willful. Even if you have to pretend, you must act obedient and listen to them. Make them dote on you more. That way, even if your father remarries and has other children, you can ensure your own position won’t be threatened."

As she said this, Mrs. Tao’s face twisted slightly. She had almost forgotten—Lin Dong wasn’t that old. He was bound to remarry and have more children. With how wealthy the Lin family was, what difficulty would he have marrying some beautiful young maiden who could bear him children?

"Jia Bao, I’ll do as you say. I’ll study hard so we can go to university together in the future. You have to take good care of yourself too. I’ll miss you. So, so much..." Gu Jiayi had finally come to understand. After weighing the situation, she knew in her heart that this was the best possible outcome. The thought of the future filled her with a great sense of hope. Even if she and her brother couldn’t see each other for a while, they could still stay connected by writing letters.