Chapter 301 - 299: Shocking News

Chapter 301: Chapter 299: Shocking News

It was time to get to the real issue.

Lin Qiao’s grandmother perked up and said immediately, "Last week, our Yan Zi told your Qiaoqiao she wanted a job at the Zhang Group. We just asked her to mention it to her friend—the young miss of the Zhang family—when she went back to school. And what happens? The moment Qiaoqiao comes home today, Yan Zi is waiting right at your door specifically to ask what position was arranged for her. And instead of an answer, we get all this drama."

After speaking, Lin Qiao’s grandmother shot Lin Qiao a dissatisfied sidelong glance, still stubbornly blaming her for what had happened earlier.

This was typical behavior for Lin Qiao’s grandmother, but even though he was used to it, her son, Lin Qiao’s father Lin Fu, still felt hurt.

Lin Qiao’s mother was also furious, but she was in front of Lin Qiao’s father. Seeing the displeasure already showing on his face, she forced herself to swallow her anger and said nothing, no matter how incensed she was.

Lin Fu frowned at his mother. "I told you this before, Mom. Yes, our Qiaoqiao is good friends with the young miss from the Zhang family, but you can’t mix personal favors with business. Our Qiaoqiao can’t just leverage that friendship to get someone a job. And Mom, don’t make it sound so simple. Just think—no matter what her family status is, she’s still just a kid, right? Have you ever heard of a child having the authority to meddle in their family’s business matters?"

"Lin Fu, saying that just proves you don’t want your Qiaoqiao to help out her own cousin. We’re all family. To be so cold and not show any consideration... aren’t you being a bit too heartless?" Lin Qiao’s first aunt, who had been listening from the side, strode up to Lin Fu with a look of displeasure, angrily accusing him. Her accusation even earned a quick chorus of agreement from Lin Qiao’s grandmother. "Exactly."

Lin Fu’s expression turned extremely ugly.

"Help out? What do you mean, ’help out’? Isn’t it usually the older ones who help the younger ones? How come it’s completely backward with you people? You see our Qiaoqiao has one well-to-do friend and you immediately start scheming for a handout? Forcing a child who’s still in school to arrange a job for her older cousin?"

Lin Qiao’s mother came forward, shoved her sister-in-law aside, and stood by Lin Fu. "It’s impossible. And even if we could do it, we wouldn’t. Don’t lecture us about family ties or being heartless. We don’t bring up the past because we try to be gracious. If we really laid it all out for everyone to judge, it’d be pretty clear who’s actually the heartless one."

"You need to have a conscience! The past? What about the past? Your father-in-law and I worked our fingers to the bone our whole lives to build up this great family fortune for every single one of you..." Lin Qiao’s grandmother’s eyes widened as she shouted, but she stopped abruptly, suddenly realizing her mistake. This was a line she frequently used on her other sons’ families, but never on the family of her second son, Lin Fu. In her agitation, she had slipped up and said it in front of his wife. Seeing Lin Fu’s face darken like the bottom of a pot, she inwardly cursed. ’This is bad.’

Lin Qiao’s mother did indeed scoff. "Mom, I swear on my life, Lin Fu and I haven’t seen a single cent of this ’great family fortune’ you and Dad built. You seem to forget—back before the family split, you always said we were poor. Every time Lin Fu and I dragged ourselves home, dead tired from working the fields, all we had to gnaw on were pickled radishes.

I’ll admit, we saw a piece of fatty pork once. But that was only because Big Brother dropped his bowl and it fell out. Then, when it was time to divide the family property, you and Dad claimed there was no money, only debt... So where is this family fortune you’re talking about? Is it also hidden at the bottom of a bowl like that piece of pork?

People used to tell me that our grandfather’s generation left an inheritance, but Lin Fu and I never believed it. Now, I’m not so sure. Heh. After you’ve taken every possible advantage, now my dear sister-in-law comes to me talking about consideration? About being heartless? I’d love to know, back when you were all hiding pork in your bowls and stuffing your faces until you were dripping with grease, why didn’t anyone mention any of this to us then?"

"...You, who have you been listening to? All that nonsense... Our family... our family has always been poor, what inheritance?" Lin Qiao’s grandmother averted her gaze, stammering awkwardly. "It was just that one time. It’s because your Big Brother was in poor health back then, and the family was too poor for everyone to eat well, so we just gave him a little extra to build up his strength. Why are you still holding a grudge about it?"

"If it was really just for him, why did everyone else look so panicked? Heh. But we don’t care to argue anymore about whether it was just for him or if our family was the only one left out. Anyway, the family is split up now. Big Brother’s family’s problems are not our concern, and you can’t come to us for them. We can’t help," Lin Qiao’s mother said indifferently.

Seeing her like this, both Lin Qiao’s grandmother and her first aunt looked awkward and didn’t dare say more. This was, in fact, the main reason they had sent Lin Yan to talk to Lin Qiao directly instead of approaching Lin Qiao’s parents themselves. They simply lacked the confidence to face Lin Qiao’s family. The first aunt had originally intended to use the situation as a pretext for a preemptive attack, but she hadn’t expected both Lin Qiao and her own sister-in-law to be so sharp-tongued, putting her on the defensive in just a few sentences.

Left with no other choice, Lin Qiao’s first aunt secretly nudged her daughter. Lin Yan took the hint and turned to Lin Qiao’s mother, pleading, "Auntie, I’m begging you. I already told everyone that I’m going to be working at the Zhang Group. If... if you don’t have Lin Qiao make this happen for me, how am I ever going to show my face in public again?"

"Yan Zi, we really can’t do this. Once we open this door, there will be no end to it. Think about it. With the gap between our two families, it’s already not easy for my Qiaoqiao to be friends with her. The fact that their family has already helped us this much is a huge favor. If we start making more demands, we’ll just look greedy."

Lin Qiao’s mother glanced at her husband. Though she was speaking to Lin Yan, her words were also indirectly aimed at Lin Qiao’s grandmother and first aunt. She gave a helpless laugh. "What parent would tolerate their child having such a greedy friend?"

"Uncle, you’re my uncle! You’re not going to let Lin Qiao help me even this once?" Hearing Lin Qiao’s mother, Lin Yan wouldn’t have it. She jumped up and confronted Lin Fu.

Lin Fu glanced at her, then shook his head and said patiently, "Yan Zi, your aunt already explained it very clearly. It’s not that Lin Qiao won’t help you. It’s that this is something we simply can’t ask for."

"Hmph. In the end, you’re all just selfish, only thinking of yourselves." Unexpectedly, Lin Yan flew into a rage after hearing this. She stared at Lin Fu with hatred and sneered, "No wonder everyone says your whole family are a bunch of ungrateful wretches. No matter how good anyone is to you, it’s useless. If you’re not born of the Lin family’s blood, you’ll never truly be on our side..."