Chapter 697 - 076 Unsettling, New Year’s Eve_1
Her son, however foolish, was still her own flesh and blood, wasn’t he? Lady Ma agreed verbally, but her heart was bleeding. Her son was no beast; why should he be locked up? From that moment on, she dared not leave her son’s side even for a step. All the household chores were neglected, and working the fields was out of the question.
Their younger son was a constant worry, and, inconveniently, the older son was no less troublesome. Apart from coming home at the end of each month for silver, he hardly ever returned. And now, the year was ending and the school had closed for holidays, yet Lin Yongcheng still hadn’t come home.
All the hopes of Lin Jiazhong and his wife now lay with their eldest son. To ensure he had enough silver to continue his studies, Lin Jiazhong had already sold several parcels of their land. And yet, the boy seemed to show no progress, leaving them to wonder what he was even learning at school.
With so many troubles at home, Lin Jiazhong and his wife were constantly at each other’s throats, hardly able to go a day without quarreling.
While the main house was in turmoil, the third branch was no quieter. Ever since Lin Jiaxiao found a job in town, he rarely returned home. Initially, he came back every five days, but then it became once a fortnight, and now it had grown to a month without a single visit.
Lin Jiaxiao lied to Li Feng’e, claiming he worked at the Jin Mansion, where strict rules prevented him from coming home often. Li Feng’e believed him, and although he seldom came home, the fact that he always brought silver back was probably the only thing that pleased her.
But what dissatisfied her most was that, whereas before Lin Jiaxiao had been insatiable upon seeing her, as if he had been starved of meat, now he seemed utterly unfazed, even after a month apart.
In the past, it was he who was desperate, and she deliberately held back. But now the tables had completely turned. Li Feng’e was so frustrated she turned red-faced and even broke out in rash; meanwhile, Lin Jiaxiao acted as if nothing was amiss, feigning ignorance. When pushed to the brink, he would complain about being too tired from work and accuse her of a lack of understanding.