After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 61

He suddenly kicked over the charcoal brazier in front of him, and burning charcoal chunks rolled all over the ground, sparks flying everywhere, which frightened his injured subordinates into trembling.

“Useless! A bunch of useless trash!” Wu Laizi roared, his voice distorted with rage. “Five or six people! Armed with weapons! Taking on Zhou Han, and even bringing a woman along! And you came back looking like this?! Did I raise you guys just to eat?!”

The henchman clutched his wrist, his face contorted in a grimace, his voice trembling with fear and pain: “Master Wu… Master Wu! It’s really not our fault! That Zhou Han… he’s not human! He was so ruthless! And his strength was terrifying! We… we couldn’t even get close to him!”

Another thug, whose legs were still trembling, quickly chimed in, “Yeah, Boss Wu! He… he’s like a mad tiger! We didn’t even get a good look at him before a bunch of us were down! He even said… he even said…”

“What else is there to say?!” Wu Laizi glared at him fiercely.

“He also said… that you… should go find him yourself…” The thug shrank his neck, his voice growing softer and softer.

“Damn it!” Wu Laizi trembled with rage. He grabbed the teapot on the table and smashed it on the ground. Shards and tea splashed everywhere. His chest heaved violently, and his breath was filled with a violent aura.

Zhou Han! It’s Zhou Han again! This name is now like a poisonous thorn stuck in his heart.

He originally thought that with his superior numbers, he could at least make Zhou Han suffer, but he didn’t expect to lose his own men and be severely humiliated!

Amidst his anger, an indescribable sense of dread also began to grow within him; Zhou Han’s skills were far more ferocious than he had imagined.

This is definitely a tough nut to crack, not to be trifled with!

“Get out! All of you, get out!” Wu Laizi waved his hand irritably, shooing away his shameful subordinates like flies.

He paced alone in the dimly lit room, his face so grim it could wring water. He’d remembered this debt! But how to settle it was something he needed to think about carefully; a direct confrontation might come at too high a price…

———

Meanwhile, the Lin family was driving an oxcart back to their village.

The snow fell thicker and thicker, like torn cotton wool, fluttering down, turning the world into a vast expanse of white. The distant mountains and fields were blurred, and the cold wind swirled the snowflakes, making a rustling sound as they hit the thick tarpaulin of the carport.

But the scene inside the bike shed was quite different.

Although some chill could still seep in, it was much warmer than outside. The purchased supplies were piled up on one side of the carriage. Wang hugged Lin Miao and Lin Song, wrapping them in thick blankets.

Lin Laoda sat on the carriage shaft, driving the cart, occasionally glancing back at his family in the carriage, a look of peace on his face.

Lin Sang and Zhou Han sat side by side near the carriage curtain. The space inside the carriage was limited, and their arms would occasionally touch lightly due to the bumps of the oxcart, before quickly separating, bringing a subtle flutter of emotion.

Looking at the increasingly heavy snow outside the window, Lin Sang said softly, “Luckily we came back in time. If we had come any later, the roads would have been difficult to travel.”

Zhou Han hummed in agreement, his gaze falling on her nose, which was red from the cold. He subconsciously moved the thick blanket on his side closer to her.

Watching the silent interaction between the two children, Wang felt a warm glow in her heart, and said with a smile to the eldest son, “Dad, look at this snow. This winter is probably coming hard. We have enough firewood and food. We can have a warm New Year even if we stay indoors.”

Lin the eldest chuckled, his voice ringing out loudly in the wind and snow: “Yes! Having enough to eat and drink, and the whole family together, is better than anything else!”

Lin Miao peeked her little head out from under the blanket and asked curiously, “Brother Zhou, is the snow this heavy in Liangzhou too?”

Zhou Han looked down into the little girl’s bright eyes and softened his voice, which was unusual for him: “Over in Liangzhou, the snow is drier and the wind is stronger. It feels like sand hitting your face.”

“You can’t set up your stall these past few days because of the snow. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have your Uncle Lin help you chop firewood. It’s the dead of winter, and you haven’t been back for a long time. You probably don’t have enough firewood at home, do you?” Wang asked Zhou Han.

“No need. I prepared firewood and charcoal at home before I left. There are few people in my family, so we don’t need much. It’ll be enough for winter. No need to bother,” Zhou Han waved his hands repeatedly.

“If you need any help, just let me know. We’re practically family now, so please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Okay, Aunt Lin.”

The family chatted about everyday things on their way home through the wind and snow, feeling each other’s presence and care.

The oxcart left deep ruts in the snow, steadily making its way towards that simple yet warm and hopeful home.

No matter how fierce the wind and snow were outside, it seemed unable to penetrate the warmth and tranquility that gathered inside the carport.

———

Not long after returning home, it started snowing heavily. The snow blocked the doors, and the world was covered in white. Linjia’ao had completely entered the winter season.

Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside the Lin family’s main room, a warm charcoal fire burned, and the family sat together in a peaceful atmosphere.

Wang brought out the money box she had earned from setting up a stall at the dock over the past few months. Copper coins and loose silver were poured onto the kang table with a “clatter,” piling up into a small mountain. The whole family’s eyes lit up.

As usual, each person carried a pile and started counting. After careful counting and deducting all costs, they had made a net profit of fourteen taels of silver and eight hundred coins over the past few months!

“Dad, look, our family’s life is getting better and better!” Wang’s face beamed with joy.

Lin the eldest smiled憨厚ly and nodded repeatedly. The children also looked at the money box with delight. According to the previously agreed-upon rules, Wang began to distribute the money:

“This money was earned by our whole family. We’ll keep seven taels in the family coffers to buy seeds, new equipment, or for emergencies after spring.”

“We’ll divide the remaining seven taels and eight hundred coins according to our contributions. Sangsang contributed the most and came up with the idea, so she gets three taels.”

“His father and Brother Bai are the main force, each taking one and a half ounces.”

“Song-ge’er and Miao-yatou also helped. Each of them received five hundred coins. I will keep them for you. They can be used to buy you new clothes or pay for your school fees in the future.”

“The remaining eight hundred coins are mine. I’ll go buy a piece of cloth and make a new dress,” Wang arranged everything meticulously, and everyone was convinced.

With extra money in hand, people felt more at ease. Everyone held their share, their faces beaming with the joy of their harvest.

There were still seven taels of silver left on the kang table, which Wang carefully put away.

At this moment, Lin Sang looked at Lin Miao, who was nestled beside Wang Shi, and then at Lin Song, who, despite his young age, had already begun to help with household chores. A thought struck him, and he said, “Father, Mother, there is something I want to discuss with you.”