Returning Home

Since ancient times, winter has been a season of sorrow and loneliness, but I say winter days are better than spring mornings.

A crane flies high into the clear sky, breaking through the clouds, bringing poetic inspiration to the azure heavens.

Lin Chen's heart burned with warmth, and even his steps were light.

Compared to half a year ago, his mood was completely different.

Half a year ago, he returned home filled with anticipation. Though excited, his path in martial arts was still unclear. But now, he had embarked on the true path of martial arts, and his eagerness to return home was more about missing his family, more about the impatience to share this joy with his parents and older brother.

He reached the village entrance.

Lin Chen slowed his pace.

Gu Fei had returned to the village long ago. With Gu Fei's talkative nature, his impressive performance at the Martial Arts Hall had likely already spread throughout the entire village.

Who doesn't have vanity?

Lin Chen admitted he was no exception. Having vanity wasn't a bad thing; to some extent, vanity and the desire to save face were the driving force that pushed a person forward.

As long as one wasn't blinded by vanity, a moderate amount of it was perfectly acceptable.

Soon, Lin Chen encountered a villager.

"Lin Chen?"

The villager saw Lin Chen but wasn't sure. Lin Chen had returned home briefly a few months ago, but left in a hurry the next day, so many villagers hadn't seen him.

In the year he spent at the Martial Arts Hall, because his Qi and Blood increased rapidly, Lin Chen's height and appearance had changed significantly from before.

His eyes were bright, his complexion ruddy, and he looked strong and robust, completely different from the young men in the village.

"Uncle Li, it's me."

Lin Chen nodded slightly, waiting to hear Uncle Li's exaggerated praise.

"Lin Chen, you've come back at the right time. Something seems to have happened at your house. Someone is causing trouble, and your father..."

Before the villager could finish speaking, he saw Lin Chen's figure had already run several dozen yards away.

This speed stunned him.

Lin Chen was also anxious at this moment. It can't be that melodramatic, can it?

I just embarked on the path of martial arts, and something happened at home.

This plot is so cliché that even modern web novel authors wouldn't write it like this.

Running breathlessly towards his home, Lin Chen saw the villagers gathered not far ahead and breathed a sigh of relief.

The villagers were not gathered outside his own house, but at the Lin Family ancestral home.

It wasn't his family that was in trouble.

Feeling slightly relieved, Lin Chen walked into the crowd. With his current height, he was considered tall in the village and could see the situation at the front of the crowd at a glance.

Father Lin, Uncle, and Second Uncle, the three brothers, along with Older Brother holding a hoe and a carrying pole, were confronting several burly men.

Behind them stood Grandfather and First Aunt. Second Aunt was holding Lin Hui, who was paralyzed from the waist down, her eyes red and teary. Mother was holding his cousin Cheng Xi, but First Aunt was nowhere to be seen.

"It's only right to pay back a debt. Your family borrowed ten taels, and now with principal and interest, it's fifteen taels. Either pay the money or hand over the land deed, otherwise, even if you go to the yamen, it's useless."

The leader of the burly men, his face full of flesh, sneered, "If you don't have money, don't try to learn martial arts like others. Don't even think about what kind of material your family is made of."

Hearing this conversation, Lin Chen frowned. Are these burly men from the Money House?

Grandfather borrowed ten taels from the Money House?

If his father wasn't involved, Lin Chen wouldn't have bothered with this matter at all. Since they had separated, the debt owed by Grandfather and Uncle's family had nothing to do with him. But now his father was also there, so he naturally couldn't ignore it.

"Uncle Zhang, excuse me."

"Uncle Xu, let me through."

Lin Chen patted the shoulders of the villagers watching in front. These villagers turned back and were somewhat shocked to see Lin Chen, but they quickly made way.

"Lin Chen is back."

"Lin Chen? The Youngest Son of the Lin Family's youngest son? I heard he did very well in martial arts at the Martial Arts Hall."

"It seems the Gu family kid wasn't lying. Look at how tall he is. My kid stayed at the Martial Arts Hall for a year and only grew half a head taller. He's grown at least a foot."

The villagers saw Lin Chen and discussed in low voices. Mother Lin was very excited to see her son return and was about to walk over with Cheng Xi in her arms. "Why are you back at this time? Gu Fei said you still needed to train at the Martial Arts Hall for another month."

"I came back to see you, Mother."

If not for the scene before him, Lin Chen could have satisfied his mother's vanity and directly said, "Your son has cultivated Essence Energy." But now he wanted to know what was happening.

"Mother, what's going on?"

Hearing her son ask, Mother Lin pouted. "Lin Ming came back again last month asking for money. You know your grandfather, he always gives in to his eldest grandson's requests. He secretly borrowed ten taels from the Money House, agreeing to five taels of interest per month. If he doesn't pay it back, they'll take the land deed as collateral."

Lin Chen's mouth twitched. He looked at his grandfather standing behind his father and gave a self-mocking smile.

He dared to borrow money with such high interest!

As expected of the Lin Family's only grandson, ten taels weren't enough, so he even borrowed another ten taels from the Money House.

"This has nothing to do with our family, does it, Dad and Second Uncle?"

Since Grandfather borrowed the money, when the family was divided, these fields went to Uncle. It had nothing to do with their own family or Second Uncle who was given the fishing boat.

"They came to collect the money, your grandfather didn't want to give it, and a conflict started. Lin Hui happened to come home and saw it, thought they were bullying your grandfather, and rushed over. He was beaten down..."

Lin Chen understood. Grandfather wasn't willing to give the land deed, and these people who came to collect the money beat Lin Hui. His father and the others rushed over when they heard about it, and the villagers also came.

If outsiders came to cause trouble, Lakeside Village was quite united.

But the problem now was that they were from the Money House collecting a debt. There was a promissory note in black and white, and the Lin Family had no valid argument. The village had no reason to step in and help either. Furthermore, anyone who could open a Money House wasn't to be trifled with, and the size of these few strong men was enough to make the villagers wary.

Mother Lin explained the situation and then whispered, "This is your grandfather and Uncle's family's business. Don't act impulsively."

"Mom, don't worry."

Lin Chen knew his mother was worried he would be soft-hearted and take on this debt for his grandfather.

He couldn't be soft-hearted.

From the moment the family split, he felt no kinship towards his grandfather and Uncle's family.

"Dad, it's perfectly reasonable for them to come collect a debt with a promissory note. If you stop them today, they can still go through the yamen tomorrow to take the land deed. There's no need to block them."

Lin Chen took the initiative to speak to Father Lin. As soon as he said this, before Father Lin could answer, First Aunt, who was standing behind, became upset:

"Chen'er, how can you help outsiders? These are fertile fields passed down by our Lin Family ancestors. If they're gone, how can we face the Lin Family's ancestors?"

"As long as the money is repaid, who would care about your few lousy fields? We're all from the same town. Our Money House has always been reasonable. How much money is borrowed and how much interest is charged are all stated in advance. It's not like no one in Lakeside Village has borrowed money from our Money House before. Have you ever seen us cause trouble?"

The leading strong man snorted lightly and looked at Lin Chen: "This young brother is quite reasonable. If this matter drags on until the yamen handles it, you'll have to pay extra fees."

The yamen officials in the county town didn't go down to the countryside. To come down and handle a matter, they had to charge travel expenses.

Therefore, generally, if there were disputes in villages or towns, the Village Chief or some highly respected elders would be invited to preside over fairness and resolve them. Matters that went to the yamen were extremely rare.

"You can't hand it over. That's the root of our Lin Family." Grandfather Lin Chaoyang spoke: "My eldest grandson wrote to me the day before yesterday, and he has already cultivated his Essence Energy. This money can be repaid if you give us a few days' grace."

Cultivated Essence Energy?

Hearing Grandfather's words, the surrounding villagers started discussing.

"Lin Ming has cultivated Essence Energy?"

"Probably. Lin Ming has been training for almost three years now. Look at the Lin Family's situation three years ago, and look at it now. They even split the family. They spent so much money, he should have cultivated it by now."

"Lin Ming has cultivated Essence Energy, then the Lin Family's life is going to get better."

The villagers' envious words brought a smile to Grandfather's old face, and First Aunt's face also showed a hint of pride.

She hadn't told anyone about her son cultivating Essence Energy. She had planned to announce it widely the day her son returned, but she didn't expect her father to say it.

However, with so many people in the village now, it was better to say it today.

"Grace? Bah!"

The leading strong man's expression remained unchanged. He spat a thick wad of phlegm on the ground, instantly making the smiles on First Aunt and Grandfather's faces freeze.

"It took nearly three years to cultivate Essence Energy. It's hard to say whether you'll ever open your spiritual aperture in this lifetime. Either pay the money today, or hand over the land deed. There's no other way."

"You... you..."

"Me what? Do you really think we didn't investigate your family's situation when we lent the money?"

The leading strong man sneered. How could he not know about Lin Ming's situation in the Lin Family?

Lin Ming had cultivated Essence Energy only after spending all the family's savings and racking up a pile of debt. Such a person wouldn't have any prospects in martial arts. He wouldn't even be able to get the money for subsequent training.

Since they had already offended them, they might as well offend them completely and cut off their financial resources.

Grandfather Lin Chaoyang trembled with anger at the strong man's words. His Lin Family's Qilin Child, who had spent so much money to cultivate Essence Energy, was belittled to nothing by the other party, and in front of so many people in the entire village. How could he accept this?

"Second Brother, Third Brother, these are the fields passed down by our Lin Family ancestors. They can't just be gone like this. They want money, you three brothers pool together and give them the money first. Ming'er will cultivate Essence Energy, and this money can be repaid to your two families in no time."

Grandfather Lin Chaoyang looked at Father Lin and Second Uncle. The great happy event of the Lin Family was now messed up like this.

Second Uncle was somewhat swayed. He didn't understand Martial Artists, but he often heard Lin Ming talk about how glorious it would be after cultivating Essence Energy. If he helped at this time, Lin Ming would remember him as a good uncle.

Father Lin looked at Mother Lin and Lin Chen. The financial power of the family was now in his wife's hands, and his wife listened more to their youngest son.

"Our family won't pool this money."

Lin Chen looked at his grandfather's bossy attitude and sneered: "I think this person is right about one thing. Three years to cultivate Essence Energy, and with Uncle's family's situation, it's questionable whether First Cousin will have money for subsequent martial arts training."