Chapter 3: Deep Hatred

Lin Jiacheng was currently in high spirits. He stroked the sandalwood grandmaster's chair he sat upon and looked around at the room full of antique gold vessels. Thinking that the land deeds to those thousands of acres of fertile fields and this magnificent garden now belonged to him, he felt immensely gratified. Although there was a slight regret that the recovered banknotes, shipping companies, shops, and those four undamaged sea vessels—including the nautical charts drawn by Lin Jiashen—had all been given to the Xie and Wu families, he suppressed those thoughts upon remembering the dangers of maritime transport and the Wu family's background. Now, the only remaining flaw was the manor within his sister-in-law's dowry. If he could obtain that as well, then the best fertile lands by the lake in Wu County would all belong to him, Lin Jiacheng.

Lin Jiashen, oh Lin Jiashen, no matter how capable you are, what of it? Isn't all the wealth you worked so hard to earn now mine?

"Are you saying that if I let Lin Huiniang establish a female household on her own, she will give me that manor?" Lin Jiacheng coughed and spoke slowly to Zhou Tao sitting opposite him.

"And that ship my brother-in-law used; the child wants to keep it as a memento," Zhou Tao said with his head lowered. According to his "tigress" of a mother's idea, since both mother and daughter were dead, they should just take back the manor and the shops. But after all, they were his own biological sister and niece. When the brother-in-law was alive, he gave them far more than just these few acres of land; how could they cut off their niece's livelihood! Lin Jiacheng was determined to get that manor no matter what; if it could be exchanged for his niece's independence as a female household, combined with the income from the shops, it would still be a way to survive.

"Hehe," Lin Jiacheng laughed, "In that case, I shall gift her a shipyard as well."

"Father, why must we agree to him?" Watching Zhou Tao's receding figure, Lin Guoqiang asked in confusion. "Once that Lin Huiniang establishes a female household, she will be completely severed from our Lin family, and no one will gossip about us. As for that broken ship, it would cost several thousand strings of cash just to repair, and even the Wu family doesn't want it. Third Son, do you intend to run a shipping business?" Lin Jiacheng said, looking at Lin Guoqiang with a smile.

"Naturally not," Lin Guoqiang laughed. Running a shipping business was just like Second Uncle; so what if he returned with millions in assets? In the end, no one even knew how he died. Now, with the Lin family's ten thousand acres of fertile land, they were already the wealthiest household in Wu County with inexhaustible wealth. Who would take such a risk!

"But why must Father give her that shipyard?"

"Didn't you say that shipyard has been completely abandoned? It's a useless thing; it's good to trade it for a bit of reputation."

Ling Qingyu had not expected that after she went to the yamen to complete the female household procedures and changed Lin Huiniang's name back to her original name, Ling Qingyu, intending to live a good life with her mother, she would return home in such high spirits only to face her mother's cold body.

"Those murderous bastards! Those two harlots, Tang Li and Lin Zixu from the First Branch, just rushed in like that and said to the Madam, 'Now that you've established a female household, you'll be a prostitute sooner or later.' When the Madam tried to argue with them, they beat her and insulted her, and that's how they angered the Madam to death!" Nanny Zheng wailed, pounding the floor.

Ling Qingyu's eyes turned blood-red. Mother was never unkind to you all. Was it not enough to seize the entire family fortune out of jealousy for the Second Branch's prosperity? Was it not enough to kill her father and brothers? Must you even take away the only relative she had left in this world?

A blood feud!