Chapter 95: Introducing a Wife for My Cousin

“Brother, you were ruthless! You took all her mushrooms.”

After walking some distance, Lin Hai couldn’t help but comment.

Lin Heng glanced back at him and chuckled, “You like Jin Yan?”

Lin Hai immediately became bashful. “A little… She’s so pretty. Who wouldn’t like her? Didn’t you propose to her back then, too?”

“That’s exactly the point,” Lin Heng laughed. “It’s been two or three years, and she still hasn’t married. It’s obvious she’s holding out for a better offer. Do you really think you have a chance?”

Lin Hai was taken aback. “She said she just hasn’t found someone she likes yet.”

“Even if she’s holding out for a better deal, I still want to give it a shot. Maybe I can win her over,” Lin Hai insisted. He was the same age as Lin Heng, only a few months younger, and had been worrying about finding a wife.

“Forget about her. I’ll introduce you to someone better,” Lin Heng said with a smile. He and Lin Hai had grown up together, and he really didn’t want his cousin to end up in an unhappy marriage.

In his past life, Lin Hai hadn’t succeeded in courting Jin Yan and had eventually married a woman from another village. But who knew if his rebirth had created a butterfly effect that might change that outcome? It was better to steer him away now.

“Someone better? Who?” Lin Hai’s eyes widened. There weren’t many pretty girls in the village. Was there really a better choice?

Lin Heng glanced at him and smirked. “What about Tian Mei, the schoolteacher in the village? She’s still unmarried. Why not go after her? Isn’t she better than Jin Yan?”

“Huh? But she’s the village secretary’s youngest daughter! She’d never be interested in me,” Lin Hai said, shaking his head immediately.

“Don’t be so quick to deny yourself. If even you think it’s impossible, where’s your courage to pursue her?” Lin Heng sighed.

Lin Hai was a typical case of low self-esteem—rejecting himself before even trying. He hadn’t even spoken to Tian Mei but already assumed she was out of reach.

And that was exactly why pretty girls often ended up with the bold and reckless guys who dared to approach them, only to end up wasting their lives.

In his past life, Lin Heng remembered that Tian Mei had been tricked by a delinquent from the neighboring village, almost driving her father to his grave.

“Forget it. If you don’t even believe in yourself, then even if I were Zhuge Liang, I’d still be powerless to help,” Lin Heng shook his head, unwilling to say more.

Lin Hai wasn’t bad-looking, but he was too introverted, and his family background was just average. That was why he hadn’t found a wife yet.

“Cousin, are you saying… you actually have a way to help me win over Tian Mei?” Lin Hai’s hope ignited.

Tian Mei was considered the “untouchable flower” of the village—elegant, educated, and cultured. Most men didn’t even have the courage to talk to her, let alone have any unrealistic hopes.

In his past life, before meeting Xiulan, Lin Heng had tried to pursue Tian Mei himself but had been rejected. Later, after she was tricked away by that delinquent, he finally learned the real reason behind her rejection.

Lin Heng sighed and shook his head. “I don’t want to say anymore. You’ve already given up on yourself, so what’s the point?”

He turned and continued walking.

Lin Hai hurried after him, grabbing his arm. “Cousin, my dear cousin! I’ll get down on my knees and beg you. Just teach me! If I can really win her over, I’ll treat you as my second father and follow your lead for life!”

Having grown up together, Lin Hai had no shame. He was even ready to kneel down. If it meant getting a good wife, forget kneeling—he’d be willing to kowtow a few times!

“You’re really shameless. Get up! If my dad sees this, he’ll beat me to death,” Lin Heng kicked him, and Lin Hai quickly dodged.

“Then that means you agree, right, Cousin?” Lin Hai grinned cheekily.

Lin Heng glanced at him. “Of course. Who else would I help if not you?”

Looking Lin Hai up and down, Lin Heng instructed, “First, shave properly and clean yourself up. Make yourself look presentable.

Second, study history—especially the Qin, Han, and Three Kingdoms periods. Tian Mei loves history.

But you do have one advantage—Tian Mei also enjoys chess, though she’s terrible at it. You need to thoroughly crush her in chess and leave a deep impression.”

Lin Hai was still wondering how his cousin knew all this when he heard the last part and blurted out, “Huh? Crush her in chess? Won’t that just make her angry?”

Lin Heng shook his head, patted his cousin’s shoulder, and sighed. “You’re still too young. If you want a woman to fall for you, the first step is to leave a lasting impression. Beating her in chess is nothing.

Besides, Tian Mei has a strong competitive streak. If you utterly defeat her, she won’t accept it and will keep coming back for rematches. The more she plays with you, the more chances you’ll have to interact and grow closer.”

“Damn, that’s some wisdom right there! No wonder you were able to win over Sister-in-law Xiulan. With these tactics, I regret not learning from you sooner!”

Lin Hai was amazed. So this was how you pursued a woman? A whole new world had just opened up for him.

“This is nothing,” Lin Heng shrugged. “But remember, after a few crushing defeats, start holding back. Let her think she has a chance, but never actually let her win.

Also, take some time to study history. I have a copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms—read it, and then ask her how Liu Bei could have restored the Han Dynasty. Make sure you present yourself as a devoted supporter of the Han.”

Lin Hai was already in awe. No wonder his cousin became rich—he even had a whole strategy for chasing women!

“And then? What’s next?” Seeing Lin Heng stop talking, Lin Hai was getting impatient, eager to hear more.

“What ‘and then’?! Just focus on doing what I told you first. Especially studying! It doesn’t matter if you only have an elementary school education—you need to put in the effort. Not just history, but other subjects too. Improve yourself. Otherwise, everything else is pointless.”

Lin Heng shook his head. He figured that since Lin Hai had enough intelligence to be good at chess, he wasn’t lacking in potential. If he put in the effort, he had a promising future ahead of him.

He would need help in the future with farming and running a business, and these childhood friends who knew each other well were definitely better than strangers.

“Don’t worry, cousin. I’ll do exactly as you said,” Lin Hai patted his chest and promised.

But then he hesitated. “Cousin, if the village party secretary finds out, will he skin me alive?”

“You’re afraid of everything—just forget about women altogether.” Lin Heng rolled his eyes.

The village party secretary, Tian Dongfu, was a very open-minded person who advocated for free love and marriage freedom. Otherwise, his daughter wouldn’t have been tricked away by a hooligan in his past life.

However, Lin Heng didn’t want to tell Lin Hai this. If he didn’t even have this much resolve, then he shouldn’t go messing with other people’s feelings.

Lin Hai thought for a moment and then nodded firmly. “I got it, cousin. I’ll do my best.”

Lin Heng waved his hand and glanced around. It was strange—where was Xiulan? They had walked all this way, but he hadn’t seen her. Could she have gone back?

That didn’t make sense. She would definitely wait for him unless something had happened.

“Xiulan!!”

He called out while searching.

“Sister-in-law!”

Lin Hai also helped search around the forest.

“Woof woof~”

In the distance, Xiongba’s barking could be heard. Lin Heng immediately ran toward the sound.

“I’m here.”

Xiulan responded.

“Are you hurt?” From afar, Lin Heng already noticed something was wrong—Xiulan was sitting on a rock with her shoes off.

“It’s nothing, just a small injury. I just tripped and fell,” Xiulan shook her head.

Lin Heng ran over to check and saw that a patch of skin on Xiulan’s ankle was scraped off, and there was even a wound about the size of a rice grain.

“Did you get hurt anywhere else?” Lin Heng gently held his wife’s foot and asked softly.

“No, I just accidentally fell and got scratched by a rock. My clothes are a bit torn too,” Xiulan shook her head.

Lin Heng felt his heart ache. He gently blew on the wound. “Does it still hurt?”

“Mm, a little,” Xiulan nodded lightly and added, “I was afraid our daughter would run around, so I stayed here and didn’t move. You just need to get some ‘cat ear’ powder and apply it—it’ll be fine.”

In the countryside, when people got injured in the wild, they would use the brownish powder from the back of a plant called ‘cat ear.’

This was a unique plant that grew on rock surfaces and looked like a cat’s ear.

Its scientific name was Pyrrosia lingua, and rural folk used its spores from the back of the leaves for their anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

This plant grew all over rock surfaces. Without iodine or alcohol, people used it instead, and it worked quite well.

“This won’t do—you still have dirt in the wound. It needs to be washed clean first.”

Lin Heng examined her ankle, which was a bit swollen, and asked, “Did you twist your ankle too?”

“Yes, it hurts a bit, but it shouldn’t be a big deal,” Xiulan nodded.

“Wait here. I’ll call Lin Hai over to bring some things, then I’ll help you down the mountain,” Lin Heng said, turning to find his cousin.

“Cousin, no need to look—I’m here.”

At that moment, Lin Hai ran over from a distance and asked with concern, “Sister-in-law, are you okay?”

Xiulan shook her head, indicating she was fine.

“Carry Xiaoxia, and help me take the basket,” Lin Heng instructed. He then emptied his things into Xiulan’s basket and stacked the two baskets together before handing them to Lin Hai.

“Got it,” Lin Hai nodded and walked over to carry Xiaoxia.

“I want Daddy,” Xiaoxia shook her head and backed away, refusing to be carried.

“Daddy needs to help your mom—she’s hurt. Let your uncle carry you,” Lin Heng looked at her and explained.

Xiaoxia looked at her mom’s injured foot, then at her uncle, and reluctantly agreed. “Then I’ll walk by myself.”

“I’ll hold your hand,” Lin Hai had no choice but to take her hand and lead her away.

Lin Heng supported Xiulan as they walked, but after just a couple of steps, she let out a small hiss of pain.

“I’ll carry you—don’t push yourself,” Lin Heng glanced at Xiulan and directly lifted her onto his back.

Xiulan wanted to refuse, but she was already being carried, so she could only hold onto Lin Heng’s neck as they walked back.

“Be careful. If you get tired, take a break,” she whispered in his ear.

“You’re only a hundred pounds—how could I get tired? Don’t worry,” Lin Heng chuckled. Carrying his wife felt completely different—both physically and emotionally satisfying.

“How many times have I carried you now?” Lin Heng asked while feeling her soft body against his back.

Xiulan thought for a moment while hugging his neck. “I think this is the fourth or fifth time. The last time was before we got married.”

Lin Heng thought about it and realized she was right—after marriage, he hadn’t carried her, only held her a few times.

Hearing their conversation, Lin Hai couldn’t take it anymore. He silently vowed that he would definitely win over Tian Mei. Then, he could carry his own wife and show off their love too.

As they walked, Lin Heng would adjust his grip every so often to lift Xiulan higher, making sure her foot didn’t touch the ground.

At the same time, he couldn’t help but feel the surprising softness against his back—completely different from when he touched her normally.

Xiulan said nothing but lightly bit Lin Heng’s ear. Her cheeks flushed, thinking he was doing it on purpose.

However, with her cousin-in-law Lin Hai nearby, she couldn’t say anything.

The place where they had been picking mushrooms was close to home, so even with Xiulan on his back, Lin Heng took less than half an hour to get back.

“Cousin, sister-in-law, I’m heading back now. Come visit my house when you have time!”

After dropping Xiaoxia off at home and putting down the basket, Lin Hai ran off in a hurry.

“Be careful,” Lin Heng said, gently placing Xiulan onto a chair.

Xiulan sat down and rolled her eyes at him. “Was it comfortable for you?”

Lin Heng chuckled. “Would you rather I didn’t carry you?”

Xiulan glared at him. “Stop acting smug. You took advantage and now you’re playing innocent. Go get some water.”

“Alright!”

Lin Heng fetched some clean water and a small handkerchief to wash the dirt from Xiulan’s wound.

“This morning, you were lecturing me, and now you’ve gotten hurt yourself. Be more careful next time.”

Lin Heng watched as his wife, Xiulan, hissed in pain, her lips pursed. He chuckled and teased her.

Xiulan pouted. “It’s not my fault! The road was too slippery.”

After rinsing the mud from the wound with water, Lin Heng dipped a handkerchief in some white liquor and dripped it onto the wound to disinfect it.

“It hurts!”

Xiulan yelped in pain, instinctively lifting her foot. She nearly kicked it right into Lin Heng’s mouth.

Lin Heng looked at her. “…I do like you, but I’m not so perverted that I’d want to eat that.”

“Husband, I’m sorry, it just hurts a little,” Xiulan said apologetically.

“If it doesn’t hurt, it’ll get infected and fester later.” Lin Heng shook his head and dripped a little more liquor onto the wound. This time, he held onto her foot firmly to keep it from moving.

“Alright, let it air dry and scab over. You can’t cover it up in summer,” Lin Heng said. Her ankle was swollen, but it didn’t seem to be anything serious.

“Mm, bring over the honeysuckle. I’ll pick them while I wait,” Xiulan said.

Lin Heng fetched the basket and honeysuckle for her.

After glancing at his daughter, who was watching a little wild kitten, Lin Heng took some wild grape vines to the backyard to plant.

All he had to do was dig a hole, bury the roots, and leave them be. At most, he’d need to water them in the afternoon if the sun was too harsh.

In less than a month, the vines would grow thick and abundant.

After planting the vines, Lin Heng returned to the front yard to deal with the mushrooms.

He tossed the worm-eaten chanterelle mushrooms to the pig badger cub. The little creature eyed them for a moment before scurrying over to eat, already much less afraid of Lin Heng than before.

Unlike the pig badger cub, the wild kitten was a completely different story—it still hissed whenever anyone got close. Watching it, Lin Heng had the sudden urge to give it a good smack.

As the sky darkened, Lin Heng finished handling the mushrooms and turned to Xiulan. “What are we having for dinner? I’ll cook.”

“No need to cook. There are still a few white flour buns from this morning. Just pick some spinach and make a soup,” Xiulan said.

“Alright.” Lin Heng nodded and went to his parents’ place to pick some spinach.

“I heard Xiulan twisted her ankle. You carried her back?” Lin Heng’s mother asked when she saw him.

“Yeah, but it’s nothing serious,” Lin Heng replied.

“Brother, are you taking the lamb back?” Caiyun had returned from herding cattle, leading Lin Heng’s lamb by a rope.

“No need. Can you help watch it again tomorrow?” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Caiyun had already guessed this would happen. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Then you better give me a share of the lamb during the New Year feast.”

“Of course, I won’t shortchange you,” Lin Heng promised, then ran off with the spinach.

After making dinner, the family of three ate together. Lin Heng then bathed his daughter, changed her into clean clothes, and put her to bed.

Xiulan’s wound had scabbed over, and the swelling in her ankle had subsided. She could walk on her own now, albeit with some difficulty, so she no longer needed Lin Heng’s help.

The next day, since Xiulan was injured, Lin Heng didn’t go up the mountain. Instead, he went around the village looking for lime. After asking around, he learned that the village elementary school had recently been whitewashing its walls and might have some leftover lime.

Maple Tree Village Elementary School was located on a barren hill on the east side of the village, far from the residential area.

Unlike modern schools, it didn’t have a surrounding wall—there simply wasn’t enough money for that. The ground was bare earth, and though the buildings were made of red bricks, they hadn’t been whitewashed.

Lin Heng arrived early, before the students had come. The only person there was the school’s sole teacher, Tian Yan, who was bent over her desk, writing something.

She wore a white blouse and black trousers, with flat leather shoes on her feet. Her hair was tied into two ponytails that draped over her shoulders, framing her chest. She had a quiet and refined demeanor, exuding the youthful energy and ambition unique to educated young women of this era.

“Excuse me, what do you need?” Tian Yan asked in slightly accented Mandarin when she saw Lin Heng standing at the doorway.

She recognized Lin Heng, having heard from her father about his recent exploits.

“Teacher Tian, I heard the village school has some lime left. I’d like to buy a little,” Lin Heng said without looking away.

“There’s about half a bag left. I’ll get it for you,” Tian Yan glanced at Lin Heng, then walked to the corner of the room, picked up the half-bag of quicklime, and handed it to him.

“How much is it?” Lin Heng asked as he took it.

“Just take it. No need to pay,” Tian Yan waved her hand.

Lin Heng placed a one-yuan bill on the table. “Use it to buy some pencils for the students.”

Tian Yan looked at the money and nodded. “Then, thanks.”

“By the way, I have a question. My sister, Caiyun, stopped going to school after finishing sixth grade. I want her to go to junior high next semester. Do you think she can still enroll? She’s been out of school for over a year now,” Lin Heng asked.

Tian Yan looked at him in surprise. “Is this your decision or your father’s?”

“Mine. I’ll pay for her education,” Lin Heng replied firmly.

Tian Yan found it hard to believe—Lin Heng suddenly caring about schooling?

“There shouldn’t be a problem. Even if there is, I know the teachers at the township middle school. I can talk to them. The only concern is whether Caiyun has forgotten everything she learned. How about this—have her come by when she has time, and I’ll help her review,” Tian Yan offered enthusiastically. She was still a passionate teacher with a strong sense of responsibility.

“Alright, I’ll let her know,” Lin Heng nodded and left with the bag of lime.

On his way back, he ran into his cousin, Lin Hai.

“What are you loitering around for? Wait until the students are dismissed at noon before you go. She won’t have time to talk during class,” Lin Heng said, exasperated.

“Brother, what should I say when I see her?” Lin Hai’s face was weary from lack of sleep—he had been too excited to sleep the night before.

Lin Heng shook his head. “Just go up to her and say you heard she’s good at chess and want to play a game with her. That’s all. Then just follow the plan I told you today.”

“Got it,” Lin Hai nodded and turned back.

“Too young,” Lin Heng muttered, shaking his head as he continued walking home with the bag of lime.

(End of Chapter)