Decaying World

Chapter 2 002 Decision
"Recently, there have been two cases in Xinyu, and even more in Raoshan, five cases. All of them were during the day," Lin Hongzhen said in a low voice, her face somber.

"Are your uncle and aunt planning to move into the inner city?" Lin Hui suddenly asked.

He remembered that Lin Hongzhen's parents were business people in town, and their family was better off than his. In addition, Lin Hongzhen herself was an assistant at Shayue Pharmacy, earning a considerable wage, so moving into the inner city was indeed a possibility.

"Yes, soon. Recently, several towns have been plagued by ghostly disturbances, so my parents are planning to go to the city to avoid them." Lin Hongzhen nodded slightly. She and Lin Hui had a decent relationship; they played together well when they were young, and she was one of the Lin family members who occasionally associated with them.

"Things haven't been peaceful lately, so be careful and don't go looking for trouble," Lin Hongzhen added.

She was about to continue when a little girl with pigtails patted her on the shoulder and greeted her.

"Xiaoqin, is that you?" She turned around with a delighted expression and immediately started chatting with the girl.

Lin Hui, who was about to ask something, stopped talking when he saw this. He noticed that the girl looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed very scantily, in a white tube top and a leather miniskirt that only covered her thighs, with a simple snakeskin belt around her waist—a typical inner-city style. A brown wavy dagger was also strapped to the outside of her thigh.

Finally, he took one last look at the bloodstains in the yard before turning and leaving silently.

Continuing along the dirt road towards the town, his figure gradually disappeared around the bend.

The young girl glanced at him and then looked at Lin Hongzhen.

"Your brother?"

“Yes, my cousin, from the fourth branch of the family. He’s an honest kid.” Lin Hongzhen nodded. “Do you think he has a chance of being selected this time? His family’s circumstances aren’t very good, and you know what’s been going on lately. Staying in Xinyu all the time isn’t a good thing.”

"Looks aren't good enough. You know how Amamiya selects people; looks come first, and if someone isn't good-looking, you at least have to bribe them." The girl shook her head. "To be honest, only Lin Hongyu from your Lin family was chosen based on her talent; the rest..."

"Lin Hongyu, you'd better not mention that guy anymore. Just hearing his name makes me angry. How about my cousin? How about I get him to work for you as a runner? He's started looking for things to do lately," Lin Hongzhen asked tentatively.

"Why don't you suggest he go work for the Chen family?" The young girl looked speechless. "Don't you know what's going on inside Shayue?"

Lin Hongzhen gave an awkward laugh.

"Mainly because he's getting on in years, and we have a good relationship, I was thinking of finding a way for him."

Lin Hui was a well-known figure in the Lin family. His parents were famous for doting on him, providing him with good food and drink from a young age and not wanting to send him out to suffer and learn a trade. Only now that he was older did they realize how anxious they were.

In ordinary families, children under ten years old are sent out to learn new things. The Lin family is a large clan with many members. Lin Hui's father has a good income and is considered a manager. He dotes on his son.

In other people's eyes, being unwilling to send someone away to learn a trade is already considered spoiling.

The result is now
Lin Hongzhen shook her head inwardly. Even she had started working as an apprentice and errand girl at the age of ten. Now, seven years later, she finally obtained her membership last year and officially became an ordinary believer of Shayue.

In Tu Yue, there are only three ways for ordinary people to rise above their circumstances.

Selections were made by the government, by Shayue, and by the Chen family.

If none of these three paths work, then the only options are farming or becoming a helper and learning a trade.

If neither of these options works, then that's Lin Hui's current situation. The only way to make a living is to go out and do manual labor and take dangerous roads.

In essence, in the eyes of the poor, Lin Hui was already considered the only son of the steward, a young master who had completely escaped poverty.

In Xinyu Town, he could barely be considered a second-generation rich kid.

Therefore, Lin Hui's father would never be willing to let his only son take such a risky path.

Lin Hongzhen was well aware of this.

*
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Xinyu Town, Xinyu Oil Mill.

In a dark corner filled with sticky grease, rows of large oil drums stood neatly arranged like soldiers in formation.

Lin Hui's father, Lin Shunhe, with bloodshot eyes, quietly slipped a heavy gray money bag into the hands of a pot-bellied old man dressed as a wealthy man.

"Old Chen, what do you think of this quota for recommending someone to the inner city?"

"The goods are good, and the matter was handled very well. Don't worry, Xiao Lin, I have already conveyed the message," the old man said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Lin Shunhe's heart skipped a beat. He gritted his teeth, took out another silver-edged money pouch, and handed it over.

This was his savings for retirement, the money he had originally intended to use to move to the inner city with his wife, Yao Shan, to live out their retirement years. But now he couldn't care less about that.

My son has been staying at home for over a year, doing nothing and drifting aimlessly every day. If this continues, he might become a complete failure.

If he could become an employee of the Chen family, it would be worth all the effort he put in. You know, it takes at least seven or eight years to go from a lowly apprentice to an employee. This private deal and the savings he made this time saved him those seven or eight years.

Everyone in Tu Yue knows that the Chen family offers the best benefits. As long as you can get into the Chen family, you can at least live in the inner city and be guaranteed basic safety.

"That's too formal, isn't it? But bribing people takes money, Brother Lin, don't worry, I'll take care of it." Old Chen's smile widened, he opened the money pouch, glanced at it, and weighed it in his hand.

"Just send someone over later, Lin Hui, right?"

"Yes, yes." Lin Shunhe nodded repeatedly.

“Okay, I’ll remember.” Old Chen nodded. “It’s getting late, I’ll go have lunch first. Around tomorrow afternoon, you can bring people to the third gate of Chenjiabao, the one where you can see Haoyi Pagoda from outside. Don’t go to the wrong gate.”

"Okay, I'll be there on time!" Lin Shunhe quickly replied.

Watching Old Chen slowly walk out of the oil mill warehouse with his hands behind his back, a huge weight was finally lifted from his heart.

Although this time I used up my savings of many years, even my retirement fund, as long as my son can make something of himself in prison, I can always earn the money back by working hard to save up in the future.
*
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Lin Hui wandered around the town along the road.

The entire town of Xinyu is a tiny town with five streets intersecting in a comb-like shape. The so-called streets are actually just ordinary dirt roads, only they've been compacted.

The town's main industries consist of a dozen or so workshops, with the oil mill being just one of them. There are also garment workshops, leather workshops, grain mills, fruit mills, and so on.

Aside from workshops, there were only residential houses, either square earthen houses or stone-walled courtyards.

The only thing that left a deep impression on Lin Hui was a dilapidated temple he passed by on the roadside.

He didn't go into the dilapidated temple; he just stood outside and looked through the broken walls. There was nothing enshrined inside, only rows of clay sculptures of children with mutilated bodies.

The dark clay sculptures are exquisitely crafted and lifelike, just like rows of children under the age of three sitting cross-legged in the temple, their faces full of joy.

It is precisely because of its incompleteness that this scene appears particularly eerie.

This is also why he dared not go in.

As noon approached, Lin Hui turned back home. On his way back, he looked out towards the edge of town.

There was a thick white fog, everything was gray, and you couldn't see anything at all.

Fog shrouded everything in this world. Only by circling the giant city could people obtain a fog-free zone and have the right to survive. With a sigh, Lin Hui quickened his pace and hurried back, almost reaching the Lin family compound.

They happened to run into three or four members of the Lin family, who were respectfully seeing off a pot-bellied old man.

Among those clansmen, the one standing at the very front was none other than Lin Chaoyi, the patriarch of the Lin clan.

This patriarch, now over seventy years old, is the current head of the Lin family. At this moment, he is leaning on a maroon cane, his face is ruddy, and his silver hair is neatly combed at the back of his head. His usually dignified face has become particularly gentle.

He was carefully holding the hand of a pretty young girl beside him, while talking to the pot-bellied old man.

Upon seeing Lin Hui return, the old clan chief stopped talking and patted the arm of the girl beside him one last time.

"It's settled then," the old patriarch said decisively.

“But, isn’t this a bit much? This is a spot that Brother Lin Shunhe secured.” The pot-bellied old man was none other than Old Chen, who had just come out of the oil mill. He hadn’t expected that as soon as he stepped out, he would be invited over by the old patriarch of the Lin family, who was waiting outside. Without saying a word, the other party stuffed a large sum of money into his hand, with the only request being that he give the spot to Lin Hongyu, who was also from the Lin family.

The old clan chief offered even greater benefits, so Old Chen was naturally happy to agree. However, this spot was something Lin Shunhe had risked his life to earn from the young master. He changed it this way.
"There's nothing wrong with it. We're all members of the Lin family, and I'm the clan leader. I'm in charge of all matters, big and small," the old clan leader, Lin Chaoyi, said decisively. "I didn't expect Shunhe to succeed before. Now that it's done, it would be a waste to give such a good opportunity to join the Chen family to Xiaohui. It's better to give it to Hongyu. With her talent and perseverance, if she develops well in the Chen family and gains a high status, she can then help Xiaohui. That's the right path. It's the best choice for the entire Lin family."

"Then over there along the river..."

“I’ll tell him I’m his father! If he dares to disobey, this cane of mine isn’t just for show!” Lin Chaoyi said in a deep voice.

Old Chen glanced at the Lin family and shook his head inwardly. It seemed that this family had been waiting here all along, aiming to take advantage of Lin Shunhe's family.

tough enough.

However, this is all the Lin family's business. He only needs to get the benefits; the rest is none of his concern. In any case, he ultimately delivered on his promise to the Lin family for the spot.

Seeing Lin Hui slowly approaching, the old clan chief lowered his voice and said a few words to Elder Chen before seeing him off and getting him into the carriage by the roadside.

A group of people passed by Lin Hui, pushing him aside. After seeing the people off, the old clan chief turned around and looked at Lin Hui. Looking at his thin figure and lifeless eyes, he snorted coldly and led the others back to the courtyard.

Lin Hongyu and her father Lin Shuntao were also in the group seeing people off. When they looked at Lin Hui, they felt a little embarrassed for taking up someone else's spot. Lin Shuntao gently nudged his daughter.

"Go and say hello to your cousin, and try to get closer to him in the future."

"You go if you want, I'm not going." Lin Hongyu turned her head and said impatiently, "I have to train my mind every day, how can I have time to wander around like him? It's just that I owe him something, I can just pay him back double later."

Seeing that her father was still urging her, Lin Hongyu became even more impatient.

"Don't push me. He's incompetent; he couldn't seize the opportunity. Whose fault is that?"

The group returned to the courtyard amidst their bickering, leaving Lin Hui watching the scene with a puzzled expression, a feeling that something was amiss.

The people opposite him weren't speaking loudly, and he was too far away to hear what they were saying.

Seeing that everyone had gone home, he followed them into the courtyard. He was quite tired after wandering around for so long.

*
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Bang! ! !
"What?! You gave Xiaohui's spot to Hongyu?!"

A teacup was smashed against the wall.

Lin Hui's father, Lin Shunhe, stood up in a rage, his hands and clothes covered in slightly hot tea.

He trembled all over, staring at the clan leader Lin Chaoyi, who sat in the main seat of the hall, his chest heaving rapidly like a bellows.

"That's a spot I fought tooth and nail for for my son!!"

He stared at Lin Chaoyi and said, word by word.

How dare you!?

"Are you trying to rebel?!" Lin Chaoyi also suddenly stood up and smashed the teacup on the ground.

"I'm your father, what's wrong with using some of your things?! What's wrong with that?! I raised you all these years, and this is how you repay me?"

Lin Chaoyi roared angrily as he walked step by step, leaning on his cane, to Lin Shunhe.

"What? You've gotten bolder?! You dare to smash things in front of me now?! You've become really capable?!"

He grabbed Lin Shunhe's arm and slapped himself on the head.

"Come on, if you've got the guts, come and hit me! Hit your dad! I'm standing right in front of you, go ahead and hit me if you dare!!"

"Attack!!" Lin Chaoyi roared, his voice echoing throughout the hall.

The two men's arms were locked in a tight struggle, their dark skin revealing prominent veins.

Lin Shunhe's face turned as red as a purplish-red, his eyes bloodshot, as he stared intently at his father.

His fists were clenched tightly, but he didn't move at all.

“Hongyu’s place has already been submitted! The Chen family has already accepted her! We have to accept it, there’s no way to change it now. What you need to do is face the facts! Help Hongyu grow and thrive in the Chen family, so that she can have a chance to help your son in the future! When that happens, both of us from the Lin family can enter the Chen family, that will be a truly beneficial thing for the entire family!!” Seeing that he had his son intimidated, Lin Chaoyi’s tone softened slightly as he began to explain in a cold voice.

Lin Shunhe clenched his fists tightly, looking at his father's admonishing face, his disappointment and sorrow almost overflowing.

From childhood to adulthood, he never received any support from his father. Almost all the benefits he received came from Hongyu's family. His current position as the manager of the oil mill was only realized because he had unexpectedly gained the favor of a noble person in the government.

I initially thought I could let it go; after all, he's my father, and I could just put up with it. But I never imagined that the spot I worked so hard to earn for my son would be snatched away by this old man who had been scheming and watching closely!?
At this moment, Lin Shunhe became angrier and more frustrated the more he thought about it.

Lin Chaoyi, however, was still rambling on, telling him to prioritize the entire Lin family, and that a strong family as a whole would greatly benefit everyone. He shouldn't harbor resentment because of a temporary sacrifice.
"what!!!"

Suddenly, Lin Shunhe violently flung his father's hand away, pointed at him, gritted his teeth, and trembled all over.

"From childhood to adulthood, I've never relied on you for anything! I tolerated your sacrifices before, but now you want to sacrifice my son too!! Fine!! From this day forward, my Lin Shunhe family of three has absolutely no connection with your Lin family!! Absolutely no relation!!!"

He mustered all his strength, roared, and turned to leave without looking at Lin Chaoyi, whose face was flushed red.

"You!!" Lin Chaoyi pointed at him, too angry to utter a complete sentence. "You unfilial son!! You, you unfilial son!!"

Bang.

The hall door was kicked open, and Lin Shunhe strode out, quickly disappearing around the corner of the courtyard.

Lin Chaoyi was left standing there, gritting his teeth. But he didn't dare call for help, because it was indeed his fault, and if it got out, it would have a bad impact on him and the entire Lin family.

"But what did I do wrong?! I did all this for the Lin family, for everyone!" Lin Chaoyi gritted his teeth and gasped for breath.

(End of this chapter)