Good Man Operation Guide

Ever since Li Lanlan understood the concept of earning money, she realized that every time she made money, her own father would deceive her and use it to do good deeds for others. Growing up, she had never received any money directly from her father.

In her hands, she tightly held a copper coin, and suddenly, she had a realization on how to deal with her father.

It was useless to stop him from doing good deeds. The only way to make an impact was to act vulnerable herself and tell him about the hardships she endured.

Li Lanlan used to think her father had a problem. She resented him for prioritizing others’ well-being over their own family’s, sacrificing himself to help others whenever he saw someone in need. Furthermore, Father Li always assumed that helping people was a good thing, and since it was a good deed, his family should also participate.

The reason why the relatives distanced themselves from him was because of this behavior.

Initially, he would persuade their relatives to join him in doing good deeds. If they refused, he would start borrowing money to fund his charitable acts.

Father Li never intended to not repay the borrowed money. If he had any faults, they weren’t particularly grave. In terms of character, he was genuinely kind-hearted.

Of course, he would repay the borrowed money. Father Li was very clear about that.

But where would he get the money to repay them? Every time they sold crops from their fields or he earned money from working for others, before he had a chance to repay the borrowed money, he would spend it on various people in need.

Even Li Lanlan’s maternal relatives cut off contact with her father. To prevent her father from bothering them, they even avoided interacting with Li Lanlan, their own granddaughter.

Li Lanlan didn’t blame her grandparents. She still remembered when she was young, her uncle would occasionally come to the village and give her some food, enough for one satisfying meal. Her uncle would always stand by and watch her finish eating before leaving with peace of mind.

She knew that her maternal relatives couldn’t bear to see their granddaughter suffer, but they were also worried that if they directly provided her with food, her father would give it away to others. That’s why they endured the trouble and specially prepared the food for her.

From the extensive arrangements made to provide her with food, one could discern what kind of impression Father Li had among their relatives.

And now, the man who used to only take from others and not give money to his own family, had given money to Li Lanlan.

Holding the money, she felt like crying and laughing at the same time.

Li Lanlan knew very well that her father gave her money not because she was his daughter, but because she was “pitiful.”

As long as someone was “pitiful,” he would give them money regardless of who they were.

However, perhaps after experiencing enough heartache, Li Lanlan’s heart didn’t fluctuate much after realizing that. She didn’t push the money back but instead accepted it, wiping her tears and saying, “Thank you, Father.”

The words ‘thank you’ were what her father loved to hear the most. Now, even when his own daughter said it, he immediately smiled and said, “Don’t mention it. From now on, if you have any problems, just come and find me.”

In the past, Li Lanlan would feel sorry for him. After a long day of work outside, he would come back exhausted like a dog, and she would silently finish all the chores. Father Li treated her much better than other fathers in the village treated their daughters. Naturally, she wanted to take good care of him.

But it was only after she got married that she realized her father didn’t want to be taken care of; he wanted to take care of others.

No matter how he developed such a problem, Li Lanlan, who had always been helpless against him, immediately had an idea in her heart.

She was his daughter, and if he lived a good life and they didn’t have any contact for the rest of their lives, it wouldn’t matter. But if Father Li didn’t have a good life and came seeking help, could she just watch him suffer?

At that time, she would probably feel both heartache and dilemma.

And now, she had found a way to deal with her father. This matter that had been weighing heavily on Li Lanlan’s heart, like a huge stone, should finally be resolved.

As they left the Li family’s house, Lin Shiheng spoke before Li Lanlan had a chance to ask, “You keep this money. Whether you save it or use it, I won’t interfere.”

Li Lanlan looked at him gratefully, “Husband, thank you.”

Lin Shiheng turned to the side and smiled as he held his wife’s hand, “We are husband and wife. There’s no need for thanks.”

The villagers didn’t speak with much formality, nor did they act like Lin Shiheng, who would openly express affection for his newlywed wife on the main road. Li Lanlan blushed and felt a rush of warmth in her heart.

“Oh my! Scholar Lin, what are you up to?”

Just as she felt embarrassed, a loud voice suddenly appeared, filled with a strong sense of curiosity. It startled Li Lanlan, causing her to tremble, and she instinctively tried to pull her hand back.

But Lin Shiheng didn’t let go. On the contrary, he slightly tightened his grip, and his expression remained calm and carefree. He raised his eyes to look at the village woman who was walking towards them and gave her a smile. He casually said, “I took Lan Lan back home.”

“Oh my, look at my memory! Today is the day for Lan Lan's first visit home. Lan Lan, you’re lucky. Scholar Lin knows how to dote on people!”

The village woman actually wanted to mention how Lin Shiheng openly held Li Lanlan’s hand and showed affection, but seeing Lin Shiheng’s nonchalant expression and that he hadn’t let go of Li Lanlan’s hand, she felt too embarrassed to point out that she was referring to something else. So, she followed along with Lin Shiheng’s words and continued speaking.

She was just passing by and casually said a few words before leaving with her farming tools. Only Li Lanlan, whose face had turned as red as a cooked shrimp, felt her heart pounding.

“Husband, please let go...”

“Why should I let go?”

The handsome scholar smiled lightly at her, his voice gentle, “We are husband and wife. It’s normal for us to be affectionate. There’s no need to be shy.”

Although Li Lanlan felt embarrassed hearing him say that, she obediently stopped trying to pull her hand back.

The two of them, one delicate and beautiful, the other handsome and refined, walked together, hand in hand, attracting the attention of many people along the way.

Li Lanlan felt shy, but Lin Shiheng had an expression of ‘this is normal.’ Holding his wife’s hand, he calmly greeted the villagers as they walked by.

“Good morning, Third Uncle.”

“Seventh Uncle, have you eaten?”

“Fifth Aunt! Me? I took Lan Lan to visit her maiden home. We’re heading back now.”

Even though Lin Shiheng, as a scholar, had lost some popularity due to the division of the Lin family and his father’s illness, he was still a scholar.

When a precious scholar greeted them so nicely, of course, they should respond politely.

The people in the village who were called out were somewhat flattered. They waited until the couple had left before walking towards the fields, discussing eagerly.

“Scholar Lin seemed different today.”

“Yes, isn’t he usually quiet? But today, he greeted me from afar and even smiled at me.”

“Could it be because he got married?"

“I noticed it too. I hadn’t noticed before, but this Li family’s girl is actually quite good-looking. They look quite compatible standing together.”

The men made a few comments, but the main topic of discussion was whether Lin Shiheng’s cheerful and spirited appearance was due to Li Lanlan.

The women, however, had a completely different focus.

“Did you see the way Scholar Lin looked at Li Lanlan? My husband has never looked at me like that. No wonder he’s a scholar, he really cares for her.”

“I can’t believe it. I used to think Scholar Lin wasn’t a good match, but it turns out he dotes on his wife. Seeing him like this, it seems like he doesn’t mind at all that Li Lanlan’s father has some issues.”

Indeed, in the eyes of the villagers, Father Li, who would let others eat even when he had nothing, was considered someone with mental problems.

Originally, when Lin Shiheng married Li Lanlan, many people speculated that there would likely be friction between the two. The Lin family needed help with their work, and Li Lanlan, as a newly wedded young woman, couldn’t handle so much work. On the other hand, the Li family had a father-in-law who couldn’t think clearly, and if he caused trouble, the Lin family would certainly have objections.

However, unexpectedly, these two got along quite well.

The women didn’t care much about Li Lanlan’s submissive appearance. Their focus was still on Lin Shiheng.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Scholar Lin. He seems to have changed a bit, looking like one of those officials from the county.”

“Have you ever seen those officials? I think Lin Shiheng hasn’t changed much. It’s just that he recently got married, so naturally his thoughts are on his wife. He seems easier to get along with compared to before.”

“That’s true. My husband went out to fetch firewood this morning and told me that he saw the two of them walking this way. Scholar Lin was carrying the basket, and when his wife wanted to carry it, he wouldn’t let her, saying he was afraid she would get tired. Before, we thought the Lin family had a heavy workload, but looking at the expression on the Li girl’s face, it doesn’t seem like she’s been through hardship.”

The woman who spoke these words couldn’t hide her regret and envy. Her own daughter was at a marriageable age and had set her sights on Lin Shiheng before. However, she was afraid of the complicated situation in the Lin family. She didn’t want her daughter to suffer and follow in the footsteps of Wang’s wife. So, she firmly refused. But now, seeing Li Lanlan living a good life, she couldn’t help feeling a sense of discomfort.

There was nothing she could do about it. Lin Shiheng had already married Li Lanlan, and regret was pointless. She could only sigh and exclaim, “I never expected that Scholar Lin, after becoming a husband, would actually be considerate. The Li girl is lucky.”

Not all the women in the village were the type to enjoy seeing others’ misfortunes. If something good happened, they would also feel happy, especially considering the difficult situation Li Lanlan had gone through with her father. Now that she had a good husband, they were relieved for her.

“That’s right. Look at all the households in our village. There aren’t many like Scholar Lin, who’s talented and caring toward his wife. If you ask me, Scholar Lin is an educated person. If he passes the imperial examination in the future, the Li family’s girl will be blessed.”

As people were chatting and laughing, Zhou Daya came out carrying a washbasin.

As soon as she approached, she heard a group of people admiring Li Lanlan, mixed with some comments about how considerate Scholar Lin was. Her steps immediately halted.

These women discussing marital matters were all married themselves. After all, unmarried girls were sensitive, and they would avoid listening from a distance. But Zhou Daya was different. She had been brooding over Li Lanlan marrying Lin Shiheng.

She was well aware that even if Li Lanlan didn’t marry Lin Shiheng, her mother wouldn’t agree to her marrying into that family. But she couldn’t accept it. If it were anyone else, she might have let it go, but Li Lanlan, from such a poor family with that kind of father— why should she get to?

Now, upon hearing the names of those two, Zhou Daya didn’t care about anything else and went over to ask, “What are you talking about? Is Li Lanlan having a miserable time after marrying into the Lin family?”

Her anticipation was evident on her face. The married women glanced at this young girl who openly displayed her thoughts, and those with sons of the same age shook their heads in their hearts.

No one wanted their son to marry a woman who still had feelings for someone else. Zhou Daya didn’t even try to hide her thoughts. Even if her family doted on her, it would probably be difficult to find a suitable in-law.

Seeing Zhou Daya’s incessant questioning, one woman revealed how considerate Lin Shiheng was towards Li Lanlan, how they held hands in public, and how loving they appeared.

Zhou Daya’s expression immediately changed from sunny to cloudy.

She was argumentative and quite vain. Some women in the group didn’t like her and took advantage of her dislike for such discussions, “I heard that Scholar Lin reads books at home every day. He might actually pass the imperial examination and return as a Jinshi. Then Li Lanlan would be the wife of a Jinshi, adorned in gold and silver. That will be the first of its kind in our village.”

(TNote: Jinshi=provincial scholar.)

Zhou Daya’s face darkened.

“I’m not so sure about that."

“You young girl, you don’t understand. Once a man has money, he wants his wife to dress up beautifully. Scholar Lin is obviously someone who dotes on his wife. Li Lanlan’s good days are still ahead.”

Zhou Daya was unhappy.

Zhou Daya was extremely unhappy.

Whenever she thought about Li Lanlan, who couldn’t compare to her in anything except appearance, wearing gold and silver and being cared for by Scholar Lin, a sense of irritability rose from within her.

If it weren’t for Li Lanlan, I would have definitely persuaded Mother to agree.

How could Li Lanlan have such a good life?

“Even if Scholar Lin becomes a Jinshi, he still has to strive for higher positions. Even if he has money, it won’t be enough to please Aunt Lin. How could he possibly buy jewelry for Li Lanlan?"

Zhou Daya firmly believed this and then, with a slightly smug expression, leaned to the side to reveal her ears adorned with silver earrings.

“Besides, men in the village don’t like buying jewelry. Many people don’t have silver earrings like mine.”

She had been flaunting the silver earrings that her family had bought for her for quite some time. Initially, some people would envy her, but over time, it became somewhat annoying.

Who didn’t know that it was the dowry her mother had brought into the Zhou family? Originally, it was a silver bracelet, but due to Zhou Daya’s bad temper, her mother melted it down and made earrings and a necklace to make her more respectable in the eyes of a good family.

She boasted about it every day, making these women, who didn’t have any jewelry to begin with, feel increasingly jealous and resentful.

“It’s getting late. I’ll go to the field first.”

“Me too, let’s go together.”

When Zhou Daya realized that everyone had left after she showed off her silver earrings, she became even more unhappy.

No woman in the village was as lucky as I am.

That Li Lanlan couldn't even compare to one of my fingers.

On the second day, Lin Shiheng went to the county.

During this period, he had copied quite a few books, but the money earned from copying books was still not enough. After leaving the bookstore, Lin Shiheng walked around the streets and then headed towards the county court.

The county court had to settle accounts every year, and those accounts had been piling up for a whole year. It required quite a few people to use the abacus and settle them, which was a laborious task.

Presumably, the bookkeepers in the county court didn’t mind spending some silver taels to hire people to settle the accounts.

Before taking the imperial examination, it was necessary to demonstrate some ability to earn money and appease family members.

By the time he returned, it was already dusk.

The scholar in white clothing had a smile on the corners of his lips as he held two wooden boxes used to hold jewelry in his slender hands.