Good Man Operation Guide

Wearing a slightly worn blue robe, Lin Shiheng walked in with a smile on his face, clearly in a good mood. When he saw Father Li, he even clasped his hands and politely greeted him, “I heard that Father-in-law has come, so I came to see. Have you had a meal, Father-in-law?”

Father Li, already embarrassed because of asking for a loan, saw the flicker of doubt in his son-in-law’s eyes and weakly replied, “I’ve had a meal.”

Li Lanlan didn’t want to expose her vulnerable side in front of her husband. She shook her handkerchief, pressed it against her eye corner, and tried to pretend that nothing was wrong.

Unexpectedly, Lin Shiheng immediately noticed her and quickly approached her with a concerned expression, “Wife, why are you crying again? Didn’t I tell you? The lack of money in the family is only temporary. I will definitely earn money and come back in the future. Please stop crying. Father-in-law is still here.”

Li Lanlan was taken aback. Didn't Husband bring back money?

In the next moment, she turned the corner.

With a change of heart, she raised her head, and tears fell down her face.

This time, she didn’t need garlic at all because the grievances in her heart had turned into genuine tears.

In a pitiful tone, she said, “It’s just that seeing Father, I couldn’t hold back for a moment.”

The back-and-forth between the two of them left Father Li somewhat bewildered.

He said blankly, “You don’t have money? But Lan Lan is wearing this hairpin...”

“Oh...”

The scholar in the blue robe shook his head helplessly, “It’s all because of my status as a provincial scholar. Lan Lan, after all, is the wife of a Juren. If she still doesn’t have any jewelry like before, people in the county will ridicule us. So, I had to grit my teeth and buy a golden hairpin to maintain appearances. In reality, we are already out of money."

Li Lanlan played along and made sobbing sounds. She lowered her head to wipe away her tears and said, “Some people did come to give gifts before, but we didn’t even know them. And since you weren’t at home, there was no way to handle it. We had to return the gifts. Now, we don’t even have money for a banquet.”

Father Li didn’t understand all of that. Seeing his daughter and son-in-law in such a pitiful state, he quickly said, “Forget it then. We can still manage to get by. How about I bring some grains tomorrow?”

“No need.”

Lin Shiheng looked mournful and said, “Thank you for your kind offer, Father-in-law. When we’re short of money, we need to earn it ourselves. There’s no reason to seek assistance from others. It’s not like we’ve lost our limbs or can’t even afford a meal. What kind of face would we have to ask for help?”

Father Li was taken aback, and his face turned red.

Isn’t that exactly what I'm doing?

Lin Shiheng’s words sounded like he was scolding him, but he hadn’t overheard the conversation between Father Li and Li Lanlan earlier, it probably wasn't intentional.

Father Li comforted himself in his heart, but still felt uneasy all over. Keeping in mind Widow Zhang’s request, he reluctantly stayed and, blushing, he mumbled, “Shiheng, there’s one more thing I'd like to ask of you. Um, Lan Lan’s younger brother is very bright. Can you teach him to read? I hope he can also achieve some academic success in the future.”

The scholar in the blue robe readily agreed.

“No problem! Lan Lan’s younger brother is like my own brother. We’re all family, so there’s no need to be polite.”

Father Li hadn’t even had a chance to be happy when he heard Lin Shiheng ask with a puzzled tone, “However, I remember that Lan Lan is the only child...”

He became embarrassed again. At his age, it was difficult to say anything about marrying again and having a stepson, “You went to take the exam, so you don’t know. I remarried, and this child was brought by my new wife.”

Fortunately, after Lin Shiheng heard that, he didn’t show any surprise. Instead, he calmly nodded and said, “Then congratulations, Father-in-law. I’m just curious, which family is he from?”

“The Zhang family in Hedong Village. The child’s name is Zhou Yuan. He hasn’t had a chance to change his surname yet, but I’ll take him to change it to Li in a while...”

Before Father Li could finish speaking, he noticed that his respectful son-in-law’s face changed from the moment he entered the room and looked at him.

“Zhou Yuan? But on the day I married Lan Lan... Is he the child who came to your house?”

As he mentioned it, Father Li also recalled the scene from that day and nodded, saying, “Yes, it’s that child. He’s very filial. On that day, his grandmother fell ill, and he quickly came to find me.”

Seeing his expression, Lin Shiheng seemed quite satisfied with the child.

However, Lin Shiheng tore off his gentle smile and coldly said, “If it’s Zhou Yuan, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Seeing Father Li’s confused look, he sneered, “On the day Lan Lan got married, her father was supposed to carry her to the village entrance. But that child didn’t care about that and insisted on pulling you away. It shows his poor character. Father-in-law, please find someone else.

Father Li also remembered the situation from that day and stammered, “At that time... wasn’t the situation urgent?”

“On that day, there were other kind-hearted people who offered to take Zhou Yuan and his grandmother to the clinic together, but he insisted that you go. He completely disregarded the fact that it was the day of Lan Lan’s wedding. His actions not only made Lan Lan a laughingstock, but also made others think that you’re a heartless person who doesn’t care about his own daughter. Father-in-law has done a lot for them, but he treated you and Lan Lan like that, such an ungrateful and unjust behavior. There’s nothing more to say.”

Father Li was truly at a loss.

He had always wanted to do good deeds and never thought about that aspect. With Lin Shiheng’s cold and righteous words, he suddenly realized that the child seemed to lack respect for him.

He was extremely confused, not knowing how he could make a mistake even when trying to do something good.

However, this was the first time that Lin Shiheng didn’t show him a good face. He turned around and left without a word, coldly instructing Li Lanlan, “Send your father off.”

Although she knew her husband was acting, Li Lanlan panicked for a moment when she saw his cold expression. Ignoring Father Li as he chased after Lin Shiheng and tried to hold his hand, she anxiously said, “Husband!”

The scholar in the blue robe immediately shook off her hand, his face filled with displeasure.

His lips slightly moved, and he whispered, “Be good and go back.”

Li Lanlan instantly regained her composure and slowly let go of his hand.

Then she turned her head and burst into tears in front of Father Li.

“Father, why did you say that to Husband? I didn’t refuse when you wanted to marry Stepmother. Even when the younger brother came and ruined my wedding, I didn’t make a fuss. And now, my husband despises me. Are you satisfied?!"

Father Li couldn’t believe he had caused such a big disaster and didn’t dare to stay any longer. He quickly got up and said, “You, you talk to your husband. I won’t mention having him teach Zhou Yuan anymore... I won’t mention it...”

Li Lanlan covered her eyes with a handkerchief and recalled how Zhou Daya cried, “Wuwu, sniffle...”

“Lan Lan, Father didn’t bring much money when I came out today. You take this money and talk to your husband properly. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, come find me.”

“Sniffle, wuwuwu, sniffle, sniffle..."

Father Li didn’t know what else to say. He left the money on the table and quickly ran off. He felt guilty and uneasy, realizing that his visit had not only caused trouble for his daughter and son-in-law but also strained their relationship. He walked back home with a sense of remorse, vowing in his heart never to mention the stepson to his son-in-law again.

After seeing him leave, Li Lanlan put away the handkerchief and wiped away her tears. She kept the money her father gave her, not intending to use it. If her father truly struggled in the future, she wouldn’t just stand by, but she could only provide basic necessities. She would never give more than that.

Next door, the second daughter-in-law was watching with envy as the people from the village specially came to give gifts and share the joy with the third daughter-in-law. The eldest daughter-in-law approached with a joyful expression.

“Younger Sister-in-law, guess what I just saw!"

During this period, the eldest and second daughters-in-law had been having marital issues, so the second daughter-in-law rarely saw her happy like this. She became interested and asked, “What did you see?"

“I saw Third Brother come out of the house looking angry just now. Third Sister-in-law chased after him and tried to hold his hand, but he pushed her away. From the looks of it, it seems like they had an argument."

The eldest daughter-in-law was delighted. She didn’t have the courage to cause trouble, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t jealous of Li Lanlan.

Especially during this period, she and Lin Da kept arguing and blaming each other, while Li Lanlan remained calm and even got a golden hairpin.

Now that she saw Li Lanlan’s misfortune, she was even happier than during Chinese New Year.

The second daughter-in-law didn’t believe her.

Everything else was fine, but whenever the topic turned to the third sister-in-law, the eldest sister-in-law’s words were always inaccurate.

“Third brother and the third sister-in-law have such a good relationship. How could they argue? You must have seen it wrong.”

“How could I have seen it wrong!”

This time, the eldest daughter-in-law was truly confident, “I saw it with my own eyes, there’s absolutely no mistake!!”

“Maybe, just maybe, Third Brother passed the imperial examination and his status has risen, so he looks down on Third Sister-in-law now.”

Li Lanlan, who had always had an easy time, could be despised by her husband just like her.

Oh my, the mere thought of it made her burst out laughing.

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Li Lanlan walk out of the house, went to the kitchen, and took a plate of food. It seemed she was going to bring it inside.

The eldest daughter-in-law suddenly felt alert, “Look!! Her eyes are red! She must have cried because of Third Brother!”

The second daughter-in-law lacked enthusiasm.

She always felt that every time Eldest Sister-in-law asserted something about Third Sister-in-law, the result would be the opposite.

In any case, she had never been right.

Just as she was thinking about it, Lin Shiheng also walked out of the house and went straight towards the youngest daughter-in-law. He had a smile on his face and said something to Li Lanlan. Li Lanlan blushed, held the chopsticks, picked up a piece of food, and handed it to her husband’s open mouth.

Lin Shiheng finished eating and also took the chopsticks. He picked up a piece of food, smiled, and fed it to her.

Both of them were eating the same dish, they exchanged a glance, and their eyes were filled with smiles.

Truly displaying a perfect demonstration of love.

If someone pointed at them and said they had just finished arguing a few minutes ago, even a 3-year-old wouldn’t believe it.

The eldest daughter-in-law couldn’t believe her eyes, she even rubbed her eyes and looked again.

However many times she rubbed her eyes, the young couple was still sweet and affectionate, showing no signs of any dispute.

“I really saw them arguing. Li Lanlan pulled Third Brother, and Third Brother shook off her hand. Second Sister-in-law, believe me, I really saw it!!"

The second daughter-in-law had an expression that said ‘as expected.’

She took a quick glance at the eldest sister-in-law, who was seeking affirmation with a face full of disbelief, but didn’t say a word and went inside the house. Could it be that the happiness and harmony of the third brother and sister-in-law were driving her crazy because of her own unfortunate family situation? She should keep her distance, just in case.

The eldest daughter-in-law looked at the second sister-in-law who had entered the house, then looked at the affectionate third couple, and her face was filled with despair.

They had just finished arguing, so it was impossible to reconcile so quickly

So, the third brother and sister-in-law didn’t argue?

But I really saw it!!!

Really ah!!!