Chapter 26: A Sense of Relief! Becoming the Child of Another Family!

Lin Fen sighed, not forgetting to remind Qin Lin, "Remember to let me go when you open the restaurant. I’ll help you greet the guests."

Qin Lin replied immediately, "Mom, how could I let you greet guests?"

Lin Fen hummed with a hint of dissatisfaction, "My health may be poor, but it’s my son’s opening day—I’m happy to do it."

"Mom, I’ll wash the dishes later!" Qin Lin smiled at her words; having a mother was truly a blessing.

After the meal, Qin Lin cleared the table and began washing the dishes in the kitchen.

Watching her busy son, Lin Fen sighed again. Her son had been sensible since he was a child, making him far less worrisome than his peers. It was only their own incompetence as parents that had held him back.

Once the dishes were washed and the kitchen was tidied, Qin Lin remembered the creditors and reminded her, "Mom, I invited Uncle Ergern and the others over. They should be here soon."

Lin Fen froze. Just as she was about to ask what he meant, the doorbell rang. She hurried to open it, her face clouding with distress when she saw who it was. "Ergern, you’re here?"

The man was one of their creditors; the family owed him 30,000 yuan. She dreaded seeing these people, as the family truly had no money to pay them back.

"Sister-in-law Lin Fen," Qin Ergern greeted her and asked, "Is Lin back?"

"Xiao Lin, your Uncle Ergern is here," Lin Fen said, forcing herself to invite him in despite the bitterness in her heart.

The man had lent them money when her husband was ill. Although they hadn't been able to save him, she refused to hide from their debts; one had to have a conscience.

No sooner had she welcomed Qin Ergern inside than she heard another voice in surprise: "Ergern, you’re here too?"

Qin Ergern greeted the newcomer with a smile, "Dalin, you’re here as well? Is your snack shop open yet?"

"Still under renovation," Qin Dalin replied with a smile.

As they spoke, more people arrived.

"Ergern, Dalin, you guys are here too."

"You guys made it as well."

Lin Fen sighed silently. These were all the people who had lent them money. Her son had actually invited them all.

While one naturally fears creditors, a debt is a debt. If they come knocking, one must greet them with a warm face. She forced a smile, ushered them all inside, and poured water for them.

The small living room was packed. Wangcai, their dog, was startled by the crowd and scrambled into the kitchen to find Qin Lin.

Qin Lin emerged and immediately greeted them, "Uncle Ergern, Uncle Dalin..."

He felt a deep sense of gratitude toward these creditors. After all, when his father was diagnosed with cancer, they knew that if the father passed, the mother and son might never be able to pay them back. Yet, they had lent the money anyway—a profound gesture of kindness.

More importantly, in the year since he had graduated, none of them had ever pressed for repayment, knowing how difficult things were for the widow and her son.

At times, he envied his father; not everyone could earn such genuine devotion.

Perhaps that kind of bond from the older generation was something the new generation lacked. Modern youth, crushed by life's pressures and superficial values, simply didn't have the energy to cultivate such relationships.

Seeing Qin Lin, Qin Ergern praised him sincerely, "Xiao Lin has really made something of himself. He’s more capable than any of the other youngsters from the village."

Qin Dalin nodded in agreement, "Xiao Lin has been sensible since he was a child, and his grades were always good. If my own good-for-nothing brat were even half as sensible, I’d be at ease."

The others echoed this sentiment. Qin Lin was the only child in the village to have been admitted to a key university. The others were all too fond of play, and it was just bad luck that Qin Lin had faced such family tragedies.

Lin Fen felt happy hearing her son praised, but she sighed afterward, thinking about how her family had dragged him down.

After a few more compliments, Qin Ergern took out an IOU and handed it to Lin Fen, "Sister-in-law, look, this is my IOU."

Qin Dalin followed suit, "And this is mine."

The others placed their IOUs on the table as well. Since Qin Lin had said he would pay them back, they had naturally brought the documents. A debt is cleared once paid, and according to tradition, IOUs must be destroyed in person.

Fearing his mother might worry, Qin Lin quickly said, "Mom, I asked Uncle Ergern and the others to come. I’ve earned some money and can pay them back."

Knowing that creditors arriving usually caused anxiety, he sat down next to his mother, held her hand to reassure her, and then picked up the IOUs with a calm, open manner. "Uncle Ergern, Uncle Dalin, you all have your phones, right? I’ll transfer the money to you via bank transfer."

Lin Fen was stunned, looking at her son in disbelief.

In those few moments, Qin Ergern and the others had already taken out their phones.

"Xiao Lin, we do."

"Who doesn't have a phone these days?"

"That's right, but are you really paying it all back at once?"

Qin Lin didn't hesitate. He cross-referenced the IOUs and transferred the funds one by one. In an instant, over 300,000 yuan left his account, and his balance was once again critically low.

However, with the debts cleared, he felt a massive sense of relief. He would find time in the coming days to invite them all for a meal, and as for the kindness they had shown, he would repay that over time.

When Qin Ergern and the others received the notifications, smiles spread across their faces. Though they hadn't expected to be paid back so soon, receiving the full amount at once was a great joy. Everyone had their own struggles, and this extra money would make life much easier.

As they looked at Lin Fen, there was a hint of envy in their eyes. Despite the series of tragedies in her family, she had a wonderful son—something truly enviable. Qin Lin was impressive; without any help from his parents, he had managed to pay back hundreds of thousands in debt so quickly. What parent wouldn't hope for such a capable son?

Lin Fen clearly felt their gazes, and her heart was a mix of complicated emotions.

Qin Ergern and the others didn't stay long. After showering more praise on Qin Lin, they bid their farewells.

Qin Lin walked them downstairs. He opened the bucket covered with a cloth on his tricycle and gifted a wild fish to each of them—a small token of his appreciation.

"Xiao Lin, these are wild fish?" Qin Ergern and the others were clearly surprised.

"A small gesture. These wild fish are rich in nutrients. Take them back and enjoy them with a drink, uncles."

"Xiao Lin, why are you being so polite?"

...

They were clearly delighted; such large wild fish were rare and hard to come by.

After seeing them off, Qin Lin picked up the IOUs again. His mother’s signature was on them, and he remembered being there when they were signed. Holding them now, he felt a surge of emotion.

In front of his father’s portrait, he burned all the IOUs to ash. These debts had once been a mountain pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe. Thanks to the game in his mind, he had finally escaped the quagmire of his past struggles.

Lin Fen, however, was anxious. She immediately asked, "Xiao Lin, tell me the truth—where did you get so much money? You didn't do anything illegal, did you?"

This was her greatest fear; she didn't care if her son was rich, as long as he stayed on the right path.

Qin Lin had anticipated her worry and had a ready excuse. "Mom, how could I do anything illegal? Actually, I caught a rare wild ornamental fish and sold it for over 600,000 yuan. I used that money to invest in wholesale—you know those watermelons I brought back? That was part of it. I made another profit, and after investing in the villa, I used the rest to pay off the debts."

The story had its holes—he had mixed up the timeline of the fish and the wholesale business.

"What kind of fish is worth that much money?" Lin Fen couldn't believe it.

Qin Lin explained, "It was a wild albino Yellow Tiger. I don't know what’s so special about it either, but rich people love them and paid a lot for it." He even showed her the tax records for the sale on his phone.

Lin Fen had no choice but to believe him, her face full of wonder. "There are fish that expensive? This must be your father watching over us, helping you catch it."

A long-lost smile appeared on Lin Fen's face, and she seemed to lighten up considerably. Seeing the change in her, Qin Lin couldn't help but smile too.

"Xiao Lin, then the villa you’re working on isn't just a 30,000 or 40,000-yuan farmhouse?" Lin Fen realized, asking with concern.

"No, the villa is quite large," Qin Lin nodded.

Lin Fen grew urgent. "Then you must go and explain this to Moqing! When she came to see me earlier, since you hadn't told her about the farmhouse, I assumed it was a small project and told her to be patient with you. Moqing is such a good girl; you need to give her something to look forward to, or someone else might snatch her up. I only recognize her as my daughter-in-law."

"Uh!" Qin Lin was stunned. He hadn't told her because he wanted to surprise Zhao Moqing with a sea of bougainvillea once it was finished.