Chapter 20: Hurry Up and Spend the Money

She wasn’t foolish enough to pay over a hundred just to make Liu Yongming and Lin Qin divorce.

Seeing this, Liu Yongming finally softened his tone. “Be good! As soon as I successfully get the divorce, I’ll get the marriage certificate with you. You are the wife destined for me, Liu Yongming. I will take back every bit of the humiliation Lin Qin has brought me.”

“Fang Ying,” coaxed so gently, obediently contacted the so-called relative. By just after two in the afternoon, Liu Yongming had gathered five hundred yuan.

When he arrived at the hospital with the money, his face cold, he found Lin Qingxiang and Lin Shaojun in the ward.

Their gazes toward him were hostile.

Liu Yongming had wanted to curse Lin Qin a few times but seeing this, he swallowed the harsh words and said irritably, “I have the money. Let’s go get the divorce done now!”

“What’s the rush?” Lin Qin sneered, producing a divorce agreement. “Sign this now, so you won’t try to argue with me later!”

“A divorce agreement?” Liu Yongming’s face darkened halfway. He had planned to give Lin Qin the money first to get the divorce done, then later have Ma Cuihua and the others stir trouble in Lin Village to take the money back. Unexpectedly, Lin Qin was prepared—how could she have known about a divorce agreement? Who taught her?

He looked around. Lin Yi and Lin Ying were impossible. Lin Qingxiang and Lin Shaojun looked too naive and ignorant to be involved.

Seeing he did not move, Lin Qin leisurely asked, “What, don’t dare now?”

Liu Yongming snapped back to reality and glared at everyone present, sneering, “Fine! You really came prepared! I’ll sign it!”

Lin Qin squinted as she watched him angrily sign his name and immediately smiled, “Don’t forget to publish it in the newspaper and sever ties with Yaya! Shaojun, please accompany me—I’m going to get this divorce.”

Their local newspaper was near the city hospital. On the way to the civil affairs bureau, they could register with the newspaper first, then head to the bureau—it was perfectly doable.

With Lin Shaojun there, Lin Qin wasn’t afraid Liu Yongming would act rashly against her.

Lin Qingxiang nudged Lin Shaojun. “Protect your sister, Aqin. If anyone dares to lay a hand on her, beat them to a pulp.”

“Dad, I got it!” Lin Shaojun cracked his knuckles, neck creaking ominously.

He looked tough to mess with.

Liu Yongming had studied all his life, but like a weakling, he dared only to bully Lin Qin. Facing someone like Lin Shaojun, he wouldn’t dare make a sound.

The three of them left together to take care of the matter.

---

Lin Yi and the others waited in the ward for news.

Perhaps because of his youngest daughter’s impending divorce, Lin Yi’s mood was low.

Lin Qingxiang naturally tried to comfort him. “Liu Yongming clearly doesn’t want to be with Lin Qin anymore. The divorce is better for her too! Otherwise, who knows when the Liu family would wear her down completely. Then you’d have nowhere to cry.”

Lin Yi sighed, “I understand all that, but how is a woman alone with a child supposed to get by? Even though the village knows she’s wronged, once divorced, people will point fingers. The whole village will gossip. How can she live like that?”

“Why worry so much? Right now, we have to find a way for the child to survive! Even Aying said Liu Yongming tried to strangle Aqin twice. Do you really trust them to send the two of them back to the Liu family?”

Lin Yi was silenced.

Before nightfall, Lin Qin and Lin Shaojun returned.

Seeing Lin Qin’s red-rimmed eyes, everyone was worried.

“What happened? That bastard bullied you again? Damn brat! How many times have I told you to protect Aqin properly? What were you doing?” Lin Qingxiang angrily kicked Lin Shaojun.

Lin Qin quickly stopped him. “Uncle, it’s not Shaojun’s fault. I’m happy. From now on, Yaya and I have nothing to do with the Liu family. Liu Yongming can’t control me anymore! *Sob*…”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Since they had the five hundred yuan and Lin Qingxiang was present, Lin Qin immediately repaid the medical expenses he had fronted.

The next day, the doctor came to check on Lin Yi and said he could be discharged.

Lin Qin and her sister quickly arranged the discharge.

Outside the hospital, they hired a tricycle to take Lin Yi home.

On the way, Lin Ying lowered her voice. “You took five hundred from the Liu family. Your mother-in-law surely won’t let it go easily. Even with the divorce agreement, if she comes to cause trouble, this won’t stay quiet.

“I’m not afraid of much, but I worry about thieves sneaking into our home. Dad can’t do anything then. What will you do?”

Such a situation was indeed possible and a big headache. Lin Qin thought for a moment and told the driver to take a detour toward the department store.

She recalled that in the previous life, the Friendship Square outside the department store had already been built by now. It was the busiest commercial street downtown, but since the wave of layoffs hadn’t come yet, there weren’t many shop owners; it looked quiet and deserted.

---

At the most prominent corner of the street was a shop with many “Prime Shop for Sale” signs outside. Two men sat outside chatting and eating sunflower seeds.

Lin Qin jumped off the tricycle and ran over. “Excuse me, are you the ones responsible for selling these shops?”

The two glanced at her with indifferent expressions. “Yeah, what do you want?”

“How much does a shop cost?” Lin Qin dared to ask boldly.

The two looked as if they had seen a ghost, then finally looked her in the eye. “Prices vary a lot depending on location and size. On this street, the smallest shop costs over a thousand. The ones inside are cheaper. The smallest one near the residential building inside, about twenty square meters, goes for just over five hundred.”

Lin Qin’s eyes lit up instantly. “May I take a look?”

“You really want to buy?” The salesman, suddenly excited, completely changed his attitude and began packing up to take her there.

Lin Qin quickly explained to Lin Ying and Lin Yi, borrowed some money from Lin Ying, gathered five hundred fifty yuan, and hurried after the salesman.

Lin Ying sat on the tricycle, worried. “Dad, do you think our little sister might be tricked? That’s over five hundred yuan!”

Lin Yi sighed and shook his head helplessly. “Let her be.”

The tricycle driver said, “Can we go now? I’ve got to earn a living!”

“Go, go! Let’s go now! Thanks, driver!” Lin Ying kept apologizing.

The tricycle disappeared into the distance.

Lin Qin followed the salesman to the last street of Friendship Square. Right next door was a residential building housing workers’ families with decent living conditions.

She had been here in her previous life. When Friendship Square became lively later, a back gate would open here for residents to enter and exit, and many would set up stalls selling vegetables under the wall.

Now, the wall was intact, and the street was so quiet not even a shadow stirred.

The salesman enthusiastically opened the corner shop. “Here it is. Don’t be fooled by its small size. The location is very good, right on the corner. People see this shop first thing. It’s cheap now because the area hasn’t become busy yet, but once Friendship Square develops, the price will definitely go up!”