Chapter 19

"Me! Grandpa, it’s me!"

The old man before him had cared for and protected him countless times in both of his lifetimes. The only difference was that in his previous life, the old man had already passed away when Lin Mu was in the fourth grade of elementary school.

A wave of sorrow welled up in his heart, and at this moment, Lin Mu had completely accepted his identity in this world.

The old man, agitated, grabbed Lin Mu’s arms for a moment, then came to his senses, took the fruit from Lin Mu’s hands, and placed it on the tricycle behind him. He then packed up the vegetable stall and called Lin Mu to go home.

"Did your mother send you money? Why are you so extravagant, buying so much fruit when you come back home..."

On the way, Lin Mu smiled and listened, occasionally talking about his school life.

Villagers greeted Lin Mu one by one. When they saw the clothes in his hands, they didn’t react much, but when they saw the three large bags of fruit and milk candies on the tricycle, their attitudes changed.

Those who were more distant praised Lin Mu, saying he knew how to care for his family.

Those who were closer directly criticized Lin Mu, telling him not to be so extravagant in the future.

Lin Mu either nodded in greeting or remained calm and polite. When he encountered children, he would give them a few strawberries and milk candies.

"Lin Ye, Lin Lin! Go back quickly and see, your brother is back, and he brought a lot of good things for you!"

By the river in the village, a pair of children looked at each other, then immediately picked up their bamboo fishing rods and ran excitedly toward home.

Not far away, a man about the same age as Lin Mu chuckled, threw the cigarette butt on the ground, patted a child’s head, and followed them at a steady pace.

...

"Brother! What good things did you bring?!"

Hearing this, Lin Mu was speechless, laughed, and scolded, then opened the bag and let his younger brother and sister grab and eat.

"Grandpa, these are the clothes I bought for you for winter, along with shoes, a hat, and gloves. Try them on and see if they fit. Lin Ye, Lin Lin, these are for you two, come and take them."

After handing the old man’s clothes to him, Lin Mu opened the large backpack and took out four sets of children’s clothes.

The old man had already calmed down from his excitement and, seeing Lin Mu bring back so many things, felt worried rather than happy.

"Lin Mu, what’s going on? You weren’t the type to spend money recklessly before. Your parents work hard for their money, so why...?"

Lin Mu smiled and listened to the old man finish, then explained, "No, Grandpa, I’ve been writing some novels recently and have been getting royalties. I didn’t use my parents’ money. You can wear these clothes with peace of mind. I still have money, don’t worry!"

"Royalties?" the old man asked curiously, and Lin Ye and Lin Lin, who were eating, stopped and looked at Lin Mu.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Mu opened his computer bag and took out a few copies of the "City Education News," pointing to "Our Journey, the Stars and the Sea."

"It’s this. I’ve published a few articles in the newspaper, and the newspaper office gives me royalties. Don’t worry, if the family needs anything else, just tell me, and I’ll bring it next time."

The old man couldn’t read, but when he took the newspaper, he suddenly became happy, not knowing what to say, just smiling and patting Lin Mu’s arm.

Lin Ye and Lin Lin, seeing the content, opened their mouths wide in surprise, "Brother, did you write this?"

After some explanation, Lin Mu realized that "The Stars and the Sea" had been used by his younger brother’s teacher as a historical reading material, which explained the rapid rise in his reputation.

For these simple-minded elementary school students, admiring and envying someone was both extremely difficult and extremely simple.

As the family was chatting, the front door suddenly opened, and a hateful voice rang out.

"Hehe, is Lin Mu back? I heard he brought things?"

The young man from the river, without any hesitation, brought a child straight into the main room.

"Strawberries? Cherries? And milk candies? Good stuff! Hehe, Changshan, go ahead and eat."

The young man called to the child, but seeing him still hesitant, he angrily scolded and grabbed a handful of strawberries, shoving them into the child’s hands.

Changshan, the child, then happily started eating.

At this moment, Lin Ye and Lin Lin were already a bit scared and instinctively moved behind the old man.

"Lin Mu! You can’t forget your own brother when you buy things! We’re all from the same grandfather, and you still have to call me Second Brother. Changshan likes strawberries, so he can take them!"

Without waiting for Lin Mu’s response, the young man reached out to grab the bag of strawberries.

The old man was so angry that his hands trembled, and he pointed at him, scolding, "Lin Changyong, these are things Lin Mu earned money to buy. If you’re capable, go out and work to earn your own money. Don’t always bully your own family! You..."

Lin Changyong, his hand blocked, sneered, "Grandpa! You’ve always favored the younger uncle’s family! Changshan is also your grandson. What’s the big deal about eating a few strawberries from his uncle’s family? Isn’t that right, Lin Mu?"

Saying this, he reached out again to grab the strawberries.

However...

A leg shadow kicked out, hitting him in the abdomen. The kick was so heavy that it sent him stumbling back several steps before he fell to the ground.

Changshan, who was eating strawberries, was already scared stiff.

Lin Ye and Lin Lin, though excited, were also afraid, grabbing the old man’s sleeve and tugging at it.

The old man’s mouth opened wide, looking at the sudden change, "Lin Mu, you..."

Lin Mu patted Changshan’s head and said coldly, "The child understands, but the adult doesn’t. Don’t you understand the principle that things belong to their owners?"

Lin Changyong, the pain slightly subsiding, looked at Lin Mu in disbelief, "Lin Mu! You dared to kick me?!"

In his memory, this academically excellent but weak-willed boy had never dared to hit him before. He had bullied his family before, and Lin Mu had never made a sound. He never expected him to suddenly become so bold today!

This made him extremely angry. He got up from the ground, raised his hand, and slapped Lin Mu’s face.

Lin Mu ducked, and with a knee strike, knocked Lin Changyong to the ground.

With his left hand, he grabbed the other’s collar, and with his right hand, he slapped him repeatedly.

"Didn’t you understand the principle that things belong to their owners? Huh?!"

Lin Mu’s strength was not light. After a few slaps, Lin Changyong’s face was already swollen and tears were streaming down.

"Lin Mu! Stop! Stop!" The old man, feeling relieved but also worried about his own grandson, called out.

Lin Mu then stopped, pushed the other to the ground like a pile of mud.

The person who was beaten was named Lin Changyong, the second son of Lin Mu’s uncle, who lived next to Lin Mu’s family.

He beat him because every member of Lin Mu’s family hated the uncle’s family!

PS: Thank you, Mr. Wu Yu, for the 100 RMB tip. There are so many strong people in the urban category, it’s really hard to make a splash on the new book chart. I miss the old days of the fantasy chart, where I could easily dominate all 50 spots...