Chapter 24: The Grand Soul-Summoning Ritual

"Are you sure?" Lin Shaowen asked, sounding uncertain.

"We're sure! You said it," Jia Dongxu shouted, winking at Yi Zhonghai and the others as he spoke.

"That's right, we all heard it!"

Encouraged by Yi Zhonghai, many people in the crowd joined in, eager to see the drama unfold.

"Fine," Lin Shaowen conceded. "But I can't just take the loss for nothing. I have a condition..."

"Name it," Jia Dongxu said hurriedly.

"Have your mother perform a 'soul-summoning' ritual at the First Uncle's doorstep every evening for a week, and I'll handle this matter for you. Deal?" Lin Shaowen said with a smirk.

"Lin Shaowen, why do you keep picking on me?" Yi Zhonghai shouted in anger. He felt genuinely aggrieved. Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui were both involved, yet Lin Shaowen seemed fixated only on him.

"You have a point," Lin Shaowen said, tilting his head. "How about this: let your mother decide for herself, and she can pick one of the three 'uncles' each night?"

Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui's faces turned dark. One considered himself to have the potential of a high-ranking official, while the other prided himself on being an intellectual. Being blocked at their own front doors by someone shouting for souls? What kind of madness was that?

"I agree!" Madame Jia yelled.

"Whoever goes back on their word, may their whole family tree be wiped out," Lin Shaowen said with a straight face.

"Ha!" Qin Huairu finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, earning a fierce glare from Madame Jia and Jia Dongxu. But since she was no longer a daughter-in-law of the Jia family, she rolled her eyes at them, nearly provoking them into a physical confrontation.

"Hey, Madame Jia, say it after me... whoever goes back on their word, may their whole family tree be wiped out," Lin Shaowen prompted.

"Whoever goes back on their word, may their whole family tree be wiped out," Madame Jia repeated, enunciating every word. If she didn't need Lin Shaowen's help, she would have rammed her head into him right then and there. This little bastard was absolutely infuriating.

"Alright, I'll take care of Qin Huairu's job, but I can't be responsible for her housing, can I?" Lin Shaowen clicked his tongue. "Qin Huairu was a daughter-in-law in your family for several years, shouldn't you at least cough up some money for her to rent a place?"

"This..." Jia Dongxu hesitated, then stingily pulled out five yuan.

"Five yuan? You think that's enough to rent a place?" Lin Shaowen asked, surprised.

"Dongxu, give her fifty. You can't rent anything in the capital for five yuan," Yi Zhonghai said, offering a rare moment of fairness.

Jia Dongxu glanced at Qin Huairu, gritted his teeth, and pulled out five ten-yuan notes, handing them to her.

"We're square now. I never want to see you again," Qin Huairu said. As she took the money, she immediately burst into tears. Her mother, Li Hong, pulled her into her arms, and they both cried together.

"Qin Huairu, I have another idea for you. Want to hear it?" Lin Shaowen asked with a smile. The crowd, which had been preparing to disperse, stopped in their tracks. Listening to Lin Shaowen was more entertaining than a crosstalk performance.

"You... go ahead," Qin Huairu said, blushing.

"Finding a place isn't easy. You could temporarily rent Yushui's room. She only comes back on weekends anyway; you can just pay her rent."

As soon as Lin Shaowen finished speaking, Shazhu jumped out and shouted, "Right, right! Sister Qin, move into Yushui's room first. I have the key..."

"That doesn't seem right," Qin Huairu hesitated. She knew Shazhu had feelings for her; she had known that since she first married into the courtyard. But she felt nothing for Shazhu. She didn't like men who were so boorish and loud, and in fact, she found him somewhat repulsive.

"Don't worry, Shazhu is all talk and no guts," Lin Shaowen said, then quickly slipped away.

"Hahaha!" The crowd erupted in laughter.

Shazhu, his face bright red, roared, "Lin Shaowen, you little brat, don't run! I'm going to kill you!" He shoved the key to Yushui's room into Qin Huairu's hand and chased after Lin Shaowen.

Jia Dongxu watched Shazhu's retreating back with a sinister gaze. Even though he had divorced Qin Huairu, he felt extremely uncomfortable. He might act like he was close to Shazhu, but he looked down on him. Even if he were to toss aside a "worn-out shoe," it shouldn't go to someone like Shazhu. If it had to go to anyone, it should go to Lin Shaowen, so he could drink his leftover foot-wash.

It was already quite late. Six people had come from the Qin village: Qin Huairu’s two brothers, their wives, and her parents. It was too late for them to head back, so they had to find a place to stay.

Lin Shaowen was sitting in the courtyard, threading pieces of beef onto bamboo skewers. Not far away sat a simple grill and some charcoal. While he wasn't much of a cook, he was quite good at barbecuing, and he had recently "fished" up plenty of spices, vegetables, and fruit. He had planned to have a barbecue tonight—a barbecue for one.

"Little Lin..."

A soft call made Lin Shaowen look over. Qin Huairu was standing at the entrance of the courtyard with her group of relatives.

"Yo, Sister Qin, what's up?" Lin Shaowen asked with a grin.

"Little Lin, it's too late tonight. Could you let my parents and brothers stay at your place for the night? Don't worry, they won't make a mess, and... they can just sleep on the floor," Qin Huairu said, her tone humble. Qin Shan and the others didn't dare to speak up; after all, he was a college graduate, and his salary alone was enough to intimidate them.

"Hmm." Lin Shaowen tilted his head, deep in thought. Qin Huairu and the others grew nervous. She would have liked to put her parents in a guesthouse, but she didn't have the required introduction letters.

"Fine," Lin Shaowen nodded.

"Thank you, Little Lin!" Qin Huairu beamed. If her parents weren't right there, she might have even kissed him.

"Have you eaten?" Lin Shaowen asked.

"Not... not yet," Qin Huairu said, feeling embarrassed. She had seen the large basin of meat in front of Lin Shaowen, along with fruits on the table she had never seen before.

"Why don't you... join me?" Lin Shaowen invited. Qin Huairu glanced at her two brothers, who were practically drooling, and blushed as she accepted.

They were, after all, country folk. Qin Huairu’s sisters-in-law immediately stepped forward to help, while her brothers grabbed brooms to sweep the yard. As for her parents, they found a rag and started wiping down Lin Shaowen’s furniture.

"Whoa!" As soon as they stepped inside, they were stunned by the luxurious décor. The floor was covered in hardwood, and an eighty-watt incandescent bulb hung from the ceiling. The set of golden-thread nanmu furniture exuded an air of opulence, and the two-meter-by-two-meter bed nearly scared them out of their wits.

"Little sister, is this Doctor Lin really that rich?" Qin Jianshe asked in shock.

"Yeah, my goodness... this must have cost hundreds of yuan," Qin Jianguo muttered.

The women were left speechless; they had never seen a house like this.

"Hundreds?" Qin Huairu pursed her lips. "The labor alone cost four hundred, and these furnishings... they cost over a thousand."

"Whoa!" Qin Shan felt a toothache coming on. This Doctor Lin was only in his early twenties, right?

"Huairu!" Li Hong called out from the courtyard, and the group scrambled outside.

"Mom, what is it?" Qin Huairu asked anxiously, worried that her mother might have done something wrong to offend Lin Shaowen.