Chapter 233: Chapter 233: Must You Marry Your Rescuer After Falling Into Water? (Part 4)

Lin Daming originally guessed that Shi Wen instigated her daughter to fall into the water because she herself had taken a fancy to Ying Xiucai and wanted to use this to establish a connection with him. Her jumping into the water was to gain a reputation for bravely saving a friend.

This guess was infuriating, but with no evidence and uncertainty about the truth, he couldn’t say much.

But he didn’t expect there was a deeper reason behind this. According to his daughter, Shi Wen not only wanted to scheme against his daughter for a good reputation but also wanted to match her daughter with her cousin Qin Cheng?

He knew the situation of the Qin Family well, as he was a pork seller, interacting with many people daily. The topics his neighbors discussed were varied, and many involved Qin Cheng. Plus, the Qin Family had some relations with the Shi Family, seeking help like borrowing money during tough times.

“Chenchen, are you sure you saw it clearly?” Lin Daming asked once more, wanting his daughter to confirm.

His daughter’s words naturally wouldn’t convince anyone or serve as evidence, as no one else saw it.

Qin Cheng was a scholar, and without evidence, accusing a scholar so would easily lead to charges of slander.

He just wanted to confirm it, so he would be more cautious in the future, avoiding any further entanglement with Qin Cheng.

Ah Chen affirmed, “Dad, it’s true.”

“Alright.” Lin Daming looked at Ah Chen, sighed, and thought, no wonder his daughter seemed different today; she must understand the reason now.

“If what you saw is true, then this incident is likely part of their plan.” Lin Daming decided to explain, “Shi Wen is taking this opportunity to gain a reputation and get involved with Ying Xiucai, while Qin Cheng wants a person. Though our family isn’t wealthy, your dad has saved some silver over the years. We don’t spend much, and as your dad only has one daughter, with no plans to remarry, many people see our family as destitute.”

Lin Daming said mockingly, “It’s not just Qin Cheng; many people want to take advantage of our Chenchen.”

Lin Daming was also worried. If he found an honest person, his daughter, who wasn’t very cunning, might be bullied after he was gone. If he chose someone smart, it would be fine if they had a good heart, but if not, his daughter could be ruthlessly manipulated, and even lose her life if things went worse.

Hoping to find a good son-in-law was less reliable than his own longevity as a father.

But no one could determine their lifespan.

Looking at his daughter who seemed a bit smarter, Lin Daming suddenly had an idea: why not use this incident to teach her? It might not be too late. After all, he wasn’t rushing her to marry. As long as she wasn’t in a hurry, she could marry if she wanted or not if she didn’t. He hadn’t thought about it much before, as his wife died early, and being a first-time father, he just wanted to take good care of his daughter, fearing she’d be bullied. No plans to remarry, so he ignored other matters. Now that she was grown, he realized he’d neglected to teach her about the dangers of people’s hearts.

“Chenchen, this shows how unpredictable human nature can be,” Lin Daming said with a light cough. “Shi Wen seemed friendly with you, but faced with benefits, she didn’t hesitate to use you. Think about it, did she really value you as a friend, or was she interested in our family’s pork, thus befriending you?”

Ah Chen: …

She seemed to understand what Lin Daming meant, intending to use this incident to teach her?

She decided to cooperate.

“Dad, now that you say this, I did come to realize,” Ah Chen frowned, pondering, “She often mentioned how nice the things I gave her were, or complained about craving meat after being scolded by her mother. Whenever she said this, I’d go to the butcher, have dad get some meat bones, or pick something from home for her, often inviting her to eat at home.”

Lin Daming was pleased; exactly, just like that.

He’d noticed this long ago, but as it wasn’t a big issue, and Shi Wen wasn’t overly greedy, and since his daughter played well with her, he didn’t say much. But Shi Wen’s scheming intensified, and after tricking his daughter this far, he believed the situation couldn’t continue.

Shi Wen gained so much from his daughter yet wanted to push her into the fire pit; it was intolerable with such malicious intent.

There was likely jealousy involved too.

Lin Daming, having lived for so many years, understood the terrifying nature of jealousy.

A saying had truth: those around you hope you’re well, but not better than them. Otherwise, they’d just grow envious, hoping you’d be more miserable one day.

“Chenchen, just keep this to yourself, as there’s no evidence; if it escalates, it will be hard to clarify. If our guesses are right, Shi Wen’s reaction today was scary for you: she incited you but also had ulterior motives, admitted it openly, and yet her reputation didn’t tarnish. People might even think she just took the wrong path for a friend and redeemed herself by realizing her mistake, possibly viewing her as righteous.”

“If you expose her based on your suspicions, you might get backlash, with people believing you’re shifting blame onto a good friend for reputation.”

The thought made Lin Daming tense.

His daughter was somewhat headstrong, and he was a bit frightened.

Ah Chen chuckled, as the Commissioner indeed had such a personality, unable to conceal matters.

“So, should we just let it go?” Ah Chen asked, aligning with the Commissioner’s character.

Lin Daming felt anxious, knowing his daughter would care about it, yet often when dealing with shameless people, there’s no way unless one could catch concrete evidence.

He certainly couldn’t tell his daughter that.

After thinking, Lin Daming said, “There’s a saying, good begets good, and evil begets evil, but just not yet. If she’s bad, she’ll be discovered one day, and it won’t require much from us; someone will reveal her true colors.”

Ah Chen: …

Alright, this saying was indeed for comfort, and this father of hers used it correctly, didn’t he?

The latter half was true, but some bad people’s outcomes aren’t necessarily bad even when exposed.

“Chenchen, be more wary in the future. If she gives you any advice, don’t act on it immediately. Analyze it yourself, or ask Dad if you’re unsure, to avoid being deceived by her again.”

Ah Chen responded, “Alright, I’ll listen to Dad.”

Lin Daming felt a bit relieved, seeing his daughter indeed more understanding.

He secretly decided to find more time to educate his daughter. Though she might not completely discern who’s good or bad, she should at least not be easily deceived.

Keeping her at home or letting her hang out wasn’t enough; he had to come up with a method for her to learn quickly.

Got it!

Lin Daming’s eyes lit up.

Ah Chen: …

What’s his plan now?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep