As for the illegitimate son, Father Lin did not treat him poorly to appease his wife.
This was a reaction to his wife's attitude towards the child, so he wouldn't be overly indifferent or ignore this child who had brought him so much inexplicable trouble.
However, it was impossible to say he was fond of this child.
Father Lin was amorous and sentimental, but conversely, in some aspects, he was also quite heartless.
Even if this was his own flesh and blood, as long as the other party only brought him harm and no benefit whatsoever, he would still detest them immensely, unable to muster any affection, let alone truly show them any kindness.
However, out of consideration for his wife's feelings, since he couldn't openly act that way, he still had plenty of methods to appear good on the surface while tormenting them in secret.
Father Lin had been outwardly compliant and inwardly defiant towards his wife for a long time, and it was naturally the same in this matter.
Furthermore, Father Lin quickly uncovered the entire cause and effect, understanding everything that had happened.
He soon made preparations for retaliation, secretly targeting the collateral branches of the Lin family and tripping them up.
He was not in a hurry to close the net, even deliberately allowing the collateral branches of the Lin family to gain considerable benefits, letting them revel for a while. What he had given away could easily be taken back, thus killing two birds with one stone.
Later, these matters could also serve as "evidence" to prove his "innocence."
Afterward, Father Lin went to find his former lover and met with her.
On the surface, it was to reminisce about their past affections, but in reality, it was all calculation.
No matter how much he had loved this lover in the past, under different circumstances, upon seeing her again, Father Lin might have rekindled his old feelings. However, after this incident, he could no longer harbor any affection for her, wishing only for her to perish without a burial place.
Father Lin was an old hand in matters of the heart. Although this lover harbored much resentment towards him, hating him for abandoning her, and also felt fear due to the fate of Father Lin's original wife and his other lovers,
Father Lin still managed to easily coax his former lover back.
He first claimed that he had no prior knowledge of his family eliminating his lovers and original wife years ago.
He explained that it was only because his family learned he was going to marry Lin Yanqin's mother and knew how important Lin Yanqin's mother was to the family business. Therefore, for the sake of profit, they had acted behind his back, and it was not a decision he had made willingly.
He also implied that he still held feelings for her in his heart.
Then, with a little money and a few sweet words, the problem was completely resolved.
After successfully deceiving his former lover and making her devoted to him, Father Lin took his former lover to meet Lin Yanqin's mother again. He instructed her to tell Lin Yanqin's mother that everything she had told her, all her statements, were merely lies to deceive her.
And the reason she did so was, on one hand, resentment towards Father Lin, for not marrying her and being unable to become Mrs. Lin. On the other hand, it was also because the collateral branches of the Lin family had instigated her to do so deliberately.
And all of this was simply because they coveted Father Lin's family fortune.
After helping the collateral branches of the Lin family gain benefits, they would also reward her afterward.
And this lover faithfully recounted the story Father Lin had concocted for her.
She claimed that her relationship with Father Lin and her subsequent pregnancy were due to calculation and coincidence.
She stated that several years ago, before Lin Yanqin's mother had met Father Lin, someone from the collateral branches of the Lin family had instructed her to seduce Father Lin. She then deliberately manipulated the situation and seized the opportunity to achieve her goal.
However, even after achieving this, Father Lin still refused to marry her and drove her away.
She had thought she would never have another chance, but she never expected that after just one encounter, she would become pregnant. She believed this child could be of great use.
Therefore, she secretly gave birth to the child, raised her in secret, and waited for the opportune moment. She then colluded with the collateral branches of the Lin family and, taking advantage of Father Lin's absence, deliberately met Lin Yanqin's mother, causing her to misunderstand her husband.
Everything Lin Yanqin's mother investigated and what she had said were not only entirely false but also part of a conspiracy. When Lin Yanqin's mother began her investigation, someone was already cooperating in secret, ensuring that Lin Yanqin's mother would only uncover what they wanted her to know, the so-called "truth."
And Father Lin was, in reality, a pure and upright, truly good man.
Subsequently, Father Lin presented the "evidence" he had secretly allowed the collateral branches of the Lin family to embezzle from his assets.
He also brought forth many "witnesses."
Some of these witnesses had been encountered by Lin Yanqin's mother during her previous investigation, and they had revealed some truths to her.
However, some of these individuals were completely susceptible to money. Father Lin paid them extra, and they were naturally willing to go before Lin Yanqin's mother and tell another lie, retracting their previous statements.
They claimed they had been bribed before and that what they were now telling Lin Yanqin's mother was the real "fact."
Lin Yanqin's mother, who deeply loved her husband and subconsciously was somewhat unwilling to believe that the husband she had loved so deeply would be that kind of person.
Therefore, when these so-called "truths" were presented to her, Lin Yanqin's mother believed her husband, accepted this "evidence," and simultaneously abandoned the idea of divorcing her husband and taking her children.
After this incident, Lin Yanqin was born. Father Lin also took Lin Yanqin's mother back to their overseas home, bringing their son and daughter with them.
The minor noble from overseas saw that his daughter was doing well after several years. Lin Yanqin's mother, believing she had resolved the "misunderstanding" with her husband and not wanting her parents to worry or feel pained about her situation, and also fearing they would "misunderstand" her husband, did not mention what she had experienced in the years she was away.
She continued to behave exactly as she had before.
Seeing this, the minor noble felt that his son-in-law had indeed not deceived him and had taken good care of his daughter, thus becoming even more reassured and trusting of his son-in-law.
Even when Father Lin did not take Lin Yanqin's mother back to their overseas home for several more years, the minor noble did not suspect anything. Hearing from Father Lin that his daughter and grandchildren were doing well, he believed it completely.
Lin Yanqin's mother never imagined that after this one visit, she would never have another opportunity to return to her overseas home. It was also the last time she saw her parents. The next time she returned to her hometown was only after her death from depression.
A few years after returning home that time, Father Lin never took Lin Yanqin's mother back to their overseas home again. Because she had resolved the "misunderstanding" with her husband, she didn't think much of it. Moreover, she thought about needing to care for her children, who were still young and not suitable for frequent sea travel, and she was also reluctant to leave the children at home alone in the care of servants.
Thus, she accepted staying behind to care for the children.
However, one year, Father Lin suddenly returned from overseas, bringing news of her parents' death and a letter left to her by her parents.
The estate and connections of the minor noble from overseas were completely passed on to their son-in-law after their deaths.
After all, they had only one daughter, Lin Yanqin. Upon their deaths, these assets would naturally go either to their daughter or to their son-in-law.
The reason they chose to entrust them to their son-in-law was that they believed their daughter was being well taken care of and had great trust in their son-in-law, feeling that it made no difference whether the assets went to their daughter or their son-in-law.
They believed their son-in-law could better care for their daughter with these assets.
They never imagined that after their passing, no one would be able to support Lin Yanqin's mother, and her usefulness to Father Lin would diminish, leading to Father Lin's transformation.
Upon learning of her parents' deaths, Lin Yanqin's mother was overcome with grief and expressed to her husband her desire to return home. However, Father Lin made excuses to put her off. She was understanding of her husband and did not suspect that he was deliberately delaying her, only hoping that her husband would eventually have free time for them to make the trip.
However, after so many years, Father Lin had grown tired of her. He had no choice but to appease Lin Yanqin's mother due to various circumstances. But now that the entire family fortune and connections of Lin Yanqin's family were in his hands, he had nothing to fear and gradually revealed his true nature.
Not only did he stop taking Lin Yanqin's mother back home, but he also began openly associating with various lovers, bringing them home. Eventually, he even brazenly took many concubines, and the number of children also grew.
Her husband's drastic change caused Lin Yanqin's mother immense pain. Furthermore, as Father Lin no longer concealed his true nature, Lin Yanqin's mother gradually discovered a fact: that what Father Lin's lover, who had brought the illegitimate son to their door, had said initially was actually the truth.
And that person had actually been killed by her husband after providing false testimony for him.
However, because she had been betrayed, she had kept a safeguard, leaving behind some evidence and a letter. If anything were to happen to her, these items would be sent to Lin Yanqin's mother.
Although some circumstances caused these items to be suppressed for a few years, and Lin Yanqin's mother only received them after Father Lin had revealed his true colors for some time, they ultimately allowed Lin Yanqin's mother to gain a deeper understanding of her husband's true face.
However, even so, she no longer had the freedom to divorce at will and had to endure in this family for the sake of her children. The eldest illegitimate son did not know the truth of his mother's death, but he even harbored misunderstandings towards his own mother because of it. However, because Lin Yanqin's mother was gentle and kind, he greatly respected his stepmother and treated her very well. Coupled with Lin Yanqin and her two children, who had been in the Lin family for a long time, they were able to maintain their standing even as the number of children grew, receiving what was rightfully theirs.
Alas, under such circumstances, over the years, Lin Yanqin's mother inevitably fell into depression. After barely managing to see her stepson reach adulthood, she could no longer bear it and died of depression. Years after her death, when her eldest son took over the Lin family's business, he sent her back overseas, allowing her to return to her homeland.
Thus, the story of the innkeeper was largely told.