Chapter 264: Uncle Lin

Aunt Chen said, “I have a friend whom I’ve known for a long time. He used to be a taxi driver, but he’s gotten too old to keep driving. After years of running around, his health couldn’t take it anymore, so he quit a while ago and even sold the car.”

Aunt Chen went on to say that this man was a good person—he’d served in the military in his youth, but later developed a slight leg disability, which is why he started driving a taxi. He had helped her many times. They were childhood friends; back then, he joined the army while she got married. Later, when he came back, they reconnected.

Aunt Chen’s husband passed away early, leaving her with young children and making life very difficult. It was always this man who stepped in to help. “He’s such a kind person—never asking for anything in return. He’s done so much for me. Even after I became Madam Ling’s housekeeper, he never came looking for me or called often, afraid it might interfere with my work. When my kids were little, he was always there for me. But once they grew up, he actually started keeping his distance.”

Aunt Chen blushed and said, “I thought that once I earned some money and my kids were older, I could go live with him. But he wouldn’t have it. It wasn’t until recently, when I saw him, that I realized what he was really up to. His younger brother has a few problems, so he’s been giving all his money to his brother’s family. He doesn’t want to drag me into it!”

“Then did he learn any martial arts when he was in the army?”
“…Well, a little bit. Once, when I was taking care of my kids and got bullied, he stepped in and fought someone. He even went to jail for it, but later his fellow soldiers intervened, and everything worked out fine.”

Song Qingtian thought for a moment and said, “Aunt Chen, this guy must be a really good person, right?”
“Yes, he’s an excellent person—not just to me, but to everyone!”
“Alright, that works. Tell him I need someone to watch over the courtyard and take care of things, preferably someone who can drive.”
“Should I ask him now?”
Aunt Chen was overjoyed.
Song Qingtian stopped her and said, “Aunt Chen, if you put it like that, it sounds as though she’s left Ling Hanyu and feels sorry for me because she can’t bear to part with Nuonuo. You should make it sound more difficult—say I probably don’t have much money for you, and that I’m hiding here. If you really want to help me, just say… you just came over and found someone following us, scaring Nuonuo to tears, and you’re scared too but don’t dare tell me for fear I’ll be frightened.”
Aunt Chen suddenly understood: “If you say we need help, he’ll definitely feel sorry for us and come over to lend a hand.”
How could she not have thought of that before?
Song Qingtian nodded and said, “Exactly.”
Aunt Chen was thrilled: “I’ll call him right away!”
She picked up the phone and kept glancing at Song Qingtian as she spoke. Sure enough, the person on the other end immediately asked for the address and arranged a ride over.

When Song Qingtian saw the newcomer, she pretended not to know anything about him.
“What’s this?”
Song Qingtian looked puzzled.
Aunt Chen explained, “This is a fellow townsman of mine who’s looking for work. His legs aren’t great, but you wouldn’t notice unless it’s rainy weather, when his legs tend to ache. He can’t do much physical labor, but he can drive, so he could handle guarding the house or watching over the yard.”
“I do need someone, but as for pay… how much do you make a month?”
Song Qingtian looked quite troubled.
“As long as there’s a place to eat, that’s fine.”
The other party remained calm and took a quick look around.
Song Qingtian said, “My place is a bit big. Normally six or seven thousand should be enough, but if it’s only one or two thousand, that won’t cut it, will it?”
“You don’t need that much. Just give whatever you think is fair.”
“How about this: I’ll pay you twenty thousand a month for all sorts of tasks, including driving. But there’s one condition—I’ll write you an IOU. Whenever I have money, I’ll pay you a bit first; if I’m short, I’ll owe you for now. Don’t worry, I won’t default on my debt—Aunt Chen knows me well.”
A flicker of helplessness crossed Uncle Lin’s eyes. The Song Qingtian Aunt Chen had described was nothing but a pushover.
Probably couldn’t afford it either.
But for Aunt Chen’s sake, Uncle Lin reluctantly agreed.
Aunt Chen was overjoyed—she hadn’t expected things to move so quickly. She’d mentioned this many times before, yet Uncle Lin had always refused to accompany her to Madam Ling’s home.
It turned out the Madam had better ideas after all.
Seeing that Uncle Lin had agreed, Song Qingtian said, “Uncle Lin, I’ve got a car—just drive it. I also have some cash, so take that for now. Use it for gas and other expenses. I might have more money in the next few days, and then… I’ll give you a bit extra.”
“No rush.”
Uncle Lin wore a cold, impassive expression—a man who rarely smiled but had a warm heart.
Aunt Chen took Uncle Lin to get acquainted with the surroundings and arranged a room for him to stay in.
Meanwhile, Song Qingtian waited in the living room, keeping a close eye on Uncle Lin.
Even with Aunt Chen around, Song Qingtian didn’t let her guard down.
Only after confirming that Uncle Lin was a good person did Song Qingtian feel truly at ease.
When Uncle Lin came downstairs, Song Qingtian walked over to him.
“Uncle Lin, here’s a cellphone and there’s surveillance. Please keep an eye on things regularly—don’t let anyone follow you. Today someone was watching you, so just take a look.”
Uncle Lin had excellent observational skills. He took the phone and opened it to check.
Song Qingtian watched him closely, secretly observing.
Aunt Chen had mentioned earlier that Uncle Lin used to be a special forces soldier, but he’d given up due to a leg injury.
Back then, he’d even been offered a good position, but he didn’t want to burden the country, so he voluntarily resigned and became a driver instead.
With Uncle Lin on board, Song Qingtian felt secretly relieved.
Now she could rest assured.

End of Chapter 264: Uncle Lin