LOT – Chapter 56 Lin Mo: Who says my piggy isn’t prey? I say it is, so it is!

At that moment, Madam Lin was at home, needing to use her seal for a stamp. But when she opened the box, she was greeted by a rotten carrot inside.

Madam Lin: …

She picked up the carrot, and upon closer inspection, she saw an extremely ugly smiling face carved into the bottom.

Madam Lin rubbed her temples, gritting her teeth as she said, “Lin Mo’er! You stole my stuff again!”

Since she was a child, every time Madam Lin withheld her monthly allowance, that wretched girl would sneak in and steal her seal. No matter where it was hidden, Lin Mo could always find it. How she managed to do it remained a mystery.

Lin Mo sneezed at that very moment and suddenly had a bad feeling. But she didn’t pay it much attention—her focus was entirely on her father and that Qin Pingting woman.

Qin Pingting looked deathly pale now, as if she was on the verge of fainting.

Perhaps she had really been frightened—her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed completely.

Lord Qin was utterly dumbfounded. He genuinely had no idea that his daughter had such wild thoughts!

His official rank was lower than Minister Lin’s, and he even worked under him. If he’d known his daughter harbored such notions, he would’ve stepped in long ago.

This foolish girl is going to ruin the whole family!

Lin Mo, seeing Qin Pingting pass out, instantly lost interest.

[Why is this woman’s body so weak? Just playing a bit of music and she faints? Her constitution is practically useless.]

System: [Exactly. Even if you put all the young ladies of the capital together, none of their health comes close to yours. Honestly, they should all learn from you. Stop chasing that “delicate beauty” image—health is the true asset!]

The bonfire banquet ended up being a great success, and everyone enjoyed watching the drama unfold.

Well, everyone except the people involved. One had fainted, and the other had a stamp on his forehead, courtesy of his insufferable daughter—and it wouldn’t come off!

Minister Lin had scrubbed at it all night, but the best he could do was lighten the color slightly. So, when he went out the next morning, his entire face was gloomy—except for a bright red stamp smack in the middle of his forehead.

The officials who came to invite him for a hunt: …

The Grand Commandant, stifling laughter, said, “From afar, I thought you’d grown a third eye on your forehead. That personal seal of your wife’s is pretty refined. Now everyone knows you’re spoken for—you’re basically branded!”

Minister Lin let out a long sigh, feeling deeply conflicted. “This thing won’t wash off. Guess I’ll have to wait for it to fade naturally. That little brat is always pulling these ridiculous stunts!”

Minister of Revenue, chuckling, added, “Little Lin is a good kid! See how thoughtful she is toward her mother? But your charm really is something. Even that young lady couldn’t resist. If you hadn’t been so good-looking back in the day, you might’ve been the top scholar.”

Back when the emperor handpicked the scholars, it was Minister Lin who caught his eye at first glance. That’s why he was chosen as the third-place scholar (Tanhua). In terms of writing and talent, even the first-place scholar (Zhuangyuan) didn’t compare to him.

Suddenly—

“Hahahaha! Rake, charge! I must catch that rabbit!”

As the group was chatting, an earsplitting cackle echoed from the distance. When they looked up, they saw someone riding a giant white pig, laughing maniacally, as it clumsily pounded across the field.

Everyone: …

At that speed, she clearly wasn’t catching any rabbits. Maybe give the pig a break?

Earlier that morning, Lin Mo had been dragged out of bed by the other noble girls. Many of them came from military families and were expert riders and archers, especially the Third Prince’s consort, who was exceptionally skilled.

They had all set out together, but Lin Mo quickly fell behind. While the others were shooting deer and pheasants, piling up a mountain of game…

Lin Mo? She’d been chasing the same rabbit from the very start and had yet to catch it.

Sitting on his perch, Emperor Xuande silently watched Lin Mo riding a fat white pig, going around in circles.

Still… catching absolutely nothing.

“The young Lord Lin is truly full of energy—up so early this morning,” Eunuch Li said with a cheerful smile.

Emperor Xuande took a sip of tea and ruthlessly added, “She got up early just to chase a rabbit, and still hasn’t caught it.”

By noon, when everyone brought back their game, every participant, male or female, had at least two or three animals—except for Lin Mo.

Seeing others return with full harvests, Lin Mo couldn’t help but feel a little bitter inside.

Lin Mo, dejected, to her system: [Why is everyone so amazing? Standing among them makes me feel so useless…]

The system comforted her: [Don’t worry. Everyone has their strengths. Yours just doesn’t lie in archery or hunting. You’re better suited for eating melons, not shooting arrows. What matters is knowing what you’re good at.]

That single line instantly consoled Lin Mo.

But when it came time to submit their prey, everyone fell silent when they saw the giant white pig being handed over.

Dingba (the pig): Oink oink???

Lin Mo felt like a genius.

[Who says I didn’t catch anything? My pig is prey too! Hahaha! Now I’m no longer the only one with nothing to show!]

System: [You’re so clever! I don’t know why I didn’t think of that!]

Everyone else: …You two are seriously something else! What did the poor pig ever do to deserve this?!

The Crown Prince, seeing the spotless, well-groomed white pig lumped in with the wild game, couldn’t help but speak up for it.

“Young Lord Lin, are you sure you want to submit your Dingba as prey? Isn’t it your mount?”

Lin Mo answered with full confidence: “Who says a mount can’t be considered prey? You all need to broaden your thinking. Your Highness, don’t you have to register everyone’s number of game? Once you’ve counted it, let me know so I can take it back.”

The Crown Prince’s mouth twitched—he had no idea how to respond to her logic anymore.

At this point, he had only one thought: This person’s face is thicker than city walls.

Minister Lin stood off to the side with his “third eye” (the stamp) looking calm and composed. Perhaps because he had weathered too many major political storms, this kind of petty absurdity couldn’t faze him anymore.

Thanks to Lin Mo’s creative maneuver, she ended up second-to-last in the prey count—with one pig.

The only person who ranked lower was a 12-year-old girl who had managed to hit a wild pheasant.

After the count, Dingba cleverly stepped off the submission platform on its own and trailed after its owner, freeloading snacks from everyone it passed.

Once she’d eaten and drunk her fill, Lin Mo slouched in a chair and lazily said: [System, give me a couple of juicy gossip bombs to refine my taste in life!]

Everyone immediately straightened up.

Those who were just about to go take a nap turned right back around.

All the melon-eaters were already in position—just waiting for the drama bomb to drop.

Now the only question was: Who’s the unlucky soul this time?