But anger aside, a daughter was still her own flesh and blood. Could she just stop wanting her?
That was obviously impossible.
Thinking of this, Xia Qiuyue wrapped her arm around Lin Miaomiao and whispered into her ear,
“Miaomiao, there are so many neighbors watching outside right now. Do you want to destroy the delicate image you’ve maintained for so many years?”
Hearing this, the enraged Lin Miaomiao finally regained a bit of rationality.
She forced down the overwhelming hatred in her heart and shook her head.
“I don’t want to… but right now…”
“Leave it to Mom.”
After saying that, Xia Qiuyue released her and walked to the door.
Looking at the neighbors crowding the corridor, she squeezed out a few fake tears.
“Sorry for letting everyone see such a joke.
“Sigh, people always say stepmothers are hard to be—but I never imagined it would be this hard.”
She paused, then glanced back at Lin Miaomiao, whose face was once again swollen like a pig’s head.
Then she looked at the neighbors and continued,
“Yesterday, Miaomiao kindly accompanied her sister to a matchmaking meeting.
“But somehow… somehow she ended up being schemed against and ended up lying in bed with Liu Quan.
“Now that something like this has happened, Miaomiao’s reputation is ruined. Whether she wants to or not, she has to marry Liu Quan.”
“If she was set up, why don’t you call the police?”
A neighbor spoke up.
Xia Qiuyue wiped away her tears and glanced at the closed door of Lin Jiaojiao’s room.
“This is a family matter. I don’t want to make it too ugly.
“After all, both daughters are my flesh and blood. I can only wrong my Miaomiao.”
Though she didn’t say it directly, the implication was obvious.
She was suggesting that Lin Jiaojiao had framed Lin Miaomiao.
“No way. Jiaojiao has been timid since she was young. She wouldn’t even dare to speak loudly. How could she do something like this?”
“Exactly! Xia Qiuyue, are you trying to frame your stepdaughter to protect your own daughter?”
The neighbors who had watched Lin Jiaojiao grow up naturally didn’t believe her.
Xia Qiuyue inwardly cursed them, but her expression didn’t change.
She glanced at Lin Miaomiao’s swollen face again and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.
“Oh? Then that’s strange.
“If she’s someone who doesn’t even dare speak loudly on normal days…”
“Then how could she beat her own sister into this state?”
She pointed at her own face and continued sorrowfully,
“Originally, I didn’t want to air our family’s dirty laundry.
“When you all asked about my injuries earlier, I said I accidentally bumped into something.
“But in reality…”
She didn’t finish her sentence, only looked again toward the tightly shut door.
The neighbors began to hesitate.
Had they all been wrong about her?
Seeing this reaction, Xia Qiuyue felt secretly pleased and turned to Lin Fantong.
“Old Lin, haven’t you noticed? Jiaojiao is a little different now.
“Before, just raising your voice at her would make her cry.
“But now look at the injuries on me and Miaomiao’s face—this doesn’t look like something the same person could do.”
“Exactly. I’ve been thinking the same thing. Jiaojiao really does seem like a different person now.”
Lin Fantong immediately echoed her words.
In truth, he had been thinking the same thing.
If not for the fact that the country had banned feudal superstition, he would have suspected his daughter was possessed by a ghost.
“Could it be that Lin Jiaojiao was just pretending to be timid before?”
“Not impossible. After all, once there’s a stepmother, there’s a stepfather too. If she didn’t act weak…”
Xia Qiuyue and Lin Fantong’s faces instantly darkened upon hearing the neighbors’ speculation.
Was this really the direction she wanted the conversation to go?
Meanwhile, inside the room, Lin Jiaojiao was thoroughly amused by everything happening outside.
These neighbors were actually a little adorable.
Soon, the crowd dispersed one by one, losing interest in the drama and going back home.
Only the two injured members of the Lin family and a dark-faced Lin Fantong remained, staring at each other.
“Dad, are you really just going to let that bitch Lin Jiaojiao get away with this?”
After Xia Qiuyue closed the door, Lin Miaomiao asked through clenched teeth.
“Of course not.”
Lin Fantong lowered his voice.
“Tomorrow night, you invite Liu Quan over for dinner, and then…”
His voice dropped so low that nothing more could be heard.
But even without hearing it, Lin Jiaojiao could guess.
She couldn’t help but find their thinking completely ridiculous.
Did they not get tired of destroying their own family?
If that was the case, she might as well “help” them a little before leaving.
Originally, she had only planned to treat this place like a free temporary lodging—stay a few days, then leave quietly.
But since they didn’t want her to leave in peace…
Then they couldn’t blame her anymore.
The next morning, Lin Fantong and his wife were already gone.
Work, perhaps, or something else.
Lin Jiaojiao didn’t care.
“Elder sister, you’re awake? There’s breakfast kept warm in the pot.”
As soon as she stepped out, Lin Miaomiao greeted her with a smile.
But with her swollen face, the smile looked worse than crying.
Strange behavior must have an evil reason.
Lin Jiaojiao didn’t believe in free kindness.
Especially not from people she had already clashed with so many times.
“No need. I’ll eat outside.”
She quickly washed up, changed into another dress that Lin Miaomiao had never worn, and left the Lin house openly.
Watching her leave, Lin Miaomiao stomped her foot angrily.
A dark light flashed in her eyes.
“Lin Jiaojiao, don’t get too proud. You’ll see tonight!”
After leaving, Lin Jiaojiao bought a few meat buns at the state-run restaurant and walked toward the steel factory compound while eating.
On the way, she ran straight into her uncle, Lü Bing, who was heading to work.
“Jiaojiao? You’re here?”
A loving smile immediately appeared on his face.
“Uncle, are you going to work?”
While speaking, she handed him a meat bun wrapped in oil paper.
“Here, have one. After you finish, we’ll go handle my cousin’s job transfer.”
Lü Bing initially wanted to refuse, but upon hearing this, he immediately took it with a smile and took a bite.
The rich aroma of meat filled his mouth instantly.
He almost wanted to swallow his tongue.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he had eaten a meat bun.
He sighed.
“I didn’t expect that in my lifetime, I’d still get to enjoy my niece’s blessing.”
Lin Jiaojiao immediately laughed.
“Uncle, this is just the beginning. Your good fortune is still ahead.”
At that moment, Li Ruyi came out after hearing the noise.
Seeing the two of them at the door, she glared at Lü Bing.
“What kind of uncle are you? You don’t even invite your niece inside.”
Then she turned to Lin Jiaojiao with a gentle smile and pulled her in.
“Come in quickly. I was just thinking you might come today, so I saved you breakfast.”
Once again, Lin Jiaojiao felt a warmth in her heart.