Su Ya’s eyes were bloodshot, filled with hatred as she glared viciously at Song Zhiqiang.
The moment Song Zhiqiang saw her expression, his legs nearly gave out in fear, and he shuddered.
“Su Ya, why are you here? Listen to my explanation!” He hurriedly grabbed his clothes and threw them on, speaking nervously.
“Explanation? What’s there to explain? Song Zhiqiang, didn’t you say you were drinking with your brothers? Where are they? Where’s the alcohol?” Su Ya shouted angrily.
“It’s not what you think. Let’s go home first, then I’ll—” Song Zhiqiang wanted to get Su Ya away before other people arrived. If this blew up, things would become disastrous.
“I’m not going back! Song Zhiqiang, you’re heartless! I betrayed everyone for you. I lost my reputation, my job, everything! And you’re here fooling around with this vixen behind my back, committing adultery! Do you even have a conscience?! Do you?! And you, you shameless slut, how dare you seduce another woman’s man! You adulterous pair! Filthy cheating dogs!”
Su Ya had been completely consumed by rage and lost all rationality. She screamed hysterically while grabbing anything nearby and hurling it at the two of them.
Song Zhiqiang and Liu Xiaoting dodged frantically around the room.
The woman having an affair with Song Zhiqiang was named Liu Xiaoting. She had no job. Her husband, Jiang He, worked as a traveling film projectionist and was often away from home. They had no children, and since Jiang He was the second son, his parents lived with the eldest son instead.
People in this era went to bed early. Hearing such a commotion in the middle of the night—especially the explosive accusation of “adultery”—the neighbors scrambled out of bed to watch the spectacle. Some didn’t even finish putting on their clothes or shoes before rushing over in excitement.
Who was committing adultery?!
In no time, the courtyard was packed with people.
“Isn’t that Jiang He’s wife? Who did she hook up with?”
“I already said Liu Xiaoting wasn’t decent! Dressing herself up all flashy every day—obviously not a proper woman!”
“Jiang He works so hard outside, gives all his salary to Liu Xiaoting, and even his mother doesn’t live with them. She already has such a comfortable life, yet she’s still cheating. Shameless!”
“That filthy slut deserves to be dragged through the streets and exiled!”
Su Ya’s sanity had completely snapped. Her mind was filled with only one thought—Song Zhiqiang had betrayed her.
She smashed the room into chaos while screaming about everything she had sacrificed for him over the years.
Their premarital affair.
Their secret child.
Drugging and scheming against Lin Chennian.
Coveting the Lin family fortune.
Trying to harm Lin Zhitang.
One shocking revelation after another left the crowd utterly stuffed with gossip.
So this was the ex-wife of the recently famous head of the Lin family in Shanghai. She truly had done every wicked thing imaginable. Even her own biological daughter hadn’t escaped her schemes. Absolutely vicious.
At some point, someone had already called the Revolutionary Committee and the police.
Song Zhiqiang and Liu Xiaoting had been caught red-handed in adultery. Both were married, both guilty of immoral conduct, and the circumstances were severe enough that public shaming and exile were inevitable.
As for Su Ya, she had revealed far too many crimes herself, and the police took her away as well.
Lin Zhitang watched Su Ya lose her mind and get arrested by the police.
Even after the drama ended, many people remained behind, still discussing the scandal excitedly.
Lin Zhitang and Lu Ming’an quietly slipped away with the crowd and headed back toward the Lin residence.
“Tangtang, if you feel sad, you can cry,” Lu Ming’an said softly as he looked at her with concern.
After all, Su Ya was still her biological mother. Lu Ming’an knew that no matter how indifferent Lin Zhitang appeared, hearing Su Ya personally admit all those things must still hurt.
Lin Zhitang was silent for a while before speaking.
“It would be a lie to say I’m not sad. But I recognized what kind of person she was long ago, so it’s not unbearable.”
“Ever since I was little, I knew she treated Su Yun better than me. I never understood why, but just to make her happy, to get her to look at me more or praise me once, I treated Su Yun well too. Anything I had, I’d ask Father to prepare an extra share for her.”
“But I never imagined that she truly didn’t have even the slightest bit of maternal love for me. When she schemed against me, she didn’t hesitate at all. I’m her biological daughter, yet even I mattered less to her than the children Song Zhiqiang had with his former wife. Isn’t that laughable?”
“But after tonight, I won’t feel sad for her anymore. She’s not worth it. Having a father who loved me wholeheartedly was already enough.”
“You’re right. There’s no need to feel sad over someone unworthy,” Lu Ming’an said as he gazed at her affectionately. “But there’s one thing you said wrong. You didn’t just have a father who loved you wholeheartedly—you also have me, your husband, loving you wholeheartedly too.”
“Mhm.”
Meeting Lu Ming’an’s burning gaze, Lin Zhitang’s face instantly flushed red, and she didn’t dare meet his eyes.
Beijing
Lu Ming’an’s parents and elder brother’s family were eating breakfast.
“Mom, Dad, I heard Ming’an already got married? Are they holding the wedding in Beijing?” Tian Jiaojiao, Lu Ming’an’s sister-in-law, asked.
“I don’t know either. That brat hasn’t even called home. Who knows what he’s thinking,” Lan Shaoying said irritably. “He already registered the marriage, yet he still didn’t call the family to explain. Instead, he only called the old master. We know absolutely nothing.”
“I don’t know either. He never called me. I only heard about the marriage certificate from the old master,” Lu Xingguo said. “Why don’t you give him a call?”
“That’s right, Mom. Ming’an’s leave probably won’t last long. If they’re holding the wedding in Beijing, we should prepare in advance,” Lu Mingze added.
“As if I need you to tell me that,” Lan Shaoying snapped. “Of course preparations need to be made ahead of time. I’ll call him today. Honestly, what’s the point of raising sons? One after another, none of them give me peace of mind.”
Lu Xingguo glared at Lu Mingze, who merely shrugged and stopped talking.
“Ming’an has always handled things properly,” Tian Jiaojiao said with a smile. “Mom, what kind of meeting gift do you think I should prepare for my future sister-in-law? Shanghai has plenty of nice things. I should pick carefully. Once she comes to Beijing, the three of us can even go shopping together.”
“You’re right. Not only should we pick something for her, you should buy yourself a few outfits too. Mom’s paying. I heard the department store just got several new dresses in stock. After breakfast, we’ll go shopping.”
“Okay!”
Because they slept late last night, Lin Zhitang naturally woke up late as well.
Lu Ming’an hadn’t disturbed her and let her sleep until she woke naturally.
When Lin Zhitang came downstairs, she only saw breakfast sitting on the table. Lu Ming’an was nowhere to be seen.
After eating, she sat in the living room reading when she suddenly heard someone calling for her outside.
It was two police officers.
They had come to ask about Su Ya.
“Comrade Lin Zhitang, are you aware that your mother, Su Ya, was arrested yesterday?”
“Huh? No, I didn’t know. My mother was arrested? What happened?” Lin Zhitang replied with a confused expression. She and Lu Ming’an had deliberately avoided being recognized at Liu Alley last night.
The officers briefly explained how Song Zhiqiang had been caught cheating and how Su Ya had revealed many things during the confrontation, so they had come to investigate.
“Uncle Song got caught cheating? How could this happen? He just married my mother. How could he do something like this?” Lin Zhitang acted as if this were her first time hearing it.
“Comrade Su Ya personally caught them in the act. During the incident, she mentioned several matters related to you and your father, so we’ve come to ask about them.”
“You can ask anything. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Regarding Su Ya and Song Zhiqiang’s premarital affair and Su Yun’s birth, Lin Zhitang truthfully stated that those matters had already been exposed publicly during the wedding banquet.
As for Su Ya drugging her father to marry into the Lin family and scheming for the family fortune, as well as trying to drug and harm her, the former had happened too many years ago and Lin Chennian was already dead, making confrontation impossible.
As for the latter, Lin Zhitang had never actually fallen victim to the scheme, and there was no evidence. Once Su Ya regained her senses, she would certainly deny it.
So Lin Zhitang could only say she didn’t know.
“Understood. Thank you for your cooperation.”
“It’s nothing. Officers, may I ask what will happen to my mother?”
“Su Ya’s situation probably won’t be too severe. But Song Zhiqiang’s immoral conduct case is serious. Exile is certain.”
“Okay. Thank you. Please take care on your way back.”
The police also visited the Wu family for investigation, since Su Yun had once been the Lin family’s adopted daughter and was rumored to be Su Ya and Song Zhiqiang’s biological child.
The moment the police arrived, the neighbors had already gathered outside to watch.
After hearing the explanation, the entire crowd exploded into discussion.
Su Ya truly caused endless trouble.
The instant Old Madam Wu heard it, she panicked.
“Officer, this has nothing to do with our family! My daughter-in-law didn’t know anything!”
She yanked Su Yun forward.
“Hurry and explain clearly to the officers! Everything was done by your mother. It has nothing to do with you! Don’t drag our Wu family down with you!”
“Old Madam, don’t worry. We’re only here to investigate. If there’s no issue, we won’t arrest innocent people.”
“That’s good, that’s good. Hurry up and speak!”
“I don’t know anything. I didn’t do anything,” Su Yun insisted stubbornly.
The police had no intention of forcing answers from her anyway. After all, she had only been a child back then. As for the alleged poisoning attempt against Lin Zhitang, without evidence—and with everyone denying it—there was no way to convict anyone.
After seeing the officers off, Old Madam Wu immediately turned around and slapped Su Yun hard across the face.
Ignoring the watching neighbors, she grabbed a stick and began beating Su Yun viciously while cursing nonstop.
“I said we never should’ve let you marry into this family! You and your mother are both rotten to the core! You dare do every evil thing imaginable! Your mother cheats, and the man she cheated with cheats too! Is adultery some kind of family tradition for you people?! Shameless bitch! I’ll beat you to death!”
“Stop hitting her! Jian’guo’s mother, if you keep going, someone’s going to die!” the neighbors hurriedly intervened after seeing Old Madam Wu strike harder and harder with every blow.