“So you’re worried he might get bullied, but not worried about me getting bullied?”
She had even sacrificed her reputation to have him detained, all to buy herself some time—at least enough to move out before he was released.
And yet, her own brother, without her consent, had bailed him out just because her sister-in-law was worried he might get bullied?
Lin Miaomiao felt a chill in her heart toward her brother standing before her.
Even though she had already prepared herself mentally for the possibility that her brother might choose his wife over his own sister, she never expected him to go this far.
“No… don’t worry, Liu Hang has already realized his mistake. He won’t bully you again. He promised me, and I’ll protect you too…” Lin Hai said anxiously.
“So I should thank you, then?”
Lin Hai’s expression froze.
Lin Miaomiao didn’t want to engage with him any further. Her brother’s repeated compromises for his wife were bound to happen sooner or later.
She just hadn’t expected it to come so soon.
She entered the room and woke her son. “A Bao, Mama is taking you to stay somewhere else for a few days.”
She had already given up on the dormitory. Since she couldn’t apply for one, she might as well look for a place to rent.
But staying under the same roof as Liu Hang made Lin Miaomiao uneasy.
She wasn’t afraid for herself, but A Bao was still a child. She worried that Liu Hang, harboring resentment, might take it out on him.
Lin Miaomiao helped her son put on his shoes and began packing their belongings.
“Mama, are we going to have our own home?” A Bao was thrilled at the idea of moving out with his mother, thinking he would have his own home just like Ningning.
Lin Miaomiao stiffened for a moment before forcing a smile. “Well, it’s not ready yet. We’ll stay in a hotel for a few days first. Once Mama gets everything sorted, we’ll move in.”
Though inconvenient, it was still better than staying here.
“Alright, go pack your clothes too.”
“Yay!”
A Bao ran off to gather his clothes and his little teddy bear.
“Mama, we have to take the bear too, or it’ll get lonely.”
“And my little airplane, whoosh—”
“Oh, and this little pig pillow. A Bao likes to hug it when sleeping.”
Lin Miaomiao helplessly put the pillow back. “A Bao, Mama’s suitcase can’t fit such a big pillow. We’ll come back for your little pig pillow once we move into our new home, okay?”
A Bao thought for a moment and nodded. “Okay then.”
Lin Miaomiao then retrieved a locked iron box she had hidden in the cabinet. She found the key and opened it. Inside were the money and ration coupons she had saved. It was 1985, and Guang Province, as a pilot zone for reform and opening-up, had already abolished all ration coupons like grain and cloth tickets. She still had some unused ones left, but the rest was the money she had saved over the years.
Except for the two years when her child was very sick, she had managed to save ten yuan every month. Now, she had exactly two hundred and fifty yuan saved up.
In this era, it wasn’t a large sum. She had originally planned to save it for her child’s future education and emergencies.
Lin Miaomiao usually refused to touch this money.
But now, she had no choice. Renting a place here wasn’t cheap—after all, it was a big city with no shortage of tenants. Finding a rental wasn’t easy either; she would need someone to refer her.
The lowest rent for a month was at least five yuan, and with additional expenses like utilities and miscellaneous fees, it would come to around seven or eight yuan.
And it couldn’t be too far from the factory, or commuting to work would be inconvenient.
When her eldest brother helped her find a job back then, he had considered that their factory was nearby and the surrounding area was full of industrial zones, which would be convenient.
However, more factories meant a larger flow of people, and the demand for housing in the area would be higher.
Lin Miaomiao thought to herself as she packed.
When she walked out carrying her luggage, Lin Hai’s expression was grim.
“Miaomiao, what are you doing?”
“I’m moving out with A Bao.”
After saying this, Lin Miaomiao noticed Liu Hang’s expression suddenly darken.
She narrowed her eyes.
Shouldn’t they be happier if she left?
Why were they upset instead?
“No, I don’t agree.” Lin Hai’s face was stern. He had promised his deceased parents to take care of her and A Bao. If she ran away over such a small matter now, what would his brothers say when they found out?
Lin Hai was annoyed. If it weren’t for his wife using her pregnancy to pressure him, he wouldn’t have had to bail the man out. Why couldn’t she understand him and insist on making such a scene?
“Eldest Brother, I’m not here to ask for your permission. I’m informing you.” Lin Miaomiao’s expression also darkened.
“Miaomiao, can’t you try to understand me? I’m already exhausted from work all day, and I still have to deal with the issues between you and your sister-in-law. Can’t you just stop causing trouble?”
“I’m causing trouble?” Lin Miaomiao looked at him in disbelief. “What trouble am I causing? Did I ask him to sneak into my room? Did I ask him to grope me outside?”
“Protecting my own safety—is that my fault in your eyes?”
“You want me to understand you, but who’s ever tried to understand me?!”
After saying this, ignoring his grim expression, she took the child’s hand and left without looking back.
She could probably guess that her eldest brother had bailed the man out despite her wishes, likely because her sister-in-law had threatened suicide again.
Of course, he had to compromise.
But why should she have to endure grievances every time he compromised?
Was she some kind of worthless person?
As soon as she stepped out of the Tongzilou, she ran into Wang Defa, who looked hesitant downstairs.
Wang Defa was in casual clothes, and Lin Miaomiao almost didn’t recognize him.
Seeing Lin Miaomiao carrying a suitcase and holding the child’s hand, he was deeply concerned.
He hurried forward and said, “Comrade Lin, are you alright? I went back to the police station on my day off today and heard that someone had come to bail Liu Hang out.”
When he heard it was someone from the Lin Family who had bailed him out, claiming it was all a misunderstanding that had been cleared up privately, he felt uneasy. That day, Lin Miaomiao had cried so bitterly—it couldn’t have been a misunderstanding.
It was possible that Lin Miaomiao, being too gentle, had been threatened.
So he came over to ask about the situation, never expecting to see this scene.
Lin Miaomiao hadn’t expected him to come specifically to check on her, and she felt grateful.
“It was my eldest brother who bailed him out. Since Liu Hang is my sister-in-law’s younger brother, he was probably worried something might happen to him inside and he wouldn’t be able to explain it, so he bailed him out.”
“Then what are you going to do? Did he do anything to you?”
Wang Defa was very worried.
“I’m fine, thank you for your concern. I’ve already decided to move out.” Lin Miaomiao shook her head. She had been lucky that time—she happened to be outside when he grabbed her, giving her a chance to react.
But after this incident, he definitely wouldn’t do such things in front of outsiders again.
It would be difficult for her to get Liu Han out of her life again.
Besides, her sister-in-law probably hated her to death now.
What if she keeps staying and spitting in her food?