Old Mrs. Xu looked at her son, who was deep in thought, and said with some regret:
"There's no such thing as a wall that doesn't let the wind through. It was only a matter of time before this got exposed. If only it had been exposed a few years earlier—back then, that little wretch was still under our control. We could have molded her however we pleased, beaten her or killed her at will. What a pity!"
Thinking of that little wretch who used to be so obedient, capable, and easy to manage, Old Mrs. Xu let out a long sigh.
What a shame. She probably wouldn't get to enjoy that little wretch's service anymore.
If she ever found out who leaked the information, she would tear that person's mouth to shreds. How dare they ruin the Xu family's plans? This grudge was now a serious one.
Soon, Mother Xu came home from work. The three of them put their heads together and discussed for a while before trudging home with heavy steps.
They crept carefully back into the courtyard, craning their necks and glancing around in every direction.
Only after confirming there was no danger did they take a step forward together. And then—
Xu Lin had been waiting for them, timing it perfectly. Seeing the three of them sneak in like thieves, she grinned.
She charged out of her room without a word, slammed them to the ground, and gave them a thorough beating.
After she was done, Xu Lin stood before the three of them, admiring her handiwork.
Perfect. Aside from their pale faces and twisted features, there were no visible external injuries.
She looked at their curled-up bodies. This time, she had focused her strikes on their bone marrow. What does it mean for pain to penetrate to the marrow? This was exactly that.
Judging by their contorted faces and cold sweat pouring down like rain, it was clear what level of pain they were enduring.
Most importantly, if she hit them a few more times, within two months, the aftereffects would start to show.
The first to collapse would be Old Mrs. Xu. That old hag had been vicious and ruthless her whole life. Xu Lin couldn't wait to see how miserable her fate would be when she was bedridden—that would be far more agonizing than simply killing the old hag outright.
Next up would be Mother Xu. Xu Lin had paid special attention to her two arms.
Mother Xu's bones would first become brittle, breaking at the slightest touch.
After one or two years of suffering, both arms would be completely ruined—nothing but decorations.
Then came Father Xu. He loved breaking other people's legs so much—Xu Lin would make all four of his limbs useless.
She couldn't wait to see how Father Xu would sell information or break anyone's hands and feet once he was a complete invalid.
Heh. Xu Lin made it clear: I hold grudges. Not only do I hold grudges, I'm also very good at making people suffer. I'll make sure they live a life worse than death.
Most importantly, before that happened, Xu Lin would sever all ties with them.
Xu Lin had no intention of letting this family latch onto her and suck her dry once they were crippled. Even if she didn't have to provide for them, she didn't want to see them crawling back and making her sick.
As for Xu Kun and Xu Nuan, Xu Lin lowered her gaze. Those two weren't good people either, but there was no rush for revenge.
Let them first bear the responsibility of being filial children.
She wanted to see whether Old Mrs. Xu and Mother Xu would still dote on them as before once the whole Xu family fell on hard times.
She wanted to see how they and the fake daughter would tear each other apart. Just thinking about that scene was something to look forward to.
Xu Lin's thoughts were sweet, and even the murderous look in her eyes softened a bit. She coldly tossed out one line: "I want chicken for dinner tonight."
With that, she turned and went back to her room. As for where the three of them would get the chicken, that was their problem.
Xu Lin figured the little bit of money she'd left in their rooms wasn't for them to squander—it was her food allowance.
Once Xu Lin disappeared, Mother Xu couldn't help but start sobbing. Because she couldn't make a sound from her throat, it looked rather eerie.
Father Xu and Old Mrs. Xu exchanged glances, their similar triangular eyes shooting out venomous glints.
Dinner was lavish, prepared by Mother Xu while dragging her aching body—a pot of chicken soup, a plate of braised pork ribs, two vegetable dishes, and plenty of steamed white rice.
In this day and age, being able to eat steamed white rice was an absolute blessing. Add two hearty meat dishes to that, and the happiness doubled.
At any rate, Xu Kun and Xu Nuan felt very happy. Even the pain in their bodies seemed to lighten considerably.
Mother Xu, wearing a fawning smile, first filled a full bowl and placed it in front of Xu Lin. "Linlin, please."
Oh? Xu Lin raised an eyebrow. They were using honorifics now—had the beating worked, or hadn't it?
If the beating had worked, then how did they have the nerve to put sleeping drugs in the chicken soup? If it hadn't worked, then why were they using "please" with her?
"Heh. Respecting the elderly and cherishing the young is a traditional virtue of Longguo. This bowl should go to her."
With that, Xu Lin placed the full bowl of chicken soup in front of Old Mrs. Xu, whose face turned green as she hurriedly declined.
"I couldn't possibly, couldn't possibly. This is your favorite chicken soup, Grand—"
Hmm? Xu Lin's face darkened, and a faint threatening sound escaped from her nose, making Old Mrs. Xu flinch. She didn't dare call herself "Grandma" anymore and quickly corrected herself:
"I—how could I dare compete with you? Please, please."
Her wrinkled face was piled high with fawning, fake smiles, leaving Xu Kun and Xu Nuan utterly bewildered.
What was going on? Did someone not like fragrant chicken soup?
If they didn't want it, they could give it to them. They wouldn't mind.
Xu Kun, the glutton, couldn't help but chime in: "If none of you want it, give it to me. I don't mind."
"Sure." Xu Lin didn't give Old Mrs. Xu a chance to refuse and immediately placed the chicken soup in front of Xu Kun. "Drink up."
Xu Kun chuckled, and Old Mrs. Xu's face turned even greener. Mother Xu's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, her fists clenched tight.
Father Xu's heart leaped into his throat, his gaze darting repeatedly toward the stick nearby.
Only Xu Nuan noticed nothing, staring at the bowl of chicken soup with envy, jealousy, and resentment. She wanted some too.
"No, no, don't! Kun'er, how—how can you snatch food from your sister? Give it back to her right now."
Mother Xu croaked in a hoarse voice, blinking her red-rimmed eyes and signaling frantically, hoping her precious son would catch on and not grab everything in sight.
"Is there something wrong with this chicken soup?" Xu Lin cut off their silent exchange, her small face dark as ink. "Did you put something in it?"
Her words sent a chill down the spines of Mother Xu and the other two, cold sweat breaking out on their backs. They denied it in unison.
"We didn't—how could we possibly drug it? You're mistaken."
After speaking, the three exchanged glances, then guiltily looked away. Father Xu was the first to recover, quickly saying:
"Since you're kind enough to yield to the younger one, then Kun'er, hurry and thank your sister."
He too signaled with his eyes, telling Xu Kun to be smart and not grab everything to eat. But Xu Kun, lacking any discernment, didn't understand.
He merely offered a half-hearted thank-you, then fixed his gaze on the chicken soup, leaning in with his mouth wide open, ready to drink.
Father Xu and the other two's hearts clenched. Father Xu knew this bowl of soup couldn't be stopped. Fine—it was only knockout powder anyway, so let him drink.
He quickly signaled Mother Xu to ladle out another bowl and continue dosing it.
No matter what, they had to get the knockout powder into that little wretch's system quickly. If things were exposed, the five of them wouldn't escape her clutches.
Snapping into action, Mother Xu moved swiftly, and before long, a fresh bowl was set before Xu Lin.
Catching the faint medicinal scent, Xu Lin inwardly curled her lips. Mother Xu's hands were certainly quick—the drug was in the bowl in the blink of an eye.