“Two months older?”
A veteran onlooker immediately caught the key piece of information.
“Wait, that’s not right! Didn’t they say these twins were only sixteen?”
“Then when they moved into the Lin family back then, they should have been ten years old, just like Lin Shuang! I was just saying those two kids didn’t look eight years old no matter how you looked at them. They were a whole head taller than our Shuangshuang!”
No matter how well-fed they were, they shouldn’t have looked like that.
The voice sounded very familiar. Lin Shuang turned her head to look, and sure enough, it was her Aunt Chen.
“What nonsense are you talking about?” Lin Lanlan, who had been watching coldly from the side, saw that the fire was only burning her own family without harming Lin Shuang in the slightest, so she hurriedly spoke up to interrupt.
However, she underestimated the rebellious spirit of the onlookers.
“Hey! Can’t people even talk anymore?”
“Exactly! If your family doesn’t have a guilty conscience, why wouldn’t you let people speak?”
“Huh, if the twins are the same age as Lin Shuang, then doesn’t Lin Lanlan, who is two years older than the twins, make her two years older than Lin Shuang as well?”
Someone opened their mouth wide as if they had discovered a new continent.
In fact, who among those present wasn’t sharp as a tack? It was just that they had long been unable to stand this family’s way of doing things.
Having run into the opportunity today, they felt compelled to speak their minds.
However, they stopped at that point since things had been brought into the open to this extent.
Everyone understood in their hearts that the Lin family had been calculated against by Qin Hongwen and Zhou Qingman.
Having already fathered three children before running to the Lin family to be a matrilocal son-in-law—what his purpose was was blindingly obvious.
Someone who used to be well-acquainted with Lin Huanong couldn’t help but feel indignant on her behalf at this moment, but unfortunately, they were held back by their family members.
Sigh! The dead were already dead, while the living still had to be bound by worldly constraints.
Zhou Qingman, who had rushed over, had a face turning blue and white in turns.
Unwilling to let this bucket of dirty water splash onto herself, a spark of inspiration hit her, and she began to act.
“Everyone, things are not as you think.”
“Hongwen and I aren’t that shameless. It was Lin Huanong—she was the one who seduced my man first! Hongwen really had no spark with Lin Huanong.
However, Lin Huanong didn’t seem willing to give up, so she deliberately spread rumors outside that they had gotten together.
Old Master Lin was concerned about his daughter’s reputation, which was why he approached Hongwen.
He used the lives of our mother and three children to force Hongwen into a matrilocal marriage. Hongwen and I are truly wronged.”
*Clap! Clap! Clap~* Lin Shuang clapped her hands with utmost admiration.
“Stepmother, your ancestors must have been theatrical performers, right? This play was performed quite well! Your ability to turn black into white is truly top-notch, and truly shameless!”
“You~” Zhou Qingman gritted her teeth in rage. Lin Shuang was simply her nemesis, and to make matters worse, she was surrounded by Lin Huanong’s former acquaintances, who protected her like a chick.
“What ‘you’? Are you not shameless? In order to whitewash yourself and Qin Hongwen, you slapped framed charges onto my mom and grandfather. You splashed this bucket of dirty water in the wrong place.”
“Just in time, Qin Hongwen is here. Let’s interview him and see if the real situation is as Stepmother says.”
A megaphone was suddenly shoved in front of his face, and Qin Hongwen’s reprimanding words instantly got stuck in his throat.
“As Heaven is my witness, Dad, if you dare to tell a single lie, may you be struck by lightning and die a horrible death! May your two sons and one daughter meet the exact same end as you.”
Lin Shuang straightened her body, her expression as normal as ever, as though the person who had just quietly threatened him wasn’t the same person.
For the first time, Qin Hongwen realized that the daughter before him was very unfamiliar, as if he had never known her at all.
“Mr. Qin Hongwen, touch your conscience and tell us: is what Ms. Zhou said just now true?”
Inexplicably, Qin Hongwen’s vision was filled with the soul-demanding members of the Lin family.
His father-in-law, who had always been pleasant to him, was wielding a long sword to take his life; his mother-in-law, who had always been kind-faced, said she would twist his head off and steam it in a pot.
Even his wife, who had always spoken in soft tones, was pouring poison into him.
“Husband, time to hit the road!”
Qin Hongwen trembled uncontrollably, reaching out to his precious sons for help, but every one of them ran faster than rabbits.
*Thud.* His legs turned soft, and the crowd stepped back in silence.
Was repenting now of any use? Eight years ago, when he brought his entire family to live in the Lin family’s home, they all knew, but out of adult social courtesy, they didn’t puncture the facade.
Behind closed doors, everyone knew clear as day what kind of person he was.
“Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Huanong, I’m sorry to you all. I’m just a beast. I was blinded by greed, wanting everything at once, greedy by nature.
I shouldn’t have targeted the Lin family, let alone Huanong. I know I was wrong. I beg you to spare me.”
*Bang, bang, bang~* His forehead slammed heavily against the ground, as if he felt no pain.
Those who were on good terms with the Lin family all felt a sense of satisfaction.
Qin Hongwen still had a bit of conscience after all, knowing how to repent.
Only Lin Shuang knew what was actually going on, marveling once again at her eldest uncle-in-law’s foresight.
Her eldest uncle-in-law was truly a capable man; with this skill in compounding medicinal powders, being a veterinarian was truly wasting his talents!
Zhou Qingman panicked. Afraid of the surrounding contemptuous gazes, she stepped back repeatedly in terror.
The twins likewise backed away, regretting being born into such a family.
The most hysterical one was Lin Lanlan.
“Dad, what are you doing? Get up quickly.” He had to get up whether he wanted to or not—wasn’t this humiliating?
This was her engagement banquet!
Qin Hongwen’s rationality recovered. Remembering what he had just done, he felt like eating Lin Shuang alive.
It was all the fault of this wretched girl. Had she not refused to accept discipline, the family wouldn’t have suffered one streak of bad luck after another.
Glaring fiercely at Lin Shuang, Qin Hongwen composed himself, bowing and apologizing to everyone repeatedly.
“My apologies! I’ve ruined everyone’s mood. Tonight’s banquet will not accept gift money, and all expenses will be borne entirely by my Lin family.”
Everyone was originally planning to leave; just as Qin Hongwen said, their mood had been ruined.
However, upon hearing that there was a free banquet, everyone flooded into the restaurant again.
Only then did the farce come to an end.
Lin Shuang originally thought there would be some big trap waiting for her, remaining on high alert throughout the whole process.
Of course, she wasn’t afraid either; she ate freely, knowing she could just enter her space if she felt uncomfortable.
Yet right up until she put down her bowl and chopsticks, the plot targeted at her still hadn’t appeared.
Could it be that she had overlooked something?
Lin Shuang carefully reviewed everything, going over various details.
Right, hadn’t they said they were going to have Shi Dongyun spike her drink?
Yet at the banquet, there wasn’t even a single drop of alcohol.
Not only was there none at their table, but there was none where the men gathered either.
Someone couldn’t help muttering, “Hosting a banquet without serving alcohol, how stingy.”
“Alright now, they didn’t take gift money, so it’s only normal not to serve booze. Either way, you didn’t lose out!”
Those who liked good liquor thought about it and realized it made sense, immediately downing another bowl of rice into their stomachs—this time they had truly gotten their money’s worth.
Lin Shuang listened to the whole thing; so it was just cutting expenses!
Could they be harboring other intentions?
The thought had just arisen when Shen Linfeng and Lin Lanlan came over hand in hand to offer a toast—no, to offer tea.
“Thank you, everyone, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend my and Lanlan’s engagement banquet. Please forgive us for any improper hospitality!”
Everyone returned smiles on the surface, while complaining bitterly in their hearts.
They thought it was alcohol, but it turned out to be tea substituted for alcohol.
Tea was one thing, but it was even this dreadful to drink.
Lin Shuang had long been prepared for this. She was adept at long-sleeve dancing—no, long sleeves were also adept at handling alcohol.
Thanks to the clothes her eldest aunt made for her, the sleeves were exceptionally wide; with just a slight cover, it was all spilled into the space.
After finishing the tea, Lin Shuang flipped the cup over to reveal the bottom, only to discover that Lin Lanlan wasn’t staring at her side.
Could it be that the blow tonight was too great, so they called it off temporarily?
Lin Shuang didn’t believe it.
“If everyone has time after dinner, please step over to my humble abode for a short sit. Lanlan and I have set up a tea party and would like to invite everyone over to chat about daily matters.”
“Rest assured, there will be cigarettes, alcohol, good tea, as well as pastries handmade by Chef Jiang. Consider it my Shen family’s apology for tonight’s unpleasantness.”
Lin Shuang rubbed her small hands in excitement; here it comes, here it comes…