“My grandaunt is a midwife, so she knows the affairs of women best. According to what my grandaunt taught me, Zhou Qingman’s daughter indeed already…”
Oh wow!
When even Mrs. Zhao, who possessed the sharpest eyes, spoke like this, everyone basically believed it.
The way they looked at Lin Lanlan turned into one filled with even more contempt.
Lin Lanlan truly couldn’t stand such eyes, to the point where she wished she could kill Lin Shuang.
“I didn’t.”
Yet her panicked and guilty eyes had long since given her away entirely.
Zhou Qingman closed her eyes in the end, and when she opened them again, she already had an idea.
“Everyone, everyone, let’s still go inside to drink tea and chat. We can’t manage the affairs of young people anyway. Linfeng is a good child and shares a deep affection with my family’s Lanlan; childhood sweethearts, after all, last the longest.”
Neither admitting nor denying it made it hard for others to continue speaking on it.
As for how they would gossip in private, that would be a matter for later.
Lin Shuang was also preparing to lift her feet and follow; speaking so many words had made her very tired too.
Unexpectedly, one of her hands was grabbed from behind.
Meeting a pair of eyes on Qin Hongwen that looked as if they wanted to devour someone alive, Lin Shuang cried out in fear.
Some people just had stubborn heads; today was truly a good day!
However, just one wasn’t enough; Lin Shuang tossed in Zhou Qingman as a bonus.
“Wow! Dad, Aunt Zhou…”
The steps of everyone walking away backed right up once more.
Tonight’s gossip was bigger than the last; it felt like the New Year had come.
Let’s see what kind of big gossip it would be this time!
Qin Hongwen’s eyelids twitched violently. Originally, pulling Lin Shuang back was to ask her about the dowry, but with her shouting like this, Qin Hongwen had no choice but to release his hand bashfully.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing! Everyone, hurry inside to rest; the in-laws’ family is right inside!”
His intention to shoo people away couldn’t be more obvious, but nobody paid him any mind.
“Dad, why are you flustered? I wanted to praise you both! You already have three children, and your daughter is about to form her own family, yet you’re still so clingy.”
At first, everyone was a bit confused; this didn’t sound like there was any gossip?
Let alone the others, even Qin Hongwen had a forehead full of question marks; only Zhou Qingman’s eyelids twitched violently.
“Lin Shuang, stop making a fuss. On Lanlan and Linfeng’s big day, no matter how unhappy you are, please show them some consideration.”
*Still not giving up? What a compassionate mother!*
*I hope you can still manage to smile in a moment.*
“What nonsense is Aunt Zhou talking about? Dad, why don’t you discipline her? She always loves interrupting others like this usually?”
Qin Hongwen’s mind was entirely consumed with that batch of dowry from Lin Shuang, so he wasn’t sensitive to these verbal disputes, immediately casting a warning glare at Zhou Qingman.
Seeing Zhou Qingman’s tears on the verge of falling while the man refused to look at her, Lin Shuang let out a “tch.”
Aunt Chen, however, dropped a hint with her eyes to Lin Shuang, signaling her not to speak, as there were certain words that weren’t suitable for her as a daughter to say.
“Actually, it’s nothing. Shuangshuang just wanted to praise how good your relationship truly is! To still be able to arrive late together for a major event like your daughter’s engagement banquet—Ms. Zhou, you and Mr. Qin truly have high spirits! Playing so hard that you forgot yourselves entirely.”
Lin Shuang didn’t think much of it herself, but the feeling of being protected by someone was truly great.
Qin Hongwen didn’t understand what it meant at first, until he saw Zhou Qingman’s dodging gaze that didn’t dare to look at him; Qin Hongwen, who was naturally suspicious, narrowed his eyes slightly.
“What on earth are you trying to say…”
The words that followed got stuck in his throat, because while Zhou Qingman’s attention was distracted, Lin Shuang suddenly reached out and yanked the high collar wide open, revealing numerous marks on her neck.
Most of the people in the crowd were experienced adults; one glance and they immediately understood what it was. They thought to themselves that these parents were truly shameless in their old age—was their daughter’s marriage not more important than this kind of business?
Yet looking at Qin Hongwen’s complexion, it turned so unsightly it looked as if it were about to drip water.
When clever people thought about it, they understood instantly.
As expected, it was a massive piece of gossip!
Lin Shuang made an offhand comment, “Dad, my eyes are a bit blurry; how come I seem to see a lush green grassland on top of your head?”
“Pfft!” Someone ultimately couldn’t hold it in.
The Lin family’s granddaughter was truly amusing!
Aunt Chen didn’t miss any opportunity to mock Qin Hongwen either.
“Old Qin, if I were you, I’d hurry up and have someone investigate, lest you raise children for someone else for nothing.”
“Especially your family’s twins—I look at them and they don’t resemble you anywhere at all.”
Qin Hongwen was naturally suspicious to begin with; at this moment, his mind was already comparing his looks with those of the twins, only to realize with a startle that they didn’t resemble him anywhere either.
Although Chen Tianxing had a unpleasant mouth, she wouldn’t tell lies.
Qin Hongwen suddenly felt a discomfort as if he had swallowed a fly, finding no one pleasing to his eyes.
Zhou Qingman knew Qin Hongwen’s temper best of all; right now, she didn’t dare to cross his bad mood either, standing to the side playing quail while her eyes still clung to him wistfully.
As long as it wasn’t brought into the open explicitly, once she comforted him properly after returning home, she could always fool him over it.
Unluckily, the twins who had come looking for them didn’t understand the situation, “Dad, why haven’t you gone in yet?”
Then turning his head, he coldly berated Lin Shuang, “It’s you again, Lin Shuang! A person needs to have a limit. Today is my sister’s big day; making my dad late was already going too far, and now you want to stop my dad from holding up the scene for my sister? Why doesn’t a venomous scorpion of a woman like you just go die?”
*Hiss!*
Everyone’s gazes grew strange; these twins of the Lin family couldn’t be stupid, right?
Qin Hongwen had just been suspecting the background of the twins, and now the two of them were making him lose face like this, making his temper entirely unsuppressible.
*Slap! Slap!*
“Shut up! Adults are speaking, what business is it of you two? What nonsense are you spouting? Hurry up and apologize to your Eldest Sister.”
It had to be said that Qin Hongwen’s head was still fairly clear at critical moments, knowing that Lin Shuang wouldn’t let things off easily.
No matter how dissatisfied the twins were, in the face of their father on the verge of explosive rage, they were as obedient as two small lambs.
“Eldest Sister, I’m sorry!”
“Lin Shuang, I’m sorry!”
Lin Shuang waved her hand, indicating that she, as an adult, wouldn’t hold a grudge against small-minded people.
The tea party finally had everyone present. With alcohol, drinks, pastries, sunflower seeds, and candies to pass the time, plus a show to watch, the onlookers quickly began chatting in harmony.
Only the members of the Lin family each harbored their own thoughts.
Shan Hanyu, who knew about the farce outside, maintained a smile on her face while in her heart she had already kicked Shen Linfeng and Lin Lanlan out of the picture, grouping them together with Shen Hongrun, only hoping that this extra banquet could end as soon as possible.
What was bound to come would eventually arrive.
As soon as Lin Shuang returned from going to the restroom, an extra person appeared beside her.
“Sister Lin Shuang, is it really you?” The girl couldn’t hide her pleasant surprise, her genuine tears acting as her weapon.
Had she not known Shi Dongyun’s true face, Lin Shuang would have almost believed it.
Quietly pulling her arm away, she even moved her chair a bit further off.
Making it clear that *we aren’t familiar with each other.*
*I know you guys are planning to plot against me, but my persona can’t collapse.*
Shi Dongyun was truly worthy of being someone who could team up with Lin Lanlan; her skin wasn’t ordinary thick, as not a single bit of displeasure could be spotted on her face.
A master indeed!
“Sister Lin Shuang, I didn’t expect to meet you here. You must be curious why I’m here, right? I came with my grandaunt.” After saying that, she even pointed to a plump woman in the distance, whom Lin Shuang didn’t have much impression of.
Fine; out in public, one’s identity was given by oneself.
Just as Lin Shuang expected, within a short moment, an extra glass of fruit wine appeared in front of Lin Shuang.
“Is your grandaunt looking for you?” Lin Shuang gave her a nudge, and taking advantage of the moment Shi Dongyun turned her head, she swiftly swapped the glasses.
“No, she isn’t?”
“Perhaps I saw wrong.” Lin Shuang didn’t change her expression.
Shi Dongyun’s entire heart hung in her throat, feeling tremendously excited on the inside; doing this kind of thing could be addictive.
“Sister Lin Shuang, hurry up and drink! I don’t know where Brother-in-law got this fruit wine from, but it tastes even better than soft drinks.” Saying so, she downed two big mouthfuls herself.
*Humph! I just won’t drink it! Won’t that drive you guys to death with anxiety?*
Lin Shuang remained untouched. Shi Dongyun was so angry she wanted to stamp her feet, having never seen anyone as impervious as Lin Shuang.
Exchanging a glance with Lin Lanlan, who was hiding in the dark, Lin Lanlan soon came over arm in arm with Shen Linfeng.
Having finally hooked the big fish, Lin Shuang broke her usual routine to offer her blessings.
“Come, come, come! There was no wine before, so now I’ll offer present flowers to the Buddha. Wishing the two of you to be locked together for life, and to bear a big bunch of sons and daughters who are just as thick-skinned as a city wall as you two are.”
Rarely, Lin Lanlan didn’t get angry either. Although Shen Linfeng had a look of rage, it was suppressed by a small gesture from Lin Lanlan.