“Sis, Zou Zhengting asked Nini for five hundred yuan. You should ask Yang Wen and Nini for five hundred each too.”
Lin Xinhua wasn’t being greedy. “We can’t beat them up and go to jail. If we can’t make them suffer physically, we should at least make their hearts ache.”
“Teacher Yang has already compensated me with the house and the betrothal money. Besides, Teacher Yang and I will still be coworkers. She’s always treated me very well, so for her sake I don’t want to make things difficult for Yang Wen.”
Yang Jiahui had truly treated Lin Zhaoyang like a daughter. During the marriage negotiations, she had done everything she could to give Lin Zhaoyang face.
Although she had paid for the house, she never even asked for the key, saying she wouldn’t interfere in the younger generation’s affairs.
Lin Zhaoyang explained to her brother, “As for Nini, she’s not begging me for anything. Even if I ask her for money, she won’t give it, so there’s no point wasting my breath.”
These days the police no longer handled such matters. Nini’s reputation was already ruined, so she definitely wouldn’t pay.
But Nini wanted to marry Yang Wen as soon as possible. She was afraid Zou Zhengting would drag out the divorce, so even if she didn’t want to pay him, she’d have to.
Lin Zhaoyang glanced at the man a few steps behind them and lowered her voice.
“Once Nini and Zou Zhengting finish their divorce, I’m writing a complaint letter and mailing it to Nini’s workplace.”
Lin Xinhua’s eyes lit up. “If her workplace gets that letter, will she be fired?”
“Absolutely.” Lin Zhaoyang raised an eyebrow. “Your sister holds grudges.”
If Yang Wen weren’t Teacher Yang’s son, Lin Zhaoyang wouldn’t have let him off so easily.
Zou Zhengting watched the siblings enter their house before finally leaving. The moment they got home, the brother and sister began packing their belongings.
Half an hour later, Lin Daheng and Wang Fenglan returned as well.
“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, if you’re really so tough, then move out today! If you’re such unfilial people who only know how to anger Mom and Dad, then have the backbone to stay away from them!”
Lin Rongzong stood in the courtyard shouting toward Lin Daheng, who had just entered the house.
“Don’t worry about us clinging to your house, Lin Rongzong. We’re moving out right now!”
Lin Daheng knew perfectly well that Lin Rongzong had already set his sights on this house.
The couple entered and saw that the siblings had packed more than half the things already. They walked over and gently patted their children’s heads.
“Your mother and I are useless. We’ve made you two suffer.”
“My mom and dad are the best in the world.” Lin Zhaoyang hugged their arms and acted spoiled. “We’ll finish packing and move to my place. We have somewhere to live, so we’re not afraid of moving.”
“That house was bought for you, so it’s yours. We shouldn’t move in there.” Wang Fenglan shook her head. “If we move in, when Xinhua starts looking for a wife later, people may think it’s our family house instead of yours.”
“Your mother and I have worked at the factory for many years. We qualify for employee housing. We just never applied because we already had a place to live.”
Lin Daheng said, “As it happens, a unit became vacant a few days ago. I’ll go apply right now. Given our situation, we should qualify for a two-bedroom apartment.”
Lin Daheng agreed with his wife’s thinking. Their daughter was getting older. Since this marriage had fallen through, they needed to arrange another match soon.
There were too many belongings. The fewer times they had to move them, the better.
Leaving his wife and children packing at home, Lin Daheng immediately went to the factory to apply for housing.
As a skilled worker and team leader, with both spouses’ years of service plus the official severance certificate from the neighborhood office, they fully met the requirements.
After a brief meeting, the factory leaders approved his application on the spot.
They assigned him a two-bedroom apartment. Lin Daheng collected the approval slip and went straight to logistics for the keys.
No sooner had he left the factory than news spread everywhere that Lin Rende had severed ties with his eldest son, that Nini had stolen Lin Zhaoyang’s fiancé, and that she had tried to set Lin Zhaoyang up with Zou Zhengting.
Meanwhile, thanks entirely to Aunt Chen’s mouth, every household in the neighborhood learned about it too.
When Lin Daheng got home, a crowd had gathered outside his door, all eager for gossip.
“Lin Daheng, are you really moving out? By rights you’re the actual Lin bloodline. If anyone should move, it should be Lin Rongzong,” Old Qian advised him. “Aren’t you just handing the house to them?”
“They can live without shame. Their son-in-law was stolen from someone else. My family can’t live like that. Who knows whether there’ll be a third or fourth time? Maybe even future daughters-in-law will have to be stolen.”
“I’m not capable enough to win the favor of the father who gave birth to me. Lin Rende’s heart has long tilted completely toward Lin Rongzong. So the only one who can leave is me.”
Lin Daheng waved the neighbors away.
“We need to pack. Stop standing here watching the show.”
The neighbors stopped crowding his doorway, but they all went next door instead, saying all kinds of things.
Some cursed Lin Rende for being senile. Others cursed him for breaking his own son’s heart.
Furious, Lin Rende and Du Hongying drove the neighbors out too and slammed the door shut.
“Let him go! Let’s see how long he can keep acting tough!” Lin Rende had been angry since the neighborhood office, and being laughed at by the neighbors made him even angrier. He stood in the courtyard and shouted toward the neighboring house.
Lin Daheng came out and shouted back, “I’ll stay tough until the day you die and I still won’t come back! We’ve already severed ties. You don’t need to drive me away. I’ll leave with my wife and children myself!”
A shrill scream came from next door as Du Hongying claimed Lin Rende was so angry he couldn’t stand and was about to faint.
The moment Lin Daheng heard she still had the energy to put on such a performance, he knew Lin Rende wasn’t dying anytime soon. He turned around and went back inside to keep packing.
After living there for most of their lives, the four of them had always thought the modest home looked empty.
But once they actually started packing, it nearly killed them.
There was far more stuff than expected.
Lin Daheng and Wang Fenglan were extremely frugal. They had even kept the cloth diapers Lin Zhaoyang used as a baby. Hair ribbons from her childhood could still be found in a box.
“There are too many things. I need to see if I can find a vehicle,” Lin Daheng said, glancing at the sacks piled across the living room before heading out.
Wang Fenglan went into the kitchen to pack the last pots and bowls. Before she finished, Lin Daheng came back.
“That was fast. Did you already find a vehicle?” she asked in surprise.
“Zou Zhengting drove a truck over. It’s parked outside already.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Zou Zhengting strode in on his long legs.
“Aunt Wang, I’m here to help you move.”
Before Lin Daheng or Wang Fenglan could respond, he first glanced at Lin Zhaoyang, then bent down, lifted a sack in each hand, and carried them outside.
Lin Zhaoyang suddenly realized he hadn’t gone home after walking her to the door. He had gone back to his work unit to borrow a truck because he knew her family was moving.
Knowing exactly what help they needed, he came on his own without waiting for anyone to ask.
There was a reason some people were so hard to forget.
Wang Fenglan stared blankly. “Dad, would it be inappropriate to let him help?”
“Whether it’s appropriate or not, he’s already here with a truck. He came voluntarily; I didn’t call him.” Lin Daheng spread his hands helplessly. He couldn’t exactly drive the man away and then spend the afternoon borrowing a vehicle from someone else.
“At best I could borrow a three-wheeled cart. With this much stuff, we’d need several trips. His truck can move both us and our belongings in one go.”
Lin Daheng wasn’t afraid of hard work himself, but he worried about his wife and children.
In weather this hot, exhaustion was one thing, but heatstroke was another.
“We’ll pay him afterward. We won’t use him for free.”
“Yes, pay him generously. I’d rather we lose money than owe him a favor. That wouldn’t be appropriate.”
Wang Fenglan was frugal, but she never hesitated to spend money when it mattered—especially when it concerned her daughter’s reputation.