Lin Zhaoyang had never been one to swallow insults.
She immediately fired back, “You’re right. Just look at your daughter. She didn’t even finish elementary school, yet you’re already a grandmother at thirty-six!
“I guess having less education really does make it easier to get married. Any little thug can sweet-talk you into becoming his wife. Just like your daughter—she’s not picky at all. Any man will do.”
Huang Chunxiu’s face instantly darkened.
Her daughter was only fifteen years old and had gotten pregnant the previous year, forcing a hurried marriage.
The groom’s family took advantage of the girl’s pregnancy and ruined reputation, insisting that since no one else would marry her, there was no need to pay a single cent in bride price.
To make matters worse, Huang Chunxiu’s daughter had desperately insisted on marrying him.
The incident had brought tremendous shame upon the Huang family.
The factory had even held a meeting, urging employees’ families to strengthen the education and supervision of their children.
After all, something like this happening in the factory housing compound reflected poorly on the factory itself.
“Your whole family can’t tell the difference between kindness and malice!” Huang Chunxiu shouted. “I’d like to see who’ll marry your Lin Zhaoyang after two broken engagements!”
“She couldn’t get married after two tries, her reputation’s completely ruined, and she still has such a terrible temper. She’ll spend the rest of her life as an old maid in the Lin family!”
Fuming, Huang Chunxiu shoved through the crowd and stormed off.
“My reputation will never be worse than your family’s,” Lin Zhaoyang shot back mercilessly. “Compared to your family, all that happened to me was having my fiancé stolen. That’s hardly anything unusual.”
“Exactly!” Wang Fenglan wasn’t someone who let people walk all over her either.
“My Zhaoyang didn’t get pregnant before marriage, and she didn’t steal someone else’s fiancé. Whoever dares say my daughter is no good deserves a rotten mouth! I hope they get run over by a car the moment they step outside!”
They had only just moved in, and these people were already insulting her daughter right in front of both parents.
Did they really think her family was easy to bully?
Provoked beyond endurance, Huang Chunxiu rolled up her sleeves and charged forward, only to be grabbed and dragged away by her husband, who wore a grim expression.
“Enough! Everyone, go home!” Lin Daheng snapped.
“Are none of you eating or resting? Why are you all standing here?”
He was already irritated with these neighbors.
Every last one of them had come just to watch the drama.
If they’d come to help move furniture, he wouldn’t have chased them away—he’d have thanked them.
Instead, they all stood there empty-handed while their mouths never stopped chattering.
The sound alone annoyed him.
Seeing the anger on Lin Daheng’s face, the spectators finally clicked their tongues quietly and dispersed.
“Every one of them has their eye on the house we bought for Zhaoyang,” Wang Fenglan said knowingly.
“They’re all hoping someone from their family can marry our Zhaoyang, then their whole family can move into her house.”
Factory housing had become increasingly difficult to obtain, while more and more young people were waiting for allocations.
Lin Zhaoyang earned a good salary, had a respectable job, and now owned a house of her own.
How could people not set their sights on her?
“Mom, I won’t stay here for a while,” Lin Zhaoyang said. “I’ll go live at Qinghe Street for now. I really can’t be bothered dealing with these people.”
She didn’t even have to think about it.
If she stayed here, someone would show up every day trying to introduce her to another man.
Lin Daheng nodded.
“That’s probably for the best. People will definitely keep asking. Your conditions are so good that everyone has their eye on you. Qinghe Street will be much quieter.”
“But will you be safe living there alone?” Wang Fenglan asked worriedly. “There are more and more loafers hanging around the streets these days.”
“Let Xinhua stay there with Zhaoyang for a while,” Lin Daheng suggested.
“He needs a quiet place to study anyway. It’ll be more peaceful over there, and Zhaoyang can help tutor him.”
“Yes! I’ll stay with Sis!”
Standing in the doorway, Lin Xinhua immediately agreed.
Since Lin Daheng and Wang Fenglan had just received factory housing, they couldn’t leave it sitting empty, or people would gossip.
The couple had no choice but to live in the dormitory themselves.
By then, Zou Zhengting had already unloaded everything from the truck.
Seeing that the Lin family still hadn’t come downstairs, he slung one sack over his shoulder, carried two more in his hands, and headed upstairs again.
“These two bags belong to Zhaoyang,” Wang Fenglan said, taking one of the bags from him.
“Carry them back downstairs. We’ll send them to Qinghe Street later. Bring her brother’s clothes, textbooks, and homework over too.”
Zou Zhengting’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
He glanced toward Lin Zhaoyang, pressed down the smile tugging at his lips, and said nothing.
Instead, he hurried downstairs carrying her belongings, as though afraid she’d change her mind about moving to Qinghe Street if he delayed even a little.
Young and strong, Zou Zhengting ended up carrying nearly half of the Lin family’s belongings upstairs.
It made things much easier for Lin Daheng and Wang Fenglan.
“Your father and I took the afternoon off to finish unpacking,” Wang Fenglan told the siblings.
“You two should go organize your own things too. It’s too hot to stay outside. Head back early.”
She handed Lin Zhaoyang some money and ration coupons.
“This is your brother’s food allowance.”
“Mom, I’m already working and earning my own salary.”
Lin Zhaoyang pushed the money back.
“If Xinhua’s staying with me and I still take money from you to feed him, what would that make me? A miser?”
“I’m a university graduate. My salary isn’t even lower than yours.”
Hearing that, Lin Daheng told his wife to put the money away.
“The two of you are close siblings. Don’t let something as small as money come between you.”
After Lin Zhaoyang started working, Lin Daheng had refused to follow Lin Rende and Du Hongying’s suggestion that she hand over her wages to the family.
So when she declined the money now, he knew she genuinely didn’t need it.
She could easily afford to feed her younger brother.
Since his daughter wanted to do it willingly, Lin Daheng didn’t insist.
Sometimes, being overly polite with family only created distance.
Lin Zhaoyang and Lin Xinhua climbed back into Zou Zhengting’s truck.
This time, Lin Zhaoyang sat in the front passenger seat.
Zou Zhengting turned to glance at her.
The corners of his mouth lifted—and never came back down.
He looked absolutely delighted.
“From now on, I won’t be taking long-distance routes anymore. I’ll only drive within the provincial capital. Just like you two, I’ll be home every day. If either of you ever needs anything, just call out for me from the courtyard.”
When they arrived at Lin Zhaoyang’s house, Zou Zhengting helped carry everything inside.
Lin Zhaoyang waved him off and urged him to hurry back to return the truck.
He wandered around for another moment, unable to find anything else that needed doing, before finally leaving.
He still had to return the truck to work.
He also needed to apply for local routes instead of long-haul ones.
More importantly, he wanted to move his belongings from the dormitory as soon as possible and stop by home to share the wonderful news that he was finally divorcing Nini.
Back at the old Lin family home, Lin Rongzong looked at the now-empty house, secretly delighted.
Even so, he pretended to be heartbroken as he continued poisoning Lin Rende’s thoughts.
“Dad, Big Brother is really heartless. He just packed up and left. You cared for Zhaoyang and Xinhua all these years for nothing. Neither of them even tried to persuade their father to stay. They simply followed their parents and left.”
“My head hurts.”
Lin Rende disliked hearing unpleasant truths.
Using his headache as an excuse, he retreated to his room.
Du Hongying exchanged glances with Lin Rongzong and Nini before leading them into the adjoining courtyard to talk.
“Mom, now that Lin Daheng has severed ties with Dad, this side of the house belongs to me.”
Lin Rongzong gestured around the yard.
“Liwu and his younger brother are old enough to have their own rooms now. We can move them over here. Then we’ll tear down this wall. We can even reuse the bricks to build another small room in that corner.”
He pointed toward one corner of the courtyard.
“It doesn’t have to be very big. Once the boys get married and eventually split into separate households, that room can serve as a small kitchen.”