“Your uncle and your eldest aunt’s family will be coming too. There are too many nosy people around the factory dormitories, so I told everyone to come here instead. Your father has gone to the bus station to pick up your grandparents.”
After looking around and not seeing Lin Xinhua, Wang Fenglan asked, “Did your brother go out to play?”
“He went to see one of his classmates,” Lin Zhaoyang replied. “It’s normal for boys his age to like playing. As long as he studies properly during the day when it’s too hot to go outside, that’s enough.”
Wang Fenglan nodded.
Lin Zhaoyang was several years older than Lin Xinhua. Since she and her husband both worked, it had always been their daughter who looked after her younger brother.
She had never had to worry about her daughter’s studies. With his older sister supervising him, Lin Xinhua’s grades weren’t as outstanding as hers, but he was still above average at school. According to his teachers, as long as he didn’t slack off during his senior year of high school, he would have no problem getting into university.
After getting off the bus, Lin Zhaoyang’s maternal grandparents and Uncle Wang Keming’s family didn’t head straight to Qinghe Street.
Instead, they insisted on going to the Lin family home first.
Lin Daheng couldn’t persuade them otherwise, so he had no choice but to go along.
Lin Zhaoyang’s grandmother, Liu Meixian, was an elderly woman from the old generation with bound feet.
Her grandfather, Wang Kuishi, was a retired soldier who had fought in war.
Although both were advanced in age, they were still remarkably healthy.
Since Grandma’s tiny bound feet made it difficult for her to walk quickly, she had her grandson Wang Jianchang carry her on his back after they got off the bus.
The entire group stormed toward the Lin family home.
The moment they arrived, Wang Kuishi and Uncle Wang kicked the front gate open with one powerful kick.
As soon as they entered, the men grabbed Lin Rongzong and started beating him.
The women couldn’t find Lin Ni, so they grabbed Ma Xiaofang instead.
Though Wang Kuishi was old, he had been a soldier.
He knew exactly how to hit where it hurt the most.
Whenever Lin Rende or Du Hongying tried to intervene, Lin Daheng and his nephew Wang Jianchang stepped in to block them.
Lin Rongzong and Ma Xiaofang screamed miserably as they were beaten.
Seeing that they were hopelessly outnumbered, Lin Liwu and Lin Liwen realized running out would only earn them a beating too. They fled faster than frightened dogs, dashed into the house, and slammed the door shut behind them.
“You rotten-hearted family! A bunch of maggots crawling out of a cesspit! No wonder you raised a shameless little fox like Lin Ni!”
“She could’ve been a decent girl, but instead she just had to seduce her own cousin’s fiancé! All she knows is how to steal her cousin’s man! What did our Zhaoyang ever do to deserve this? Did she dig up your family’s graves in a past life? What terrible karma made her be born into the same family as heartless people like you?”
As Grandma cursed, she pinched and twisted with ruthless strength.
Unable to endure the beating any longer, Lin Rongzong shouted that he was going to call the police.
“Go ahead! Report us!”
Liu Meixian wasn’t afraid in the slightest.
“I’m already one foot in the grave! My husband fought in war and earned military honors. I’d like to see who dares lock up the two of us!”
Seeing that Lin Rongzong and Ma Xiaofang had been beaten enough, Lin Daheng finally stepped in to stop the elderly couple.
“Dad, Mom, I’ve already severed ties with Lin Rende. We even signed a formal declaration at the neighborhood office. Let’s not waste our anger on these rotten-hearted people. Fenglan and Zhaoyang are waiting for us at home.”
Lin Daheng gave his nephew Wang Jianchang a meaningful look.
Without another word, Wang Jianchang hoisted Grandma onto his back and headed outside.
“Good riddance!” Wang Kuishi snorted.
“If you ask me, Zhaoyang and Xinhua should both change their surname to Wang!”
“No!”
The moment Lin Rende heard that, his heart nearly stopped.
Lin Daheng was his only biological son.
And Lin Daheng had only one son of his own—Lin Xinhua.
He was the Lin family’s only male heir.
“Lin Daheng! If you dare make Xinhua change his surname, I’ll… I’ll hang myself in front of your factory!”
After thinking for quite a while, that was the only threat Lin Rende could come up with.
Lin Daheng ignored him completely.
He simply supported Wang Kuishi and walked out.
Lin Rongzong howled while Ma Xiaofang cried loudly.
Afraid of driving Lin Daheng away for good, Lin Rende stopped them from chasing after the group and absolutely forbade anyone from calling the police.
After they had gone some distance away, Uncle Wang lowered his voice.
“Brother-in-law… is Xinhua really going to change his surname?”
“Are you stupid?”
Grandma looked at her son as though questioning whether she’d forgotten to give birth to his brain.
“Do you think becoming a live-in son-in-law is something to be proud of?”
“Dad only said that to make my father angry,” Lin Daheng explained.
“The Wang family doesn’t lack sons, and I have no intention of becoming a live-in son-in-law.”
“What a pity that little slut Lin Ni wasn’t home.”
Grandma clicked her tongue.
“Otherwise I’d have scratched that already ugly face of hers until it was ruined.”
She even asked,
“Where did she go? Off fooling around with Yang Wen again?”
“She’s probably trying to scrape together money.”
Lin Daheng explained how Zou Zhengting was demanding 500 yuan before agreeing to divorce Lin Ni.
“Damn… that’s ruthless.”
Wang Jianchang sucked in a sharp breath.
“Five hundred yuan! In some places that’s enough to buy a house.”
“Whose side are you on?”
Grandma shot her grandson a fierce glare.
Afraid that if he answered too slowly he’d receive one of Grandma’s iron-palm slaps, Wang Jianchang hurriedly replied,
“Of course I’m on my cousin’s side!”
By the time the family arrived at Qinghe Street, the tea Wang Fenglan had prepared had already gone cold.
The courtyard and living room were spacious enough that everyone could sit together comfortably without feeling crowded.
“Zhaoyang’s house is really roomy.”
Uncle Wang wandered around holding his teacup, looking everywhere.
“It cost nearly a thousand yuan. Of course it’s spacious.”
Tang Yumei nodded.
“But if we’re talking about generosity, Teacher Yang was even more generous. Such a wonderful mother-in-law… what a pity.”
These days, finding a good husband wasn’t difficult.
Finding a good mother-in-law was.
Even Tang Yumei felt sorry for Lin Zhaoyang.
She had dated twice.
Both times, her future in-laws had been wonderful people.
Both times, everything had been ruined because of Lin Ni.
“Zhaoyang, don’t be sad.”
Tang Yumei comforted her niece.
“There may not be many three-legged toads in the world, but there are plenty of two-legged men.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for you. If I find someone good, I’ll introduce him to you.”
Tang Yumei genuinely adored her niece.
Not only had Lin Zhaoyang been brilliant since childhood, but she was also sweet-tongued and treated her relatives extremely well.
Tang Yumei had a younger son who was slightly younger than Lin Zhaoyang.
During the summer before his senior year of high school and the following winter break—a full three months in total—he had lived at the Lin household.
Lin Zhaoyang had personally tutored him, raising his mediocre grades enough for him to successfully get into junior college.
Following her advice, he even chose an excellent major.
The entire Wang family had been overjoyed, almost wanting to put Lin Zhaoyang on a pedestal.
“We ordinary people shouldn’t interfere in Zhaoyang’s marriage.”
Grandma waved her hand.
“We’re just common folk. We don’t know anyone worthy of her.”
“She’s outstanding. Even if she’s single, her coworkers and supervisors will surely introduce suitable men to her.”
Grandma was a wise woman.
The Wang family were ordinary people.
Everyone they knew belonged to roughly the same social class.
People like that simply weren’t worthy of her granddaughter.
Few women who married beneath themselves ended up happy.
Just dealing with daily necessities—rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—was enough to drain a woman’s entire life.
Grandma didn’t want that kind of future for her precious granddaughter.
Tang Yumei wasn’t offended by her mother-in-law’s words.
After carefully thinking through everyone she knew, she couldn’t think of anyone worthy of Lin Zhaoyang either.
She nodded.
“You’re right.”
Then she turned to Lin Zhaoyang.
“So are you just going to let Lin Ni get away with stealing Yang Wen?”
“Your father may have cut ties with your grandfather, but I bet Lin Rongzong’s family is thrilled. Doesn’t that just end up benefiting them?”
“After Lin Ni divorces Zou Zhengting, I’ll report her to the factory where she works.”
Lin Zhaoyang didn’t hide her plans from her relatives.
“I’ll make sure she loses her job first.”
Grandma nodded approvingly.
Just as she was about to speak again, someone suddenly answered from the courtyard.
“Once my divorce from Lin Ni is finalized, I’ll make sure both her father and her older brother lose their jobs too.”
The speaker was Zou Zhengting.
He had only just walked in.
The Lin family had been so engrossed in conversation that none of them had noticed his arrival.