After taking a slap, Wang Aihua struck back, grabbing the cane the old woman swung at her and smashing it onto her back.
“Bang!”
The couple pinned Mother Liao to the ground and beat her. “You old thing, how dare you hit me!”
No matter how strong Mother Liao was, her age worked against her. She couldn’t beat Lin Fuqi and his wife. Hugging her head, she wailed loudly, “Someone help! I’m being beaten! They’re beating an old woman—someone’s going to die!”
“Grandma! Grandma! You bastards—how dare you hit my grandma! I’ll beat you to death!”
At that moment, a strong young man rushed into the ward, grabbed Lin Fuqi and punched him hard.
“Bang!”
After a few punches, he kicked him in the abdomen, sending him flying into the wall. Then he picked up Wang Aihua and threw her aside.
The young man stepped forward and helped Mother Liao up from the ground. “Grandma, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
The young man was Liao Jun, Liao Haiping’s younger son, who worked in the steel factory’s security department. He was tall and powerfully built.
“Xiaojun, thank goodness you came in time. If you’d come any later, Grandma would’ve been beaten to death. Boohoo… they all bullied me—an entire family ganging up on one old woman. Beat them to death, hurry and beat them to death…”
Mother Liao picked up her cane and struck Lin Tianbao on the bed. “Your dad said it was that family’s old wretch who made you plunge headfirst into the toilet, nearly killing you. Hurry and beat them to death—every single one of the Lin family is rotten.”
Lin Tianbao was beaten awake. “…Ah!”
He jolted upright, tugging at the wound on his freshly stitched backside. It felt like it had split open again—again. Any movement felt like half his life was being torn away. He froze, his face drained of color, screaming hoarsely, “Mom! Dad! Help! Help! Ah!”
Hearing her son’s cries, Wang Aihua responded frantically, “Tianbao, don’t—don’t hit my son! Bao, don’t be scared, wait for Mom to save you!”
Since the accident, she hadn’t eaten a single grain of rice. Dizzy from being thrown, she tried to push herself up with both hands, only to collapse again. “Oof…”
Lin Fuqi was also lying in a corner, unable to move.
Fu Chunsheng brought people in to stop them. “Stop it! All of you stop! This is a hospital—fighting is prohibited!”
Mother Liao didn’t listen and raised her cane again.
Lin Tianbao shouted, “Brother-in-law, save me! Save me…”
“Doctor Fu, be careful—it’s dangerous,” Liu Xiaoyan said. Knowing the other party was Lin Yuzhu’s brother, she wished he’d be beaten to death, but she couldn’t let Doctor Fu get hurt for her sake.
Mother Liao’s cane came down again, striking his manhood.
“Ah—!”
Lin Tianbao threw his head back and let out a shrill scream. Blood pooled more and more beneath him.
“Stop fighting!” Fu Chunsheng seized the opportunity to snatch the cane from the old woman’s hands and threw it away.
“You damned, heartless doctor—you’re in cahoots with them! I’m beating bad people, what business is it of yours? Get lost, or don’t blame this old woman for beating you too!” Mother Liao snarled. Seeing he wouldn’t move, her eyes flashed viciously as she clawed toward his neck.
Seeing this, Liu Xiaoyan rushed forward and threw herself into his arms, letting out a soft groan. “Sss~”
Unable to retrieve her cane, Mother Liao burned with rage. To vent her anger, she yanked off Liu Xiaoyan’s hat, her nails scraping across her cheek, then grabbed a fistful of her hair, exposing her scalp.
Liu Xiaoyan screamed, “Ah!”
It was Fu Chunsheng’s first time encountering such unreasonable family members. His handsome face darkened with anger as he slammed the cane hard onto the ground. “If you keep hitting people, we’ll call the police.”
Hearing this, Liao Jun also worried things would spiral out of control. He picked up the cane and pulled the old woman away. “Grandma, calm down. Let’s go home first.”
Just as he pulled her aside, officials arrived.
“We’ve received multiple anonymous reports that Steel Factory Director Liao Haiping abused his power and engaged in power-for-sex transactions with Lin Tianbao. We’re here to investigate whether this is true.”
Wang Aihua, who had been slumped in a corner, staggered to her feet and rushed to her son, terrified they would take him away. “No, officers, absolutely not—it’s all slander.”
Mother Liao knew immediately that things had blown up. “Officers, officers, my son Haiping is upright and honest. He would never abuse his power. These few troublemakers are framing him.”
The officials didn’t give them a chance to argue and slammed their decision down decisively. “We’ve already investigated the steel factory compound. Residents there said they witnessed it personally. The impact is severe. We’ve also reviewed both medical records. The charts state anal tearing, sutured twice. Tomorrow, both of them will be sent down to a labor farm.”
Lin Tianbao shook his head frantically. “No, I don’t want to go to the farm! I’m still injured! If I go to the farm, I’ll die! Mom, save me—please save me!”
Most people sent to the farm were counterrevolutionaries or those guilty of serious offenses. It was said life there was worse than slaves in the old society—people could be tortured to death with nowhere to seek justice.
“Officer, my son’s injuries are too severe. His wound just split and was freshly stitched. If he goes to the farm now, he won’t last a second day. Please make an exception—delay it a week. Just a small token, take it for tea, for tea.” Wang Aihua pulled out a large wad of cash and stuffed it into the official’s hands. “Our family has been single-line for three generations—he’s our only heir. If anything happens to him, none of us can go on living.”
The official weighed the thick stack of money in his hand. It had some heft—enough for a month’s worth of tea.
“Alright. Considering the severity of the injuries, we’ll give you one more week.”
The large pool of blood under Lin Tianbao’s backside was impossible to miss.
Once the officials left the ward, Wang Aihua clung to Fu Chunsheng’s arm like a drowning person grabbing a lifeline.
“Son-in-law, son-in-law, please think of a way to save our Tianbao…”
Fu Chunsheng looked troubled. “Auntie… I’m very sorry. My abilities are limited—I’m afraid I can’t help.”
Wang Aihua said forcefully, “How could you possibly not help? Your grandfather is a three‑star general, a big shot who has influence even in the capital. In Yangcheng, who would dare不给 your Fu family face? You’re just pushing this off over such a small matter—let’s be honest, you simply don’t want to help. Do you still want to marry our daughter or not? I’ll put it plainly today: if you don’t help Tianbao, I won’t let my daughter marry you. I’ll marry her to a man who can help her future eldest brother‑in‑law.”
Fu Chunsheng frowned deeply. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help—it was that his family kept a tight rein on things. Outsiders only saw the Fu family’s glamour and prestige, unaware of how many eyes were watching them from the shadows. The Li family had once shown the Fu family great kindness; when Professor Li and his wife were denounced and sent to the far northwest to raise pigs, even his grandparents were unable to help.
“Madam, please calm down,” Fu Chunsheng said. “I…”
Before he could finish saying “I’ll think of a way,” Liu Xiaoyan cut in.
“Hey! Who do you think you are?” she snapped. “You’re the one begging Doctor Fu for help, yet you dare threaten him—what nerve! You really think you’re Doctor Fu’s mother‑in‑law? It’s your daughter who’s clinging to Doctor Fu. Your daughter’s a liar—claiming she’s the daughter of a factory director. You think that makes her some kind of prize? Pah!”
Lin Yuzhu, uneasy in the office upstairs, had run down to eavesdrop. Hearing Wang Aihua and Liu Xiaoyan arguing, she couldn’t help rushing out to stop Wang Aihua.
“Mom, stop talking. I’ll find a way to deal with my brother’s matter.”
Wang Aihua was going to ruin her. Men valued their pride—saying such things was forcing a breakup. If Chunsheng weren’t devoted enough to her, he would’ve walked away long ago. She absolutely wouldn’t allow anyone to destroy her wealth and happiness.
Liu Xiaoyan tightly grabbed Fu Chunsheng’s arm, swayed her head, and said, “Doctor Fu, oh dear, my head feels so dizzy. I can’t stand steady. Could you help me to the office to rest for a bit?”
As she spoke, she leaned toward his chest. Fu Chunsheng reacted faster than he could think and instinctively caught her.
Seeing this, Lin Yuzhu’s face turned deathly pale. Tears welled in her eyes as she looked accusingly at the two embracing. “Chunsheng ge, how could you…”
Liu Xiaoyan murmured, “Mm, my head’s so dizzy… Doctor Fu, save me… boohoo…”
“Yuzhu, she was injured saving me. I can’t just ignore her. Please understand,” Fu Chunsheng said as he supported Liu Xiaoyan and led her away.
“Chunsheng ge…” Lin Yuzhu whispered hoarsely, watching him leave with another woman, her heart shattering.
Where had everything gone wrong? He used to put her first in everything. Now even some random woman mattered more than she did? Was it because she wasn’t the Li family’s daughter? No—impossible. Chunsheng wasn’t that kind of person. She had to trust him. It must be that Liu Xiaoyan slut had bewitched him. She would expose that bitch’s true colors.
She had only taken two steps when Wang Aihua grabbed her. “You little bitch, where do you think you’re going? All you care about is men—no parents, no brothers, you shameless slut! Can’t you see your brother’s wound has split open? Hurry up and find someone to dress it!”
Lin Yuzhu pointed to the injury on her knee. “I’m hurt too. Can you stop being so crude in public? You may not care about losing face, but I do.”
“Stop being precious. Your little injury can’t compare to your brother’s! I gave birth to you—I’m your mother—and you dare lecture me? Today I’ll teach you how to behave.”
Wang Aihua grabbed her hair and slapped her face again and again. “Smack! Smack!”
“Stop hitting me! I’ll go—I’ll go, okay? Wuwuwu…”
Wang Aihua was about to keep hitting her when Lin Fuqi hurriedly stopped her. “That’s enough. Look at the situation—why are you turning inward on your own family? Once the girl marries into the Fu family, she’ll be our support. And Tianbao too—he’ll have to rely on her in the future.”
Listening to them made Lin Yuzhu feel utterly disgusted. She would never be a brother‑supporting fool. Once she married into the Fu family, she would completely cut ties with the Lin family, drive them out of Yangcheng, leave them wandering the streets to starve to death elsewhere. Useless people didn’t deserve to live.
Hearing her husband’s reasoning, Wang Aihua forced down her rage and barked, “What are you standing around for, you dead girl? Hurry up and find a doctor!”
Lin Yuzhu rushed out of the ward and ran to the restroom to wipe away her tears. Thick hatred surged in her heart; she clenched her teeth, veins faintly bulging on her neck.
Including that bitch Liu Xiaoyan—who schemed to seduce and steal Chunsheng away, causing her to be humiliated and bullied.