Old Master Lin naturally looked down on Li Demin. Besides, Lin Yujiao was his own granddaughter, while Li Demin was ultimately an outsider.
But Youngest Aunt Lin refused to let the matter go.
“Father, you can’t play favorites. If you’re making her compensate Shengli, then she has to compensate Demin too.”
Eldest Aunt Lin already hated Lin Yujiao to the bone, so she also spoke up.
“Father, Third Sister-in-law isn’t wrong. Yujiao is old enough to marry.”
Old Master Lin could ignore what his third daughter-in-law said, but he still had to consider the words of his eldest daughter-in-law.
After all, he was getting old. In the future, he would still have to rely on his eldest son’s household to support him.
With that thought, Old Master Lin nodded.
“Fine. Yujiao is indeed of marriageable age. I’ll make the decision…”
“I spit on your decision!”
Auntie Cuihua could no longer hold back.
“What right do you have to decide anything? Who do you think you are, you wretched old man? Since when is it your place to decide Yujiao’s future?”
Old Master Lin’s face darkened.
“Her parents are gone. I’m her elder, and I’m her grandfather. Of course I should make decisions for her. You’re an outsider, so why are you meddling in our family’s affairs?”
Auntie Cuihua was furious.
“Old Master Lin, even an outsider like me can see exactly what’s going on here, yet somehow you’re blind to it! You mistreat your own granddaughter like this, you’d better be careful. Your son might come back in a few days and drag you down with him!”
A trace of panic flashed through Old Master Lin’s eyes.
Fear immediately crept into his heart.
Dajun had only just died. People said that on the seventh day after death, a spirit would return home to visit its family.
Could Dajun really come back and take him away?
Seeing the fear on his face, Eldest Aunt Lin hurriedly interrupted his thoughts.
“Father, don’t be afraid. Think about how filial Dajun was when he was alive. Now that he’s gone, what’s wrong with you, his father, making arrangements for his daughter’s marriage? He wouldn’t blame you.”
Old Master Lin was immediately persuaded.
Thinking back, Lin Dajun truly had been a filial son.
Not only had he faithfully given his parents five yuan every month for their support, whenever the family needed something, he had always been willing to contribute both money and effort.
It was a pity that he had died so young.
Old Master Lin glanced at Lin Yujiao.
But who could blame her for being born a girl?
Sooner or later, she would marry into another family.
There was no reason Lin Dajun’s possessions should remain with her.
It wasn’t as though Old Master Lin couldn’t see what his two daughters-in-law were scheming.
He simply didn’t think they were wrong.
The Lin family’s property naturally ought to remain with his grandsons.
His resolve hardened.
“That’s right. Yujiao, just behave yourself and marry Li Demin. When the time comes, I’ll have your eldest aunt prepare some private money for you. We won’t mistreat you.”
Instead of becoming angry, Lin Yujiao laughed.
“Old man, what makes you think you have any right to interfere in my affairs?”
Old Master Lin froze.
“What did you say?”
He could hardly believe his ears.
In the past, Lin Yujiao had always treated him just as Lin Dajun had, with filial respect and obedience.
Lin Yujiao smiled.
“What, have you gone deaf? I said that you, you wretched old man, have no right to arrange my life.”
He really thought too highly of himself.
Just an insufferable old man, yet here he was acting as though he had the authority to decide everything.
Old Master Lin erupted in anger.
“What kind of words are those? Have you no upbringing at all? I am your grandfather!”
Lin Yujiao’s expression turned cold.
“Are you even worthy of being called my grandfather? Do you remember how well your own son, my father, treated you? Is this how you repay him?”
Old Master Lin opened his mouth to continue arguing, but Lin Yujiao had no intention of wasting any more words on him.
She turned directly to Village Chief Lin.
“Village Chief Lin, if I want to report this to Public Security, I don’t need this old man’s permission, do I?”
Village Chief Lin had long since become disgusted by the old man’s blatant favoritism.
He nodded.
“No, you don’t. This is no longer merely a family matter. Yujiao, if you’re certain you want to report it, I’ll make a telephone call as soon as day breaks.”
Lin Yujiao nodded without hesitation.
Then she looked down at the two unconscious men on the ground.
Her voice turned cold.
“I want them to pay for what they’ve done.”
The ruthlessness in her eyes sent a wave of panic through Eldest Aunt Lin.
“No! We can’t report this to Public Security! Shengli’s father, say something!”
Eldest Uncle Lin looked at his niece.
“Yujiao, he’s your elder cousin.”
Lin Yujiao sneered.
“My cousin? Has he ever treated me like his younger cousin?”
Then something suddenly occurred to her.
“Oh, that’s right. My dear Eldest Uncle, if I remember correctly, last year your family wanted to arrange a marriage for Cousin Shengli, so you borrowed two hundred yuan from my parents. You still haven’t paid it back, have you?”
Lin Yujiao had only just remembered the debt.
If Lin Dajun were still alive, he probably never would have thought to press his elder brother for repayment.
But Lin Yujiao was different.
“Don’t tell me you thought that because my parents are gone, you wouldn’t have to repay the money?”
The mockery and disdain in Lin Yujiao’s eyes left Eldest Uncle Lin deeply embarrassed.
All his life, he had lived in the shadow of comparisons with his second younger brother.
His feelings toward Lin Dajun had always been complicated.
He envied him, yet he was also jealous of him.
Now, being looked at like this by Lin Yujiao filled him with both shame and anger.
“Enough, Lin Yujiao! Look at yourself. Where are your manners?”
Manners?
What use was there in discussing manners with people like them?
Lin Yujiao folded her arms.
“Don’t talk to me about that. Your family still owes mine money, and now these two came into my house to steal.”
She pointed toward her parents’ room.
“Look at what they’ve done in there. Everything has been turned upside down. Who knows what they might have stolen? I have to let Public Security investigate this properly.”
Her words also made one thing clear to everyone present.
Her decision to report the incident was perfectly reasonable.
Everyone had seen the state of her parents’ room with their own eyes.
It was a complete mess.
Who could possibly know what Lin Shengli and Li Demin had actually done in there?
Her parents’ belongings had been ransacked so badly. If Lin Yujiao weren’t angry, that would have been far stranger.
“Make way! Make way! The doctor is here!”
At that moment, someone hurried over, practically dragging the village’s barefoot doctor along.
Eldest Aunt Lin immediately rushed forward.
“Doctor, quickly! Take a look at our Shengli!”
“Doctor! Doctor, look at Demin first!”
The barefoot doctor was a native of Lin Family Village, so naturally, he examined the man surnamed Lin first.
Eldest Aunt Lin shot Youngest Aunt Lin a vicious glare.
At a time like this, Li Demin had better not delay her son’s treatment.
Lin Yujiao smiled faintly.
How amusing.
These two women could stand united when scheming against her, but the moment their own interests clashed, they turned against each other without hesitation.
The barefoot doctor crouched beside Lin Shengli and carefully examined him.
Something seemed strange.
Lin Shengli’s symptoms did not entirely match the wound on his head.
However, there were no other serious injuries on his body.
With nothing else to explain his unconscious state, the doctor could only conclude that the blow to his head had knocked him out.
When the barefoot doctor gave his assessment, Lin Yujiao quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed her disguise had worked after all.
The barefoot doctor then examined Li Demin and reached roughly the same conclusion.
“But what are we supposed to do?”
Youngest Aunt Lin was frantic.
“Why hasn’t he woken up yet?”
When Lin Yujiao had bought the electric baton, its description had claimed that anyone shocked by it would remain unconscious for at least two or three hours.
Apparently, the advertisement hadn’t been lying.
If she could still get online, she would definitely have given the seller a five-star review.
The barefoot doctor had no idea when the two men would regain consciousness.
All he could do was clean and treat their wounds, apply medicine, and cover them with gauze.
“Wait and see. If they still don’t wake up, take them to the hospital after daybreak.”
He only knew some basic medical treatments.
Anything more serious was beyond his ability.
Once he finished, he stood up.
“I’m done. The medicine costs two mao per person.”
Eldest Aunt Lin immediately pointed at Lin Yujiao.
“She’s the one who beat them. Make her pay.”
Lin Yujiao spread her hands.
“I don’t have any money.”
Youngest Aunt Lin snapped, “How could you possibly have no money? How much did Lin Dajun leave you?”
Lin Yujiao adopted the shameless attitude of someone who had absolutely nothing to lose.
“He didn’t leave me any. Even if he did, maybe those two stole it. Either way, I have no money. If you can’t afford to treat them, then don’t treat them.”
“You!”
Youngest Aunt Lin realized that Lin Yujiao truly had no intention of paying.
Her eyes darted around before she suddenly declared, “I don’t have any money either!”
The barefoot doctor’s face darkened.
He turned toward Village Chief Lin.
“Village Chief, what do you say?”
Village Chief Lin remained calm.
“It’s fine. If they refuse to pay, we’ll take grain from their households as compensation.”
The moment he said that, Old Master Lin became unwilling.
He would rather hand over money than lose precious grain.
“Eldest, Third, hurry up and pay him!”
Eldest Uncle Lin took out two mao.
Youngest Uncle Lin had no money on him. He was used to letting his wife keep hold of the household purse, so all their money was with Youngest Aunt Lin.
Youngest Aunt Lin looked at her nephew and reluctantly took out the money.
The barefoot doctor accepted his payment and left immediately.
He had no desire to remain there and look at this unlucky mess any longer.