After freezing for a few seconds, he ordered Chen Ming:
“Check the card I previously gave Madam. How much balance is left on it?”
Chen Ming: "The card you gave Madam has always been with Old Madam. Madam never touched that money from beginning to end; Old Madam handled all the expenses."
Fu Yanci's eyes sharpened: "What did you say? In these five years, Madam didn't spend a single cent? Then these past five years..."
Fu Yanci's heart was filled with shock.
How was this possible?
In these five years, all the household expenses for Taoyuan, all his clothing, and even the expensive gifts she gave him added up to a considerable sum, far more than Lin Sa's salary could support.
From the day he gave her the card, he hadn't inquired about it. He instinctively felt that Lin Sa was spending money from that card, so he had been at ease.
Chen Ming: "No, Old Madam watched Madam very closely and didn't allow her to use a single cent of yours. Madam is also proud and truly didn't use a single cent. Moreover, she didn't want me to tell you, fearing it would harm your relationship with Old Madam..."
Fu Yanci felt a wave of emotion upon hearing this.
The Lin Sa of the past was such an understanding and considerate woman who always thought of him.
She had suffered so much, yet she never thought of seeking his support, and even feared affecting the relationship between him and his mother.
But where did she get so much money to cover such large expenses over these five years?
Could it be that everything Gu Wangwo said was true?
Did she really take on all sorts of part-time jobs in private, in addition to working at Fu Corporation?
A hard-to-describe bitterness welled up in Fu Yanci's heart, and his tone softened unconsciously:
“It seems there’s a reason for her causing such a scene recently. It was me; I neglected her too much before...”
Chen Ming: "There's something I've always hesitated to say, so I didn't dare to."
"Speak freely."
"Mr. Fu, putting aside other things, when Sister Sa was suffering from morning sickness so severely that she lost weight, you didn't even notice and instead madly increased her workload... It was indeed a bit excessive."
Fu Yanci paused for a few seconds, then belatedly, he became angry:
"Even you think I was excessive? Then why didn't you remind me at the time?"
Chen Ming: "..."
Chen Ming thought to himself, it wasn't that he hadn't reminded him. He had reminded him several times, but Fu Yanci would interrupt him halfway through.
In his work, he always adhered to a ruthless style, and he always started by targeting Lin Sa.
Lin Sa was indeed very tolerant before, silently bearing everything without a single complaint... As an assistant, how could he dare to comment on the affairs between the master and his wife?
Chen Ming felt wronged, but he dared not appeal.
Lin Sa returned to Wanshi Shengjing and packed some things for the baby.
Just as she was about to leave, a group of people found her. The leader was Qin Lan, who was about to become her former mother-in-law.
It seemed her living in Wanshi Shengjing was no longer a secret; even Qin Lan had found out her address.
Fortunately, she now had a residence with top-tier security; otherwise, she would truly be fearful.
Qin Lan, with a dark expression, hands on her hips, and an arrogant posture, barged in and sat down on her sofa:
"Fifty million. Lin Sa, I'll give you fifty million. You divorce Yanci, and your daughter severs ties with the Fu family. You can sign today!"
"But I have one condition: from now on, you and your daughter leave Haicheng, and preferably disappear forever. Don't bother Yanci and Yurou again. How about it?"
Qin Lan acted as if she were making a painful sacrifice, her arrogant posture suggesting that fifty million was an astronomical sum that Lin Sa could never reach, even with a ladder.
Lin Sa looked at Qin Lan with cold eyes.
Every other word she spoke didn't stir a single emotion in her, but the moment she mentioned her daughter, the cold, emotionless expression on her face made Lin Sa's heart tremble.
She was Li Li's own grandmother.
Yet, at this moment, Lin Sa felt no familial affection from her.
Her righteous demeanor made it seem as if Li Li were merely a "burden" that the Fu family urgently needed to shed.
Fifty million to buy her divorce and Li Li's "severing ties" with the Fu family... If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, Lin Sa wouldn't have believed she was living in the twenty-first century.
Was her daughter not human?
The Fu family wasn't inheriting a throne, were they?
She laughed, a laugh born of anger. Her whole body was trembling, and her chest was so tight with rage that she couldn't speak.
Even more unable to bear it was Tang Guo, who was holding a spatula and eavesdropping outside the door.
When she heard the commotion, Tang Guo was cooking inside, intending to make a simple meal to share with Lin Sa.
Hearing the dense footsteps outside the door, she felt something was wrong and rushed to Lin Sa's door with her spatula.
The door was ajar, so she didn't rush in immediately, but she heard the conversation inside clearly.
Tang Guo couldn't hold back any longer and burst in, holding the spatula still stained with chili seeds, and pointed it directly at Qin Lan:
"You wicked, black-hearted old hag Qin, how can there be such an insane grandmother in this world!"
"By blood, Li Li also has your blood flowing through her. From her birth until now, you've just turned your head and left every time you saw her! And now you have the audacity to use money to buy her severance from the family!"
"No wonder your lineage is thin; it's because you have a woman like you, who curses the family line, causing trouble! If you have the guts, say that again, and I'll record it and post it online! Let the world see your preference for sons over daughters!"
...
Tang Guo trembled all over with anger, waving her spatula, cursing and stabbing.
Qin Lan had never encountered such a scene. She was shocked and turned pale, covering her head and scurrying around, trying to dodge. In her panic, chili seeds from the spatula flew into her eyes.
"Ah..."
Qin Lan's eyes burned, and the stinging made her let out a piercing scream.
Clutching her tear-filled eyes, she couldn't retaliate and, with her entourage, fled the door of Lin Sa's house in a sorry state.
Watching her ignominious escape, Lin Sa and Tang Guo exchanged a smile, high-fived, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"That was so satisfying! Hahaha, that old woman deserved to be taught a lesson. I finally got revenge for you today!"
"Think about how many times you were wronged by her in front of her these past five years! In the middle of a winter night, you craved sugar-fried chestnuts. She didn't send the servants or the driver but actually made you, a pregnant woman, go buy them for her, and she demanded you keep them warm with your down jacket, saying she had to eat them hot."
"You, why were you so tolerant back then? When that woman forced you to eat a raw lizard in front of so many people at a banquet, you actually ate it. Sigh!"
...
Recalling the various incidents of the past five years, Tang Guo couldn't help but feel heartache for Lin Sa from the bottom of her heart.
What she mentioned were just isolated incidents; over these five years, Old Madam Qin's malicious methods were far more than these.
The Lin Sa of the past was truly capable of enduring and bearing burdens, believing that her silent efforts would eventually be rewarded with sincerity.
Only now did she finally understand that truly wicked people can only be dealt with by wicked means. The more sincerity you offer, the more they will trample on you, wishing to lord over you.
"It won't happen again. I won't tolerate it anymore!"
Lin Sa clenched her fists. The thought that she might be one of the perpetrators who harmed her mother back then fueled an even greater rage in her heart.
Tang Guo nodded vigorously:
"Yes, now you have such a powerful backer. Don't be afraid, don't be timid, stand firm against them!"
Tang Guo was very satisfied with her performance today and patted her chest:
"In the past, no matter how angry I was, I wouldn't have dared to stand up for you like this today!"
"But now, the thought of you having such a powerful backer fills me with confidence."
"Sa Sa, I've been with you for so many years, and I finally see you succeeding!"
As Tang Guo spoke, her eyes welled up with tears. She gave Lin Sa a big, tight hug.
Then, hooking her arm around Lin Sa's neck, she pulled her to her own apartment next door:
"Come on, try my unbeatable spicy Mala Xiang Guo that I made for lunch—"
✦✦✦