Chapter 191

Chapter 191

At this moment, Shi Niang couldn’t care less about anything else, just wanting to get away from Lin Taohong as fast as she could. Otherwise, she was afraid she’d lose all her hair.

Hearing Lin Laodie trying to talk Lin Chunyan into it, she quickly responded from her side.

"Don’t you worry, Yan Niang! I’ll make sure Guangzong treats you well in the future, making sure you don’t suffer any wrongs in your husband’s family."

Upon hearing this, Lin Taohong, in a fit of anger, chopped off Shi Niang’s hair in one go, making Shi Niang scream at the top of her lungs. Feeling her hair now cropped just above her ears, she almost passed out from the shock.

For them, cutting someone’s hair was a huge insult, as body and hair are gifts from one’s parents.

After taking care of Shi Niang, Lin Taohong quickly stood beside Lin Chunyan, whose smile was getting wider and wider. With just a light push, she sent Lin Guangzong tumbling to the ground.

"What a load of nonsense you’re spouting! Counting on this good-for-nothing to protect me?"

Lin Laodie was speechless, itching to curse but held back by the sight of Sun Anyuan next to Lin Chunyan. He wasn’t sure what Sun Anyuan’s relationship with Lin Chunyan was, but Sun Anyuan looked on edge, his face cold and unreadable.

Lin Laodie, unable to stand seeing Lin Guangzong fall, crawled forward, his face swollen.

But Mrs. Zhang wasn’t having any of it, landing a hard kick on him. "I’m still alive, and here you are trying to turn my daughter against me, claiming we’re family? I spit on you!"

Not content with just one kick, Mrs. Zhang let loose with several more, sending Lin Laodie rolling on the ground in agony.

"Look at the sorry state you’re in. Even that cotton jacket you’re wearing, I wouldn’t take it if you paid me. And you’re talking about giving half the dowry to Yan Niang? Do you even have two coins to rub together?"

At that, Mrs. Zhang spat on the ground in disgust. "Don’t think about using Yan Niang’s own money and then embezzling half of it. Your words sound nice, but they’re empty."

Goudan’s Mother, who had been listening, couldn’t take it anymore. "That’s exactly their plan, thinking we’re all fools!"

Not just her, but all the families with daughters in the village felt uncomfortable. "Who behaves like you, always trying to take advantage?"

"They only came back because they knew there was money. When there was none, did they ever care about Yan Niang and her mother and siblings?"

"Useless things! What good is a man who doesn’t live properly?"

Lin Laodie couldn’t even lift his head from the shame. Lin Chunyan then directly extended her hand. "If you want to be family, show some sincerity. Where’s the money?"

Lin Laodie felt a surge of anger, his face turning red.

After a long while, he finally spoke. "You’re still young. You don’t understand the importance of having a male heir. When you’re bullied in your husband’s family, won’t you need your brothers to stand up for you?"

"I spit on that!" Lin Taohong couldn’t help but interject. "With this phoenix egg standing up for us? What a joke! Just don’t let us have to help collect his corpse!"

This made Lin Laodie so angry he nearly fainted, pointing a trembling finger at Lin Taohong. "You unfilial daughter, watch your words!"

Lin Chunyan didn’t spare Lin Laodie either, crushing his last bit of hope. "My mother only gave birth to the two of us. This Lin Guangzong has nothing to do with us, and we’ll beat him every time we see him, including you."

Lin Laodie finally spat out the blood he had been holding in. "I’m your father! Aren’t you afraid of retribution for treating me like this?"

"Retribution my foot!" Mrs. Zhang kicked him again. "Any retribution will fall on your phoenix egg."

Lin Laodie’s weakness was Lin Guangzong, and hearing this made him very anxious. But no one came to help. Seeing Shi Niang still lying on the ground pretending to be unconscious, he felt utterly helpless, his eyes red with anger.

Sun Anyuan, seeing this, stepped forward, shielding Lin Chunyan and the others. He swiftly took a stone that Lin Laodie had somehow gotten hold of.

Earlier, Lin Laodie had been trying to sneakily throw the stone, aiming to vent his anger by hitting any one of them.

Unfortunately, he had barely raised his hand when Sun Anyuan noticed it.

Mrs. Zhang, seeing that the stone was quite sharp, snatched it from Sun Anyuan and hurled it at Lin Laodie.

Lin Guangzong was standing right next to him. Lin Laodie could have dodged it, but fearing it might hit his son, he quickly moved to shield him.

The stone struck him squarely.

The Village Headman had been watching the commotion for a while. Lin Chunyan, eager to end this farce quickly and feeling the chill outside, waved to the Village Headman from a distance, "I think we should report this to the authorities. There's someone here pretending to be dead."

Lin Laodie didn't understand what Lin Chunyan meant. He only felt waves of pain from his body. Pretending to be dead? He was standing there, alive and well. Who could say he was fake?

Hearing Lin Chunyan mention reporting to the authorities, he also looked towards the Village Headman and said hoarsely, "Yes, you assaulted me. I should be the one reporting this!"

He didn't believe the county magistrate would stand by and watch him being beaten by these ruffians!

This was truly outrageous!

"Then go report it!" Mrs. Zhang didn't step forward to hit Lin Laodie again. Lin Laodie's expression immediately turned smug, thinking Mrs. Zhang was scared.

He thought these people were bold only because the county town was far away, assuming he couldn't do anything. But in reality, who wasn't afraid of the authorities?

Lin Laodie staggered to his feet and looked behind these people, only recognizing Erlang and Sanlang, but not seeing Uncle Lin and Uncle Lin.

Mrs. Zhang and her ilk were mean and ungrateful, and the two young ladies they raised were just as ungrateful, not even half as good as their Guangzong. But shouldn't Uncle Lin and Uncle Lin at least remember their years of brotherhood?

His eyes darted around, and noticing that Shi Niang had woken up, he exchanged a glance with her. Lin Laodie then said he wanted to see his two brothers.

The Village Headman, pretending to be old with his hands behind his back, started talking to Zhao Laicai. In the earlier chaos, someone had thrown several stones at Zhao Laicai, leaving bruises on him and the woman next to him. They were now complaining.

The Village Headman wanted to discuss the new village rules with him, "You all sold your houses, and no one brought you in. Who knows what your intentions are? It's only right not to let you in."

Zhao Laicai wanted to argue further, but the Village Headman impatiently waved him off. Because of these people, everyone was still hungry, and he was famished too.

"This is the situation: if your sister still allows you into the village, then you can come in. If they don't agree, you'd better not cause trouble at our doorstep—you saw what happened earlier. Our villagers are not to be trifled with!"

After a pause, the Village Headman added, "And stop dragging Xing Hua into this. She's not your own flesh and blood. You even sold her for money. Only someone heartless could do such a thing, and you dare come back!"

As he said these last words, the Village Headman raised his voice and kept his eyes on Lin Laodie.

Zhao Laicai was no good, and in his eyes, Lin Laodie was just as bad.

He had just insulted both of them in one fell swoop.

Lin Laodie still wanted to seek his help, so even though he was insulted, he had to bear it. He then shouted hoarsely, asking about Uncle Lin's situation.

Sanlang, however, grasped Lin Chunyan's intentions. He had initially wanted to spare Lin Laodie some dignity, but now they were even considering reporting to the authorities.

He had clearly seen the exchange of glances between Lin Laodie and Shi Niang earlier.

Given this, he no longer held back and turned to the Village Headman, "Uncle, we don't know who this person is. I think he's an imposter. We can't let my father come out."

The Village Headman nodded, no longer pretending to be deaf, "This matter can't be taken lightly. I'll ask other villagers if they recognize him."

Mrs. Zhang was still a bit confused, but when Goudan's Mother pulled her aside, she immediately let go of Lin Laodie, whom she had just restrained again when he tried to approach the Village Headman.

She shook her head vigorously, "Oh, it seems my old eyes are failing me. I even mistook this person. He does look somewhat similar, but equally disgusting."

After saying this, she stepped far away and casually threw a few coins on the ground.

Old Man Lin felt utterly humiliated. In the past, it was always Auntie Zhang who took money from him, sometimes even groveling and sweet-talking just to get a bit more. But now, she nonchalantly tossed a few coins on the ground, a couple even hitting him, making his bruises hurt even more.

"Why are you throwing money around?" A strikingly handsome man suddenly showed up beside Auntie Zhang, his voice full of concern.

When Old Man Lin turned and saw this, his anger boiled over. It was obvious this man was close to Auntie Zhang!

He could handle fooling around with other girls outside, but if Auntie Zhang did the same, he felt it was a slap in the face.

Just then, Guangzong picked up the coins from the ground and handed them to Old Man Lin, saying, "Dad, we’ve got money now! You can buy me some candy!"

Hearing this, Old Man Lin’s already swollen face burned with shame, especially when he saw the smirks on Auntie Zhang and the others’ faces.

"Poor kid, stuck with parents who can’t even buy him a piece of candy."

Auntie Zhang’s words just rubbed salt in the wound. The crowd’s laughter cut through Old Man Lin like a knife, making him realize he’d been utterly defeated.

He couldn’t hold back, snapping, "Just you wait! You ungrateful, disrespectful brats!"

Auntie Shi had stayed quiet the whole time, but as Old Man Lin got up to leave, she silently followed.

"Oh, big talk," Taohong said, sticking out her tongue. "Then why are you picking up our money? Hand it over!"

Hearing that they wanted the money back, Guangzong quickly clenched the coins tightly in his hand, afraid that Taohong would snatch them away. Knowing that they had just bullied both his father and mother, he thought they were all bad people.

In a childish voice, he cursed at Taohong and waved his little fist, "Just wait, I'll beat you to death someday!"

He looked exactly like Lin Laodie. Earlier, Lin Taohong had been restrained and couldn’t hit Lin Laodie, so she held back. But now, seeing Lin Guangzong like this, she couldn’t hold back anymore. She picked up a clod of dirt from the ground and threw it at him.

"You little brat, still trying to kill me? I’ll make you eat dirt!"

Lin Chunyan stood by, watching with a cold eye. As long as Lin Taohong didn’t cause too much trouble, she wouldn’t intervene.

Even though he was just a young child, she couldn’t muster any sympathy.

She remembered someone saying children are innocent, and one shouldn’t judge kids born from affairs, keeping adult issues separate.

But Lin Chunyan always thought this was just plain wrong. Even if kids are innocent, it’s their moms who brought them into this world to face all that prejudice and judgment.

Why try to have it both ways and then tell people not to be too hard on them?

The dirt clod didn’t hurt much, but Lin Taohong’s aggressive stance scared Lin Guangzong so badly he started crying.

Lin Laodie jumped at the chance to yell at Lin Taohong, "What kind of sister are you? Is this what your mom taught you?"

Seeing he still had the energy to talk, Mrs. Zhang wanted to keep hitting him, but Lin Taohong had already spat on the ground.

"I don’t have a brother like that. If you want him to be one, go ahead."

Just as Lin Laodie was about to relax, Lin Taohong grabbed a knife. "I like young ladies best. If you two can’t handle him, I’ll cut off his little thing and take care of him myself."

Lin Laodie was scared out of his wits seeing Lin Taohong’s serious face. He stumbled forward with Shi Niang, nearly tripping and falling.

Someone burst out laughing again, and even from far away, the lively chatter of the villagers could be heard.

"That’s how you let off some steam!"

"Truly heartless scoundrels, they came back just after your money!"

"Did you hear what they said earlier? They even talked about giving dowries to the two young ladies, but their clothes are barely better than a beggar's."

Lin Laodie and Shi Niang wished they could cover their ears and run away, but both were injured and could only hobble along.

The main issue was they didn't know where to go. They didn't have many copper coins left, and staying at an inn would cost a fortune.

Shi Niang looked at Lin Laodie with frustration at his incompetence, her hand touching her hair, cut into a messy state, unable to hold back a sharp intake of breath.

How could she face anyone looking like this?

It was even more painful than being slapped a few times.

She vented all her anger on Lin Laodie, "You're utterly useless, not a single one of the women in the family acknowledges you."

Even though Lin Laodie knew it was true, hearing Shi Niang say it made him feel suffocated, "Those little brats have been corrupted by their mother."

Lin Laodie spat forcefully on the ground, blood and foam coming out of his mouth. Mrs. Zhang's strength was no joke; his face wouldn't stop swelling for at least ten days to half a month.

The worst part was, the teeth he lost would never grow back.

"The villagers are all ungrateful!" Lin Laodie couldn't get over this, "They've all been won over by those three women."

With such a big commotion, neither the Village Headman nor any other men in the village came forward to say a word in his defense.

Shi Niang snorted coldly beside him. She had already found a scarf from her luggage to wrap around her head. Even though some stray hairs stuck out, it was much better than the mess that looked like it had been chewed by a dog.

It would take at least three to five years before she could go out in public again.

"Your two brothers are also cold-hearted. I don't believe they didn't know about this!"

She cursed Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong fiercely, "Those two little devils are truly ruthless. I wonder who taught them such a scheme."

The two of them hobbled along, supporting each other, cursing non-stop. But soon they fell silent, their wounds too painful, and their bodies too hungry and tired to even muster the energy to curse.

Before long, they were caught up by Zhao Laicai and his wife. Lin Laodie, unsure where they would spend the night, his eyes darting around, quickly stepped forward to greet them.

Mrs. Zhang's hands were swollen and bruised. Lin Chunyan saw this and immediately went to find ointment for her, but Mrs. Zhang didn't mind. She was feeling quite pleased, her laughter could be heard from afar.

"Did you see that? I beat them so badly they couldn't even speak. How pathetic!"

Lin Taohong was also delighted, "After I cut her hair, I saw that young lady's eyes almost pop out. She fainted right away."

This idea had come from Ding Hui Niang. She knew it was unlikely to completely resolve the situation, as others would immediately suspect Lin Chunyan and her group.

This stain wouldn't be easy to wash away.

But making them suffer a bit was possible.

Lin Chunyan's courtyard was filled with people, all discussing what had just happened. Uncle Lin and Uncle Lin had also come over. Hearing the outrageous things Lin Laodie had said, they too felt a bit ashamed.

"We really owe Yan Niang an apology."

Dowries or not, just looking at the clothes those two wore made it clear they had no money, not to mention the repeated letters they sent asking for money.

The so-called dowries were nothing more than taking money from Lin Chunyan and giving a portion of it away.

"I'm just worried they might actually report to the authorities," Li Shi said with concern, "What should we do?"

Lin Chunyan told them not to worry, "Even if they go to the authorities, we’ve got nothing to worry about."

Seeing how confident she was, Sun Anyuan, who was beside her, also reassured everyone not to worry, and everyone let out a sigh of relief, chattering away about how bad off Lin Laodie and Shi Niang were.

"That kid’s a lost cause," Liu Niangzi said of Lin Guangzong, "He’s always talking about killing people."

"It’s better off that he’s a mess, so they can really see how their son’s gonna take care of them when they’re old."

Even though filial piety was a big deal, it was especially important in wealthy or official families. For villagers who were just scraping by, everyone had to put their own family first.

A lot of folks, when they got too old to work, would send their parents away, throw up a rickety shed, and send over a couple of meals a day, just waiting for them to kick the bucket so they could be done with it.

Everyone chuckled, knowing exactly what they meant.

Yeah, Lin Laodie’s troubles were just getting started.

Soon enough, the smell of food wafted through the yard. The kids were bouncing around, dying to see what tasty dishes were cooking.

Lin Chunyan waved them over to call the villagers, "Everyone’s pitched in today and must be starving."

They were supposed to eat at Lin Chunyan’s today anyway, and everyone had been starving. The whole mess with Lin Laodie had kept them on their toes, so naturally, they were already hungry.

The kids dashed off, and before long, a crowd showed up.

Lin Chunyan hauled out two big pots: one filled with pickled cabbage, pork, and noodles, and the other with stewed fish. There was also a little basket of crispy salted lotus root slices.

Most of the lotus roots from the village pond had ended up at their place, and Lin Chunyan felt a little bad, so she whipped up these salted lotus root slices for everyone to try.

The moment the food came out, folks were drooling just from the smell before they even took a bite.

Dan the Kid and the others were at the front of the line. Lin Chunyan scooped them a big bowl of meat and vegetables and specially gave them a bowl of salted lotus root slices.

The lotus root slices were freshly fried. The children hadn’t even found a place to sit before they each grabbed a slice and put it in their mouths. The first bite was crispy, and as they chewed, they found it tender and slightly sweet.

"So delicious!" The children licked their fingers clean before taking their bowls to find a place to eat. It was their first time participating in a major village event, and they were still excited.

"It looks really tasty," a few men said, swallowing their saliva, but they felt too old to ask for some.

Those waiting in line to get their food first comforted Lin Chunyan and Mrs. Zhang, "Don’t worry, they should behave for a while."

Their house was like a hot commodity, and no one thought Lin Laodie would give up so easily.

"Right, even if they report to the authorities, we’re not afraid. We can all testify!"

"Yan Niang, don’t worry, we’ll guard the door well."

The Village Headman looked at them with satisfaction, "Seeing you all so united makes me very happy."

Before eating, Lin Chunyan specially thanked them, "If it weren’t for everyone guarding and building this wall, today’s incident wouldn’t have been so easily resolved."

Without the villagers’ help, Lin Laodie might have easily reached their house.

Once at their doorstep, if Lin Laodie wanted to do something, it would have been effortless.

Everyone said it was nothing and that they were willing to help, "We just can’t stand such a petty person!"

"This one person has ruined our village’s reputation!" After Lin Laodie wrote the divorce letter, many families’ marriage arrangements fell through.

They were afraid that if their daughters married into such a family, they would suffer needlessly.

The village's reputation only improved after Lin Chunyan set up the shop and the mountain business. In their village, matchmaking prospects improved significantly, and many people were eager to inquire about potential matches.

The villagers naturally kept these things firmly in mind.

The villagers' gazes towards Lin Chunyan grew more affectionate, and when they glanced at Sun Anyuan beside her, some playfully teased them about when they would tie the knot.

Lin Chunyan remained unfazed, but Sun Anyuan blushed and insisted there was no rush.

"I reckon Sun Biaotou is pretty eager, but there's not much he can do about it."

The onlookers joined in the laughter.

Soon, the laughter and chatter died down, and everyone dug in heartily, especially after a long day's work, savoring the delicious food prepared by Lin Chunyan and her team.

"So fragrant! My family also made this sauerkraut pork with noodles, but it just doesn't taste the same."

"Absolutely delicious! Not only do the kids love these salted lotus root slices, but I'm also a fan of their crispy texture."

Everyone ate their fill, and by the time they were done, the moon was already high in the sky.

They weren't in a rush to leave; after the meal, they pitched in to clean up. Second Aunt Lin also mentioned inviting everyone over for a drink in a few days' time.

Everyone laughed and offered congratulations, filling the courtyard and house with lively chatter.

The eavesdroppers behind the wall had it rough; the tantalizing aroma of the food made their mouths water.

The adults could tough it out, but Lin Guangzong, being young and having traveled hungry for so long, couldn't hold back his tears at the delicious smells and the sounds of laughter and chatter.

Shi Niang, worried the sound might carry, quickly covered his mouth and listened intently. Fortunately, the lively noise in the courtyard masked Lin Guangzong's crying.

She sighed in relief, whispering to comfort Lin Guangzong, "We'll get something to eat soon."

Someone's stomach growled loudly, breaking the silence.

Before Zhao Laicai could feel embarrassed, a chorus of stomach growls erupted.

"We're a bit hungry," Zhao Laicai said first. "On a cold day like this, something warm to eat would hit the spot."

On the way, they caught up with Lin Laodie and his group. As expected, Lin Laodie stopped them as soon as he saw them.

Zhao Laicai and his wife exchanged glances, feigning hesitation before telling Lin Laodie and Shi Niang what they knew, citing their shared hometown ties.

Their words were slightly embellished, but it was enough to make Lin Laodie and Shi Niang's eyes widen in surprise.

"So it's all true!" Hearing about the wealth, the two shops, and the many hired hands, Lin Laodie felt his wounds weren't as painful.

Zhao Laicai couldn't hide his envy, "Just the wages alone are twenty to thirty coins a day, more than what the dock laborers earn. Imagine how much your daughter must have."

Lin Laodie couldn't do the math, but he knew Lin Chunyan was very wealthy, far beyond what he had imagined.

If each worker was paid that much, even a hundred coins a day for him would be enough to live like a nobleman.

"After all, you're her father, but what you did before was really wrong. It's only fair they took their anger out on you."

Lin Laodie thought it made sense and suddenly felt his wounds weren't as painful.

"It's fair to vent anger," he agreed. "There's no lasting grudge between father and daughter."

Shi Niang, beside him, rolled her eyes, also shocked by what Zhao Laicai had said.

Originally, she only thought that Lin Chunyan had bought a shop, had some extra money, and took advantage of the cheap price to buy a mountain. She never expected that so many people were hired on the mountain, and the wages were so high.

Her heart burned with renewed hope.

"After all, a father and daughter can't stay mad at each other forever."

As long as they find a way to let those two girls blow off some steam, they will still be a family.

"Where will you stay tonight?" Zhao Laicai asked again. Seeing that Lin Laodie and his family had no place to stay, he thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we head back to the village and check if there are any weak spots in the wall."

Lin Laodie thought it was a good idea and followed Zhao Laicai back, but after wandering around, they didn't find any weak spots.

Finally, whether intentionally or not, they stopped behind the row of trees at the back of Lin Chunyan's house.

Using the cover of darkness and the crowd's movement, no one noticed their presence.

But staying here was not a good place. Not to mention the number of people coming and going, they dared not move around casually, and the delicious smells wafting out were torture for them.

Lin Laodie was very unhappy, thinking that Lin Chunyan was wasting money and didn't know how to manage it. Without adult guidance, she really didn't understand anything.

With so much money, she ought to save it instead of feeding the whole dang village.

Thinking again that their Lin Guangzong was still hungry, while they could eat so well and be so full, Lin Laodie's heart twisted with envy.

Endure, endure, Lin Laodie told himself. Before getting the money, he had to swallow his pride and win back those two girls.

"Let's go," Zhao Laicai's wife, tired of crouching there, cold and hungry, with her legs numb, said, "This ain't getting us anywhere."

Zhao Laicai had the same idea. He was looking for an easy way out and decided to bet on Lin Laodie.

If he could really return to the village, he might owe me one for this.

Xing Hua didn't owe him anything because Xing Hua was not his biological daughter, and selling her off had soured things between them.

But Lin Chunyan and her family were different. She was indeed Lin Laodie's biological daughter, and even though he had divorced them, he hadn't sold them.

He figured Lin Laodie had done the decent thing.

Seeing Zhao Laicai and his family about to leave, Lin Laodie thought for a moment and also got up, putting on a syrupy smile, "Look, buddy, we're kinda stuck here, and there are many things to follow up. I wonder if we could stay with you?"

Zhao Laicai pretended to be very troubled, "Our place is tiny, and firewood ain't cheap in town."

Lin Laodie naturally knew. He was just looking for a free ride and also knew that Zhao Laicai helped him not just out of a sense of justice.

He spun a big story for Zhao Laicai, "The main thing is that we don't have much money now, but don't worry, once they cool off, I'll be rolling in cash."

Zhao Laicai, who originally wanted to bet on him, nodded in agreement after a few more words.

What they didn't know was that shortly after they left, Uncle Lin and Uncle Lin returned.

They weren't there when Mrs. Zhang beat Lin Laodie, and only knew that Mrs. Zhang had vented her anger. Hearing the absurd things Lin Laodie and his family had said, they were downright embarrassed.

There were many people during dinner, so they didn't say much, which is why they returned.

Lin Chunyan wasn't surprised to see them. The house was still buzzing with chatter, and Liu Niangzi and others had also come back after dinner to chat.

But seeing Uncle Lin and Uncle Lin come, she knew they probably had something to say, so she made herself scarce.

Mrs. Zhang cleared her scratchy throat, which was from all the yelling she'd done earlier and all the jawing after that.

Wang Yingniang knew her habit and quickly brought her a cup of prepared autumn pear paste water.

"My goddaughter really knows how to take care of me," Mrs. Zhang said warmly as she took the water, glancing at Lin Chunyan and Lin Taohong, who had helped her handle Lin Laodie earlier, feeling that life couldn't be better.

The things that had been causing her pain and embarrassment were now just minor issues.

Lin Chunyan also felt a sense of relief. As long as it wasn't too excessive, she agreed with whatever Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong wanted to do to Lin Laodie.

They just needed to let off some steam.

Even now, recalling the moment when Lin Laodie came over, a mix of emotions surged within her.

She had never felt like she belonged in this world, always viewing it with the attitude of a passerby, doing whatever it took to get by.

But now, looking back, the emotional impact was overwhelming, making her truly feel that she was Lin Chunyan, and Lin Chunyan was her.

The two of them had long since merged into one, both physically and emotionally.

She could no longer keep her distance, viewing Lin Laodie with a cold perspective.

He reminded her so much of her father, who, when he saw she wasn't a boy, immediately wanted to give her up.

That was a pain she could never shake off, and seeing Lin Laodie only made that feeling stronger.

He and her father were the same kind of people.

In their eyes, only the male heir mattered, and all their efforts were focused on ensuring a better life for him.

Uncle Lin the Second, who had been quiet until then, seeing that Lin Chunyan seemed deep in thought and hadn't said a word, felt he couldn't stay silent any longer.

"We brothers have discussed it and think that what our elder brother did was downright outrageous, and we, as his brothers, can't just turn a blind eye."

As father and brothers, even if only by a year, Uncle Lin the Second and Uncle Lin the Third couldn't just ignore Lin Laodie.

They feared Lin Laodie might come knocking one day.

Mrs. Zhang and the others listened quietly, wanting to know what they were thinking.

"So we thought, we should strike him from our family records."