Listening to the commotion, one might think Old lady Deng truly cared about her daughter.
Indeed, someone among the crowd couldn’t help but discuss:
“Who would’ve thought the Deng family really cared for their daughter? Rushing over here to stand up for her.”
When Aunt Wang heard this, she immediately spat out the sunflower seed shells in her mouth and said in disdain:
“Rubbish. That old woman is just using this as an opportunity to extort compensation.”
Even Song Wei could see through the act, though Gao Le and the younger people were somewhat confused.
“Really? It sounded to me like the Deng family came to defend Deng Chunhua.”
Wang Dama scoffed:
“Ah, you kids are too young to see through this.”
“If old lady Deng truly cared about her daughter, she wouldn’t be causing such a big scene in front of so many people. How many times have you heard about the Deng family visiting their daughter in the past year? Almost never. And now that Deng Chunhua is still the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lin family, how is she supposed to live here after this commotion? Besides, did you hear what old lady Deng kept repeating? Was it about seeking justice or revenge? No, all she cares about is ‘compensation.’”
“But didn’t Old lady Deng claim she lent money to the Lin family? If they’re here to demand repayment, isn’t that reasonable?”
Another auntie chimed in, rolling her eyes:
“Do you really think the Deng family is that generous?”
She added, disdainfully:
“When I was younger, I lived in the same village as the Deng family. They’re self-serving to the bone. Most likely, they saw that Lin Dahai could become a worker—never mind he’s a temporary worker, that’s still a big deal. A son-in-law who’s a worker would bring face to the Deng family. But knowing the Deng family’s stingy ways, they must’ve set conditions before lending money. And of course, Deng Chunhua must’ve played her part too.”
The younger listeners exchanged thoughtful glances.
Down below, Old lady Lin seemed to echo the sentiments of the crowd as she began her tirade:
“You old hag, how dare you bring up that loan! Ha! Who demands a family’s daughter in return for money? You forced us to marry off our granddaughter to your nephew, who’s already buried two wives! My poor granddaughter’s life is ruined—reduced to a ghost of her former self—and now you want us to repay you? Dream on!”
Gasp.
The onlookers audibly sucked in their breath, their eyes widening in shock.
Even Lin Lao’er’s family stood frozen in disbelief before erupting into shouts and shrieks.
“Mother! You mean to tell me our eldest was married off to that old bachelor in exchange for money for the eldest brother? That’s not what you said back then!”
Old lady Deng spat at Lin Lao’er’s wife.
“Don’t pretend you’re a saint. When I suggested it, this old hag jumped at the idea without a moment’s hesitation. I’ve never seen a grandmother as heartless as her!”
“Good heavens…”
Up in the loft, the young ones nearly dropped their snacks.
They hadn’t expected to uncover such explosive secrets.
The Lin and Deng families had truly shattered moral boundaries.
“Are they even human?”
Lin Zhen stared at the chaotic Lin family courtyard below, his eyes filled with disgust.
Song Wei remained fixated on the unfolding drama. The Deng and Lin families were now physically fighting.
Old lady Lin and old lady Deng were at each other’s throats. Their respective sons were brawling too.
Lin Lao’er’s family, however, was still reeling from the revelation about their eldest daughter.
They had always believed their daughter’s marriage to that old bachelor resulted from a “misunderstanding”—a situation where the bachelor had seen too much, and the Lin family had reluctantly agreed after being offered a sizable dowry.
But now, they realized it had all been a setup by Old lady Lin and Old lady Deng to help Lin Dahai.
Lin Lao’er’s eyes turned bloodshot.
Yes, they were selfish and heavily favored their son, but their daughter was still their flesh and blood. They had hoped to secure a decent dowry but never intended to marry her off to an older widower with two dead wives.
At that moment, Deng Chunhua arrived in a hurry with her son and daughter.
She hadn’t been consulted about the Deng family’s visit, nor had she known about their plans.
When she arrived, the families were already locked in a chaotic brawl.
Slapping her thigh in frustration, she cried:
“What are you doing? What are you all doing? Mother, why did you bring the family here to cause trouble?!”
Old lady Deng shot her a sharp glare.
“You ungrateful wretch! Can’t you see your mother and brothers being bullied? And you just stand there?”
Old lady Lin yelled back:
“You shameless woman, bringing your family to attack your in-laws! Do you want my son to divorce you? If you keep this up, I’ll have him write the divorce papers the moment he comes back!”
Deng Chunhua’s face turned deathly pale.
“No, no! I can’t get divorced. The children are still so young. Dahai can’t leave me!”
At that moment, Lin Lao’er’s wife suddenly lunged at Deng Chunhua, scratching her face.
“Was it you? Did you and your family conspire to marry my daughter off to that old bachelor? Answer me! Speak up!”
Deng Chunhua screamed in pain, caught off guard by the sudden attack, but still managed to slap Lin Lao’er’s wife in retaliation.
“You’re crazy!” Deng Chunhua yelled, clutching her bleeding face.
Lin Lao’er rushed forward, his eyes red with fury, and slapped Deng Chunhua hard. He then turned to glare at his mother and the Deng family.
“So this is it, huh? My dear mother and my sister-in-law’s family conspired against us for money? You’ve outdone yourselves!”
Even Old lady Lin was startled by her second son’s outburst but quickly put on a defiant face.
With her hair disheveled and looking like a madwoman, she shouted:
“Daya’s body was seen naked by that old bachelor. Who else would marry her after that? Besides, didn’t you get part of the dowry money too?”
Lin Lao’er’s wife stared at her in disbelief.
“She’s your own granddaughter! How could you and an outsider plot against her like this? Are you even human?”
Old lady Lin’s face darkened, growing increasingly bitter and harsh.
“How dare you talk to me like that, you hussy! I’m your mother-in-law, and you call me inhuman? You shameless fox, whispering sweet nothings to my son and turning him against me! No respect left for elders anymore, is there? You’re a disgrace!”
This was Old lady Lin’s classic emotional manipulation—crying, shouting, and making herself the victim to guilt her sons into siding with her.
But this time, Lin Lao’er seemed too disappointed to fall for it. For once, he didn’t lower his head in submission as he usually did.
Leave a Reply