Song Wei and Heidan thought the incident with Lin Youfu was over, but the next day, they heard the gossip: Lin Youfu had been ambushed, stuffed in a sack, and beaten up—right in the Lin family outhouse!
At the time, Song Wei was with a group of elderly women gossiping, mainly trying to find out why Lin Youfu had returned.
“Why else? Lin Youfu might be treated like a treasure in the Lin family because of that biased old lady, but at his maternal grandmother’s house, he’s nothing more than a weed.”
The women snacked on sunflower seeds, shaking their heads.
**“Deng Chunhua’s family doesn’t lift a finger unless there’s something in it for them. When Lin Dahai brought them face and money, they naturally treated him well. Even Deng Chunhua brought gifts every time she went back to her mother’s house to keep up appearances. But now?
Lin Dahai got caught cheating and lost his job. Deng Chunhua returned home with her children in disgrace, embarrassing her family in the brigade and adding several mouths to feed.
Not to mention Lin Youfu, who’s used to being pampered at home. He’s lazy and demanding and even fights his younger cousins for things. Who could tolerate that?
Deng Chunhua’s two sisters-in-law weren’t having it. Imagine a married woman about to move back home with her kids—no one would be happy. It’s chaos over there.
Word is, Lin Youfu beat up his second uncle’s son and got a beating in return. Furious, he ran back here after arguing with his mom, blaming everything on her. Tsk, tsk… What an ungrateful brat.”**
Everyone listened intently, relishing the drama.
Song Wei was curious. “Auntie Li, how do you know so much about this?”
Auntie Li looked smug. “My niece is married into Deng Chunhua’s brigade. She came to visit yesterday and told me all about it. These events are so noisy that everyone knows. She even watched Lin Youfu get beaten!”
Song Wei felt regretful. Too bad I didn’t see it for myself.
“Lin Youfu really is something else,” she mused. Being lazy at his grandmother’s house was one thing, but stealing from his own cousins? Getting beaten was well-deserved.
“Just yesterday, he tried to take photos and candy from my Heidan.”
Another woman chimed in. “I heard about that too. Lin Youfu went back to complain, saying a bunch of kids ganged up on him. Old Lady Lin cursed for half the day but didn’t come looking for trouble with you, strangely enough.”
Song Wei smiled faintly. Two watchdogs at home definitely provide peace of mind.
At that moment, a woman rushed in, her face lit with excitement. “Mom! There’s trouble at the Lin family again. Lin Youfu got stuffed in a sack and beaten in their outhouse!”
Hearing this, Song Wei and the elderly women perked up instantly. They slipped on their shoes and dashed outside.
One of the women nearly tripped over the doorstep, but Song Wei caught her just in time.
“Oh dear, these old bones aren’t what they used to be. Wait for me!”
Song Wei grinned, hoisted the woman onto her shoulders, and said, “Auntie Wang, I’ll carry you there!”
Adjusting her hold for comfort, Song Wei sprinted like a hundred-meter dash champion, outpacing everyone else.
“Song Wei is… so strong,” someone exclaimed in awe.
Her speed was incredible, her strength unmatched.
“Gotta hurry; missing the scene would be such a waste!” Song Wei thought. No storm or obstacle could stop her.
As they reached the Lin family courtyard, yelling could already be heard from inside.
“Whoever did this, may you be cursed! Youfu, Youfu, are you okay? Say something to your grandma! Who beat you like this?!”
The courtyard gate hung ajar, seemingly broken. Even if the Lin family wanted to keep things under wraps, they couldn’t. Curious onlookers pushed the door open wider.
Song Wei set Auntie Wang down and claimed a prime spot, craning her neck to peek inside.
What she saw was both shocking and hilarious: Lin Youfu’s face was bruised and swollen beyond recognition. To make matters worse, his clothes were smeared with filth, his pants hung halfway down, and beside him was a rough gunny sack reeking of pig manure.
The scene was… overwhelmingly pungent.
As Lin Youfu struggled to stand with his grandmother’s help, his pants slid down completely.
Before Song Wei could get a clearer view, a large hand covered her eyes.
That familiar scent—it was her fiancé, Lin Zhen.
Although Song Wei missed the sight, others didn’t.
“Eww…”
There were soft gasps from some women, followed by hurried whispers. Married women, however, began critiquing openly.
“Wow, Lin Youfu is so… small.”
“At that size, how’s he going to marry anyone? Hahaha…”
Already dazed from the beating, Lin Youfu was now mortified to the point of fainting.
“What are you all babbling about? Get lost!”
Old Lady Lin furiously tried to shoo away the onlookers, but no one budged.
“Why can’t we speak the truth?” someone retorted.
Helpless against the crowd, Old Lady Lin turned to her other sons for help. But the second and fourth sons ignored her pleas—no one wanted to clean up Lin Youfu’s mess, literally.
Meanwhile, Song Wei nudged Lin Zhen’s hand.
“Don’t block me; I want to see the drama!”
Lin Zhen’s voice came from behind. “Wait.”
Only after Lin Youfu pulled his pants up did Lin Zhen remove his hand.
Song Wei wrinkled her nose. “Ugh, the stench! Was he beaten while… doing his business?”
“Looks like the sack had pig manure in it too. Whoever did this has guts!”
For once, the crowd maintained some distance. It was just too smelly.
Turning to Lin Zhen, Song Wei whispered, “Did you do this?”
Lin Zhen gave a slight nod.
Song Wei was stunned. “And you touched me with your hand after that?”
Lin Zhen quickly whispered, “I washed my hands, and I used a stick to beat him.”
Satisfied, Song Wei gave him a thumbs-up.
Just then, Old Lady Lin’s sharp eyes landed on them. Song Wei braced herself.
Sure enough, the old woman shrieked, “Lin Zhen, it was you, wasn’t it?!”
Lin Zhen replied calmly, “It wasn’t me.”
Old Lady Lin’s fury mounted. “It had to be you! Yesterday, when I came looking for you, that Song woman set her dogs on me. And Heidan hit Youfu yesterday. It’s too much of a coincidence—it’s definitely you!”
Song Wei countered, “Oh, come on, old lady. Don’t make baseless accusations. Yesterday, you wanted Lin Zhen to help bail out your useless eldest son. Were you trying to drag him into trouble?
“Lin Zhen is an honest and upright man. How could he do such a thing for someone who isn’t even related to him by blood? Besides, he’s just a regular guy now. How would he have the ability to pull this off?”
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