191: Earth-Shattering Fight

Lin Zhiqiu's scalp was being painfully pulled, tears streaming down her face. To avoid being hit, she hurriedly pleaded, "Aunt Wei, let go of me, it hurts... My scalp feels like it's going to come off!"

"If it doesn't hurt, I wouldn't hit you!" Wei Guiqin retorted, slapping her hard across the face, "You slut, you shameless woman! My son treated you so well, yet behind his back, you seduce others! Are you trying to bully my son? Have you ever considered who I, Wei Guiqin, am? How dare you challenge me like this!"

Lin Zhiqiu tried to dodge but couldn't escape. The slaps felt like they were knocking her out.

Seeing her daughter being hit, Lin's mother couldn't stand it anymore. Ignoring everything else, she swung her arm to grab Wei Guiqin, "Wei Guiqin, let's talk things through. You can't just resort to violence all the time! Qiu'er is a young girl; she can't handle being hit like this every other day!"

"Get out of my way!" Wei Guiqin kicked Lin's mother aside and spat at her face, "What are you? Shameless old hag! Your daughter plotted against my son, and I didn't see her hold back! Are you feeling sorry for her after just a few slaps? She deserves it! Let me tell you, I regret it now. Back then, when Yanyan slapped her, I shouldn't have stopped her. I should've smashed her face in!"

Seeing her mother being hit and insulted so harshly, Lin Zhiqiu felt deeply humiliated. She panicked like a trapped animal, letting out a heart-wrenching scream and wildly swung her hands at Wei Guiqin, scratching her face.

Wei Guiqin felt the pain, touching her face and finding blood. This was going too far!

She switched from slapping to scratching, clawing at Lin Zhiqiu's face, turning it into a mess of scratches.

Inside the house, chaos erupted. Lin's mother, infuriated, grabbed a stool and swung it at Wei Guiqin.

"Alright, you two are ganging up on me!" Wei Guiqin shouted and grabbed a teapot from the table, smashing it towards Lin's mother.

With a bang, the teapot exploded, splashing hot water all over Lin's mother.

Lin Zhiqiu screamed and pounced on Wei Guiqin, disregarding everything else, intent on fighting for her life.

The room became a battleground. The three women rolled on the floor, hair disheveled, clothes stained. Outside, a crowd had gathered, drawn by the commotion, but no one dared to intervene.

Seeing her father unable to control himself and wanting to break up the fight, Su Hanyan decisively pulled him away from the scene, "Dad, don't worry about it. These mother and daughter duo deserve this! What you need to do now is quickly send money over so Third Brother can come home!"

"You're right."

"Mm."

Su Dajiang couldn't bear to watch anymore and walked away. Su Hanyan didn't want to stay and watch the drama either, taking the opportunity to leave as well.

But she was confident that Wei Guiqin's next "performance" would definitely not disappoint her. If it didn't cause a huge uproar, it wouldn't be Wei Guiqin.

Wei Guiqin indeed lived up to Su Hanyan's expectations. She was thoroughly enjoying the fight, holding her own against both women.

Earlier, she had been slapped around by the mother and daughter duo, but now that she had the upper hand, she flipped them over and straddled Lin Zhiqiu.

Her hands hurt from slapping, so she took off her shoe, shoved her smelly sock into Lin Zhiqiu's mouth, and used the sole of the shoe to slap her face.

As she slapped, she continued to curse, "You slut, you little fox, I told you not to be shameless and bully my honest Jingrui!"

192: Cut the Grass and Root Out the Weeds

Lin Zhiqiu was beaten badly, her face bruised and swollen, tears flowing like a river.

With one arm, Lin's mother couldn't do much. Knowing they couldn't win, she called out to the neighbors for help, "Please, have mercy on us! We can't take this bullying anymore!"

"Can't take it? You old hag, shut up!" Wei Guiqin erupted in anger, exposing the immoral deeds Lin's family had been up to these past two months, cursing loudly, "You tricked my son Jingrui into almost going to jail, do you know that? Now that you see a wealthy man, you're throwing yourselves at him! Tell me, do you still want your Green Lotus?"

Upon hearing the situation, the neighbors who had initially wanted to help backed off.

Compared to physical fighting, they couldn't tolerate this moral corruption. It was clear: despite being engaged, she was flirting with other men behind his back.

If this had been discovered after marriage, it would have caused even more trouble.

To put it bluntly, this woman was promiscuous.

Seeing the bystanders indifferent, Lin's mother cried, tears streaming down, and she knelt in front of Wei Guiqin, "Please, stop! She's my only daughter. If you hurt her badly, we won't survive! We were wrong. Can't I apologize to you?"

Seeing her kneeling down, the neighbors felt pity for her.

Someone spoke up to advise Wei Guiqin, "Guiqin, that's enough! If someone gets seriously hurt, it'll be trouble!"

"Yeah, you discovered it early, just call off the engagement!"

"Right. Luckily, you found out. Be glad your son didn't marry this woman!"

Wei Guiqin, tired from the fight, agreed with the neighbors. If things got worse, she'd have to pay medical bills.

"Fine." Wei Guiqin released Lin Zhiqiu and stood up, "I'll spare you both today! From now on, stay away from my family! You're lucky today. If it weren't for the neighbors' intervention, I might have killed you both!"

With that, she spat on the ground and limped out the door.

Even so, she still felt unresolved.

Her son had been harmed by this woman. As neighbors, they would inevitably meet again. How heart-wrenching would it be for her son to see them?

She thought for a moment and decided that sometimes, you had to eradicate the roots along with the grass.

So, she went to Mrs. Wang's house, borrowed the loudspeaker used for calling out in the neighborhood, and began shouting in the alley:

"Attention, everyone! Attention, everyone! There's a fox spirit in our alley! It's Lin Zhiqiu from the Lin family. She was engaged to my son, but she's been flirting with the male workers at the factory. This woman is promiscuous and shameless!"

[lmao]

"Lin Zhiqiu's mother knew about this and encouraged her daughter's actions. A crooked beam can't make a straight house! Everyone, be careful when choosing partners in the future. Avoid families like this one!"

Wei Guiqin tirelessly continued her public outcry, almost resorting to posting a big character poster in front of the Lin family's door.

With the neighborhood committee involved, Wei Guiqin was criticized and educated. They quickly convened a meeting to discuss the matter.

Chapter 193: Nowhere to Hide

If not for this meeting, the neighbors in this area would have merely speculated about the grievances between the Lin and Su families, unable to confirm what was true or false.

After the neighborhood committee's investigation and meeting, Wei Guiqin was criticized, and so were Lin's mother and daughter, confirming the incident.

Once the meeting dispersed, discussions buzzed among everyone. Few blamed Wei Guiqin for resorting to violence, but many condemned Lin's family for their unethical behavior.

Wei Guiqin's commotion continued until late into the night before she finally returned home.

Upon her return, her second daughter had already run off with her husband, afraid that Wei would ask them for money again.

"I've been saying, this daughter-in-law of yours has her elbows turned out! When trouble hit her in her in-laws' house, see how anxious she was, like a monkey stealing garlic. Now that there's trouble at her own family's house, she doesn't give a damn!"

"Enough, stop talking. Isn't this all because you didn't educate Chanjuan properly?" Su Dajiang looked at his wife's bruised face, feeling very annoyed, "You're good at nothing else, but fighting, you're the best!"

"I'm doing this for the honor of the Su family." Wei Guiqin said, feeling her waist ache, "My waist feels like it's twisted again, I need to lie down for a while."

"Go ahead. If nothing unexpected happens, Jingrui should be back in a day or two!"

"Well, that's good." Wei Guiqin was relieved, "Finally avoided a disaster."

"You should thank Yanyan for that. Your least favorite daughter actually helped a lot in this matter!" Su Dajiang said.

Knowing her husband was about to lecture her again, Wei Guiqin hurriedly said, "Got it, got it. We'll have her come back for dinner another day!"

"Dinner?" Su Dajiang snorted, "Will she dare? If you still care about her, then save up more money for her. It's tough for a girl to live on her own."

"Got it." Wei Guiqin replied, but didn't take it to heart. Holding her waist, her steps slowed down, "Dajiang, come quickly and see what's wrong with me. I can't move my waist at all..."

"Serves you right! You brought this on yourself!" Su Dajiang retorted.

"How is this my fault?" Wei Guiqin gradually realized, "Yanyan really has quite a cunning mind. She used me as her tool to start a fight!"

"Why bring Yanyan into this again? Let me ask you, even if Yanyan didn't tell you, once you found out about this, would you have gone to fight with the Lin family?"

"I would!" Wei Guiqin gritted her teeth, "I regret not doing better today! If I had another chance, I would definitely beat those two into submission!"

Su Dajiang: "..."

How did he end up with such a woman?

---

The news spread like wildfire.

The next day, Lin Zhiqiu and her mother went out to change their bandages. Everywhere they went, people ignored them or pointed and whispered from a distance.

"Mom." Lin Zhiqiu's eyes were red like ripe peaches, "I have nowhere to hide my face... Wei Guiqin was so ruthless, she completely ruined my reputation!"

Feeling sorry for her daughter's condition, Lin's mother could only swallow her bitterness and comfort her, "It's okay, don't worry about it. You don't have time to be sad now. Quickly recuperate and heal your face. The most important thing now is to find Zhou Ningkai and bring him down."

"I'll go this afternoon." Lin Zhiqiu said, "Let him see how badly I've been beaten. He'll feel sorry for me..."

"Good."

Lin Zhiqiu made up her mind and went to the hospital ward in the afternoon to find Zhou Ningkai. Unexpectedly, he had already been discharged, leaving her without a word.

194: A Great Humiliation

She was feeling somewhat overwhelmed.

Previously, they had agreed that she would be informed when Zhou Ningkai was discharged from the hospital. But now, he had been discharged, and she hadn't been notified. Could something have gone wrong?

Lin Zhiqiu sat despondently outside the hospital room, lost in her thoughts. She heard footsteps approaching from the direction she was facing. When she lifted her head, she was surprised to see He Sulan.

"Auntie!" She exclaimed, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, quickly standing up. "Has Ningkai been discharged?"

Because she had hurriedly left her bag behind in the hospital room when leaving, He Sulan had returned to retrieve it and encountered Lin Zhiqiu at the hospital room door.

Seeing her daughter-in-law in such a state, He Sulan's eyes showed clear disdain and aversion. "He's been discharged. What's the matter? Are you looking for him?"

"It's like this, Auntie. Ningkai and I agreed that I would help him move his things when he was discharged..." Lin Zhiqiu murmured softly.

A smirk curled He Sulan's lips as she glanced at Lin Zhiqiu, whose face was gradually sinking. "Is that so? Move his things? I'm not so sure about that. Are you interested in our Ningkai?"

"I..." Lin Zhiqiu was trying to figure out how to respond when she saw He Sulan's face darken. "Auntie, you..."

"You don't need to answer me; I can see through your intentions," He Sulan stared at her, her tone dripping with contempt. "Your face is quite lovely, giving off a delicate and vulnerable aura that makes men want to protect you. But if you think you can freely seduce men just because of your looks, then you're mistaken."

"Auntie, you can't say that about me. I haven't seduced Ningkai," Lin Zhiqiu defended herself. "He and I are friends, very close friends."

"Is that so?" He Sulan folded her arms, the elegant purse hanging from her arm, highlighting the difference in their status right before Lin Zhiqiu's eyes. "That's not what Ningkai said. He didn't say you were just friends; he only feels sorry for you! Young lady, while our Zhou family may not be extraordinarily wealthy, we still have status and background! My son Ningkai's wife can't just be anyone. She must at least be a college graduate! Do you understand?"

Lin Zhiqiu felt her self-esteem being brutally insulted. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at He Sulan. "Your words are deeply hurtful!"

"Hurtful? I don't think so!" He Sulan's face darkened as she looked at her. "You have quite the strategy. A few casual words from you nearly got my son's ribs broken. Fortunately, he didn't fall for you. If he had, I'm afraid he'd be in serious trouble! Don't even think about plotting anything with him. As long as I'm around, someone like you will never enter our Zhou family!"

With that, He Sulan coldly harrumphed and pushed past Lin Zhiqiu into the hospital room.

Feeling deeply humiliated, Lin Zhiqiu ran out of the hospital, tears streaming down her face. She found a secluded spot and cried her heart out.

It wasn't until nightfall that she returned home.

Seeing her mother anxiously waiting, she hesitated for a moment before walking up to her. "Mom, I'm back!"

"How did it go? Did you make any progress?" Lin's mother asked anxiously.

At this question, Lin Zhiqiu broke down again. She covered her face and cried for a long time. "No, nothing. Zhou Ningkai has been discharged, and I met his mother! His mother said... a woman like me could never enter the Zhou family's doors..."

195: Dreams Shattered

Lin's mother's heart sank halfway. "It's over, completely over!"

Lin Zhiqiu collapsed onto the bed and cried bitterly. Heaven seemed to be playing a cruel joke on her. Just as she had severed ties with the Su family and pinned her hopes on the Zhou family, the Zhou family dealt her a fatal blow.

Now, she had lost her job, her marriage prospects were dashed, and she had nothing left.

What she didn't expect was that more misfortune awaited her.

"Qiu'er, if you ask me, we should pack up and go back to our hometown tomorrow!" Lin's mother wiped her tears, her voice filled with sorrow. "Today, the landlord also came and said we have to leave!"

"Why?" Lin Zhiqiu's face was still stained with tears. "Why do we have to leave when we were living just fine?"

"The landlord heard about this incident. Today, he said we have to move out..." Lin's mother found it difficult to say, "People look down on us! I've thought it over, and it's better to leave. Our neighbors have all turned their backs on us, you've lost your job, and since your father passed away, we have no one in this city to rely on... Going back to our hometown, at least there's some land there where we can survive..."

"Mom, I don't want to go!" Lin Zhiqiu cried desperately. "What am I supposed to do? I finally settled down in the city, and now I have to go back to the village!"

At her age, returning to the village meant she would soon have to marry. What kind of people lived in the village? Farmers, rough men, all smelling of sweat and toil!

She couldn't accept it!

"We have no choice but to go! Qiu'er, we have to survive!" Lin's mother's tears flowed even more intensely. "Even if we don't go back to the village, we can't stay here. We can't live under people's disdain and mockery!"

"How could this happen? How could this happen?" Lin Zhiqiu's dreams had been shattered overnight. "Everything was fine. I had a good job, found someone I liked, everything was heading in the right direction, and then overnight... overnight, all these dreams came crashing down! Mom, I can't accept this!"

Lin Zhiqiu's eyes burned with tears and resentment as she stared at the dark window.

Why was her life so tragic?

A tragic family, tragic experiences—she wasn't inferior to anyone, yet her fate was worse than anyone's!

"What good does it do to be unwilling?" Lin's mother's mood was desolate. She had no expectations left in her life; she just hoped her daughter could marry into a good family and live a good life.

But now, the dream was shattered. She had to face reality!

"Mom!" Lin Zhiqiu wiped her tears fiercely and said to her mother, "Since I'm already in such a miserable state, I might as well go all out! If I can't improve my situation, then I won't let those who ruined me off the hook!"

With that, she got up and rushed out.

"Hey, Qiu'er, where are you going? Qiu'er!" Lin's mother hurriedly chased after her, calling out anxiously. "Don't do anything reckless! You'll get into big trouble!"

Lin Zhiqiu had long stopped listening to her mother's calls. All she could think about was "vengeance."

The reason for her current misery ultimately stemmed from Su Hanyan's interference!

With her life seemingly hopeless, why should Su Hanyan get away scot-free? Why should she remain unscathed and self-righteous?

Lin Zhiqiu drove to the factory under the cover of night and headed straight for the single dormitory.

At that moment,

Su Hanyan was revising her lessons with two friends in the dormitory, preparing for the exams coming up in the summer.

Bang—

A loud noise echoed through the air.