Chapter 4: I Want Compensation Too

Chen Wenjun cried even more bitterly, "You people are truly heartless! I spent the whole day at the street market selling fish, I didn't go anywhere else. That was fish I’d saved up for over half a month, and it was all sold out. My pockets are cleaner than my face right now. You say I don't have money, but does that mean I gave my fish away for free?

I know you all look down on us Tanka people, but I live an honest life. I earn my money selling fish with my own two hands; I don't steal, and I don't rob. To be struck by such a disaster for no reason and then be falsely accused by you—this is just too much bullying!"

The neighbors really couldn't listen anymore.

They began to condemn the Liu family one after another.

Seeing that Liu Yongguo was not cooperating, the police officer said coldly, "Case filed, arrest them!"

"No! No, no, we'll pay! We'll pay the money, we'll pay!" Ma Cuihua shouted through gritted teeth, slapping her thighs and wailing from time to time. She had a belly full of grievances, but she couldn't say them—she couldn't say anything. Even if she did, no one would believe her.

Clearly, things shouldn't have turned out this way. Why was it that in the end, they were the ones suffering?

The police officer roared in exasperation, "Hurry up!"

Ma Cuihua stumbled, leaning against a cabinet to stand up, intending to go back into the room to get the money.

"Stop!" Lin Qin held Liu Yaya and blocked her path. "And we need to settle the account for you framing me and beating me until I bled!"

Ma Cuihua’s chest heaved violently with rage. "You—you bitch, you think you’re worthy of settling accounts with me?!"

Lin Qin swept a cold glance at her and looked toward the police officer. "Comrade Police, my case hasn't been closed yet, right? All four of them have confessed. I demand they be punished to the fullest extent of the law!"

"Hiss!" The surrounding neighbors gasped, looking at the unfamiliar Lin Qin in shock.

They were clearly a family; how had they ended up like mortal enemies? Or was it a case of a cornered rabbit biting back?

The Lin Qin they knew had never been this fierce!

The neighborhood committee director hurried forward to soothe Lin Qin. "I know you’ve been wronged, but this kind of thing isn't glorious if it gets out. Your husband is still in college, I heard he’s about to graduate. What if this affects his job placement?"

The director was trying to use Liu Yongming to make Lin Qin compromise, not knowing that the person Lin Qin hated most in her heart was that very scumbag!

He was the mastermind behind everything tonight! All for the sake of dumping a wife who had no education and couldn't do anything, so he could rightfully marry a woman of equal social standing.

"Fine!" The director’s expression relaxed, only to hear Lin Qin say unhurriedly, "It’s not glorious to make a scene here, so I’ll just go to Yongming’s school and find him. I’ll let his teachers and classmates judge and decide for me. If he can’t even handle his own family affairs, then there’s no point in him studying!"

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting!" The director was displeased.

There were only a few people in their neighborhood attending college, and Liu Yongming was one of them—he was the pride of their neighborhood. If Lin Qin really made a scene at Liu Yongming’s school, it would ruin him.

"Are you sensible at all, you dead girl? That’s your husband! What good will it do you to ruin him? Is your brain flooded with water?" Li Lian rattled off a string of scoldings at Lin Qin.

Even Lin Yi did not approve of her approach.

Lin Qin remained unmoved. "If you don't want me to go, that's fine too. They must compensate me and give me a sincere apology until I am satisfied."

"In your dreams!" Ma Cuihua roared back without a second thought, her eyes filled with such hatred she looked like she wanted to tear Lin Qin to pieces.

Lin Qin let out a cold snort. "Fifty yuan! If I don't get the money today, no one is going to have a good time! I’ll go to the newspaper office, I’ll go to Liu Yongming’s school—I’ll keep making a scene until you all go down with me!"

Her crazed, reckless appearance made everyone present turn pale.

The police officer spoke up in time, "Since Comrade Lin Qin has proposed a settlement plan, you should consider it carefully. Also, the wound on her head needs treatment. This case isn't closed yet; if anything happens to her later, she can hold you accountable at any time."

The officer’s words were subtle, but the neighborhood director caught the meaning. Seeing Ma Cuihua about to argue again, he glared at her fiercely. "Hurry up and get the money to pay her! Disrespectful to your elders, bringing this upon yourselves. Yongming must have had eight lifetimes of bad luck to end up with a family like you!"

Ma Cuihua felt the world go black.

Fifty-three yuan and twenty-five cents plus fifty yuan—that added up to over a hundred!

Their family’s current savings were only about four hundred. Having to take out so much at once, Ma Cuihua couldn't even move her legs.

Fearing she would pull another stunt, Lin Qin immediately said, "Comrade Police, I know where she hides the money. You come with me, I’ll get it myself, so she doesn't turn around and accuse me of stealing it later!"

"Lin Qin... you... very good! You just wait!" Ma Cuihua glared at her with venom for a long while before finally gritting her teeth and returning to the room to get the money.

Xu Manzhi secretly pinched Liu Yongguo’s waist, feeling a heart-wrenching pain—that was over a hundred yuan!

When Ma Cuihua came out trembling with the money, the police officer quickly took it, counted it, gave fifty yuan to Lin Qin, and gave the rest to Chen Wenjun.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to lecture the Liu family.

The neighborhood director shook his head, feeling that while the four members of the Liu family were hateful, Lin Qin wasn't innocent either. With the scene she made today, her life in the Liu family would only get harder.

Chen Wenjun took the money and immediately packed his things to leave.

Before leaving, he took a deep look at Lin Qin but said nothing.

The four members of the Liu family didn't dare to stop him.

Lin Qin watched him leave, then turned to give Liu Yaya to Lin Yi. "Dad, I’ll pack my things and go back to stay with you for a few days. I’ll go to the clinic to treat the wound on my head in a bit."

"Good! Dad will go with you!" Lin Yi was fuming; he didn't want his daughter to stay in the Liu family for another second.

Seeing Lin Qin about to leave, Ma Cuihua wouldn't let her, lying on the ground, throwing a tantrum, and cursing Lin Qin for being unfilial.

It made Lin Yi incredibly angry.

Lin Qin chased everyone out of the room, quickly packed her things, locked the door, and followed Lin Yi out without looking back, completely ignoring whether Ma Cuihua lived or died.

Behind her were Ma Cuihua’s ugly curses.

Xu Manzhi returned to the room, her heart burning with rage.

Liu Yongguo quickly followed her in to coax her. "Wife, this matter today won't just end so easily. Don't worry, that fifty yuan will be back in our hands soon."

"Talk is cheap! Didn't you see how arrogant Lin Qin was today? She even dared to hit Mom; she’ll be riding on my head in the future too! And that fifty-three yuan and twenty-five cents—what about that money? Are we just going to swallow this bitter pill for nothing?" Xu Manzhi pointed at Liu Yongguo’s nose and cursed, furious.

Liu Yongguo was incredibly irritable. "What else can I do? Do you really want me to go to jail?"

"You didn't steal that money, why should you go to jail? Why should we have to pay?" Xu Manzhi simply refused to accept it.

Fifty yuan! It would take their family over half a year to save that much!

Liu Yongguo was also filled with regret now. If he had known that someone collapsing in the alley would be trouble, why had he been so blinded by greed? Just to pocket those three yuan, he had brought the person back. As a result, not only did the plan fail, but they also lost over fifty! No, over a hundred!