The "they" who deeply annoyed Ping’an were, at this mont, gathered together with Mr. Lin on this hot night.
Besides the eldest Lin Aiguo who was on duty, Lin Dinghui who was in school, and Lin Liyin who was recuperating back ho, many other Lin Family mbers were gathered in the living room.
The tightly closed doors, despite the nurous ice blocks in the room, made the originally spacious area feel even more crowded and oppressive.
Mr. Lin had aged significantly in recent tis, with a head full of white hair, deeply furrowed brows, and trembling hands, all of which showed his true exhaustion.
Many things, as events unfolded, had surpassed Mr. Lin’s imagination. The seasoned Mr. Lin, who had been through warfare for half his life, clearly felt a huge net surrounding his family, quickly closing in.
In this series of maneuvers, he hadn’t stopped speculating on the motives of the mastermind. Whether probing openly or investigating secretly, apart from two rival families with grudges and his suspicious son-in-law, he couldn’t confirm anything, nor knew where to start.
Mr. Lin glanced at his family mbers with varied expressions, and irritably waved his hand, "All of you scatter, the eldest and Victory, co to the study with , the rest, accompany your mom."
Chen Jingru sat motionless, watching the old man take his sons and grandsons into the study, thinking of her son’s words, she lowered her gaze.
Sure enough, her son wasn’t even on their minds; not even a word about why the child wasn’t here. Her son must be so insignificant to be ignored by family like this.
As soon as Jiang Jiangyu saw the old man leaving, with a swoosh, she darted from her chair to Chen Jingru’s side, grabbed her arm, and whispered, "Sister-in-law, co with inside."
Chen Jingru shook off her hand, extended her arm, stood up, and replied, "No, I’ll go check if Auntie’s late-night snack is ready. You have a good relationship with Mrs. Lin, she likes you, keep her company."
Jiang Jiangyu rolled her eyes at her departing figure, pursed her lips, and went to her two daughters, following them into Mrs. Lin’s room.
Before getting close, the sll of urine hit her nose, and Jiang Jiangyu imdiately yelled, "Where the hell did Auntie go? Baby, quickly call her over."
Lin Xuezhen glanced at the old lady pretending to sleep on the bed, rolled her eyes at her mom, "Keep your voice down, or you’ll disturb Grandpa and get kicked out."
Jiang Jiangyu awkwardly curled her lips, muttering, "You brat, the older you get, the less you respect your mom, just like that other brat from the elder family, all ingrates."
Seeing her sister about to retort, Lin Xueli tugged at her, "Go call soone to clean up."
Jiang Jiangyu watched her younger daughter leave, leaned over to her elder daughter, and said, "Didn’t they say your grandma can speak now? How co she doesn’t even call out for bathroom help now?"
Lin Xueli harshly pinched her mom’s palm, fuming inside. If the old lady heard such words, she’d take it to heart again. If she wasn’t so helpless due to her worsened conditions, she’d have started throwing things again.
Jiang Jiangyu pursed her lips, nodded at her, and, holding her breath, she ca to the bedside, stared at the old lady for a while, and feeling she was asleep, she quietly returned to her elder daughter’s side.
Sitting back down, she whispered into her daughter’s ear, "It’s fine, your grandma is asleep."
"Stop walking back and forth, it’s making dizzy."
"Got it. Why have you also turned like your sister? I wonder why you two ran off to join the army? Your aunt doesn’t even help."
As Jiang Jiangyu spoke, she looked around a few tis, suddenly stood up, and took a few steps forward — really, many things were missing.
Worriedly she spoke, "Did your grandma give your uncle anything before? Would she have no ti to sort things out before suddenly passing?"
Lin Xueli clenched her teeth and yelled quietly, "Enough!"
"You brat, I’m thinking for whom? You’re not getting any younger..." Jiang Jiangyu grew more agitated as she spoke, but the pain from her pinched arm and her daughter’s stern face finally silenced her.
After a mont, she glanced outside, noticing nothing had changed, and couldn’t help but complain, "Your sister is so unreliable, how co she hasn’t gotten anyone to clean up yet. Hurry up and call soone."
"Alright, just stay put quietly." Lin Xueli stood up, walked to the bed, carefully lifted a corner of the blanket, and sure enough, it wasn’t wet. Apparently, Auntie knew, no wonder she hadn’t co in.
Sitting along the bed’s edge, Lin Xueli grabbed Mrs. Lin’s left hand, but unfortunately, she was unresponsive. Seeing this, she didn’t dare sigh either.
"How is it?"
Lin Xueli shook her head. How would it be? Anyone could see. The only hand capable of writing couldn’t move anymore; the stroke worsened, needing her not to speak?
"What a tornt! Lying here paralyzed; wouldn’t it be better to die and reincarnate early, saving this family from troubles. Our family rushed here, not knowing how things are back ho."
After Jiang Jiangyu spoke, she turned and saw Lin Xueli retreat several steps in fright, exclaiming, "Oh dear, Mom..."
The previously closed-eyed Mrs. Lin now stared furiously at them, with eyes that seed to want to devour them.
Regaining her senses, Jiang Jiangyu hastily approached, "Mom, don’t get wrong. I just think this is too hard for you. Honestly, how could the heavens let you suffer such an illness?"
Before Jiang Jiangyu could get close, Mrs. Lin imdiately closed her eyes. She didn’t bother with this fool, who dared to loath her; should have divorced her early on. From a fallen family and indeed uneducated!
"Grandma, don’t listen to my mom’s babbling; she always speaks without thinking. Ignore her. Tomorrow my grandma will take us sisters to the temple to pray for you. You’ll live a long life."
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lin opened her eyes and stared at her second granddaughter, blinking twice.
Lin Xueli understood her agreent and smiled, "All will be fine. Grandma says people of culture like you don’t believe in this, but she thinks our family has encountered an enemy, and praying can remove bad luck."
Seeing her softened gaze, Lin Xueli sighed internally. Mrs. Lin must have a strong will to live, to the extent of believing in superstition. Seems like they indeed should visit the temple tomorrow.
Jiang Jiangyu once again pursed her lips, gave Mrs. Lin a disdainful look. The hell with prayers! Her own mother said nothing of the sort; instead, she had told them to take the old lady’s clothing to apologize to the Buddha and wash away sins.
Nevertheless, Jiang Jiangyu dared not speak the truth. She fully believed, if she said such words, they’d definitely chase her out with a big broom.
Mrs. Lin now seed to have found a lifeline, eager for them to go pray to the Buddha overnight. Lately, whenever she fell asleep, it was either Gu Mingzhu seeking revenge or her siblings saying it was cold underground.
Mrs. Lin genuinely believed she incurred so wrath, and that misfortune was nad Zhou Jiao. She rembered clearly the uneasy feeling when she first held the child close. And now it seed, ever since that child returned to Beijing, everything went wrong for her.
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