"What's going on? Did I hear correctly?"
"Yes, didn't they say that Lin Lisha is a widow?"
"I never knew that She is such a woman"
"With her looks doesn't it make sense?
"I always knew that she is a Vixen who only know how to seduce men"
"What if she does that to our husbands in Future?"
"Alas, men are often ruled by their baser instincts,"
As the discussion among the onlookers grew more heated, Su Fang observed with satisfaction.
"Humph" Lin Quin also repramanded Lin Lisha, "back then you made such a sin, we still supported you and now you are biting the hands that fed you?"
At first, Old Mrs. Lin was seized by a sense of unease as Su Fang began to divulge Lin Lisha's sordid past before the throng of onlookers. It had been nearly two decades since the scandalous affair had taken place, and the Lin family had kept it tightly under wraps all this time, for fear of the repercussions that might ensue to their Lin family. Yet, as she recalled what Lin Lisha did to her elder son's business, Old Mrs. Lin felt a sudden surge of vindication, and she found herself nodding in agreement with Su Fang and Lin Quin.
"Stop lying, tell me when did you extend a helping hand to us back then? Instead you were audacious enough to kick her out from your house when she sought refuge with a seven-month-old gestation." Lin Bao's voice boomed, his fury palpable. He struggled to contain his rage, for though they were his elders, he yearned to teach them the repercussions of crossing his beloved sister.
"Lin Bao," groaned old Mrs. Lin, her eyes narrowing as she regarded her daughter and son with a mixture of disdain and disappointment. "It's still very kind of us that we continue to acknowledge her as our daughter, despite her shameless behavior. After all, if she had the audacity to cavort with another man as his mistress, surely we had the right to be a little audacious ourselves and show her the door."
She paused, her voice growing more pointed. "Let us not forget, my dear, that you were once nothing more than a street urchin, a lowly hooligan with no prospects or prospects for the future. It was only because of your elder brother that we were able to rise above our humble beginnings and achieve some success."
Mrs. Lin's eyes flashed with anger as she continued. "And now, after all we have done for you, you have the gall to bring the past? If not for kicking her out of the house, do you think we should have simply sat back and fed the two Basterds she brought back?".
Lin Lisha sat in silence, her heart heavy with the weight of the words being flung at her. She had always known that her past would come back to haunt her, but she never imagined that it would be like this. As the insults grew more and more personal, she felt her resolve slipping away. But then, something inside her snapped. It was one thing to insult her, but to bring her children into it was a line that could not be crossed.
With a sudden burst of energy, Lin Lisha rose from her seat and faced her mother. "Stop calling them bastards!" she shouted, her voice ringing out through the room. "I'm the one who did the shameful thing, not them. They're innocent, and they always have been."
For a moment, there was silence. Lin Lisha's mother looked at her daughter with a mixture of shock and anger, but she said nothing. It was clear that she had hit a nerve.
Lin Lisha had always felt that she deserved the insults that were being hurled at her. After all, she was the one who had made the mistake. But when it came to her children, she knew that she had to draw the line. They were her limit, and she would do anything to protect them.
As she stood there, facing her mother, Lin Lisha felt a sense of empowerment that she had never felt before. She had always been the one to take the blame, to shoulder the burden of her mistakes. But now, she was standing up for herself and for her children.
"If your children were truly innocent, your daughter would not have played a seductive Vixen waitress in your food stall. It's apparent that you have been using your daughter to attract customers to your food stall. Such behavior is unbecoming of a mother and daughter duo," Su Fang stated with a contemptuous tone.
The whispers swirled like a tempestuous storm as the mother-daughter duo's underhanded tactics to elevate their food stall spread. Lin Lisha's fury intensified as she witnessed the sly machinations of Su Fang. She was on the brink of unleashing a scathing retort to Su Fang when a thunderous voice reverberated through the room, silencing everyone in its wake.
"Enough."
As Su Fang and the rest of people turned on their heels, their eyes fell upon a woman in her late forties. Her gaze was piercing as she strode towards them, her fair skin accentuating the lines etched on her face by the passage of time. Her hair, a lustrous shade of brown with a hint of white at the center, spoke volumes about the grace with which she had aged. With cheap yet humble attire, it was clear that this was a woman who worked hard and took pride in her labor.
Lin Lisha gazed at the woman before her, her emotions bubbling up inside her like a pot of boiling water. She tried to hold it in, but the lump in her throat grew too big, and before she knew it, she was collapsing into her arms, tears streaming down her face like a waterfall.
The woman held her close, her arms a comforting cocoon around her shaking body. "Don't cry, Lisha," she whispered, her voice soft and soothing. "Let it out, let it all out." She then glared at Su Fang.
"Su Fang, I must admit that you continue to surprise me. Each time we cross paths, your level of deceit and malice seems to escalate. It's as if you've taken a page out of the playbook of those melodramatic wamps from the soap operas, who are hypocritical in their actions and seek to ridicule others despite their own moral shortcomings." The woman said with a sarcasm dripping every word.
The spectators erupted into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, their mirth echoing through the air. Su Fang's cheeks flushed with a mixture of shame and fury as she locked eyes with the woman before her. "Ye Huiqing, you..." Her words faltered, failing to find the right expression to convey her emotions.
A sly grin crept across Ye Huiqing's face as she taunted, "What? Cat got your tongue?"
Su Fang's eyes burned with pure hatred as she glared at the woman standing before her. Ye Huiqing was the second person in the world that she despised, right after Lin Lisha. Su Fang's gaze then shifted to Lin Quin, her heart heavy with sorrow.
Lin Quin's fury was palpable as he spoke, defending his wife. "How dare you call my wife a Wamp, Ye Huiqing!"
Ye Huiqing paused for a moment, as if considering Lin Quin's words. "You know what, Lin Quin? You're right. Your wife is not a Wamp. Wamps are clever and beautiful creatures, unlike your wife. She's more like an ugly side character with only one episode of screen time."
Su Fang's anger boiled over at Ye Huiqing's words. She couldn't stand the way Ye Huiqing speaking about her,
"Ye Huiqing, you're playing with fire," Su Fang growled, his voice low and menacing. "Your words will have a direct impact on Lin Lisha."
But Ye Huiqing paid her no mind, her attention then focused on the woman in her arms. "Are you alright?" she asked, concern etched on her face. Lin Lisha nodded, her composure unshaken.
Turning her gaze to the gathered crowd, Ye Huiqing spoke with a cool confidence. "I see there are plenty of clowns here today," she said, her eyes flicking over Su Fang and the other members of the Lin family. "But this is not a circus. So why don't you all run along and mind your own business?"
Old Mrs. Lin let out a guttural groan, her eyes narrowing into slits as she glared at Ye Huiqing. "Whom are you calling joker, you bitch?" she spat out, her voice dripping with venom.
Ye Huiqing merely shrugged, a sly smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Whoever spoke first," she replied, her tone cool and collected.
Before Old Mrs. Lin could retort, her husband stepped in, his voice booming with authority. "Don't waste your breath on this hillbilly," he said, his eyes flickering with disdain. Turning to Lin Lisha, he continued, "You. I want you to leave the food stall immediately. From now on, it doesn't belong to you anymore."
Lin Bao stared at his father in shock and exclaimed, "Why? It was my sister who worked tirelessly to bring success to the food stall from the very beginning. And now you want to take it back?"
Old Mr. Lin's eyes narrowed as he glared at his son, Lin Bao. "What in the world do you think you're doing?" he spat out, his voice dripping with disdain. "How dare you question your own father? Is this how she thought you?" He jabbed a finger in the direction of Lin Lisha, as if to emphasize his point.
"Don't pay any attention to that little brat, old Lin," cackled Mrs. Lin, her eyes flashing with malice. She then turned to Lin Lisha and sneered, "You had the audacity to drag your elder brother's business down with your dirty tactics. That's why we're kicking you out of our food stall. You can take your slimy strategies elsewhere. Oh, and by the way, you'll be paying for all the losses you caused. Every single penny you earned here belongs to us now." Her voice dripped with venom, leaving a bitter taste in the air.
"Whoa, this is seriously impressive! Can you believe it? Nowadays, beggars have the audacity to threaten us for money and they do it with such righteousness," exclaimed Ye Huiqing, dramatically placing a hand on her chest.
"You…," Old Mrs. Lin was seething with anger and had an overwhelming urge to rip Ye Huiqing's face off.
"What? You don't believe me?" Ye Huiqing challenged, confidently scanning the room for a mirror and gesturing towards it. "Then go ahead and take a good look for yourself."
Old Mr Lin sneered at Ye Huiqing, "You're crossing your line, wild woman."
But Ye Huiqing didn't let his words get to her. Instead, she burst out laughing, her infectious laughter filling the room. After a few moments, she composed herself and looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Am I crossing my line?" she asked, still grinning. "Well, it seems like you know where the line is. But let me ask you this, Mr Lin - why are you pointing out the speck in someone else's feets when you're standing knee-deep in dung?" Her words hit home, and Old Mr Lin was left speechless.
Mr. Lin gave Ye Huiqing the cold shoulder and turned his attention to Lin Lisha. "Come on now, don't keep me waiting. Remember, I'm the one who funded your stall and the license is in my name. You can either hand it over willingly or I'll have to resort to other measures," he threatened, pulling out his phone.
Lin Lisha was at a loss for words and actions, as she gazed upon her parents before her. She had seen many parents throughout her life, none were quite like them. Not only were they willing to take away her small business, which served as her livelihood, but they also sought to leave her with nothing. The existence of such parents was unfathomable to her.
With a determined look in her eyes, Lin Lisha finally muttered, "ok," and turned to face her parents. She knew what she had to do - give up her food stall and the hard-earned money she had made from it, to keep her children away from her dirty past. "But there's one condition you have to agree"
As soon as Su Fang and the others heard that Lin Lisha was willing to give them all her money, they couldn't contain their excitement. They were already celebrating their victory, thinking about the prize they would receive. Without a second thought, Su Fang blurted out, "ok."
"I am willing to transfer all my funds to you, provided that my family's future business and whereabouts will no longer be of any concern to you, and" stated Lin Lisha, before turning to address Su Fang directly. "The contract we signed."
Upon hearing this, Su Fang's attention was immediately drawn to the matter of the contract and looked at Lin Lisha in shock "what about the contract?"