Ni Jianren probably knew that running away was a bit embarrassing, so he didn't show up until evening.
That night, the family closed the courtyard door and set up a table in the yard to eat dinner.
Xiao Qian, who was used to exotic foods and focused on nourishing herself, didn't have any appetite when she saw the table full of home-cooked dishes.
"This thing is called Water Bamboo. It's a Southern dish. I saw it in the market and bought some for you to try, Qian'er." Chu Xue sat next to Xiao Qian, with Chen Lin sitting across from her.
Xiao Qian moved her bowl away, "I don't want to eat."
Chu Xue's chopsticks awkwardly stopped in midair. Seeing this, Chen Lin wanted to take the bowl, but Chu Xue gave him a look not to, so he lowered his head to eat, and Xiao Qian pouted.
It was truly unappetizing.
Some things seemed normal if you didn't know about them, but once you knew, they would make you feel disgusted.
"Why hasn't Da Long come back yet?" Chen Lin asked about his son's whereabouts.
"Who knows. He said he had extra classes at school and might be back a bit later today," Jia Xiufang said.
"Internet cafe." Xiao Qian was eating unconsciously, probably because she knew Chu Xue had cooked the dishes, which made her lose her appetite.
"Talking nonsense. Your brother will be starting Third Grade soon. He'll take the high school entrance exams in one year. How could he go to such a place?" Jia Xiufang pushed her daughter.
"Go to the internet cafe and see for yourself. You'll know everything."
Even though Xiao Qian had just come back from the past life, she knew her brother Chen Zilong's nature very well. He was spoiled by his parents and knew nothing. Chen Lin hid her university admission notice just to save money for his son's education. However, Chen Zilong was "promising" and couldn't even pass the high school entrance exam.
"Qian'er, what's wrong? Are you in a bad mood?" Chu Xue noticed that Xiao Qian hadn't smiled since she came back.
Moreover, her gaze was particularly frightening, as if nothing could be hidden from her. In front of her, Chu Xue was extra careful with her words.
"Her father, Qian'er hurt her leg. You go to the pharmacy to buy some herbal plaster for her after dinner. I don't think the medicinal wine is working," Jia Xiufang thought her daughter was in a bad mood because of the pain in her leg.
"How did she hurt her leg?" Chen Lin didn't know about it.
He had been playing Mahjong all afternoon and didn't know that his wife and child had been beaten by the madman.
"Isn't it Aunt Qi's mad son? He ran out and claimed that Qian'er and I are the RB Ghosts. He took a stick and beat us," said Jia Xiufang, once she started talking, there was no end.
Her speech was disjointed, and it took her five minutes to explain a single matter.
When Chen Lin heard this, his liver fire flared, and he slammed the bowl on the table with a snap.
"What kind of damn woman are you! Qian'er was beaten by others and you just came back like that?"
Although Jia Xiufang was aggressive and confrontational outside, she was somewhat scared of Chen Lin at home. Seeing him angry, her voice softened.
"I got medicine for Qian'er..."
"That has nothing to do with it!" Chen Lin didn't care if his daughter was in pain or not. He slapped the table and pointed at Jia Xiufang and scolded her.
"Aren't you usually very tough? When someone from their family beats ours, why didn't you go to Aunt Qi for justice? Make her pay up! Qian'er is about to be engaged. Let her pay for the broken leg!".
For Chen Lin, getting money from the situation was far more important than his child's injury. He was notoriously stingy.
Since they ran a laundry business, they could buy detergent products wholesale. He forced merchants to sell him single bags at wholesale prices, and sometimes secretly poured out some when the salespeople were not looking. When caught, he would stubbornly call it a try-out for promoting their product and testing its effects, helping them with publicity. Salespeople would sneer upon hearing Chen Lin's name.
"With the child in this state, how can I think of extorting people?" Jia Xiufang was also scared. If it weren't for the handsome and dashing man who suddenly rushed out, she and her daughter would have been seriously injured. How could she think of asking for money?
"How is that called extortion? You damned woman! She has to give us money! After dinner, go make a scene at her house. If you don't bring the money back, you'll be staying over at their house tonight." He lost money playing Mahjong today and wanted to vent his anger.
"Father, isn't this a bit too much? Aunt Qi doesn't have much money to begin with. Raising a lunatic on her own, and her spouse died early. Qian'er's leg injury isn't that serious. Applying some herbal plaster—"
"Slap!" Chen Lin slapped Jia Xiufang on the face.
"Aiya, brother-in-law, what are you doing?" Chu Xue stood up to stop him, but her blocking seemed insincere.
"Get out of my way! This damned woman deserves a beating!"
This scene, like a farce, unfolded before Xiao Qian's eyes.
Seeing her mother being beaten and her father only wanting money, Xiao Qian didn't hesitate, she stood up and placed her slender hands on the edge of the table and with a slight push, crash!
All the dishes on the table, along with the dish plates and rice bowls, were overturned by Xiao Qian.
The furious Chen Lin and the beaten Jia Xiufang were both dumbfounded.
Chu Xue was even worse off. Using her top student brain, Xiao Qian precisely calculated the angle, and Chu Xue was splashed with porridge all over her body. The slightly scalding temperature made her scream.
Sticky porridge dripped down Chu Xue's infinitely beautiful face, dripping and sticking.
At home, Xiao Qian had always been relatively low-key. She didn't like to talk much and always quietly studied. So when she suddenly snapped, not only was Chen Lin surprised, but Jia Xiufang didn't expect it either.
A few seconds later, Chen Lin came to his senses and saw the table overturned, the plates broken, and the food spilled. Infuriated, he rushed toward Xiao Qian with his arm raised to hit her, but Jia Xiufang quickly stopped him.
"Father, don't be angry. The child didn't do it on purpose! Qian'er, don't just stand there. Quickly apologize to your father! Say you didn't do it on purpose!"
Jia Xiufang sometimes got hit by her husband, but it was rarely in front of their children. She was afraid that Chen Lin would treat Xiao Qian the same way.
Xiao Qian lowered her head and picked up a broken plate, gesturing to Chen Lin, "If you dare come over, just try me!"
"You dare to hit your father!" Chen Lin pushed Jia Xiufang away, and Xiao Qian snorted. She grabbed Chu Xue, who was wiping the table next to her, and held the broken plate against her neck, which frightened Chu Xue into screaming.
"I won't hit you, I'll hit her!"
"Brother-in-law! Save me! Qian'er, quickly put that thing down!" Chu Xue didn't know how she got involved.
Jia Xiufang was also frightened, "Qian'er, have you been possessed by something? Oh no, there are no great sorcerers in this city. What should we do? Father, the child is cursed!"
How could a perfectly fine child suddenly become like this?
Chen Lin was also a little scared inside, but he still put up a tough front.
"Let her cut, if she had the guts, she wouldn't have failed the college entrance exam!" In Chen Lin's heart, his daughter was a weak person who didn't even dare to speak up, let alone hurt someone.
Xiao Qian suddenly gave Chu Xue an enchanting smile. "Did you hear that? It's your 'brother-in-law' who's asking me to cut. I'm doing it!"
She raised her hand, and as her hand went up, the porcelain fell!