Along the gaping hole in the broken wall, a group of people craned their necks to peer inside. The stout man was struggling to crawl out through the shattered rear window of the car, his face covered in blood, presenting a rather ghastly spectacle.
The expensive crocodile leather shoes lost one, and the other one, somehow, had the upper part fly off. The car was now deemed scrap, its entire front end shattered and crumpled in, the hood popped up, emitting wisps of white vapor from the engine. All four tires were punctured by nails, the safety airbags deployed, and the rear axle got fractured. Nevertheless, surprisingly enough, despite the man's head being grazed and bleeding, it wasn't a grave matter.
However, the well-to-do man was in no condition to tend to himself at the moment, neither did he care about his 35,000-dollar pair of shoes. He laid beside the car, wailing bitterly, "Heavens! My car, my car! Over 1.3 million worth, top-notch specifications, just brought it home, hadn't even insured it yet..."
He continued bawling, producing cries that seemed to shake the heavens. It seemed, even if Lady Dou came, she wouldn't have as much grievance as he did.
Truth be told, he had no idea what had happened. Just moments before, when he had gotten into the car and turned the steering wheel, feeling triumphant that the lad hadn't demanded compensation from him, suddenly his body went numb. It was particularly his right foot that felt like a mountain, pressing the gas pedal to the floor.
As a result, his luxurious SUV turned into a demolition expert in an instant, charging forward into the slated demolition area. The commotion ended up wrecking his car completely, leaving him in excruciating mental agony.
At this point, a few demolition workers wearing yellow safety helmets cautiously approached. Ignoring the stout man, who was still sobbing sorrowfully beside his car, they surrounded him. One among them, appearing to be the leader, grasped his hand, his voice trembling with excitement, "Comrade, thank you so much. Because of some accidents that happened during this demolition, some workers were killed. We haven't been able to hire people for the demolition work, but today, you voluntarily assisted us. You've really helped us tremendously; you are the modern-day Lei Feng, serving the people! We must learn from you..."
"Get lost!" The stout man thundered, interrupting their praise, and resumed crying over his car's wheels.
The scenes of vigorous demolition moments ago left the bystanders dumbfounded, unaware of what had occurred. However, shortly after, a deafening laughter erupted from the crowd, a laughter steeped in mockery toward the stout man. Nevertheless, he was preoccupied with his tears and had no time to notice the crowd's sentiments toward him.
In the presence of such individuals, morality becomes negligible when money is involved. What does the mockery of others mean in the pursuit of wealth?
"Virtue is rewarded with virtue, and evil is met with retribution. Retribution is inexorable; the time hasn't arrived yet," praised Grandma Lin, clicking her tongue. And in her habitual manner, she added, "Heavens have opened their eyes!"
Lin Yu, observing this from the sidelines, chuckled inwardly, though he had to suppress it. Surprisingly enough, Grandma Lin was quite witty.
"Alright, let's not be so unkind. What's the point? Let's go. Let's head to the morning market. No more fried pancakes, let's buy vegetables and cook at home. My eldest grandson has returned, Grandma, now that you're better, make some delicious food for him. I want to see if your culinary skills haven't diminished over these years," said Grandpa Lin, smiling.
Today was indeed a day of triple joy for the Lin family: the return of their eldest grandson, Grandma's recovery, and his own escape from the car accident unscathed. Years of accumulated worries seemed to dissipate in an instant. At this moment, he desired nothing more.
"Sure, no problem. Your cooking is dreadful. I've been bedridden for years, probably because of your food," Grandma Lin said, supporting Grandpa Lin, laughing.
"Hmm, you heartless old lady! Have I ever caused trouble while serving you? By the way, how did you suddenly get better? It's really bizarre..." Grandpa Lin continued asking, but after a few unanswered questions, he stopped.
Although he found this occurrence incredibly strange, the immense joy had made him forget all his doubts. Usually, when people encounter inexplicable phenomena, they choose to automatically ignore them.
The old couple continued ahead, occasionally bickering happily. The morning sunlight shone upon them, adding a sense of mutual support and the bliss of growing old together.
Watching their retreating figures, Lin Yu felt an indescribable sense of happiness. At this moment, he finally realized that what he had learned might actually come in handy.
Glancing back at the stout man still clutching the car wheel and wailing in the demolition area, Lin Yu's lips curved in a contemptuous smile, "A light punishment, yet not to be taken lightly. Hopefully, you'll take this as a lesson."
Tidying up his worn-out clothes and adjusting his hair, he said, "Grandpa, Grandma, you're just enjoying your sweet stroll; how could you forget about your grandson?"
He hastened to catch up, feeling immensely joyful.
After buying groceries, Lin Yu intended to cook, but Grandma Lin adamantly pushed him out of the kitchen to accompany Grandpa Lin in conversation. Then she hummed a tune while bustling about in the kitchen. Lin Yu had no choice but to join her.
"Xiao Yu, come over and sit." Grandpa Lin beckoned Lin Yu over, fanning himself with a large fan and smiling at him.
"Grandpa, don't ask me what I've been doing all these years outside. Ask Grandma. I've already reported to her. Please, don't ask me again. In short, I've lived an honest life without any illegal activities," Lin Yu said as he walked over and sat down, grinning mischievously.
"You mischievous boy, little rascal, you know exactly what Grandpa is thinking. Hmm, alright, I won't ask you. I'm sure you've had your share of hardships and suffered quite a bit out there. However, experience is wealth; it's not bad. At least it makes you understand the hardships of life and how difficult it is to live. It may temper your impulsive nature. As the saying goes, 'A prodigal son returns with treasures.' You, this prodigal son, have finally returned. Grandpa is very happy and gratified. I hope you won't be as unruly and stubborn as you were in your childhood, and you'll grow up into a fine person. If you can achieve this, I believe, seeing you like this, your parents in the heavens will also be very happy," Grandpa Lin sighed deeply and said.
"Yes, Grandpa, I will turn over a new leaf and be a good person," Lin Yu nodded, though he sighed inwardly. It seemed that his reckless behavior in childhood, which he couldn't get past, had indeed caused immense harm to his family,
especially to his grandparents, who had high hopes and spiritual reliance on him. Fortunately, he wouldn't be that way anymore.
"Nonsense, talking about turning over a new leaf and being a good person. You haven't even been to prison. That's far from it. What I want to ask you is, now that you've returned, what are your plans?" Grandpa Lin shook his fan, fixing his gaze on him. His expression had turned serious as he questioned him.