Mother Lin didn’t keep Lin Chuxia waiting for too long, and came to find her the next day.
Coincidentally, Lin Chuxia was at the shop.
Seeing her own little daughter, whom she looked down upon, looking bright and striking busy working at the Bun Shop, as her elder daughter had described, Mother Lin felt her eyes turning red with resentment.
“I’m asking you, have you no shame? Coming here to make a scene at the Qin Family’s Bun Shop, aren’t you embarrassed?”
Qin Han, who was nearby, heard Mother Lin’s scolding and his face darkened instantly.
“Madam Lin, since Chuxia has married into the Qin Family, she is a member of the Qin Family, and whatever she says in the Bun Shop is her right. Your words just now were too much.”
Storming in and accusing his own daughter of being shameless without even asking, Qin Han knew that Lin Chuxia was not favored in the Lin Family, but he had never seen such mistreatment of one’s daughter.
It further confirmed his suspicion that it was their elder daughter who had manipulated the marriage swap.
He was also thankful for her trickery that resulted in the swap because having seen the Lin Family’s elder daughter yesterday, she wasn’t any good either; it was a relief that his brother had not married her.
Mother Lin was just too angry seeing Lin Chuxia.
She had thought, like her elder daughter had said, that marrying into the Qin Family would mean living a life of loneliness, but instead Lin Chuxia was living with dignity, while her elder daughter was struggling to make ends meet, also tormented by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.
This was the marriage she had carefully chosen for her elder daughter, and yet it had benefited…
She was just too angry, which made her speak without restraint.
Now, hearing Qin Han’s words, she regained some sense of reason.
“It’s not that I wanted to scold her, but I know my own daughter’s character the best. I am just worried that she might mess things up, causing trouble for you.”
“Chuxia is doing very well, our whole family likes her. Not to mention making a mess of things, even if she were to run the Bun Shop into the ground, we would be happy to support her, we are family through thick and thin.”
Mother Lin was so taken aback by his words that her face turned unsightly.
She was not stupid, she could tell that Qin Han was mocking her for not treating Lin Chuxia as part of the family.
Not wanting to argue with him any further, she dragged Lin Chuxia aside.
“What’s going on with you? Seeing your own mother getting picked on and not even speaking up for me, have your wings grown strong enough to not see me fit in your eyes? Don’t forget where your good days came from, your sister married that poor Li Guangyuan so you could marry into the Qin Family and have a good life…”
“Mom, there are no outsiders here, you are well aware of what actually happened before, and so am I. Why must you twist the truth?”
Lin Chuxia interrupted Mother Lin, her clear eyes as if they could see through everything.
“No matter what was said at that time, your good days now are thanks to your elder sister…”
“Then what does Mom want to do? Find another matchmaker and talk to the Qin Family and the Li Family to switch us back again?”
Mother Lin certainly wished to switch things back, but she also knew it was impossible.
“What nonsensical things are you saying? Your sister is already pregnant with Li Guangyuan’s child, how can we switch back? I am just saying that you need to be grateful and remember the sacrifices your sister made for you.”
Facing Lin Chuxia’s gaze, Mother Lin knew that she probably couldn’t manipulate this daughter with those words anymore and changed the subject.
“Regardless, you are the child I worked hard to raise, and your sister shares the same mother as you; now that you’re living a good life, you can’t just watch your family suffer. Your little brother wanted to buy a bicycle a few days ago, and your elder sister needs more nutritious food now that she’s pregnant; you should start with giving 300 yuan.”
Seeing her mother’s entitled demeanor, Lin Chuxia sneered internally, it was all the same as in her previous life.
In her past life, she was mindful of kinship and had been PUAed (manipulated) by her mother since childhood. She never dared to retort whatever her mother said and was thus controlled for years.
They gave various reasons to ask her for money, and in the end, they didn’t even bother to concoct excuses.
And yet, her foolish dedication still led to her being abandoned by everyone in the end.
This life, she would not give them any more money; the debt of being raised and nurtured had been paid off in full in her lifetime.
“No,” she answered crisply.
Mother Lin was still holding out her hand, waiting for her to hand over the money, and upon hearing her words, couldn’t believe her eyes, “You don’t have it? Who are you trying to fool? You can’t come up with 300 yuan in such a big shop?”
“This is the Qin Family’s bun shop, I’m just here helping out. Do you think a new daughter-in-law like me is in charge of the Qin Family’s money?”
Mother Lin actually believed that. If it were her family that owned such a large storefront, she would definitely not let the daughter-in-law handle the money. Even her son wouldn’t have a say; she, the head of the household, would be the one in control.
“Even if you’re not in charge of the money, you should have some money, right? How much did you spend on these clothes and accessories you’re wearing? And you say you’re not heartless, caring only about yourself and your fits, without a thought for the difficult life your parents are living?”
Thinking of her eldest daughter’s tattered clothes, Mother Lin wished she could strip Lin Chuxia of her garments to give to her older daughter.
All these should have been the eldest daughter’s.
Lin Chuxia ignored Mother Lin’s gaze and said indifferently, “These were all bought by Qin Yang. Qin Yang works and earns a salary. He wants his wife to wear better clothes, and there’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”
Since it was her son-in-law who bought these things, she had no room to argue, but Mother Lin just couldn’t let it go.
“I don’t care, you have to find a way to get this money for me. I know you can come up with it. Speaking of which, when you got married, our family lost 300 yuan. Did you take it? I won’t delve into that now, but if you give me another 300 yuan, I will treat you well when you come back to your maternal home. Otherwise, I will disown you as my daughter…”
Mother Lin knew Lin Chuxia’s temperament too well. When she was young and disobedient, she just had to threaten to send her away or sell her, and the child would obediently do whatever she said.
There’s an old saying, a son never despises his mother’s ugliness, a dog never despises its home’s poverty. From the time Lin Chuxia could remember, Mother Lin preached constantly in her ear that the family already had one daughter, and she, as another daughter, was nothing but a burden to the family, an expendable presence.
The more she was told this, the more she feared being unwanted by her family, willing to do any task and listen to everything said.
Even now that she was married, Mother Lin didn’t believe she could truly stop caring about her maternal home.
Lin Chuxia sneered inside but before she could speak, a deep voice came from behind her.
“Mother-in-law, do you really think Chuxia can’t leave her maternal home, or do you think the Qin Family is easy to bully, or perhaps you think I, Qin Yang, am a pushover?”
The voice was deep and carried a chill, causing Mother Lin to shudder uncontrollably, and she turned to see Qin Yang not far away.
Qin Yang walked leisurely to Lin Chuxia’s side, shielding her behind him, “Mother-in-law, do you have something you need from Chuxia? Feel free to talk to me about it.”
Mother Lin could bully her daughter and naturally ask her for money, but facing this son-in-law, she always felt a chill down her spine.
Mother Lin was somewhat snobbish; when the matchmaker first talked about Qin Yang, a university graduate and a formidable designer, she took a high view of him in her heart.
Later on, when Qin Yang married her younger daughter, no matter how much she looked down on this daughter, she was always all smiles and somewhat obsequious in front of her son-in-law.
Now being questioned by him, Mother Lin instinctively wanted to flee, but seeing Qin Yang, equally polished and stylish, that unwillingness in her heart surged forth again.
How many times stronger was this man than Li Guangyuan? How could her eldest daughter have been blind enough to reject Qin Yang and choose to marry Li Guangyuan instead.
All of this should have been the eldest daughter’s.
With resentful eyes, she glanced at Lin Chuxia, “She is my daughter, what’s wrong with showing filial piety to the family? Not just her, even you, as a son-in-law, should show us filial reverence…”
“Really? Then, mother-in-law, explain what’s this 300 yuan business