"From now on, you don't need to come here anymore. You can take your leave. I will not tolerate someone like you in my home any longer. Get out." Qin Lian said coldly.
Huang Zedong's eyes widened in disbelief. This woman… How dare she?
The salary Xu Yinchen gave her was more than she had ever earned, more than she could make in months of laboring in the fields.
And here, she was receiving a regular pay of 60 yuan, warm meals, meat, eggs, everything she could've only dreamed of. Everyone in the village was jealous of her.
How could she just leave?
"I'm not going anywhere!" she snapped. "So what if you're Xu Yinchen's wife? I've been working here for months."
"I've taken care of these dirty kids. Xu Yinchen won't kick me out just because you said so! His house can't work without me." Her voice turned sharp.
She stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Let's see how you kick me out! I'll complain to Xu Yinchen myself if you dare!"
Qin Lian folded her arms across her chest and looked at her calmly. "Sure, go ahead."
"What?"
"Well," Qin Lian said with a cold smile, "Didn't you just say you wanted to complain to him? Then do it. Because yes, I am kicking you out."
Her voice turned sharper.
"Do you think no one sees how you've been abusing your position here? Mistreating the kids, neglecting the household chores, acting like you own the place instead of working here and still taking your salary like you deserve it?"
She took a step forward, her gaze unflinching. "If, after all this, Xu Yinchen still chooses to believe in a shameless woman like you, then I won't live with him either. I can't be with a man too stupid to see what's right in front of him."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shen suddenly felt a jolt of fear in his heart. For some reason, he didn't want this woman to leave anymore.
Qin Lian, on the other hand, tilted her head slightly, expression cold and indifferent.
"Do whatever you want. I'd like to see whether I've overestimated Xu Yinchen or not."
Her calm words carried a sharp edge, clearly meant to provoke.
Huang Zedong clenched her teeth. "You... You just wait and see!" Her voice trembled with anger.
She glanced longingly at the table full of groceries, then threw a hateful glare at the children before storming out and slamming the door shut with a loud BANG!
BANG!
The kids flinched, startled by the sound.
They trembled for a moment, but the heavy weight they'd been carrying seemed to lift. The vicious woman was finally gone.
After a long moment of silence, Qin Lian let out a sigh and walked over to Xu Wei, who was still sitting on the floor, his face wet with tears and snot and in a daze.
She gently helped him up. "Come here. Let me help you. Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked softly, guiding him to a chair.
She carefully checked his arms and collar. Her eyes darkened when she saw the red marks and scratches left on his skin.
Her brows furrowed.
She gently patted his back."It's okay. Everything's fine now. No one will bully you again, alright?" she said in a reassuring, gentle voice.
But what she didn't expect was for Xu Wei to start crying all over again. Seeing this, Xu Hao, who had calmed down, started to cry again as well.
For a few minutes, the living room echoed with the heart-wrenching cries of the children, their sobs filled with relief and sadness.
Qin Lian quietly comforted the children, gently rubbing their backs one by one until their sobs began to fade. She whispered reassuringly, "It's alright now."
Then, finally, she turned to Xu Shen.
He was still standing in the same spot, frozen. His eyes were red, and it looked like he had cried, too. He hadn't moved since the woman left.
Qin Lian walked up to him and asked softly. "Are you hurt anywhere? Did that woman do anything before I came?"
Xu Shen pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. "I... I pushed her. I didn't mean to, but—"
He tried to explain what had happened earlier.
Deep down, he was still worried she might believe that woman's version of the story. that he had been naughty, that he'd hurt her. After all, she was an elder.
But before he could finish, Qin Lian gently ruffled his hair and said, "You did the right thing. Violence is never something to encourage, but if you were defending yourself and did no wrong, then it's justified."
"Enduring violence in silence is even worse than fighting back. Understand?"
"Don't be afraid. Your father would never blame you for it. He wants you to be safe, too. So stop worrying. Everything's alright now."
Her voice was calm and gentle, instantly soothing the storm brewing in his little heart.
Xu Shen didn't reply. He just lowered his eyes, unable to meet her gaze. There was a flicker of guilt in his expression when he saw how softly she looked at him.
Hearing her words, the warmth and trust in them, made his eyes go red, but he didn't dare cry.
He didn't want to look weak like his younger brothers. But the way she touched his head so gently… it reminded him of his mother.
Could he really trust this woman?
***
Xu Yinchen sat in his office at the pig farm. It was a single room with a table, a chair, and an old, worn-out sofa where he took naps after lunch and met clients. Most people came to schedule deliveries of fresh, high-quality pork.
Right now, he was sitting on the sofa, listening quietly as Wen Zian, seated across from him in the lone armchair, delivered his report.
"I looked into what you asked," Wen Zian began. "From what I found, Qin Lian did grow up in the city. She's been there for the past twenty years."
"She was engaged to a man named Lin Chengyan since she was young. Among her peers, she was known for her beauty… and her arrogance. Though I've heard she was always obedient to her parents."
Wen Zian paused for a moment, then added, "Apparently, Qin Zhong always wanted a son. But when he had a daughter instead, he was furious at first."
"Later, when she helped him gain connections in high society and secured an engagement with the Lin family, his attitude changed. He started treating her like a precious gem."
"Well, the Qin family isn't exactly known for being good people either. They're greedy and obsessed with chasing wealth. It's no wonder they raised such a spoiled and mean daughter."
He leaned forward a little. "Qin Lian was completely pampered. Her parents bought her expensive dresses, jewelry, and everything she wanted. She was just a means for them to gain a foothold in high society."
"They were obsessed with looking rich and fitting in with the upper class. But the truth is, the Qin family is hollow. It's all for show. There's no real wealth or substance."
"She grew up without ever facing hardship. Failed multiple times in school. She didn't even want to complete her studies."
"If not for the Lin family, she wouldn't have bothered. They insisted that their future daughter-in-law must at least finish high school. That's the only reason she got her diploma, barely passing."
He rubbed his hands together before continuing, "But after Mu Ruoyu, the real daughter of the Qin family, returned, everything changed. The Qins suddenly poured all their love and attention onto her. Qin Lian was pushed aside."
"These past few weeks, the Qin house has been nothing but a fish market; arguments, shouting, chaos every single day."
"Even yesterday, when the Lin family visited, the Qins brought up the topic of switching the engagement. Madam Lin agreed. But Qin Lian… she completely lost control."
"She said she would only marry Lin Chengyan and that she'd never marry a pig farmer and the father of—"
Wen Zian looked up and paused when he saw Xu Yinchen's face darken.
Xu Yinchen slowly lifted his gaze. "Continue," he said coldly.
Wen Zian cleared his throat and quickly spoke again. "Anyway… she refused to switch the engagement. She threw a massive tantrum, screaming, crying, the whole drama."
"Things escalated, and in the heat of the moment, she banged her head against the wall and got hurt."
"But here's the strange part. After she woke up, she didn't cause any scene. No fuss. She simply agreed to the engagement swap and came here yesterday."
"That's all I've found out for now," he concluded, picking up the glass of water from the table. His throat was dry after the long report.
It was not easy to find out everything on such a short notice, but he used all of his resources to get this information.
"The woman I saw this morning… She looked so graceful, so polite. I still can't believe she's the same person from all those stories," he added with a bitter chuckle, shaking his head.
When he looked up again, Xu Yinchen was staring off into space, his expression dark and gloomy. Wen Zian wanted to ask what he planned to do now but stopped himself, not daring to utter another word.