Chapter 95: A Change in Attitude

Chapter 95: Chapter 95: A Change in Attitude

Yuan Chunhua was also surprised by her mother-in-law’s change in attitude. She could hardly believe her ears. In the past, her mother-in-law would never have said such a thing. Back then, her sister-in-law was like the queen of the castle; no one dared to defy her.

’Even after her husband got into trouble, my sister-in-law has been back at her parents’ home for the past few days. She didn’t bring her bicycle, so she just snatched mine to ride, and did anyone else in the family say a word?’

"Mom, if we don’t go now, we’ll be late," Tao Junhao called out impatiently from the side.

"Let’s go, let’s go." Mrs. Tao couldn’t be bothered with her daughter anymore. As soon as the words left her mouth, Tao Junhao’s bicycle shot forward like an arrow from a bow. Once they were out of sight, Tao Jianren turned to her sister-in-law and said, "You go to the kitchen first. I’m dying from the heat. I’m going to take a shower, then I’ll come help you cook."

Yuan Chunhua secretly pursed her lips. ’I knew it.’ ’Who isn’t hot? Fat chance you’ll come back to the kitchen to help after your shower.’ Though she thought this, her face was all smiles. "The kitchen is so small, it feels crowded with just me in it. After your shower, just watch the kids and make sure they don’t run around and cause trouble."

’The kids are all grown. Do they really need watching?’

Tao Jianren nodded haughtily, very pleased with her sister-in-law’s tact. It seemed passing down her old, unwanted clothes to her hadn’t been a waste after all. "Then I’ll watch the kids, and I’ll leave the kitchen to you. But let’s be clear, it’s not that I’m not helping. Don’t go tattling to Mom when she gets back."

"Of course not," Yuan Chunhua said, her smile a little stiff and unnatural.

Tao Jianren got off the bicycle and paid her no mind, sashaying straight into the house. Yuan Chunhua watched her back, feeling a mix of indignation and helplessness. Resigned, she was left to struggle with the bicycle, hauling it into the house by herself while muttering a few curses under her breath.

’Pfft! As if I don’t know. The only reason my dear sister-in-law is willing to pick me up after work is because she can’t be bothered to move the bike herself, and she’s afraid of getting yelled at if it gets stolen from the doorway. Why else would she pick me up at night but not drop me off in the morning? It’s on her way both times! It’s because in the morning, Hao gets the bike out for her, and Mom stands guard at the door to watch it, isn’t it?’

As he rode away, Tao Junhao pedaled hard while instructing his mother, "Mom, don’t tell my sister we’re going to the Lin family’s place yet. And when we get back, make sure you hide all the money and jewelry. Also, for the next few days, don’t act any differently toward my sister or those two little bastards. I’m worried if she finds out what we’re planning, she’ll steal the family’s money and run off."

"Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. I’ll hide the money and everything," Mrs. Tao replied, her heart skipping a beat as she took his warning seriously. Seeing that she agreed, Tao Junhao nodded in relief.

The mother and son soon arrived at the Lin family’s home.

When Yu Xiuying opened the door and saw the two of them, her expression soured. With a huff, she asked, "What are you doing here?" ’We haven’t even gone looking for you, and here you are, showing up at our door.’

"We’ve come to apologize," Mrs. Tao said, feeling awful. ’In the past, when would my son’s mother-in-law ever look at me like this? But times have changed. No matter how nasty she is to me, I have to take it and can’t fight back.’ The feeling was indescribable.

"Xiuying, let them in first. It’s not good to leave them standing in the doorway," Lin Kangshun’s voice came from inside the house. Only then did Yu Xiuying shoot them a glare and step aside. The mother and son didn’t dare say another word, entering with the same cautious, forced smiles they hadn’t worn since the two families first became in-laws years ago.

"If you hadn’t come, we were about to go looking for you." Seeing them enter, looking quite restrained, Lin Kangshun remained seated on the sofa instead of getting up to greet them as usual. He merely glanced at them, an aura of authority radiating from him that was so intimidating it made the mother and son break out in a cold sweat.

Tao Junhao was fine; he was no stranger to this side of Lin Kangshun. But his mother couldn’t handle it. When had she ever seen her son’s father-in-law look so imposing and severe, instead of his usual amiable self? The man before her suddenly seemed like a stranger, and her legs couldn’t help but tremble.

"Sit," Lin Kangshun said coldly. His eyes flickered. ’Seeing their guilty expressions, they must already know they’re in the wrong and are scared. I just wonder how they found out. Could it be I really underestimated my daughter-in-law? Did she actually dare to tell her family about this herself?’

Filled with doubt, Lin Kangshun decided not to beat around the bush. He said directly, "It seems you already know. In that case, I have nothing more to say. We shouldn’t air our dirty laundry in public. Since your daughter’s heart is no longer with my Lin Dong, there’s no point in them staying together. Have her come over sometime, and we’ll accompany her to the prison to quietly handle the divorce proceedings with my disappointing son. That way, we won’t waste any more of her youth."

’Don’t air our dirty laundry in public? Weren’t you the ones who started the rumors? You think we spread them ourselves?’ Mrs. Tao and Tao Junhao’s expressions were strange, and their reactions were a beat slow. This drew a series of cold sneers from Yu Xiuying. "What, are you thinking of dragging this out and not getting a divorce? Or does your family think you still have the right to negotiate any terms with us?"

"No, that’s not it. We don’t have any of those ideas," Tao Junhao said softly, humbling himself. "We just wanted to ask about the child. After all, you raised him for ten years..."

"Don’t you dare mention the child to us!" Yu Xiuying shrieked, jumping to her feet. "You’re not worthy! Go find whoever’s spawn that is! We’re already being more than fair by not making you pay for the last ten-plus years of losses."

The more Yu Xiuying spoke, the more agitated she became. Her crazed, violent reaction scared the mother and son from the Tao family so much that they hastily stood up as well, not knowing what to do with themselves. At the same time, immense fear and dread welled up inside them. ’Is the Lin Family’s reaction even worse than we imagined?’

"Alright, alright. Didn’t we agree you wouldn’t get so worked up? You’re just harming your own health," Lin Kangshun said, quickly getting up to gently pat Yu Xiuying’s back with a pained expression. He waited until she had finally calmed down before pulling her back to her seat.

When he turned back to the Tao mother and son, Lin Kangshun’s disgust was even more palpable. He unleashed the full force of his imposing aura, leaving the two of them standing without inviting them to sit. The mother and son felt like they could barely breathe. Terrified, how could they dare to sit down on their own? They just stood there, panicked and helpless, like children waiting to be scolded by a teacher.