Chapter Four: The Unrivaled Relatives Who Distort Right and Wrong

Lin Sangqian nodded. “Everything in the system space seems so fresh and new. It’s quite magical.”

The chicken was whole and needed to be chopped into pieces. Given that Lin Sangqian’s body was only ten years old and frail, she clearly couldn’t handle the task, so it was left to Liao Shuxia.

Liao Shuxia finally finished chopping the chicken, then leaned against the wall, panting heavily. “This body is useless—even chopping a chicken leaves me this exhausted!”

“We haven’t eaten for days. Of course you have no strength,” Lin Sangqian replied as she prepared the various seasonings.

But she knew well that hunger was only part of it; now, the whole family’s health was likely weaker than that of ordinary people. It seemed she would need to take good care of her family’s health—and her own—from now on.

After a short rest, Liao Shuxia began to light the fire. Lin Sangqian placed the chicken in a pot of cold water, added ginger slices and yellow wine, and cooked the chicken until tender.

Next, she expertly poured oil into the pan and added scallions, ginger, and garlic. The fragrance soon filled the kitchen. Lin Hongda, waiting by the door, swallowed hungrily. “It smells amazing…”

No sooner had he spoken than he felt the eyes of his three sons fall upon him. He turned to look; the eldest and second quickly looked away, while the youngest glared at him.

Lin Hongda hurriedly forced a fawning smile, but Lin Beitao rolled his eyes at him in return, showing no appreciation.

Lin Hongda nearly burst into tears. What a mess! It was all the fault of his former self—drinking every day to the point where now his sons wanted nothing to do with him!

No, he had to think of a way to mend his relationship with his three sons!

In the kitchen, Lin Sangqian was already stir-frying the chicken. The aroma spread rapidly, making Liao Shuxia drool uncontrollably; she wished she could snatch a piece of chicken right then and there.

Even the three brothers outside grew restless, their minds filled with anticipation for tonight’s dinner.

“Mom, don’t forget to steam the rice,” Lin Sangqian reminded her.

“Don’t worry, it’s already on the steamer,” Liao Shuxia replied. “But remember, in front of others you should call me ‘Mother.’”

“I know, Mother~” Lin Sangqian replied in a coy, sweet voice, sending a shiver down Liao Shuxia’s spine.

Soon, Lin Sangqian added water and mushrooms to the pot, covered it with a lid, and listened contentedly to the bubbling sounds within.

She actually loved cooking, but her studies and work had left her little time to do it herself. Now, at last, she could unleash her skills and cook wonderful meals for her family, one after another.

“Is it ready yet?” Lin Hongda poked his head in to ask.

Liao Shuxia flicked his forehead. “How could it be so quick? Wait a little longer!”

“It just smells so good—I can hardly wait…”

Lin Sangqian was just about to reply when an aggressive voice shouted from outside, “Hongda! Get out here, now!”

The three immediately turned pale and hurried out of the kitchen, only to see a pair of middle-aged man and woman striding in with fierce expressions, followed by a crowd of onlookers.

The woman was Lai Ruyu, whom Lin Hongda had chased away earlier—his eldest sister-in-law. Beside her was Lin Shengrong, his eldest brother.

The Lin family had three brothers. After their father passed away, the family was divided. But the eldest and second brothers, seeing Lin Hongda as weak and easy to bully, took all the property for themselves, leaving him only a few shabby rooms. Coupled with Lin Hongda’s own drunken uselessness, this was how their lives had fallen apart.

“What do you want?” Lin Wenyan clenched his fists, glaring fiercely at the uninvited intruders like a wolf cub.

Lin Shengrong looked him up and down with disdain, sneering, “You little brat, who asked you to speak here? Get out of the way!”

“You—!”

Lin Hongda strode forward, shielding Lin Wenyan behind him and said coldly, “Brother, what is the meaning of barging into my house like this?”

“Lin Hongda, you still have the nerve to ask!” Lin Shengrong roared. “You actually hit your sister-in-law? Do you have any manners? Do you still recognize me as your elder brother?”

Lin Hongda shot Lai Ruyu a contemptuous glance. He hadn’t even touched her earlier, but she’d clearly twisted the story when she got home, exaggerating everything to Lin Shengrong.

But he couldn’t be bothered to explain.

“So what if I did?” Lin Hongda sneered. “She deserved it! Why don’t you ask what heartless thing she did?”

The three Lin brothers stared in disbelief at the sudden authority of their normally cowardly drunkard father. Was this really the same man from their memories?

In the past, whenever relatives came to bully them, Lin Hongda would only cower in his room, never standing up for his family. In front of outsiders, he was always meek and submissive, yet at home he could be harsh toward his wife and children.

“Heavens above, what could I have possibly done?” Lai Ruyu wailed. “I was just visiting, and he started swinging his fists at me! I’m still his sister-in-law, isn’t there any family feeling left in him?”

The neighbors gathered outside began to murmur among themselves.

“That drunkard Lin Hongda—he deserves it.”

“Isn’t it the truth? Pity his wife and children.”

“But Lai Ruyu isn’t any good either. Only now does she remember family? Lin Hongda’s fallen this low, and they never helped at all.”

“Still, you can’t hit people. He probably just got drunk and lost control again.”

Lin Sangqian was furious at Lai Ruyu’s shameless lies, and was about to speak when Liao Shuxia rolled up her sleeves and charged over, pointing at Lin Shengrong and Lai Ruyu and cursing, “You two heartless bastards! Come to our house to make trouble again? Have you no shame?”

Everyone was stunned by her outburst, and the three Lin brothers were even more bewildered.

Their mother had always been even more timid than their father—sometimes she’d tremble as she tried to protect them, but she had never, ever shown such strength as she did now.

“What did you say?” Lin Shengrong, shocked at first, now turned livid. “Sister-in-law, is this how you speak to me?”

“Pah! Who do you think you are? You never act like an elder brother unless it’s to throw your weight around in my house! Your woman wanted to sell my daughter off as a concubine to some old rich man, and you expect me to show you any respect?”

At these words, Lin Shengrong was momentarily stunned, while Lai Ruyu looked uneasy.

“Mother, what did you say? She wanted to sell little sister?” Lin Wenyan’s anger flared, and Lin Yanbei and Lin Beitao were equally furious, all three fixing murderous glares on Lai Ruyu as if they might devour her on the spot.