B5SB -Chapter 55 Shen Family’s Scheme (Part 2)

Mr. Shen looked at his daughter and thought to himself that she wasn’t his biological child—she could never be fully tamed.

He said, “Right now, you only have this one option. Otherwise, you’ll have no choice but to go live with us on the farm.”

Shen Laoshi (Teacher Shen) noticed her father scrutinizing her up and down, and her hands, hidden in her sleeves, trembled uncontrollably.

Mr. Shen’s cold voice reached her ears: “Perhaps you don’t realize it, but with your looks, in that kind of place, you’ll regret not marrying Director Xing.”

Mrs. Shen, hearing her husband’s words, could no longer control her trembling, clutching her head and bursting into tears.

Looking at her indifferent father and her helpless mother who could only cry, at that moment, Shen Laoshi realized she had never truly understood her own family.

She controlled her voice, trying to make it sound less shaky: “Dad, Director Xing only wants a daughter-in-law. Isn’t it enough to just give him a young and beautiful one?”

Mr. Shen raised his eyebrows, signaling her to continue.

Her voice quivered as she looked at him: “That Gu Yihan is younger and prettier than me. If she marries Director Xing, wouldn’t that be a huge blessing for our family?”

Mr. Shen was momentarily stunned, then sneered coldly: “But you were the one who chose her for your younger brother back then.”

Mrs. Shen’s eyes lit up, and she immediately ran to Mr. Shen, grabbing him: “Zixin doesn’t like her. You’ve protected her at the factory for so long, helping her establish herself there.”

She spoke excitedly and incoherently: “Since she’s under our family’s protection, she should repay us.”

Mr. Shen pushed Mrs. Shen’s hand away, glancing at her: “Why do you think Gu Yihan should listen to you and marry Director Xing?”

Mrs. Shen looked at him and screamed: “Why not? If she refuses, I’ll expose that she’s an orphan with a house and a job!”

“If it weren’t for our protection, could an orphan like her have lived so securely? So many thugs and scoundrels are waiting to ruin her!”

Seeing Mr. Shen still hesitant, Shen Laoshi spoke harshly: “Dad, she’s just an outsider. For her to have that value is already very good.”

“I’m your biological daughter. Would my future value still be less than Gu Yihan’s?”

Mr. Shen thought about the potential profit he could still get from this daughter and said, “Do as you wish.”

Both Shen Laoshi and Mrs. Shen wore expressions of delight, realizing that Mr. Shen had agreed.

Mrs. Shen, still uneasy, said to Mr. Shen: “Old Shen, first thing tomorrow at the factory, say that our son has already promised—she’s my family friend’s niece.”

Shen Laoshi also fixed her gaze on her father: “Dad, first let the factory know that Gu Yihan is single, with a house and money.”

“This way, when she’s isolated and helpless, we can introduce Director Xing to her, making her more grateful to us, and she’ll speak well of us in front of him.”

Mr. Shen nodded thoughtfully.

Meanwhile, Gu Yihan had no idea anyone was scheming against her.

She was lying on a lounge chair, crossing her legs, watching Maomao perform tricks in the yard, biting his own tail.

She focused intently while eating some melon from the neighbor’s house.

At the Lin Family’s Yard

Mrs. Lin shouted sharply: “Lin Fang, in a few months you’ll graduate. You must go to the countryside!”

Lin Xiaofen leaned against the living room doorway and mocked: “Lin Fang, Lin Fang… I once kindly found you a job at a bathhouse giving foot massages, and you didn’t go.”

“Now you want to go, and no one will take you.”

Lin Fang, eyes red and swollen, glared at Lin Xiaofen: “What ‘kindness’ are you talking about? You wanted me to go give a bunch of old men foot massages at the men’s bathhouse.”

“Not everyone is like you, climbing up the social ladder all these years. Who’s going to marry you? They’d still use you for free.”

Mrs. Lin, disgusted with her second daughter, stepped forward and slapped her.

Covering her face, Lin Fang screamed hoarsely: “Mom! Why are you so biased? I’ve done all the family laundry, all the chores. If I couldn’t reach the stove, I’d stand on a stool to cook. Isn’t that enough?”

Mrs. Lin looked at Lin Fang coldly: “You were born into this family. Shouldn’t you do these things? Who hasn’t worked from childhood?”

“You’re at least living in the city. I’ve given you the chance to study—count your blessings. Go look at your cousins back home; they work before dawn.”

She shoved Lin Fang aside: “We didn’t even send you away when the family couldn’t feed you. Ungrateful brat!”

Hearing her mother’s accusations, Lin Fang cried: “You might as well have sent me away! Who asked you to give birth to me? Did I consent?”

Lin Fang’s father had just come home from work. Hearing her last words, he immediately unbuckled his belt and swung it at her legs.

“Ah… Dad, don’t hit me! I’m sorry!” her scream pierced.

Her father continued swinging, shouting: “I raised you, and now you blame your parents?”

Lin Fang screamed and dodged, but her father’s belt seemed to have eyes—it always found her.

“Ah… Dad, I’m sorry! I’ll never do it again, sob…”

Back in Gu Yihan’s yard, she listened to the commotion next door, shaking her head. She couldn’t tell if Lin Fang was smart or foolish.

Foolish because she still relied on the deputy director’s son to pay for her tuition.

Smart because she dared to demand fairness even knowing she had the least say in the family. Gu Yihan sneered: “Where in this world is there fairness?”

Lin Fang’s father, exhausted from chasing and hitting her, said: “Being sent down to the countryside is the policy. Your father can’t go against the government.”

“We have three kids. Only you meet the criteria. If you don’t go, should your under-ten-year-old brother go instead?”

Lin Fang’s voice was hoarse from shouting, her eyes red and swollen: “Why does my eldest sister get to avoid going to the countryside if we’re all daughters?”

Mrs. Lin said: “She works and gives the family thirty yuan a month. What can you contribute?”

“You just spend, complain, and accuse us of being biased. What can you give? Even if she doesn’t give the money, she still makes me happy. Can you do that?”

Lin Fang protested: “She’s slept around, who knows how many men she’s been with?”

Mrs. Lin tried to argue more, but Lin Fang’s father cut her off: “If you have complaints, blame yourself. Who told you to be born first?”

With that, he pulled Mrs. Lin back inside.

Lin Xiaofen mocked Lin Fang: “You think I enjoy climbing the social ladder? Dad came from the countryside and has to support his whole family. With my income, the family has extra savings. When I let you work before, you didn’t want to. Now, even if you want a job, there’s none.”

Lin Xiaofen went past Lin Fang to her room.

Gu Yihan, having listened to the drama, yawned and got up, thinking: Just listening is tiring—time for a nap.

The next morning, Gu Yihan went to work with Maomao. After locking the door, she saw Lin Fang sneaking out of her house.

Gu Yihan thought: Today’s a workday… why isn’t she at school?

She looked Lin Fang over and noticed her household registration booklet peeking from her pocket. Understanding dawned.

Lin Fang, seeing Gu Yihan, avoided eye contact, covering her pocket, and ran off quickly.

Arriving at the machinery factory, Gu Yihan immediately sensed many young workers eyeing her with ill intentions.