MGASC -Chapter 59 Carry Me Inside

In the past, that little courtyard had always been cold and deserted. With Lin Tianyue the bully around, plus Zhang Qiao, a full-blown drama queen, the neighbors all wished they could stay as far away from that family as possible.

Whenever anyone mentioned that household, it was always with a face full of disdain, afraid of getting bad luck just by association.

But now?

In a small place, news traveled fast. Bad things couldn’t be hidden, and good things spread even faster.

On their way back, Wang Yan’s parents had already heard people talking—Lin Tianyue’s family had invited the principal of Tieli Primary School to dinner today, and Lin Tianyue was planning to open a feed factory in Xiangshui County.

If it really opened, it would be the only one of its kind in the entire county. Everyone said Lin Tianyue had hit the jackpot, that he was going to make a fortune, become a big factory boss. Some neighbors and relatives were even starting to scheme about going to work for him as factory laborers.

At first, Wang Yan’s parents didn’t believe it. But now, standing outside the gate, they could clearly see Principal Ma. Not only that—the three kids who used to look scruffy were now dressed in brand-new clothes, each one clean and handsome, like city kids.

Then they looked back at their own home…

When the gate opened, Wang Yan’s mother saw the mess filling the courtyard and let out a sharp cry.

“Old Wang! Did thieves break into our house?!”

“My cart for the food stall, my bowls, my plates… good heavens! How are we supposed to live like this?!”

The courtyard looked like it had been ransacked. All the window glass in every room was shattered. Their pushcart, tools, plates, bowls—everything used for their stall—had been smashed to pieces. The chickens and pigs had been let loose, shitting all over the yard, and they’d even eaten the vegetables in the garden down to nothing.

Wasn’t this just disaster after disaster? Their daughter’s problem wasn’t even resolved yet, and now the tools they relied on to make a living were completely destroyed.

It wasn’t just Wang Yan’s mother, wailing and crying on the ground— even Wang Jianguo was so angry he nearly had a heart attack.

“These bastards kicking us when we’re down! Just you wait! I don’t believe the Wang family won’t have its day again!”

In this era, nothing was more disgraceful or more likely to get people stabbed in the back with gossip than being accused of an illicit affair. Add to that their daughter being arrested and the whole thing blowing up so publicly. Wang Yan’s parents didn’t suspect the Lin family at all; they just assumed the neighbors had taken revenge because their daughter had brought shame on everyone.

For a while, the courtyard was filled with Wang Yan’s mother’s wailing cries.

Until Wang Jianguo finally couldn’t stand it anymore. He stormed over, grabbed his wife by the hair, and slapped her hard across the face.

“Stop fucking crying! Just pretend our Wang family never had such a shameless daughter!”

“Our daughter’s in trouble, the house is wrecked like this, and I’m not allowed to cry a bit? You useless old bastard—can’t save your daughter, only know how to take it out on your wife. Fine, hit me! I… I’m not living with you anymore!”

The Wang household descended into total chaos.

By the time Lin Tianyue finished hosting everyone, eating and drinking until they were full, night had already fallen. When he walked guests out, Wang Yan’s parents were still in their courtyard, cleaning up the wreckage.

Because of business competition, Yingzi had long disliked Wang Yan. When she saw Wang Yan’s mother throwing out shattered bowls and basins, she couldn’t resist mocking her.

“Aunt Wang, what happened here? Such good bowls and plates, all smashed up. Not planning to set up your stall tomorrow? I heard Wang Yan ran into some trouble—don’t get too worked up. But really, this kind of thing, getting angry won’t help. Maybe you and Uncle should go to the temple tomorrow and pray? How come everything’s so unlucky lately? Could it be you did something wrong before and karma finally came knocking?”

Wang Yan’s mother looked miserable, her face dark with resentment. She glared at Yingzi.

“You little brat, don’t get smug! My Yan is just unlucky this time—she was framed. But your uncle and I aren’t dead yet. That stall—we’ll set it up again in a few days. You think you can profit from this? No chance! Our business will definitely get better and better!”

Yingzi had a hot temper to begin with and was about to argue back, but Zhang Qiao and Chen Gang quickly pulled her away.

“Forget it, forget it. Harmony brings wealth.”

After Zhang Qiao coaxed her a few more times, Yingzi finally left.

Up ahead, Lin Tianyue had just finished seeing Principal Ma off. He ran into Zhang Qiao at the door, and they smiled at each other.

“Why are you still standing here? Aren’t you tired? Go back in and rest early. I’ll clean up the kitchen and the table. Listen to the doctor—sleep well tonight, and no staying up late translating your books.”

Lin Tianyue gently pushed Zhang Qiao toward the house, his words full of concern.

Zhang Qiao saw Wang Yan’s mother returning from dumping trash in the distance. Knowing exactly what would annoy her the most, Zhang Qiao deliberately put on a coquettish smile and draped an arm over Lin Tianyue’s shoulder.

“Oh my, even a big rough guy knows how to care for people now. Not bad, not bad—real progress. When you look at it this way, my man is actually pretty handsome. One day I’ll get you a suit, and you’ll be even more charming. Director Lin, now that you mention it, I really am tired. How about… you carry me inside?”

Lin Tianyue: “……”

This was right at the front gate of his house. Was she really teasing him like this—wasn’t that a bit much?

His mind said it wasn’t appropriate, but his face betrayed him first, flushing red. He leaned closer and whispered, “Zhang Qiao… are you serious?”

Zhang Qiao kept smiling sweetly. “What? We’re a proper married couple, not hooligans. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Before her words even finished, the man scooped her up in his arms. Zhang Qiao yelped in surprise and hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck, her face burning.

Wow—his arms were so solid. So strong.

Even the hair at the back of his neck looked soft to the touch. She couldn’t help rubbing it twice.

Lin Tianyue lowered his gaze, meeting her watery eyes. “My wife’s right—we’re not hooligans. What’s there to be afraid of?”

Behind them, Wang Yan’s mother watched the couple being all lovey-dovey, their words clearly laced with digs at her daughter. She trembled, her face turning deathly pale with rage.

The moment she stepped into her own courtyard, she couldn’t help letting out another wailing cry.

Complaining about how life was unbearable, how even some snot-nosed little girl dared bully her, how the neighbors couldn’t tolerate her, how that old bastard husband even hit her—how miserable her fate was…

…

Inside the room, the lights were on. Lin Xun, Lin Ran, and Lin Jin were clearing the dishes from the table. Hearing the door outside, all three turned their heads in unison.

They saw their dad striding in from outside, carrying Aunt Qiao in his arms as if no one else existed.

When Lin Tianyue met the three kids’ stares, not only did he not put Zhang Qiao down, he glared at them instead.

“What are you looking at? Your Aunt Qiao is tired. Hurry up and get back to work!”

The three kids immediately looked away. Only after the two adults went into the room did Lin Ran stretch his neck and peek inside again.

He quietly nudged Lin Xun. “Bro, don’t you think… Dad’s being a bit shameless today?”

Lin Jin secretly popped a candy into his mouth, chewing as he spoke indistinctly, “Dad must’ve drunk too much tonight! Whenever he drinks too much, he’s not normal!”

Lin Xun frowned, suddenly worried about the long night ahead.

Normally, whenever their dad drank, he’d come home and argue with Aunt Qiao. The more he drank, the worse the fight.

Tonight… wouldn’t they start fighting again?

Before, they’d hoped the two of them would argue—argue so badly they’d split up.

But now…

Lin Xun asked cautiously, “Did Dad drink a lot tonight?”

Lin Ran scratched his head. He’d been too busy eating fish to notice. “Uh… doesn’t seem like he drank much?”

Lin Jin insisted, “He did! I saw it!”

Lin Ran and Lin Xun exchanged looks, both feeling a faint sense of crisis creeping in.