Chapter 31: Clearing out the Lin Family

There was a high-end silk mosquito net, a gramophone, an electric iron, a flashlight, and a glass-topped vanity. 

Her grandmother’s family was a prominent clan, so they naturally had many valuable things.

Even after donating most of them, enough remained for Zhao Fanghua to live a luxurious life. 

These items were a hot potato in this era. Lin Yiwan didn’t intend to take everything to the courtyard house, but leaving them for that despicable couple was impossible.

They didn’t deserve her mother’s things! She would rather give them away than leave anything for them!

When Tan Qiuyue heard Lin Yiwan was taking the things she’d hidden, she forgot about the job.  “No, you can’t take them, they’re mine!” She stumbled after her.  The onlookers followed.

“No! This mosquito net is mine, you can’t take it!” Lin Yirou was crying in her room when the door was kicked open.

Lin Yiwan, like a bandit, entered and started dismantling the mosquito net.

“Your mosquito net? Lin Yirou, are you shameless? This room was decorated by my mother, she even had this bed custom-made.

You took advantage of my youth and tricked me into giving you the room.  After all these years, you think it’s yours?”

Lin Yirou wouldn’t give it up, crying and clutching the mosquito net. The silk mosquito net was lightweight, breathable, handmade, with embroidered plum blossoms. 

The onlookers were amazed.

They knew Lin Yiwan’s grandmother was wealthy, but they hadn’t seen the extent of it. Seeing Lin Yiwan inventorying the items, they felt a pang of jealousy.

As if anticipating their envy, Lin Yiwan, with a serious expression, said, “My mother said these things should be donated to those in need.

I was young and didn’t understand, so they kept them and used them.

They made me live in a small partitioned room. Now, I’m fulfilling my mother’s wishes and giving these furnishings away!”

This was a lie; her mother hadn’t said that. Even if she had, Lin Yiwan was too young to remember.  But hearing she was giving things away, the onlookers were moved.

“Poor child, her mother left many things, yet she lived like a servant.”

“Exactly! Tan Qiuyue lived so well in secret.”

“This is hedonism, I’ll report them to the neighborhood committee.”

…

Hearing they were going to report her, Tan Qiuyue trembled. “Don’t! Don’t report me! I don’t want these things, take them away! Quickly!”

Lin Yirou let go of the mosquito net, tears streaming down her face. “Lin Yiwan, I didn’t expect you to be so cruel, how could you say that?”

Lin Yiwan scoffed. “Haven’t you been using these things for years? Didn’t you take my room? You did it, so why can’t I say anything?”

The onlookers pointed at Lin Yirou again. “She took her room, her job, and now she’s playing the victim?” 

“She seems nice, but she’s terrible.”

Lin Yiwan took only a few small items. She gave away the furniture. The onlookers were ecstatic, vying for the items. 

They almost fought.  One family couldn’t use so many things, but distributing them solved the problem. 

Lin Yiwan watched them, like an outsider. It was better to get rid of them than leave trouble for herself. It was also good to annoy Tan Qiuyue and the others.

Lin Weimin watched his belongings being taken away, feeling faint. He wanted to beg Lin Yiwan, but Xie Lin’s presence stopped him. He could only watch as his house was emptied.

The onlookers were shocked.  “So Lin Weimin is a kept man!” “Using his deceased wife’s things and bullying his daughter, is that human?”

Tan Qiuyue was speechless, feeling empty, collapsing to the ground. Lin Yirou almost fainted.  But her previous act was too memorable; no one believed her.

Lin Yiwan packed her things into a wooden box. Xie Lin lifted it, and they went downstairs.

Song Huaiqing looked at Lin Yiwan, then at the crying Lin Yirou, torn between them.

“Brother Song…” Lin Yirou called softly, clutching her chest, as he seemed about to leave.

Song Huaiqing, seeing her pitiful state, hesitated and stayed.

Tan Qiuyue and Lin Weimin looked at their empty room, heartbroken.

The police asked, “Regarding the four hundred yuan, do you have any other clues?”

Lin Weimin and the others had forgotten about the money.  Remembering it, Tan Qiuyue felt despair.

Liu Cuiping spoke, “Officer, I saw her son, Lin Yihao, return this morning.”

Two others agreed. “Now that you mention it, I saw him too, sneaking around with a bulging bag.”

Combining their clues, it was likely Lin Yihao.

“Officer, where is your son? We need to investigate him.”

Tan Qiuyue fainted!