Chapter 18

Lin Qian was surprised to see that Ma Guixin had actually come riding Lin Yuanyuan’s bicycle.

Great, she thought. That meant she could take this bike from the Lin family today too.

When she saw Ma Guixin turning into a small alley on the bike, Lin Qian said to the person she was selling her job to, “Sorry, comrade, could you wait for me here for a moment? I need to speak to my mother about something.”

With that, Lin Qian jumped on her own bicycle and quickly followed into the alley.

She had worked in this area for a year, so she knew the layout very well.

The neighborhood near the textile factory was quite remote and had always been known for frequent fights and robberies.

After following into the alley, Lin Qian cut through another small path to intercept.

Ma Guixin, meanwhile, felt the area was a little too deserted after entering the alley and began humming a revolutionary song to bolster her courage.

But the unexpected still happened. As she rode past a fork in the path, a bamboo pole suddenly appeared across the way.

“Ah!!!”

Ma Guixin was thrown off her bike and landed face-first on the ground in a clumsy fall.

“Ouch~”

She groaned on the ground, dazed but not unconscious.

Lin Qian walked over, pulled a brick out from her storage space, and slammed it onto the back of Ma Guixin’s head.

The brick came away stained with red.

Lin Qian’s eyes burned with fury—she thought of all the years Ma Guixin had exploited her. She genuinely wanted to finish this vile woman off.

She raised the brick again high, but at the last second, reason returned.

No, she couldn’t afford to cause a death. The police would definitely investigate a murder to the end.

She had already died once—this new life was still young. She wasn’t going to ruin it over garbage like them.

Lin Qian put the brick away and tossed it back into her storage space.

Then she took the 800 yuan from Ma Guixin’s body and stored it. She also put the fallen bicycle into her storage.

Before leaving, she gave the unconscious Ma Guixin one last cold glance and then turned and left.

Lin Qian rode back to the textile factory quickly and brought the buyer inside.

She introduced the person to the workshop team leader and then helped the buyer get familiar with the new job post.

After handing everything over…

The team leader came over. She had personally trained Lin Qian and had grown fond of her. Upon hearing what happened that morning, she was heartbroken for this diligent, intelligent girl.

“Qian Qian, you sold your job, and you didn’t even keep the money for yourself. Have you thought about what you’ll do from now on?”

Lin Qian knew the other woman truly cared. She smiled and said, “Sister Hong, don’t worry. I’ll be fine. When one door closes, another opens. Things are opening up in society now. If I work hard, I won’t starve.”

“Sigh, I really don’t know how you ended up with parents like that. From now on, be smart. Save up money secretly for yourself.”

“Mm, thank you, Sister Hong. I’ll remember your words.”

Just as Lin Qian was about to leave the factory with her bike, she saw two officers in public security uniforms arriving at the gate.

They were likely here to investigate the robbery involving Ma Guixin.

Lin Qian quickened her pace, trying to leave quietly.

But just as she got on her bike, the old gatekeeper called out to her.

Lin Qian winced.

Great. She was about to get dragged into this mess.

“Lin Qian, come quickly! Your mom was robbed and beaten—she’s in the hospital now.”

Lin Qian sighed and put on her best performance.

“What? My mom? Something happened to her?!”

The two officers came over, one of them wearing a sympathetic expression.

“Comrade Lin, you should prepare yourself. Comrade Ma Guixin—your mother—was seriously injured. She’s already been taken to the hospital.”

Lin Qian forced out a few tears. “Was her money taken too? That was the 800 yuan I got from selling my job this morning!”

The officer consoled her. “Don’t be too upset, Comrade Lin. This is a serious case, and we’re committed to solving it.”

Half an hour later, Lin Qian was escorted to the hospital by the two officers.

The nurse said Ma Guixin had regained consciousness, and the officers accompanied Lin Qian to the hospital room to get a statement from the victim.

As they reached the door, they heard Ma Guixin sobbing uncontrollably inside.

Lin Qian entered first and saw that Lin Dawei and Lin Yuanyuan were also there.

Lin Yuanyuan glared at her and burst out, “Lin Qian, what were you thinking? Auntie was robbed near your factory—you knew how dangerous that area is. Why didn’t you warn her? You didn’t protect her!”

Lin Qian said nothing.

Lin Dawei pulled Lin Yuanyuan back. “That’s enough. The money from selling the job was your cousin’s. I believe she didn’t want any of this to happen either.”

Ma Guixin turned and glared at Lin Qian too. “Were you holding a grudge because I made you sell your job? You knew that area wasn’t safe—why didn’t you warn me?”

Lin Qian took a deep breath and replied, “Mom, you said you were saving my wages for me, but you were the one collecting them. Now all that money’s been stolen. This morning, without a word, you forced me to sell my job—and that money was also with you and now gone. So, tell me, should I resent you or not?”

“You ungrateful brat! You think I wanted this to happen?!”

Ma Guixin grabbed a pillow and hurled it at Lin Qian.

One of the officers stepped in to block it.

“Enough! Don’t keep blaming each other. We’re really sorry about what happened to your family, but we’re here to get information from Comrade Ma Guixin about the case.”

Lin Yuanyuan urged anxiously, “Auntie, try to remember any details about the person who robbed you. That will help the police solve the case.”

Ma Guixin frowned and clutched her head. “Ahh, my head hurts so much…”

Just then, a doctor entered.

He explained, “Comrade Ma Guixin is suffering from a severe concussion, which could cause memory loss. I suggest she avoid emotional stress or overthinking. Otherwise, it could worsen her condition.”

This was karma for the Lin family.

Lin Qian laughed to herself quietly.

Lin Dawei asked, “Doctor, can my wife’s concussion be treated?”

“It can, but she’ll need to be transferred to a major hospital. If not treated, she’ll need plenty of rest. It won’t affect her daily life too much.”

Lin Yuanyuan and Lin Dawei looked devastated. They had no idea how they’d come up with the money to transfer Ma Guixin to a major hospital.