Chapter 20: Rumor Has It That Zhang Tingyuan Has Returned to Await His Death?

However, upon further reflection, the darkness within the house made it impossible for him to see, rendering the effort utterly futile.

“There’s no need, I’ve done it before; I’m just afraid of hurting you,” he said, his words only serving to heighten the awkwardness.

“Hey, I know you all too well; you’re as skittish as a grasshopper, jumping away at the slightest touch, and now you’re making excuses.”

Lin Bingwei’s expression turned uncomfortable.

“Look at me, I’m in this state; what could I possibly do to you? Just listen and go to bed.”

This suggestion seemed reasonable, as the night would only grow colder.

After some deliberation, Lin Bingwei reluctantly took the blankets and went to bed, where the combined warmth of the two quilts was a welcome comfort.

Just then, a hand reached out from behind her, touching her lower back. Lin Bingwei’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Zhang Tingyuan, sleeping in the same bed is my limit,” she warned.

The hand quickly withdrew, with Zhang Tingyuan claiming, “I just wanted to check if you were still cold.”

Lin Bingwei was skeptical, thinking to herself, “I doubt that; in my eyes, you’re no longer the upright hero you once were, but rather a rogue.”

The night’s sleep had been fitful, and Lin Bingwei woke up with puffy eyes.

As she gazed into the glass mirror hanging by the window, she began to perform an eye care routine to alleviate the swelling.

Although the puffiness improved slightly, the dark circles under her eyes persisted.

At breakfast, Lin Bingwei’s mother-in-law, Li Yurong, took charge of cooking, while Lin Bingwei helped with serving.

Noticing Lin Bingwei’s repeated yawns, Li Yurong asked, “Bingwei, didn’t you sleep well last night?”

Lin Bingwei shook her head, “I’m fine.”

Li Yurong pressed on, “What do you mean you’re fine? Look at your eyes.”

Lin Bingwei instinctively touched her eyes, and Li Yurong continued, “I heard noises coming from your room late last night.”

Lin Bingwei yawned again and casually remarked, “It was mostly him causing a ruckus.”

Li Yurong’s eyes widened in surprise, and she stared at Lin Bingwei.

Realizing her slip-up, Lin Bingwei hastily added, “He drank too much fish soup and kept getting up during the night.”

Li Yurong chuckled, “Bingwei, you’re working hard to take care of Tingyuan; this kid is a handful, and taking care of him must be exhausting.”

Lin Bingwei nodded in agreement, “I thought he was honest and upright, but I guess I was mistaken.”

Li Yurong laughed, “Honest and upright? Bingwei, you must be mistaken; his older brother is the one who’s honest and upright.”

Lin Bingwei’s eyes widened in surprise as her mother-in-law began to speak ill of Zhang Tingyuan, “He’s been a troublemaker since he was young, and his father and I couldn’t control him. We were worried he’d become a ne’er-do-well, so we sent him to join the army, thinking that the country could discipline him.”

Lin Bingwei’s eyes grew wider as she listened to her mother-in-law’s candid assessment of Zhang Tingyuan’s true nature.

After breakfast, Li Yurong took Zhang Jianguo to their family’s private plot to harvest radishes.

The previous day, they had bought a pork leg but hadn’t had a chance to stew it, so they planned to harvest two radishes and cook the pork leg together.

After harvesting the radishes, they would take them, along with the pork leg, to the river to wash, and they could also catch some small wild fish to fry and eat.

Meanwhile, Lin Bingwei began to tidy up the house, attended to Zhang Tingyuan’s washing and grooming needs, and unpacked the luggage he had brought back.

His belongings were simple: a few sets of clothes, toiletries, two books, and a box of chocolates.

Hmm?

Lin Bingwei turned to look at the person on the bed.

He was lying on his side, gazing at her with a smile, “I had someone buy these for you and Jianguo; you can share them later.”

The packaging was filled with nostalgia.

“I won’t eat it; it’s for kids,” Lin Bingwei said.

“Aren’t you a kid?” Zhang Tingyuan asked with a hint of a smile.

Lin Bingwei gave him a cold glance, “You’re not much older than me, either.”

He seemed to be only two years older?

Just then, a loud shout came from outside the house.

“Lin Bingwei, come out, come out now!” Bihua yelled, banging on the gate with such force that it seemed like she might break it.

Lin Bingwei’s expression turned stern as she kicked Zhang Tingyuan’s suitcase aside, rolled up her sleeves, and rushed out.

She had anticipated that Zhang Tingyuan’s return would trigger a confrontation with Lin Wangsheng and Bihua.

Initially, they had been able to contain their anger, partly because the news of the swapped children had just come out, and the surrounding villages were still discussing it.

Even if they refused to admit it, the pressure of public opinion was a powerful force.

Once the commotion died down, they would not give up easily.

Moreover, the Zhang family had a son in the military, which had restrained them from causing too much trouble.

Now that Zhang Tingyuan had been carried back home, reportedly to await his death, the family was in a vulnerable state.

What could they possibly do to her, with a dying man and a family in disarray?

Still, Lin Bingwei had not expected them to arrive so soon, indicating that they had been bottled up for months.

Zhang Tingyuan, who was lying in bed, watched as Lin Bingwei rushed out, then glanced at his suitcase, which was lying on its side. With a struggle, he got out of bed, despite the pain from his broken rib, which had been surgically repaired with a steel nail.

He was worried about Lin Bingwei, so he made his way to the window, wincing in pain.

In the courtyard, the family’s fence had been kicked open by an old woman, and it was now hanging crookedly.

Bihua, accompanied by three others, entered the courtyard from outside.

Lin Bingwei quickly stepped forward to block their path, preventing them from entering the house.

“You wicked girl, get out of the way,” Bihua shouted.

Lin Bingwei sneered, “I see you’ve forgotten the time I kicked you into the ditch.”

“You… you’re a wicked thing, I’m your mother, and you dare to hit me? You’ll be struck by lightning!”

Lin Bingwei retorted calmly, “If I were your daughter, wouldn’t I have been struck by lightning by now? This proves that you’re not my mother, and I was swapped.”

Bihua snarled, “You’re talking nonsense, thinking you’re a rich man’s daughter. You don’t even recognize your own mother. Sisters, don’t you agree?”

She had brought several women from the Lin family village, all of whom were shouting in agreement.

These people were likely bribed by Bihua to cause trouble.

“Weiwei, you can’t be like this. Who doesn’t want to be born into a rich family? We understand that, but you can’t deny your own mother, can you?”

“It’s true, you want to be a rich man’s daughter so badly that you’re willing to hit your own mother. This is unacceptable, even if you have attended school for a few days. Is this what your teachers taught you?”

Lin Bingwei sneered, “You wouldn’t know what my teachers taught me, having never attended school yourselves. I advise you to leave quickly; taking someone else’s two radishes isn’t worth it.”

The group exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions strange.

How did Lin Bingwei know that Bihua had given them each two radishes?

Of course, Lin Bingwei knew; the Lin family had a bountiful radish harvest this year, which was the best in the area. The only downside was that it was the original owner who had planted them.

Bihua, seeing that her cohorts were wavering, quickly rallied them.

“Don’t fall for her tricks; we, as elders, can’t be lectured by a wicked girl like her. This isn’t just about two radishes. Third Sister, didn’t you say you wanted to teach her a lesson?”