Chapter 61

Lu Jianguo softened his tone as he spoke to Lu Baiwei, deliberately keeping his distance from Tang Yunling. 

“How would I know? I only handle the treatment,” Lu Baiwei replied, finishing her measurements on the fabric before glancing up at him. 

With a half-hearted tone, she added, “Anyway, Jiaojiao gets beaten up every few days.” 

“Exactly. Just looking at her, you can tell it was Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe who did it,” Lu Jianguo muttered, coughing lightly. Then, hesitating, he asked, “Um, I just wanted to ask one more thing—if Jiaojiao doesn’t go to the commune hospital for a checkup, will her brain be damaged?” 

“It will. She’ll turn into a fool,” Lu Baiwei replied impatiently. “Didn’t I already say yesterday that she needs to get to the commune hospital immediately?” 

Hearing this, Lu Jianguo seemed satisfied with the answer and didn’t intend to linger at the clinic any longer. 

Putting on a show of concern, he said, “This won’t do. My good daughter married Yin Zhihe, and now they’ve beaten her like this. This matter won’t be settled easily.” 

His sudden shift in demeanor—first questioning Lu Baiwei about not covering medical expenses, then abruptly leaving—left Tang Yunling baffled. 

“What kind of scheme is he up to now?” she asked, puzzled. 

Then, shaking her head, she added, “But seriously, Baiwei, your dad’s favoritism is off the charts. He seems to care a lot about Jiaojiao, but if it were you who had a head injury, he wouldn’t rush over here all worried to find out how badly you were hurt.” 

Tang Yunling spoke up for Lu Baiwei, clearly upset on her behalf. 

Lu Baiwei sneered dismissively. “You think he really cares about Jiaojiao?” 

“If he truly cared about that daughter, yesterday when Jiaojiao was brought to the brigade clinic with her head covered in blood, he and Liu Chunhua wouldn’t have avoided showing up because they were afraid of paying the medical expenses.” 

“My dad only has eyes for Lu Wenhua,” Lu Baiwei said coldly, her tone filled with disdain. 

She knew Lu Jianguo all too well. After spending a lifetime dealing with him, she had him figured out completely. 

He didn’t care for any of his daughters—only for Lu Wenhua, who could carry on the family line. 

Anyone unaware of their circumstances might even think that broken-down family had a throne to inherit! 

Lu Baiwei exposed his true intentions bluntly: “Just wait and see. The only reason he came to ask about Jiaojiao’s head injury is so he and Liu Chunhua can stir up trouble at the Yin household. They’re planning to squeeze some money out of Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe.” 

“Before long, he’ll head to the Yin household and let Liu Chunhua and Shen Guixiang tear into each other.” 

Tang Yunling, who thrived on chaos, was thrilled at the prospect. 

Especially when the fight would involve Liu Chunhua and Shen Guixiang—that was like watching dogs bite each other. 

“Watching them go at it is going to be the best show ever,” Tang Yunling said, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

Watching dogs fight is always the most entertaining. 

“Well, I won’t help you cut the clothes for now. I have to go check out the Yin household,” Tang Yunling said as she left the brigade clinic, winking at Lu Baiwei. 

“On the boundless sea, fierce winds gather dark clouds. Let the storm rage on even stronger!” 

“I’ll be back to help with the cutting later. I’m off to add fuel to the fire…” 

In truth, Liu Chunhua didn’t lack concern for her daughter. When she first heard about Lu Jiaojiao hitting her head, she had immediately wanted to rush to the brigade clinic, but Lu Jianguo had stopped her. 

“What’s the meaning of this, Lu Jianguo?” Liu Chunhua fumed. “Jiaojiao got hurt so badly, her head covered in blood. It’s probably that heartless Shen Guixiang and Yin Zhihe who did it again!” 

“Last time, you took a bottle of malted milk and two pounds of white flour from the Yin family and made Jiaojiao go back with Yin Zhihe. I haven’t even settled that account with you yet.” 

“You said Yin Zhihe had changed his ways and told Jiaojiao to go back with him. Now look what they’ve done to her!” 

Liu Chunhua was livid. “She’s not your biological daughter, so of course you don’t care!” 

That comment hit a nerve with Lu Jianguo. 

His biological daughter had been raised by the Tang family, yet the daughter Liu Chunhua brought into their marriage, Lu Jiaojiao, had grown up under his roof. 

Compared to how he treated Lu Baiwei, Lu Jianguo thought he had done his duty to Lu Jiaojiao. 

But now Liu Chunhua was attacking him like this. 

Lu Jianguo’s face darkened. “If you’re so eager to pay for medical expenses, go ahead! But have you looked at how much money we have left?” 

“Doesn’t Wenhua need money for school? Won’t your son need money to get married someday?” 

The mention of Lu Wenhua struck Liu Chunhua’s weak spot. 

She cared about her daughter Lu Jiaojiao, but not as much as she did about Lu Wenhua. 

Lu Wenhua was the one who could marry, carry on the family line, and take care of her in her old age. 

A married daughter was like water spilled on the ground—it wouldn’t come back. 

Besides, Lu Jiaojiao had dragged Yin Zhihe into a haystack, not only costing Liu Chunhua any bride price but also causing Lu Baiwei, that rebellious troublemaker, to clash with them. 

Now, Lu Baiwei was a tough nut to crack, with her difficult uncles backing her and the formidable He Ting on her side. 

He Ting had already made it clear: if they dared to stir up trouble at the clinic again, he’d personally teach Lu Wenhua a lesson. 

Right now, Lu Jiaojiao was their only hope of gaining any benefit for Lu Wenhua. 

With barely any money left, Liu Chunhua fell silent. Although she threw Lu Jianguo a sour look, she didn’t dare go to the clinic. Instead, she sent Lu Wenhua to check if Shen Guixiang had covered the medical expenses. 

When Lu Wenhua returned, saying Shen Guixiang had paid, Liu Chunhua finally breathed a sigh of relief. 

But soon after, she heard that Shen Guixiang and her son had left the brigade clinic without taking Lu Jiaojiao to the commune hospital. Instead, they had carried her straight home. 

Lu Wenhua came back and said Shen Guixiang had paid the medical expenses. Just as Liu Chunhua felt relieved for her daughter, she heard that Shen Guixiang and her son, instead of taking Lu Jiaojiao to the commune hospital after leaving the brigade clinic, had carried her straight home. 

“That stingy, black-hearted Shen Guixiang! What if something happens to Jiaojiao’s brain?” 

Liu Chunhua couldn’t keep her composure any longer and started complaining to Lu Jianguo early in the morning. 

Lu Jianguo said he would go to the clinic to gather more details so they could go to the Yin family prepared. That way, the people in the brigade would side with them. 

As soon as Lu Jianguo left the clinic, the ever-curious Tang Yunling followed close behind him. 

Watching Lu Jianguo enter his house, Tang Yunling leaned sneakily near the well to peek in their direction. Her antics were spotted by Zhou Yanfeng, who was carrying buckets to fetch water. 

Zhou Yanfeng threw a candy at Tang Yunling. “What are you sneaking around here for?” 

“Zhou Yanfeng, are you crazy? Stop throwing candy at me!” 

In those days, having a White Rabbit milk candy was a rare treat. 

Every girl in the Xiangyang Brigade wished someone would throw candy at them. 

Only Tang Yunling would grumble while expertly picking up the candy from the ground, unwrapping it, and popping it into her mouth. 

Chewing the White Rabbit candy, she saw Lu Jianguo dragging Liu Chunhua out of the house toward the Yin family. Tang Yunling quickly grabbed Zhou Yanfeng, who was carrying water buckets, and pulled him behind the big apricot tree near the well. 

“Why are you so interested in my sister-in-law’s family?” 

“Shh, don’t talk,” Tang Yunling whispered. 

Lu Jianguo and Liu Chunhua didn’t notice them and marched off angrily toward the Yin family. 

Tang Yunling’s eyes lit up as she commanded Zhou Yanfeng, “Forget fetching water. There’s going to be a show! That stepmother of Weiwei’s is sure to get into a fight with Shen Guixiang, that sly troublemaker.” 

Tang Yunling tugged at Zhou Yanfeng’s water buckets, urging him to join her in watching the drama. 

When Tang Yunling pulled Zhou Yanfeng behind the tree earlier, they had been standing quite close. 

Zhou Yanfeng stayed silent for a moment. 

He was genuinely intimidated by this woman—how could she be so obsessed with drama? 

With a look of disdain, Zhou Yanfeng said, “Why is it that wherever there’s chaos, you’re always there?” 

“Duh! You call yourself He Ting’s ride-or-die brother, and yet you don’t want to watch the people bullying Weiwei tear each other apart?” 

Tang Yunling rolled her eyes at him. “Here’s the deal: are you coming or not?”