The old lady sprang to her feet. “You wretched girl, what did you say? You sold the family orchard?”

Lin Xiaoyu paid no attention to her anger. “Yes, I plan to sell the 40-acre orchard that belongs to Uncle’s family.”

Lin Dongyang’s face darkened instantly, and the teacup in his hand slammed heavily onto the table with a loud “thud.” Before he could speak, Chen Yue’e, standing beside him, was already hopping mad. “Our families separated long ago, and the land was divided. What right do you have to sell our orchard?”

Lin Xiaoyu sneered, “What right? The right comes from your family renting our orchard for a full ten years without paying a single cent in rent!”

Chen Yue’e’s expression stiffened, but the thought of the orchard being sold quickly washed away her unease. “We didn’t intentionally withhold the rent. Second Brother, didn’t we agree that once the orchard starts turning a profit, we’d definitely pay you the rent?”

Lin Xiaoyu saw right through her aunt’s act—she was clearly taking advantage of her father’s gentle nature, bullying the soft-hearted.

“Who agreed with you? Go ask around—is there anyone who owes ten years of rent for leased land? Besides, Auntie, haven’t you always complained that the orchard isn’t making money? If it’s losing money year after year, then there’s no point in keeping it. Selling the orchard is actually doing you a favor, saving you from even greater losses in the future.”

Chen Yue’e never expected that the excuse they used to delay rent payments—claiming the orchard was unprofitable—would now be turned against them by Lin Xiaoyu. She was seething with anger but couldn’t find the words to retort.

Seeing his wife speechless, Lin Dongyang quickly shot a subtle glance at the old lady.

Because Li Xiulan had not given birth to a son, the old lady held a grudge against Lin Chenghai as well and had always favored her eldest son.

“Little Xiaoyu, I’m not dead yet. Family matters aren’t yours to decide. If you dare sell that orchard, don’t blame me for striking your entire family from the Lin family registry.”

Lin Xiaoyu had known in her previous life that her grandmother was biased. Since these so-called relatives were so heartless, she saw no need to hold back.

“Uncle, you’ve been complaining year after year that the orchard is losing money and not making a profit. But as far as I know, your family has bought two motorcycles, a large truck, and last year, my eldest cousin even bought a Volvo. I’ve also heard that you’re planning to buy a new house in the city soon. Do you think we’re all fools? That no one knows where this money came from?”

Lin Dongyang was irritated. They had kept these matters well hidden—how did this wretched girl find out about all of them?

In her previous life, Lin Xiaoyu truly hadn’t known that her uncle’s family had secretly bought several vehicles.

She and her two sisters usually lived at school, and to lessen their parents’ burden, they rarely stayed home even during holidays, often taking on part-time jobs wherever they could.

Lin Chenghai and his wife worked year-round in town, and aside from a few major holidays, the family of five seldom returned to their hometown.

If not for the fact that her eldest cousin had beaten her father to death and Lin Xiaoyu had personally reported him to the police, leading to his imprisonment, her younger cousin wouldn’t have lashed out at her in anger and inadvertently revealed these things. She truly hadn’t known that her uncle had been lying all along, using their family’s rent money to buy several vehicles.

Chen Yue’e forced a smile, masking her discomfort. “Xiaoyu, we’re not lying. The orchard really hasn’t made any money over the years. The vehicles were all bought with money your eldest cousin earned from his business.”

Lin Xiaoyu curled her lips into a mocking smile. “Auntie, my eldest cousin has only ever known how to eat, drink, gamble, and womanize since he was young. You say he earned the money to buy those vehicles? What kind of money could he make? Money from selling ‘flour’?”

Lin Xiaoyu’s words hit like a bombshell, instantly causing both Lin Dongyang and Chen Yue’e to pale.

The old lady’s heart sank. “Little Xiaoyu, what do you mean by that? What ‘flour’ is your eldest cousin eating?”

Seeing the old lady’s expression, Lin Xiaoyu knew she had already guessed part of the truth. She spoke bluntly, “Grandma, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. Prostitution, gambling, drugs—your precious grandson has dabbled in every single one of them.”

Chen Yue’e, terrified that she might say more, shrieked angrily, “Xiaoyu, I know you’re upset that we didn’t lend you money for your mother’s treatment, but you can’t slander your cousin like this. Sure, he enjoys smoking and drinking, but he’s never touched anything he shouldn’t.”

Lin Dongyang had only recently learned that his son had been led astray by his so-called friends and had gotten involved with things he shouldn’t have. Though shocked and furious, the couple had no choice but to keep it tightly under wraps, afraid that if word got out, their son would end up in prison.

Lin Dongyang didn’t bother wondering how Lin Xiaoyu had found out. His face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table. “Lin Xiaoyu, don’t you dare make baseless accusations! Even if your cousin has his flaws, it’s not your place to criticize him here. The orchard is ancestral property left by your grandfather, and we’re not selling it.”

Lin Xiaoyu was in a hurry to get her mother the treatment she needed and had no intention of dealing with her worthless cousin just yet. But there was no way she was letting her uncle’s family off the hook for the ten years of unpaid rent.

“If you don’t want to sell the orchard, Uncle, then pay us back the rent you owe for our orchard. Otherwise, don’t blame me if I expose my cousin’s little secret.”

Lin Dongyang was fuming. Since his second brother had no sons, he had long considered their orchard his own. He had never intended to pay the rent, but he was afraid of provoking Lin Xiaoyu into actually exposing his son’s drug use.

After some thought, he had no choice but to compromise.

But the family’s savings had long been squandered by his son, and they couldn’t come up with the rent money. He had no option but to agree to sell the orchard.

Although the old lady also hated to see the orchard go, Lin Jianhui was the Lin family’s eldest grandson. She couldn’t just let him be arrested and thrown in jail.

Lin Xiaoyu knew that with her leverage over her cousin, her uncle’s family had no choice but to comply, no matter how unwilling they were.

She knew that a high-speed rail station would soon be built in their hometown, and their house and orchard happened to fall within the expropriation zone, meaning they would be eligible for substantial compensation.

She had originally planned to buy her uncle’s orchard directly, but she knew how shameless they could be. If they found out the orchard was in her hands, they would surely pressure the old lady to reclaim it.

To avoid future trouble, Lin Xiaoyu seized the opportunity during a bathroom break to call a distant relative on her mother’s side. She asked them to pose as a wealthy businessman and come over to sign the sales contract with her uncle.

She would find a way to quietly transfer the orchard into her name later.

As Lin Dongyang and his wife watched the orchard—along with the apples on the trees—sell for just enough to cover the ten years of back rent, their faces turned even grimmer than if they had just lost their parents.

Lin Xiaoyu felt no sympathy. Instead, she took the chance to rub salt in their wounds. “Uncle, since my cousin bumped into me and injured my head earlier, could you transfer that 5 yuan back to me? I need to go to the hospital for a check-up and medication.”

Chen Yue’e never expected her to ask for the remaining 5 yuan back. She was so furious she nearly exploded, but for the sake of her son, she had no choice but to let Lin Dongyang return the money.

With the orchard secured, Lin Xiaoyu had no desire to stay a moment longer. She immediately left her hometown with her father.

While Lin Chenghai was tending to his wife, Lin Xiaoyu eagerly logged into her Bank of China app. Seeing that long string of numbers again, she couldn’t help but gasp.

She had really been reborn—and had become a billionaire?!