Chapter 30: Wrongful Conviction

When Lin Yuanshu returned home, Zhou Dafu and his elder brother were reading the newspaper in the living room. When Zhou's mother saw Lin Yuanshu come home, she solemnly instructed, "Go and cook dinner now that you're back."

She sat down next to Chow Tai Fook without any hesitation and said in a serious tone, "I just got home from get off work and want to rest for a bit. Let's talk later. You have to let me catch my breath!"

Zhou's mother grumbled, "Why doesn't your sister-in-law have so much trouble when she comes home? Are you the only one who's tired? Aren't I tired too?"

Lin Yuanshu sighed and questioned, "What are you tired of! You're just enjoying yourself at home. You don't have much housework, and your sister-in-law has to help you when she gets home from get off work. I'm working hard to earn money to support the family. Can you please stop being unreasonable and stop bothering me while I'm reading the newspaper?"

Zhou's mother was furious and retorted, "If staying at home is really as good as you say, then why don't you stay home and enjoy yourself instead of going out to work?"

Lin Yuanshu said politely, "Oh, that's because I'm not fortunate enough to have that privilege!"

Zhou Ma: "..."

Unable to persuade Lin Yuanshu, Zhou Ma could only turn her attention to her eldest brother, hoping he would speak up for her.

The eldest brother understood what Zhou Ma meant, thought for a moment, and said, "Second daughter-in-law, you can't talk to Mom like that. As a daughter-in-law, you should be diligent..."

Lin Yuanshu interrupted his elder brother, agreeing wholeheartedly: "Brother, you're absolutely right. As a son, one should be even more filial. So hurry up and cook, don't dawdle."

Big Brother: "..."

Both of them focused their attention on Chow Tai Fook.

Lin Yuanshu saw through their plan and said seriously, "I need to rest well. If I don't rest enough, I'm prone to making mistakes. Director Xia has high hopes for me now, and you don't want me to make mistakes at work, do you?"

Zhou Dafu recalled the workshop director's praise of Lin Yuanshu. He knew it was not wise to offend Lin Yuanshu now. After spending time with her, he had come to understand Lin Yuanshu. She was unwilling to suffer any loss, and if she did, others would suffer even more. For the sake of his position as group leader, he could only ask his wife to make the sacrifice.

With a stern face, he said to the two of them, "Why aren't you cooking yet?"

The two reluctantly left the living room and went to the hallway to wash vegetables and knead dough.

Lin Yuanshu continued reading the newspaper with great ease, while Zhou Dafu inquired about Director Xia's situation. Lin Yuanshu only mentioned the positive aspects, since the specific details were beyond the reach of an outsider like Zhou Dafu, as they didn't even work in the same production workshop.

Zhou Dafu could tell that Lin Yuanshu was very popular, and all three workshop directors wanted to win her over, which perfectly matched the previous behavior of the workshop directors.

Unexpectedly, his two sons were useless, but his daughter-in-law, Lin Yuanshu, was outstanding. He looked at Lin Yuanshu with great admiration.

In the corridor, Aunt Wei watched Aunt Zhou kneading dough and asked with a smile, "Why are you kneading the dough? It must be so hard! Where's your daughter-in-law?"

Zhou's mother said, "I feel sorry for my daughter-in-law working so hard, is there a problem with that?"

Aunt Wei covered her mouth and chuckled, making sarcastic remarks, "No problem, the only concern is that some people will have to cook. Marrying a good daughter-in-law is really important."

Zhou Ma took a deep breath, thinking that her husband would become a group leader next month, and Uncle Wei would have to follow her husband's work arrangements. In other words, her husband was Uncle Wei's boss. Compared to him, Aunt Wei was no match for her at all.

What's the use of having a dutiful daughter-in-law if your spouse doesn't work hard? You're still clueless.

Zhou Ma sneered, glanced at Wei Da Ma with disdain, threw the dough on the board, and instructed her eldest brother, "Come and knead the dough after you finish washing the vegetables. Don't stop what you're doing. My back is a little sore, I'm going back to the living room to rest."

Big Brother: "..."

In the end, he bore the brunt of it all alone.

Looking at Zhou Ma's expression, Aunt Wei felt uneasy. She whispered to Sun Yiyi beside her, "Did you see the strange expression on her face? I have a feeling that she's up to something behind my back."

Sun Yiyi carefully recalled the major events that had occurred during this period and found that nothing unusual had happened.

The only thing I vaguely remember is that my father-in-law's group will announce its leader next month, and neither the Zhou family nor the Wei family will be selected.

Both of them were in a terrible mood and often got together to drink, which made Zhou's mother very irritable and she often lost her temper with them.

"She probably thinks that Grandpa Zhou can be the group leader, so she's being so smug in front of you!" Sun Yiyi said with a serious expression.

She has some difficulty guessing what other people are thinking, but she can guess the thoughts of her mother-in-law from her past life with unerring accuracy.

Aunt Wei curled her lip, revealing a mocking expression. "She really knows how to think. What a pipe dream! If Zhou Dafu can be the team leader, then I can be the leader!"

Sun Yiyi naturally wouldn't refute her mother-in-law's words and chose to agree.

Time passed slowly, and the aroma of food began to waft from everyone's pots.

As soon as Sister-in-law Xue stepped into the corridor, she saw her husband chopping vegetables. She walked over and asked in a low voice, "Why are you cooking?"

The older brother replied expressionlessly, "I work the night shift. Besides me, who else in the family would be willing to cook?"

Sister-in-law Xue looked at her husband with sympathy and said softly, "I'll come and help you later."

A warm feeling of gratitude welled up in the older brother's heart. His wife really cared about him! He was also glad that he hadn't married a wife like Lin Yuanshu, because he simply couldn't handle her. Even her mother avoided her like the plague, let alone him!

“You’ve worked hard and suffered injustices in the past.”

Sister-in-law Xue was stunned for a moment, and she held back her tears. She smiled and said, "It's not hard, it's not unfair. Marrying you is my good fortune."

Her husband is cultured and handsome, so she's actually the one who's better off. Although her mother-in-law is a bit difficult, no matter where she marries, she'll never meet a mother-in-law who's completely submissive to her.

Sister-in-law Xue hummed a song as she returned to her room to put away her handbag. She suddenly realized that Lin Yuanshu's arrival wasn't entirely without its benefits; at least it had improved the relationship between her and her lover.

Sister-in-law Xue helped her brother prepare the meal, bringing the steamed buns and vegetables to the table.

Lin Yuanshu looked at the vegetarian dishes on the table and couldn't help but sigh. In modern times, she couldn't live without meat, but now she could only eat vegetables, which tasted like no meat at all.

Seeing Lin Yuanshu sitting at the table like an old man, Aunt Zhou was furious. She slammed the bowl and chopsticks down in front of Lin Yuanshu and said sarcastically, "Some people have no sense at all. They don't know how to help. All they know is how to talk and eat."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuanshu frowned and said, "Mom, I won't allow you to talk about Dad like that."

Zhou Ma instinctively retorted, "I was talking about you."

"Oh, I didn't! I helped! Didn't I tell you to cook? How can you say I didn't help at all?" Lin Yuanshu retorted confidently.

Zhou Ma: "..."

Lin Yuanshu turned his gaze to Sister-in-law Xue. Sister-in-law Xue swallowed hard, and remembering the request Lin Yuanshu had made earlier, she could only bite the bullet and say, "I don't need any help. I can manage on my own. More people would just get in the way."

Seeing Xue's submissive appearance, Zhou Ma said irritably, "She has the life of a beast."

Sister-in-law Xue was very upset by the scolding, but she didn't dare to argue back.

Lin Yuanshu said softly, "Mom, you can't say that. If you say that, wouldn't your grandson become a little beast, and your son..."

Although Lin Yuanshu didn't finish her sentence, everyone understood what she meant, and the atmosphere instantly fell silent.

Zhou Ma didn't know how to refute Lin Yuanshu's words; she felt that refuting him was wrong, but not refuting him was also wrong.

Seeing the noisy scene in the house, Zhou Dafu stepped forward and said, "Everyone, please keep quiet and let's eat!"

Although Lin Yuanshu brought him new hope in his career, he also brought new conflicts to his family. His wife's personality was unchangeable, and Lin Yuanshu's personality was also difficult to change. It was a difficult situation! Clearly, if both sides took a step back, there would be no problem.

Meanwhile, the Wei family was also having dinner. Thinking about what had happened that evening, Aunt Wei asked Uncle Wei with a serious expression, "I heard that your group is going to choose a new group leader. Is there any chance that Zhou Dafu next door will become the new group leader? I can't stand to see that woman being superior to me."

Grandpa Wei thought for a moment and said uncertainly, "I don't know. Old Zhou has been quite proactive lately, working overtime and taking the initiative to mentor new people. I wondered why he was being so kind. Turns out, it's all for the sake of becoming a team leader!"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Wei put down her chopsticks and questioned, "The neighbors are all so eager, so why are you still so slow? Do you want Chow Tai Fook to take care of you in the future?"

Grandpa Wei revealed a proud expression and said confidently, "I'm not bragging, but Lao Zhou's work ability is a little bit worse than mine. How could he possibly surpass me to become the team leader? Don't worry! At worst, I'll learn from him, work overtime, and take care of the newcomers."

Aunt Wei nodded in satisfaction.

Sun Yiyi also said with a smile, "Mom, don't worry! With the old man next door's abilities, it would be really difficult for him to become a group leader."

Her father-in-law's work ability in his previous life, to put it nicely, was neither outstanding nor bad, just steady and moderate; to put it bluntly, he was mediocre and unproductive.

Aunt Wei grinned mischievously. How could she not help her neighbor spread the word when they were so daring? After all, it was a "good thing"! She was just trying to make her neighbor "show off."

In the days that followed, Lin Yuanshu gradually became familiar with the work at the chemical plant, assisting the team leader every day. The veteran employees knew that she was a subordinate favored by Director Xia, and no one would be so foolish as to make things difficult for her.

After working on the raw materials for several days, Ling Ke and the others were assigned to work under the experienced employees. The experienced employees trained them and they tried their best to please the experienced employees so that they would not keep anything from them. They had no time to pay attention to Lin Yuanshu's affairs.

Lin Yuanshu was perfectly at ease in the workshop; there was no targeting or difficulty.

That day, Lin Yuanshu returned to the production team to handle the relevant procedures for transferring his household registration, and took Director Tang's men with him to inspect the production team.

When the brigade leader saw that Tang Rong's mother hadn't sent anyone to the production team for a long time, he thought that the factory project might fall through. But it turned out that the time wasn't right!

With a broad smile, the brigade leader issued the relevant certificates to Lin Yuanshu. He said with great admiration, "Educated people are different. You found a job in the city so quickly, and you can now eat 'supply rations'. Don't worry, I will take care of your parents and won't let anyone bully them."

In the eyes of the brigade leader, anyone who could earn a living from the "supply grain" through their own abilities was no ordinary person. Even if they didn't try to win him over, they couldn't afford to offend him. Lin Yuanshu not only earned a living from the "supply grain" through his own abilities, but also brought resources to the production team. This was something that ordinary people could not do.

"Then I'll have to trouble the captain." Lin Yuanshu didn't refuse. After all, she lived in the city for a long time, and communication wasn't well-developed in those days. If something happened to her parents, she wouldn't be able to help them.

As long as the brigade leader is willing to protect her parents, her parents generally won't suffer any injustices, and she can feel more at ease.

The captain said with a smile, "It's no trouble at all, just a small matter."

Afterwards, the brigade leader took Director Tang's men to visit the production team, while Lin Yuanshu went back to her parents' home.

As soon as Lin Yuanshu arrived at her doorstep, she smelled the aroma of rice. She pushed open the door and went inside, where she saw her mother preparing grass carp at the kitchen doorway.

"Where did the fish come from?" Lin Yuanshu asked curiously.

Lin's mother glanced at Lin Yuanshu and replied with a smile, "The production team leader next door organized the villagers to go fishing. When your father heard that you had returned to the production team, he took some grain to exchange for fish. Your sister went to pick mulberries for you. There are so many mulberries in the mountains lately that the village children can't eat them all. As soon as your sister finished work, she took Comrade Tang Rong to pick mulberries. I dried a lot of mulberries. Take some with you to the city. Everything is good in the city, but you have to pay for everything. Unlike us, when we run out of vegetables, we just go up into the mountains..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuanshu said with great interest, "Then I'll go up the mountain to find my little sister."

Lin's mother called out loudly, "Don't forget to come back early for fish."

"I understand." Lin Yuanshu put his bag on the living room table and walked towards the mountain.

Lin Yuanshu and Lin Yuanfeng filled a large bag with mulberries and returned home. When Lin's mother saw them return, she started making pickled fish.

With red eyes, Tang Rong approached Lin Yuanshu and said with emotion, "My mother's subordinates have already told me the plan. I will never forget your help. I will do my best to help the production team build a factory and lead everyone to a better life. No matter how difficult it is, I will not give up halfway."

Lin Yuanshu said with a serious expression, "I can only talk the talk; the actual execution is up to you. You should thank yourself!"

Upon hearing Lin Yuanshu's words, Tang Rong said in a serious tone, "Without you, there would be no plan; without my mother, no one could carry out this plan; without me, no one could implement this plan. The three of us are indispensable."

Lin Yuanshu did not refute Tang Rong's words, but said with a smile, "Now this plan is in your hands. Do a good job."

“Okay,” Tang Rong said firmly.

After she went to the countryside as an educated youth, she realized even more how hard it was for the farmers. They worked hard from dawn till dusk every day, and after a whole year of hard work, they could only earn enough to fill their stomachs. No wonder the country sent them to the countryside as educated youth; it was to change the face of rural areas.

At the dinner table, Lin Yuanshu ate the pickled fish with great relish. The pickled fish made by Lin's mother had no fishy smell and was very flavorful, both sour and spicy.

Lin's mother couldn't help but laugh and said, "Since you like pickled cabbage so much, why don't you take some back with you?"

Lin Yuanshu refused without hesitation: "No need, it's too heavy. Last time I brought back so many vegetables, I almost broke my arms. Besides, sauerkraut tastes better with meat."

"Then take some dried vegetables back with you," Lin's mother instructed.

Seeing his mother's reaction, Lin Yuanshu could only agree, "I understand."

Lin Yuanshu ate most of the sauerkraut fish on the table by himself. Lin's parents only ate the sauerkraut. The little sister was picking and eating mulberries, and her stomach was already full, so she couldn't eat any more sauerkraut fish. Tang Rong, as a guest, couldn't take too much, since meat was hard to come by in this era, so it was all given to Lin Yuanshu.

Lin Yuanshu dared to eat so freely because she saw a fish in the bucket in the kitchen, so she didn't have to worry about her parents not getting any fish.

After dinner, Lin Yuanshu chatted with her parents about life in the city. They were very happy to learn that she was already working at the chemical plant and receiving government-supplied food. They were relieved that they didn't need to worry that Lin Yuanshu would have a hard time in the city or be bullied by her mother-in-law.

Lin Yuanshu returned to Beijing with Director Tang's subordinates as the sun set. The two parted ways in front of the station. The subordinates were surprised to find that Lin Yuanshu and Director Tang had such a connection. They thought that Lin Yuanshu and Director Tang had fallen out. It can only be said that the intrigue in the workplace is truly terrifying and can make people unrecognizable.

She had just walked to the big tree in front of the tenement building when Aunt Hua greeted her with a smile and asked mysteriously, "I heard your dad's going to be a group leader?"

Lin Yuanshu feigned a blank expression and exclaimed with delight, "Really? That would be wonderful if my dad could become the group leader!"

Aunt Hua said softly, "Don't you know about this? I heard it was your mother who told you, and it's already spread throughout the apartment building."

Lin Yuanshu looked troubled and said dejectedly, "My mother has some misunderstandings about me and doesn't like to talk to me about what happens at home."

Aunt Hua sneered and said righteously, "Your mother just wants to isolate you. She's petty and calculative, and she gets angry at the slightest thing. Only your sister-in-law can tolerate her. If I had a mother-in-law like that, I'd rather become a nun."

"It's alright, I'm a magnanimous person, I won't hold it against her. After all, she gave birth to my husband, she deserves credit even if she didn't do anything special. It's just her being difficult, I can accept it." Lin Yuanshu put on a selfless act, who doesn't know how to say nice things!

Aunt Hua patted Lin Yuanshu on the shoulder, gave him a thumbs up, and said admiringly, "You have such a high level of vision and are so filial. Your mother is truly blessed to have such a good daughter-in-law like you."

Lin Yuanshu smiled meaningfully. It was just bad luck for her mother-in-law to meet her. Unless she was allocated a house, she really couldn't get rid of her.

On the other side, Zhou Ma said to Xue Da Sao with a serious expression, "You are not allowed to let me down, and don't speak up for Xiao Er's wife. Today I am going to teach her what manners are. After getting married, she should be diligent and capable, and she can't go back to her parents' home every few days. I will teach her what her mother didn't teach her well."

Anyway, it's a done deal that her husband will become the group leader, and Director Tang is unlikely to change his mind so easily. As for her and Lin Yuanshu's matter, it's really just a conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and Director Tang shouldn't interfere in such a trivial matter.

Sister-in-law Xue hesitated and said, "I promised my second wife I would help her with the housework..."

"That's your business, it has nothing to do with me. If you ruin my plans, I'll have Xiang Jun divorce you," Zhou Ma said coldly.

Sister-in-law Xue obediently shut her mouth, hoping that Lin Yuanshu could turn the situation around. She had tried her best, but it was no use.

Half an hour later, Lin Yuanshu put the things she brought back into the room, then took a water cup to the living room to pour water. Once she got her salary, she would definitely buy a thermos and put it in the room so that she could pour water anytime, anywhere.

When Zhou Ma saw Lin Yuanshu walk into the living room, her expression immediately turned serious.

Seeing Zhou Ma's expression, Lin Yuanshu knew what trouble she was up to. She put down her cup and said with a serious face, "Mom, what's wrong with you? How could you go around telling everyone like this! Didn't I tell you before not to tell anyone that Dad could be a group leader? Now look what's happened, everyone in the building knows. What if someone gets jealous of Dad and tries to frame him? Don't you know the saying 'the taller the tree, the more the wind blows'?"

Zhou Ma was caught off guard by Lin Yuanshu's long string of accusations, and even forgot what she originally wanted to say. She retorted, "I didn't go around telling everyone, I held back."

Lin Yuanshu frowned and said, "If you had kept quiet, why did someone congratulate me on becoming a group leader today, and even say that you were the one who said we should remain silent until the results are in? But you did it, making all of Dad's efforts go to waste. Do you think the aunties in the tenement building would have nothing better to do than falsely accuse you? How could anyone outside of us possibly know about this!"

Zhou's mother was stunned for a moment, then said aggrievedly, "I didn't say anything. I don't know how they found out about this, and they even said that I told them..."

She had never suffered such injustice before, even more so than when her mother-in-law scolded her, because she had indeed done the things her mother-in-law had done, but what was happening now was something she had never done.

Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and said helplessly, "It's no use telling me these things. The most important thing right now is for you to find the source of the rumors, find a way to explain things clearly, and figure out how to face Dad's anger."

Zhou Ma nodded, then left the living room muttering curses. "Who is that bastard spreading rumors everywhere? She'd better be glad I didn't find out. If I did, I'd tear her mouth apart so she'd never be able to speak again."

Sister-in-law Xue stared blankly at the scene. Things had happened so fast that she couldn't quite process it. Wasn't her mother-in-law trying to teach Lin Yuanshu a lesson? How come her mother-in-law was the one being taught a lesson instead?

Lin Yuanshu turned his gaze to Sister-in-law Xue.

Sister-in-law Xue quickly said, "I didn't say that."

Lin Yuanshu withdrew his gaze, poured himself a cup of hot water, and then slowly said, "I know you didn't say it."

Sister-in-law Xue swallowed hard, her expression complex, and asked, "Did Mom really tell everyone about this?"

Lin Yuanshu raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "Is this matter important?"

Sister-in-law Xue didn't know how to answer and tried hard to think of a reply.

Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly and said softly, "Sister-in-law, this matter is not important. What's important is what benefits we can gain from it. When the whole family blames Mom, she will definitely be able to stay quiet for a while. After all, Mom made a mistake, and the one who makes a mistake should act like one. Dad will no longer protect Mom. Do you think Mom's behavior is right? How should we talk to Dad?"

Sister-in-law Xue took a step back in shock. She was in a state of confusion. In her mind, it was always her and her mother-in-law who were working together to deal with her sister-in-law, not the other way around. She wanted to agree, but she was constrained by her mother-in-law's authority.

Looking at Sister-in-law Xue, whose face was filled with struggle, Lin Yuanshu asked with a smile, "It doesn't matter if you suffer a little grievance, but you don't want your child to suffer after you have a child, or for your child to be closer to your mother-in-law, right? Only when Dad is willing to take care of Mom can you have a voice."

When the topic of children came up, Sister-in-law Xue readily agreed, saying, "I know what to do. I will say the right thing at the right time."

She had done her best. It was Lin Yuanshu who insisted on dealing with her mother-in-law. She hoped her mother-in-law could turn the situation around. She really had no other choice. She was sure her mother-in-law would understand and couldn't be blamed.

Lin Yuanshu smiled with satisfaction. Putting everything else aside, Sister-in-law Xue's ability to stir up trouble and exaggerate was truly remarkable.

She was doing it for her mother-in-law's good, to create a more harmonious family atmosphere, sacrificing her mother-in-law for the happiness of the whole family.

After leaving the living room, Zhou Ma went to ask her close friends who had first spread the rumor, and they said it was Aunt Hua.

Zhou Ma angrily went to find Aunt Hua again. After arguing with Aunt Hua, she learned Aunt Wen's name from Aunt Hua and then went to find Aunt Wen.

When Aunt Wen saw Aunt Zhou's aggressive demeanor, she quickly said Aunt Wei's name.

Zhou Ma arrived at Wei Da Ma's door, panting, hands on her hips, and scolded, "You foul-mouthed bastard, you can make up stories out of thin air! You love to talk nonsense, aren't you afraid that God will strike you dead or that you'll get hit by a car when you walk out the door..."

Hearing the commotion outside, Lin Yuanshu and Sister-in-law Xue went to the corridor, which was already full of neighbors. When it came to gossip, the neighbors were late but always there.

Hearing Zhou Ma's cursing, Aunt Wei came out of the room and said irritably, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't understand what you're saying."

Zhou's mother took a deep breath and questioned, "I never said that Lao Zhou would be the group leader. Why are you spreading rumors everywhere?"

Aunt Wei looked at Aunt Zhou with an innocent expression and said softly, "I'm not making this up. You told me what you said when you were cooking with your eldest son that night. How could I dare to make up something like this? I must say, you're quite good at thinking things through."

Zhou's mother felt extremely wronged and retorted, "I never said that, and my son Xiangjun can prove it."

"Xiang Jun is your son, of course he'll speak up for you. Why are you making such a fuss over such a small matter? This is a good opportunity for everyone to celebrate in advance. It doesn't matter if your old Zhou doesn't become the group leader, he's already had his moment of glory and had his fun." Aunt Wei said sarcastically.

Zhou Ma was furious. She couldn't argue with Wei Da Ma, so she rolled up her sleeves and approached Wei Da Ma, saying fiercely, "I'll tear your talking nonsense mouth to shreds."

As she backed away, Aunt Wei shouted, "Oh dear, help! They're going to kill me!"

Seeing this, the neighbors quickly stopped Zhou's mother.

Lin Yuanshu felt that this scene was somewhat familiar.

The commotion attracted the building manager, who asked in a stern tone, "What's going on? What are you arguing about? I can hear you from far away."

Aunt Wei pointed at Aunt Zhou and spoke first: "She's going to hit me."

Aunt Zhou retorted, "You were the one who started talking nonsense."

“I’m not lying,” Aunt Wei said righteously.

The building manager, her head throbbing from the noise, snapped, "All of you, shut up!"

After saying that, she turned her gaze to Aunt Wen and asked, "Old Wen, you're an outsider, why don't you tell us what happened?"

Aunt Wen spoke fairly and impartially about everything she had seen.

The building manager frowned and said, "Is such a small matter worth fighting over? Regardless of whether this is a misunderstanding or not, since Zhou Dafu's wife doesn't want to hear you discuss this matter, then you should keep your mouths shut and not talk about it anymore."

She then said to Zhou Ma, "Don't worry about it too much. They won't discuss this matter anymore."

Zhou Ma was still unconvinced and said, "Then I was wronged for nothing!"

Aunt Wei retorted, "I'm not wronging you. You've written it all over your face. Who can't guess what you're thinking?"

Zhou Ma had a gloomy face. She looked at Lin Yuanshu, hoping that he would stand up for her.

Lin Yuanshu smiled slightly at Zhou Ma, pretending not to understand anything. She was only speaking up for Zhou Ma because she had nothing better to do. Her original purpose was not to clarify things for Zhou Ma. Regardless of whether Zhou Ma had told the story or not, she had to pin the blame on Zhou Ma.

Sister-in-law Xue kept her head down, refusing to meet Zhou Ma's gaze.

After the building manager left, the corridor was filled with laughter and cheerful voices again.

Aunt Wei said sarcastically, "Our team leader's wife is unhappy, why don't you hurry up and coax her?"

Zhou Ma gritted her teeth and said, "I'm telling you, this isn't over yet."

Aunt Wei said nonchalantly, "Let me tell you, I'm not making this up. You told me yourself, but now you're denying it and trying to shift the blame onto me. No way. I really don't know what you're so angry about."

The neighbors were more inclined to believe Aunt Wei's words, since Aunt Zhou was notoriously unreliable and a blatant liar.

Seeing this, Lin Yuanshu stepped forward and spoke up for Zhou Ma, saying, "My dad's group hasn't announced the list of group leaders yet, so we don't know if my dad will be able to become the group leader in the end..."

Before Lin Yuanshu could finish speaking, Aunt Wei interrupted, "So it was all just wishful thinking. No wonder you're so angry! I really thought your husband, Lao Zhou, could become the team leader. Turns out he was just bragging and didn't know he could cover it up! I don't think your husband has the luck to do that."

Zhou Ma wanted nothing more than to bite Wei Da Ma's flesh; she couldn't help but want to tell the truth.

Seeing that Zhou Ma's expression was off, and fearing that she might make a mistake, Lin Yuanshu put on a stern face and said in a firm tone, "Mom, let's go home."

Aunt Zhou's eyes widened as she retorted, "No..."

"You don't want Dad to be angry, do you?" Lin Yuanshu didn't bother to listen to Zhou Ma's reply and went straight for the kill.

Zhou Ma turned around and glared fiercely at Wei Da Ma, then slammed the door shut with a loud bang.

Aunt Wei looked at Lin Yuanshu with considerable surprise. She hadn't expected that Lin Yuanshu could actually order Zhou Ma around. It seemed that the relationship between Lin Yuanshu and Zhou Ma wasn't what everyone imagined.

Lin Yuanshu smiled amicably at everyone and then returned to his room.

Sister-in-law Xue took the initiative to stay behind and apologize to everyone for tarnishing her mother-in-law's reputation, even though her mother-in-law's reputation was already as bad as it could possibly be.

The daughters-in-law in the tenement building watched Lin Yuanshu leave with admiration. They really didn't expect Lin Yuanshu to dare to talk to her mother-in-law like that. They would definitely learn from her another day.

Zhou Ma was utterly humiliated this time. The residents of the tenement building were all saying that she was delusional and liked to brag, but she could only hide in her room and couldn't go out to refute them one by one. Thinking of their ugly faces, she felt so frustrated that she almost died.

Time passed slowly, and when Chow Tai Fook got off work and went home, he encountered the people in the tenement building.

As soon as everyone saw Zhou Dafu, they started teasing him. From their words, Zhou Dafu learned what had happened that day, and he returned home with a grim expression.

Upon seeing Zhou Ma, he immediately began to berate her: "Didn't your daughter-in-law tell you long ago not to reveal this matter beforehand?"

Zhou's mother felt she was tired of saying those two words, "I didn't, I didn't say that, the neighbors are just talking nonsense."

Because of Zhou Ma's criminal record, Zhou Dafu didn't trust her at all. He snorted coldly and ignored her.

Feeling very wronged, Zhou Ma called Lin Yuanshu and Sister-in-law Xue out of the room and said fiercely, "You two quickly explain to your father that I did not do such a thing."

Lin Yuanshu said with a serious expression, "What's done is done, and there's no point in dwelling on it. Through my efforts, I managed to prevent things from getting too bad. It's better for the neighbors in the tenement building to think that Mom is exaggerating than to tell the truth. Mom, just bear with it and don't try to explain too much to others."

“Yes! I believe Mom definitely didn’t mean to tell anyone,” Sister-in-law Xue agreed, emphasizing the word “means.”

Zhou's mother felt wronged; she was already tired of saying those two words.

Zhou Dafu glanced at Zhou Ma coldly and said, "A good-for-nothing who's good at nothing but causing trouble."

Director Tang had just told him about his appointment as team leader, and his family immediately started spreading the news. If this got back to Director Tang, it would leave him with the impression that he was unreliable and a big mouth, making it even harder for him to get promoted in the future.

Fortunately, he has a reliable daughter-in-law. As the saying goes, "A good daughter-in-law brings prosperity to three generations." It's time to keep an eye on his wife and stop letting her run wild.

Hearing Zhou Dafu's words, Zhou Ma felt a chill in her heart. She no longer cared about manipulating Lin Yuanshu; all she wanted now was for Zhou Dafu to forgive her and to get revenge on the neighbor. She was not going to swallow this bitter pill.

"Mom, I'm very disappointed in your performance." Lin Yuanshu shook his head, sighed, and walked into his room.

Sister-in-law Xue imitated Lin Yuanshu's mannerisms, "Mom, you, sigh..."

Zhou's mother was stunned for a moment, wanting to scold them, but seeing Zhou Dafu's cold eyes, she could only obediently go and cook by herself. She had originally wanted her eldest daughter-in-law to cook.

When the eldest brother and Zhou Xiangyang returned home, they were surprised to see Zhou's mother cooking. The eldest brother wanted to help, but Sister-in-law Xue pulled him into the room and told her husband about what had happened during the day.

She emphasized that Zhou's mother had caused a huge disaster, and that she and Lin Yuanshu had worked hard to clean up the mess for their mother. She told her husband not to pay any attention to Zhou's mother, and that Zhou's mother was apologizing to their father in this way.

The elder brother didn't think much of it and did as Sister-in-law Xue said.

Zhou Xiangyang, who suffers from social anxiety, doesn't want to help in the crowded corridor unless absolutely necessary, unless his mother agrees to let him cook in the living room.