Lin Qinghuan ignored Lin Feng's surprised expression and went to wash up.

Looking at Lin Qinghuan's aloof appearance, Lin's father's eyes flickered. He seemed to understand Lin Qinghuan less and less.

Lin Qinghuan could vaguely hear Wang Cuihua complaining from the Li family next door. She thought she was complaining that her firewood had gotten wet from the rain.

Lin's father looked enviously at the Li family's tiled house, where they didn't have to worry about the roof leaking during heavy rains.

Lin Qinghuan looked up at the gloomy sky, covered with dark clouds, a prelude to rain.

"Dad, it's so dark, it looks like it might rain," Lin Qinghuan said, frowning.

Looking at the dark clouds looming overhead, Lin's father felt heavy-hearted and prayed in his heart, hoping that God would have mercy on them, the farmers, and that it would stop raining.

"Father, Father..." Just then, Lin Ming's voice rang out from outside the gate.

Lin Qinghuan and her father were very excited when they heard Lin Ming's voice, as if they had encountered some unexpected event. They both looked towards the front door at the same time.

Lin Ming rushed into the yard, shouting, "Dad, something terrible has happened..."

"What are you yelling about so early in the morning? Can't you speak slowly?" Lin's father interrupted Lin Ming, looking at him with displeasure.

Lin Ming calmed himself down and said, "Dad, Lin Chengwu's house at the end of the village has collapsed."

Lin Qinghuan and her father's expressions changed drastically upon hearing Lin Ming's words.

Mr. Lin hurriedly asked, "The house collapsed, was anyone injured?"

"No one was hurt," Lin Ming said.

Lin's father breathed a sigh of relief. The house could be rebuilt after it collapsed, but if people were injured, that would be a much bigger problem.

"Dad, the village chief is truly wise and capable. He actually told everyone to pay attention to safety precautions. Lin Chengwu's family just wouldn't listen to advice, which is why their house collapsed. But only the kitchen collapsed, otherwise he would have been devastated."

Lin Ming's tone was tinged with schadenfreude.

Lin's father glanced at Lin Qinghuan and thought to himself that the village chief must have listened to Lin Qinghuan's advice and told the villagers to pay attention to the situation around the houses and to pay attention to drainage in case of any accidents.

Lin Qinghuan gave Lin Ming a cold look. "You'd better not follow in Lin Chengwu's footsteps and end up being the one ridiculed."

No one will force you to lend a helping hand when someone is in trouble, but to make sarcastic remarks and kick someone when they're down is a matter of character.

Lin Qinghuan hates this kind of person the most.

Upon hearing Lin Qinghuan's words, Lin Ming immediately became displeased and angrily retorted, "Lin Qinghuan, you're asking for death! How dare you curse me!"

Lin Qinghuan said seriously, "I'm just reminding you to be more discreet when you speak. Your expression and tone scream 'you deserve it.' If Lin Chengwu saw your expression, wouldn't he beat you half to death in a fit of rage?"

Lin's father agreed with Lin Qinghuan and looked at Lin Ming solemnly, saying, "Third son, watch your words and actions. If you continue like this, I'm really worried that you'll be beaten to death."

“Dad, I’m not stupid. Why would I make sarcastic remarks in front of others?”

As Lin Ming spoke, he glared at Lin Qinghuan. Yes, it was all that brat talking nonsense, otherwise he wouldn't have been scolded by his father.

Lin Qinghuan rolled her eyes. She noticed that the Lin family all liked to glare at people.

"Stop glaring at me with those tiny, sesame-bean-sized eyes of yours. You're going to make your eyeballs pop out."

Lin's father subconsciously looked at Lin Ming, his lips twitching slightly. His eyes were indeed a bit small, but Lin Qinghuan's description of them as sesame seeds and mung beans seemed a bit of an exaggeration.

Lin Ming was furious and pointed at Lin Qinghuan, retorting, "Mine are phoenix eyes, the most beautiful eyes in the world. You brat don't know how to appreciate them at all."

Lin Qinghuan looked at Lin Ming. This guy really did have phoenix eyes, but Lin Qinghuan insisted, "Phoenix eyes are indeed very beautiful, but your eyes look shifty and sleazy. They don't seem to have anything to do with phoenix eyes."

Lin Ming stomped his feet in anger, "You brat, it's you who has such shifty eyes!"

Lin Qinghuan scoffed coldly: "Stop stomping your feet. It's fine if you break your feet, but if you stomp a hole in the ground, that's your fault."

"You, you..." Lin Ming was so angry he couldn't speak.

Lin Qinghuan crossed her arms and looked at Lin Ming, who was fuming with anger, and said smugly, "Whether a person is born beautiful or ugly is given by their parents. You are so ugly, you should ask your parents why they gave birth to you so poorly."

Mr. Lin never expected that Lin Qinghuan would steer the conversation toward him.

Lin Ming looked at his father with a hint of dissatisfaction. The Lin family members were all good-looking, especially Lin Qinghuan, who was very beautiful. He was the least good-looking one in the Lin family.

Lin's father's forehead was covered in black lines. What did it have to do with him? Whether someone was beautiful or ugly was not something he could control.

“You were born from your mother. Go ask your mother why she made you so ugly.”

Lin Ming was speechless at his father's words. He dared not ask his mother, or he would be beaten by her.

Lin Qinghuan picked up the perilla leaves from the basket and went into the kitchen. Lin's mother saw that Lin Qinghuan's face was pale and knew that she had fallen ill after being caught in the rain yesterday.

She should have given Lin Qinghuan a bowl of ginger soup when she made it last night.

The Lin family didn't have any medicine pots, so Lin Qinghuan casually boiled some perilla leaves over a fire and then sat down at the table to drink it.

Looking at Lin Qinghuan's haggard and indifferent appearance, Lin's mother felt inexplicably irritated and heartbroken, and walked straight out of the kitchen.

Lin Qinghuan drank the water boiled with perilla leaves and then went back to her room to sleep.

Looking at Lin Qinghuan's lonely yet strong appearance, Lin's mother and father exchanged a glance. Lin's father sighed and said, "Qinghuan carries everything on her own now. She no longer needs our care and concern."

"Let her be! I don't care," Lin's mother said indifferently.

Lin's mother spoke with nonchalance, but her feelings were still somewhat complicated.

Lin's father didn't say anything more and continued with his work.

What does it matter if they care? Lin Qinghuan no longer cares about them.

Standing beside his parents, Lin Ming looked at Lin Lin's back and said, "Dad, Mom, although we live with Lin Qinghuan, she doesn't fit in with us. She closes her heart to us, and we can't get in. She can't integrate into our lives either. It's like she's from a different world from us."

Lin Ming knew that Lin Qinghuan didn't like him, or even anyone in the family, including his father and mother. He knew that he and Lin Qinghuan were destined not to live peacefully together and could only be familiar strangers.

Lin Ming thought of the little girl who used to look at him with such cautious eyes, who had now disappeared, and his feelings were complicated.

They say that only those who have cultivated a bond in their past life can become family in this life, but it doesn't seem to be the case between him and Lin Qinghuan. There's just no way he can stand her. Maybe it's because their personalities don't match!