Hearing this, Shen Qingtang became furious and slapped him again with a sharp "smack," which was heavier than any of the previous slaps.
Lu Jin's face swelled up instantly, with five clear finger marks imprinted on it.
"You!" Lu Jin covered his face, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if he were seeing the person in front of him for the first time. "Who are you? You are not Shen Qingtang!" In his opinion, the woman who was so obedient to him would never be so ruthless.
Shen Qingtang was too lazy to waste words with him. He had brought it upon himself by not preparing warm clothes, and now he deserved to be shivering from the cold.
When Lu Jin realized what was happening and tried to find his clothes,
The head officer impatiently shouted, "What time is it? Stop running around! Get back to the group! If you dawdle any longer, we'll tie you up!"
The official's words were like a thunderclap, and Lu Jin's face turned pale instantly—without his cotton-padded coat, he simply couldn't withstand this awful weather!
"Why can't my dad go look for him!" Lu Jiaojiao jumped out, chin held high, her face arrogant. "Do you even know who my dad is?"
The officer glared at her but ignored him.
She saw this.
She rushed up to Shen Qingtang and yelled at the top of her lungs, "Shen Qingtang! Why didn't you prepare clothes for us? You bad mother! You just want us to freeze to death!"
As she shouted, she winked at Su Lingwei's sister.
Su Lingyu immediately chimed in, "That's right! We're family after all, how can you be so heartless?" Several onlookers around also whispered among themselves, criticizing Shen Qingtang for being ruthless.
Shen Qingtang sneered, then suddenly stepped forward and snatched the cotton-padded coats that Su Lingyu and several people who were fanning the flames had just found.
"Since you're so 'concerned about the big picture',"
She threw the clothes she had snatched at Lu Jin's feet, her eyes icy. "Give these to your 'family' so you won't say I'm heartless."
Su Lingyu and the others stood there, stunned, watching as the cotton-padded clothes they had worked so hard to find became someone else's.
He was so angry his face turned green.
But he was so frightened by Shen Qingtang's fierce gaze that he dared not utter a sound.
Lu Jin looked at the cotton-padded clothes on the ground, then at Shen Qingtang's indifferent face, and felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. This woman really didn't care about him anymore.
Shen Qingtang shoved the cotton-padded coat she had snatched into Lu Jin's hands, leaving everyone around her stunned—no one had expected her to do something like that.
Those whose cotton-padded coats had been stolen immediately panicked upon realizing what had happened.
Su Lingyu was the first to rush forward, her face plastered with a fawning smile: "These clothes... I found them first, could you please return them to me..."
Others chimed in, all asking for it at once, their voices full of reluctance.
Lu Jin looked at the cotton-padded coat in his hand, and then at the anxious faces of everyone.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across his face, and he was about to say something...
Lu Jiaojiao hugged the cotton coat tightly to her chest, her neck stiff as she shouted, "This was given to us by our mother! It's ours! Nobody can take it from us!"
She clutched the clothes tightly, as if protecting some precious treasure, her eyes filled with greed and savagery.
Lu Jin was speechless after being silenced by his daughter's words, his face turning red and white in turns.
But they didn't stop them—after all, they really needed these cotton-padded clothes.
Those whose cotton-padded coats were stolen were already seething with anger.
Seeing Lu Jiaojiao's unreasonable behavior, how could he possibly hold back? A burly man stepped forward.
He snatched the cotton coat from her arms: "You little brat, do you really think you're some kind of princess? This coat is mine!"
The others followed suit and snatched the cotton-padded coat back in an instant.
Everyone stared at the Lu family group.
His eyes were unfriendly: "You've all developed bad habits! You're all exiled prisoners, who's more noble than whom?"
"Exactly! Does she really think she's a princess? Doesn't she even know where she is!"
Lu Jiaojiao was furious when her cotton-padded coat was snatched. She jumped up and down, pointing at the people and cursing, "You dare to steal my things! My dad won't let you get away with this!"
"Your dad? Who does your dad think he is!" the man sneered. "Let him try if he dares!"
Lu Jiaojiao was speechless, her face flushed red, and she raised her hand as if to rush up and slap the person.
Lu Jin quickly grabbed her. He knew that these people were ruthless characters who had been driven to the brink of despair, and if things really got out of hand, they wouldn't come out on top.
"You...you've gone too far!" Lu Jin was trembling with anger, but could only watch helplessly as the other person put on the cotton-padded coat.
They didn't even dare to say a tough word.
Lin Peirou feigned concern and advised, "Cousin, let it go, don't argue with them, we... we'll just bear with it..."
Despite saying that, his eyes were full of resentment, clearly holding Shen Qingtang responsible for this again.
Lu Jiaojiao was pulled back, and could only throw a tantrum on the spot, crying and shouting for her clothes.
But nobody paid any attention to her.
The cold wind whipped up heavy snow, and without their cotton-padded coats, they were shivering and looked utterly wretched.
Shen Qingtang watched this scene from afar, her eyes remaining completely unmoved.
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