Chapter 94 The Lin Family is in Big Trouble
Some people sighed repeatedly, their lips drooping, shaking their heads, unable to speak.
Even more disdainful were those who pursed their lips, their eyes filled with contempt, as if the two had done something utterly shameful.
But what was most striking was everyone's stunned expression, as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight. They looked at each other, unable to believe their eyes and ears, their hearts pounding: Could these two really do such a thing?
What Lin Jianguo did is truly shocking and speechless; it has completely crossed the line of morality.
Speaking of Zhang Zhaodi, she is Lin Jianguo's niece. Although she is not his biological niece, her aunt and Zhang Zhaodi are related as aunt and niece. In terms of seniority, this is unacceptable. Doing such a thing is truly despicable.
Lin Jinguo was dragged off the stage by two expressionless staff members, his body being held by the arms as if he were a heavy bag of garbage.
His head hung low, his gray hair clung messily to his sweat-dampened forehead, and his once bright eyes had completely lost their luster, leaving only an empty, lifeless look.
As he passed Zhang Zhaodi, he seemed to want to look up at her, but in the end he could only weakly twitch the corner of his mouth and couldn't make a sound before being dragged into the shadows backstage.
Zhang Zhaodi remained standing in the same spot, her brand-new outer garment open, revealing a patched-up inner shirt underneath.
The crowd in the auditorium began to slowly and silently disperse, like the receding tide.
As they passed by Zhang Zhaodi, their gazes no longer held disdain and suspicion, but rather a complex and incomprehensible silence.
His gaze was heavy, pressing down on Zhang Zhaodi's shoulder.
Zhao Degang stepped off the stage, holding the two crucial ledgers in his hand.
He walked up to Zhang Zhaodi and paused for a moment.
He didn't speak, but simply reached out, as if trying to close her open collar, his movements clumsy and hesitant.
Zhang Zhaodi did not move.
His hand finally stopped in mid-air, paused for a moment, and then slowly withdrew.
"Comrade Zhang Zhaodi..."
He spoke, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an unprecedented sense of difficulty, "You... go back and rest first. The organization will handle the rest."
Zhang Zhaodi did not look at him or respond.
My gaze passed over his slightly hunched shoulders, over the departing, silent figures, and landed on the two open doors of the auditorium.
Outside, the rain had completely stopped.
A gap was torn open in the thick, rain-soaked clouds.
A faint yet incredibly clear ray of golden sunlight, like molten gold, poured down from a gap in the clouds, casting a slanted beam onto the wet cement floor at the entrance of the auditorium, creating a dazzling, warm patch of light.
The edges of the light spots were still wet with raindrops, crystal clear, refracting tiny, leaping rainbows.
It was so bright it was almost blinding, carrying the freshness of the rain and a kind of almost illusory despair.
Zhang Zhaodi took one last look at the warm patch of light, and then, slowly, one button at a time, buttoned up her light blue polyester coat again.
After fastening the last button, Zhang Zhaodi turned around. Instead of heading towards the alluring sunlight at the entrance, she walked step by step towards the dark little door leading to the street outside the machinery factory, hidden in the shadows behind the auditorium.
For some reason, the string that had always been taut in her mind suddenly snapped with a "snap".
She seemed to awaken abruptly from a chaotic fog, instinctively turning her head and urgently looking towards the auditorium. In that instant, a flash of fear streaked across her eyes like lightning.
This place was like an abyss hiding endless unknowns, which terrified her.
She found her behavior becoming increasingly strange, as if she were being pulled by invisible threads, like a puppet being manipulated by others.
At that moment, cold sweat poured uncontrollably down her back. She didn't want to stay a second longer and just wanted to escape this terrifying place immediately.
She had made up her mind to return to the countryside.
For the sake of urban residency, she seemed to enjoy the hustle and bustle of city life every day, with convenient transportation and a dazzling array of shopping malls. But behind this lay unspeakable fears. She was powerless to cope with the complexity and treacherousness of the place.
At the same time, the Lin family's world collapsed.
When Zhang Jiumei heard the news that Lin Jianguo had been dismissed from his public office and that even the house in the family compound would be taken back immediately, her hand, which was wiping the dining table with a rag, suddenly froze in mid-air.
The rag fell to the ground with a "thud".
The old woman who delivered the message looked disdainful, flicked her sleeve, and turned to leave the Lin family.
"Hmph, the Lin family is really in for a world of trouble this time!" she muttered as she walked.
In her eyes, this family was a bunch of cold-blooded and heartless people, not a single one of them was any good.
She always bullied Lin Zhili and her brother, and she had long felt that people like them would get their comeuppance sooner or later. And sure enough, they did.
Back then, Grandpa Xu was a teacher she admired from the bottom of her heart; he was knowledgeable and a good person.
But look at the Xu family now, alas, life is unpredictable, and fate plays tricks on us.
Upon hearing this news, Zhang Jiumei felt dizzy, as if the whole world had collapsed in an instant.
Zhang Jiumei's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, her eyes filled with terror and helplessness.
She never imagined that her once glorious family would fall into such a desperate situation in an instant.
Looking back, Lin Jianguo was highly respected in the machinery factory, and his family enjoyed the envious glances of others in this residential compound.
But now, everything has vanished.
Lin Wanwan rushed in in a panic, her voice trembling with tears.
"Mother--!"
"Mom, what... what's going on?" She shoved the notice to go to the countryside in front of Zhang Jiumei's eyes, her voice trembling with extreme fear.
Lin Wanwan didn't pay any attention to her mother at all. Didn't she see that her mother's face was as pale as paper?
Lin Wanwan was completely preoccupied with the matter at hand.
Her eyes were only focused on the imminent trouble before her; her mother's condition seemed to be completely out of her concern.
Perhaps, my own affairs are more important.
Looking at her daughter who ignored her completely, Zhang Jiumei felt a deep and piercing sorrow well up inside her.
Sigh, look at Lin Wanwan's appearance, she's exactly the same as Lin Jianguo, equally cold and selfish, so selfish that she only sees herself and doesn't care about the feelings of others.
She should have realized all of this sooner, but why did they have to treat her like this?
Good heavens, this is so unfair!
Now that things have come to this, it seems that Zhang Jiumei has no choice but to accept her fate.
The resentment in her heart surged like a raging tide, but reality was like a pair of merciless hands, tightly gripping her and leaving her powerless to struggle any further. She could only grit her teeth and silently swallow all the arrangements that fate had given her.
After all, her husband and daughter were the people she cared about most, and even though she was filled with sorrow, she had no choice but to face them head-on.
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