Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Chapter 4 I also want compensation

Chen Wenjun cried even harder, “You guys are really inhuman! I’ve been selling fish on the street all day today, I haven’t gone anywhere. Those are fish I’ve been saving up for almost half a month, and I’ve sold them all. I’m penniless now. You’re saying I have no money? Did you give away my fish for free?”

I know you all look down on us Tanka people, but I've lived an honest life, earning my living by selling fish with my own hands. I don't steal or rob. To be caught in this disaster for no reason and then have to be falsely accused by you is just too much!

The neighbors couldn't stand it anymore.

They all criticized the Liu family.

Seeing that Liu Yongguo was uncooperative, the police officer coldly said, "Open a case and arrest him!"

"No! No, no! We'll pay you back! We'll pay you back!" Ma Cuihua shouted through gritted teeth, slapping her thigh and crying loudly. She had a bellyful of grievances, but she couldn't say anything, she couldn't say anything, because no one would believe her anyway.

Things shouldn't have turned out this way, so why did they end up suffering the consequences?

The police officer yelled in exasperation, "Hurry up!"

Ma Cuihua staggered to her feet, leaning on the cabinet for support, and was about to go back inside to get the money.

"Stop!" Lin Qin stopped her while holding Liu Yaya. "And you also need to settle the score for framing me and beating me until I bled!"

Ma Cuihua's chest heaved violently with anger. "You, you bitch, dare to try and settle accounts with me!"

Lin Qin gave her a cold glance, then looked at the police officer, "Officer, my case isn't closed yet! All four of them have confessed, and I demand severe punishment!"

"Hiss!" The neighbors around gasped, staring in astonishment at the unfamiliar Lin Qin in front of them.

They're clearly family, so why are they acting like mortal enemies? Or is it that the rabbit was pushed to the limit and bit back?
The Lin Qin they knew wasn't this fierce!

The neighborhood director quickly stepped forward to comfort Lin Qin, "I know you've been wronged by this, but it's not honorable for this to get out. Your husband is still in college and I heard he's about to graduate. What if it affects his job placement?"

The neighborhood director wanted to use Liu Yongming to force Lin Qin to compromise, but he didn't know that Lin Qin hated that scumbag the most!

He's the mastermind behind all of this tonight! All he wants is to get rid of his uneducated and incompetent wife so he can rightfully marry a woman of equal social standing.

"Alright!" The street director relaxed, but then Lin Qin said unhurriedly, "If he's causing such a disgraceful scene here, then I'll go to Yongming School and find him. I'll let his teachers and classmates judge and settle things for me. He can't even handle his own family matters, so he might as well not continue his studies!"

"What nonsense are you spouting!" the neighborhood director exclaimed, displeased.

There are only a handful of people from their neighborhood who go to college, and Liu Yongming is one of them. He is an honor for their neighborhood. If Lin Qin really causes trouble at Liu Yongming's school, she will ruin Liu Yongming's future.

"I'm telling you, you little brat, don't you know anything? That's your man! Do you think you'll be any better off if you ruin him? Have you lost your mind?" Li Lian launched into a tirade against Lin Qin.

Even Lin Yi didn't approve of her approach.

Lin Qin remained unmoved. "I don't have to go, but they must compensate me, give me a sincere apology, and keep me satisfied."

"You're dreaming!" Ma Cuihua roared back without thinking, her eyes filled with hatred as she looked at Lin Qin, wishing she could tear her to pieces.

Lin Qin snorted coldly, "Fifty yuan! If I don't get the money today, nobody's going to have an easy time! I'm going to the newspaper office, I'm going to Liu Yongming's school, I'm going to keep making a scene and make sure you all go down together!"

Her crazy and reckless behavior made everyone present turn pale.

The police officer spoke up promptly, "Since Comrade Lin Qin has proposed a settlement, you should consider it carefully. Also, her head injury needs treatment. If this case isn't closed, she can hold you accountable for any future problems." The officer's words were veiled, but the street director understood. Seeing Ma Cuihua about to argue again, he immediately glared at her fiercely, "Go get the money and compensate her! Disrespectful to your elders, you brought this on yourself. Yongming is incredibly unlucky to have family like yours!"

Ma Cuihua felt a sudden darkness before her eyes.

Fifty-three yuan and twenty-five cents plus fifty yuan, that's over a hundred!

Their family only has a little over four hundred in savings right now. To suddenly come up with so much, Ma Cuihua simply couldn't move her legs.

Fearing she might cause trouble again, Lin Qin immediately said, "Officer, I know where she hid her money. You come with me, and I'll take it myself, so you won't accuse me of stealing her money later!"

"Lin Qin, you're really something! You just wait!" Ma Cuihua glared at her venomously for a while before finally gritting her teeth and going back to her room to get the money.

Xu Manzhi secretly pinched Liu Yongguo's waist, feeling extremely distressed; that was over a hundred yuan!
When Ma Cuihua came out tremblingly with the money, the police quickly took it, counted it, gave fifty yuan to Lin Qin, and gave the rest to Chen Wenjun.

Before leaving, he didn't forget to teach the Liu family a lesson.

The neighborhood director shook his head in exasperation, thinking that while the four members of the Liu family were hateful, Lin Qin was not innocent either. Her actions today would only make her life in the Liu family more difficult.

After receiving the money, Chen Wenjun immediately packed his things and left.

Before leaving, he gave Lin Qin a deep look but said nothing.

The four members of the Liu family did not dare to stop him.

Lin Qin watched him leave, then turned and handed Liu Yaya to Lin Yi, saying, "Dad, I'll pack my things and go back with you for a few days. We'll go to the clinic to treat the wound on my head later."

"Fine! Dad will go with you!" Lin Yi was furious and didn't want his daughter to stay in the Liu family any longer.

When Ma Cuihua saw Lin Qin trying to leave, she refused to let her go, lying on the ground throwing a tantrum and cursing Lin Qin for being unfilial.

This infuriated Lin Yi.

Lin Qin kicked everyone out of the house, quickly packed her things, locked the door, and left with Lin Yi without looking back, completely ignoring Ma Cuihua's life or death.

Behind him, Ma Cuihua's harsh curses echoed.

Xu Manzhi returned to her room, seething with anger.

Liu Yongguo quickly followed and coaxed, "Wife, this matter won't be over so easily today. Don't worry, that fifty yuan will be back in our hands soon."

"Easy for you to say! Didn't you see how arrogant Lin Qin was today? She even dared to hit my mother, she'll be able to ride roughshod over me in the future! And what about that fifty-three yuan and twenty-five cents? Are we just going to swallow this loss without a word?" Xu Manzhi angrily pointed at Liu Yongguo's nose and cursed.

Liu Yongguo was extremely frustrated. "What can I do? Do you really want me to go to jail?"

"You didn't steal the money, so why should you go to jail? Why should we pay you back?" Xu Manzhi was indignant.

Fifty yuan! It would take them more than half a year to save up that much!

Liu Yongguo was filled with remorse. If he had known there was something wrong with the person lying in the alley, how could he have been so blinded by greed to bring the person back for the sake of keeping those three yuan? In the end, not only did his plan fail, but he also lost more than fifty yuan! No, more than a hundred!

(End of this chapter)