At that time, it was said that the Liu family was very poor, but Liu Yongming worked hard and got into high school. Even if worse came to worst, he could work in a factory after graduation. Lin Yi agreed to the marriage because of this point.
No one expected that Liu Yongming married Lin Qin for her dowry!
Lin Yi now regrets it so much he wishes he could jump off a building.
Lin Qin was afraid he couldn't think it through, and quickly wiped her tears, saying, "Dad, life still has to go on. Yaya is still small. We can't fall down; you have to help me."
Lin Yi, with a blank mind, murmured absent-mindedly, "Help... Dad will help you... It's Dad who harmed you!"
Lin Yi cried even more fiercely.
Lin Qin, seeing her father's desperate appearance, let her hatred wash away her rationality, "Dad! I have a way. Trust me, those who bullied us mother and daughter, I won't let any of them go. I'm serious!"
Lin Yi wiped his tears and kept shaking his head, "Girl, you can't do anything stupid!"
"Dad, don't worry, I won't be so impulsive in the future. Let's talk about everything after the child is discharged." Lin Qin patted Lin Yi's shoulder and took him back to the ward.
Chen Wenjun was holding a toy to amuse Liu Yaya.
That sight made Lin Qin momentarily recall many things from her past life. Back then, when Chen Wenjun's son, Chen Ping'an, was ill, he also coaxed him patiently for a long time, and even when she was sick, he coaxed her like a child. Now he was coaxing Liu Yaya.
Lin Yi stood silently behind Lin Qin, watching without saying a word.
The old lady in the next bed praised Lin Qin, "Your man is not bad, it's rare to see a man willing to coax a girl like this. During the day, I even misunderstood him, I truly apologize."
Lin Qin smiled awkwardly and gave up explaining.
Because Liu Yaya wasn't crying or making a fuss, Lin Qin and Lin Yi didn't dare make a commotion, and just silently watched Chen Wenjun coax her to sleep.
Seeing the child fall asleep, the adults all tacitly slowed their breathing.
Chen Wenjun silently gestured that he was leaving.
Lin Yi immediately went out to see him off.
"Today, it's all thanks to you. If it weren't for you running back and forth, my daughter wouldn't have known what to do!" Lin Yi was genuinely grateful to Chen Wenjun.
Chen Wenjun laughed heartily, "Uncle, no need to thank me. Sister Qin is living a hard life. I didn't know before; now that the Liu family inexplicably pitted me, I paid attention to their matters.
I heard that the mother and daughter toil like oxen and horses in the Liu family, yet those people in the Liu family didn't treat them as humans. When the matter was minor, Sister Qin endured, but last time they went too far and pushed her to the edge.
I never expected them to become even more excessive, even resorting to such a vicious method as pouring hot water. In my opinion, the Liu family is not a place for people to stay, and if the child goes back, who knows what might happen!"
Lin Yi nodded ruefully, his eyes losing any light, and after sending off Chen Wenjun, he hobbled back into the ward, leaning against the wall with heavy steps.
In the following days, he yearned day and night for Liu Yongming to come and see the child, or for someone from the Liu family to come and apologize.
But he hoped for nothing.
On the fifth day of the child's hospitalization, Liu Ling came instead.
Lin Qin thought she had come to ask for money, so she immediately pulled out several one-yuan bills to give her.
Liu Ling waved her hand urgently, "Sister Qin, I came to see you after not returning for so many days, just to check how the child is doing?"
The old lady in the next bed had already been discharged, and no new patients had moved into this room temporarily, so Lin Qin had no scruples and lifted the scarf on Liu Yaya's back, showing Liu Ling the wound.
Liu Ling was so frightened at once that her legs went soft, and she spoke with chattering teeth, "This serious! That lunatic Liu Li did such a heavy hand on a child!"
Lin Yi couldn't help but step forward and ask, "Girl, Liu Li hurt Yaya like this; didn't the Liu family say anything?"
Liu Ling opened her mouth and looked at Lin Qin and Liu Yaya with a bit of pity in her eyes, "Uncle, Xu Manzhi was also scalded. I heard her buttocks, thighs, and back are heavily wounded. She just went to the health clinic for treatment and didn't come to the hospital.
The Liu family said Yaya was naughty and bumped into Xu Manzhi, causing her to spill the hot water, and got splashed herself. They also said Sister Qin was slandering Liu Li for talking nonsense."
"Outrageous, outrageous!" Lin Yi said, clutching his chest and falling back into a seat.
Lin Qin was scared and shouted, "Doctor, doctor..."
Liu Ling was also flustered and hurried to help.
Lin Yi calmed down after a while, but Lin Qin was not reassured, insisting that he get checked.
Knowing his daughter was having such a hard time and not wanting her to worry, Lin Yi reluctantly complied and went for a physical exam, feeling heartbroken because it all costs money!
Liu Ling, seeing Lin Yi wasn't too big of a problem, also breathed a sigh of relief.
Just about to leave, Lin Qin quickly handed her a wad of cash, "I borrowed three yuan from your grandma back then, three from Aunt Lan Hua next door, Uncle Fu gave me two yuan, and Uncle Yang gave me two as well. Please help me return it."
She didn't plan on going back to the Liu family, at least not when she was so weak.
Liu Ling looked down at the money, a bit uneasy, "Sister Qin, aren't you afraid I'll pocket your money!"
"I trust you!" Lin Qin replied without hesitation.
Liu Ling nodded repeatedly, promising, "Alright! I'll repay them for you when I go back."
Lin Qin saw her downstairs and watched her get on her bicycle, casually asking, "Liu Li is in Class Three, Grade Nine, right?"
Liu Ling nodded, "That's right! Just next to my class."
Lin Qin thanked her again, watching Liu Ling leave.
The next day, the doctor said Liu Yaya could be discharged after one more day of observation.
Lin Qin rented a stretcher from the hospital for a day and, after informing the ward doctor, lifted Liu Yaya out with Lin Yi.
The nurse thought the child was restless and wanted to go out to play, so she didn't think much and let them go.
The two carried the child all the way to the secondary school.
At that time, although the school had gates, the management wasn't as strict as a decade or two later. Family members coming by just needed to tell the gatekeeper to be let in.
Lin Qin used the child's illness as an excuse, saying she wanted to find her sister-in-law in the third year for something.
The third year was on the third floor, and the gatekeeper wouldn't specifically run to pass a message, allowing Lin Qin to go in herself.
The father and daughter carried Liu Yaya all the way to Class Three, Grade Nine, and when they passed by Class Two, Liu Ling saw them and her eyes nearly popped out.
The class was in session.
Zhang Hua, the headteacher of Class Three, Grade Nine, saw Lin Qin's procession and immediately put down her book and came out, "Comrade, what's the matter?"
Lin Qin knelt down in front of Zhang Hua under everyone's watchful eyes and tearfully and loudly said, "Teacher, your class's Liu Li still wants to kill us, mother and daughter. My daughter was hurt so badly by her. Please, school, give us justice!"
Zhang Hua stepped back in shock and turned his head towards Liu Li, whose face had turned pale, "Is there any misunderstanding?"
Lin Qin, tears filling her eyes, revealed the wound on Liu Yaya's back in front of everyone.
A group of boys and girls who had never experienced such things were all scared pale.
Even Zhang Hua covered his mouth in shock, "Was this really done by Liu Li?"