Chapter Five: It’s All Because I’m Too Good-Looking

"Li Ruyu, is this true?" Lin Shengrong asked in disbelief; he really knew nothing about this matter.

"I... She's slandering me with her lies!" Li Ruyu decided flatly to deny everything. "When did I ever say I wanted to sell my niece? Clearly, they're the ones who've done wrong, and now they're trying to throw mud on me!"

Liao Shuxia hadn’t expected Li Ruyu to be so shameless. She was shaking with rage. "You... you brazen woman—"

"What’s going on? Who’s telling the truth here?"

"I don’t know, but I think it’s probably Li Ruyu. No matter what, who would sell their own niece to a wealthy old man?"

"Exactly. That girl in the third Lin family is only ten; no matter how heartless, who could do such a thing?"

Seeing that most people believed her, Li Ruyu grew smug and overbearing again. "You’ve hit me and smeared my reputation. I won’t let this pass!"

"Heh." Lin Hongda sneered, stretching his arms and shoulders.

Since it had come to this, he didn’t mind earning the so-called 'crime' of hitting Li Ruyu!

By now, Lin Sangqian had already worked up her emotions. Squeezing out a few tears, she ran to Lin Hongda, crying, "Father, please don’t! It’s all my fault!"

"Little sister, what are you saying?" Lin Wenyan’s heart ached. "How could this be your fault?"

Wiping her tears, Lin Sangqian said, "It’s all because of me—because I look too pretty. Otherwise, Aunt wouldn’t want to sell me to the wealthy old master as a concubine!"

Lin Hongda and Liao Shuxia both twitched at the corners of their mouths, trying not to laugh.

Daughter, is it really all right to praise yourself like this?

Lin Sangqian then turned to Li Ruyu and wailed, "Aunt, please, I beg you—let my father, mother, and brothers go! If you want me to marry into the Wang family, to become concubine to a fifty-year-old rich man, I’ll go. Whatever you want, take it out on me—just please don’t hurt my family!"

Though her tears were few, Lin Sangqian could cry loud and fiercely, making the whole scene feel cataclysmic. Li Ruyu was stunned into silence, forgetting even to defend herself.

Some in the crowd were moved by Lin Sangqian’s performance, and their eyes grew moist.

"My god, so it really is true?"

"That’s right, I heard before that the wealthy master from the Wang family wanted to buy a concubine."

"Qianqian’s always been a good child, never one to lie. And she even named the Wang family—who would dare make up such a story about them?"

"Looking at it now, Li Ruyu truly has no conscience! To send a ten-year-old child to the Wang family is as good as sending her to her death!"

"I bet if she did sell her, she’d pocket all the money herself!"

"Isn’t that obvious? Didn’t you hear? When the Lin family brothers divided the household, the eldest and second gave not a penny to the third!"

"Despicable!"

Everyone cast scornful looks at Lin Shengrong and Li Ruyu. Lin Shengrong felt utterly humiliated and shoved Li Ruyu hard, cursing, "You wicked woman! How could you do such a thing? Even I didn’t know!"

Lin Sangqian whimpered, "But Uncle and Aunt are one family. Aunt must have thought Uncle wouldn’t stop her, so she made the decision herself. Uncle, don’t be angry."

Though her words sounded like she was pleading for Li Ruyu, she actually dragged Lin Shengrong into the mire with her.

"Heh, Lin Shengrong is pretending to be the good guy now?"

"I bet even if he knew, he wouldn’t have stopped her—he might have helped sell the girl!"

"After all, he’s never treated his brother’s family well."

"Neither of that pair is any good!"

"Despicable!"

An older woman spat at Li Ruyu and walked off in disgust.

Lin Shengrong glared at Lin Sangqian, only to hear Lin Hongda’s cold warning: "Glare at my daughter again and see what happens."

Startled, Lin Shengrong shivered, unable to believe this was his usually meek younger brother.

What had gotten into the third family? How had they all changed so completely?

Just then, several stones came flying toward them, making Li Ruyu shriek in pain.

"Ow! What are you doing, you people!"

The three Lin brothers were picking up stones from the ground and pelting them, all the while shouting furiously, "Get out! Get out of our house!"

Li Ruyu had actually tried to sell their little sister to some old rich man!

She was their precious treasure, cherished above all else. Just wait—when they were older, they’d make this wicked woman pay!

"You all just wait!" Li Ruyu shouted as she dodged the stones, looking utterly disheveled.

"Why aren’t you gone yet!" Liao Shuxia scolded, hands on her hips.

"You—"

As Li Ruyu opened her mouth to curse, a small stone sailed right in. She choked, screamed twice in fright, and spat the stone out, provoking laughter from the crowd.

"Hahaha! Still not leaving? Waiting for a beating?"

"Maybe she’s waiting to eat more stones!"

Li Ruyu wished she could disappear into the ground, but instead, she clutched her face and ran off, leaving Lin Shengrong behind. Some busybodies chased after her, and the rest of the onlookers drifted away.

Lin Shengrong, however, didn’t hurry to leave. He eyed Lin Hongda strangely, then glanced at the others.

The three boys were much the same, but Hongda, his wife, and daughter were not at all as they used to be.

In the past, if something like this happened, the three of them would have been sobbing in a heap, letting him do as he pleased.

But today...

And besides, what was that smell in the air?

He sniffed hard, frowning. "Hey, Third, are you boiling chicken?"

It was laughable—Lin Hongda’s family was so poor they could barely eat, how could they afford chicken?

"That hardly concerns you," Lin Hongda replied coldly. "Brother, why are you still here? Planning to stick around and spar with your younger brother?"

Lin Shengrong quickly stepped back. He saw clearly that Lin Hongda was not the same as before; he wouldn’t let himself be taken advantage of again.

He stared at Lin Hongda for a moment, then sneered, "Well, Third Brother, you’ve grown bold. Fine, I’ll just wait and see how your family ends up."

With that, he turned and left.

"Despicable!" Liao Shuxia spat at his retreating back. "Husband, from now on, we’ll make sure our days are bright and prosperous!"

"That’s right," said Lin Sangqian. "We’ll be richer than them—no, richer than that so-called wealthy landlord!"

Lin Hongda and Liao Shuxia nodded solemnly.

The three brothers only thought Lin Sangqian was speaking childish words. They gathered around her, speaking softly, "Don’t worry, little sister. With your brothers here, no one will ever bully you again!"