Chapter 13: Caught the Fish Deliverer

“Smack!” Lin Qin delivered a sharp slap to Liu Yongming. “Have you said enough?”

Liu Yongming clutched his face in disbelief. “You hit me? How dare you! Lin Qin! Is it because I’ve been too good to you? You don’t even know who your own man is?”

“What do I know? What’s there to know? Do you think I don’t know what kind of people you and your family are?” Lin Yi stood by Lin Qin’s side, backing her up fiercely, glaring at Liu Yongming with hostile intent.

A flicker of cruelty flashed in Liu Yongming’s eyes. “Fine! Very well! So today you’ve made up your mind not to come with me, right?”

Lin Qin stared him down, her eyes unmasked with hatred.

Liu Yongming understood immediately, sneering, “Alright! You can refuse to come with me, but I will take our daughter today, no matter what!”

He lunged backward, intent on seizing the child.

Lin Yi and Lin Qin rushed forward to block him. “Liu Yongming, you bastard turtle! Dare to lay a hand on my daughter and I’ll chop you down with this cleaver!”

Liu Yongming was certain Lin Qin was only bluffing and didn’t take the threat seriously.

Lin Qin indeed hesitated, but Lin Yi might not be able to stop Liu Yongming, and they worried about their daughter being hurt a second time.

Just as Lin Yi was about to lose his grip, Lin Qin decisively withdrew her hand, retrieved a chopping knife from the kitchen, and wildly hacked at Liu Yongming’s bicycle.

“I won’t let you snatch my daughter! Die! Die! Die...” she shouted.

At the sound, Liu Yongming’s expression changed. He finally gave up his attempt to run into the backyard, turning abruptly and rushing out of the yard.

“Lin Qin, you lunatic! Put down that cleaver! Do you hear me!” he barked.

Seeing his beloved bicycle damaged, Liu Yongming’s heart bled with rage, wishing he could strangle Lin Qin on the spot.

Lin Qin brandished the cleaver fiercely, glaring at him. “Liu Yongming, I warn you—if you dare to harass us again, next time I won’t just chop your bike!”

Terrified, Liu Yongming snatched the bicycle from under Lin Qin’s cleaver and fled in panic.

At this moment, he couldn’t even think about his daughter.

The villagers never expected Lin Qin to clash so fiercely with Liu Yongming. Realizing the situation was far more complicated than they had thought, no one continued to speculate blindly; instead, they quietly kept an eye on Lin Yi’s household.

After hearing that Lin Qin had smashed Liu Yongming’s bicycle with a chopping knife, Li Lian realized Lin Qin was no longer the meek woman she once was and dared not casually make snide remarks for fear of provoking Lin Qin and being chased off.

***

Liu Yongming pushed his damaged bicycle to the repair shop. After a thorough inspection, the mechanic found severe scratches, a broken chain, a bent front, and faulty brakes.

He utterly lost his temper.

When Fang Ying learned of his predicament, she was taken aback. “Didn’t you say that woman was meek and easy to bully? But now it sounds like none of that is true! What will you do now? Can you still get a divorce smoothly?”

Liu Yongming was equally frustrated. “Don’t rush me. I’ll think carefully. I’m going to reclaim my dignity today!”

Fang Ying felt annoyed and didn’t bother him further.

Lin Qin, having slapped Liu Yongming and destroyed his prized bicycle, felt much better.

Since their discharge from the hospital, Lin Yi noticed black fish appearing again in the kitchen, unfailingly one per day.

He became increasingly certain of his previous suspicions and occasionally stole a glance at Lin Qin, hesitating to speak.

Lin Qin knew what he wanted to say but couldn’t explain, so she pretended ignorance and contentedly enjoyed the fish soup and meat every day.

Lin Yi was impressed. After several days of careful watch, no one had heard any noise outside, and the fish seemed to appear out of thin air.

Finally, he bit the bullet and stayed at the kitchen at night instead of going to bed, dozing there.

At last, he caught Chen Wenjun delivering the fish.

“Hahaha... I knew it was you! Finally caught you!” Lin Yi was as excited as if he had won the lottery.

Chen Wenjun laughed wryly. “Uncle! It’s not even dawn yet. You haven’t been staking out here all night, have you?”

Lin Yi chuckled. “If I don’t stake out, I wouldn’t catch you! You’re slippery! Don’t bring us fish anymore. I feel bad eating your hard work all the time. Later, come with me to the vegetable garden to pick some greens. Although you can grow vegetables on the boat, you probably can’t grow much.”

“Uncle, no need to trouble yourself. There are only two of us at home; we can’t eat that many vegetables. What we grow is enough,” Chen Wenjun quickly declined.

Lin Yi’s curiosity was piqued. He casually inquired about Chen Wenjun’s family. “What do you mean only two people? You and your wife?”

Chen Wenjun hurriedly shook his head. “I also have a son, the same age as Yaya. The boy isn’t very nimble and has to stay on the boat.”

“And your wife?”

“She ran off. Thought life with me was too hard and left the child behind. No one knows where she went.”

“Have you tried looking for her at her family’s place?”

Chen Wenjun self-mockingly replied, “They despise me too! She sneaked away at night by boat. She’s long gone from Nanxi. Well, I can raise the kid alone. I don’t rely on them.”

Lin Yi sighed with sympathy. “You’ve had a tough time. Luckily nothing happened last time, or what would have become of your child? Be careful going out. Get back before dark—things are chaotic outside! And don’t send us fish anymore. Aqin and her daughter have me—we won’t go hungry.”

“Will do, Uncle,” Chen Wenjun agreed readily.

Lin Yi finally showed some smiles.

Since it was still dark, they couldn’t see much in the vegetable garden. Lin Yi asked, “Are you busy? If so, go ahead. I’ll pick some vegetables later and bring them over.”

Chen Wenjun shook his head quickly. “No, no need, Uncle. Don’t be polite. I’m waiting for daylight to check my traps. I’ll pick up the catch then. Won’t delay anything.”

Lin Yi said no more and started a fire to cook, making breakfast for Chen Wenjun as well.

From the backyard, Lin Qin faintly heard Chen Wenjun’s voice and guessed Lin Yi had caught him. She couldn’t help but smile quietly.

As dawn approached, little Yaya still slept soundly nearby. Lin Qin quietly slipped out of the shed.

Chen Wenjun, seeing her emerge, grew noticeably excited and lowered his voice in the darkness, “Your dad is cooking in the kitchen. How’s Yaya these days?”

Lin Qin poured a glass of water for him in the dark. “She’s okay, recovering. She can lie flat to sleep now. I was worried before, so I kept her lying on her stomach. The day we left the hospital, Liu Yongming came to cause trouble, insisting on taking Yaya away. I hacked his bicycle with the chopping knife and he ran off.”

Chen Wenjun’s smile vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn expression. “With his temper, he won’t let this go easily. What if he brings the whole Liu family here to stir up trouble?”

Lin Qin remained calm. “This is Shanglin Village. The Liu family wouldn’t dare act recklessly here. We’ll take it one step at a time.”

Chen Wenjun clenched his fist. In the darkness, Lin Qin couldn’t see his cold, grim expression.