After the family split up, my stepmother and scumbag father begged me to come home.

"I knew that brat was up to something!" Wang Hehua immediately exploded, her voice rising eight octaves. "Where did she get the money? She must have dug up some treasure!"

Lin Xiaohua also came over at some point, standing at the door with her arms crossed, and said sarcastically, "That brat, always thinking about the Ding family, doesn't she know who she is? Mother, you can't let her get away with this."

Grandma Lin's face darkened completely, but a hint of hesitation lingered in her eyes: "What can we do? The village chief is on that girl's side. He said if she makes a scene after the family division, he'll send her to the authorities..."

"Send her to the authorities?" Lin Xiaohua sneered. "What's there to be afraid of? Suing her for neglecting her elders is perfectly justified. Even if the family has separated, does that mean she's no longer surnamed Lin? Does that mean her grandparents aren't her elders anymore?"

Seeing that the time was right, Granny Li stood up, patted her clothes, and smiled meaningfully: "Old sister, I'm just worried about you. The child is young and can't control the money in his hands. If he gets cheated by someone with bad intentions, wouldn't that be a waste? If you ask me, it's best if you keep an eye on this money, old sister."

She stopped there, made an excuse that she had something to do at home, and left gracefully.

The room fell silent for a moment, like the stillness before a storm.

Then, Wang Hehua spoke first, her voice low but unable to suppress her greedy excitement: "Mother, please say something!"

Grandma Lin gritted her teeth, the hesitation in her eyes finally overwhelmed by greed: "...Go and find out what that brat bought. Don't make a fuss yet, find out the truth first."

Inside the room, Ding Yuxiang heard everything.

She neither went out nor made a sound.

She knew perfectly well that anyone who rushed out now would be cannon fodder. The village chief wasn't joking—if they caused trouble after the family division, they'd be handed over to the authorities. If Old Mrs. Lin really acted recklessly, she'd have to bear the consequences herself.

"Let them make a scene first, then I'll figure out how to take advantage of them."

She wrapped herself back in the blanket, turned over, and faced the wall.

In bed, a faint smile always lingered on his lips—a smile that held neither kindness nor malice, only the patience of someone waiting to reel in the catch.

Outside the window, Wang Hehua had already hurriedly left the courtyard.

A storm is brewing.

Ding Yuxiang was just waiting for it to explode.

Lin Qianqian wasn't unaware that Granny Li would cause trouble at her grandmother's place, but she felt that hiding all the time wasn't a solution.

When the family first separated, if someone said she was rich, who would believe it? Her grandmother might turn around and accuse her of stealing money from the Lin family. She didn't think many people in the village would stand by her side.

But things are different now.

She worked from dawn till dusk, and the whole village saw her bring back the poisonous potatoes. Now that she had a source of income, she was no longer afraid.

But you can't go too far. If you're doing well, there will always be people who are envious. She and Ah Long are still just two teenagers; without adult protection, no matter how strong they are, they can't stand up to a few men.

Lin Yulong squatted by the stove, breaking off a piece of sweet potato in his hand, but didn't put it in his mouth for a long time. He looked up at Lin Qianqian, then lowered his head again, and after a while, he finally spoke.

"Sister, what if that old woman Li gets angry and goes to find Grandma?"

"Even if she gets away with it today, does that mean she won't go looking for trouble with Grandma?" Lin Qianqian didn't even look up, her hands still busy with their work. "She will. She's never been one to stay put."

She knew perfectly well what kind of person Granny Li was. Could someone who could be her grandmother's old friend be a good person?

She remembered that when the original owner was a child, it was this old woman, Granny Li, who kept making her grandmother set rules for her mother and called her a money-losing burden. The original owner and her mother suffered a lot.

"I didn't come looking for trouble with you, but you provoked me first, so don't blame me for being impolite," Lin Qianqian said in a low voice.

"Ah! Sis, what did you say?" Lin Yulong perked up his ears.

"It's nothing." Lin Qianqian put down what she was holding, dusted herself off, and turned around. "Huzi, go back and put the money away safely. Also, tell your aunt that you'll be eating at my house tonight."

Ding Xiaohu paused for a moment, his eyes lit up, and he responded before running outside.

Lin Qianqian stood at the door, watching Hu Zi's retreating figure, her expression slowly darkening.

It's not that she's not afraid.

But she also understood that fear was useless.