Lin Xi sighed repeatedly, “The man’s original wife found out about this child and, together with her brother and other relatives, completely ruined the man’s reputation, leaving him unable to make a living.

I heard that the man has squandered all his money and is now on the run, trying to evade creditors—how could he possibly have any money left to support an outside mistress and her child?

As for this woman, she’s grown accustomed to a life of luxury and comfort, but she doesn’t have any real skills. Now that she’s getting older, there’s no one suitable to take her back, so she’s decided to marry a simple, honest man.

But when she was rich, she was far too arrogant. Even as a young girl, she brazenly brought home her wild lover and openly gave birth to that boy. Everyone in the surrounding area knew about it, so no respectable family would ever want to marry her. Only some old bachelors or widowers would consider it—but they either didn’t like her outward appearance or thought she wasn’t attractive enough, so they always refused. And so the situation just dragged on.

However, her parents couldn’t stand it anymore. They said that if a woman stayed at home past a certain age, not only would she be a burden on the family, eating and drinking without contributing, but she’d also tarnish the family’s reputation and invite gossip from outsiders. So they went to great lengths to force her out and find her a job.

She wandered around for half a year, but she couldn’t do anything well and could barely make ends meet. It wasn’t until she met my silly younger brother, Xiao Hu, that she saw a glimmer of hope again—and then she clung to him.

My brother, on the other hand, is foolish and naive, and he’s incredibly generous toward her. She saw this as an opportunity, so she tricked him into marrying her. Alas, and then…” Lin Xi’s tears once again welled up.

She grabbed Zhang Mama and Xie Auntie’s hands and cried bitterly, “Aunties, do you know? Not only is that woman lazy and good-for-nothing, but that little boy isn’t easy to deal with either. After coming to our house, he refused to leave and was always full of mischief, constantly picking on my parents. That’s bad enough, but what really broke my brother was that the woman’s parents and brother followed right behind, handing over a huge bill and demanding that my brother and the woman compensate them for all the money they’ve spent on that child over the years…”

The more Lin Xi talked, the worse she felt, the more painful it became, and in the end she burst into tears again. “My father was pushed down by that woman’s brother during the last confrontation and broke a bone; he’s still lying in bed. My mother got so upset that she fell ill—now she can barely take care of herself, let alone look after my father, and she still has to deal with that shameless family. Several times she’s cried to me, saying she can’t go on anymore and wants to end it all. As for my brother, don’t even get me started. That idiot has lost his job and his livelihood because of that vampire-like family, and his dignity is almost gone. He wants a divorce, but they’re threatening to kill him if he dares to divorce. With no other choice, he came to me…”

Lin Xi gave a bitter laugh. “But what good is it to come to me? Didn’t I warn him time and again? Didn’t I tell him to be careful at crucial moments? He wouldn’t listen to me, and he even threatened me—what can I do? My own life is already a complete mess; having a husband is almost the same as not having one. He’s always out fooling around and pays no attention to the family at all. And my mother-in-law constantly criticizes me and finds fault with everything. I’m lucky enough just to be able to support myself and my child with my own two hands—what use is it to come to me for help? Whoever brings trouble upon themselves must bear the consequences! I’m completely powerless!”

After speaking these heart-wrenching words, Lin Xi finally managed to disperse the crowd by sharing more painful stories in front of the uncles and aunts, then said goodbye to Zhang Mama and Xie Auntie and slowly pushed her cart out of the crowd.

End of Chapter 193: Counterattack 119