Lin Ruoshan was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.
She was still terrified. In her past life, when she angered Xu Zifan to death and was divorced, the whole city was in an uproar, and everyone around her was criticizing her. Lin Ruonan, on the other hand, was high above her, always seeming to be a cut above her. She felt as if she had returned to her past life, unable to distinguish between reality and memories. She pushed away the person next to her, covered her face, and ran away.
Xu Zifan glanced up, then lowered his head to continue calculating. Lin Ruoshan had been reborn, but she hadn't had a chance to grow. She was still the same spoiled and willful person from her previous life, who had caused a huge disaster and then married into a poor family full of resentment. Therefore, she was short-sighted, petty, and unreasonable. As long as she didn't have a chance to change, she would always be a loser.
Of course, if she resorts to underhanded tactics, that's another story.
Lin Ruonan urged everyone to continue choosing fabrics, and the guests quickly turned their attention back to the fabrics. However, they were still discussing the fabrics as they chose them, and most of the conversation was about Lin Ruoshan.
Lin Ruonan didn't reply, but listened attentively, helping everyone choose fabrics and clothing styles with a gentle smile. This approach actually won her everyone's favor; not speaking ill of others behind their backs is a virtue at any time and makes one easily likeable.
Lin Ruonan's suggestions were always thoughtful and aligned with everyone's preferences, making people feel warm and happy, and everyone was willing to spend their money to buy things. Everyone said she was just like Xu Zifan, very considerate.
This is why Mr. and Mrs. Xu felt comfortable entrusting the shop to them; they always had many clever ideas to encourage customers to buy more. With the two of them managing the shop, the profits were much higher than if Mr. and Mrs. Xu had managed it themselves.
Just then, the doctor said that Xu Zifan was feeling much better and that more exercise would be good for him, so they handed the shop over to the young couple so that they would have something to do, work together, and strengthen their relationship.
The Xu family of four is extremely satisfied with their current life.
Meanwhile, Lin Ruoshan ran home, rushed up to Lin Yaozu, and slapped him hard across the face!
Wang screamed and rushed forward, shoving her away. "Why did you hit your brother? Are you crazy?"
Lin Ruoshan trembled with rage: "Am I crazy? Ask him what he's done! He's ruined my reputation! He's ruined the reputation of the Lin family! It's all your fault for spoiling him so much, letting him go around spreading rumors. Are you satisfied now? The Lin family is going to be destroyed by you!"
Wang was shocked and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? What does this have to do with me and Yaozu?"
Lin Yaozu shouted, "That's right, what does it have to do with me? I didn't lie, who wronged you?"
It was precisely because no one was lying that Lin Ruoshan found the current outcome even more unacceptable. "You still dare to say that? I won't let you get away with this!"
Lin Ruoshan pointed at Lin Yaozu's nose and roared angrily, then pounced on him and started fighting.
Wang hurriedly tried to break up the fight, but Lin Ruoshan didn't care about her at all. Lin Yaozu was so spoiled by her that he didn't know any restraint either. The siblings hit Wang very hard, and many of the blows landed on Wang, making her scream in pain. The whole Lin family was in chaos.
Two neighboring women were picking vegetables in the yard. Hearing the noise, they looked at each other and shook their heads: "The Lin family, there's not a single good person among them."
The arguing and crying in the Lin family only stopped when Lin Fu returned home. Lin Fu had heard from his servant that Lin Ruoshan had been insulted by a group of people, and feeling ashamed, he went home to scold her. However, as soon as he entered the house, Wang Shi started crying and complaining that she had been beaten, her hair disheveled, and her eyes bruised. She was also making false accusations, so Lin Fu naturally assumed that Lin Ruoshan was disobedient and unfilial, having beaten her own mother.
Then, seeing that Lin Yaozu's face had several bloody scratches and his body had several bruises, Lin Fu flew into a rage and pounded on Lin Ruoshan's door, cursing her for a full quarter of an hour!
Lin Ruoshan remained silent, drinking spiritual spring water to ease her pain. Hearing Wang Shi's cries and Lin Yaozu's agonizing screams as he applied the medicine, a faint sense of pleasure welled up within her.
So what if they fight? They'll all suffer the same injuries. She'll drink some spiritual spring water and the pain will be gone, but they'll be in real pain for days. If they provoke her again, she'll fight them back. Who's afraid of who?
Lin Ruoshan covered her head with the blanket, ignoring their insults. She had calmed down after the fight. She wasn't the helpless, resentful woman from her past life; she had been reborn. She possessed a spiritual spring and was destined for great fortune, certain of wealth and high status in the future. The idle gossip of ordinary people had no effect on her; she didn't need to care.
The only people she cared about were the Xu and Lin families. She would never forget the enmity from past lives; she would make them regret it! She absolutely had to!!
Lin Ruoshan's eyes flashed fiercely, then instantly filled with fighting spirit. This is probably a trait possessed by every reborn person, because rebirth equals a natural sense of superiority. Reborn people believe they can do it all, that there's nothing they can't do, and Lin Ruoshan was full of confidence.
She waved her hand, and a stream appeared before her, which was her spiritual spring and the treasure she relied on.
A hint of arrogance slowly crept into Lin Ruoshan's eyes, and a smile appeared on her face. She was different; she was the lucky star with great fortune!
Changsheng was at the bottom of the stream, happily lying on the spring to absorb the spiritual energy of the spring. Suddenly he felt a fluctuation and scanned with his divine sense and saw Lin Ruoshan.
It was still in the shape of a small green snake, about the length of an index finger. Its black eyes rolled around, and suddenly it transformed into its original form, bursting out of the water!
"Ah! It's a dragon!" Lin Ruoshan sat up abruptly, her eyes wide with surprise and delight. "I really am the chosen one! I'm a Azure Dragon! It's an Azure Dragon!"
Upon hearing her voice, Changsheng soared above the stream, displaying the full power of a Azure Dragon, and telepathically transmitted to Xu Zifan: "Master, look, look! Lin Ruoshan is overflowing with superiority!"
Xu Zifan was having dinner at home when he heard this and asked Shao Hua to open the virtual screen to scan Lin Ruoshan's side. He saw Changsheng's mischievous appearance and Lin Ruoshan's greedy expression.
Lin Ruoshan kept waving to Changsheng, and said gently with her sweetest smile, "Come here, you must be the god who came to protect me, right? Will you stay by my side and protect me?"
Changsheng stopped what he was doing and hovered in mid-air, looking at her. Lin Ruoshan, lost in thought, said anxiously, "Is it because I'm such a failure that you think I'm not good enough? The Azure Dragon is the noblest and would never like someone who fails. Don't worry, I will make sure everyone who bullied me gets what they deserve. I won't let them get away with it. Can you help me?"
Xu Zifan was speechless at Lin Ruoshan's self-righteous claim to Changsheng. He transmitted his voice, saying, "[Changsheng, ignore her. Just let her see you from time to time. Have some fun.]"
Changsheng happily wagged its tail. [I understand, Master. I like this spring. I want to stay here to cultivate. Can I go back when Master lets me take possession of this spring?]
[Okay, no rush, you can continue your cultivation.]
Changsheng didn't look at Lin Ruoshan again. He plunged into the stream and sank to the bottom, turning into a small green snake. Lin Ruoshan couldn't find any trace of him.
Lin Ruoshan panicked, constantly trying to touch that space, but she could only scoop up the spiritual spring water from the stream; she couldn't touch anything else. For the first time, she realized that this spiritual spring seemed to be hers, yet it didn't.
A fleeting unease crossed her mind, but her full attention remained focused on the Azure Dragon. The Azure Dragon had entered the stream; it must be living there. This spiritual spring was so miraculous, and she had even been reborn—it was very likely… all thanks to this divine beast, the Azure Dragon!
Lin Ruoshan had also heard of the legend of the Azure Dragon. The more she thought about it, the more excited she became. She felt more and more that she was the chosen one, the one chosen by such a divine beast to protect her.
She immediately became fearless. Although she was still resentful, she firmly believed that with Qinglong by her side, she would be able to deal with all those who provoked her.
With a firm belief, Lin Ruoshan sat down at the table, lit a candle, and began to think about what to do next.
She would continue to live at the Lin family home. As an unmarried girl, it was impossible for her to move out on her own. It might have been easier to stay with Old Master Lin, but she didn't want to go back to the village and become a country girl. She wanted to open a restaurant and gradually build relationships with influential people, so she had to continue living with her parents, and their relationship couldn't remain so strained.
After Lin Ruoshan used Lin Fu and the others as stepping stones, she felt much better. She planned to discard them once they were no longer of use, so she naturally wouldn't be angry with them anymore or care who they favored. Only making money and building connections was truly important.
Once Lin Ruoshan understood, she went out to find Lin Fu, tears streaming down her face before she could even speak. A young girl's tearful complaint was far more appealing than Wang Shi's madwoman-like tattling, especially since this was her daughter who could help earn money. Lin Fu's heart softened immediately.
He listened to Lin Ruoshan's tearful account of her ruined reputation and being humiliated in the street, without uttering a single complaint or accusation. Instead, he felt that Lin Yaozu should intervene. Family scandals shouldn't be aired in public; how could he let everything slip by? This kid had twice gone around spouting nonsense, ruining not only Lin Ruoshan's reputation but also his, Lin Fu's, reputation. How could he not be angry?
Lin Ruoshan's feigned weakness led Lin Fu to be deceived by her sweet talk. In the end, the matter ended with Lin Yaozu being confined to his home, and Lin Ruoshan was given the opportunity to go to the shop with Lin Fu every day and work together to set up a restaurant.
Lin Ruoshan successfully reversed her precarious position at home, thinking she had the whole family under her thumb, and was extremely pleased with herself. Unfortunately, she didn't see the hatred in Lin Yaozu's eyes, nor Wang Shi's dislike for her, nor Lin Fu's wariness of her; all of this was just a mirage.
On the surface, however, Lin Ruoshan's life in the Lin family was indeed better. Lin Fu no longer scolded her and would even praise her occasionally. Every day, Wang Shi washed her clothes and cooked her meals. She didn't care whether they looked at her coldly or not, as long as they served her well and didn't say anything unpleasant to her.
Because she was always with Lin Fu, going to taverns or going home, she rarely heard gossip, and her life became comfortable. But this comfort led her to start thinking about Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan again; the humiliation she felt in front of them that day was her deepest shame.
Unable to retaliate against all those who spoke ill of her, she harbored resentment towards Xu Zifan and Lin Ruonan, who had stood by indifferently, and longed to get her revenge. After much thought, she devised a treacherous plan.
Xu Zifan is the apple of his parents' eye in the Xu family. If Lin Ruonan brings shame upon Xu Zifan, they will absolutely not forgive Lin Ruonan. Lin Ruonan and the entire Xu family will lose face. Let's see how they explain themselves then, how they explain this matchmaker's blessed wife.
Perhaps Xu Zifan will fall ill in a fit of anger and die of anger just like in his previous life. Then Lin Ruonan will become her from that life, and Xu's parents won't recover either. Then all the revenge will be taken!