Chapter 40: Bullying Doesn’t Discriminate by Status

After transmigrating, this was Lin Ruanyuan's first time meeting the original owner's mother.

In her past life, she had been alone and destitute, trained as an assassin without ever experiencing familial love.

Now, seeing someone she could rightfully call "mother," Lin Ruanyuan didn't hesitate and spoke directly.

Since the original owner married into the Fu family, Lin Shi had seen her so few times that they could be counted on one hand.

Seeing her daughter suddenly now, Lin's mother was momentarily stunned.

It wasn't until Lin Ruanyuan called out "mother" that she snapped back to reality.

"Ruanyuan, is it really you? You've come back." Lin's mother, with her oil-stained hands, didn't know where to put them, her voice trembling with disbelief.

"Yes." Lin Ruanyuan nodded vigorously, eyes red.

"Now that you're back, why are you standing outside in the cold? Come inside."

Lin's mother raised her oily hands to her sides and quickly walked to Lin Ruanyuan, wanting to look her over from head to toe.

"Mom..." Lin Qiu's wife rolled her eyes and called out discontentedly.

"Oh, look at me, I'm so happy I've gone silly. Daughter-in-law, you haven't met your second sister, have you?"

Lin's mother awkwardly smiled and was about to introduce them.

"What's there to introduce? I already know she's the stutterer."

Lin Qiu's wife's words left Lin's mother speechless, and she could only give an awkward smile.

"Ruanyuan, this is your sister-in-law. You can call her Yanyan," Lin's mother said to Lin Ruanyuan.

Hearing her mother-in-law introduce her, Yanyan rolled her eyes to the sky and turned back into the yard.

"Come on, let's go inside. It's windy out here, and it's cold standing around."

Lin's mother, ignoring her daughter-in-law's rudeness, couldn't take her eyes off Lin Ruanyuan.

Lin Ruanyuan smiled and nodded.

"T-together." She said this to Bai Cheng'an.

Bai Cheng'an had planned to leave after dropping her off at her family home, but her invitation made it hard for him to refuse.

"And this is...?" Lin's mother asked suspiciously, seeing her invite this rough-looking man inside.

"A friend," Bai Cheng'an said softly, nodding slightly at Lin's mother.

Lin Ruanyuan pouted; men's words truly couldn't be trusted.

Yesterday he called her his wife, and today she's just a friend.

"Friend?" Lin's mother glanced at his stubbled face and couldn't help but frown.

But seeing that Lin Ruanyuan didn't object, she didn't say much more.

"Then come inside. I was just about to make lunch." She smiled and welcomed them into the yard.

As soon as they entered, Yanyan stood at the door, huffed coldly, and slammed the door shut.

Bai Cheng'an instinctively glanced at Lin Ruanyuan, his eyes showing concern.

Lin Ruanyuan pursed her lips, unsure why Yanyan held such deep hostility towards her.

Could it be because the last time, Master Ding's servants came and hurt someone?

If so, she couldn't easily let that old master, who was now imprisoned, off the hook.

"Ruanyuan, don't mind her. Yanyan's just like that," Lin's mother said helplessly, seeing her daughter-in-law's repeated rudeness.

Lin Ruanyuan forced a smile and followed her mother inside.

Lin's mother quickly found a basin of water to wash the oil off her hands, then grabbed Lin Ruanyuan's hand.

"Ruanyuan, my dear child, you've suffered." As she spoke, tears welled up and flowed.

Lin Ruanyuan was pulled into her mother's embrace, feeling a mother's warmth for the first time.

"Now that you're back, it's good, it's good. By the way, did Master Ding's servants find you? Did they hurt you?"

Knowing her daughter had trouble speaking, Lin's mother asked quickly without waiting for her to respond.

Lin Ruanyuan shook her head, and her mother immediately continued.

"It's good that they didn't hurt you, good."

"Don't worry, auntie. Master Ding, who colluded with bandits, is now in jail. They won't come for her anymore."

Bai Cheng'an interrupted the mother and daughter, placing his things on the table.

His words reminded Lin's mother that there was an outsider in the room.

She reluctantly let go of Lin Ruanyuan.

Lin's mother wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"Please forgive me for losing my composure. I was just so worried about my daughter," Lin's mother apologized, her voice trembling.

Bai Cheng'an shook his head and gave a simple, honest smile.

Given his burly appearance, Lin's mother initially worried that he might be a mountain bandit who had kidnapped Lin Ruanyuan. But seeing his sincere smile, her concerns eased.

"Are you done talking yet? I'm starving, and lunch isn't ready. If you don't hurry, Dad and Lin Qiu will come back from the fields, and the meal won't be ready."

While the mother and daughter shared a tender moment inside, someone outside was less pleased.

Yanyan's sharp voice rang out, causing a flicker of panic in Lin's mother's eyes.

"Oh dear, I've been talking so much that I forgot to make lunch. Ruanyuan, sir, please rest here for a moment. I'll go prepare the meal right away."

She turned to leave but bumped into Yanyan, who had come to hurry her along.

"Mom, Lin Qiu is doing heavy labor in the fields. You can't neglect making lunch for him just because you're worried about your daughter. That's too biased."

Lin Ruanyuan: ???

Lin's mother had only spoken to her for a short while, hardly long enough to delay anything. How could that be considered favoritism?

Someone passing by the yard glanced over, shook their head in disapproval, and walked on.

"It's not like that, Yanyan. I was just talking to your second sister for a bit. Don't worry, I'll make lunch now and won't delay them."

Lin's mother's humble demeanor made it seem like she was the daughter-in-law and Yanyan the mother-in-law.

Lin Ruanyuan pursed her lips, realizing why the original owner had silently endured such hardship in the Fu family for years. It was all inherited—just look at Lin's mother, behaving just like the original owner had when she was mistreated at the Fu family.

"Can't you use your hands?" Lin Ruanyuan grabbed her mother's hand and asked coldly.

She had no issue with who made the meal, but it was the condescending attitude of Yanyan that irked her.

"Me? What do you mean, stutterer? Are you saying I should make lunch?"

Yanyan's sharp, aggressive tone was so grating that even Bai Cheng'an frowned.

"Yes," Lin Ruanyuan replied matter-of-factly.

If Yanyan was so concerned about Lin Qiu and her father having lunch, why couldn't she do it herself?

"Wow, your Lin family is really something, expecting me to cook." Yanyan crossed her arms, laughing as if she had heard the most absurd joke.

Seeing Yanyan stepping forward as if to confront her, Bai Cheng'an pulled Lin Ruanyuan behind him.

Lin's mother glanced at Bai Cheng'an with some understanding, then moved behind him as well.

"Ruanyuan, don't say anymore. Yanyan hasn't done these chores before; she doesn't know how to cook."

Lin Ruanyuan: ...

It seemed that being bullied didn't depend on one's status but rather on how easy one was to bully.

Looking at Lin's mother, who practically had "please come bully me" written on her face, Lin Ruanyuan could see where the original owner's endurance had come from.