Chapter 188 Pouring Down Head First

"What the—"

Lin Jingyue's eyes widened, her pupils contracting. For a brief second, she didn't want to grab Han Jianmin, but reason ultimately won out. She lunged forward and firmly caught Han Jianmin's hand.

Then... things took a completely different turn.

With a splash—Lin Jingyue hadn't realized there was water in the thermos, and the stopper wasn't screwed in tightly. The boiling water poured head-to-toe all over the old hag on the hospital bed.

"Ah—!"

A piercing scream rent the air. Both Lin Jingyue and Han Jianmin froze.

Recovering quickly, Lin Jingyue yanked Han Jianmin along, darted out of the ward, and hid in the empty room they had just left.

"What's going on? What happened? What is happening?"

"Mom, what's wrong?"

"Where does it hurt?"

Voices rose in rapid succession. However, the only response was Old Mrs. Song's shrill, agonizing shrieks. The lights were turned on, and everyone who caught sight of the scene on the bed gasped in horror.

Cui Shuhui, Old Mrs. Song, and Song Xinran, who was still recovering from poisoning, were all staying in that ward.

Song Lian and the others were in the adjacent room. Hearing the commotion, they all rushed over, only to be struck dumb by the sight.

The upper half of Old Mrs. Song's body was completely soaked, her face terribly swollen and red, and still steaming with heat.

Given that she had broken ribs and had been strictly ordered to stay flat on her back without moving, this disaster was probably more than her frail body could handle...

Someone hurried off to fetch a doctor. In the dead of night, only a single on-duty doctor and nurse were present, and they were completely stunned by the sudden emergency, scrambling to call for backup.

After a frantic flurry of activity, Old Mrs. Song was rushed into the operating room.

Once the chaos subsided, people began to wonder belatedly how such an accident could have happened.

"In the middle of the night, how on earth did Mom get scalded?!" Song Lian's expression was grim.

"I have no idea how it happened."

"I only heard Grandma's terrifying screams," said Song Xinran, her face haggard. The pain of the past few days had tortured her mercilessly.

"The old lady must have wanted a drink of water and accidentally knocked the thermos over. Alas, since there was no one staying overnight to look after her, you really should have told me beforehand so I could have kept watch," Han Jianmin said.

Everyone else wore dark expressions, but they accepted his explanation.

At the moment, this was the most plausible scenario.

"Everyone in the family is—" Song Lian rubbed his brow. "Let's just hope Mom pulls through."

"I'll keep a closer eye on things from now on. But as you know, Qinglan needs looking after too, and Yizhou is at school and has no time during the week. My thought is that we can't really trust outsiders. How about... we ask your second sister-in-law's or third brother-in-law's family to send someone to help out?" Han Jianmin suggested sincerely.

The others thought about it and agreed it was a viable option.

Meanwhile, everyone had gathered outside the operating room, and Cui Shuhui had dragged her injured body along as well. Taking advantage of the distraction, Lin Jingyue easily placed the toppled thermos right back where it had belonged.

She then picked up the thermos from Song Qinglan's room and slipped away.

In the midst of the chaos, nobody would have paid attention to such a detail, and by the time anyone returned to check, any lingering traces would be long gone.

Having tied up all loose ends, Lin Jingyue quietly returned to Song Qinglan's ward.

Inside, the four of them stared at each other with wide eyes.

Han Yizhou and Han Xingye flanked her, grabbing her by either arm. "Lin Jingyue, you've completely lost your mind!"

"Jingyue..." Song Qinglan looked extremely worried; she had heard the commotion from the other room.

"It's fine. I'll be leaving in a moment. Auntie, don't let enemies drag you down with them," Lin Jingyue said, walking over to Song Qinglan's side.

After chatting for a brief while, Han Jianmin finally returned.

The moment he stepped through the door, he noticed that everyone in the ward was looking at him rather strangely.

"...Well, I've gone and fetched some water."

Seeing the tender, almost ingratiating look Han Jianmin cast toward her aunt, Lin Jingyue's mouth twitched violently.

Who was that ruthless person from just a moment ago?

"Jingyue, didn't you already leave?" Han Jianmin immediately shifted his attention to Lin Jingyue. "It won't do for someone who's supposed to have left to still be wandering around here in the middle of the night. I'll escort you out." He turned back to look at Song Qinglan. "I promise I'll make sure she leaves this time."

With that, he grabbed Lin Jingyue's arm and led her away without looking back.

Lin Jingyue didn't struggle; everything that needed to be said had already been said.

The two of them avoided the crowds as they left the hospital, slowing their pace once outside.

Lin Jingyue said, somewhat speechlessly, "Uncle, you were far too impulsive just now. If you had actually managed to smash Old Mrs. Song to death, the authorities above would definitely have launched an investigation."

The forces hiding behind Old Mrs. Song were still not fully understood by those on top.

Han Jianmin fell silent for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. In the darkness, his eyes flickered with complex emotions. "Don't worry, I won't do it again."

"Mm. Having waited for so many years, a few more won't hurt. Besides, rather than giving her a swift death, making her wish she were dead is the ultimate punishment, isn't it? While we have this time, we should do what needs to be done..."

Hearing Lin Jingyue's words, a chill inexplicably ran down Han Jianmin's spine.

He managed a weak smile. "Such a young girl..."

"Mm, a young girl should be ruthless and cold-hearted. Otherwise, anyone could walk all over me, and wouldn't that mean I'd have lived this life in vain?" She was born to be untamed; no one could control her.

Han Jianmin fell silent.

He escorted Lin Jingyue to the railway station, bought a ticket on the spot, watched her board the train, and didn't leave until the locomotive began to move.

This time, Lin Jingyue had no intention of turning back.

Her original purpose in returning had been to deliver a finishing blow, but that was no longer necessary now that she had startled the snake in the grass.

It was wiser for her to leave quickly. She estimated that within the next couple of days, the hidden wealth she had dug up would inevitably be discovered.

Due to the urgency, she had purchased a hard-seat ticket, and the carriage was packed with people. Lin Jingyue had a difficult time locating her seat, only to find someone already occupying it. Fortunately, the occupant was reasonable and promptly stood up when she pointed it out.

After the exhaustion and turmoil of the deep night, Lin Jingyue leaned back against her seat and drifted into a hazy sleep.

She spent the remainder of the journey peacefully, though she disembarked midway when the train reached Ning Province. With her travel permit still in hand, she had nothing to fear.

Skipping the guesthouse this time, she wandered around the city for a while. As dusk fell, she disguised herself once more, slinging a woven basket over her arm, and headed straight for the black market.

Based on her experience, a quick glance at the entrance was enough to read the situation. This time, she had adopted the persona of a young man.

Wearing a cap, she had darkened her eyebrows, stained her skin to look weathered, and slipped thick insoles into her shoes to alter her height.

"Buying or selling?" As she approached the perimeter of the black market, a guard stationed at the entrance eyed her up and down, lowering his voice.

"Selling."

"Fifty cents."

"...Fair enough, but I have a large quantity and don't want to deal with retail buyers." Her meaning was unmistakable.

The man glanced at her, looking slightly dismissive. "How much do you have?"

"You can examine a sample first." Lin Jingyue motioned toward a secluded spot nearby. Once they were out of sight, she lifted the cover of her basket and handed the sample to the man.

Inside was a piece of fresh pork weighing about a pound, looking as though it had just been freshly butchered. Alongside it was a pound of pristine white rice of exceptional quality—even if someone were to mix sand into it, its superior grade would still shine through. There was also fine wheat flour that looked even better than top-grade commercial flour.

The man's breathing quickened noticeably. He stared deeply at Lin Jingyue. "Brother, just how much of this do you have in your hands?"