Chapter 28: Are You Worthy?

Qin Zongwu felt that all his composure and self-discipline had shattered in this moment—this wretched girl’s words were simply infuriating. Pointing at his own face, he shouted loudly, “You little brat, look carefully! I am your second brother, Qin Zongwu! How dare you speak to me like that, huh! Where did you get the nerve?”

Faced with his scolding, Xu Lin showed not a shred of fear; in fact, she seemed to go out of her way to provoke him further. “Oh my, poor little cabbage in the field, yellowing so soon, left without father or mother since childhood…” She drew out her words in a singsong tone. While Qin Zongwu listened in utter confusion, her lyrics took a sharp turn: “Little cabbage grows so well, and out of nowhere appears a silly fool of a second brother. This second brother is ugly, with neither skin nor stem, his leaves all green and limp…”

What on earth was this? What was she singing about? Qin Zongwu felt there was some veiled insult here, though he couldn’t quite grasp it. Meeting his puzzled glare, Xu Lin cut off her song; this fool’s intelligence was so limited, she decided not to waste any more time.

Without preamble, Xu Lin pointed at his nose and unleashed a torrent of invective: “You tell me, what kind of disgusting thing are you, buzzing around like a green-headed fly? What right do you have to show your face before me? And you dare talk about filial piety to me? Are you even worthy? Who gave you the courage to call yourself my second brother? Do you really deserve that title? If I deign to call you ‘hey you,’ it’s already treating you as a person. Otherwise, you’re nothing but a stray dog by the roadside, an eyesore of trash. I’ve already severed all ties with the Qin family—that was signed, stamped, published in the newspaper, and formally declared. The break is absolute and clear; from now on, we walk our separate ways, more estranged than strangers. You miserable cur, what dish do you think you are, daring to present yourself before me? Take my advice and stop courting trouble. Go back where you came from, the farther the better. Do not show your face before me and pollute my sight. If you’re not disgusted by yourself, I certainly am.”

This blunt barrage made Qin Zongwu’s rage boil over. Ever since he’d entered the civil service and become a section chief, never had anyone dared to point at his nose and curse him like this. At the same time, he realized that Xu Lin truly had no regard for him, nor did she acknowledge his position as her second brother.

No, in fact, she didn’t recognize her parents anymore either—truly a heartless wretch. Perhaps severing family ties was the right choice after all. But that wasn’t what he came here for. He had come to stand up for Fang’er.

“Xu Lin, shut up! Do you think you’re some kind of prize, acting as if everyone wants to claim you? Stop flattering yourself.” Seeing Xu Lin about to retort, Qin Zongwu hurriedly cut her off, not giving her a chance to speak. “I’m here to warn you to stay away from Fang’er. If you dare upset her, you’d better watch out!”

“Oh? Then come and show me what you can do. And who the hell is your Fang’er anyway? Do I even know her? If you’re sick in the head, go die somewhere far away. Stop running around biting people like a rabid dog.”

With that, Xu Lin stepped aside with a look of disdain, preparing to leave—speaking too much with a mad dog was sure to lower her own intelligence.

“Who are you calling a mad dog?” Qin Zongwu was so furious he tugged at his collar, his cultivated manners unable to suppress the surge of anger. He wanted nothing more than to grab this wretched girl and teach her a lesson. Pointing at her nose, he roared, “Don’t play dumb with me. Fang’er is your adoptive father’s biological daughter, also the little princess of the Qin family. Let me tell you, our family only recognizes Fang’er as our little princess. If you dream of taking her place, you’re delusional. If you dare upset Fang’er again, you’ll regret it.”

Oh? Xu Lin raised an eyebrow. She hadn’t even made a move against that impostor, yet here they were rushing to attack her first. She’d thought to let the matter rest for the time being, but some people were simply begging for trouble. Since that was the case—well, she’d just have to be ruthless.

So, the Qin family’s little princess, was she? Xu Lin wondered how the Qin family would feel about their precious princess once they discovered her biological father was a spy. But before any of that, some people here were overdue for a lesson—she ought not to show them too much courtesy.

With that thought, Xu Lin lifted her leg and kicked Qin Zongwu square in the groin, making him double over with a howl of pain. His once refined face flushed a deep purple, tears springing to his eyes. But this was only the beginning; Xu Lin glanced around, confirming there was no one nearby, no surveillance cameras—an ideal setting for improvisation.

She proceeded to kick him again and again, each time targeting the most painful spot, delivering eighteen kicks in all before finally stopping. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to continue, but her sharp eyes had spotted someone approaching from afar. For safety’s sake, it was better to make herself scarce.

Xu Lin slipped into a side path. She decided to skip her planned trip to the Forbidden City—this day was too unlucky. Better to head to the supply and marketing cooperative for some shopping.

Xu Lin broke into a run. A route that normally required twenty minutes, she completed in just two, thanks to the talisman for fleetness she had used.

It was work hours, so the cooperative wasn’t crowded. Upon entering, Xu Lin made straight for the least crowded, most expensive counter.

“Serve the people! Comrade, hello, I’d like to buy a wristwatch,” she called out loudly.

“Serve the people! Comrade, hello, we have Plum Blossom and Shanghai watches here. Which brand would you like?” the saleswoman replied, gesturing.

Xu Lin looked where she indicated. There were only a few watches on display—nothing like the fully stocked counters of later years. Both Plum Blossom and Shanghai were good brands; she even had the same models stashed in her space, pilfered from Brother Hu. Speaking of Brother Hu, she wondered how he was faring these days—had he clashed with any villains? Perhaps she should check up on him; she might be pleasantly surprised.

Her thoughts wandered briefly, but she quickly pointed to a Shanghai ladies’ watch. “I’ll take that Shanghai ladies’ watch.”

“Certainly, that will be one hundred and twenty yuan and a watch coupon,” the saleswoman said, seeing Xu Lin produce both cash and coupon, realizing she was serious. “Let me set the time for you first.”

She picked up the watch Xu Lin had indicated, glanced at the large pendulum clock hanging in the store, and adjusted the watch as she spoke, “It’s now eight thirty-one. There—you see, I’ve set it accurately.”

“Thank you, comrade. If you hadn’t reminded me, I might have forgotten to set the time.” Xu Lin smiled, handed over the money and coupon, and happily strapped the watch onto her wrist.

The saleswoman didn’t find this strange at all—after all, a wristwatch was a major purchase, and who wouldn’t put it on right away? She hurried to write up the receipt.

Xu Lin pocketed her receipt and moved to a nearby counter, loudly calling out, “Serve the people! Comrade, hello, I’m a soon-to-be sent-down youth and need to buy supplies for the countryside. Please bring me thirty catties of cotton, five meters of cotton fabric, five meters of khaki, three meters of work cloth, two meters of Dacron…”

As she listed the quantities, she also explained while pulling out more coupons, “I’m headed to the Northeast, where it’s very cold. I need to make two thick quilts and two padded outfits, so I’ll need more material. Sorry for the trouble, comrade.”

“No trouble at all. Serve the people,” the saleswoman replied cheerfully, her service instantly improving at the sight of Xu Lin’s stack of coupons.