Lin's father, though furious with his family, still held a glimmer of hope. But hearing them not only refuse to admit their mistakes but even shift the blame onto others chilled him to the bone.
He didn’t look at his family. Instead, his weathered face turned toward the police officers as he asked, "Officers, how can this matter be resolved?"
One officer replied in a calm tone, "There are two options. First, you settle it privately without our involvement. Second, you pursue legal action. Even though they’re your family, the evidence is clear—this case is straightforward. Fines or jail time are both possible."
At the mention of fines and jail, the Lin family’s composure shattered.
But what shocked them even more was that their usually timid second son dared to make such a decision right in front of them!
Had he lost his mind?!
Old Lady Lin, an ignorant rural woman, couldn’t grasp the officers’ words. In her mind, her granddaughter was right—family disputes and physical fights were completely normal. How could they possibly warrant fines or jail time?
"Since when is disciplining my own son and daughter-in-law a crime? Where’s the justice in that?" she snapped, quickly recovering. She craned her neck and shouted, "What business is it of yours if I teach my son and his wife a lesson? Why should we pay fines or go to jail? Haven’t your own parents ever hit you?"
As soon as she finished, her eldest son, Uncle Lin, stepped forward. "Fines? It’s the second brother’s family who’s been unfilial first! As the eldest brother, it’s my duty to discipline him—that’s only right! If anyone should pay, it’s them!"
The hospital buzzed with activity, and the family’s loud voices, combined with the presence of police, drew curious glances from passersby.
Hearing the commotion, onlookers realized it was a family dispute.
In these parts, every household had its share of conflicts—fights and quarrels were nothing new.
But no matter how serious things got, people always urged reconciliation, not division.
This was the first time anyone had seen a family drag their own parents and eldest brother to the police station.
While shocked, they also felt a twinge of disdain.
No matter what, these were still family.
Taking things this far was simply too much.
Si Nian smirked coldly at Old Lady Lin and her son before shifting her gaze to Lin Wei, who was cowering guiltily in the back.
The way he kept sneaking glances at his mother, Wang Cui, betrayed his guilty conscience.
"You’re right," Si Nian said. "An elder brother disciplining his younger brother isn’t wrong. A mother disciplining her son and daughter-in-law isn’t wrong either. But I’ve never heard of a nephew beating up his own uncle and aunt."
"Your son smashed my mother’s head open—she needed over a dozen stitches! And now you’re demanding compensation from us? Fine. You want money? Here, I’ll give you money."
She yanked Lin Wei forward and kicked him hard.
Caught off guard and scrawny as a monkey, Lin Wei crumpled to his knees from the blow to his leg.
Everyone froze. Wang Cui was the first to react, shrieking, "You bitch! How dare you hit my son?!"
But before she could swing at Si Nian, Zhou Yueshen—tall and imposing beside her—blocked the way, his thick brows furrowed in displeasure.
With a single motion, he sent Wang Cui flying backward, landing hard on the floor.
Si Nian sneered. "What am I doing? Teaching my little brother a lesson. If Uncle Lin can discipline my parents, then as his elder sister, shouldn’t I discipline him too? Why so worked up, Auntie? You just want money, right? That’s easy. Once I cripple your son, I’ll pay you whatever you want."
With that, she delivered another brutal kick, this time to Lin Wei’s stomach.
The crowd instinctively winced, stunned.
Lin Wei, barely over five feet tall and scrawny from laziness and poor health, writhed on the ground in agony.
The twenty-something man burst into tears, wailing, "Ah! You damn bitch! That hurts like hell!"
Wang Cui’s heart shattered at her son’s cries. She scrambled up to intervene but faltered at the sight of Zhou Yueshen’s intimidating frame.
Turning to her stunned husband, she pinched him furiously. "What are you staring at?! Our son’s getting beaten to death! Stop her, you idiot!"
Uncle Lin snapped out of it, but fear kept him rooted in place. His own short stature—inherited by his son—left him dwarfed by Zhou Yueshen. The man’s fists looked as big as his head, and the way he’d effortlessly flung Wang Cui was terrifying.
If his wife, who was sturdier than him, had been tossed aside so easily, what chance did he have?
Still, he couldn’t let his son suffer. From a safe distance, he yelled, "Si Nian! Stop this right now! You’re breaking the law!"
Old Lady Lin panicked. "You wretched girl, let my grandson go! If anything happens to him, I’ll make you pay!"
"Officers, do something! She’s going to kill him!"
Si Nian scoffed. "We’re just roughhousing. Isn’t that normal for family?"
The officers nodded in agreement. "An elder sister disciplining her younger brother isn’t unusual. Why make a fuss? Haven’t you ever disciplined your siblings?"
Uncle Lin and Old Lady Lin choked on their words.
"Talk! Who told you to hit my dad? If you don’t answer, I’ll beat you to death!"
"Waaah! Stop! I admit it! It was Mom! She said if we crippled Uncle, their family wouldn’t be able to run their business anymore! I was wrong! Please let me go!"
With no one coming to his rescue, Lin Wei bawled, snot and tears streaming down his face.
A collective shudder ran through the crowd.
Wang Cui’s face went pale. She was done for.
Si Nian stopped and turned her icy gaze on Uncle Lin’s ashen-faced family. "Officers, you heard that. This was premeditated assault—no, attempted murder!"
Even the Lin elders were stunned.
They might not have favored their second son, but they’d never condone crippling him!
With his bad leg, he already struggled to work. If he were disabled, how would they survive?
They depended on his family’s financial support for their retirement!
And now, to learn their eldest daughter-in-law had put their grandson up to this—their faces twisted in rage.
"You vile woman! How dare you use my grandson for something so evil?! I’ll kill you myself!"
Old Lady Lin lunged at Wang Cui, grabbing her by the hair.
The onlookers, who’d initially thought the Lin family was overreacting, gasped in horror.
Who could be so cruel as to plot to cripple their own brother-in-law out of jealousy over his business?
This was monstrous!
