Chickens and dogs fly in chaos and rebirth

Chapter 13

"Let's go, let's go."

"It will be too late if we don't leave now."

"Let's go, third brother!"

Shang Lin recognized the person opposite him at first glance—Yin Yeyao!

Yin Yeyao, who is petty and bullies the weak over a single origami crane!

How did he end up here?

The first question that came to Shang Lin's mind.

Who wears a floral shirt?

The second question.

The little kid looks quite dashing in his formal attire.

My first thought.

In this closed-minded town, floral shirts are considered outrageous.

My second thought.

She was so absorbed in her own reflections that she didn't notice what the others were doing.

Seeing that the group of thugs who dared to extort Qiu Shanglin were trying to leave, Yin Yeyao sneered, "Trying to leave?"

With a cold snort, the man in the floral shirt took a step forward, blocking their path.

Yin Yeyao came here specifically for Qiu Shanglin.

He had seen her a month ago, and after a fight, for some reason, her demeanor and speech left a very deep impression on Yin Yeyao, especially her way of speaking, which was exactly like his mother's, making Yin Yeyao, who had been sent away from his mother, miss her terribly. A few days later, he heard from people going to the market that she was selling 'juice' on the street, which piqued his curiosity even more. He originally planned to come and see what she was up to the next day, but the relative he had just received a telegram from insisted that he not go alone.

A few days before that, his youngest brother, who was only three months old, died unexpectedly.

It was called an accident, but everyone knew the real story. It was all because a group of women were vying for the emperor's favor, secretly using underhanded tactics. They would stop at nothing to secure the position of the legal wife and a large sum of money.

This is a mess. It's impossible to know who was responsible, and even if we did, what difference would it make? They're all the mothers of his children, all his own flesh and blood. When he has so many children, so many he can't even count them all, the continuation of his lineage becomes less important.

His mother, a high-achieving law school graduate, immediately sensed the danger. Although she sent him far away, she worried that someone might still be concerned about him, so she telegraphed a distant relative, forbidding Yin Yeyao from going out in the near future. A few days later, she even sent a bodyguard named "Hua Zi" over. After all, a son was an indispensable factor in her competition for favor; without a son, what was the point of competing? Why was the position of the principal wife unstable? It was because she hadn't given birth to a son!

Don't let Hua Zi's muscular physique fool you into thinking he's all brawn and no brains. He's someone your mother relies on highly; he's intelligent, skilled, and loyal to her because he's benefited from her kindness. He kept putting it off, and a whole month passed before he finally had time to see her.

What did he see?

Someone actually dared to blackmail her in public!

Yin Yeyao was furious, furious that he had never extorted her, and that she had never bowed down to him, so why should she bow down to a few low-level thugs?

This anger was inevitably reflected in his gaze. Qiu Shanglin, receiving the angry glare, was completely bewildered. "I don't think I've done anything to him lately, have I? Why is he angry with me?"

Definition of ruthlessness

Old Jiu steadied himself, looked up at the muscular man in the floral shirt who was as imposing as a mountain in front of him, and forced a smile: "Dude, could you please let me through?"

There was not a trace of his usual arrogance left.

Hua Zi remained silent, then looked at Yin Yeyao questioningly.

He had a sullen face and didn't say a word.

Seeing this, Hua Zi followed his gaze to Qiu Shanglin, who looked completely bewildered. Thinking of the 'strange wild girl' that he had mentioned several times in the past month, he took it upon himself to make a decision.

"Leave the money behind." He was from the North, but he grew up in the South with his parents, so he spoke with a Southern accent.

Lao Jiu and the others had never heard a southern accent before, so they couldn't tell the difference, but they immediately realized that he wasn't a local, and they were overjoyed.

No matter how powerful they are, if they're not locals, they'll still get bullied!

Intimidated by his physique, Lao Jiu mustered his courage and retorted, "You think you can just keep me like that? What kind of gang do you belong to?!"

Yin Yeyao scoffed and said impatiently, "Why bother arguing with them? Leave the money, cripple my arm, and tell them to get lost!"

This startled not only the onlookers and Qiu Shanglin, but even Hua Zi, who had faced life-or-death situations before, was quite frightened. Such a young child, yet so quick to shout for violence. Although he knew his young master had a dark and tyrannical nature, their crimes didn't warrant death, much less the loss of an arm, did they?

Besides, they were living far from home, so it was best to keep a low profile. Hua Zi suggested in a low voice, "Give them a beating, but forget about their arm."

Yin Yeyao didn't speak, but just gave him a gloomy look.

In that single glance, Hua Zi discerned the implied warning. A chill ran through him as he suddenly realized he was no ordinary child; the Yin family's offspring were never weak, especially given his mother's ruthless and decisive nature!

He was used to having people unconditionally obey his every word—a trait his mother had deliberately cultivated in him from a young age. Authority and the domineering presence of a superior were qualities the future head of the Yin family must possess.

Besides, I've been here for a month and tried to stop him several times for his safety. He tolerated it because I'm his mother's confidante, so he's probably already resentful. If I were to go against his wishes for a few insignificant people...

Hua Zi is a smart person; smart people think things through very thoroughly.

Xu Mi, Yin Yeyao's mother, was sent to her only son's side partly out of necessity, but also because she valued him. Now that the situation in the Yin family is becoming clearer, among the women eyeing the wife, she is the most competitive. Her identity as a lawyer also gives her a great advantage. In an era where the law is increasingly valued by the government, Xu Mi is undoubtedly an indispensable talent resource for the Yin family.

Once she becomes the matriarch of the Yin family, Yin Yeyao will rise to become the first heir of the Yin family, and with that rise in status, he, who once had the merit of supporting and protecting her, will naturally also...

Thinking of this, Hua Zi couldn't help but thank Xu Mi, who had saved his life, and for the advice she gave him before he left.

Don't underestimate Xu Mi just because her name sounds too feminine.

The character "蜜" (mi, meaning honey) in her name comes from a quote in the *Cai Gen Tan* (菜根谭): "Great evil often lurks in gentleness, and wise men must guard against needles hidden in cotton; deep hatred often arises from love, and enlightened people should stay away from honey on a knife's edge." This suggests that her scholarly upbringing did not produce a virtuous lady, but rather an ambitious and scheming woman. Her willingness to sever ties with her family to secure a position within the Yin family demonstrates her courage and determination.

This woman, whom even the shrewd old patriarch of the Yin family dared not underestimate, had only two words to describe her eight-year-old son: "ruthless"!

As she spoke, her face was full of pride.

Yin Yeyao is born to do great things! Her only regret is that Yin Yeyao is too gloomy. She said that with training, he would be a perfect schemer, more than capable of managing the current Yin family. However, once the Yin family grows and develops in the future, he will not be able to succeed in the position of power solely through schemes.

A successful leader should be able to employ both overt and covert strategies; that is, overt strategies should be revealed to the public, while covert strategies should be hidden behind the scenes.

He needs a good mentor.

With these words of emotion, Xu Mi entrusted him to you: "Before he comes of age, I entrust him to you. Do not yield to his fierce wings; I still need his wings to consolidate my position!"

Having received such instructions, how could Hua Zi possibly offend Yin Yeyao for the sake of a few minor characters?

He took a step forward, about to reach out and grab the third brother who was closest to him.

Shang Lin had been watching their every move. From the moment Yin Yeyao ordered the man in the floral shirt to cripple their arms to the moment he actually did it, only two minutes had passed. She shouted nervously:

"Don't!"

He walked around the small stall in front of him, rushed to them, and shouted again, "Don't hit them! Don't hit them! Please don't hit them!"

Hua Zi wouldn't listen to him. He quickly pushed aside Lao San's struggles and grabbed him as easily as a chick. Just as he was about to hit him hard, a soft little hand suddenly landed on his arm and pleaded, "Don't hit me."

Noisy

Although they only had a brief ten minutes or so of contact, Shanglin really liked Lao San, this somewhat simple-minded but very righteous child—well, she still sees everyone else as a child!

Besides, harmony brings wealth. If you can't even make money, what's the point of setting up a stall?

But how could Hua Zi, who had survived countless battles, possibly listen to her? Without even hesitating, he easily brushed her hand away. With a sudden burst of strength in his right hand, Lao San cried out in pain. However, Hua Zi hadn't even used his full power yet. Seeing the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, Shang Lin was horrified. He knew the woman in the flower shirt wouldn't listen to him, but obeying Yin Yeyao's orders, he hurriedly begged:

"Stop hitting him, tell him to stop hitting him!"

Her pure, innocent eyes, like those of a fawn, pleaded as she looked at Yin Yeyao. He felt a sharp pang in his heart, as if they were telepathically connected, and he could sense Shang Lin's thoughts. Seeing her eyes welling with tears, Yin Yeyao quickly said:

"never mind."

After the hooligans sheepishly returned the money, promising never to bother Shang Lin again, they slunk away one by one, heads bowed. Shang Lin, with a sullen face, tidied up the stationery in front of him, not even glancing at Yin Yeyao.

He felt deeply aggrieved.

I helped you teach those who bullied you a lesson, and instead of thanking me, you gave me a hard time! Do you think I'm someone who can be so easily swayed by others' attitudes? At home, I'm the boss, I bully men and women, I'm arrogant and domineering... Oh well, she's just a kid, a little girl, I'll just coax her. A real man shouldn't stoop to the level of a little girl!

Comforting himself with this thought, Yin Yeyao suppressed his displeasure and went to her side to help her tidy up.

He has no idea how to tidy up; he's just making things worse!

He picked up the pencil, examined it, and said dismissively, "Crude workmanship!"

He picked up the grape-scented eraser, tossed it up and down in his hand, and exclaimed, "It smells cheap!"

I picked up the pencil case and examined it closely: "It's rusted!"

Shang Lin remained silent with a stern face, unmoved by the storm. "I can't beat you, but can't I at least avoid you?" she thought. She figured if she ignored him, he'd leave after making a fool of himself. But then Yin Yeyao shamelessly approached her. And to make matters worse, he started criticizing the items Shang Lin had personally selected.

This is intolerable!

Although these stationery items appear extremely crude by modern standards, however…

"Are you ever going to stop?!" She slammed down the small bag containing her stationery and glared at him angrily.

I can be picky, but who do you think you are?

Just like her attitude towards Qiu Xia Lin—I can fight, so why should anyone else? I can curse, so why shouldn't anyone else try to curse me? Given Shang Lin's current ferocity, if Qiu Xia Lin gets beaten up, she might not even see it, but if someone dares to curse her to her face, she'll jump up and set their house on fire!