C1 As Time Passed His Luck Became Better and Better

"Mom, I've put the vegetables over here."

In the kitchen, Soong Yan was tending to a simmering pot of soup. Seeing Lin Hao return, her face soured. "What took you so long? Did you develop a limp? Half an hour just to buy vegetables?"

As she spoke, Soong Yan yanked his bag closer and scrutinized its contents.

"Where's the garlic?"

"I... I forgot to buy it," Lin Hao stammered.

"What was that?" Soong Yan's eyes bulged with fury as she grabbed a broom and thwacked Lin Hao on the head. "You forget to buy groceries, yet you never forget to eat! You're useless. I can't fathom why the Old Master chose you as my son-in-law!"

Lin Hao scrambled to avoid the blows, but he slipped, and his head collided with the table's edge, blood trickling down his forehead.

Unmoved by his pitiful state, Soong Yan huffed disdainfully, tossed the broom aside, and shoved Lin Hao out the door.

"Forgetting to buy groceries? Maybe you shouldn't even be in this house. Get out!"

Lin Hao watched helplessly as the door slammed shut, feeling a deep sense of injustice, yet powerless to change anything.

For two years since marrying into the Meng family, such scenes had become all too common. Any minor mistake would earn him a barrage of insults or even a beating.

His back and thighs bore marks from Soong Yan's bamboo whip. A scar marred the corner of his right eye—a painful reminder of the time he forgot to shut the door and Soong Yan, in her rage, hurled a bowl at his face without a shred of mercy.

Even now, Lin Hao vividly recalled Soong Yan's lethal glare and his wife Meng Shuran's indifferent demeanor.

He sighed deeply.

After cleaning his wound, Lin Hao stood at the doorstep, the swelling on his forehead throbbing, silently pleading for Soong Yan's anger to subside.

But the door remained shut, and the sky darkened ominously as rain began to fall.

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Lin Hao's shoulders tensed, his face frozen in a grimace. His fists clenched in a moment of frustration before he forced them to relax.

Drenched, his clothes clung to his skin, the chill biting into him. Yet the physical cold was nothing compared to the icy desolation in his heart.

The rain was relentless, drenching Lin Hao in a deluge of droplets that soaked him to the bone in an instant.

"Mom, it's a downpour out here. Please, let me come in—I swear I won't mess up again!" Lin Hao shivered, the chill in the air biting at him, as he pleaded desperately.

Inside, Soong Yan caught sight of Lin Hao, soaked through by the rain, and a flicker of revulsion crossed her face. She resented him for his inability to contribute to their family over the years. His attempts at street vending and various jobs had all ended in failure. Having him as a son-in-law, she felt, was a stroke of terrible luck!

Soong Yan's disdain for Lin Hao was a daily occurrence. She wished he would just leave on his own accord, but she hadn't anticipated his stubborn refusal to go.

Nevertheless, Soong Yan eventually relented and opened the door, her worry that he might fall ill—and the subsequent medical bills that would fall on her—outweighing her frustration.

"I can't seem to get rid of you!" Soong Yan tossed a towel at Lin Hao with disdain. "Just don't keel over on our doorstep; it'll bring us bad luck."

Lin Hao inhaled deeply, holding back any retort, and silently dried himself off. He retreated to the bedroom and shut the door behind him.

After changing into dry clothes, he emerged to find Soong Yan gone. On the living room sofa lounged two stunning women, engrossed in the television and idly cracking sunflower seeds.

They were both strikingly attractive with enviable figures—Lin Hao's wife and her close friend.

"Lin Hao, snap out of it! We have a guest. Get moving and slice up some fruit," his wife commanded.

With a resigned expression, Lin Hao nodded hastily and made his way to the kitchen to prepare a fruit platter.

Meng Shuran nibbled on the fruit he served without sparing him a glance.

"Take out the trash," she instructed coolly.

"Sure," Lin Hao replied, promptly stooping to tidy up the litter the two women had left behind.

His pesky mother-in-law had finally left, but in her place stood his wife, who equally held him in contempt.

In the two years since he married Meng Shuran, Lin Hao had not once shared an intimate moment with her—not even a simple handhold. Relegated to sleeping on the floor, Lin Hao had grown accustomed to it.

Yet, the greatest torment for him was the undeniable fact that he had fallen for Meng Shuran during their daily interactions.

Unbeknownst to many, Lin Hao was the eldest grandson of the prestigious Lin Family from the Northern Lands and the designated heir to their legacy.

Two and a half years prior, he had invested nearly two hundred million to acquire a 20% stake in the teetering Fengyun Group. However, he was maliciously slandered and framed, leading to his and his parents' expulsion from the Lin Family.

Stripped of his status, Lin Hao had no choice but to marry into the Meng family to make ends meet, a secret he kept from everyone, including Meng Shuran.

"Your husband sure is docile," commented Meng Shuran's best friend, Zhao Xiaoke, with a chuckle.

Casting a glance at Lin Hao, Meng Shuran replied with a cold laugh, "He depends on me for his livelihood, and since he can't even secure a job, he has to toe the line. Unlike you, with your wonderful husband, I have everything to worry about."

Zhao Xiaoke scrutinized Lin Hao, who was busy cleaning up, and scoffed, "You're such a beauty, yet you settled for him. What were you thinking?"

Meng Shuran exhaled in frustration, "It's infuriating. I've been stressed out with company issues lately. And now, there's a family gathering tomorrow night that I dread attending with him. He's just going to embarrass me."

Setting aside her snack, Zhao Xiaoke dusted off her hands, sat up straight, and suggested, "Forget about him for now. Tell me about what's been troubling you. I heard there was some trouble with a contract you had with someone?"

With a nod, worry creased Meng Shuran's lovely face.

Last month, my company landed a new partnership deal, but we hit a snag—there was a miscalculation in the data. Our product fell short of the standards, and now we're on the hook for a 7 million yuan payout. Our finances are tight, and I need to secure at least 4 million yuan in investments within a week, or we're staring down the barrel of bankruptcy."

Zhao Xiaoke's eyes bulged at the figure. "How on earth can you rustle up someone to invest four million yuan in your company in just one week?"

Meng Shuran remained silent, her gaze shifting. She caught sight of Lin Hao, who had just come back from taking out the trash and was now eavesdropping by the door. Anger flared within her.

"What are you doing snooping around? Have you washed my clothes yet? Get moving and wash them now!"

Zhao Xiaoke chimed in, "And don't forget my skirt! It's in the bag on the sofa."

Lin Hao nodded hastily and scurried off to do their laundry.

He tossed all their clothes into the washing machine, then thought to wash his own damp clothes. He had a class reunion at noon the next day and needed to look sharp.

Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He checked it—there was a text message and several missed calls he hadn't noticed before. The caller ID showed his grandfather's number.

They hadn't spoken in two and a half years. Why was his grandfather reaching out now, with calls and texts?

Frowning, Lin Hao opened the message, and his eyes went wide in shock.

"Come back and help the Lin Family! If you refuse, the Lin Family is doomed to fall apart!"

Stunned, Lin Hao stared at the message. They had driven him out of the family over two years ago, and he barely had fifty yuan to his name. And now they were asking for his help? It had to be some kind of joke.

Lost in thought, his phone vibrated with another message from the same number.

"The Fengyun Group shares you bought have multiplied in value over the past two years. If you lend us a hand, the Lin Family can surely weather this storm. Please, I'm begging you to come back and help the Lin Family!"

The value of Fengyun Group's shares has multiplied that much?! Just how wealthy is he now?