The village chief's demeanor clearly indicated he had no intention of being an approachable patriarch, but rather a strictly official village head.
A different village chief meant a different atmosphere, and the villagers lost their usual ease.
They all resented Lin Wan in their hearts.
At this moment, Lin Wan was in court, facing her own brother.
Lin Er had hired the same lawyer as before, who was thoroughly familiar with the Lin Er family's affairs.
Coupled with the front-page news in the provincial newspaper, he poured all his energy into winning Lin Er's two lawsuits.
He became a strong support for Lin Wan, the "weak party," and Lin Er, the "poor man."
Lin En Tiger's prison sentence was extended by two years.
When it came to the nurse case, the hospital hired a legal team but still lost the lawsuit.
This was because Lin Er's lawyer stuck to one point: Was Lin Er a patient? Did the nurse consider the consequences when forcibly straightening Lin Er's arm?
How could a nurse who didn't consider consequences be trusted by a patient? If patients didn't trust nurses, they wouldn't trust the hospital, leading to a series of consequences. Could the hospital afford to bear them?
The hospital's legal team advised the hospital to settle out of court, arguing that even if they won, their reputation would be damaged, making it not worth the loss.
How could the hospital not have considered an out-of-court settlement? But Lin Er adamantly refused.
He claimed the nurse had meddled in his affairs; he was disciplining his daughter by pinching Lin Wan, and it was his family matter, none of the nurse's business. The village chief had to pay a hundred thousand yuan for meddling, so if the nurse meddled, she should pay two hundred thousand yuan, or there was no room for negotiation.
Lin Er's illogical arguments gave the hospital a headache.
Asking the nurse to pay this sum was impossible, and the hospital was even more unwilling to pay it. Thus, they could only go to court.
The final outcome was that the nurse had to compensate Lin Wan for her second surgery, nutrition, and nursing fees, totaling 36,000 yuan.
The nurse was unconvinced, but Lin Er's lawyer silenced her with a single question: What is a nurse's duty?
The provincial newspaper reporter, specifically invited by Lin Er, reported this fact with a heavy heart.
Lin Wan became famous again.
This time, the small group who had favored Lin Wan defected.
They accused Lin Wan of being ungrateful, suing even a nurse who saved lives. Who would dare help her in the future?
With her as an example, wouldn't con artists become even more rampant?
Lin Wan, still in the hospital, could already feel the strange glances cast her way.
She asked her elder sister why their father was treating her like this.
Wasn't she saving their family money by asking Town Chief Li for medical expenses?
Lin Man looked at her for a long time, and only when Lin Wan started to feel guilty did she ask:
"Do you genuinely want to save Dad money? Are you resentful that Town Chief Li reported the case and broke up our family?"
"You wish Dad was paralyzed, you agree with Big Brother's actions, and your heart is with Big Brother and Mother."
"I can see it, and Dad can too. With his personality, how could he let you off the hook? He is the real victim."
"You sympathize with Big Brother and Mother, and you think that if the family assets are in Big Brother's hands, you might get more."
"Since Dad dislikes girls and often says he won't give a single penny to Eldest Sister and Second Sister, you're worried he won't give you any either, right?"
"Do you know that before Eldest Sister and Second Sister left, Dad begged them to come back to take care of us three, and the property would be divided equally into four parts?"
"Eldest Sister and Second Sister refused. Before Dad could find another reasonable solution, you turned around and sued Town Chief Li. That's when Dad understood your intentions."
"You not only ruined your own reputation and ours, but you also lost your inheritance."
"Impossible!" Lin Wan shook her head. "I have inheritance rights, my father has no right..."
Lin Man waved her hand gently, interrupting her. "When Big Brother was here, why didn't you dare to fight for inheritance rights?"
"You are indeed a bully as others say. You only dare to act when someone is weak. You're not afraid of Dad now that he's down. You're not afraid now that Big Brother is in jail."
"Don't forget, you added two years to Big Brother's sentence. When he gets out, will he let you off?"
"You're not afraid of Dad, and you're not afraid of Big Brother after he gets out of jail? This is Dad's plan. He has blocked all your paths to seek help."
Lin Wan feigned calmness and said, "I, I can find Town Chief Li. He is the town chief, he should take care of me."
"Heh." Lin Man sneered. "Does a town chief manage your family's petty squabbles? Unless something major happens, who would bother with villagers' family matters?"
"Town Chief Li is fifty years old. In eleven years, he'll likely have retired."
"If he hasn't retired, if I were Big Brother, I'd wait four years for him to retire. I wonder if Big Brother would do that."
Lin Wan fell silent.
The two caregivers glanced at her simultaneously: Serves you right. You courted disaster.
...
May Day marked the start of the fifth season of tourism in Kushanli.
Days earlier, the guesthouses and the accommodation in the new village buildings in Kushanli were already fully booked.
Even the guesthouses in Yicun, Er'cun, Zhangshan Village, and Zhonghe Village were full.
The tourists came early with the purpose of seeing Lin Wan.
They wanted to see what an eight-year-old girl who dared to sue three people looked like.
Kushanli certainly couldn't push Lin Wan forward.
Even though the Lin family father and daughters had been discharged from the hospital.
Tourists inquired with the villagers, but the villagers, who hated Lin Wan, wouldn't tell them where Lin Wan lived.
Unable to get Lin Wan's address, the tourists were unwilling to leave and simply stationed themselves in the village, waiting.
Lin Wan, who thought she would have freedom after being discharged, was forced to hide at home and couldn't go out. Not only her, but Lin Man and Lin Er also couldn't go out.
Lin Er could now get out of bed and walk slowly, his stiff legs still needing support.
However, the doctor had told him to do rehabilitation exercises at home, walking and moving more each day. With sustained effort, he could walk on his own, but he would never be able to walk like a normal person.
Chen Fu searched diligently for a few days and finally found a husband-and-wife nanny.
He had also informed the couple about the Lin family's situation beforehand, and only when they agreed to come did he sign the employment contract with them.
Before their discharge, Chen Fu called the village and, upon learning that the village was already swarming with tourists eager to see Lin Wan,
He first took the couple back to the Lin Er family's small Western-style house to settle them in.
Then, under the cover of midnight, he brought Lin Er and his two daughters back. This was why the tourists couldn't find Lin Wan.
Unable to go out to exercise and walk, Lin Er paced back and forth in the living room every day. He cursed while exercising.
The male nanny, Old Yu, was talkative. He often advised Lin Er to stay calm and not get angry, as rage could lead to another stroke.
The female nanny, Old Feng, was quiet. After finishing her chores, she would silently help mend the clothes of the three employers.
Lin Man sat beside them, watching. She thought she should learn these skills for the future.
Old Feng shook her head, remarking that nowadays girls bought more clothes and threw them away before they were worn out, so there was no need to learn mending.
Lin Man looked at the closed courtyard gate. "Having a woman who mends clothes makes this house look like a home, giving it a homey feel."
Old Feng sighed. The only reason this home had fallen apart was money.
Money could break up a family.
Lack of money could also break up a family.
"When you're fully recovered, I'll teach you."
Lin Man happily nodded. "Thank you, Aunt Feng."
Lin Wan scornfully glanced at them. Just a nanny, and she's calling her aunt? Sister is too polite.
Being too polite can lead to being taken advantage of.