chapter 16 Mother and Susan Su disappeared

William Lin looked at his mother's expression and quickly placed his hand on her back, continuing to channel his spiritual energy to calm her heart and lungs.
"Mom! Don't get so worked up; it's all in the past!" William reassured while soothing his mother's heart and lungs.
"You, you're just like your father, cut from the same cloth. Both of you are such kind-hearted souls. Look at your father, he spent his whole life being a kind-hearted man, and what did he end up with? Now, he can only watch over us from the grave."
"If my old Lin family did something wrong, I won't spare them either. But if they bring trouble upon themselves like this, I won't be easy to mess with. We usually avoid trouble, but if it comes, we won't be afraid. Don't worry, Mom, I've got your back," William Lin said, seeing his mother's determined expression.
Looking at her son's earnest face, Lin's mother sighed and nodded. "I'm just afraid you'll end up like your father."
"Don't worry, Mom, I won't be as kind-hearted as Dad. I'll make sure everyone knows that William Lin isn't someone to be messed with," William said, locking eyes with his mother.
His father suffered in the end because he spent his whole life being a kind-hearted man. His salary was embezzled, and he was even physically assaulted. In the end, he succumbed to depression. William still vividly remembered his father's pitiful state back then.
"Mom, it's getting late. Please go inside and get some rest. Don't catch a cold!" William Lin said, looking at his now calm mother. After much effort, he finally convinced her to go back inside.
After ushering his mother back inside, Lin's mother, in a much better mood, immediately started gossiping. She subtly gestured towards Susan's room and whispered, "That girl is pretty good."
Then, she shook her head, muttering to herself, "A beautiful girl like her wouldn't be interested in you."
Hearing his mother's words, William Lin almost choked. Seriously? Did his mother have to say that about her own son?
Knowing his mother's temperament, William was afraid she might sneak over to Susan's house to cause trouble. He waited until she had fallen asleep before finally preparing to go to bed himself.
After entering the living room, William Lin took a deep breath. He had tried his best to persuade his mother, but it didn't mean he wasn't angry. A trace of disdainful smile played on William's lips.
Shaking his head, he looked at the modest couch and sighed, "Good buddy, it's just you and me tonight!"
As soon as William finished speaking, he noticed Susan sticking her head out, staring straight at him, as if she were wrestling with some inner dilemma.
Seeing Susan's expression, William couldn't resist making a playful remark, "What's the matter, can't sleep? Do you want me to keep you company?"
Susan rolled her eyes and said, "I just feel a little guilty. It looks quite cold outside. How about you come inside and sleep in the room? We can make a makeshift bed on the floor; at least it won't be so cold!"
William Lin didn't expect Susan to genuinely invite him into her room to sleep.
"Don't get any funny ideas. I just felt a little guilty about visiting your house and taking your bed. It's just a tiny bit," she explained, emphasizing the "tiny" with a hand gesture.
After a moment's thought, William picked up the bedding from the couch and headed into the room. Once inside, he simply tossed the bedding onto the floor and prepared to get some rest.
"Remember, if you dare have any inappropriate thoughts, I'll call your aunt!" Susan threatened, glaring at William Lin.
William nodded to show that he understood, then covered his head with the blanket and went to sleep.
Seeing William's obedient behavior, Susan turned off the light and went to sleep as well.
Just as William had entered the room and closed the door, Lin's mother quietly opened her bedroom door. She glanced at the living room and noticed William was not there. She then looked significantly at Susan's room, wore a mischievous smile, and pulled her head back into her room, closing the door to go back to sleep.
The morning in the countryside was exceptionally tranquil, without the bustling noise of the big city, only the sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking.
As the day began to break, William woke up, glanced at Susan still sound asleep, and quietly picked up the bedding, heading back to the living room.
When he opened the door to the living room, he found his mother already sitting there.
...
William Lin looked at his mother in embarrassment, a black line on his face, not expecting her to be up so early.
"Uh, well, I'll go prepare breakfast. Mom, do you want noodles?" He quickly spoke while putting down the bedding, fearing his mother might start prying into things.
Seeing her son acting so sneakily, Lin's mother couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
After preparing the noodles, William urged his mother to start eating and then went to wake up Susan for breakfast.
Once Susan got up, she quickly freshened up and joined them to enjoy the noodles.
While eating, William turned to his mother and said, "I've found a way to treat your illness this time."
Hearing his words, a glimmer of hope flashed in Lin's mother's eyes, but it quickly faded as she replied in a low voice, "It must cost a lot of money, right? Don't waste your money, save it to buy a house!"
William Lin had only informed his mother last night that he was dating Alisa Zhang but hadn't dared to tell her that Alisa had taken all his money, fearing that she couldn't handle the news.
Quickly, William said, "It's a prescription I got from an old Chinese medicine practitioner. It's very affordable! But I heard it has excellent medicinal properties."
Hearing that it was traditional Chinese medicine and reasonably priced, Lin's mother nodded in approval.
"Don't worry, I'll get better," William reassured her.
After breakfast and washing the dishes, William started processing the medicinal herbs he had obtained. He dried, cleaned, and ground the herbs, working diligently all morning to complete the initial preparation.
Meanwhile, Susan went for a walk with her mother.
As lunchtime approached, William had already prepared the meal and heated it. However, when he noticed that his mother and Susan hadn't returned, he began to sense that something was amiss.
William picked up a few stones from the ground and started divining. After determining the direction, he immediately ran out to search.
He searched far and wide, almost reaching the outskirts of the village, before finally spotting two figures.
Susan was being held by her mother, while a few men leered at her.
William Lin quickly ran up to see what was happening. When he reached his mother's side, he got a clear look at the men's faces and furrowed his brows slightly. These men were notorious bullies from the neighboring villages.
They were known for their misdeeds, such as peeping at widows while they bathed, harassing young girls, and collecting protection money. They were involved in all sorts of wrongdoing, short of murder and arson.
However, the leader, Luca Zhang, had a father with influence in the town, and the others were registered as "Five Guarantees" households, which meant they were impoverished and vulnerable. This situation allowed them to get away with their actions, as nobody dared to confront them openly. If someone really crossed them, it would lead to trouble.
"Oh, who do we have here? It's the guy who dumped his girlfriend as soon as he got involved with a wealthy woman!" Luca Zhang taunted upon seeing William's arrival.
These men were of similar age, and William had been a victim of Luca Zhang's bullying during their childhood.
"What I do is none of your business," William replied calmly.
Hearing William's words, the men burst into laughter.
"Oh, I didn't know we were dealing with such a big shot! Just a guy living off a woman's fortune, yet he dares to be arrogant in front of me! Are you asking for trouble?"
"Hmm, Luca, I heard this kid got all messed up by the rich woman he's with. I heard those wealthy folks in the big cities like things like whips and candles."
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard that too."
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