chapter 18 Dislike of the folks

William Lin could clearly sense the stability of his mother's internal organs—her heart, lungs, and spleen. It was a far cry from the terrible state she had been in when she returned last night.
William Lin nodded to himself, realizing that the treatment had been effective. After a day of rest and recovery, they could proceed with acupuncture tomorrow, and a small smile finally crept onto his face.
'Mom, how are you feeling?' William Lin asked.
His mother replied, 'I don't know how to describe it, but the best part is that my breathing feels lighter now.'
William Lin nodded in agreement. That was the most noticeable change. The accumulated toxins were being expelled through sweat, and with the reduced mucus in her airways, her breathing naturally became easier. It was also a positive symptom for the next stage of treatment.
William Lin was about to suggest that his mother take a rest and continue the treatment later in the evening when they heard a knocking at the courtyard door.
As he opened the door to the yard, he saw a woman in her fifties standing outside.
William Lin quickly exclaimed, 'Auntie!'
Upon hearing William Lin's greeting, the woman referred to as 'Auntie,' displayed evident disdain in her eyes and called out to the courtyard, 'Berly, tonight is the old man's ninetieth birthday. Do you want to come?'
Berly was his mother's name, and the 'old man' referred to the village's former village chief, the most respected and elderly person in the village. He also happened to be William Lin's father's uncle. So, it was only fitting for them to attend the birthday celebration.
William Lin's mother hurriedly came out and said, 'Sure, sure. Thanks for coming over. Would you like to come in for a cup of tea?'
Auntie glanced at William Lin and waved her hand dismissively, 'I have some other things to do. I won't stay long. You go ahead. I'm leaving.'
And with that, she dashed away like a wisp of smoke.
William Lin observed her departure and thought that it seemed like the Zhao family had been busy spreading their version of events. This only fueled his determination to confront the Zhao family.
His mother could tell what William Lin was thinking and reassured him, 'Son, don't read too much into it. Your Auntie didn't mean anything by it.'
'I know, I'm not overthinking it,' William Lin quickly replied.
Hearing her son's tone, William Lin's mother asked tentatively, 'So, would you like to go with me tonight?'
'Of course, why wouldn't I?' William Lin retorted. 'I'm back home now, and if I don't attend, it'll only give them more reason to make things up.'
William Lin was determined to make those people understand the truth tonight. He might not care about their opinions, but his mother did, and he couldn't let them tarnish the reputation of the Lin family.
His mother nodded in agreement and said, 'Just make sure not to cause any trouble. Explain things clearly. Tonight is your great-grandfather's big celebration.'
'Don't worry, Mom. I'm not a child anymore, and I'll handle things with confidence,' William Lin assured her with a reassuring glance.
William Lin then turned to Susan and asked, 'Would you like to join me? If you don't want to go, I can stay home and cook for you.'
Susan hesitated, saying, 'Can I go? I'm an outsider, and it might not be appropriate.'
Before William Lin could respond, his mother chimed in, 'There's no problem at all, as long as you're willing to come.'
Susan looked at William Lin and tentatively asked, 'So, can I come along?'
William Lin nodded, finalizing the decision.
Seeing her son and Susan, his mother quickly said, 'I'll go take a rest now and won't disturb you two.'
After saying this, she hurriedly went inside and closed the door.
William Lin knew his mother had something in mind but shook his head in resignation.
Seeing William Lin's mother go inside, Susan hesitated for a moment and then asked, 'William Lin, what herbs did you use for Susan's medicinal bath?'
William Lin looked puzzled and asked, 'Why do you want to know?'
Susan quickly waved her hand and said, 'Oh, it's nothing, just curious.'
William Lin raised an eyebrow and teased, 'Are you interested in trying the medicinal bath too?'
Seeing Susan lower her head and remain silent, William Lin burst into laughter.
'You really are something,' he said, amused. 'You're still blushing even now.'
After a moment, William Lin came out of the room holding a small box.
Approaching Susan, he handed the box to her.
Susan looked at the box in her hand and asked, 'What's this?'
'Well, since you seemed interested in the benefits of the medicinal bath on the skin, this is the essence I extracted from the medicinal pot. I also added some additional ingredients, so now it's purely a skincare product,' William Lin explained.
Susan's eyes widened as she looked at William Lin, wondering how he knew she was interested in the medicinal bath's effects on the skin.
William Lin chuckled lightly and said, 'I already know. The first thing you asked when you saw me was whether the scars on my face were big or not. And when you were looking at that bath earlier, your eyes were practically gleaming.'
Susan blushed at William Lin's observation and muttered under her breath, 'Being this clever and still getting fooled by those two... I guess love really can cloud one's judgment.'
Hearing Susan make light of the situation, William Lin continued, 'So, do you still want it? This skincare product has even better effects on the skin than those pills.'
Although he was teasing Susan, the skincare product did indeed have impressive benefits, and it had a pleasant fragrance due to some added spices.
Upon hearing William Lin's playful threat, Susan quickly hugged the box to her chest and made a funny face at him.
Seeing Susan's reaction, William Lin couldn't help but smile. 'You're already a grown-up, yet you act like a child.'
'Mind your own business. But I have to admit, your skills are way better than those skincare products made by those so-called skincare gurus I've seen before.' Susan said.
Listening to Susan's words, William Lin thought to himself, 'Of course, it's not even a fair comparison. This is an ancient heritage, far beyond what's available today.'
...
Time passed quietly, and the two of them spent the noon chatting and boasting.
William Lin's mother also changed into clean clothes, and the three of them arrived at the lively venue where Grandpa's ninety-year-old birthday celebration was held.
William Lin didn't expect that the location was just a short drive away from their home. It was an open space where a few elderly people usually gathered for a stroll after meals. Other than that, it was used as a venue for various banquets and gatherings.
Seeing the crowded venue, William Lin exclaimed, 'Grandpa's birthday celebration is quite grand.'
As soon as the three of them entered the venue, the eyes of the people around them were drawn to William Lin and Susan.
However, the way they looked at William Lin was filled with disgust, while their gazes toward Susan were the opposite, full of admiration.
People in the rural village were usually straightforward. They didn't hide their feelings and were direct with their opinions.
William Lin couldn't help feeling a bit helpless seeing these disgusted looks. It seemed that his childhood reputation had completely vanished.
Listening to the hushed conversations around them:
'Can you believe he had the audacity to show up here after doing such despicable things? And with a girl like Susan!'
'It's truly tarnishing his father's reputation. What a sinner!'
'Did you see him laughing and talking as if nothing happened? He's shameless! I'll tell that girl beside him to stay far away from this scum!'
William Lin sighed inwardly, 'Having good hearing isn't always a blessing, it seems.'
..