Turning Antagonist to Protagonist: He is Both Soft and Fierce-Chapter 70 - 65: The Protagonist’s Good Acting Relies on Supportive Side Characters

Chapter 70: Chapter 65: The Protagonist’s Good Acting Relies on Supportive Side Characters

Within the courtyard, Song Tingfan stubbornly refused to admit fault. Seeing that his sister-in-law wouldn’t get up, he knelt on the ground. He wasn’t kneeling out of mistake, but because she knelt.

His kneeling intensified the discussion outside the courtyard, and Song Rong angrily scolded, "Song Ming, get out!"

"Your second brother treated you so well when he was alive, hunted to support your studies, and gave you five taels of silver for your wedding."

"Has your conscience been eaten by dogs? Cough, cough, cough..."

Song Ming is really a heartless person, if he had a bit of conscience, he should be like Song An’s house.

Being reprimanded by his father, he retorted angrily, "That was ages ago."

"Song San! What do you want to do!" Song An burst in angrily from outside, followed closely by Song Hao and Song Mei.

Mrs. Song casually watched the commotion with the women outside the courtyard.

Song Mei quickly helped Lin Qiao up, "Sister-in-law, get up quickly."

Seeing her face pale and sweating, she worriedly asked, "Sister-in-law, are you alright?"

"I’m fine," Lin Qiao weakly shook her head, coughing, obviously pretending.

"Mei’er, quickly help your sister-in-law up, she fainted from illness this morning and hasn’t fully recovered yet," Song Qin said anxiously.

Song Mei, being a woman, was not strong enough to help her up, and Song Hao, being a man, couldn’t help properly.

Noticing his sister-in-law tottering, Song Tingfan immediately stood up, bent down, and easily picked her up, carrying her into the house.

This was the second time the antagonist had carried her. Lin Qiao only paused briefly before resuming her performance, pretending to faint before entering the house.

Song Mei hurriedly shouted, "Brother, call the doctor, sister-in-law has fainted."

Lin Qiao mentally praised Song Mei for her supportive role in enhancing the main character’s performance.

The voices outside the courtyard grew louder, "Song San’s house made Widow Song faint while kneeling."

"Inhuman!"

"Poor Widow Song."

Hearing this, Song Liu was so angry that her mouth twisted, "What does it have to do with me, she knelt by herself."

"Kneeling by herself? If you didn’t force her, would Widow Song and her younger uncle kneel?"

One of the women boldly shouted again, "Everyone in the village knows your deeds."

"What deeds? If you don’t tell, I’ll tear your mouth apart!"

"I’ll tell everyone, you heartlessly robbed the elderly couple’s belongings, now you don’t even take care of them properly, coming to Song’s second family to cause trouble. If Song’s second family is driven to death, you’d be murderers."

"You’re talking nonsense! How have I not taken good care of them? I provide the best food and drink!"

"Oh please, you have the nerve to say that? When the old couple returned, they were just skin and bones, now they’re better because Song’s second family took care of them."

"Song’s second family should take care of them!"

"Oh please, why don’t you share some silver with Song’s second family? Even the poor know to take care of the grandparents, while you live in a brick house in town, and Song Ming earns two taels of silver a month but doesn’t take care of them! Conscience eaten by dogs."

The two little puppies in the yard barked weakly.

Song An looked at Song Ming with an ugly expression, "I wanted to settle scores with you for how you left our parents. Now you dare to come cause trouble at Second Brother’s house?"

"Do you believe I wouldn’t beat you to death?"

The three Song brothers were all tall, with Song Er being the tallest, followed by Song Da, and Song San the shortest.

Song Ming was still intimidated by Song An, knowing he couldn’t take anything from Song’s second family today, "I just came to see my parents."

"See your parents? After so many days, you just now come to see them?" Song An wasn’t fooled by his excuses.

Song Ming pressed his lips together and eventually muttered, "We’re heading back to town now." Then he turned and left.

Song Liu quickly followed.

"If you come causing trouble at Second Brother’s house again, don’t blame me for being impolite!" Song An gave a subtle warning to their departing figures.

Song San’s house left, but the onlookers remained, wanting to see what became of Widow Song so they could share the story at home.

Just then, the delayed arrival of the Lin Family met Song San and his wife head-on, and Li Guifen’s fiery temper unleashed a string of curses, "Heartless, shameless, shamelessly disgusting like maggots."

"Bullying nephews and nieces-in-law will face retribution."

"May they choke on water and choke on food and die."

Song Liu, having experienced Li Guifen’s ferocity in youth, was so angry her face twisted, and she responded without thinking, "Li Guifen, your daughter is just a vixen, used up by men!"

Li Guifen’s weakness was her daughter; without thinking, she charged forward, grabbed Song Liu’s hair, smacking her several times, "Shut your filthy mouth!"

"Ahhh..." Song Liu screamed in pain, reaching out to grab Li Guifen indiscriminately.

Lin Han was concerned for his wife, but as a man, couldn’t help and instead looked at his two daughters-in-law.

With their mother-in-law being attacked, Mrs. Lin Wu and Lin Xushi naturally couldn’t just watch and joined in to help, Mrs. Lin Wu quietly pinched Song Liu a few times, shouting, "Aunt Song, don’t hit Mom!"

"Aunt Song!!"

Song Liu was so beaten she couldn’t shout anymore, her hair a tangled mess.

Lin Han glanced around, "Da Sheng, Shanzi, let’s go."

The women’s affairs were not for the men to get involved, it was just a verbal spat.

The onlookers at the Song Family’s door, hearing the commotion, immediately rushed over.

...

Inside the Song house

Lin Qiao didn’t keep up the fainting act for long, opening her eyes to see the boy’s reddened eyes, as if on the brink of tears.

She felt a bit "guilty," cough, if only briefly, "Little uncle, I’m fine, don’t worry."

"Sister-in-law, are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Song Tingfan nervously looked her over.

"I’m fine," Lin Qiao reassuredly patted his arm.

Soon the doctor arrived, and since Lin Qiao had previous symptoms, fainting was normal. After feeling her pulse, the doctor sternly said, "Don’t let the patient get emotionally unstable; in severe cases, it could lead to shock."

Song Tingfan’s face turned pale as tears, always brimming in his eyes, started to fall.

He wasn’t one to cry; apart from the passing of his parents and eldest brother, he had never cried.

He was afraid of losing his sister-in-law too...

Song Qin gently patted his back, "Niu Niu, be good. Your sister-in-law will be fine, don’t cry."

"Little uncle, I’m really okay." Lin Qiao held his hand, gently pulling it to the bedside, soothingly saying, "Little uncle is a man, no crying."

Song Tingfan wiped the corners of his eyes with his hand, murmuring, "Not crying anymore."

Standing at the door, Song An naturally heard the doctor’s words and sighed silently; Tingyi’s wife really had it hard.

He took some money out of his pocket, "Doctor, please prescribe some good medicine, how much?"

"Early on, three doses were prescribed. Now it seems more serious, so three more doses, 92 cents," the doctor stated earnestly.

Lin Qiao: "..."

This doctor exploiting illness for money.

"Uncle, I’m fine, no need."

"Don’t worry about the cost, I’ll pay it. Just focus on recovering, and don’t overthink things," Song An said without hesitation as he paid the fee.

Lin Qiao opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again.