Chapter 72 The Head of the Family: Old Madam!
"Old bastard?" "Can’t bear it?" Lin Mu not only called Patriarch Chen by name, but he even insulted him as an "old bastard"? And he claimed the patriarch couldn’t bear his apology? Has Lin Mu gone completely mad?
"Scoundrel!"
"How audacious!"
"Such disrespect for your elders! It’s a grave offense!"
Lin Mu’s words immediately sent tremors through the entire hall. Countless people began to condemn him, some even looking ready to attack.
"Lin Mu, do you realize what you’re saying? I think you want to be thrown out of the Qin Family!" Qin Hongshu roared, his eyes darkening. This boy is trying to offend the Chen Family to the point of no return.
"You brat, you’re clearly courting death!"
As expected, Chen Sien was enraged. Murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he pointed at Lin Mu. "Do you really think I don’t dare to touch you?"
"You’re welcome to try!" Lin Mu sat up straight. He did nothing, yet the crowd felt an immense, invisible power erupt from his body.
Chen Sien froze, staring at Lin Mu in disbelief.
In that moment, facing Lin Mu was like facing an ocean or a great mountain.
Unfathomably deep, insurmountably high!
For a fleeting instant, Chen Sien was struck with the illusion of his own utter insignificance.
Seeing Chen Sien stunned into silence, Qin Hongshu was also puzzled. He quickly pointed at Lin Mu and ordered, "Drag this little bastard out of here! Break his arms and legs, then send him to the Chen Family to await their judgment!"
He assumed Chen Sien was simply speechless with rage. But if the Qin Family didn’t do something, they would definitely incur the Chen Family’s wrath.
As soon as Qin Hongshu spoke, several Qin Family bodyguards stepped forward. "Young Master-in-law, our apologies."
Although they were reluctant to move against Lin Mu, they didn’t dare disobey Qin Hongshu’s command.
"Stop!"
Qin Luoli suddenly stepped forward, shielding Lin Mu. With a resolute expression, she declared, "I am here. I’d like to see who dares to touch him!"
"Miss, you..." The bodyguards looked at Qin Luoli, troubled and hesitant.
"What? Are you going to lay your hands on me?" Qin Luoli said coldly. "If you want to touch Lin Mu, you’ll have to get through me first!"
"We wouldn’t dare..."
The bodyguards took a step back, looking toward Qin Hongshu, completely at a loss.
"Useless!" Qin Hongshu yelled. "Are you refusing to listen to my orders now?"
"Second Master, she is the young miss," a bodyguard said, lowering his head.
"So you still remember I’m the Second Master of the Qin Family?" Qin Hongshu snorted. "It seems to me you have no respect for your Second Master at all!"
"We wouldn’t dare..." The bodyguards bowed their heads, mumbling timidly, not daring to meet Qin Hongshu’s gaze.
"Second Uncle, why make things difficult for the bodyguards? If word of this gets out, won’t people say our Qin Family uses its power to bully others?" Qin Luoli said coolly.
Just last night, Qin Hongshu and his wife had humiliated Lin Mu by suggesting she should remarry. Now, seeing him target Lin Mu again in front of outsiders, Qin Luoli could no longer hold back.
"Qin Luoli, you need to understand the severity of this!" Qin Hongshu said coldly. "If we don’t give the Chen Family an explanation, will you take responsibility for the consequences?"
"Severity?" Qin Luoli said coolly. "Second Uncle, and all of you other uncles, perhaps you don’t know what caused this incident..."
"Shut your mouth!" Qin Hongshu cut her off. "What’s the point of saying that now, Qin Luoli? Our priority is to make Lin Mu apologize and placate the Chen Family!"
"So, you’re saying that to pacify the Chen Family, we should ignore right and wrong, and twist the truth?" Qin Luoli’s voice was ice-cold.
"What do you mean, ’ignore right and wrong’ and ’twist the truth’?" Qin Hongshu, flushed with shame and anger, retorted. "Qin Luoli, don’t take my words out of context!"
"If that’s the case, why won’t you let me speak, Second Uncle?" Qin Luoli replied calmly.
"Let her speak!"
Just then, an aged voice called out from outside the hall. Hearing it, everyone looked up in shock. The members of the Qin Family, in particular, stared with their mouths agape in utter disbelief.
An old woman was slowly entering the hall. She looked to be in her eighties, with a full head of white hair, and had such difficulty walking that she relied completely on two Qin Family servants for support.
Yet, though her steps were slow and her appearance was ancient, she carried herself with an intangible, natural dignity. It was a presence born of long-held authority, refined over the course of a long life.
The moment she appeared, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone was as still as a winter cicada, not daring to make a sound.
This was the Qin Family’s Old Madam, the highest-ranking member of the family, mother of Elder Master Qin and great-grandmother to Qin Luoli.
She was already over one hundred years old!
Years ago, when the previous Family Head passed away, the Qin Corporation was on the brink of collapse. It was the Old Madam who stood up. As a woman, she took the helm, shouldered the responsibility for the corporation, and led the Qin Family step-by-step to where it stood today.
When the previous head died, the Qin Corporation was in the midst of a crisis. The Old Madam, however, displayed exceptional business acumen. She struggled tirelessly to keep the family afloat in River City. In the end, she not only preserved the Qin Family’s century-old foundation but even elevated the corporation to new heights.
She silenced all opposition and firmly established the Qin Corporation’s status in River City.
It could be said that without the Old Madam, there would be no Qin Corporation today.
For this reason, she was revered as the most respected person in the Qin Family. Even now, her every word was treated like a sacred imperial decree by all.
Later, as Elder Master Qin came of age and she herself grew older, the Old Madam gradually retired from the forefront of affairs.
Even so, no one in the family ever dared to defy her.
Thus, no one in the Qin Family could have imagined that the Old Madam, who usually lived out her golden years in the quiet seclusion of the rear courtyard, would make an appearance today.
"Old Madam, why are you here?" Qin Hongshu and the others hurried forward to greet her, their faces etched with alarm.
The Old Madam held a Dragon Head Cane, which she thumped heavily on the floor. Her voice was hoarse but powerful. "If I didn’t come, you all would have completely disgraced our Qin Family!"
The expressions on the faces of Qin Hongshu and the others shifted. Her words were a clear expression of her displeasure with them.
"Our Qin Family has been established in River City for over two hundred years. We have always managed our affairs with civility and earned respect through virtue. But your actions today have left me deeply disappointed!"
After reprimanding them, the Old Madam turned to Qin Luoli. "Luo Li, my girl, you tell me. What exactly happened? If that boy Lin Mu is in the wrong, I, this old woman, will personally take him to the Chen Family to apologize to that young pup, Chen Ruoping. But if he has done no wrong, then don’t blame these old bones if I fight to the death with anyone who dares to lay a finger on him!"
To her, the Patriarch of the Chen Family was merely a "young pup," yet no one dared to challenge her words. After all, in her presence, even Chen Ruoping was just a junior.
The Old Madam’s words were spoken with resounding force, ringing with authority.
This was a true matriarch. Her power was undeniable.