Now, Captain Liang would no longer treat Fang Ruo like a fool. He was on Fang Ruo’s side. Though there was no proof that Fang Xing was the one who pushed her, anyone with eyes could see that Fang Xing was the culprit.
“First, report to the police station.
Second, return the money my father left when he went away, give back the house you took from my family, return my household register and marriage certificate that you hid, give back the 1,000 yuan betrothal gift you extorted, and kneel down to apologize to me.”
The household register and marriage certificate were rightfully hers—she had to get them back.
Once the house and money were returned, she could live independently. Asking for the betrothal gift back was for canceling the engagement, and whether to cancel it or not should be her decision anyway.
As for the kneeling apology, Fang Ruo included that purely to disgust that family.
As for reporting to the police station, without evidence, the outcome would be more or less the same as what Fang Ruo listed in her second condition. So it was better to give the captain face and settle things here.
Anyone in the Fang family with half a brain would choose the second option.
A 1,000-yuan betrothal gift? The villagers drew in sharp breaths. For ordinary folks, that was a hefty sum. No wonder they used their cousin’s household register to trick someone into registering a marriage—clearly a scam for the bride price!
When the Fang family heard the amount of the betrothal gift, their jaws dropped too, but for a different reason. They were shocked that Fang Xing, that dead girl, had been holding onto such a large sum without telling anyone in the family!
“You dead fool, you ungrateful thing! You think raising you all these years didn’t cost food and drink? Why don’t you just go die? No house, no money, and no apology either—go ahead, report to the police!” Fang Xing’s mother, Liu Qing, pointed at Fang Ruo and cursed.
Fang Ruo cut Liu Qing off. “When my father left, he left behind a good amount of money. And for these five years, every six months my father—”
Fang Xingguo didn’t let Fang Ruo finish and quickly grabbed the conversation. “Report to what police station? This is a family matter. What would people say if this got out? All of you, shut up!” That “shut up” was directed fiercely at his daughter-in-law Liu Qing as the old man pointed at her.
Once Fang Xingguo spoke, no one in the Fang family dared say another word.
In truth, everyone in the Fang family knew what kind of person Fang Xing was. They didn’t have the nerve to take this to the authorities.
“I’ll decide this. Since Fang Ruo wants to move out and live on her own, give her back the house where the eldest lives. Whatever gifts Xingzi took from people, return them, and an apology is due where an apology is owed. The family only has two hundred yuan in cash left. We can give Fang Ruo fifty. From now on, she’ll earn her own work points and support herself.”
Meaning, from now on, they wouldn’t even eat together as a family.
He deliberately said there was two hundred left and offered fifty—a quarter. Fang Xingguo wanted people to think he was generous and hadn’t mistreated Fang Ruo.
Fang Ruo had never expected this family to cough up the money they’d swallowed. What Fang Xingguo offered was within her acceptable range. There was no rush to deal with the Fang family.
The old man was so quick to agree because he was afraid Fang Ruo would expose the fact that Fang Xiang sent money every six months to help raise his daughter. That money had never been disclosed in the Fang family—two hundred per transfer, twice a year, four hundred total, all pocketed as Fang Xingguo’s private savings.
He was an old man with one son, three grandsons, and one granddaughter. After he died, wouldn’t all his money go to his only son anyway? Why hold onto it so tightly? Fang Xingguo probably couldn’t explain it himself—he just felt safer keeping it in his own hands.
Fang Ruo had found out about the semi-annual remittances by chance. Back when she was still simple-minded and wandered around, she’d run into Fang Xingguo at the commune office picking up a remittance notice. She was “slow,” so people didn’t bother guarding their words around her.
“Dad, Fang Xing is your own granddaughter. Isn’t she the one you love most?”
“Grandpa, I won’t return it, I won’t apologize, I just—”
Smack! Fang Xingguo hurled an enamel mug to the ground.
The only way to keep these people quiet was through brute force.
Fang Xingguo pulled a long face and asked, “Captain, do you think my arrangement is acceptable?”
“As long as Fang Ruo accepts it, there’s no problem. Fang Ruo, what do you say?” Captain Liang didn’t want to escalate this either. Reporting to the police station would be like telling his superiors he couldn’t manage his own village.
“Return the house, return the 1,000-yuan betrothal gift, plus that two hundred yuan, and kneel down to apologize. If even one cent is missing, I’m filing a report with the police station. And if the kneeling isn’t done properly, it doesn’t count.”
Wasn’t there supposedly two hundred left? Then she’d take all of it.
Fang Ruo’s voice was pleasant, her words unhurried, yet utterly non-negotiable.
Was this still a fool?
Before this, when Fang Ruo was in her wild phases, she’d been truly wild, and when quiet, truly quiet. But she had never spoken with such clear-headed logic.
One soak in the well water, and she was completely cured.
Captain Liang spread his hands and looked at Fang Xingguo. He supported Fang Ruo’s proposal. He knew about Fang Xiang’s semi-annual remittances.
Fang Xingguo’s mouth moved again and again—probably wanting to curse but forcing it down. By his wishes, he wouldn’t give Fang Ruo a single cent, not even the 1,000-yuan betrothal gift Fang Xing had extorted. But he wasn’t in the right, and half the village was watching. If he didn’t return and repay, this matter couldn’t end well.
“Dad, you can’t do this! The family depends on that two hundred to get by.”
“Grandpa, I was counting on that money to marry a wife.”
“Enough!”
The old man pointed at his son and grandsons and roared.
“Captain, let’s just report this to the police station. My head is really dizzy, and I might need to go to the health clinic in town for a full check-up. If something lingers and becomes a chronic problem, that won’t do—and this money should come out of their pocket too.”
Fang Ruo slowly braced herself to stand up, then swayed and nearly collapsed again, only to be steadied back into her seat by Auntie Qi.
If she collapsed again, that would mean more money! A full check-up? How much would that cost? Fang Xingguo stomped his foot and hardened his resolve. “Fine! Do as she says—pay up!”
What Fang Xingguo was calculating was that it was already July 10th, and the second-half remittance would arrive on the 15th—another two hundred yuan would be in his pocket by then.
Captain Liang let out a sigh of relief. A settlement was better than nothing.
Behind Fang Xingguo, his whole family—especially the mother and daughter—glared viciously and muttered curses under their breath.
“Cursing won’t get you out of paying. Whoever owes money, hand it over now; whoever needs to move out, move out now.”
Fang Xingguo pointed at his eldest grandson and ordered him to vacate the standalone courtyard he was currently living in and return it to Fang Ruo. Reluctantly, the grandson fished out a small cloth pouch and counted out two hundred yuan—leaving only a few one-yuan bills inside, nothing more.
After counting, Fang Xingguo handed the money to Fang Ruo.
Fang Ruo didn’t take it. She found it filthy. She pointed at the ground and told him to toss the money onto the straw mat.
Now, everyone turned to look at Fang Xing and her mother. From the expressions on their faces, it was clear that Liu Qing, as the mother, knew something—and it was entirely possible that that thousand yuan had already slipped into her pocket.
“What are you standing there gawking for? Go get the money! Are you waiting for me to die?”
“Hurry it up. No matter how much that money is, it’s not yours to pocket.”
With Fang Xingguo and the brigade captain both speaking up, and half the village gathered to watch, Liu Qing had no choice but to drag Fang Xing into the room. They dawdled for a long while before coming back out.
When they emerged, Fang Xing was holding an extra cardboard box.
Even at a time like this, they still tried to hold back? Fang Xingguo, shrewd as an old fox, saw through things more clearly than the younger generation. He strode over, snatched the small box, and handed it to Captain Liang.
“Captain, check it—does it add up?”
Captain Liang looked toward Fang Ruo. “You want to count it?”
“Could you count it for me, Captain? I’m afraid I’ll miscount.”
In truth, she was disgusted by the money. In her past life, she’d swiped cards for years, and later a single phone could take her anywhere—she almost never touched cash. Now, whenever Fang Ruo saw money, she couldn’t help but think of all the hands it had passed through, especially those who licked their fingers to count bills. Just the thought made her sick.
“Alright, I’ll count it for you.”
The box was full of brand-new ten-yuan notes, along with the household register and marriage certificate.
All ten-yuan denominations—easy to count.
The onlookers were even more anxious than Fang Ruo. The moment Captain Liang’s hands stopped, someone immediately asked, “How is it? Does it add up?”
Friendly reminder: The website is about to undergo a redesign, which may cause you to lose your reading progress. Please save your “Bookshelf” and “Reading History” in time (screenshots are recommended). We apologize for any inconvenience!