Lu Daqiang rushed into the house and, upon seeing the split wooden box and the empty wallet, felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Grabbing the empty wallet, he stormed out of the room. “Where is she?!”
Jiang Nuan feigned ignorance. “Who do you mean? Oh, I see.” She pointed to Lu Laopozi’s room.
Lu Daqiang charged over.
Hearing him return, Lu Laopozi, afraid of being exposed and laughed at, hurried out, and they collided head-on.
“Daqiang, you’re back.”
“Where’s the money?!” Lu Daqiang’s eyes blazed with anger. “Where’s my money?!”
Lu Laopozi desperately winked at him and whispered, “Let’s go inside and talk.”
Jiang Nuan deliberately raised her voice: “Why can’t it be said in front of everyone? Why must it be inside? So you’re saying Lu Daqiang’s money is yours? But judging by his expression, it doesn’t seem that way.”
“Jiang Nuan, shut up!” Lu Laopozi yelled. “This is none of your business!”
Jiang Nuan sighed, looking at Lu Daqiang. “Yes, yes, yes, I’m meddling too much. Anyway, it’s not my money. You deal with it yourselves.”
Watching Lu Laopozi and Jiang Nuan argue back and forth, Lu Daqiang grew frantic. He grabbed Lu Laopozi’s arm. “Give me back my money!”
Lu Laopozi felt as if her arm was about to break, sweating from the pain. “Listen to me…”
“Get away!”
Lu Daqiang pushed her aside and stormed into her room.
He turned the room upside down, but found nothing.
Lu Laopozi, seeing the mess, anxiously slapped her thigh and grabbed Lu Daqiang. “Stop searching!”
People were gathered at the door and outside the windows, so she lowered her voice. “I didn’t take your money. Your wallet is completely empty.”
Lu Daqiang threw the empty wallet at her face. “Nonsense! Didn’t take my money? Then where did the money in my wallet go?! Did it sprout wings and fly away?”
“Ouch!” The wallet’s corner jabbed into Lu Laopozi’s eye.
She cried out in pain, covering her eyes and screaming.
The room was in chaos, her anger already burning, and now Lu Daqiang dared to lay hands on her. Her fury shot straight to her head, and she said whatever came to mind.
“I said I didn’t take it! And you still hit me?! I’m your mother! Hitting your mother—are you even human?!”
“Mother? You’re supposed to be my mother?” Lu Daqiang scoffed. “My real mother’s long gone underground. Enough nonsense. Give me my money!”
Lu Laopozi stomped her foot in frustration. “I really didn’t take it!”
Not being his biological mother clearly meant she couldn’t be trusted!
After raising him with such effort, now she refused to admit anything.
Not only that, she said hurtful things, making a spectacle of herself.
Jiang Nuan saw the hatred in Lu Laopozi’s eyes and smirked. “Some people love to claim other people’s money as their own. Now, looks like the joke’s on you. If I were you, I’d just hand over the money and save some face.”
The villagers nodded in agreement.
Aunt Wang looked at Lu Laopozi. “Rourou’s mother, give the money back. Look how anxious Daqiang is.”
The village chief’s wife added, “We all saw it. Your pocket was bulging, and you even patted it, saying the money was inside.”
Lu Daqiang suddenly looked at Lu Laopozi’s pocket. She quickly shook her head. “There’s no money in here, just some junk.” She emptied the pocket onto her hand.
“See? This is the cloth I used to wrap the money. The money’s all spent. All that’s left is this rag and a used handkerchief. Nothing else.”
She handed over the dirty handkerchief, but Lu Daqiang recoiled in disgust.
Could it be that he had misunderstood?
Jiang Nuan crossed her arms and snorted, “Who knows if you swapped it?”
Hearing that, Lu Daqiang’s gaze toward Lu Laopozi turned sharp again.
Lu Laopozi’s scalp tingled. “I really didn’t take it. I… I only pretended to have the money to make it look good for everyone, to show that you were willing to spend on Rourou. You searched the room—found nothing. I really didn’t take the money.”
She regretted trying to impress everyone.
Jiang Nuan sneered. “Words alone are worthless. This room is huge. Who knows if you hid it somewhere?”
Lu Laopozi glared at Jiang Nuan. “Shut your mouth! Stop stirring trouble and messing with our relationship!” Then she turned to Lu Daqiang.
“Daqiang, don’t listen to her nonsense. If I took your money and didn’t return it, may heaven strike me down!”
Boom!
The sun was shining, but suddenly thunder rolled.
Lu Laopozi’s legs went weak, almost sending her to the floor.
Jiang Nuan looked at her meaningfully. “Even heaven can’t stand it. Nothing to do with me.”
How could such a coincidence happen?
Lu Daqiang stared at Lu Laopozi. “Last chance. Give me the money!”
All his savings were gone at once—like losing his life.
Lu Laopozi broke into a sweat. “I really don’t have it.”
Jiang Nuan suggested, “If you won’t hand over the money, take her to the police station. Once there, she’ll have no choice but to speak.”
Lu Daqiang’s eyes lit up. Why hadn’t he thought of this?
Lu Laopozi widened her eyes in fear. “No, no! Daqiang, don’t listen to her! The police station is not a place for people—it strips you down.”
She trembled, realizing too late she’d fallen into Jiang Nuan’s trap.
“You, Jiang Nuan! You schemed against me from start to finish!”
Jiang Nuan raised her eyebrows innocently. “I can’t control what people eat, but I won’t lie. When did I scheme against you? Slandering someone is illegal. Keep trying to accuse me, and if Lu Daqiang doesn’t send you to the police, I will!”
Lu Laopozi’s face went pale, both wronged and furious. “You set a trap from the beginning, waiting for me to fall in. You deliberately took out the axe, luring me to chop open Daqiang’s door. Knowing I care about appearances, you tricked me into claiming I got the money in front of everyone, so Daqiang would misunderstand and send me to the police!”
Jiang Nuan rolled her eyes. “I took the axe because you insulted my husband. You grabbed it and forced open Lu Daqiang’s door. Everyone saw it. I tried to warn you—you wouldn’t listen. Now you blame me? The one who should feel wronged here is me!”
The villagers nodded, condemning Lu Laopozi together.
Lu Daqiang, listening to everyone side with Jiang Nuan, suddenly grabbed Lu Laopozi’s arm.
She shook her head frantically. “Daqiang… you can’t…”
“To the police station!”