Liu Xiaomei sobbed anxiously, “I really saw it! Believe me! I’m not lying!”
This time, no one rushed over with sympathy like before.
Everything she said was true!
“Didn’t Liu Xiaomei used to tell us that her own mother beat her and even secretly ate things from the house? She wasn’t lying back then, was she?”
Once the first voice of doubt arose, several others followed in agreement.
“That Zhou Ping girl seemed honest at first. When she first married in, she even gave my second daughter a candy. I liked her at the time, but then Xiaomei said her mother was lazy, greedy, and would secretly hit her. That’s when I started disliking Zhou Ping.”
An elderly woman looked slightly regretful, even nostalgic, realizing she had probably misjudged the somewhat reserved woman back then.
“At that time, Xiaomei, her grandmother, and Liu Meili all spoke badly about Zhou Ping together. Surely they weren’t conspiring to slander her?”
Suspicion gradually shifted from Liu Xiaomei to Wang Shufeng.
Wang Shufeng could no longer sit still. She stepped forward and slapped Liu Xiaomei across the face.
“You brat! You ate the chicken yourself and dared to blame Lin Qiao! You almost fooled me too! Wait until I tell your father to deal with you!”
Liu Xiaomei’s expression of grievance instantly turned to terror. She clutched Wang Shufeng’s arm tightly. “Grandma, believe me! It was really my stepmother who ate the chicken! I’m not lying! Please believe me!”
She absolutely could not let her father find out. After her real mother passed away, she finally realized no one would protect her unconditionally anymore. Her father would really beat her to death!
Impatient with the clinging child, Wang Shufeng forcefully tossed Liu Xiaomei aside.
Now even she felt deceived!
Liu Xiaomei was a born liar! Wang Shufeng knew better than anyone how selfish this granddaughter was. Before, to protect herself, she often colluded with the Liu family women to falsely accuse Zhou Ping.
This time, she had the audacity to blame Lin Qiao for the chicken she herself had eaten—even daring to involve Wang Shufeng in the lie!
Did she think Wang Shufeng was a fool? She’d see how she dealt with this brat!
But right now, Wang Shufeng couldn’t let the crowd continue their discussion.
The chicken was a minor issue—the real problem was the missing one thousand yuan!
After already clashing with Lin Qiao today, she had to get this sorted out.
“Lin Qiao! Even if it wasn’t you who ate the chicken, what about the money? Did you take it back to give to the Yuan family?”
The daughter-in-law had just joined the Liu family, and money had already gone missing. Wang Shufeng was certain Lin Qiao had stolen it!
Lin Qiao, still indignant, didn’t even call her mother-in-law by her title. She said aggrievedly, “Why do you always accuse me wrongly? I’m your daughter-in-law! Smearing my name doesn’t benefit the Liu family at all!
Fine! You say I took the money—then how much was lost? If you don’t tell me, we’ll call the police! Let the police trace the money properly!”
The nearby women’s attention shifted again, no longer caring about the sobbing Liu Xiaomei.
Their gaze toward Wang Shufeng changed; they no longer trusted her. Wang Shufeng seemed to enjoy pinning blame on her daughter-in-law. Thinking back, Liu’s former daughter-in-law Zhou Ping hadn’t been a deceitful schemer as Wang Shufeng had claimed.
But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that—the stolen money was no small matter.
“Xiangyang’s mother, speak up! If Lin Qiao wants the police involved, then we should report it! We have to find the thief!”
“Yes, speak! If Lin Qiao didn’t steal it, it’ll clear your daughter-in-law too!”
Wang Shufeng, however, hesitated, refusing to say how much was missing. In the village, having two or three hundred yuan made you wealthy; if others knew she had a thousand yuan, it would be outrageous!
Calling the police? That was out of the question!
She couldn’t reveal the source of the money…
The crowd stared at Wang Shufeng, but she wouldn’t give a number. Slowly, their eyes began to doubt her.
People had always thought Wang Shufeng was generous despite her temper, tidy, and pleasant to deal with.
Now, they questioned her character. Liu Xiaomei had clearly lied earlier, and the Liu family often colluded to slander Zhou Ping. Seeing Zhou Ping’s past hurt and despair, could it be… she had been falsely accused?
A timid voice spoke up, “Aunt Wang, didn’t you complain recently that Liu Xiangyang spent the family fortune just to marry Lin Qiao?”
The crowd’s eyes now held disdain for Wang Shufeng. They remembered she had often complained that her son spent everything to marry this bride.
With all the family fortune gone, where would the money for daily expenses come from?
Now she was yelling that her daughter-in-law had stolen money, yet refused to say how much was missing. They almost believed her!
Wang Shufeng was furious; she had really lost money!
Lin Qiao, calm and rational, said, “Mother-in-law, if money truly is missing, we should report it to the police. I believe everyone here will cooperate and help find the thief.”
Compared to Lin Qiao’s understanding, Wang Shufeng’s evasive behavior only worsened her standing with the crowd.
Even Wang Shufeng began to feel uncertain. Could it be that Lin Qiao really didn’t take the money?
Perhaps a thief had sneaked in while the house was empty and stolen it?
…It wasn’t impossible.
But if Lin Qiao didn’t take it, what about the money? One thousand yuan! Could it really not be recovered?
Wang Shufeng felt helpless, keeping her head down in silence.
Finally, an older woman stepped forward to settle the matter.
“Enough! Shufeng, it’s late. Stop causing a fuss. I can see that Lin Qiao is a good child. Treat her well from now on; don’t blame her for every little mess. Everyone here isn’t blind!”
Everyone had originally intended to help Wang Shufeng rein in her unruly daughter-in-law, but things turned out differently.
Wang Shufeng panicked—how was she the one being scolded? She had really lost items, and if Lin Qiao hadn’t gone home, leaving the house unattended, the thief wouldn’t have come. Her losses were severe!
Without her saying a word, Lin Qiao understood. Her expression solemn, she said, “Thank you, elders, for speaking up for me. But if my mother-in-law can’t accept me, I’ll return to my parents’ house.”
A few concerned women immediately took on the role of guardians.
“Lin Qiao, don’t exaggerate. Who goes back to their parents’ house right after marriage? Your mother-in-law was just upset because Xiangyang is hospitalized. You’re a junior—don’t take it to heart.”
“Exactly! There’s no grudge that lasts overnight. Shufeng is your mother-in-law—don’t hold a grudge over trivial words.”
“Yes, yes. All parents mean well. Lin Qiao, you must understand that!”
The crowd finally voiced what they had been thinking all night, and their hearts felt lighter.
Lin Qiao smiled shyly. “Everyone misunderstood. I thought my mother-in-law was still angry, Xiangyang hadn’t returned, and my stepmother just gave birth. My parents’ house was busy, so I wanted to go help for a few days. Nothing serious at the Liu household.”
Everyone nodded. Lin Qiao truly was a sensible child. To think Wang Shufeng could still be dissatisfied after marrying such a daughter-in-law!
Wang Shufeng was about to explode with anger! How could she call the yard ‘nothing serious’ when it was filthy?