Qiao Wanyue said softly, “Thank you, Auntie.”
Mother Lu held her hand and patted it. There was no trace of her earlier fierceness. “Good child.”
“Eldest daughter-in-law, let’s go home.”
With a wave of her hand, Mother Lu led her “troops” back.
Eldest Brother Lu and his wife, like loyal guards, immediately took their positions at their mother’s side.
They left.
With the main figures gone, the crowd that had gathered to watch the excitement also dispersed.
Qiao Father seemed drained of all strength and collapsed onto the ground.
Qiao Wanyue lowered her head and said a few words to Aunt Taohua before slipping away along the wall.
She took a shortcut through the back door. The Lu family lived in Xiaohe Village, right next to the Qiao production team. When Qiao Wanyue reached the village entrance, Mother Lu and the others were resting there, reviewing what they hadn’t done well earlier.
Qiao Wanyue appeared from the path, startling the three of them.
“Child, why are you here?” Mother Lu didn’t dislike this new daughter-in-law—in fact, she rather liked her.
Qiao Wanyue walked up to them without wasting time. “Auntie, I’m worried that what Qiao Shanshan said might be true.”
Eldest Sister-in-law Lu spoke bluntly, “She’s full of nonsense. My Yunzhou is a hero—how could he possibly—”
“Let Wanyue finish,” Mother Lu interrupted.
Qiao Wanyue nodded gratefully. “Sister-in-law, Auntie, let’s set aside superstition for now. Brother Yunzhou didn’t come back even for the engagement, and there’s been no news these past few days. Tomorrow I’m going to the county to send him a telegram, telling him to be careful and watch out for danger.”
In her previous life, news of Lu Yunzhou’s sacrifice came ten days after their marriage. He didn’t make it back for the wedding—he had already reached the provincial capital but was called back for an urgent and dangerous mission.
There was nothing Qiao Wanyue could do, except warn him to be cautious.
She thought of the water in her space—perhaps she could make some kind of medicinal pills for him to carry.
It wasn’t that she feared losing her husband, but that the Lu family had suffered too tragically in her previous life.
She didn’t want them to repeat that fate.
In her previous life, after Lu Yunzhou died, his elder brother went to the army to bring back his ashes. On the seventh day after his death, he still hadn’t returned, and the Lu family held a memorial.
During the memorial, Eldest Sister-in-law discovered Qiao Shanshan’s affair.
She caught the man, but in the struggle, she suffered massive bleeding, losing even the three-month-old child in her womb.
Two lives were lost.
Eldest Brother Lu returned holding his brother’s ashes, only to see his wife’s corpse. He went mad on the spot.
Unable to bear the blow, Mother Lu sent Qiao Shanshan to prison.
She died that very day.
Father Lu’s hair turned white overnight. While taking care of his deranged eldest son, the two of them were eventually beaten to death by the hooligan’s family.
The entire family perished.
Mother Lu pondered for a moment. “Wanyue is right. I’ll go back and write a letter, explaining everything clearly. If he can return, that’s best. If something really happens, at least he won’t die in confusion.”
“Wanyue, my words may not sound pleasant—don’t take offense. Regarding Yunzhou’s work, we have wronged you. I swear to you, if something truly happens to him, I will not force you to stay.
But you must observe three months of mourning for him. After that, our Lu family will prepare a dowry and marry you off.”
Qiao Wanyue smiled. “Auntie, you’re too serious. You were speaking for my sake just now—I understand. I’ll also be going to the county tomorrow. Let me explain everything in the telegram. Let’s meet at the county post office tomorrow.”
After speaking, she turned and left.
There were still matters at the Qiao family that she needed to handle.
Watching her departing figure, Mother Lu smiled in satisfaction.
“Mom, Comrade Qiao seems much more reasonable than Qiao Shanshan,” Eldest Sister-in-law Lu said bluntly.
Mother Lu nodded. “Yes, and she speaks well too.”
“Xiaoju, don’t go home. Go to your parents’ house and tell them everything that happened today,” Mother Lu said, narrowing her eyes.
Wang Xiaoju’s mother was famously talkative—anything she heard would spread across the entire town within half a day.
Wang Xiaoju nodded, half-understanding. “I’ll go right away.”
“Wait.” Mother Lu took out five yuan and a pastry coupon. “Buy two jin of mung bean cakes to bring with you.”
Wang Xiaoju looked at her mother-in-law gratefully, silently resolving to carry out her instructions well.
At the Qiao family home—
Liang Xiu and Qiao Shanshan lay in the main room, crying loudly, while two police officers impatiently took notes.
Qiao Sheng squatted on the ground, smoking.
“Where did you go? The house has been robbed—do you even know that?” Liang Xiu, having nowhere to vent her anger, lashed out at Qiao Wanyue the moment she saw her.
“Mom, my stomach hurt just now, so I went to the latrine. What happened?” Qiao Wanyue looked at the officers in shock.
One officer asked, “Your parents say your house was looted. Where were you this afternoon?”
“I was working in the fields. Aunt Taohua was with me the whole time.”
“What time did you go?”
“After lunch, just after my parents left.”
“Did you notice anything unusual when you left?”
Qiao Wanyue shook her head. “No.”
The officers were in a dilemma. The Qiao family house was now bare—aside from the walls, even the chamber pots were gone. And in just one afternoon, even a robbery should have left footprints, but the place was spotless—not even a chicken feather remained.
One officer looked at Liang Xiu suspiciously. “Are you sure your house was robbed?”
It wasn’t that he doubted her—but everything was too clean.
It looked more like the belongings had been moved in advance.
Liang Xiu had already fainted from crying three times.
When she returned home and saw the empty rooms, she nearly went mad. The house had been completely emptied overnight—not even a needle was left behind.
“Officer, you must catch the culprit,” Liang Xiu pleaded, placing all her hope on them.
The officers exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness in each other’s eyes.
They had seen many cases—stolen money, missing people, lost children, even stolen underwear—but never an entire household vanishing overnight. It was too absurd.
They could only record everything and investigate further later.
After seeing the officers off, Qiao Sheng squatted in the yard, smoking.
His stomach growled. He wanted to tell Qiao Wanyue to cook, but looking at their truly empty home, the words stuck in his throat.
“Wanyue, go to Aunt Taohua’s house and borrow a pot and some flour. Make something to eat,” he said tiredly, taking out a crumpled one-yuan note. “Buy whatever you can—just fill our stomachs first.”
Qiao Wanyue took the money silently and left.
She bought some corn cakes and cabbage from Aunt Taohua’s house and returned carrying a large basin. Even the pots and utensils were borrowed.
After dinner, she returned the basin and chopsticks.
The Qiao family sat in the yard, sighing endlessly.
Damn thieves—even the quilts were taken.
In the warm June evening breeze, the air brushed gently across their faces.
Yet the Qiao family could not feel a trace of joy.