Tang Jin stared at their retreating figures and let out a cold, mocking smile.
Then she began emptying out the Tang family home.
In the master bedroom, she found Zhang Xiuli’s savings box. There was quite a lot inside—more than three thousand yuan, along with a stack of ration coupons.
Under the bed was a hidden compartment that probably belonged to Tang Zhiyuan. What a joke. He was always crying about having no money, yet there was a thick wad of cash inside. Tang Jin didn’t even bother counting it. There was also a wristwatch, a jade bracelet, gold bars, and other valuables.
She then found Tang Meiyu’s private stash. It wasn’t much, just a little over a hundred yuan, but there were quite a few nice items. Many of them had originally been gifts from Grandpa to Tang Jin, only for Tang Zhiyuan to take them away and give them to Tang Meiyu.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
She swept up every valuable item in Tang Meiyu’s room—watches, necklaces, rings, the radio, pretty clothes, bolts of fabric—and stored them all inside her space.
Looking around the Tang household, Tang Jin’s eyes gleamed with mischief.
Why stop there?
She started cleaning out the entire house.
Grain, cooking oil, flour, pork, eggs, rice from the kitchen…
Even the pots, bowls, ladles, and chopsticks weren’t spared.
The family’s cotton jackets, padded trousers, quilts, shoes, socks, peony-patterned bedsheets, enamel washbasins decorated with red flowers, sewing machine, bicycle, enamel mugs…
Even the canned oranges Tang Zhiyuan had received as factory welfare benefits disappeared.
Tang Jin didn’t leave them so much as a single needle.
Before long, the entire house looked utterly empty.
Patting her hands together in satisfaction, she slipped away from the cannery workers’ compound under the cover of darkness.
Thinking of all the things Du Qingfeng had tricked away from her over the years, Tang Jin felt unwilling to let it go.
So she made another trip—to the Xu family.
The Xu family had never been allocated housing and still lived in a small house left behind after her grandfather had surrendered his property.
At this hour, Du Qingfeng and Xu Zhi were surprisingly still awake.
“Ah Zhi, don’t worry. Those things will be mine sooner or later. And what’s mine is yours.”
Du Qingfeng’s voice was so gentle it practically dripped with sweetness.
Xu Zhi, however, looked dissatisfied.
“That daughter of yours just needs to be taught a lesson.
“Wouldn’t it be better if she obediently handed over everything and married my nephew? Then you could keep looking after her.”
“You’re right. She’s being ungrateful. But she loves me the most. I’ll talk to her again later.”
As Du Qingfeng comforted the man she had always loved, Xu Zhi remained unhappy.
“How about this? Bring her over tomorrow. I’ll have Xiaobo come too. Once they’ve slept together, it’ll be a done deal. Then she can start giving our Xu family descendants as soon as possible.”
“Th-That’s not very appropriate, is it?”
Du Qingfeng sounded hesitant.
Standing beneath the wall outside, Tang Jin curled her lips into a mocking smile.
Her eyes grew damp.
Tilting her head back, she refused to let the tears fall.
“What’s inappropriate about it? That brat has suddenly developed a rebellious streak. If you don’t straighten her out now, what if she stops listening to you and gives everything to your ex-husband instead?”
At the mention of Tang Zhiyuan, Xu Zhi felt both inferiority and resentment.
Yet there was also a trace of pride.
In every way, he was inferior to Tang Zhiyuan.
But Du Qingfeng loved him.
“I’ll give it a try tomorrow.”
A flicker of reluctance crossed Du Qingfeng’s beautiful eyes.
But she quickly convinced herself otherwise.
She was doing this for Xiao Jin’s own good.
Staying in the city was surely better than being sent to the countryside.
Tang Jin stood there silently for a while.
The more ruthless they were, the better.
It made it easier for her to erase every last bit of affection she still held for them.
Only after loud snores began coming from inside did she move.
She took out a bamboo tube and blew a puff of drugged powder into the room.
Then she used the key her grandfather had given her to unlock the door and stroll boldly inside.
The Xu family was poor.
But because Du Qingfeng loved Xu Zhi, she had purchased many good things for the household after marrying him.
A bicycle.
A sewing machine.
A radio.
An electric fan.
Thermos flasks.
Leather shoes.
Wool coats.
…
Tang Jin stripped the place clean.
Even the quilts they were sleeping under disappeared.
Unfortunately, it was midsummer, so they wouldn’t freeze.
Inside a camphor-wood chest, she found Du Qingfeng’s dowry, over two thousand yuan in cash, and a thick stack of coupons.
After cleaning out their room, she moved next door to Xu Hao’s room.
The wooden acupuncture model sitting on the table had originally been a gift from her grandfather to her.
Du Qingfeng had taken it away and given it to Xu Hao.
Xu Hao wasn’t home at the moment—he was probably visiting his biological mother.
Tang Jin therefore looted without restraint.
Xu Hao’s private savings amounted to only twenty yuan.
But his men’s wristwatch was the latest model, and his clothes were made from the most fashionable fabrics available.
Du Qingfeng really did treat her stepson well.
A few minutes later, the entire Xu household had been emptied out as well.
Then Tang Jin’s eyes rolled thoughtfully.
Using her left hand to disguise her handwriting, she left behind a note:
“Heaven’s justice is clear. Retribution never fails.”
After writing it, she flicked her sleeve and left.
Returning to the workers’ compound, she still had one final performance to put on.
At this hour, Tang Zhiyuan and Zhang Xiuli still hadn’t returned.
They were probably waiting for confirmation that their scheme had succeeded.
Tang Jin calmly took out a quilt and lay down to rest.
Around five in the morning, she heard soft footsteps.
Then came Tang Meiyu’s barely suppressed sobbing.
“Mom, I don’t want to marry that old man! Waaaah…”
“Meiyu, endure it for now. Don’t let anyone hear. Mom will think of another way.”
Zhang Xiuli ground her teeth in hatred.
That little bitch Tang Jin.
It was all her fault.
She would make Tang Jin pay.
Tang Zhiyuan was heartbroken as well.
“Don’t worry, Meiyu. Dad won’t let you suffer any injustice.”
The family of three sneaked back home.
Apparently, negotiations had failed, and they still hoped to cover up Tang Meiyu’s loss of chastity.
But the moment they stepped inside, all three froze.
Why was the house empty?
Where was everything?
Had their house been robbed?!
Tang Meiyu already knew about the scheme.
The one who should have been sent to the old man’s bed tonight had been Tang Jin.
Furious, she charged into the room.
Sure enough, Tang Jin was sleeping on the bed.
And the room was completely bare.
“Tang Jin, you bitch!”
Tang Meiyu lunged at her.
Zhang Xiuli had rushed to check on her money first, so she wasn’t there to stop her.
At that very moment, Tang Jin opened her eyes as if startled.
Then she kicked Tang Meiyu flying with a single blow.
“What are you doing?! Have you gone crazy?!”
She deliberately shouted at the top of her lungs, making sure every neighbor could hear.
The building’s soundproofing was terrible to begin with.
Tang Meiyu hit the floor with a cry of pain, instantly waking the neighbors next door.
“Tang Jin! Where’s everything in the house?!”
Tang Zhiyuan had checked the other rooms as well.
Zhang Xiuli stood there clutching an empty cash box.
Everything was gone.
How could this have happened?!
She nearly spat blood from shock.
Tang Jin.
It had to be Tang Jin!
“What are you talking about? I’ve been asleep the whole time.”
Tang Jin deliberately played dumb.
Then, as though noticing something for the first time, she let out a shrill scream.
“My quilt! My clothes! Where are they?!”
“You’re asking me? It was obviously you!”
Rage completely overwhelmed Tang Zhiyuan.
He had already forgotten Zhang Xiuli’s warning to keep things low-profile.
He raised his hand to strike Tang Jin.
But she had anticipated it.
Lightly dodging aside, she sprinted toward the door.
As she ran, she cried loudly, determined to wake everyone in the workers’ compound.
Zhang Xiuli panicked and finally realized what was happening.
“Quick! Stop her!”
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Tang Qiu had opened his door.
Several curious neighborhood aunties were already gathered outside.
The sky was only beginning to brighten.
At a glance, everyone noticed the clear handprint on Tang Qiu’s face.
It was part of the pitiful makeup Tang Jin had deliberately created earlier inside her space.
Someone couldn’t help blurting out:
“Tang Zhiyuan, have you no shame? Beating your child first thing in the morning?”