As the neighbor spoke, she looked a little uneasy and turned to the police.
“Officer, you have to find this thief as soon as possible!”
“If someone can steal everything this clean, what if they come for the rest of us next?” she shouted.
The crowd outside immediately pushed their way in to watch the scene unfold. After seeing what happened, many people hurried back home.
Just how skilled was this thief? To clear out an entire house so completely overnight—everyone suddenly felt the need to go hide their valuables.
After all, who doesn’t have something worth protecting?
If it gets stolen, there’s no getting it back.
Even though the police found it hard to believe, they still carried out a proper investigation.
When they finished, Wang Chunhua rushed forward anxiously. “Well? Did you find anything? Can you catch the thief?”
The officer had already written down his findings in a small notebook. Hearing her question, he sighed and shook his head.
“This case is extremely unusual. We’ve never seen a theft this thorough before. We’ll need more time to investigate.”
He paused, then added, “You should prepare yourselves.”
“We found no clues, no signs of forced entry, nothing at all. It’s very possible… the stolen items won’t be recovered.”
“What?!”
Wang Chunhua shrieked like a firecracker. “You must be joking! If we can’t get our things back, how are we supposed to live?”
The officer didn’t know what to say.
She grabbed his arm in desperation. “You’re the police! If you can’t help us, what are we supposed to do?”
“Please calm down,” the officer said helplessly. Liu Dajun stepped in to pull her back.
“We’ll help however we can,” the officer added, “but this case needs further investigation.”
After checking the area one more time and still finding nothing, the police could only leave.
Wang Chunhua slumped on the steps like a wilted plant, weakly patting her shoulders, her eyes dull and lifeless.
All the money she had saved for her son—gone.
Everything in the house—gone.
How were they supposed to survive now?
Just then, Liu Dajun returned carrying a sack of rice, flour, and some sweet potatoes.
“I went back to my parents’ place, explained the situation, and brought some food. I also borrowed some money from a few friends. We’ll get through this for now.”
Inside the house, Liu Qingyue heard everything—but simply smiled without saying a word.
“Mom…”
Liu Wanwan sniffled as she walked over. “I didn’t expect things to turn out like this… Everything’s gone. Even her dowry—we won’t get any of it now. Our family’s fallen apart…”
Wang Chunhua was angry too, but life still had to go on. Suddenly, an idea came to her, and she pulled Liu Wanwan aside to whisper.
Just then, Liu Qingyue walked out of the room. The moment they saw her, they stopped talking.
What were they plotting now?
Whatever it was, she didn’t care.
She had food and supplies stored in her secret space—and even a place to cook. She wasn’t going to starve.
As for them? That was their problem.
The incident quickly spread through the village.
Even after the neighbors left, rumors continued to grow.
Liu Qingyue walked around the village and saw people gathered under a big tree.
As she approached, she heard a woman—known as the village loudmouth—whisper dramatically:
“Do you think… maybe they did something bad, and this is heaven’s punishment?”
Someone rolled their eyes. “Since when did you start believing in superstition? You’re usually the first one spreading gossip.”
“I’m serious!” the woman insisted, lifting her pant leg to cool off. “Who could steal that cleanly? Even moving everything out of a house would take days—but this thief did it overnight!”
That made everyone pause.
“Could it really be punishment from above?”
“That’s terrifying…”
“Chunhua never treated her stepdaughter well…”
“Maybe Wanwan really was trying to steal Qingyue’s fiancé!”
Rumors spread in all directions.
After listening for a while, Liu Qingyue showed no reaction. She simply smiled and walked home.
When she returned, Wang Chunhua had already prepared a meal.
All the pots and utensils had been borrowed from neighbors. Earlier, Wang Chunhua had made a big scene about it—but after Liu Dajun promised to replace everything, she finally calmed down.
When Wang Chunhua saw Liu Qingyue come back, she quickly pulled the bowls and dishes closer to herself and started shoveling food into her mouth.
With one more person at the table, there’d be less to eat—so she made sure to fill herself up first.
Liu Wanwan didn’t react in time. Liu Qingyue simply picked up the bowl in front of her and started eating.
Since Liu Wanwan hadn’t eaten yet, Liu Qingyue figured she might as well take it.
By the time Liu Wanwan realized what was happening, only half a bowl of rice was left.
She slammed the table and cried, “Liu Qingyue! How could you eat my food? What am I supposed to eat now?”
“Not my problem!” Liu Qingyue shot back.
“Just because the bowl was in front of you doesn’t mean it had your name on it. If you can eat it, why can’t I? Or is Dad unwilling to feed me?” she said, looking straight at Liu Dajun.
Liu Dajun opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say.
Wang Chunhua was so angry she felt dizzy and turned away, refusing to look.
Liu Wanwan kept crying.
Ignoring them all, Liu Qingyue went back to her room and entered her secret space to farm.
The night before, she had found some seeds while clearing out the house. Since the land in her space was empty, she planted them, hoping they would provide food later.
The following days were tough.
The police came again but said the case was too strange to solve.
The village buzzed with gossip, and the family argued constantly.
Only Liu Qingyue remained calm—quietly farming in her space, ignoring Liu Dajun’s stress and constant sighs.
She ate when she wanted, slept when she wanted, and lived on her own terms.
She even returned the coat she had borrowed—to the grandmother of the man who had saved her in her previous life.
After half a month, she looked healthier, with a bit more weight on her.
Meanwhile, Wang Chunhua and Liu Wanwan had been secretly planning how to deal with her.
When the time came, Wang Chunhua finally said, “It’s about time for you to go to the island with the army, isn’t it?”
Liu Qingyue ate calmly.
Liu Dajun had borrowed quite a bit of money recently to replace the household essentials.
Perhaps because Liu Qingyue was about to leave, Wang Chunhua had even made noodles that day.
Liu Qingyue enjoyed the meal.
“Your sister will go with you,” Wang Chunhua suddenly added.
Before Liu Qingyue could respond, Liu Dajun put down his chopsticks.
“That’s not a good idea. It’s not safe for two young girls to travel alone.”
Hearing that, Liu Qingyue almost laughed.
So two girls traveling together was unsafe—but sending her alone was perfectly fine?
Right… so she was the one expected to endure everything.
“It’s not unsafe,” Wang Chunhua said casually, glancing around. “I just thought Wanwan could go along and maybe find a job on the island through connections.”
“With our current situation, having another source of income would really help.”
She added, pretending to be worried, “Do you think I’m not concerned? But if things keep going like this, how are we supposed to survive? Maybe Wanwan can even find a good match over there!”
After hearing this, Liu Dajun thought about it.
He had borrowed a lot of money recently. If no one helped share the burden, it would take forever to pay it off.
And he still needed to save money for his son’s future.
“…Alright,” he finally agreed.
The moment he agreed, Liu Qingyue immediately held out her hand.
Wang Chunhua and Liu Wanwan were confused.
“Money,” Liu Qingyue said plainly.
“If we’re going to the island, we’ll need train tickets for both of us—and travel expenses. Or do you expect us to beg our way there?”
“All my things were stolen too. Otherwise, I’d pay for it myself.”
She left them no room to argue.
Liu Dajun’s expression darkened, but he still nodded.
After all, once she reached the island and married Zhou Heshan—a deputy battalion commander—money wouldn’t be a problem anymore.
After dinner, he went out and came back with some crumpled bills.
“This is for your train tickets,” he said, handing the money to Liu Qingyue. “Keep it safe. Get ready—you’ll leave early tomorrow morning.”
He looked noticeably more worn down, his back slightly bent and his voice heavy.
The past few weeks had taken a toll on him.
“Okay,” Liu Qingyue replied simply, taking the money and heading to her room.
Liu Wanwan pouted, clearly unhappy, and tried to act cute.
“Dad, why didn’t you give the money to me? What if my sister refuses to buy my ticket…?”