These two people, who usually had no contact, were walking so intimately at this moment, clearly indicating that they had a secret to talk about.

Curious, she followed behind and discovered that they had entered an old cave dwelling.

The cave dwelling was originally built decades ago, but it has long been abandoned.

The entrance to the cave was half-covered by weeds, and there were a few collapsed clods of earth in the corner of the wall.

Zhu Xiuqin and Liu Yuelan looked around to make sure no one was there before quickly slipping inside.

Su Qingzhi held her breath, crouched down, and slowly approached the wall.

Finally, he tiptoed to the window and crouched in the corner to listen.

Sure enough, the sound of arguing came from inside.

When are you going to return my betrothal gifts?

Zhu Xiuqin had a very high-pitched voice, and her tone was full of anger.

"I don't have any money right now, can you give me five yuan first?"

Liu Yuelan reached into her pocket and pulled out a crumpled banknote.

Five yuan? Is that how you treat a beggar?

Zhu Xiuqin immediately started yelling.

"We agreed on a dowry of twenty yuan, and I even paid the money myself! Now that she's run away, are you trying to renege on your debt?"

"Take it or leave it! That money didn't end up in my pocket anyway, so go ask whoever you want it from! What's it to me?"

Liu Yuelan suddenly raised her head, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes, and her tone hardened.

"I don't care! You have to give it to me!"

Zhu Xiuqin took a step forward and pointed at her nose.

"Otherwise, I'll tell your husband that you slept with my Hong'er! Everyone in the textile factory knows that! You can't deny it!"

The cave fell silent for a moment after those words were spoken.

Immediately afterwards, Liu Yuelan's lips twitched, and she suddenly raised her hand.

With a "smack," a slap landed hard on Zhu Xiuqin's face.

Caught off guard, Zhu Xiuqin staggered back two steps, covered her face with her hands, and glared angrily at her.

"You old codger, you dare to talk nonsense and see what happens?"

Liu Yuelan gritted her teeth.

"If you dare utter a single word out of this, I'll make sure your whole family never gets a foothold in Guanshigou!"

Su Qingzhi squatted outside the wall, listening intently, her heart skipped a beat.

Although she didn't know much about the original owner's past, she understood from that slap and that threat how unbearable the secret was hidden behind it.

"You dare hit me? I'm going to find your man right now and expose everything about how you two were all tangled up in bed!"

Zhu Xiuqin screamed and flung her arms away, staggering toward the door.

Unexpectedly, Liu Yuelan rushed forward, grabbed her hair hard with her right hand, and yanked it forcefully.

Zhu Xiuqin screamed in pain as she was pulled backward, staggering several steps back and nearly falling to the ground.

A thought suddenly flashed through Liu Yuelan's mind.

Let's just kill her and get it over with.

But Zhu Xiuqin suddenly sneered, her lips parting to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth.

“If you dare touch me, someone will call the police in a minute! I told Aunt Wang at the street corner when I left that we walked together! She can vouch for me!”

Liu Yuelan's hand froze for a moment, then slowly released its grip.

She can't take the risk.

In her past life, she had nothing and suffered daily beatings and scoldings from her mother-in-law and cold treatment from her husband. That's why she dared to risk everything and perish together with Su Qingzhi.

But things are different now.

She has Fang Youming, a man who truly cares for her and is willing to stand up for her.

Her life had just begun to show a glimmer of hope, and she couldn't bear to let go.

I will pay you back, but you'll have to wait a little longer.

Liu Yuelan stared intently at Zhu Xiuqin.

“If you force me, I’ll go all out. I’ll expose everything, and nobody will get away with it! I’ll tell the commune all about your son’s petty theft and fraudulent welfare payments! Let’s see how you play the victim then!”

After she finished speaking, she clenched her teeth, turned around, and strode out.

If we can't kill them, then we'll try another method.

As she walked, she pondered, her eyes gradually turning cold.

Or, could we use someone else's hand?

Aren't those people at the military dependents' compound always keeping an eye on Su Qingzhi?

If people found out that Su Qingzhi had an ambiguous relationship with Li Hong...

Even if it's just a rumor, it can ruin her reputation.

Su Qingzhi has a fiery and stubborn temper; she can't tolerate any nonsense, so she definitely won't let this mother and daughter off the hook.

Once she makes a move, he can hide in the shadows and watch the show.

If Su Qingzhi still doesn't take action, she'll think of another way.

For example, could Li Hong accidentally ingest rat poison?

The moment the idea popped into her head, her heart leaped with excitement.

Li Hong isn't very bright; he might mistake colorful pills for candy.

If she secretly mixed the medicine into the dates he often ate, who could tell whether it was an accident or murder?

The more Liu Yuelan thought about it, the more beautiful it seemed, and her steps became lighter.

She had no idea that Su Qingzhi was standing quietly behind that pile of dry corn stalks.

When she saw Liu Yuelan's gloomy yet smug expression, her heart sank.

That smile, that look in his eyes, was definitely not the expression a normal person should have.

This woman is probably up to something bad again.

She clenched her fists tightly, resisting the urge to rush out immediately.

After waiting for a while, Zhu Xiuqin finally emerged from the cave dwelling, her face covered in dust.

"cough."

She coughed deliberately.

Zhu Xiuqin turned around abruptly, her neck stiffening, her eyes wide open.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Su Qingzhi.

"Oh my god, it's you! You scared me to death! I thought..."

Liu Yuelan's gaze just now was terrifying; it looked like she was going to tear her apart on the spot.

What do you want from me?

Zhu Xiuqin's voice was hoarse.

She stood at the entrance of the cave dwelling, hands on her hips, staring warily at Su Qingzhi.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!