Chapter 31

Even though she hated him so much that she wanted to kill someone, Zhao Shiliu's expression remained flawless. After the initial shock, she smiled and approached Chu Shao and the others, not looking guilty at all.

"I was wondering who it was, but it turned out to be my nephew and niece. What are you talking about? Fu Lai, let Chu Shao go."

Zhang Fulai's face flushed with excitement. Seeing that Zhao Shiliu still didn't understand, he excitedly repeated, "Second Aunt, Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu are here to steal things. I saw them rummaging through your and Second Uncle's rooms with my own eyes. They are thieves and can't be let go. Hurry up, go call Second Uncle back, and we'll send them to the labor camp!"

Zhao Shiliu was about to be suffocated by Zhang Fulai, a pig-brained fool, and was even sent to a labor camp. Did he think that his death was not fast enough?

Among the people present, Zhao Shiliu was definitely the one who least wanted to make a big deal out of it. Chu Shao naturally didn't want to either, but things had already come to this point, with more and more people watching. Plans couldn't keep up with changes, and self-preservation was the most important thing now.

With this thought, Chu Shao tensed the muscles in his arm and pulled it out of Zhang Fulai's hand with a fierce tug. He hugged Chu Jiujiu tightly beside him and took two steps back. Facing the villagers outside the yard, he said coldly: "We didn't steal anything. We are here to take back what belongs to us."

Chu Jiujiu, with Chu Shao hugging her on her left and Han Shengyi accompanying her on her right, had just regained her composure. The panic she'd felt at the hands of Zhang Fulai faded, and she finally remembered that her family was the rightful party and there was no need to fear anyone else. Hearing Chu Shao's words, Chu Jiujiu immediately realized they no longer needed to hide the truth.

Great, she has been waiting for this moment!

Looking up, Chu Jiujiu agreed with full energy, "That's right! We didn't steal anything. It was you who stole things from our house. You stole my mother Zhang Fengjuan's letter of introduction, and every month you pretended to be her and went to the post office to collect the remittances sent to her. You are a liar, you are the real thief!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the villagers watching outside were in an uproar.

It was a little after ten in the morning, almost eleven, and most people were busy in the fields. The onlookers were mostly elderly women, with some young wives returning home to cook. Everyone was there to watch the fun, with no one in charge. Zhou Xiaohe, mingling in the crowd, frowned when she heard Chu Jiujiu's words and continued to stand quietly.

The nosy old lady had already opened the gate of the Zhang family's courtyard and walked in. She tugged at Zhao Shiliu's sleeve and kept asking, "Is it true, Qingshou's wife, that you've been running out every day these days just to collect the remittance?"

Zhao Shiliu gritted her teeth and said nothing, so Chu Jiujiu spoke for her, "Of course it is! I saw it with my own eyes. I even asked the aunt at the post office. She goes there every day, and the aunt knows her. She told me her name is Zhang Fengjuan. Second aunt, you occupied my house before, and now you're stealing our remittances. Why are you so cruel? Do you have to force everyone in my family into a desperate situation?"

Chu Jiujiu opened her innocent eyes. She didn't cry, but her expression was too sad, as if she had suffered a great blow and could no longer trust anyone. Zhao Shiliu almost vomited blood when she looked at him with such eyes.

After calming down, Zhao Shiliu clenched his fists and said, "Jiujiu, you are mistaken. That person is not me."

Chu Jiujiu immediately snatched the letter of introduction from Chu Shao's hand and held it high for everyone to see. "You took the letter of introduction away, and you still say it's not you?!"

Chu Shao also questioned her: "If it wasn't you, then where have you been these days? If it wasn't you, why would the people at the post office know you?"

The villagers' whispers became louder and louder, and some began to denounce Zhao Shiliu. Many people asked her why, but Zhao Shiliu refused to admit it. As more and more people asked, Zhao Shiliu became silent. Looking at her, Han Shengyi always felt that something was wrong.

Just as he was thinking about it, Zhao Shiliu suddenly exploded because of everyone's questions.

She screamed and covered her ears, looking fragile and helpless, as if she couldn't bear it anymore. Everyone was startled by her and fell silent. Two seconds later, Zhao Shiliu dropped her hand and shouted in despair, "Don't ask! That person was me. I went to the post office! But I dare not say it, and I can't say it! Do you know why?"

“Because it’s embarrassing!!!”

She yelled this, turned around abruptly, and looked at Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu. Chu Shao was confused, and Chu Jiujiu was even more confused. No one understood what Zhao Shiliu was acting out. Chu Jiujiu could only watch her pointing at her nose and spitting.

"You only know about remittances, but do you know who sent the money? You definitely don't know. If you knew, I'd beat you to death. You wouldn't dare come here and make trouble today!"

Good heavens, her words directly made Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu's faces pale. Zhao Shiliu said this just to boost her momentum, but unexpectedly, she accidentally hit the point that these two people were most worried about. Outsiders were unaware of the situation and saw their expressions and thought that what Zhao Shiliu said was true. There was really a shameful inside story here.

Suddenly, everyone pricked up their ears, afraid of missing a word, otherwise it would not be so exciting when they told it to others later.

Zhao Shiliu sneered, "A man with no relationship to me always sends money to Zhang Fengjuan every month. Most importantly, his last name isn't Chu. What else do I need to say?"

Chu Jiujiu was bewildered. She didn't understand what Zhao Shiliu meant. Chu Shao half-understood, feeling that Zhao Shiliu was hinting at something, but he couldn't react immediately. Han Shengyi, however, was quicker-witted and understood instantly. The villagers, however, weren't children; they naturally understood what was going on.

The whispers among the villagers became lively again.

"The eldest daughter of the Zhang family is really amazing. How many men does she have outside?"

"It doesn't necessarily have to be that kind of relationship, what if..."

"What if? What man would send monthly remittances to a woman he has no relationship with? He's not a sucker!"

"They already have two children, but they are still so unruly. I really don't know what evil the Zhang family has done. They have even brought shame upon their ancestors."

Gossips don't shy away from speaking; even if they lower their voices, it's loud enough for those around them to hear clearly. Chu Jiujiu finally understood what Zhao Shiliu was planning. She wanted to divert attention from the remittance to Zhang Fengjuan's private life. After all, Zhang Fengjuan was dead, and there was no evidence to prove her wrongdoing. Whatever she said was true, and no one could refute her.

Seeing that it worked, Zhao Shiliu immediately started to shoo everyone away. "What are you talking about? If you've had enough of the fun, leave now! Every family has things that outsiders don't know about. If something happens to your family in the future, I'll stand outside your yard and listen. Are you happy with that? Hurry up and leave. We can handle our family's affairs ourselves!"

Zhang Fulai had always been aloof from the situation. He only wanted to send Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu to the labor camp. Second Aunt was obviously on his side, but for some reason, once Second Aunt arrived, no one cared about Chu Shao's theft anymore. Second Aunt also wanted to drive all the villagers away. If the villagers left, only he and Second Aunt would be left. What if Chu Shao ran away?

No, they can't leave.

Zhang Fulai was only concerned about himself and didn't listen to what everyone had just said. He just knew that this matter could not be let go like this, so when the villagers were about to leave, he ran out and pulled all those people back.

"Don't go! Chu Shao stole something, why don't you arrest him?"

"You arrested my parents, so you should arrest him too!"

Zhao Shiliu was about to cry. Zhang Fulai was indeed the son of Zhang Qingguo and Niu Ailing. His IQ was as touching as that of the couple.

Why are you even bringing this up? Let them go quickly and discuss the rest behind closed doors. Otherwise, there's really no way this will end today!

Zhang Fulai was pulling the villagers, and Zhao Shiliu wanted to pull Zhang Fulai, but before she took two steps, she was suddenly pushed hard from behind. Fortunately, the other person was not very strong, and she only staggered twice and then stood firm. She looked back in surprise and found that Chu Jiujiu ran out from Chu Shao and was looking at her with extreme anger.

Chu Jiujiu was really going crazy.

How could there be such a disgusting person who couldn't tell right from wrong, who turned black into white, and who threw all the dirty water on a dead person? The dead can't speak, but she described it with such detail, as if she had seen it with her own eyes.

Chu Jiu's tone changed due to the alcohol, and he no longer cared about pretending to be pitiful. "Zhao Shiliu! What nonsense are you talking about? What man who is not related to you? How long has it been since you and my mother last seen each other? Who does she know and who does not know? How could you possibly know! You just made up all this stuff because you didn't want us to take the remittance. You are so hateful!"

Zhao Shiliu looked at her, her back to the villagers, and she sneered quickly, "I made this up? Why would I make up such a thing to ruin my family's reputation? Do you know that because Zhang Fengjuan did such a shameful thing, it will be difficult for my Chunhua and Xiahua to find a husband in the future? My Chunhua and Xiahua are so honest, but now everyone knows that they have a slutty aunt. If you hadn't come here to make a fuss today, I would definitely be upset about this for the rest of my life!"

Chu Jiujiu: "Of course you want to keep it to yourself forever, so no one knows you're fraudulently claiming other people's remittances every month. Don't sound so noble, after all, you're just after the money!"

For a moment, Zhao Shiliu couldn't control her expression. She wanted to make a big deal out of a small matter and let the villagers forget about the remittance. But Chu Jiujiu mentioned it again and again, which deepened the impression of the villagers. Now the villagers couldn't forget it even if they wanted to.

The people inside were arguing, and the people outside were watching the argument. Zhou Xiaohe had been very quiet until the people inside started arguing fiercely and mentioned Zhang Fengjuan and the word "slut". She stood there with her head down for a while, then stepped out and called over a child who was playing in the mud against the wall.

Touching the child's face, Zhou Xiaohe smiled gently, "Kid, run an errand for your aunt. You know Captain Zhao, right? Go to the fields and tell him that your aunt is not feeling well today and will not cook lunch."

The child responded and was about to run when Zhou Xiaohe said, "Wait, don't tell Captain Zhao about what's happening here. Auntie doesn't want him to worry so much. It's too tiring."

After saying that, Zhou Xiaohe smiled again and said, "Go quickly, and come to my aunt's house for candy later."

Hearing there was candy, the child was delighted and ran towards the fields. Zhou Xiaohe watched him disappear at the end of the path. Then she straightened up, supported her head, and slowly walked to the wall, where she stood. In just a few seconds, Zhou Xiaohe had a heat stroke. Everyone was busy watching the fun and no one noticed her change.

Captain Zhao has a strong sense of responsibility and handles official business impartially, never bending the law for personal gain. Upon learning that Zhou Xiaohe was unwell, he would definitely come back to check on her. In the past, when things were going on at the Zhang family, Captain Zhao would avoid them whenever possible, but today, she insisted that he come in person to enforce the law impartially.

Inside, Chu Jiujiu was so angry at Zhao Shiliu's unreasonable arguments that she wanted to kick him, but Han Shengyi stopped her. He held Chu Jiujiu's arm and whispered to her to calm down.

Arguing and making a fuss are not solutions, and hitting people is even more unreasonable. So many villagers are watching. Chu Jiujiu is the junior, and if she hits Zhao Shiliu, the situation will only become worse.

Chu Shao was not as talkative as Chu Jiujiu. In fact, ever since Zhang Fengjuan was mentioned, Chu Shao had been silent. Zhao Shiliu noticed his sensitivity to the remitter's name. Zhao Shiliu's eyes swept over the three of them, and suddenly, she sneered.

"I'm saving your face, but you don't want it, so I can't do anything about it. If you didn't mess with me, I could still treat you as my own children. Now that you treat me as your enemy, there's no need for me to be nice to you. After all, I have four children to raise, and as a mother, I can't let you bully me."

When Chu Jiujiu heard this, she was about to rush over again, but this time, in addition to Han Shengyi stopping her, Chu Shao was also trying to stop her.

Zhao Shiliu interpreted this as Chu Shao backing off. She laughed coldly and tapped her index finger in Chu Jiujiu's direction. "How dare you argue with me? Look at yourself. Do you look a bit like Chu Shao? If you two go out, who can tell you're brother and sister? I saw it the moment you first entered the village, but I didn't say anything because being an illegitimate child doesn't have a good reputation. Think about it, how can siblings not see each other for years? Unless they're not siblings at all."

The villagers were all stunned.

To be honest, Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu really don't look alike. Chu Shao has thick eyebrows and big eyes, a very northern style, while Chu Jiujiu has a delicate and elegant appearance. To use a more representative word, she is a beautiful girl from a small family. When she grows up, she will be the kind of girl in the rain alley described in modern poetry, with her temperament and beauty combined into one. In terms of facial features, the two people have almost no overlap. If they can be said to be similar, it can only be said that they are both good-looking, which is more similar.

Now that the three of them stand together, the visual contrast is even stronger. Everyone feels that among the three, Chu Jiujiu and Han Shengyi are probably more like siblings.

This is how many things are. Originally, there was only a groundless rumor, but once the seed of doubt took root, everyone would naturally try to distinguish and verify it. Clues that were originally unrelated were forced to be pieced together, and finally, formed a truth that was indisputable.

Chu Jiujiu listened to Zhao Shiliu's words in disbelief. She pointed at her nose and asked, "You said I'm an illegitimate daughter?"

Zhao Shiliu: "Whether it is or not, you know it best in your heart."

Chu Jiujiu: “…”

Of course she knows it best, and that's why she wants to fight with Zhao Shiliu today!

Chu Jiujiu struggled desperately, "Brother Shengyi, please let me go, I must..."

“Bang!”

Before she could finish her words, a crisp slap was heard. Chu Jiujiu stopped struggling and the chattering outside also stopped. Zhao Shiliu covered her face and took a long time to react. She turned her head back, her expression shocked and distorted.

"You dare to hit me!"

Chu Shao twisted his fingertips, frowned, and raised his arm again, "Snap!"

After two slaps, Zhao Shiliu's face was swollen. Chu Shao finally responded to her previous words, "What's wrong with hitting you? You can say whatever you want about my family, so I can hit you as well."

Zhao Shiliu was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at Chu Shao but couldn't say anything else. Firstly, her face hurt, and secondly, Chu Shao kept staring at her with his dark eyes, which made her feel cold. Then she realized that what she had just said was a bit too much. If it continued like this, it might have the opposite effect.

She is not Niu Ailing, and she will not get away with a quick word. Money is the most important thing, and everything else is put aside.

Zhao Shiliu stood there stiffly, not knowing what to do, when a few people suddenly walked over from outside.

Zhao Qianjin, Zhang Qingshou, Mrs. Zhang, Old Man Zhang, and Ma Wenjuan and Li Yan from the educated youth site.

Zhou Xiaohe leaned against the wall, she smiled and felt that the atmosphere was becoming more and more lively.

Zhao Qianjin came back after hearing that Zhou Xiaohe was not feeling well. He didn't know what had happened to the Zhang family. On the way back, he met two female educated youth. These two female educated youth didn't see Chu Shao go to work today, so they came out to see if something had happened to him. Who knew that there was no one at the Chu family, but the Zhang family was bustling with activity.

Ma Wenjuan really cares about Chu Shao, while Li Yan just wants to watch the fun. Originally, when Zhao Qianjin heard that Chu Shao had actually stolen things from the Zhang family, his first reaction was to go home first. It would be best to let the team leader handle this matter, and he would try not to show up. However, Li Yan was eager to watch the fun and insisted on asking him to control the situation to prevent it from escalating. Zhao Qianjin may not know what she was thinking, but Ma Wenjuan knew it very well.

She just wanted the militia company commander to handle this matter. Stealing things was a serious crime at this time. If it fell into the hands of Company Commander Zhao, Chu Shao would definitely be in trouble.

Ma Wenjuan was worried all the way, but she didn't expect that she would see such an exciting scene as soon as she arrived.

Chu Shao...he actually slapped Zhao Shiliu twice in front of everyone!

Now even Ma Wenjuan thought that Chu Shao was doomed. He not only stole things but also beat people, and did it so blatantly. He would be in trouble now.

Zhang Qingshou and Mrs. Zhang had rushed back as fast as they could after hearing about the incident at home. Seeing his wife being beaten, Zhang Qingshou immediately became anxious and rushed in to hit Chu Shao, "You little bastard, you're rebelling!"

Zhao Qianjin frowned. He had been looking at Chu Shao, but when he saw Zhang Qingshou like this, he pushed Zhang Qingshou against the wall with his backhand, "What are you doing?!"

Captain Zhao knew a little bit of martial arts, and he twisted Zhang Qingshou's wrist, causing him to scream in pain. Mrs. Zhang hurried over and begged him to let him go. Captain Zhao then let Zhang Qingshou go, but at the same time, he didn't forget to warn him: "Chu Shao has a problem, and the village will deal with it. You don't need to teach him a lesson."

Zhang Qing rubbed his shoulders and glared at him, "He hit my wife, so I can't hit him?!"

Chu Jiujiu had already run to Chu Shao and hugged him tightly. She would do this whenever she was scared or nervous. After hearing Zhang Qingshou's words, she turned her head and said viciously, "She deserves it! She was the one who first said I was an illegitimate child and that my mother was a slut. She also said that she had a problem with the person who sent her the money. She said all that, so wasn't it wrong for Chu Shao to hit her?"

When Zhang Qingshou heard the word "remittance", his eyes widened even more. How did they know about the remittance? With so many people watching, did they know about it too?

Mrs. Zhang looked bewildered. "What remittance?"

At this time, Zhao Shiliu began to sob, "I said all this because you forced me to do it. If you hadn't come to my house to steal things, how could I say this? And I didn't lie. I told the truth. It was Zhang Fengjuan who did these shameful things. I just told a few truths, how can it be my fault?"

Mrs. Zhang: "What facts? What remittance?"

Chu Shao: "Hold back your tears! Who are you crying for? Since you say my mother is so shameful, then why do you pretend to be her every month to collect remittances? You pick up the bowl to eat and put it down to curse. You are disgusting."

Mrs. Zhang: "What are you pretending to be? What remittance are you pretending to be?"

Zhao Shiliu covered her face and cried, "I didn't do that, Chu Shao. I'm your elder, how could you scold me like that..."

She was almost going crazy with anxiety. Who was so blind to invite Zhao Qianjin over? Now it had become a big deal. Everyone was asking about the remittance. She couldn't hide from it anymore. What should she do? How could she keep the money?

Zhao Shiliu pretended to cry while thinking of a solution. Chu Jiujiu stared at her face, her anger finally reaching its peak.

Pointing at Zhao Shiliu's nose, Chu Jiujiu started talking quickly, "You did! I saw it with my own eyes! You stayed in the post office for a long time. After noon, when it was still very hot, I went to the post office to get some water. You came out with a cheerful look on your face. You were wearing the same clothes as yesterday, but your hair was tied up. Later, I went to the post office to ask what you were doing there, and then an auntie wearing a red armband told me your name was Zhang Fengjuan, and you were there to remit money!"

Zhao Shiliu had heard all this before, so she wasn't particularly surprised. Only Mrs. Zhang and Old Man Zhang were left with their mouths hanging open, seemingly surprised that their second daughter-in-law had such a hidden agenda. Chu Jiujiu's next words left Zhao Shiliu completely stunned.

"When I heard about this, I rushed out immediately. I wanted to question you, asking why you were pretending to be my mother and why you were falsely claiming my family's money, but you were walking so fast that I chased you for a long time. I ended up seeing you and a man walking into a cornfield near Sifang Bridge. The cornstalks were taller than people, and the soil was wet, making it difficult for me to go in. I could only watch from outside. Then I saw you standing face to face with that man, laughing happily. You two were very close, and the man even touched your hair, that's all... He did it very slowly, and then your smile widened even more. Tell me, what were you doing in the cornfield with him? Did you give him all the money you withdrew?"

Chu Jiujiu asked with both words and gestures, sounding quite confident, as if she had really seen this scene. Han Shengyi and Chu Shao, one pursed his lips and said nothing, while the other had a blank expression with his eyes downcast, letting Chu Jiujiu speak freely.

Chu Jiujiu's story was half-truth, half-false, a complete fusion of two stories. But because of this, the details of her story were very authentic, unlike Zhao Shiliu's previous story of saying one thing and hiding another, making it more credible. And everyone tacitly accepted that Chu Jiujiu would never lie. Seeing the child was so angry that he was about to punch and kick, how could she, with such a straightforward personality, lie?

Suddenly, everyone's eyes were on Zhao Shiliu. Zhang Qingshou looked like he wanted to kill someone.

He asked Zhao Shiliu: "Is what she said true? You came back so late yesterday, did you go to meet a strange man?!"

Zhao Shiliu: “…”

I am so innocent!!!

Mrs. Zhang: "What wild man? What are you talking about? What kind of remittance is this???"