Chapter 26 Blame it on you, blame it on you.

Jiang Jianni blinked, somewhat disbelieving her ears: "Auntie, are you kidding me?"

"Yanfen is such an honest person, isn't she? If you offer her porridge, she won't eat anything dry; if you ask her to hand over her entire salary, she won't keep a single penny. Do you think she'd run away? Who are you trying to fool?"

"Is it because the guy you found for her was too awful that she got angry and hid away to spite you?"

"You can forgive me for being biased in the past, but you're still biased in such a big event as her marriage, finding her some unknown man just for money."

"Those who know you think you're stingy and only care about money, but those who don't might think you and Sister Yanfen are enemies and you're deliberately trying to scam her."

"I'm also puzzled. Are you really Yanfen's biological mother?"

Aunt Jiang's temper flared up again after being teased.

But knowing that Jiang Jiani wouldn't listen to her, she had to suppress her anger.

“I’m her mother, of course I want her to be well. What’s wrong with the son-in-law I found for her? He’s a self-employed businessman, earning tens of thousands a year. What’s she not happy about? He’s better than that penniless guy she found herself, right?”

"If she didn't want to, she could have just told me. Why did she have to lie to me and then run away, leaving me in a bad situation?"

She looked at Jiang Jiani and it seemed like there was a flame burning in her eyes.

"Yanfen has always been an honest child. She's a bit naive, but she does whatever you ask her to do. Everyone knows that."

"She would never have done such a thing if someone hadn't instigated her."

"The only unusual thing was that you didn't let her leave when she came to your house that day."

"Jiani, tell your aunt honestly, what exactly did you say to Yanfen that day?"

“You’ve always been opinionated and like to give advice to others. If you hadn’t said something, she would never have done something like this.”

Jiang Jianni was so angry she almost laughed: "You did something inhumane that drove your daughter away, and now you come to me?"

"I'm giving you face because I respect you as an elder, but you really think you're someone special?"

Auntie couldn't hold back any longer and jumped up: "How can I not blame you? It's all your fault."

"You disobedient ingrate who's never listened to anyone since you were little, you must have told her something to make her follow your example."

"Jiang Jianni, I'm telling you."

"You not only have to compensate me for my life, but you also have to compensate me for my money!"

She went on and on for a while before Jiang Jiani could roughly understand what was going on.

Jiang Yanfen outwardly pretended to compromise and accept her fate by agreeing to the blind date, but in reality, she sold her job as quickly as possible.

Although many factories are struggling to make ends meet, the garment factory where Jiang Yanfen works has a bold new factory manager who made reforms in the past two years. Now, their factory is one of the few that can not only pay wages and benefits but also has good profits and is thriving.

Therefore, her work sold for a high price—Jiang Yanfen sold it for two thousand yuan in one go.

But she didn't say anything. She went out as usual during the day, and the day before her blind date, she even asked her mother for two hundred yuan to buy a new outfit.

Then, taking advantage of the time when his aunt went out to buy groceries and chatted, he stole 8,000 of the 12,000 she had hidden.

Adding his own two thousand, making a total of ten thousand yuan, along with his ID card, he just ran away like that.

Because of the good handling of the aftermath, Uncle Jiang's family didn't discover it until nightfall.

They thought the two young people really liked each other, so they went on dates, shopping, watching movies, playing video games, and so on.

The aunt even told her two sons and the man that they might just have sex, which would be perfect. If she got pregnant, they could use the child in Jiang Yanfen's belly to pressure the man's family to pay more dowry.

So they weren't worried when Jiang Yanfen didn't come back that night, nor were they worried when she didn't come back in the morning.

When they still hadn't returned by lunchtime, the family realized something was wrong and started to panic.

She also discovered that 8,000 yuan was missing from her home. When she went to the clothing factory to look for her, the factory said that she had sold her job a week ago and stopped coming to work. When she went to the home of her boyfriend, she found out that he was an orphan who was renting a house and owed two months' rent. They even asked her to pay back the rent.

Finally, after listening to his eldest daughter-in-law's advice, he went to the Civil Affairs Bureau to inquire and found out that a woman named Jiang Yanfen and a man did indeed come to register their marriage yesterday, but they left after registering, and they wouldn't bother to find out where they went.

They had originally planned to ask for a dowry of six or eight thousand yuan, but in the end, not only did they not receive a dowry, they also lost eight thousand yuan of their family's money. It was a classic case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead, ending up with nothing but loss.

Jiang Yanni was stunned. Her disdain for the timid Jiang Yanfen turned into admiration.

This older sister is really something.

They're the type to take everything, but when it really matters, they'll pull a fast one.

Jiang Jianni was even more confused: "So, are you more concerned about the money or your daughter? You came to me because you want to get your money back or your daughter back?"

The aunt retorted matter-of-factly, "The money is mine, my daughter is mine, is there a problem with me being so protective of her?"

Jiang Yanni's smile, which had just risen because of her cousin's competence, drooped.

My aunt is as stingy as ever, and as always, she doesn't take my cousin seriously.

Jiang Jianni blinked and asked, "Okay, I guess I asked for nothing."

"But what happened after you found her?"

Without hesitation, my aunt said, "Break her legs!"

"That brat dared to elope like others, I'm going to teach her a lesson she won't forget."

Jiang Yanni couldn't help but say, "With a mother like you, if I were Yanfen, I would rather die outside than come back."

Jiang Jianni glared at her, silencing her from the rest of her words.

Not wanting to get entangled with an old woman who had lost both her daughter and her money, she kindly advised:

"Auntie, you should hurry back and find Sister Yanfen. While there's still time, think carefully about where she might have gone. Maybe you can still find her."

Aunt Jiang was unwilling to leave so easily, and roared, "Jiang Jianni! Don't try to get away with this!"

"You must have said something to my daughter!"

"It's definitely you! It must be you! It's absolutely you!"

"You've been disobedient since you were little, you've always had a rebellious streak, you've always been an ingrate."

"Otherwise, why would such an obedient child like Yanfen become disobedient after just one night at your house! And even try to outsmart me!"

"She must have learned it from you!"

"You owe me my daughter!"

"You owe me my daughter, you owe me my money!"

She looked left and right, then sat down on the ground, glaring hatefully at Jiang Jiani and shouting:

"If you don't give me the money and find Yanfen for me, I'm not leaving!"

Jiang Jianni laughed angrily: "You're not leaving, huh? Fine, then don't leave. If you're so capable, then stay here for the rest of your life."

Yang Yuemei returned with a vegetable basket and overheard the end of the story. Seeing Aunt Jiang sitting on the ground, she asked, "What? Why aren't you leaving? What were you talking about?"