Chapter 168 Attempt to Steal a Chicken Backfires
Zhang Xiuying chimed in, "The old man and Xiangyang have been helping out in the village all day, and Lao Si and Comrade Xu were also sitting in the yard preparing lessons after school. They didn't go into my daughter's room at all. This jar must have been stolen."
Upon hearing this, the villagers erupted in anger and began cursing the damned thief.
Aunt Zhou reassured them, "Don't worry, it's such a big jar, it's easy for no one to have seen it. Everyone, think about it, who's been acting strangely today?"
In the crowd, a villager hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand and said, "I saw it! This afternoon, Grandma Yang carried a really heavy jar. I wanted to help, but she scolded me, saying she was afraid I would dirty the good stuff."
A person nearby chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! I saw it too! They were acting suspiciously!"
Aunt Zhou's face darkened: "Alright, it seems pretty much true. Let's go to the Yang family!"
The group arrived at the Yang family's house in a menacing manner, and Aunt Zhou knocked on the door.
When Grandma Yang opened the door and saw this scene, her heart skipped a beat, but she shouted fiercely, "What? Are you going to ransack the house?"
Aunt Zhou pointed at Liu Zhixia: "Xia's family lost a jar of pickled vegetables. Someone saw you carrying a jar home this afternoon. We've come to ask about it."
Upon hearing this, Grandma Yang sneered repeatedly: "What? Is Liu Zhixia allowed to make pickled vegetables in the whole village, but I can't? She also built this road, does that mean I can't walk on it either?"
Aunt Zhou remained composed and assertive: "Let's not get sidetracked. We're just asking routine questions. If you didn't take it, that proves your innocence, doesn't it? Such a big jar is missing; there has to be an explanation. Since someone saw you moving things, we have reason to be suspicious."
Seeing the situation was turning against her, Grandma Yang grabbed a wood-chopping knife from behind the door and started brandishing it, yelling, "I think you're all bullying an orphan and a widow! My husband died young, my son is gone, and now my grandson has a broken leg, and you all gang up on me to bully me! It's one thing to not take us with you when you're making money, but now you even check my attempts to make some pickled vegetables? Is there no law anymore?!"
This tearful complaint made many villagers uneasy, wondering if it was really going too far.
Aunt Zhou, however, said with a serious expression, "Aunt Yang, we didn't say you were a thief, we're just checking. If you're innocent and have nothing to hide, let us in. If it wasn't Xia's jar, I'll apologize to you publicly, okay?"
Grandma Yang's eyes darted around, and she stared at Liu Zhixia, saying fiercely, "Fine! Since the brigade leader has given the order, I'll let you search! If you don't find anything... I want two bottles of the pickled vegetables she gave everyone to taste today!"
Everyone's lips twitched.
This old lady, even at a time like this, still can't resist trying to take advantage.
Although I was speechless, at least she relented.
Liu Zhixia readily agreed.
The group entered the Yang family's house and went straight to the kitchen. They did find several jars of pickled vegetables, but the smell was off; they were all the old, tooth-sour jars that the Yang family made themselves.
When they reached the door of Xiao Yang's house, Grandma Yang stood in front of them like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
"My grandson is in a bad mood right now and can't stand seeing so many people! The captain can go in and check on him alone; everyone else, stay away!"
Everyone understood the injured person's feelings and stepped back. Aunt Zhou followed Grandma Yang into the house alone.
A moment later, Aunt Zhou came out looking surprised. She comforted Xiao Yang for a few moments at the door and then quietly closed the door.
She shook her head at everyone, confirming that she hadn't found it.
Grandma Yang looked at Liu Zhixia triumphantly: "Remember what you said! I want the kind you make for everyone to try today! Don't try to fool me with wild vegetables!"
Although Liu Zhixia was full of doubts, she could only accept her fate.
The group returned empty-handed, and the witness scratched his head, completely baffled: "Strange! I clearly saw her carrying a really heavy jar, definitely not one of those light, flimsy things you'd find in the kitchen!"
"But we really couldn't find it. Where could such a big jar be hidden?"
"On Xiao Yang's bed?"
Aunt Zhou shook her head: "I checked, I even searched under the bed and in the wardrobe, but there's really nothing there."
There's something strange about this.
Liu Zhixia and Zhang Xiuying exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise in each other's eyes.
They thought Grandma Yang would absolutely refuse to let them search her, which would only confirm their guilty conscience. But she generously allowed them to search and even extorted two bottles of pickled vegetables from them.
Liu Zhixia lowered her voice: "Mother, wouldn't we have considered this a case of trying to steal a chicken but losing the rice instead?"
Zhang Xiuying smiled helplessly: "You shouldn't have the heart to harm others! Fine, I'll accept the loss. Anyway, there was something added to that jar. When Aunt Yang comes back and finds out it was stolen from your room, she'll definitely know it's poison and won't dare to eat it."
The thief wasn't caught, so everyone had to leave disappointed, reminding each other to be careful and guard against theft.
Zhang Xiuying kept her promise and delivered two jars of pickled vegetables to the Yang family.
Grandma Yang took them triumphantly, her nostrils flaring upwards: "Hmph, you've all slandered me! They're just two jars of lousy pickled vegetables, and you're acting like they're precious treasures!"
Zhang Xiuying was too lazy to waste words with her, so she threw down a "Take care of yourself" and turned to leave.
Aunt Yang happened to be home and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she saw this: "Mom, why did she bring you pickled vegetables? What did you do?"
Grandma Yang shook the jar in her hand, a look of pride on her face: "This is enough for our family to eat for a month! This old lady is still as sharp as ever!"
"What exactly did you do?" Aunt Yang's heart skipped a beat, and she was extremely nervous.
Grandma Yang retorted, "What's it to you? I earned this money through my own hard work!"
Aunt Yang chuckled, then lowered her voice, her expression panicked: "Then what about that big jar we hid in the cellar? Mother, you didn't really go to the Liu family to steal it, did you? Let me tell you, Liu Zhixia's room has pickled vegetables..."
"Bullshit!" Grandma Yang roared, as if she'd been stepped on. "You think I'm a thief? You think everyone's as dishonest as you? Enough nonsense! Give these two jars of pickled vegetables to my grandson! If you can't find a job to earn money, I'll sell you for cash!"
Aunt Yang's face darkened, and she retorted angrily, "I'm dishonest? Who in the whole village doesn't know that you had your hand broken for stealing when you were young? Fine! Anyway, I've warned you, if that jar of pickled vegetables really was stolen from the Liu family, throw it away right now! Don't let anyone die from eating it!"
Grandma Yang spat disdainfully: "Liu Zhixia's pickled vegetables can make money! You're just jealous and can't stand seeing others do well! Get out there and find some work! You're the one who hurt my grandson's leg, so you have to pay for it! Otherwise, I'll sell you to some remote mountain village!"
Aunt Yang was so angry she was trembling. She glared at her fiercely and slammed the door shut.
These past two days, Aunt Yang has been shamelessly running to the Liu family every day, trying every kind and harsh word she could think of, just to get involved in the pickled vegetable business.
But the Liu family had already seen through her tricks, and they wouldn't even let her in the door, let alone agree to it.
The villagers who were helping out couldn't stand it anymore and said disdainfully, "Yang family, have some shame! How dare you insult people before? Now you have the nerve to come here? We're all afraid you'll poison the pickles! Don't interfere with our work, get out of here!"
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