Xia Mingyue was stunned for several minutes before she could process the information in Yao's mother's words.
First, all the money she transferred over the years, plus the 200,000 yuan dowry from selling Yao Wangdi, was stolen.
Yao's parents, however, believed that she was the one who did it.
Second, Li the Cripple paid the bride price but couldn't see Yao Wangdi for a long time, so he wanted the money back. The Yao family couldn't afford it, so they came to her for help.
She was about to say, "It wasn't me. I didn't have anyone rob you. I wish you would take your money and never come looking for me again."
Before she could finish speaking, Lin Zhi's icy question rang out: "You gave them over two million yuan, and then made them sell Pianran?"
"That's not how it is, Mom. I was forced to give them money, but I didn't make them marry Pianran to this person."
They did it themselves, I had no idea.
Xia Mingyue explained incoherently that what she said was true, because Li the Cripple was too close, and she originally wanted to sell Yao Wangdi into the deep mountains and forests.
Then she shouted at Yao's mother, "I'm not the one who stole your money. I don't know anything. You didn't keep a close eye on the money and you're blaming me for it."
Mr. and Mrs. Yao rolled their eyes; nobody believed her.
Lin Zhi no longer believed her words.
Seeing how cruel Yao's parents could be to their own daughter, Xia Mingyue, she couldn't imagine how they treated her Pianran on a daily basis.
Lin Zhi hardened her heart, pulled away Xia Mingyue's hand, and said calmly, "We can't come up with five million."
Yao's mother glared and said, "Then you can forget about keeping my daughter here."
"Oh, then you can take them with you," Lin Zhi said.
Xia Congwen frowned and glanced at her, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
Xia Mingyue's voice trembled: "Mom...don't you want me anymore?"
Mr. and Mrs. Yao were speechless at Lin Zhi's words. They only wanted money and had no intention of getting Xia Mingyue back.
What good is a little girl? They have a son, that's enough. Besides, how much is Xia Mingyue worth if they take her back? At most, two hundred thousand.
So, upon hearing that Lin Zhi no longer intended to have Xia Mingyue, the two of them panicked.
"Three million, three million should be enough, right?"
Mr. Yao felt extremely wronged: "We really didn't ask for a single penny more. We already had three million; we just need to return that three million to us."
"We'll leave as soon as we get the money, no lingering."
Xia Congwen sneered: "Where did your three million come from? Wasn't it stolen from the Xia family? How can it be that you already had it?"
Lin Zhi's tone was even colder: "The remaining 200,000 yuan was obtained by selling my daughter."
Yao's mother said matter-of-factly, "I don't care. Anyway, it's all Mingyue who's been taking care of us. We didn't steal or rob."
As for Yao Wangdi, we raised her with great care and hardship, so what's wrong with receiving a small dowry? It's only right and proper.
Xia Congwen glared coldly at Xia Mingyue, who shrank back and didn't dare to look up at them.
After weighing the options for a long time, Xia Congwen finally decided to keep Xia Mingyue.
Firstly, he was still unwilling to give up and wanted to rely on Xia Mingyue to prove that his choice was correct, especially to prove it to Xia Zhiyang and Xia Pianran.
Secondly, with so many people watching, how could he let the Yao family take Xia Mingyue away like that? Where would he put his face afterward?
"We don't have three million, at most one million. If you can accept it, then accept it; if you can't, then take her away."
He was confident that the couple would agree, and he selectively ignored Lin Zhi's disapproving gaze.
As expected, Mr. and Mrs. Yao were very dissatisfied, but seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Xia were completely unwilling to compromise, they were afraid that things would end up being a complete mess.
So the two of them discussed it head to head for a long time, and finally gritted their teeth and said, "One million it is."
Yao's mother glared at Xia Mingyue, blaming the brat for turning their three million into one million.
She couldn't resist stirring things up, saying, "Look, in their eyes you're only worth a million. You're not their biological child after all."
Xia Mingyue lowered her head, a flash of resentment passing through her eyes.
Xia Congwen immediately pulled out a card and threw it on the ground. Yao's parents pounced on it like vicious dogs, picked it up, and examined it closely.
"There's a million in the card. The PIN is written on the back. Take it and get out of here. This is the last time. Don't ever show your face in front of us again."
Mr. and Mrs. Yao checked the password on the back several times, nodding and bowing as they agreed, "No problem, don't worry, we'll be going now."
With the money in hand, Yao's parents and Li the Cripple walked out together.
Xia Mingyue had just breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Yao's father suddenly turn around and smile at her.
"Mingyue, your father and mother are leaving now. Don't forget us when you enjoy your life."
Yao's mother added, "And don't forget your younger brother, he always talks about you, his older sister."
Li the Cripple joined in the fun, winking at her: "Little Mingyue, if you're lonely, you can come find your brother. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."
Xia Mingyue was trembling with anger, wishing she could pounce on them and bite those two shameful old men and that old rogue to death.
She screamed, disregarding her image, "Get out! All of you get out! Get out... get out..."
The three finally disappeared outside the gate, and the onlookers left with lingering interest, ready to go back and continue their gossip.
Xia Congwen and Lin Zhi had gloomy faces and remained silent for a long time.
Xia Mingyue first called out "Dad, Mom" in a wronged tone, but no one paid any attention to her.
She cautiously reached for Lin Zhi's hand again, but Lin Zhi shook her off, and she almost fell to the ground.
Lin Zhi went into the house without saying a word or turning her head.
Xia Mingyue burst into tears immediately. She looked at Xia Congwen and said, "Dad, I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
Xia Congwen snorted: "Go inside. Aren't you embarrassed enough standing outside?"
After saying that, Xia Congwen left.
Xia Mingyue stood outside crying for a long time, but no one came out. In the end, she could only hop in alone with her crutches.
She knew this was her last chance, so she couldn't afford to make any more mistakes.
Qi An and Fu Gui watched the live stream remotely. Fu Gui said speechlessly, "I thought they loved Xia Mingyue so much, but they're nothing special."
Qi An was buying snacks for Pianran on his phone when he heard this and said without looking up, "They don't love Xia Mingyue, they don't love Pianran, and of course they don't love Xia Zhiyang either."
"They love their own face and vanity, so they love whoever is outstanding and makes them look good."
Fu Gui curled his lip: "Then their love is really cheap."
"Let's not talk about them anymore. Those two old geezers from the Yao family are going to be in big trouble."
"How did you know, Sister An'an?"
While asking the question, Fu Gui quickly shifted his gaze to Yao's parents and Li the Cripple.
The three of them were chatting and laughing as they walked toward the bank, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Qi An finally finished selecting his items, paid the bill, and looked up with a mysterious smile: "Because a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime."
"Those two old geezers were originally planning to ask for an exorbitant sum, but they only got a million in the end."
"Would they still be willing to give Li the Cripple 400,000 as agreed? Definitely not. At most, they'll just return the remaining 200,000 to Li the Cripple."
"And after all that work, would Li the Cripple be content with just 200,000? He's no saint. Guess what will happen if the spoils aren't divided equally?"
Fu Gui's eyes suddenly lit up.
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