Jiang Shuya didn't know how long she had slept, but the room still smelled strongly of old people. She felt a little uncomfortable. She sat up and saw that Tangtang was still sleeping. She went out and saw them setting the table. The scene was very harmonious and the atmosphere was warm and peaceful. The whole family was sitting around the table, but her second aunt was nowhere to be seen.
Grandma invited Jiang Shuya to sit down and eat. Remembering that she had brought a gift today, she didn't stand on ceremony and was seated next to Huang Minghao by everyone.
A strange thought popped into his head. Huang Minghao glanced at her but didn't say anything. He continued to exchange polite greetings with his uncles, cousins, and other relatives.
During the meal, someone sniffed; it was the eldest uncle's daughter.
"What's that smell? It smells so good, like a famous perfume." Everyone looked around, then their gazes turned to Jiang Shuya; the perfume was coming from her.
Jiang Shuya smiled awkwardly, thinking to herself, "It's really strange, it's been several days, why hasn't the smell on my clothes gone yet?"
At this moment, Huang Minghao surprisingly served her some food, including her favorite steamed fish. She was a little unaccustomed to it and felt flattered.
Huang Minghao looked at her with a dark and unreadable expression, realizing that the woman in front of him seemed to have really changed. She was no longer so weak, nor was she easy to talk to, and she was no longer as gentle and considerate as before. He had a vague feeling that she must have gone through something, but he couldn't tell what it was.
Jiang Shuya focused on eating, not thinking about anything else. She finished her meal quickly, glanced at Tangtang in the bedroom, and then her phone unexpectedly rang. She picked it up and went out.
Upon answering the call, she recognized Lin Moxiao's voice and, as if possessed, immediately hung up. She took a deep breath and walked in bewilderment toward the pine forest behind the house, feeling inexplicably flustered.
She didn't know when it started, but whenever she thought of how good Lin Moxiao had been to her, her icy heart was gradually being devoured, and she couldn't help but think of him.
Jiang Shuya closed her eyes in distress, leaning against a large poplar tree, recalling the short time she spent with him, his warmth, his tenderness, and his wet, hot kisses.
Tears fell silently, one by one. She could only keep this love hidden in her heart, not daring to declare it to anyone, feeling guilty like a thief.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you hiding here all by yourself?" Huang Minghao's voice came from behind.
Jiang Shuya quickly wiped away her tears and turned her head away; "It's nothing, just some sand in my eye."
"Let me see." Huang Minghao said, walking over to get closer to Jiang Shuya, but she subconsciously dodged away.
It turns out she was still very uncomfortable being close to him. Huang Minghao tried to show her concern for the first time, but was rejected outright.
Just then, the old woman shouted from not far away. The two turned around and saw her anxious expression, so they went over to her.
All I could hear was my mother-in-law rambling on and on, her face full of exasperation;
"Jiang Shuya, you stayed in Grandma's room for a long time just now. Did you see the 20,000 yuan under her pillow?"
Jiang Shuya was taken aback upon hearing this, then immediately affirmed, "No, I didn't see anything at all."
The mother-in-law stomped her feet.
"Zhang Qing just withdrew 20,000 yuan for your grandmother today and put it under her pillow, but it's disappeared. She went to her room earlier and habitually felt under her pillow, but she couldn't find it. Think about it again."
As they spoke, they arrived at Grandma's bedroom. Zhang Qing, looking aggrieved, sobbed softly, explaining that she had put the money in the lining under her pillow, but it had disappeared in less than two hours. Everyone was puzzled by what they heard.
Aunt was also frantic with worry, but only the eldest uncle calmly told everyone to search the house. The grandmother also searched everywhere, even Tangtang's baby food bag. After searching around, they found nothing. Finally, Huang Minghao's older cousin suggested that everyone who had entered the grandmother's room should search their own bags.
Jiang Shuya heard that something bad was about to happen, because she happened to have 20,000 yuan in her canvas bag, which she had planned to use to buy tableware and equipment for Sister Xiaohui.
Everyone placed their bags on the table and opened them in front of them, but they didn't find the two bundles of banknotes tied together. When the mother-in-law saw that only Jiang Shuya hadn't touched it, she came over and snatched the bag from Jiang Shuya's hand, leaving Jiang Shuya completely bewildered.
The canvas bag was dumped on the table, revealing a notebook, several pens, two books, a wallet, and the red booklet—the divorce certificate. Along with it came two bundles of red banknotes. No one paid attention to the red booklet; everyone stared wide-eyed at the 20,000 yuan.
Two stacks of red banknotes stood out conspicuously, causing everyone's expression to change. Huang Minghao stared at Jiang Shuya in disbelief; "You stole Grandma's money! Why did you do that?"
Jiang Shuya turned her head indifferently;
"Are you so sure I took the money?"
The people inside the room all wore expressions of disdain and disgust.
"Hehe, isn't it obvious? Twenty thousand yuan, not a penny more, not a penny less." The older cousin said, rummaging through the money with her hand. Huang Minghao walked over, spotted the red booklet at a glance, and immediately put it away. He then put everything else in his bag, leaving only the twenty thousand yuan on the table. Everyone looked at Jiang Shuya, waiting for her explanation.
Jiang Shuya walked over and confidently took the 20,000 yuan in her hand without fear. She turned her gaze to Zhang Qing and saw that Zhang Qing's eyes were evasive. It turned out that she had been careless and had been tricked by this despicable Zhang Qing today. Zhang Qing had framed her and wanted all her relatives to despise her.
She glanced at the crowd;
"This money is hard-earned, I have a clear conscience. Enough talk, let's call the police!"
The mother-in-law started cursing loudly;
"You idiot, what are you trying to do? Trying to keep all that 20,000 yuan for yourself? And you want to call the police? Do you think the police station is your private property?"
Grandma spoke;
"We're all family, so don't make a fuss. This money is for your grandfather's birthday celebration. Hao Hao's wife, if you need money, you can tell me. Why did you take it secretly?"
My older cousin said:
"Yeah, are they desperate for money? They came up with this idea. Typical small-town folks, all greedy for money."
The more he spoke, the harsher the words became, and Huang Minghao stared at Jiang Shuya with resentful eyes.
My uncle said, "This is a classic case of 'a leopard can't change its spots.' He's terrified of poverty and wants to steal without working. He should be sent to jail for a lesson."
Jiang Shuya didn't want to argue with these people anymore, so she remained neither humble nor arrogant.
"To prove my innocence, I insisted on reporting it to the police. According to Article 264 of the National Criminal Law, theft exceeding 20,000 yuan is punishable by imprisonment for three to ten years and a fine of 30,000 yuan. However, in cases of framing others, especially in serious cases, it is considered a criminal offense, punishable by imprisonment for five to ten years and a fine of 50,000 yuan."
The room fell silent, and the expressions on everyone's faces began to become complicated. Jiang Shuya stared intently at Zhang Qing and continued;
"The money is definitely in someone's hands. I suggest everyone keep looking. If it's still not found in half an hour, I'll call the police immediately. Of course, this isn't the first time I've called the police; I also reported a child abduction case on the island two months ago, so one more won't hurt."
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