Miao Cuihua pretended to be dead and remained silent.
Xu Zhenzhu felt a chill in her heart.
If it weren't for her, would the Xu family have such a good life all these years?
Especially her second brother's family, if it weren't for her, would they be where they are today?
But when it came to asking him to contribute some dowry money, he actually calculated it so clearly!
And then there are my eldest and third brothers. Their cheerful demeanor yesterday was all a facade; they're shrewdly plotting their own schemes. Today, they're just joining in the commotion with my second brother.
Very well! Since you've treated her this way, then don't blame her in the future!
But now is not the time to turn against her. Once she marries Lu Kai, he will naturally have to ask her for favors.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Zhenzhu suppressed her displeasure and forced a smile: "I remember all the care and love my three brothers have given me over the years, and I will never forget it! Besides, we can't be separated by the same name, so even if I marry into the Lu family, I will still be a member of the Xu family! Only when the Xu family prospers can I prosper!"
"As long as it puts my brothers at ease, I'll write this agreement!"
Upon hearing Xu Zhenzhu's words, someone immediately brought out paper and pen.
The whole family watched as Xu Zhenzhu wrote a three-part agreement.
One roommate took a card, examined it carefully, and then put it away cautiously.
Xu Yinlai didn't waste any more time. "I don't have that much money on me. I'll go back to the county town with your sister-in-law and we'll raise it for you!"
After thinking it over, he was still a little worried that Xu Zhenzhu might be unhappy, so he thought that after giving her a good beating, he should give her a sweet treat.
He added, "We'll get you some other things. Tell your sister-in-law what you need, and we'll get you two items."
Shen Yue'e opened her mouth as if to say something, but was glared at by Xu Yinlai and held back.
Xu Zhenzhu was furious. She had already offended everyone, and now she wanted to make amends?
Who does she think she is? You think she can forget the humiliation with such a small favor? Dream on!
Despite her efforts to suppress her displeasure, it still showed on her face as she said stiffly, "No need! I've already prepared all those little odds and ends myself. We supply and marketing cooperative employees get a special price for our weddings!"
Xu Yinlai gave an awkward smile, "You're the only daughter of our Xu family generation getting married, so as your older brother and sister-in-law, we can't just leave without giving anything in return! We have to show our appreciation! Please don't look down on us—"
Xu Zhenzhu didn't want to say anything more and went into the house with a sullen face.
Miao Cuihua hurriedly moved her small feet and followed her inside to comfort her daughter.
The rest of the Xu family looked at each other, and Xu Jinlai coughed, "What are you all still doing here? Go do what you're supposed to be doing!"
He gave his two other brothers a wink, and the three brothers went out together.
After walking a long distance, Xu Jinlai stammered, "Second brother, aren't we going too far? Aren't we offending our little sister?"
No wonder he felt uneasy.
Xu Yinlai scoffed, "Then, brother, go give the IOU to your little sister and tell her that the money was given to her for free—"
"Well, forget it then—" Xu Jinlai was still reluctant to part with the money.
"Second brother, what if my little sister gets angry and refuses to get jobs for our family in the future?" Xu Baolai was also unsure.
Xu Yin glanced at his two good-for-nothing brothers: "What are you afraid of? Does she think she doesn't need her family after she gets married? She knows very well that the better our family is, the more secure she will be in the Lu family! Besides, we're all family. Even if she gets angry, does she think she can cut ties with us? If we're careful and say nice things, she won't really abandon us."
With Xu Yinlai's words, the three brothers felt more confident.
Xu Jinlai invited Xu Yinlai to eat before going back, and then sent someone to kill a chicken.
Inside the house, Xu Zhenzhu was so angry that tears streamed down her face.
Miao Cuihua hugged Xu Zhenzhu, tears streaming down her face, calling her "my darling" and "my precious little one" repeatedly: "My precious little one, don't cry! Mom knows you've been wronged! My precious little one—"
The mother and daughter cried in each other's arms for a while, then Miao Cuihua comforted her, "Daughter, don't blame your brothers! Blame your mother, I'm useless! I couldn't let my daughter have a grand wedding! It's all my fault—"
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was outside, she whispered, "Don't worry, if they won't give it to you, Mom will! I'll give you all my savings for my funeral!"
After much coaxing and persuasion, Xu Zhenzhu finally stopped crying.
After everyone had fallen asleep at night, the mother and daughter secretly turned on their flashlights and searched the house like thieves.
"Hey, reach in, to the back of the drawer, feel around there—"
"The hole under the bed—"
"At the very bottom of the rice bin—"
...
Miao Cuihua pointed out the way in a whisper, using a flashlight.
At this moment, Xu Zhenzhu was no longer afraid of dirt and mess. Following Miao Cuihua's instructions, she took out small packages wrapped in handkerchiefs or oil paper from various places in the room.
They were piled up haphazardly on the desk.
By the time they had all been found, Xu Zhenzhu was covered in sweat and dirt, but she didn't care about that.
The two of them then unpacked the small packages one by one and sorted out the money and tickets inside.
After counting it all, it came to a total of 477.83 yuan.
Miao Cuihua rolled her eyes and went limp.
Xu Zhenzhu was so startled she almost screamed, but she managed to suppress her scream as she remembered that she and her mother were acting stealthily. She helped Miao Cuihua lie down on the bed and desperately pinched her philtrum.
After a long while, Miao Cuihua finally came to her senses and began to wail, "My money—"
She had barely made a sound when Xu Zhenzhu quickly covered her mouth: "Mom, keep it down—"
Miao Cuihua silently shed tears, gripping Xu Zhenzhu's hand tightly: "Zhenzhu, the family's money... we're running low!"
Xu Zhenzhu was so shocked that she stood up abruptly: "The money is missing? How much is missing?"
Miao Cuihua pounded her chest: "One hundred and fifty-five yuan is missing!"
After saying that, he remembered something, counted the receipts again, and then plopped down on the ground: "There are still a few grain coupons and cloth coupons! And a liquor coupon is also missing!"
Seeing Miao Cuihua like this, Xu Zhenzhu hurriedly ran to her desk. She took out the Little Red Book, shook it vigorously, but found it empty; nothing came out.
Seeing this, Miao Cuihua immediately understood what was happening and cursed under her breath, "Has our house been robbed? Who was the damned bastard who chopped off our heads—"
Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly remembered something and lowered her voice: "No, these places are all places I secretly hid, nobody knows! Pearl, do you think our family has become a den of thieves?"
Xu Zhenzhu also had this suspicion, after all, if Miao Cuihua hadn't told her where she hid things, she really wouldn't have been able to find them.
Furthermore, if it really was stolen by a thief, why would the thief steal only a small portion instead of the whole thing?
Unless it's an inside job! They wouldn't dare steal it all, only a small portion.
Who is this thief in the family?
Xu Zhenzhu and Miao Cuihua suddenly felt that everyone in the family was suspicious.
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