More than a hundred yuan was missing out of thin air, along with the ticket; it felt like Miao Cuihua's flesh had been cut off.
Ignoring that it was the middle of the night, he angrily wanted to wake up the whole family so he could search each room and each person one by one.
Let's see which audacious person dared to steal her money.
But Xu Zhenzhu stopped her firmly.
Even if things escalate, it's questionable whether the money can be recovered.
They had no idea when the money was lost; it was probably hidden away or spent long ago.
If things get out of hand and everyone knows about it, it will be hard to handle.
Miao Cuihua had previously said that the family only had a little over two hundred yuan left, and now she had lost more than one hundred and fifty yuan. She was afraid that the first and second wives would not give her a dowry.
Miao Cuihua said she would secretly help her out, but she knew in her heart that it would be no more than a hundred yuan.
It also exposed Miao Cuihua's hidden stash of money.
With solid evidence, they should proactively expose themselves!
In the future, whenever the Xu family needs to spend money, they will probably all be eyeing the little bit of money in Miao Cuihua's hands.
It's hard to say what will happen then. Even if it's all spent, the first wife and the second wife will think that it's not all spent and that there must be some left.
After all her scheming, all she had left was two hundred yuan as a dowry? And she even wrote three receipts for it!
It's better to grit your teeth and swallow this loss silently.
Keep it a secret for now, and figure out a solution after she gets married.
Miao Cuihua took Xu Zhenzhu's words to heart, and after calming down, she thought about things more deeply than Xu Zhenzhu did.
Now everyone in the family listens to her in everything, and both of her sons are filial, isn't it all because they know she has money?
If she knew that the family's money was missing and that she would have to compensate Pearl, I'm afraid none of her sons would do it.
And if she loses all her money, will her son still be filial? She dares not gamble!
After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "This really can't be made public! If your older brother and the others find out, who knows what kind of trouble they'll cause! They might have stolen the money, just waiting for me to expose it so they can cause trouble and divide my secret savings for my funeral! I can't let them succeed!"
"Besides, if things get out of hand at this juncture, the Lu family might not be happy either! It's better to keep quiet and swallow this loss for now! Once you're married off in style, see how I deal with them!"
Xu Zhenzhu felt relieved and hugged Miao Cuihua affectionately, saying, "Mom, you're still the best to me and love me the most! Don't worry, Mom, once I'm married into the Lu family and have a stable position, I'll take care of you in your old age! I'll give you a monthly allowance, so you won't have to put up with my older brother's attitude!"
Miao Cuihua was all smiles as she was coaxed, and she began to dream about the future. Her daughter was right; she was destined for great wealth and honor, and even if she managed to squeeze a little out of herself, it would be enough for her to live on.
With a determined look, he whispered, "You can't tell anyone about the money being lost! There's still over four hundred yuan left. Two hundred for the eldest and third wives, I'll add another hundred for you, plus one hundred for the second wife, making a total of four hundred yuan. Make sure you keep it all safe!"
Xu Zhenzhu was surprised that Miao Cuihua would be so generous just because of a few words she said to coax her.
With three hundred yuan suddenly appearing, the Xu family only had a little over one hundred yuan left in their entire savings.
This made Xu Zhenzhu suddenly feel a little guilty. "Mom, you've given me all of this, so you don't have much money left—"
"Don't worry, we don't need any money at home right now! We'll have grain after the autumn harvest, and we'll get work points to exchange for money at the end of the year. Your second brother also gives me a pension every month. I know what I'm doing!"
"Even if life is tough, as long as you live well after marriage and help them out in the future, you can earn back this money in a year!"
The mother and daughter didn't mind the heat and stayed up talking for most of the night, finally managing to fall asleep just before dawn.
After packing up the goods he was going to take back to the county, Xu Ningyan planned to return to the county.
The oxcart in the brigade was carrying the goods that Xu Ningyan was taking to the county town, and Xu Zhenzhu was also given a ride.
Xu Zhenzhu was going back to work at the commune. When she got on the bus, she saw Xu Ningyan and several sacks of things. She sneered, rolled her eyes, and didn't say anything.
The two men sat on opposite sides of the oxcart, separated by several burlap sacks, their positions clearly distinct.
Once they left the Tuanjie Brigade, besides Old Yang who was driving the cart, only the two of them remained on the oxcart.
Xu Ningyan looked at the scenery on both sides and didn't bother to glance at Xu Zhenzhu.
They didn't exchange a single word until they arrived at the commune.
First, Xu Zhenzhu was taken to the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative. After jumping off the oxcart, Xu Zhenzhu couldn't help but sneer: "Brother Lu and I are getting married at the beginning of next month. You and your partner better remember to come!"
Xu Ningyan glanced at her but didn't agree. She turned and told Old Yang to drive the carriage away.
Xu Zhenzhu blocked her way in a few steps, leaned close to Xu Ningyan, and whispered viciously, "Xu Siya, don't go! Xu Siya, I've said it before, you'll never be as good as me in this lifetime! I'm the cloud in the sky, and you're the mud on the ground. You'll be trampled into the mud by me for the rest of your life and never be able to get up!"
“You have to believe in fate! I, Xu Zhenzhu, am born lucky and destined to enjoy happiness! When I was a child, my family doted on me and I lacked nothing! Now, as soon as I graduate, I will meet the best man in the world and marry into a wealthy family.”
"And you, Xu Siya, were born with a lowly fate! You were born to suffer! You'll only ever look up to me, Xu Zhenzhu, your whole life!"
"What's the use of your struggle? What's the use of refusing to accept your fate and severing ties with your family? After all this fuss, what have you gained? Even if you get a job, it's just a temporary one. Once I marry into the Lu family, I'll crush you as easily as crushing an ant! Getting rid of your job will be a piece of cake! Do you believe me?"
"It's laughable that you, Xu Siya, found a man who was labeled a 'black five categories' (a derogatory term for individuals from certain ethnic groups), and suffered a lot of scorn and gossip because of him, right? Gu Zhiyuan was finally exonerated and even got a job! But what does that have to do with you, Xu Siya?"
"You say you're married, but Gu Zhiyuan didn't register your marriage, nor did he even hold a banquet. What kind of marriage is that? He's from Beijing, someone who can get a job in a machinery factory. Do you really think he'd genuinely marry a country girl like you? It's just a charade!"
"Gu Zhiyuan hasn't established himself in the factory yet, that's why he hasn't divorced you! Just wait and see, once he's settled in, or goes back to Beijing, do you think he'll take you with him?"
"Then you'll be the one abandoned again! So, Xu Siya, just accept your fate! It's all in vain no matter how hard you struggle, you can't beat me, you can't beat fate!"
Xu Zhenzhu spoke with an indescribable sense of satisfaction. She had always been wary of Xu Ningyan because she was worried that Lu Kai and Xu Ningyan would continue to be entangled for the rest of their lives.
Now, Lu Kai and she have set a date and will be getting married soon. There's no need to worry anymore that Lu Kai will be with Xu Ningyan.
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