Chapter 51 Get the Money Back
The night air was filled with the rich scent of jasmine and the lingering whispers of gossip from the villagers.
Under the velvety sky filled with stars, Xu Yao felt no peace at all.
Although she had won the victory by exposing the affair between Sun Zhiqiang and "Third Sister", she felt that this victory was empty.
It's like winning the battle but losing the war.
The money borrowed to buy medicine for her father was still tightly held in the hands of the greedy third sister.
Xu Yao's heart felt heavy, heavier than any stone.
She thought of her father, his face pale and haggard, his cough echoing between the thin walls of their home.
This money, life-saving money, was withheld by a cold-hearted woman.
"We will get the money back." Xue Han said, his low voice echoing in the night sky, bringing a little comfort to the anxious Xu Yao.
He held her hand tightly, his rough fingers touching hers, but it made people feel strangely reassured.
"don’t worry."
Easier said than done, Xu Yao thought frustratedly.
The third sister is like a poisonous snake, cunning and vicious.
Even though Sun Zhiqiang's letter was made public in front of the whole village, she still denied everything.
Finding evidence of borrowing money is as difficult as finding a grain of rice in a rice field.
Over the next few days, they gathered information everywhere and finally arrived at the bustling and noisy village market.
The market was filled with the cries of vendors, the clucking of chickens and the pungent smell of dried fish.
Hope is as elusive as a mosquito in winter, until they stumble upon a stall filled with brightly colored fabrics.
The stall owner was a cheerful man, his belly was so bulging that the buttons of his shirt were about to burst.
He remembered seeing his third sister hiding something near the old well - it looked like documents.
A faint glimmer of hope ignited in Xu Yao's heart.
Maybe, just maybe, things are looking up.
Following this faint clue, they lurked around the third sister's home, feeling like characters in a cheesy spy drama.
Perhaps it was luck—or perhaps it was a trick of fate—that they met the third sister’s neighbor, a woman whose thirst for gossip was as insatiable as a desert traveler’s thirst for water.
"She's been acting strange lately," the neighbor said in a low voice, her eyes twinkling with gossip, "She stays up late at night, tossing around like a badger looking for bugs."
Xu Yao's heart skipped a beat.
That's it!
"We have to go in," she whispered, pulling Xue Han's arm, "The IOU must be in there!"
"Wait," Xue Han reminded her, holding her arm tightly, "It will do us no good to rush in rashly. She will just deny everything, and then we will look like crazy people. We have to use the right method."
Xu Yao's anger suddenly erupted.
"The right way? How right could it be? My father needs that money now!"
The tension between them crackled in the air, thick and electric.
Xu Yao felt like a stretched spring that could break at any time.
She paced back and forth, the dust crunching under her anxious steps.
Xue Han looked at her, his expression unreadable.
"I know you're worried, Xu Yao," he finally spoke, his voice soft but firm, "but we need a plan. A reliable plan, a plan that will expose her true colors. We have to go through the formal channels."
"Formal channels? You mean the neighborhood committee?" Xu Yao snorted contemptuously, "Those old-timers are so slow! My father can't wait that long!"
Xue Han's expression turned serious.
"It's the only way to make sure the IOU is legally binding. If we barge in, she can make up any excuse. We have to be smart."
Xu Yao knew that what he said made sense, but the waiting process was like chronic torture.
Every tick of the clock sounded like the gradually weakening heartbeat of my father.
And then…a crazy and unlikely idea flashed through her mind.
"What if..." She began to speak, turning to Xue Han, her eyes twinkling with mischief... "What if... we use her trick against her?" Xu Yao murmured, a sly smile forming on her lips, "We pretend that I have given up, and let her think she has won."
Xue Han raised his eyebrows suspiciously: "Give up? How to do it?"
"Just watch." Xu Yao said, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
She walked straight towards her third sister's house with firm and purposeful steps.
She had a sickly sweet smile on her face, the kind that could turn milk sour.
The third sister was weeding in her pitiful vegetable garden. When she saw Xu Yao approaching, she looked up in surprise.
Suspicion was all over her face, as thick and dark as the storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
"What do you want to do?" she said viciously, her words coming out like venom.
"Just wanted to thank you," Xu Yao squeaked, her voice full of false sweetness, "for everything."
The third sister blinked, obviously confused: "Thank me? Thank you for what?"
"Thank you for taking care of Zhiqiang all these years," Xu Yao continued, her tone exaggerated. "He always praised you highly. I was just a silly girl, too immature to understand anything." She sighed dramatically and pretended to wipe away a tear. "Now I understand how much you have done for him. I guess I was just jealous."
The third sister narrowed her eyes, a mixture of suspicion and confusion. "You...give up?"
"Why fight against fate?" Xu Yao shrugged exaggeratedly, "You and Zhiqiang are obviously a match made in heaven. I'm just a... stumbling block."
Xue Han hid in the dark, watching Xu Yao's performance with interest and admiration.
He had to admit that she was a natural actress.
He met her eyes and secretly gave her a thumbs-up.
Xu Yao's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't pause at all.
"So, about that little misunderstanding at the village meeting."
Xu Yao continued, her voice brisk, "It's all in the past, right? I was just upset at the time, which is understandable. I mean, who finds out that their fiancé... well, you know."
She chuckled, and the crisp sound upset the third sister, "But, like I said, it's all in the past."
The third sister visibly relaxed, the tension in her shoulders disappearing.
She beamed like a hen that had just laid golden eggs: "Of course, dear. We are all friends."
"That's right!" Xu Yao shouted, "So I want to formally explain the matter to the neighborhood committee. Just a formality, you know. Make sure everything is above board. How about tomorrow morning?"
The third sister was so dazzled by her self-righteous victory that she readily agreed.
The next morning, she walked towards the neighborhood committee almost swaggeringly, with a smug look on her face.
She had no idea what was going to happen next.
At the neighborhood committee, Xu Yao presented her case, showing the clues she and Xue Han had carefully collected: testimony from market stall owners, gossip from neighbors, and even subtle changes in the third sister’s attitude.
Although they are all circumstantial evidence, they are enough to paint a picture of irrefutable guilt.
The director of the street committee was a serious-looking man who had seen many farces in the village, and he listened carefully.
"So," Xu Yao concluded, her voice filled with new confidence, "I believe that the IOU, as well as other items that may have been... taken, can be found in Third Sister's home. I request a formal search."
The third sister's face turned pale.
Her elation dissipated like morning mist, replaced by utter panic.
She stammered, but her protests were drowned out by Xu Yao's calm but firm voice.
The search was swift and thorough.
Under the loose floorboards of the third sister's bedroom, they found the IOU, along with several other items that had mysteriously disappeared from Xu Yao's home over the years.
The third sister's face fell.
Her carefully constructed disguise shattered into countless pieces.
There were exclamations and murmurs from the villagers who had gathered to watch the scene.
The third sister stood there, completely exposed, feeling extremely ashamed, and became the object of everyone's scorn.
Xu Yao held the IOU tightly, her hands shaking.
It was more than just a piece of paper, it was a symbol of hope, a promise of a better future for her father.
She looked at Xue Han, her heart full of gratitude.
He met her eyes.
But just as Xu Yao was enjoying the joy of victory, a chill ran down her spine.
The third sister glared at her fiercely and whispered to Sun Zhiqiang.
Xu Yao knew that the matter was not over yet.
Although the venomous snake was injured, it was far from defeated.
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