Chapter 30: No one was home yesterday afternoon, so how did it get stolen?

Old Man Liu took his last drag, tapping out the ash as he spoke, "Given the scene today, do you really think the second son's wife will compromise? Rather than dealing with constant domestic unrest in the future, it's better to split their family off early and save the rest of the household from being dragged down by them."

Old Lady Liu looked at him with disapproval. "With Chuxue about to graduate, can't we wait a few more months? Didn't we agree before that her bride price would be used exactly for Dongzi's wedding?"

Old Man Liu tucked his tobacco pipe into his waistband. "You can't have all the good things for yourself. We didn't contribute a single cent to the second son's medical bills; do you think that branch of the family would let you touch that money? Besides, didn't the eldest couple say Dongzi's job is settled? Once that happens, there will be plenty of good girls wanting to marry him. Why worry about not finding a good match?"

Hearing this, Old Lady Liu's mood improved significantly. "True, our Dongzi is good-looking, and if he has a job, people will be trampling over our doorstep to marry him."

What she didn't know was that the matter of her grandson's job was merely a "pie in the sky" promise made by the eldest couple. If they failed to complete the task assigned to them, where would such a job come from?

Meanwhile, in the fields, Ge Xiulan was working absentmindedly while whispering to her husband beside her, "Our father is really something. He didn't even consult us; he just went ahead and split the second branch off without giving us a say."

Liu Shangang's expression wasn't much better. "You know how he is. Father cares most about face. If he hadn't made a decision today, do you think the second son's wife would have let it go?"

"Then what about Dongzi's job?"

At the mention of this, Liu Shangang's face darkened even further. "How are you handling things? Didn't you say it was foolproof? How did that damn girl end up showing up at the house out of nowhere?"

Gu Xiulan looked around guiltily and lowered her voice even further. "I clearly drugged her and sent her up the mountain. I'm just as puzzled as you are as to how she got back."

"You weren't seen when you made your move yesterday, were you?"

"No, no. Absolutely no one knows about this."

She would never mention that her own nephew was involved, and she certainly wouldn't let her husband know she was plotting against that brat Chuxue.

Liu Shangang let out a long sigh. "It's already happened. We'll find another chance. She'll have to come back in a few days anyway."

Before they could finish speaking, a shout came from the distance: "Hey, Shangang's wife! People from your maiden family are here looking for you!"

Just then, another voice called out from afar: "Auntie!"

Gu Xiulan stopped her work, her heart trembling. "Did I just hear Baocheng's voice from my eldest brother's house?"

Liu Shangang frowned and looked into the distance, feeling a sense of irritation. "Running in such a hurry... it's bound to be bad news."

He slammed his hoe into the ground and waited for the person to approach.

Gu Xiulan had already found it strange that her nephew hadn't shown up this morning. She tossed her farming tools aside and hurried over. "San, why didn't you come by this morning?"

"Auntie, there was a thief at home."

"What?"

"My grandmother's room, the kitchen, and the backyard were all ransacked."

At this, Liu Shangang also approached. "When did this happen?"

"It was discovered yesterday evening. My grandmother was so overcome with anger that she fainted. The family was in such an uproar that they couldn't attend to anything else. She only woke up this morning. The family is afraid she might do something drastic again, so they sent me to ask you to come back and help comfort her."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiulan's expression changed instantly. She said anxiously, "No one was home yesterday afternoon, so how could we have been robbed?"

(End of Chapter)