novelraw Chapter 533: Fifty-Style Cannon Fodder and the Deadweight 12
Chapter 533: Fifty-Style Cannon Fodder and the Deadweight 12
Pfft!
Hahahahahaha!
If not for worrying about waking the sleeping sister in the next compartment, An Ning would have burst out laughing right then and there in the middle of the night.
Especially when she saw Old Li Shi’s face on the surveillance footage slowly reddening like a pig’s liver, she had something on the tip of her tongue but could only swallow it back.
Tsk — serves her right!
An Ning delighted inwardly.
There was nothing she could do. That old woman was exactly the kind who treated money like her own lifeblood; don’t even mention grandchildren, she wouldn’t trust her own sons.
She was terrified someone might take even a single coin from her pocket. For over a year she’d been crying poor both to outsiders and to family.
Of course, everyone in the alley knew each other, and the smell of a well-cooked dish would drift ten li with the wind. People generally knew how much each household earned and where the big expenses were. What could they really hide?
Old Li Shi’s act only fooled clueless fools. In truth, people had their standards behind closed doors — the Jiang family matriarch was plainly stingy.Especially seeing how the three of An Ning’s family had obviously been barely getting by this past year, people would privately mutter that she was heartless.
But those were just whispered remarks.
After all, it was someone else’s business, and offending a spiteful old woman who thrived on making scenes did no one any favors.
If not for knowing the old lady definitely had money, Jiang Second Aunt would never have been so mild these past days.
Now, seeing the old woman’s reaction didn’t look like a performance, and she even threatened to call the police, the courtyard outside quickly filled with onlookers. For once, Jiang Second Aunt grew a little flustered.
She rubbed her hands guiltily and instinctively protested:
“Um… Mom, why don’t you look again? Maybe you forgot where you put it?”
But old Li Shi was in a paranoid state; even the smallest anomaly would be etched into her mind. Jiang Second Aunt’s nervousness was not subtle, and the old woman caught it like a fly under a spotlight.
So, there was the thief — right here. The old woman lunged forward to grab the thief, but was stopped by her own son, who then pointed at someone and wouldn’t let go:
“Alright then, you damned Zhang Dani, I said the money was stashed safely, how could it be gone? Turns out it was an inside-the-house thief!”
She deliberately emphasized “inside-the-house thief.” Old Li Shi, well-fed and well-raised, already had a loud voice, and this shout roused the whole neighborhood in an instant.
Before long, a few ears in the dark perked up:
What? Old Mrs. Jiang’s money stolen by her own daughter-in-law?
That’s big news these days!
Even An Ning, who had been eating metaphorical melon seeds and watching the show, sat up straighter. She glanced instinctively at the system beside her.
Oh, that’s how it is?
Responding to her host’s look, the system — who was reveling in the gossip — nodded:
“Yes. Not long ago, your cheap second aunt did sneak into the house while the old lady was out and rummaged through things.”
“Believe it or not, she even found over twenty yuan tucked inside a clothing lining.”
Oh, she got it — multiple hiding places.
An Ning hadn’t planned for the whole stash to be taken. She didn’t expect there to be someone ready to take the blame.
Given how obsessive the old lady was about money, she always locked her room before leaving. But the more cautious she was, the more tempting it became.
Over time, people grow careless. A few days ago, one slip-up, and Jiang Second Aunt had pilfered from the house!
Tsk, this old woman really had no public sympathy!
Crunching on fragrant sunflower seeds, An Ning clicked her tongue.
The farce continued.
“Speak! You damned woman, did you take it? It’s over eight hundred yuan!”
“It’s my wife’s life’s savings!”
Wait — eight… eight hundred! Hearing the amount, Jiang Second Aunt’s eyes widened. Shock and pain flared in her chest, but she still had the nerve to protest more forcefully.
“Mom, it’s really not me, I didn’t take that money!”
Jiang Second Aunt felt more wronged than Dou E.
She hated how the old woman bossed the son around, but eight hundred yuan was such a big sum — even if she found it, she wouldn’t dare take it!
Too bad for her, after what had just happened, how could old Li Shi believe her?
Seeing Jiang Second Aunt’s guilty look wouldn’t have been so bad, but now she insisted she didn’t do it. Even her own son blocked her from making a scene at that damned woman. In that moment, the old woman, feeling as if she’d lost her lifeblood and utterly isolated, completely broke down.
After speaking, she collapsed to the ground with a thud.
But once the words were out, everyone around became even more alert.
Whoa — eight hundred yuan! In the dark, people exchanged glances, eyes gleaming with interest.
They knew the old woman had money, but not that much!
Considering the Jiang family eldest son’s job, nobody was surprised. Working at a machinery factory with good benefits, a seasoned truck driver could easily bring in thirty-something yuan a month plus extra allowances and side earnings. Over ten years, after supporting a family of five, saving this sum wasn’t unbelievable.
“Looks like what Sister-in-law Jiang said earlier — no, she’s the director’s wife now — was true!”
People whispered to one another.
Even if the old woman was stingy, to let her own mother control the money this tightly while her children almost starved was unbelievable.
What kind of foolish behavior is that?
Who does your mother think she is — don’t you have any sense?
And now, the beautiful daughter-in-law and her two daughters practically became neighbors’ dependents; all the money they worked so hard for was practically raising the nieces and nephews!
Among the crowd, many muttered in disbelief at such stupidity. Several young wives who had gotten up in the middle of the night to see what was happening looked at their husbands with chilling eyes.
Everyone silently vowed to empty their husbands’ secret savings later.
A cold shiver ran down the spines of the onlookers.
In any case, entertainment was scarce these days, so the neighborhood’s appetite for gossip surged. The commotion lasted until the next day, and under Old Li Shi’s relentless accusations, the police officers themselves paid a visit.
After that incident, early the next morning the veteran officers happily savored another juicy bit of news.
Perhaps influenced by the neighbors’ comments, after careful inspection the lead officer cleared his throat and said seriously:
“The house locks are intact, there’s no sign of intrusion along the courtyard wall, and no suspicious footprints. You also said the money was lost within the last two days…”
He glanced subconsciously at Jiang Second’s family beside him:
“Maybe… you should search inside your own house?”
Sigh. It’s family business, and without evidence, the officers were in a bind.
They looked at the suspected mother-in-law and daughter-in-law awkwardly…
An Ning, sneaking a peek at the private drama, snorted silently:
Pfft!