Chapter 147 : The Thief Who Stole Money  

Shen Zheng smiled helplessly. “Yes, you’re smart, adorable, beautiful, and a good son.”  

Zheng Lanhua walked over with the last bowl of soup, placing it on the table. “Come on, try it. I made the soup today!”  

Shen Zheng’s smile froze mid-air.  

Zheng Lanhua snorted. “Look at that face of yours! Hurry up and have two bowls first.”  

As she spoke, she ladled a bowl of soup and handed it directly to Shen Zheng.  

Fang Xiaoluo looked at him, amused. “Go on, be brave. Give it a try.”  

Shen Zheng took a tentative sip, and his eyes lit up.  

This was nothing like her usual cooking!  

Shen Haifeng chimed in, bringing a stack of bowls to the table. “My mom taught Grandma how to make the soup. Grandma just followed every step what to put in, how much, and in what order. There wasn’t any room for Grandma to experiment.”  

Zheng Lanhua glared at him. “You talk too much for a kid!”  

Shen Haifeng stuck out his tongue playfully.  

The family finally sat around the table and started their meal.  

Shen Haiping ate quietly, savoring the food with visible contentment. Everything his mother cooked was delicious to him.  

—

Meanwhile, Xu Zhigang and Zhao Lihong had been released from custody.  

Both looked haggard and mentally drained.  

When Zhao Lihong returned home, she found the house in a pitiful state.  

Although Xu Xiaojie had tried to keep the place clean, the warmth and order of their previous life were missing.  

She went into the kitchen and was disheartened to see only coarse grains, pickles, and little else.  

Xu Zhigang visited the factory and was furious.  

The factory, once thriving, was now on the verge of closure.  

At the factory, Xu Zhigang unleashed his anger on his son, Xu Chengwen.  

The Xu family was teetering on the brink of financial collapse. All their losses had piled up, and if no new business came in, they risked losing their rented equipment and factory space entirely.  

In just a short time, worry had turned Xu Chengwen’s hair white. His work performance had plummeted, and he had lost several business deals. Frustrated, he lashed out at his family, either quarreling with his wife or punishing his children.  

The once-noisy child who ran around the house every day now hid in fear whenever Xu Chengwen came home.  

Xu Zhigang berated Xu Chengwen all the way from the factory to their home.  

Hearing the commotion, Zhao Lihong came out and asked, “Why are you scolding the child?”  

Xu Zhigang recounted the dire situation at the factory. “This is all your fault for spoiling him rotten! He’s useless. How will he survive in the future?”  

Hiding in the corner, Xu Chengwen said nothing.  

Zhao Lihong, shocked by the factory’s predicament, was at a loss for words. She had grown accustomed to a life of luxury and hadn’t imagined it could all come crashing down.  

“So, what should we do now?” she asked.  

“What else can we do?” Xu Zhigang snapped. “We’ll have to sell the car to stay afloat for a while. We can’t let the factory go under, it’s our lifeline! If it collapses, we won’t even be able to make ends meet!”  

Zhao Lihong was reluctant to sell the car. They had spent 50,000 to 60,000 yuan on it, and she wasn’t sure how much they could get for it now.  

Knowing that her parents would be home today, Xu Yaqiu decided to visit them after work. However, as she approached the house, she heard arguing and fighting inside.  

When Zhao Lihong saw her, she looked irritated. “Why are you here again? Your father-in-law is no help at all, and it’s your fault our family is in this mess! If you hadn’t come back, would your father and I be in this situation? Would the factory’s business have turned so bad?”  

Taken aback, Xu Yaqiu frowned. She had come with good intentions, so why was she being blamed?  

“Mom, what are you talking about? I didn’t ask you to try and take Fang Xiaoluo’s child, and I certainly didn’t ruin the factory business. How can you blame me for everything?”  

Zhao Lihong stood up, glaring. “How is it not your fault? Since you came back, has our family had a single good day? I think you’re a jinx!”  

Feeling deeply hurt, Xu Yaqiu clutched her chest. “Am I even your daughter? How can you call me a jinx!”  

Meanwhile, Xu Chengwen, who had been sitting silently, suddenly spoke up. “Let’s face it, when Xiaoluo was here, the factory business thrived. She even helped support the family financially. Two of our deals were made because she signed contracts for us. Now look where we are. I’ve heard that because Xiaoluo is gone, our clients won’t renew their contracts! What have you brought to this family? Nothing but trouble!”  

He continued, “If you hadn’t brought her back then, Xiaoluo would still be here as our daughter! Look at the lives the Fang and Shen families are living now!”  

Furious, Xu Yaqiu’s chest heaved with anger. “You…all of you! Why are you blaming me? Fang Xiaoluo this, Fang Xiaoluo that, if you love her so much, go bring her back!”  

“What does the Fang family or the Shen family’s life have to do with me? Do you think I don’t want a good life? You’re my family, have you done anything to help me?”  

She lashed out, smashing teacups and a teapot in the living room before storming out. Zhao Lihong and the others were left staring in stunned silence.  

—

Meanwhile, at the Zhou family’s house, Qian Haixia discovered something alarming. She had hidden 1,000 yuan in her closet, but now only 400 remained.  

“Old Zhou, did you take money from my closet?” she called out.  

Zhou Ping walked over. “What money? I didn’t take anything.”  

Growing anxious, Qian Haixia exclaimed, “Then why is 600 yuan missing?”  

Zhou Ping helped her search. “Are you sure you didn’t separate the money or move it?”  

“No! I kept it all in one place,” Qian Haixia said, panicking.  

Zhou Ping scratched his head. “It doesn’t make sense. What kind of thief would leave 400 yuan behind instead of taking it all?”  

Outside the door, Zhou Yanwen overheard the conversation and thought, ‘This is bad. I should’ve taken the entire 1,000.’  

It was noon, and everyone except Xu Yaqiu was home.  

Zhou Ping turned to his children with a stern expression. “Whoever took the money, confess right now!”  

Zhou Qingyou quickly raised his hands. “It wasn’t me!”  

Zhou Lili also shook her head. “I didn’t take it!”  

Zhou Yanwen’s eyes darted around nervously before he blurted out, “It must’ve been Xu Yaqiu! It had to be her!”  

Zhou Ping frowned. “How do you know that?”  

“I…I saw her sneak into your room yesterday!” Zhou Yanwen stammered but quickly added more confidently, “She must’ve taken it! Why else would she rush back to her parents’ house after work today? Everyone knows the Xu family’s business is struggling. She must’ve taken the money to help them out!”