Chapter 70 : Bringing Poor Relatives to Ask for Money

When the Auntie heard this, she nearly choked in disbelief.

She clutched her chest and sat down, crying out, “Heaven help me, I’m going to be wrongfully accused! How could I possibly steal your money ”

Jiang Yu opened her eyes, looking ahead at the police station sign.

“Auntie, the police station is right up ahead. Otherwise, tell the driver to stop, and you can ask the police to clarify things.”

Upon hearing this, Auntie’s eyes lit up as she grabbed Jiang Li’s wrist tightly.

“This girl is right, let’s go to the police station. The police will clear my name!”

Now it was Jiang Li who was panicking.

“Why go to the police station? Just give me back my ten yuan, and I won’t make a fuss about it!”

She was furious at Jiang Yu for butting in.

Auntie gritted her teeth, “This isn’t about whether you want to make a fuss, it’s about me wanting to! I didn’t take your money at all. If we don’t go to the police station, I’ll be wrongfully accused!”

“Driver, stop the car! We have passengers who need to go to the police station. Let them off,” Jiang Yu called out.

As they drew closer to the police station, Jiang Li quickly shouted, “I won’t make a fuss anymore! I don’t want that ten yuan, is that okay?”

Auntie sneered coldly, “I just said, whether you make a fuss or not is your business, but I will pursue this! I clearly didn’t take your money, and yet you’re wronging me here!”

Jiang Li stumbled back in fear, but Auntie wouldn’t let go, gripping her wrist tightly.

In the end, she had no choice but to plead, “I admit there’s no money in that bag! I tricked you, that bag was empty.”

Auntie was sitting in a two-person seat next to a man who had his eyes closed the entire time.

Finally, he spoke up, “When Auntie sat down, the bag fell to the ground. She really didn’t see it.”

Someone nearby immediately spat, “Why didn’t you say that earlier? You’re just playing the blame game!”

The man awkwardly replied, “But that’s not my problem. I was asleep.”

The driver stood up and shouted, “Are we done here? Are we going to the police station or not?”

“Let’s go!”

“No way! I already admitted my mistake, why should we go to the police station?” Jiang Li was on the verge of tears.

Auntie snorted coldly, “Well, why don’t you tell everyone in detail whose fault this is?”

Jiang Li felt her face burn and lowered her head.

“It’s my fault! I deceived everyone!”

Auntie narrowed her eyes, “So tell us, did you want to extort my money?”

“Yes, I wanted to extort your ten yuan!”

Jiang Li wanted to bury her face in the ground, utterly ashamed.

She only had twenty cents left, which was meant for her travel fare to the city.

Seeing Auntie dressed decently, she assumed Auntie had money and thought to extort it from her.

Who knew Auntie would be so fierce, preferring to go to the police station rather than settle for a small amount of money.

Inside the car, there were many passengers, and the tide turned quickly.

“I can’t believe I defended you earlier, you’re really a wicked daughter!”

“Scamming even an elderly person! What a decline in moral standards!”

“Today’s youth are truly worse than we were, they’re lazy and have bad intentions!”

“…”

Jiang Li was overwhelmed with shame and anger, each comment nearly drowning her.

She bit her lip and threw all the remaining money she had at Auntie.

“Have you all said enough? I’ll pay, is that okay?”

Finally, seeing the bus stop, she didn’t even look to see which stop it was and rushed out, covering her face.

Auntie sat back down, still seething, her chest rising and falling quickly, snorting.

“Who cares about this small change!”

But she didn’t forget to thank Jiang Yu “Girl, thank you so much just now.”

Jiang Yu smiled and turned back, “I just said a couple of things, it’s nothing to thank me for. I could tell you were wronged.”

Auntie raised her eyebrows, curious, “How could you be so sure? What if I really did steal the money?”

“That can’t be,” Jiang Yu shook her head.

“Why not?”

Jiang Yu held up two fingers, “Two reasons. First, Auntie, you look like a person of quality, cultured and refined, with good temperament. You wouldn’t be short ten yuan, and you certainly wouldn’t resort to stealing. Second, I know her, she definitely doesn’t have ten yuan to spare.”

Auntie was flattered and couldn’t stop smiling.

“You’re quite the smooth talker! When I was young, I was the lead dancer in a performance troupe, and I came from a good family. I wouldn’t stoop so low as to steal ten yuan.”

Jiang Yu nodded with a smile, she wasn’t trying to flatter. Auntie looked quite respectable, wearing a gold ring on her hand.

At this moment, with tensions high, Auntie didn’t even take off her ring, which showed she had some background.

Such an Auntie wouldn’t steal ten yuan.

Just then, a woman next to them questioned, “If you knew all this, why didn’t you speak up for Auntie earlier?”

Jiang Yu smirked slightly, “Would it have helped if I spoke up for Auntie? Would you have believed me? No, you would just have scolded me too. Instead of arguing here, it’s better to go to the police station and let the police judge, that’s more useful.”

Auntie shouted, “Well said! Girl, I really like you! Are you married? I have a grandson…”

Jiang Yu immediately replied, “Auntie, I have a partner, I’m about to get married.”

Auntie was left disappointed, “What a pity.”

Even after getting off the bus, she still wouldn’t let go of Jiang Yu’s hand.

“My surname is Zhou, and my husband’s surname is Zheng. I live in the South Street Alley. If you ever need me, just ask around for Auntie Zhou; everyone knows me.”

Jiang Yu smiled and nodded, “Okay, take care.”

She was headed in a different direction than Auntie Zhou, as South Street Alley had individual houses, unlike the crowded courtyard.

Jiang Xin asked, “Sister, where are we going now?”

Jiang Yu replied, “First, we’ll drop off these vegetables for your brother-in-law, then we’ll go find Aunt and get some fabric to make you a dress.”

“Sister, will you make it for me?” Jiang Xin asked in disbelief, “Really?”

Jiang Yu hugged her shoulder, feeling both amused and pained.

“Yes, I’m making it just for you! We’ll leave it a bit loose and longer since you’ll grow taller.”

Jiang Xin couldn’t believe it because all her clothes were old.

She and Jiang Ting wore hand-me-downs, old clothes that others had discarded.

By the time they reached Jiang Xin, the clothes were riddled with patches.

At that time, Jiang Xin had already become aware of her looks and felt inferior after being teased, not wanting to go to school.

She even got beaten up for asking Wang Meili for a patch-free dress.

The sisters arrived at the crowded courtyard, and Auntie Xu came out immediately.

“Isn’t this Jiang Yu? What brings you here?”

Lin Hongxia scoffed, “Who else could she be here for? Of course, it’s to find Section Chief He. She hasn’t even stepped inside yet and is already bringing her poor relatives to mooch!”

Jiang Xin pressed her lips together and hid behind Jiang Yu.

But Jiang Yu wasn’t afraid of being looked down upon, she boldly replied, “Auntie Lin, even if I’m here to mooch, my sister only comes to the He family. She absolutely won’t go to the Fu family. You can rest assured. My sister isn’t like Jiang Ting, who would settle for anything.”