Chapter 77

It was expected that Liu Chunhua would come to the brigade health station.

She and Lu Jianguo had dug a hole under Shen Guixiang’s bed with hoes, planning to continue digging, but they were caught red-handed by Gong Minbing and his team.

The couple had been locked up in the brigade health station overnight. Considering that Lu Wenhua needed care, and Shen Guixiang insisted that things had been stolen, they were forced to pay a fine of 100 yuan. The brigade office decided to release Liu Chunhua to raise the money.

Anyone could guess that Liu Chunhua had come for money.

Sure enough, Liu Chunhua, looking greedily at the newly built walls, spoke to Lu Baiwei. “Baiwei, I have something to say to you.”

“You and He Ting have money to build the house, so you must be quite well-off, right?”

Calling Lu Baiwei into the main room, Liu Chunhua wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “You know your dad was arrested and locked up in the brigade health station, right?”

“Gong Minbing is asking for 100 yuan to release him. I really can’t think of another way, so I had no choice but to come to you.”

Lu Baiwei asked, “What did he do to get arrested by Gong Minbing?”

“Shen Guixiang accused your dad of stealing.”

Liu Chunhua was about to continue, but Lu Baiwei pointed to the door.

Liu Chunhua froze. “What do you mean?”

“The door is over there, and you haven’t spoken a single truth.”

Lu Baiwei was already trying to push her out. “We’re building a new house, I’m busy, and I don’t have time to listen to your nonsense.”

She was hoping to get money from Lu Baiwei.

Lu Baiwei turned to leave, ignoring her.

Liu Chunhua became anxious. “I’ll say it, I’ll say it, alright?”

“Jiao Jiao said there are gold bars buried under the Yin family’s house. Your dad and I thought that, since we didn’t give you much dowry when you got married, we could dig up those gold bars, sell them, and give you and your sister some dowry.”

“Besides, when Wenhua grows up and gets married, we’ll need money too.”

“If we have money at home, we won’t have to bother you two sisters who are already married.”

Liu Chunhua said earnestly, “Baiwei, your dad and I are just thinking of what’s best for you and your sister.”

Was she trying to act like a benefactor while being a thief?

To squeeze money out of her, Liu Chunhua was willing to say anything.

Lu Baiwei was almost amused by how ridiculous this was.

“Aunt, I believe you.”

Liu Chunhua probably expected cold words, but Lu Baiwei actually said she believed her.

She was truly a fool—just a little flattery and she believed everything.

“She’s truly a fool, believing anything with a bit of coaxing.”

Confident she could manipulate Lu Baiwei, Liu Chunhua was thrilled.

“Baiwei, then hurry and get the money. Shen Guixiang wants 100 yuan. I’ve got 5 yuan here, so you just need to make up the rest.”

There was no way Lu Baiwei would give her the money.

Amused by Liu Chunhua’s shamelessness, she laughed. “Auntie, when I said I believed you, I meant I believed you’d turn into a thief and dig for gold at the Yin family’s house to help Lu Wenhua grow up and marry.

“But everything else? I don’t believe a single word.

“I never said I’d give you money. You and Lu Jianguo became thieves and went digging in someone else’s home. If I give you money, what does that make me? If I pay to bail you out, people might think I was your accomplice.

“So, to clear my name, not only will I not pay a cent, but I’ll also head to the commune to report your theft to the police.”

Shen Guixiang had already agreed to take 100 yuan and not report the incident.

But now Lu Baiwei wanted to escalate it to the police?

“You… you!”

Liu Chunhua was furious, trembling as she pointed at Lu Baiwei. “How can you be so heartless? Lu Jianguo is your father.”

“Yes, he’s my father—the one who dumped me on the Tang family to raise after marrying you, ignored me for years, then decided to drag me back to work like a mule after my grandfather passed away, just to squeeze dowry money from me.

“He’s the father who made me live in the woodshed while everything belonged to Lu Wenhua and Lu Jiaojiao. Now you’re thinking of draining me to support your son?

“If you can’t afford children, don’t have them! Resorting to theft to support Lu Wenhua and then coming here to demand money from me to bail you out? Unbelievable.”

Seeing her tough approach wasn’t working, Liu Chunhua switched tactics.

She raised her hand, wiping her tears with her sleeve, ready to launch into a dramatic crying fit.

But before she could start, a scream came from the doorway.

He Ting entered the room, dragging Lu Wenhua, who looked like a limp, beaten dog.

“Mom! Help me! Brother-in-law is going to kill me!”

He Ting had his hand clamped around Lu Wenhua’s neck, dragging him in as he gasped for air, his eyes rolling back like a frightened dog.

Liu Chunhua shrieked and rushed to her son, but He Ting smoothly sidestepped her while giving Lu Baiwei a playful wink.

Stifling a laugh, Lu Baiwei asked, “What happened?”

“He was stealing meat from the kitchen. And candy—Ranan’s candy.”

He Ting held up a handful of candy. “A child steals pins, and when he grows up, he steals gold. He’s your brother, so as his brother-in-law, I’ll make sure to teach him well.”

“I’ll start by dragging him to the brigade office to hand him over to Gong Minbing for some criticism and education.”

Criticism and education by the brigade meant tying the offender to a stage in the threshing yard and calling the entire brigade to witness their public scolding.

If that happened, the whole brigade would know that Liu Chunhua’s son, Lu Wenhua, was a thief.

In this way, the entire brigade would know that Liu Chunhua’s son, Lu Wenhua, was a thief.

It was as if he’d been branded for life.

With Lu Jianguo still locked up at the brigade office, Lu Wenhua’s reputation as a thief would spread like wildfire.

How would they hold their heads high after this?

Liu Chunhua was devastated. She lunged at He Ting like a madwoman.

As He Ting sidestepped her, she shouted to the coughing and gasping Lu Wenhua, who had just broken free, “Wenhua, run!”

The choking sensation of near-death was too terrifying. Without sparing Liu Chunhua a second glance, Lu Wenhua bolted out of the house.

He Ting smirked darkly. “Run, go ahead. You can run, but you can’t hide.”

“As long as he’s in Xiangyang Brigade, I, his brother-in-law, will teach him every single day.”

Lu Wenhua was Liu Chunhua’s weak spot, her lifeline.

In that moment, He Ting had a firm grip on her Achilles’ heel.

Terrified that Lu Wenhua’s life might truly end up in He Ting’s hands, Liu Chunhua’s thoughts of asking Lu Baiwei for money evaporated completely.

Lu Baiwei struggled to hold back her laughter. “Mm, kids won’t learn unless they’re taught.”

“I’ll make sure my brother and the educated youths from your group keep a close eye on my little brother.”

Liu Chunhua understood the true meaning of “keeping an eye on him.”

One He Ting was already ruthless enough. If you added the Tang family’s tough fighters and the other educated youths, Lu Wenhua’s little life would be a living hell.

“No, Lu Baiwei!”

“If you treat your brother this way, you and your husband will face retribution!”

Liu Chunhua screamed hysterically but didn’t bring up the idea of Lu Baiwei paying for Lu Jianguo’s release again. Furious, she stormed out of the brigade clinic.

Unable to get money from Lu Baiwei, Liu Chunhua had no choice but to withdraw the savings she’d been keeping for Lu Wenhua’s future bride and use it to settle with Shen Guixiang.

After this ordeal, Lu Jiaojiao became a pariah.

Lu Jianguo and Liu Chunhua blamed her for being tricked by Yin Zhihe; there was no gold buried under the Yin family home. And because it was her mess that brought the thieves to their door, Shen Guixiang and her son despised her even more.

They outright abandoned her at the hospital.

In the end, it was Yin Yueping who couldn’t bear it and scraped together money to pay her medical bills.

By the time Lu Jiaojiao returned to the brigade from the commune hospital, the new house at Lu Baiwei and He Ting’s place was already complete.

On the day the roof beams were raised and the tiles installed, the brigade clinic hosted a housewarming banquet to celebrate.