Chapter 8.1

The matter was reported to the local police station by the village chief, and the police immediately began their investigation. The scene was chaotic, having been trampled by the crowd, and it was impossible to discern anything from it.

The door was indeed damaged, showing signs of being forced. Luo Lan hadn’t lied about this. There were signs of her having been in the house, and she had also said she had returned to find the house being robbed, which made sense. As for the money, who knew how much she had? But the amount couldn’t be too large, otherwise, it would be hard to explain its origin.

“If you confess, you will be treated leniently. If you resist, you will be treated severely. Tell me the truth. What was your purpose for going to a single woman’s home in the middle of the night,” the police interrogated.

The third brother was also brought in, and the three brothers were completely dumbfounded, truly at a loss for tears. They had come to find a wife but ended up being accused of stealing money. 86 yuan was enough to pay the bride price for a second marriage.

“Luo Lan has no money. She’s just talking nonsense.”

“That money was her dowry. Over the years, she spent some, and this is what’s left. Did you know she’s single and easy to bully, so you went to her house in the dead of night to steal money?”

“You’re heartless. A widow who has lost her husband and was kicked out by her in-laws is already pitiful. And now you want to steal her only remaining money for survival? Winter is approaching, and she needs that money to buy a thick quilt for warmth. How will she survive the winter without it?”

It was still summer, and they were already talking about winter. The three brothers stared at each other, and no one believed their true words while they were detained. The police insisted they return the money, or they would face jail time.

Hearing that her three sons had been caught, Old Lady Xu cried and wailed at home. More than eighty yuan would mean jail time if not returned. Fearing the consequences, she eventually handed over the money.

After Luo Lan received the money recovered by the police, she thanked them profusely. When asked how the three men had been subdued, she said they had fallen.

“One on top of the other, it sounded like they collided in a panic.”

The two brothers, having been startled and falling into a heap, confused the police about why the three had gone to steal together. Nonetheless, they decided to end the matter there. The second brother’s eyes were still not clear, and The eldest brother couldn’t speak properly out of fear. Moreover, they had returned the money, so it was best if this was resolved.

Stealing, and in the end, they not only failed to steal but also lost money and were mocked. The incident spread widely in the village, with people laughing at the three Xu brothers.

“Stupid, no wonder they’re still single.”

“They’re so dumb. Do they really need three people to steal money?”

“The key point is they didn’t even get away, they were blocked inside the house. Now they have to return the money, and the second brother’s eyes are still messed up.”

“It serves them right. What are they doing at a single widow’s house? Bullying the weak never ends well.”

In pain and having lost money, they were also mocked and ridiculed. Old Lady Xu, feeling miserable, cut her finger while working, sitting on the ground and crying. Luo Lan was working in another field and couldn’t help but mock her.

“This is a wrongful accusation. Don’t you think you’ll be struck by lightning if you tell such a lie? God has eyes, and he will never let the bad guys off.”

She didn’t name names, but Luo Lan got up but was stopped by the fourth daughter-in-law of the Wang family. “Forget it. She didn’t say who it was. There’s no point in arguing with her. There’s nothing to be gained from it.”

Luo Lan shook her head, pushed her aside, and went straight to Old Lady Xu. “Messing around with men, getting caught with bare legs. The three sons stealing and ending up like this—it’s clear that heaven has eyes. Don’t say, what you said is really fitting.”

Old Lady Xu was left speechless, pointing at Luo Lan in anger, trembling all over but unable to find words to retort. Suddenly, she began foaming at the mouth and convulsing.

“Help her!”

“Pinch her acupoints!”

A group of women rushed to help, some holding her head, some pinching her acupoints. Loran was a bit flustered but soon calmed down. In this era, dying from anger was not uncommon, and from the looks of it, Old Lady Xu was not likely to die just yet. She managed to recover her breath.

“My fate is so miserable.”

Unable to make progress, with no reason to argue, she began her old routine of throwing a tantrum. Luo Lan lost interest and turned back to work. Old Lady Xu cried with snot and tears, and seeing that no one paid attention to her, she turned her gaze to the team leader.

The team leader, in his forties, first instinctively avoided her gaze, then turned to scold her. “Get back to work. This is working time, not your home. If you keep dawdling, I’ll dock your work points.”

Scolded by the team leader so sternly, Old Lady Xu was filled with even more grievance. However, there was no one to listen to her complaints.

Her reputation in the village was completely ruined. People said that for years she had been supporting her three sons by mingling with men, and many men in the village had been involved with her. Just like that, she became an enemy of many middle-aged and elderly women. If it weren’t for her current condition, no one would have bothered with her.

All her frustrations turned into tears. While working, she cried, lamenting her earlier dreams of marrying off her sons without spending a penny. Now, her own disgrace was known to everyone, her sons had lost face, and they had become the laughingstock. It would be even harder to find a bride in the future.

**