Chapter 15.1

Gu Yinyin had carefully kept all the things Shen Guo’an had sent back, and she hadn’t thought of touching them. These were the children’s survival capital.

The two kids were still young, and their food, clothing, and daily expenses all depended on grain and money. She could save a little for them whenever she could.

But the Shen Family lived together as a large household. The main house had only one room, and all the things were in that room. Gu Yinyin couldn’t stay in the room all day, and the lock on the door was basically decorative—one strike with a brick and it would open.

If someone wanted to steal, there was no way to stop them.

The village’s public security was actually fine nowadays, but if a thief appeared in one’s own home, there was nothing anyone could do.

Gu Yinyin noticed that Li Ailian seemed to have calmed down and no longer asked for the things Shen Guo’an had sent back, but she still felt a bit uneasy.

Li Ailian was nearly furious, and that evening Ma Hongmei came over to her room to talk to her.

“Mother, calm down. Let me massage your back. Your eldest daughter-in-law really is something—how could she take all the things your son sent? If it were Guowei, he would never do such a thing. Look at you, you’ve even lost weight recently.”

Although Ma Hongmei wasn’t particularly competent, her words were pleasant, and Li Ailian felt much comforted.

“Third Daughter-in-law, only you are considerate! That heartless Gu Yinyin! My son sent those things to honor me, and she won’t give them! Just thinking about it makes me miserable! I’ve lived this long, and in the end, my daughter-in-law controls me—how can I feel at ease!”

She cried bitterly as she spoke. Ma Hongmei forced a smile and said: “Mother, mother! Please take care of your health; you mustn’t cry! If your heart really feels bad, I can play the villain and go get the things back myself!”

Li Ailian immediately sat cross-legged. “How will you get them? She’s like a shrew! Yesterday she scratched my hand, and I didn’t even manage to snatch it back! The things Guo’an sent are definitely good—hidden all in her own room. That woman has truly lost all conscience!”

She spat in the direction of the main house.

Ma Hongmei whispered: “Mother, how about this—while she’s out, I sneak in, take the things, and lock the door again. If she dares to make a fuss, we just say we didn’t see anything.”

Li Ailian’s eyes lit up. “Fine! You just go get them. Once you have them, I won’t give them to anyone—just secretly use them to support our Tieshuan! When your eldest brother comes back, I’ll have him hand over the work to Guowei!”

Since the eldest couldn’t be controlled, the third could go out to work, and all the wages would definitely come to her.

The two of them agreed on the plan, feeling very pleased inside. The next day, they found an opportunity: while Gu Yinyin went out, and after Baoni tricked the little one away, Ma Hongmei secretly pried open the lock on the main house’s door.

The lock was indeed a very simple iron lock, easy to pick, but after all, she was committing theft. Ma Hongmei’s heart raced wildly as she rifled through the room—under the bed, on top of the cabinets—turning over everything. When she saw bundles, she immediately opened them.

Several bundles contained the clothes Gu Yinyin and the children usually wore, but two bundles were tightly hidden. Ma Hongmei tried to open them but found them impossible to untie. The bundles were tied with layers of tight knots that could not be loosened.

She steeled her heart—things tied this tightly were surely treasures! She decided to just take them.

Ma Hongmei took the two bundles out and quickly hid them in Li Ailian’s room.

Gu Yinyin herself didn’t want to go to the fields that day; the autumn harvest was scorching hot. No matter how much she loved labor or enjoyed challenges, she didn’t want to be burned red all over.

But then she thought, she and Shen Guo’an weren’t close enough for him to support her. If she didn’t work, what would she eat?

So, Gu Yinyin still braved the blazing sun and went out to the fields.

Fortunately, the work that day wasn’t too heavy. Gu Yinyin was responsible for loading the corn and didn’t have to get scratched all over in the straw piles. But as soon as she returned from the field, she saw Da Wa and Xiao Wa waiting at the door with drooping faces.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Yinyin asked, scooping a dipper of well water and drinking it. The sweet, cool water slid down her throat, making her feel especially comfortable.

“Mother, it looks like someone’s been in our room.” Da Wa said uncertainly.

Gu Yinyin dropped the water dipper and ran straight into the room. When she saw that the originally tidy room was now in complete disarray, she immediately ran to the door and cried out: “Thieves! Thieves! What should we do? The hundred yuan Da Wa’s father left me is gone! Oh heavens, why are you blind!”

She patted her legs and cried for a while before going inside. Li Ailian and Ma Hongmei exchanged glances, and only after a moment did they dare to return to the room.

The two closed the door and spoke cautiously.

Ma Hongmei took out the bundles. “Mother, look! I found these two bundles. They won’t open. Your eldest daughter-in-law hid them so well, they must be important!”

Li Ailian hurriedly tried to open them but found that the bundles were tied extremely tightly.

She couldn’t bear to damage them, and it took her half an hour to force open one of them. Outside, Gu Yinyin cried and shouted intermittently: “My hundred yuan! Oh heavens! This is terrible!”

Thinking the hundred yuan must be inside the bundle, Li Ailian became extremely excited. Ma Hongmei’s eyes also glowed as she stared at the bundles.

One layer after another, they opened the bundles, only to be stunned. Inside was a pile of wheat chaff!

“Impossible! Why would she pack wheat chaff so carefully?” Ma Hongmei hurriedly rummaged through it.

Outside, Gu Yinyin continued shouting: “Ah, my hundred yuan! Whoever took my hundred yuan, may you meet a terrible end!”

Li Ailian cast a suspicious glance at Ma Hongmei. “Search it carefully!”

They turned over the chaff but still couldn’t find the hundred yuan. Eventually, they moved on to the other bundle. After enormous effort, they finally opened it, only to find it full of broken stones!

Li Ailian’s face changed. She dug through the bundles and found that, apart from the broken stones and wheat chaff, there was nothing else in either bundle!

But Gu Yinyin had been shouting about the hundred yuan for an hour, and it had firmly imprinted in her mind.

Li Ailian glared at Ma Hongmei. “Third Daughter-in-law, where’s the hundred yuan?”

Now Ma Hongmei was dumbfounded. She stammered: “Mother! I didn’t touch these bundles at all!”

Outside, Gu Yinyin pounded on the door. “Mother! I finally saved a hundred yuan, put it in two bundles—one with wheat chaff, one with broken stones—and now it’s all gone! What should I do?”

She spoke as if it were completely true. Li Ailian glared angrily at Ma Hongmei. “Hand over the money immediately!”

Where was Ma Hongmei going to hand over money? She felt uncomfortable and kept defending herself, but Li Ailian refused to believe her.

In the end, if they hadn’t been afraid Gu Yinyin would hear them, the mother and daughter almost argued loudly.

Gu Yinyin saw the two of them come out of the room with grim faces and felt secretly pleased.

She knew they would rummage through her room, so she had taken action in advance. Li Ailian and Ma Hongmei weren’t good people at all—they would definitely turn against each other over this imaginary hundred yuan.

For the next several days, Li Ailian indeed didn’t give Ma Hongmei any friendly looks. In the end, it was only after Ma Hongmei knelt before her, slapping herself and swearing oaths, that Li Ailian reluctantly believed that Gu Yinyin had deliberately caused a rift between them.

But deep down, she still didn’t fully trust Ma Hongmei. Taking advantage of this, Ma Hongmei suggested: “Mother, your eldest daughter-in-law has hidden so much good grain. She can’t just eat it herself. How about we say you’re not feeling well and need to eat some fine grain? If she refuses to give it, we can just make her go back to her parents’ house.”

Li Ailian had been thinking about that grain for a long time. Although she also had reservations about Ma Hongmei, she still nodded in agreement.

Early the next morning, Gu Yinyin finally got up, and Ma Hongmei and Shen Meijuan came over.

“Eldest daughter-in-law, our mother is ill, and there’s nothing good in the house. Why not give out some of your fine grain so she can strengthen her health?”

Gu Yinyin washed her face and glanced at them. “Is that so? What kind of illness does she have?”

“Probably hunger… malnutrition. She can’t even get out of bed now.” Ma Hongmei added.

Gu Yinyin tossed the towel aside and headed straight for Li Ailian’s room. Li Ailian, hearing the movement, immediately lay on the bed and groaned continuously, as if she were really unwell.

“Mother, your body isn’t good. You should have a chicken killed. I’ll go kill a chicken for you.” Gu Yinyin said, turning to go toward the chicken coop.

Li Ailian’s eyes widened. How could she bear to have a chicken killed!

She forgot all about her supposed illness, jumped out of bed, and ran outside. Just as Gu Yinyin caught one chicken, Li Ailian snatched it back. “You want my chicken? Not a chance!”

Gu Yinyin clicked her tongue. “Your body’s better now? Oh my, Third Brother’s Wife, Little Aunt, look at the old lady, she’s fine now!”

Ma Hongmei and Shen Meijuan felt awkward, not knowing what to say, so they lowered their heads and pretended to work. From then on, no one mentioned Li Ailian being unwell again.