klisemfg Chapter 287 The Xu Family's Money Was Stolen
Chapter 287 The Xu Family's Money Was Stolen
The October sea breeze still carried the lingering heat of midsummer, sticking to the back of Xu Yiyi's neck.
After breakfast, Xu Anyang and A Yue took the children to a restaurant in town.
She packed her tools and went out to sea with Uncle. When she stood on tiptoe to untie the ropes on the side of the boat, she found it very difficult. The rough hemp ropes were soaked in seawater and were several times heavier than before.
The forests on both sides of the river were still steaming with moisture, and the cries of seabirds, mixed with the salty and fishy air, entered my ears, making me feel as if I had returned to the sweltering heat of July or August.
"You damned little whore!"
A sharp curse suddenly pierced the silence, and the seabirds in the forest scattered in all directions.
Xu Yiyi's hand trembled, and the knot she had just untied slipped back into place.
Turning around, I saw Grandma Xu being supported by Xu Zhengci's wife, Meiyi, and Xu Mingzai's wife, Rulan, stumbling and staggering towards the river.
Grandma Xu's gray cloth headscarf was askew, her sparse white hair clung to her sweaty forehead, and her cloudy eyes were almost bulging out.
It's clear he was extremely angry.
"What happened?"
Aunt Li, who was carrying a fish basket, stopped abruptly. The bamboo carrying pole creaked under the weight, and the fresh fish and shrimp splashed around in the basket.
The auntie washing clothes by the ferry also straightened up, her washing mallet hanging above the wooden basin, forgetting to drop it, soap bubbles dripping down her clothes.
Ah Da also curiously poked his head out of the small boat.
"The fourth son's wife is a shameless wretch, and she and her son are both thieves..."
Mei-yi raised her voice, her indigo coarse cloth shirt soaked with sweat, revealing dark cloud-like patterns.
"That shameless bastard not only slept with me, but also stole the money I hid in the bedside cabinet."
She suddenly lifted her blouse, revealing an empty cloth bag inside: "A full eight taels of silver! My savings for over a year!"
Rulan was even more resentful, as her money was even harder to come by than Meiyi's.
Because her husband manages the money at home, her money comes in little by little.
Zhou Yue'e suddenly drained him of his energy, and now he was so angry that he didn't even have the strength to walk.
The crowd immediately erupted in uproar.
Ah Da said with disdain, his opinion of her even worse: "Fourth brother's wife always seems restless, I never thought she would do something like stealing money."
"I think she's had a tough time. I heard that her fourth son is paralyzed. Without a man to support the family, life will be even harder, and they'll be even more short of money..."
Aunt Li stood aside and spoke up for Zhou Yue'e.
"She had no choice."
A faint voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
The auntie washing clothes sighed, "The fourth son is paralyzed, and the child doesn't even have a decent set of clothes..."
Women are most easily moved to pity, and during the two days that Zhou Yue'e was on the island, she could talk to anyone for most of the day about her troubles.
When they came back, whether it was intentional or not, both of them were dressed in tattered clothes.
Many people on the island now feel that she is having a hard time.
"Just because you're having a hard time, you can steal money? Fourth brother has only been paralyzed for a few days! Her child isn't dressed well, but does that mean my child is dressed well?"
Ru Lan flew into a rage, her bloated body stomping her feet until they trembled.
As she said this, Aunt Li pursed her lips.
Everyone knows that Xu Yizhi is the most beloved by Grandma Xu, and he has always had a good life in terms of food and clothing.
"Am I supposed to starve myself to support their whole family? Is it my fault that the fourth child is paralyzed? Did my husband beat him?"
Ru Lan said viciously, "I'm going to smash that bitch to death today!"
Mei-yi also shouted shrilly, "That's right! Putting everything else aside, she even managed to find the money I secretly hid in the crack in the wall! She clearly planned this all along!"
Otherwise, who could find the hidden place?
Xu Yiyi untied the rope, a hint of schadenfreude on her face.
“Your family doesn’t lack this amount of money, so let her take it. After all, your fourth son needs the money right now,” Aunt Li said casually. Grandma Xu thought it made sense.
The fourth son is now bedridden, and money is needed for everything.
Thinking this way, my anger subsided a bit.
"Forget it! Pah!"
Ru Lan wanted to slap Aunt Li: "It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering the consequences. So it wasn't your money that was stolen..."
“Mother, you can overlook the money you lost, but not my money. My son Ningkang will need it for school next year.”
Meiyi felt very wronged. She didn't know how much of her parents-in-law's money they secretly used to subsidize the second son's family, and she had to save up little by little to send her son to school.
The more I think about it, the more wronged I feel.
“Xu Yaozu is so fat and bloated, you can tell he’s not short of money.”
The two women argued back and forth, and there was never a moment of peace on the river.
Seeing that Ah Da wasn't leaving, Xu Yi stayed to watch the show.
I thought it had nothing to do with her.
"Xu Yiyi, you too! She wants money, why don't you just give it to her? So what if you didn't hit her? You run such a big restaurant, do you really need that little bit?"
Rulan watched Xu Yiyi sitting on the small boat, a faint smile playing on her lips, like an outsider watching a farce, her interest utterly indifferent.
He couldn't help but feel resentment towards her.
If she had given the money, this whole mess wouldn't have happened.
"Give it to me? What does it matter to me whether Xu Guining lives or dies? I wouldn't give it to a beggar." Xu Yiyi rolled her eyes in front of everyone.
He then grabbed the oar and started rowing the boat: "Uncle! Let's go!"
The sound of oars splashing the water was mixed with the curses of the two men behind.
Xu Yiyi inexplicably felt relaxed and happy.