freenovelworld Chapter 19: The attempt to catch them in the act failed.
Chapter 19: The attempt to catch them in the act failed.
Hmph, it won't be your place to interfere next time!
Shen Xiaotang scoffed inwardly. Shen Yinxiu, being her biological granddaughter, could go to town every two weeks, but her step-granddaughter was forbidden from going after just one visit. The favoritism was outrageous.
Sun craned her neck and stared intently, but the bottoms of both bamboo baskets were covered with coarse linen, so she couldn't see anything.
She simply lifted it up to check!
Shen Xiaotang immediately reached out to block the bamboo basket, "Grandma, what are you doing?"
Seeing her step-granddaughter so nervous, Mrs. Sun became even more convinced of her suspicions. The eldest son must be hiding some money on his own. He was an ungrateful wretch, a freeloader who dared to hoard money. He was simply asking for trouble!
"You start driving for me!"
Sun pulled her step-granddaughter away with great strength, and without saying a word, she went to lift the coarse linen cloth from the bamboo basket.
After all, Shen Xiaotang was only six years old and looked pale and thin. When her stepmother pulled her, she fell to the ground and almost fell face-first into the mud.
The old hag always complains of backaches and leg pains, but it's effortless to pull her out of bed, which shows that she's just faking it!
"Tang'er, where did you fall? Does it hurt?"
Shen Qingchuan dropped the carrying pole and hurriedly helped his daughter up, his eyes already filled with anger.
Normally, his stepmother would put on an act in front of him, giving him the illusion that she treated the main family quite well. But today she didn't even try to hide it anymore; it was simply too much.
It's all his fault for being blind all this time, unable to see his stepmother's true colors!
"Dad, I'm not in pain, don't worry."
Shen Xiaotang shook her head and was helped to her feet by her father.
Shen Qingchuan was seething with anger. He abandoned his usual obedient attitude and questioned, "Mother, can't you talk things out? Why did you push Tang'er? She's only a six-year-old girl."
Sun suddenly ripped open the coarse cotton cloth in one of the bamboo baskets, only to find it empty. Unable to believe it, she immediately ripped open another coarse cotton cloth inside, only to find it empty as well.
impossible!
How could this happen?
Did she really think too much?
What if the eldest brother is hiding money and only buying things for that brat, and not for that stuttering girl?
Having failed to catch her in the act, the gloom on Sun's face gradually disappeared, and when she heard her stepson questioning her, she changed her expression.
"Qingchuan, I didn't mean anything by it. I just felt that this bamboo basket had been used for quite a while, and I wanted to check if it was dirty. I don't know how long it's been since I washed it. I accidentally used a bit too much force. I didn't mean to. It's inevitable for children to bump and bruise themselves. It's nothing serious."
Shit!
Mingming just wanted to see if she and her father had hidden anything in the bamboo basket.
For many years, her father was honest, hardworking, and sincere. Every day, he would go to town to deliver tofu and eggs to Yunlai Restaurant. The restaurant settled accounts monthly, but her father was simple-minded and never saved a single copper coin. Ever since she was born, she had never seen her father and mother have a single penny of their own savings.
But the old woman still guarded against her father day and night, like he was a thief!
Shen Xiaotang pouted. Luckily, before entering the village, she felt that it was still not safe to put the things in the carrying pole, so she and her father secretly hid the things in the field. Otherwise, they would have been caught red-handed by Sun Shi.
That was a close call, otherwise the house would have been in complete chaos today.
Shen Qingchuan's face was ashen, his hands clenched into fists. In the past, he would have believed whatever his stepmother said and would never have thought much of it or considered her badly. But since his daughter's words yesterday had made him realize the truth, and after questioning Mr. Lu, the accountant, today, he confirmed that his father had cheated his mother and maternal grandfather out of their inheritance and had even married his childhood sweetheart, Sun Shi, and that his stepmother had just pushed his daughter to the ground, which he had witnessed clearly, the rift in his heart had taken root and grown rapidly.
"Now that we've finished watching, let's go back inside."
He tried to calm his anger before loosening his fist and leading his daughter back into the house.
He left the carrying pole in the yard and didn't care about it anymore.
Sun wanted to catch them red-handed, but failed. She ended up shooting herself in the foot. Although she managed to find an excuse to get away with it, her stepson looked furious and clearly didn't believe her. Feeling upset, she kicked the bamboo basket and somehow twisted her toe.
"what--"
Sun started yelling loudly, which startled the two sisters-in-law from the second and third branches of the family. They peeked out and rushed over to show their filial piety.
"Mom, what happened to you? Are you alright?"
"I twisted my toe, is it okay? It hurts so much! Quick, help me over there so I can rest a bit, ah..."
Shen Xiaotang and her father returned to the house and immediately closed the door to block out the sounds of pigs being slaughtered from the outside.
Liu was picking beans in the house, with her well-behaved youngest daughter helping her. When she saw her husband and eldest daughter return, Liu quickly got up to greet them.
"Her father, Tang'er, why are you so late? Did things go smoothly today?"
The father and daughter nodded at the same time. Shen Xiaotang pointed to the door, signaling her mother to keep her voice down so that no one could hear them.
Shen Qingchuan pulled his wife a couple of steps inside and whispered to her, "Tang'er's turmeric has been sold for sixty coins."
Liu stared in astonishment, her eyes widening. She opened her mouth, almost speaking out loud, but quickly covered her mouth and lowered her voice even further.
"Sixty...sixty coins?"
"You heard right, it's sixty coins, and only three catties were sold. I never thought that our first secret stash of money would be earned by Tang'er."
Overjoyed, Liu smiled broadly and turned to embrace her eldest daughter.
"Tang'er, this is all thanks to you. Even your mother is humbled."
Shen Xiaotang smiled faintly and whispered, "Mom, you are hardworking and capable. I am still far behind you. As long as we separate from Grandpa and Grandma, we will be able to get rich through hard work sooner or later."
Mrs. Liu smiled with relief, thinking that after the family split up, if the two of them worked hard, they would be able to support their two daughters, which would be good enough. How could they possibly become rich through hard work? So she didn't take it to heart.
"Okay, we'll listen to Tang'er. From now on, we'll work hard to get rich."
Shen Xiaotang secretly told her mother and sister about the cut cake and candied hawthorn she and her father had bought and put them in the field. The two were overjoyed. Liu wiped away her tears and said that she was only able to eat cut cake because of her daughter. She never thought she would be able to eat cut cake in her life. She felt like she was dreaming.
After lunch, the family of four went to the fields, found candied hawthorns and sweet rice cakes, and sat under a tree to enjoy them together.
The sun was too strong, and the candied hawthorns had melted a bit.
This was the first time Shen Xiaoyu had ever seen candied hawthorns in her life. She was so happy that she danced with joy and even stopped stuttering when she spoke.
The family of four politely declined each other's offers, and in the end, all four of them got to taste the cut cake and candied hawthorn.
Shen Qingchuan worked all afternoon as usual, and let his wife and daughter rest under the tree until it was getting late before they went home.
By this time, Mr. Shen had returned from school with his son and grandson. The day's lessons were over, and the courtyard became lively.
After finishing dinner, Zhao, the third wife, was so angry that she clenched her jaw. She thought to herself that if it weren't for that wretched girl Shen Xiaotang clamoring to take turns cooking, she wouldn't have had to go into the kitchen and interrupt her weaving.
She needs to think of a solution quickly!