"Sigh, Li Chang idles around all day, causing trouble whenever he can. I knew something would happen, but I never thought Xiao Wan would suffer because of this." Shen Qing looked at Lin Wan, whose face was pale, and sighed.
"Aunt, itâs all my fault. I didnât stop him today, leading to such a situation." Shen Rong could hardly lift her head in front of her family now.
Shen Qing glanced at her niece and didnât say anything, just sighed again. She remained silent.
"As long as everyoneâs okay, thatâs a blessing amid misfortune. Li Chang has already been taken away by the police, and I estimate the police will come here soon. Looking at Xiao Wanâs condition, she probably canât give a statement." Bai Xu frowned.
"Itâs okay. When the police arrive, Iâll go with you to talk to them." Hu Bin said.
"Okay."
...
"Sleeping again? Itâs so early." Wang Yan, Shi Lanâs sister-in-law, was outside in the yard, her eyes darting around, mostly looking at Shi Lanâs unlocked bedroom.
After returning inside, she saw her husband lying on the bed, snoring sporadically. Wang Yan pushed her husband impatiently.
"What are you doing? I worked all day, and at this time, you still wonât let me sleep."
"Sleep, sleep, all you do is eat and sleep, sleep and eat. Let me tell you something."
"What is it?"
"Living in the city is nice, but every day, we are oppressed by your elder brother and sister-in-law, working based on their moods. Itâs really frustrating. Besides, Iâm tired of dealing with all that smelly sauce every day. I donât like it."
"Itâs an income source; does it matter if you like it or not, as long as it makes money?"
"It does make money, but itâs not ours; itâs your big familyâs. Ning Hai, Iâm telling you, Iâm not planning to stay here anymore. You know your sister-in-law, always guarding against me like Iâm a thief. As if I would steal her things. Why would I want her money? Whatâs there to desire?"
"Also, didnât your mom promise us half of this factory? Itâs been so long, and I havenât seen your mom talk to your elder brother about it. Whatâs going on? Does your mom think weâre easy to fool, taking advantage of your Ning Hai?"
"I doubt it. Mom and Dad have promised us. After all, this was built up bit by bit by sister-in-law; we canât demand half right away. They need time to adjust, donât worry. My mom and dad support us."
"I wouldnât be so sure. Didnât you notice today next door? I heard the siblings were fighting over the factory, and someone got injured. Today, I overheard your mom and dad whispering after dinner."
"What were they whispering about?" Ning Hai didnât mind his wifeâs eavesdropping, directly asking for the main point.
"They said itâs bad for siblings to become enemies over a factory, think about that. Could your parents be wavering, not planning to give us the factory?"
"Not give? Why? We havenât separated yet; before that, everything the family earns belongs to the whole family."
"Hmph, what good is it talking to me? You should talk to your elder brother and sister-in-law, and your parents."
Ning Hai scratched his head awkwardly, "Thatâs not quite right since parents havenât said anything."
"Look at you, coward. I knew you wouldnât dare."
"Then what should we do?"
Wang Yan pointed outside at Shi Lanâs room, "See? The door isnât locked, while your parents are busy taking care of those five kids."
"What do you mean?"
"What do you mean? Youâre so slow. When Shi Lan isnât around, her passbooks must be inside, right?"
"What do you plan to do, Wang Yan? Donât do anything impulsive. If we really do this, I wouldnât be able to face my parents and elder brother in the future. Besides, itâs easy to get caught."
"Whatâs there to worry about? Weâre not taking everything, just half of their passbooks; thatâs fair. While theyâre not home, weâll find them. No one will know, and even if they find out, they have no proof. If they suspect us, we will deny it; they canât do anything. After some time, weâll make an excuse to go back home with the money. Use it to contract a few dozen acres of land and build a house. Save the remaining money. Your parents have your elder brother, so they donât need us. We just need to worry about enjoying our lives."
"Then, eventually, theyâll find out, and my brother will definitely be furious."
"Hmph, by the time they realize, weâll have bought the land, built the house, and spent the money. Even if heâs angry, they canât get it back. At most, they can scold you."
"Buying dozens of acres of land will need at least a couple thousand. Even building a house costs a couple thousand. Do they have that much money?"
Wang Yan was so angry at his words that she almost couldnât speak. "I said youâre dumb, and you still donât believe it, only knowing how to work blindly without thinking."
"What now?"
"You deal with moving goods and settling accounts daily, and you donât have a rough idea of how much they make? Just a quick estimation will tell you. Weâve been here three or four months now, and Iâve estimated during our time here, Shi Lan has earned at least this amount." Wang Yan said, showing three fingers to her husband.
Ning Hai said, "Three thousand?" Damn, thatâs quite a bit; three thousand yuan is enough for them to earn in two or three years in the countryside.
"Fool." Wang Yan glanced at him and quietly corrected, "Itâs thirty thousand, thirty thousand! Think about it, three thousand isnât even enough to pay workers, and donât forget your sister-in-law generously gives you a hundred yuan a month, and I also get fifty. Our salaries are higher than technical workers in state-owned factories. She didnât even bat an eye; imagine how wealthy she must be."
"My goodness, thirty thousand?" Thatâs years of farming income. Last year, when parents werenât home, all the farm work was managed by them as a couple. After harvesting and paying grain taxes, they could sell the surplus for three to four hundred yuan a year at most. Thirty thousand yuan equals how many years of grain farming.
"And this is just a few months; think about how many years sheâs been in business? She must have saved quite a bit. Getting half of that money would be incredible; weâd be living lavishly, unable to spend it all."
"Right now, Saozi gives me a salary of one hundred yuan a month, and you get fifty. In a year, we could earn two thousand yuan. If we take the money, we canât stay here, and the salary becomes pointless. Working for a few years can also save quite a bit."
"You want to live under your elder brother and sister-in-lawâs eyes, worrying about their moods forever? Besides, a few thousand canât compare to tens of thousands."
"You have a point."
"Letâs go, while sister-in-law isnât home, and the door is open. Letâs quickly search her room."
Ning Hai looked through the window into the elder brotherâs room and then checked the parentsâ room.
Hesitating for a moment, he nodded to his wife, "Alright, letâs do it quickly before she returns."
"Come on, come on."
The couple sneaked into Shi Lanâs room in the yard.
They didnât dare turn on the lights, using a flashlight to carefully search Shi Lanâs room.
They were cautious, afraid of making too much noise and raising Shi Lanâs suspicion upon her return.
"Ning Hai, Ning Hai, found it!" Wang Yan found something in the cracks of a brick wall.
Moving a brick aside revealed a small space with a metal box inside. They carefully opened it and found various important items.
"Your sister-in-law sure knows how to hide things; in such places, no one else might find them."
"Luckily, my sister-in-law ran into you. Who can match your talent for finding things?" When parents were not home, Wang Yan turned their room upside down.
Just to see if parents hid any valuable treasures.
"Stop the nonsense and see how much money there is."
The couple, tense and yet quick in their movements, counted each passbook meticulously.