Chapter 79

Chapter 79

The old couple hurried into the house, leaving the family outside with bewildered faces.

Even Zhou Jiaojiao had forgotten to cry, giving her husband a puzzled look. Wang Qingqi shook his head, indicating he didn't know either.

"Really bad luck! Zhou Jiaojiao, don't think this matter is over. I warn you, if you dare blame me for ruining your good fortune again, we'll both end up dead in the net, and neither of us will be happy." Zhao Cuihua spat angrily several times as she stormed back into the house.

Zhou Jiaojiao, feeling a bit deflated by Zhao Cuihua's rebuke, turned to the talkative Bai Xiuxiu: "Sister-in-law, I've never wronged you. Isn't it too much for you to treat me like this?"

Bai Xiuxiu knew Zhou Jiaojiao's character and smiled at her innocently. "Yes, you've never wronged me. Why would I go against you? Old Fifth's wife, you must have misunderstood. I've always liked you.

After all, you have so much grease on you."

"You!" Zhou Jiaojiao thought about how hard she worked to bring things back from the mountain, only to share them with Bai Xiuxiu. It was like feeding Bai Xiuxiu.

She felt a surge of anger.

Bai Xiuxiu didn't bother arguing further and took her two children back into the house.

In the courtyard, Zhou Jiaojiao glared at Wang Qingqi, still angry. "Can't you say something for me? Are you just going to watch them bully me?"

Wang Qingqi tried to placate her awkwardly. "Dear, don't be angry. The village is sure to distribute meat tonight. I'll ask Mom to make some extra for you privately. When you visit your parents tomorrow, I'll have her give you more to take along.

Will that work?"

"That's better, but what's going on with Mom and Dad? They rushed back here, and Dad doesn't even care about the meat anymore." Zhou Jiaojiao's eyes flickered, sensing that this was the real secret of the Wang family.

Given how tight-fisted her in-laws were, whatever they deemed more important than wild boar meat must be huge.

Wang Qingqi also found it strange. "I don't know either. This is the first time I've seen them act like this. Maybe I should ask them later..."

"You?" Zhou Jiaojiao felt disdainful.

Those two old folks wouldn't tell him anything.

"Let's go back inside first. Tomorrow, when my brother comes back, you need to curry favor with him. Until the job situation is settled, everyone needs to be nice. Once the job is secured, we can move to the city and live well."

Zhou Jiaojiao was extremely curious, but eavesdropping wouldn't help, and asking directly wouldn't yield answers. She might as well focus on practical matters.

Inside the house.

Zhao Guifen and her husband entered the room, pacing anxiously. "Old man, what do we do about this? Little Liu from our village said he heard it from the county. He mentioned someone influential, and they're asking around in nearby counties, communes, and villages.

I'm worried...

Could it be?"

"Impossible!" Wang Shoucheng was also anxious, pulling out the letter and benefits from years ago.

He kept muttering "impossible," taking a while to calm down. "Didn't the two people who gave us the benefits say this child is ours? No matter who asks, it's ours. Don't panic. It could be a coincidence.

These days, many families lose their children.

Even if it's true... we absolutely cannot admit it."

"What about Old Lady Feng next door? That old hag suspected something when she heard me talking!" Zhao Guifen regretted being careless back then.

"You and your big mouth. You deserve to be torn apart." Wang Shoucheng also felt unlucky recalling the incident.

"What's the use of saying this now? What do we do? Should we pretend we don't know?" Zhao Guifen shuddered remembering how those two people threatened them to steal the child and never admit it.

Those two were terrifying; she still had nightmares about them.

Could it really be the family looking for their lost child?

If they found them, forget the stolen child; even without pursuing it, the two people who coerced them wouldn't let them off easily.

Not just Zhao Guifen, but Wang Shoucheng was also terrified.

He regretted being blinded by greed back then, taking the job while fleeing with his wife.

But without it, they wouldn't have survived, let alone have such a large family now.

"You need to listen carefully in the village these next few days. Have your relatives discreetly find out more. Don't reveal anything. See what kind of child they're looking for. If it's really a missing child... see who they are."

Wang Shoucheng lost all his appetite thinking about this mess.

Zhao Guifen nodded, pondering. "It would be great if that old hag next door died. Her presence is hindering us. Old man, our second son is around the same age. Could he...?"

Zhao Guifen recalled the clothes that family wore and felt hopeful.

"Are you crazy? Have you forgotten those two? Our son going there would be suicide. As for the eldest, his looks... I've grown increasingly annoyed with him over the past two years." Wang Shoucheng wished he could disfigure his eldest son's face.

Zhao Guifen was also frustrated. "I was just saying. I need to go back to carrying manure. I came here under the pretense of visiting the daughters-in-law. I'd better not stay too long."

In the west room, Bai Xiuxiu watched Zhao Guifen rush out again, guessing that Wang Qinghe's contacts had arrived. The speed was impressive; they had news already in the afternoon.

Now, they just needed to wait for them to take the bait.

If they initiated contact with the searchers, they could extract information from them.

As soon as it got dark.

Wang Qinghe returned from outside. Wang Shoucheng had been waiting in the courtyard for two hours, watching the entrance.

Seeing him return, Wang Shoucheng glanced at the basket behind Wang Qinghe and saw it was still empty. His mood soured further, and he began scolding Wang Qinghe. "Qinghe, did you come back empty-handed again today?"

Wang Qinghe took down the basket, not wasting any words.

He wanted the other to see just how empty his basket was.

Seeing this, Wang Shoucheng felt even more stifled. "You're the eldest in the family. Your mother and I are getting old, and your younger brothers all depend on you. Look at Old Fifth's wife and your other sisters-in-law; they've all been doing so well lately?

And you, instead of taking care of them, have been taking advantage of their kindness.

Aren't you ashamed?"

Wang Qinghe never took Wang Shoucheng's words to heart. He looked at Wang Shoucheng and said, "Dad, I'm going back inside."