Chapter 21: The Tantrum-Throwing Old Lady

Chapter 21 The Unruly Old Woman

A series of vicious robberies in the county town had captivated everyone's attention. The police, acting on information from Lu Xiang, immediately investigated the letter. Sure enough, they discovered her urgent message tucked away in a pile of discarded paper baskets.

Upon opening it, they realized Lu Xiang had already detailed the entire incident!

A temporary clerk at the local department casually remarked, "So what?" His dismissive attitude was typical of lazy government employees, who were merely there to collect a paycheck and utterly indifferent to the contents of such letters.

The temporary worker leisurely held a teacup, sipping from his mug, looking utterly relaxed. The police officer watching him was fuming: "Why didn't you report this letter after receiving it?"

The temporary worker replied carelessly, "Oh, I thought it was nothing. We get letters like this every day. Who knows if they’re true or false? Besides, we’re understaffed here and can’t verify every single one!" His excuses were blatantly obvious.

Furious, the police officer realized arguing with him was pointless. He immediately summoned the supervisor to report the issue, emphasizing repeatedly, "If this had been reported earlier, such severe consequences could have been avoided."

Their driver had nearly died on the spot—stabbed and bleeding profusely. Fortunately, he was rushed to the hospital in time, or he would have lost his life.

In those days, drivers were skilled professionals, and very few people knew how to operate large trucks. With the driver injured, the entire grain depot was left without transportation, bringing work to a standstill. They had to bring in a driver from outside, but when outside drivers heard about the reason, they were reluctant to come.

The supervisor broke out in a cold sweat. The roadside robberies had already alarmed the city authorities, and now it turned out that an early warning had been suppressed. As the leader, he could not escape responsibility for such a failure. He said, "Comrade, rest assured, I will deal with this matter seriously and ensure corrective measures are taken!"

He also noted Lu Xiang’s name, intending to write a commendation letter for her.

Every department in the county was working overtime. That night, the police station was brightly lit as Lu Xiang’s paternal aunt continued to resist, insisting, "I don’t know anything! You brought me here, so you have to send me back!" The police questioned her extensively about Lin Mu.

Terrified, Lu Xiang’s aunt didn’t dare say anything reckless. Lin Mu was facing execution, and even in her confusion, she knew better than to get entangled with him.

The police continued their investigation and interrogation, pushing through until the next day. The officers were barely holding on, their eyes bloodshot from exhaustion.

The police found a receipt provided by Lin Mu, which stated that the gold bracelet was in the possession of Lu Xiang’s aunt.

When questioned, Lu Xiang’s aunt firmly denied having any such item. She cried and yelled, claiming she was being wrongfully accused.

The police had seen plenty of people like her—incoherent and evasive. They didn’t waste time arguing and took her back home to search the place. Lu Xiang’s aunt felt relieved, confident that the gold bracelet was hidden in a very secure spot.

…

Just as all the villagers had left for work, only Lu Xiang and her mother-in-law, Xiao Cailian, remained at home. The two were tidying up the house when they heard someone outside yelling crude and vulgar insults.

Lu Xiang stepped outside.

Grandma Lu snapped, "You need to tell the police to release your aunt immediately, or I won’t let you off the hook!" She had gotten up early specifically to cause trouble for Lu Xiang, deliberately avoiding the Fu family.

Lu Xiang retorted, "The police were the ones who took her away. Why aren’t you going to them? There’s nothing I can do! If you have so much free time, why not go do some work instead of acting like a troublemaker with no sense of dignity?"

Grandma Lu was so enraged by Lu Xiang’s words that she nearly fainted. She had always held a respected position in the family, and being spoken to like this by her granddaughter was a blow to her pride. She began yelling loudly, "You’re nothing but a jinx! If it weren’t for you, she would never have gone to Lin Mu! I don’t care—you have to bring her back!"

Xiao Cailian, who had been listening nearby, couldn’t take it anymore: "If she hasn’t broken the law, why would the police arrest her? Instead of reflecting on your own actions, you come here to make trouble! She deserved to be taken away by the police! If you keep causing a scene here, I’ll chase you off with a broom!" In the past, she had shown respect because Grandma Lu was an elder, but now, seeing her behavior, Xiao Cailian was simply disgusted.

Xiao Cailian added, "It’s a good thing Fu Qinhui didn’t marry Lu Zhaodi, or we’d be dragged into this mess too. Now scram!"

No sooner had she spoken than someone came running to tell Grandma Lu that Lu Xiang’s aunt had returned with the police.

Humiliated by Xiao Cailian’s words yet anxious about her daughter-in-law’s situation, Grandma Lu was torn between anger and concern. Her face pale with rage, she spat out, "Just you wait!" before storming off.

Xiao Cailian scoffed and spat on the ground: "An old woman with no sense of dignity." Then she pulled Lu Xiang’s hand and said, "Stop working for now. Let’s go see what’s happening."

They weren’t the only ones curious. By the time Lu Xiang and her mother-in-law arrived, a crowd had already gathered! They watched as the police entered the house and began searching everywhere. Grandma Lu couldn’t stand it and demanded, "Hey! This is our house! What do you think you’re doing?"

Seeing she was an elderly woman, the police officer spoke politely: "We’re carrying out our duties!"

Grandma Lu was usually intimidated by the police, but being subjected to a search in front of so many people was too much for her pride. She blocked the doorway and insisted, "No! You can’t go in!" Then she began rolling on the ground—a classic tactic used by rural elderly women to get their way.

But the police weren’t having any of it.

As soon as she started throwing a tantrum, the police signaled to others nearby. Two officers immediately restrained Grandma Lu and moved her aside so the search could continue.

Grandma Lu screamed and yelled, creating a chaotic scene.

Lu Zhaodi noticed Lu Xiang watching the commotion and said to her, "Don’t look so smug! Your time to cry will come!" She believed that once she married into a wealthy family in the county and became well-off, Lu Xiang would come begging for help—and she wouldn’t lift a finger.

Lu Xiang rolled her eyes, thinking Lu Zhaodi must be delusional: "You should worry about your mother first."

Stung by the retort, Lu Zhaodi tried to report Lu Xiang to the police, claiming that Lu Xiang held a grudge against them and might have falsely accused her mother.

The police officer replied, "We handle cases based on evidence. We don’t wrong innocent people!" Then he politely asked Lu Zhaodi to step aside.

Lu Xiang’s aunt’s face shifted between fear and anxiety. Grandma Lu, meanwhile, demanded, "You have to put everything back exactly how it was!"

The village chief arrived upon hearing the news and ignored the yelling from the Lu family, going straight to speak with the police. Just then, Lu Xiang’s aunt’s expression suddenly changed. A young police officer announced, "Found it." He retrieved a package near the stove and unwrapped it to reveal a gleaming gold bracelet.

This was exactly what the police had been looking for. They prepared to take Lu Xiang’s aunt back to the station to complete the report.

Grandma Lu was stunned—she had never known there was a bracelet hidden in their stove: "What’s going on?"

The police explained, "She helped Lin Mu conceal stolen goods. She’s an accomplice!"

Lu Xiang’s aunt turned pale with terror: "Someone is framing me!"

The police officer replied impatiently, "Whether it’s a frame-up or not, the law will decide!"

With that, Lu Xiang’s aunt was taken away.

The Lu household was left in disarray.

The surrounding villagers buzzed with discussion.