Chapter 52: Took the Wrong Medicine

Lu Lao tou heard the family’s money was gone and rushed home.

The first thing he did upon arriving was check the family’s money box.

Seeing it empty, Lu Mu’s face turned pale as she forced out: “You didn’t take it, did you?”

“Even if I took it, I wouldn’t take it all,” Lu Fu snapped.

He frantically searched for the money but found not a single cent.

Lu Fu slammed the money box to the ground, his expression monstrous with rage.

“Where’s the money? Who took it?!”

His dark gaze swept over everyone.

Su Yuxian’s scalp prickled; she hurriedly said, “It wasn’t me—I’ve got a foot injury, can’t go anywhere, never went near the main house.”

Lu Fu thought her words made sense and turned his gaze to Lu Xiao mei.

“It wasn’t me either—if I’d taken it, why wouldn’t I just admit it?” Lu Xiao mei grumbled.

Lu Fu’s face remained cold and grim. “Can so much money just vanish into thin air?”

The whole family turned the house upside down, even poking at rat holes—still not a single bill found.

Lu Mu sat on the ground wailing, crying over her money.

“Damn thief, sonless bastard, how could you steal all that money? Oh my heart, it kills me, oh my mother!”

“When I catch that dog’s offspring, I’ll chop off his paws and make his parents see what kind of beast they raised!”

She was furious, but for Lu Xiao mei, it was tears she wanted to shed.

That money included her dowry.

Her mother had promised her two hundred yuan as private savings when she married—now the money was gone, would she ever get it?!

Lu Fu roared: “Cry, cry, crying does nothing! Report it to the Public Security Bureau, or at least go to the Public Security Committee—they’re all useless!”

After cursing, he stormed out to find the Public Security Committee captain.

His search made the theft impossible to hide—everyone in Fengshou Team knew about Lu family’s stolen money.

Under the village’s big banyan tree, a circle of women, too distracted by gossip to nap, gathered to share the Lu family’s scandal.

“Hey, did you hear? The Lu family got robbed.”

“I heard—it’s all over the village!”

“Does anyone know exactly how much they lost?”

Everyone shook their heads.

Yuan Bao’s mother glanced at the silent team leader’s wife and asked, “Sister, do you know?”

“You only just remembered me?” The team leader’s wife rolled her eyes, slowly stood up, and carried her stool to the center of the group.

With dozens of eyes fixed on her, she felt satisfied.

“I don’t know the exact amount.”

Hearing this, the gossipers’ excitement dimmed—was she messing with them?

If it weren’t the team leader’s wife, they’d have cursed her out already.

“Come on, don’t rush,” the team leader’s wife said.

They thought she had inside info and leaned in eagerly.

“I don’t know the exact number, but I know roughly.”

Her words pulled every single person’s curiosity taut.

“How much?”

“How much? At least three or five hundred?”

“Yi zhou gets a stipend—three or five hundred sounds about right.”

……

People chattered back and forth.

The team leader’s wife, thinking of the Lu family’s stolen sum, felt a pang of envy, and it showed on her face.

“I heard it was over a thousand yuan.”

Honestly, when she first heard that number, she was stunned.

A thousand yuan! She’d never seen so much money in her life!

As soon as she finished speaking, a chorus of sharp hisses rose.

Everyone was shocked.

“Sss!! A thousand yuan?!” Yuan Bao’s mother hissed the loudest, her lips trembling.

Her own family couldn’t even scrape together a hundred yuan.

“Is being a soldier really that profitable?” Her eyes gleamed as she mentally calculated getting Yuan Bao to join the army.

The team leader’s wife was caught off guard and mumbled, “It’s definitely way more than working the fields for work points.”

Even if you earned full points every day, never got sick or absent, you’d make less than two hundred yuan a year—after household expenses, you barely saved anything.

No wonder anyone with over a hundred yuan was considered rich.

“I wonder if my Yuan Bao has the luck to become a soldier.”

The team leader’s wife didn’t think being a soldier was lucky—yes, there was a stipend, but she’d heard soldiers went to battle, hunted spies—it was dangerous, the stipend paid for with blood. What luck was that?

“A thousand yuan…” someone muttered, skeptical. “Did that Lu kid send all his stipend home?”

“Who knows?” Wang Chun hua said.

The banyan tree seemed like a loudspeaker—once words were spoken, they spread through the whole village.

Several old women made a special trip to Gu family’s house.

First, they gave Gu Mu an extremely complicated look.

Before Gu Mu could ask why they’d come, Li Lao po said sourly, “Cheng huai’s mother, you’ve got one son, Cheng huai—he’s worth more than several others’ sons combined.”

Gu Mu: “...?”

Gu Mu stared at her blankly. “Why say that out of nowhere?”

“Did you eat the wrong medicine?”

Li Lao po felt a blockage in her chest.

“You don’t know?” Qian Lao po, from Gu Mu’s natal village, smiled. “The Lu family got robbed—haven’t you heard?”

“Got robbed?” Gu Mu’s tone rose slightly.

“Yes, they say over a thousand yuan was stolen.” At the mention of a thousand yuan, everyone’s voice carried shock, sorrow, envy, and an indescribable mix of emotions.

“A thousand yuan?!” Gu Mu was equally stunned.

Was the Lu family that rich?

But…

“What does the Lu family’s theft have to do with my third son?”

Qian Lao po clucked her tongue. “Everyone’s guessing the Lu kid’s stipend must be high.”

“They say he’s only a deputy company commander and still saved so much—your third son’s a company commander, one rank higher, so his stipend must be even higher.”

And his savings even greater.

What she didn’t say was that many people were already eyeing the Gu family, planning to come borrow money when they needed it.

Gu Mu knew wealth shouldn’t be flaunted and immediately said, “I don’t know—I’ve been separated for years, I never ask about Cheng huai’s stipend. That’s his life-risking money—I wouldn’t dare ask for it.”

“If his stipend’s that high, he doesn’t give you money for old age?” Li Lao po didn’t believe her.

Gu Mu replied bluntly, “My husband and I aren’t helpless—we can still work. Why would we need our child’s money? We’ve got food and drink.”

“Could it be… your third daughter-in-law won’t give you any?” Li Lao po’s face lit up with a grin, as if this pleased her.

“...”

Gu Mu said the most arrogant thing in the calmest tone: “Zhao Zhao says taking care of four brats is hard, so she gives me two yuan every month.”

She didn’t mention the money was always exchanged for food.

Two yuan—was indeed a lot.

Instantly, several mothers-in-law sighed, too heartbroken to speak.

Even Qian Lao po, Gu Mu’s closest friend, gave her a sour glance.

“Enough, we know your third daughter-in-law is filial—stop grinning like that, it’s creepy. Do you still think you’re a young girl?”

“They’re all filial—my three daughters-in-law are all filial,” Gu Mu beamed, pride seeping from her eyes. “Zhao Zhao says even old women can be pretty, can use snow cream—she’ll buy some and give it to me someday.”

Unable to bear her boasting, the old women gathered their things and left.

Back home, they found their sons scowling, noses out of joint.

Every son in the village looked baffled.

What medicine did they eat this time?

None dared ask—they quickly found chores to do, afraid of being scolded.

The Lu family lost a thousand yuan—a massive sum.

The Public Security Committee members used every skill they had—investigated, questioned, exhausted every method—but found nothing.

They could only close the case as “unsolved.”

Hearing the investigation result, Lu Mu refused to accept it—she rushed forward and grabbed the Public Security Committee captain’s patched sweatshirt.

A sharp rip—fabric tearing.

The other Public Security Committee members froze.

Someone suddenly let out a snort of laughter.

Then, a chorus of stifled giggles broke out.

Chang Sheng’s uncle was also a member of the Public Security Team; seeing this, he couldn’t help laughing: “Auntie, you’re really not treating us like outsiders. Right in front of us, you’re tearing off our team leader’s clothes—is that appropriate?”

Team Leader Zhang Yongqiang shot him a warning glance, signaling him to tone it down.

Lu’s mother turned bright red with shame, glaring fiercely at Chang Sheng’s uncle: “Fine, I’ll pay, okay?”

Chang Sheng’s uncle was a brazen fellow—if you spoke politely to him, he’d give you some face; if you didn’t, don’t expect him to say anything nice.

“What are you talking about? You tore it, so you should pay—why are you yelling so loud?”

Lu’s mother flung back in anger, ignoring him, and turned to Zhang Yongqiang: “Zhang Team Leader, what did you mean just now?”

“I lost so much money, and you say you did your best—what does that even mean? Are you giving up? What about my family?”

She grew agitated and reached to strike again.

Zhang Yongqiang frowned and stepped back two paces.

“Then what do you want us to do? We’ve checked everywhere we should, asked everyone we could—there are no leads. What else do you expect?”

Lu’s mother shrieked: “Keep looking! Until you find it!”

Chang Sheng’s uncle snorted. “That’s a wildly unreasonable demand.”

The other Public Security Team members gave him an encouraging look—go on, say more.

The young man, emboldened, puffed out his chest and stepped forward: “We’re not your Lu family’s personal servants, running around your house all day.”

“We’ve checked everything we could—nothing turned up. Even if you drove us to death, we still couldn’t find it.”

“Some things just don’t yield results no matter how hard you try.” He ended with that.

Lu’s mother realized her money was truly gone—her heart clenched, her vision darkened in waves, and she collapsed onto the ground, wailing in despair: “My money!”

She was always difficult; the Public Security Team members feared trouble and quickly left.

The Lu family sat numbly in scattered spots, the sky above heavy with dark clouds, the atmosphere cold and still.

Lu Baozhen, clutching her rumbling stomach, stepped out of the room—and tripped and fell right in the courtyard.

For the whole brigade’s widely recognized good luck charm, this was her first time.

She stared blankly, unable to process it for a long while.

Lu’s mother’s old eyes suddenly lit up; she rushed forward, scooped up her granddaughter, and her wrinkled, bark-like face softened: “With Baozhen, what does a little money matter?”

She turned to Lu’s father: “I’ll take tomorrow off—I’ll take Baozhen to town for a walk.”

The money in the blue cloth bag and the gold ring—Baozhen had “found” them in town. If she took Baozhen back, the money and ring would return.

Lu’s father paused slightly in his habit of smoking his pipe. “Go.”

Su Yuxian’s gaze fell lightly on Lu Baozhen, a flicker of something swift passing through her eyes.

In town.

Lin Zhao finished her shift, rode Li Fen to the matchstick factory, picked up 500 sets of materials for gluing matchboxes, learned how to assemble them, thanked the kind sister Li Fen, and took her leave.

After leaving the matchstick factory, she went to the photo studio, handed over the film roll, paid the senior technician to develop the photos, and confirmed the pickup time.

Then she rode her bicycle home.

At the village entrance, the two boys and two dogs—one large, one small—came running to meet her.

Er Zai threw his arms around Lin Zhao’s waist: “Mama, I want to ride the bicycle!”

Da Zai grabbed his brother’s arm: “Er Zai, Mama’s tired from work.”

“...Fine.” Er Zai’s eyes dimmed with disappointment as he sighed: “When will I ever be able to ride the bicycle myself?”

“Three or five more years,” Lin Zhao replied.

She bent down, picked up Er Zai, placed him on the rear seat, and looked at Da Zai: “I’ll push you home. Er Zai rides first, then you ride—okay?”

Da Zai said: “Sure, I’ll help Mama push the bike.”

As soon as he spoke, he gripped the rear seat.

Er Zai, seated on the bicycle, was ecstatic—he kicked his legs wildly, his loud voice brimming with joy: “Mama, it’s so high! I love the bicycle!”

The villagers thought: who doesn’t love a bicycle?

Qian’s old woman chuckled: “Er Zai, when your father comes back, let him carry you on his shoulders—higher than this.”

Er Zai looked up at Lin Zhao: “Mama, how tall is my dad? Is he as tall as my second uncle?”

“Of course. Your father is famously tall—taller than your grandfather, your eldest uncle, and all your uncles,” Lin Zhao explained gently.

Back when she and Gu Chenghuai were courting, his height, like his face, was a major plus.

“Wow!” Er Zai gasped, gazing longingly at his mother: “Mama, can I get that tall too?”

“Of course. You’re your father’s sons. If you eat well, you’ll grow just as tall,” Lin Zhao smiled, then suddenly thought of the boys’ father—wondering how he was doing.

As they walked, Er Zai suddenly spoke up: “Mama, stop! It’s Brother’s turn now.”

“Er Zai did well—not greedy, always thinking of his brother,” Lin Zhao praised.

Er Zai puffed out his chest, floating on air.

I got praised by Mom again, hehehe.

Da Zai sat on the rear seat, his posture far neater than his brother’s—calm and composed, his only sign of joy a slight upward curve of his lips, nothing more.

“Did anything happen in the village today?” Lin Zhao asked casually.

Er Zai ran ahead, walking beside her, eyes sparkling: “Yes! So much happened today!”

He glanced warily around, then whispered mysteriously: “Mama, Lu Baozhen is so weird.”

Lin Zhao couldn’t help smiling. “Oh? How so?”

“She was talking to her own hand… ‘Li Li!’” The child, with no kindergarten education, didn’t know which “Li” it was—only thought of the fruit.

Lin Zhao stopped, astonished: “You mean Baozhen was talking to her own hand?”

“Yes!” Er Zai nodded vigorously. “Me and Brother both saw it, right, Brother?”

Lin Zhao followed his gaze and turned to the composed Da Zai.

“Yes, I saw it too. She was calling ‘Li Li.’” Da Zai spoke clearly, with a quiet, gentlemanly poise reminiscent of Lin’s father: “Mama, Lu Baozhen tried to steal the box we dug up.”

He frowned. “She threatened me and Er Zai—said if we didn’t give her the box, she’d report us to the brigade.”

Er Zai jumped in front of Lin Zhao, speaking rapidly: “She bit me too! Mama, look at the mark she left!” He held up his hand.