Siheyuan: Started in 1950, third-level cook

Liu Haizhong had dealt with Jia Zhangshi for decades and knew her character all too well.

Hang yourself?

Everyone in the courtyard went to swing on the roof beams, but Jia Zhangshi didn't go with them.

Therefore, the hanging was just a pretext used by Qin Huairu; her real purpose was definitely to steal things.

So Liu Haizhong waved his hand and said, "No one is allowed to enter the house. Chen Jun, go and check what's missing."

Chen Jun nodded upon hearing this and began to take stock of the things in his house.

You wouldn't believe it until you try it; Jia Zhangshi has quite the appetite.

She actually ate several of the big steamed buns.

There seems to be less fruit. How could she possibly hang herself after eating so much?

Qin Huairu explained to Liu Haizhong, "Second Uncle, my mother is really feeling unwell. She has been taken to the hospital. If you don't believe me, you can go to the hospital to see for yourself."

After saying that, Qin Huairu added that Jia Zhangshi had gone to pull the manure cart early in the morning because she was worried that everyone would not be able to use the toilet after she left.

Good guy!

After hearing this, Liu Haizhong couldn't help but let out a soft "Eh!"

Qin Huairu is really good at talking nonsense. If Jia Zhangshi had this kind of awareness, he would write his name Liu backwards!

“A piece of calligraphy was stolen from our courtyard yesterday, and today Jia Zhangshi went to Chen Jun’s house. I strongly suspect that Jia Zhangshi was the one who committed the crime yesterday.”

"Qin Huairu, tell the truth. Did your mother-in-law steal the calligraphy in Chen Jun's house? Think carefully before you speak. If you help cover it up, you will be an accomplice. Once we find the evidence, not only will Jia Zhangshi be in trouble, but you will also suffer in the fence."

After saying that, Liu Haizhong glanced at Qin Huairu's big belly, his meaning very clear: don't think you can talk nonsense just because you're pregnant. If I find out you're covering for Jia Zhangshi, I won't give you any face either.

"I don't know, I don't know anything!"

Qin Huai shook his head pitifully, looking completely innocent.

Liu Haizhong was anxious to find the calligraphy, but the more anxious he was, the less Qin Huairu dared to tell the truth.

Qin Huairu understood the principle that "confessing leads to leniency, while resisting leads to severe punishment, and one can only go home for the New Year."

"Humph!"

Liu Haizhong ignored Qin Huairu and patiently waited for Chen Jun's message.

Soon, Chen Jun came out of the house and said to Qin Huairu, "My family lost a few meat buns and some fruit. Besides these food items, we are also short 500 yuan."

What the hell?

Five hundred yuan is missing?

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground.

How dare Jia Zhangshi be so audacious?

This is five hundred yuan. Even if you bundled her and Jia Zhangshi together and sold them, you might not be able to sell them for five hundred yuan.

Has Jia Zhangshi gone mad?!

Oh, no.

Just as Qin Huairu's despairing thought crossed her mind, she suddenly realized that something was wrong.

Five hundred yuan!

That must be such a thick stack.

The clothes Jia Zhangshi was wearing today simply couldn't hold that much money in her pockets.

Chen Jun is lying!

Do not!

Chen Jun is trying to extort money from people!

Qin Huairu looked up at Chen Jun in disbelief: "You...you want to force us, a widow and her child, to our deaths?"

"Qin Huairu, what do you mean by that? Jia Zhangshi stole my things, so how come in your mouth I'm the one bullying people?" Chen Jun sneered.

"So, you're saying that stealing my things is bullying you? There's no such logic in the world."

"Qin Huairu, you guys are incredibly audacious! You dare to touch so much money? Aren't you afraid of getting your hands on this?"

Liu Haizhong was also shocked.

He knew that Jia Zhangshi had a habit of petty theft, but he never expected that she would have such audacity.

That's five hundred yuan! Even for a dignified second uncle in a courtyard house, it would take him a whole year without eating or drinking to save up that much money.

Of course, this situation simply doesn't exist. There are five people in their family to eat, and their fixed monthly expenses take up more than half of their salary. If they really wanted to save 500 yuan, it would take them at least several years.

But Jia Zhangshi, with just a flick of her wrist, wanted to get five hundred yuan?

"Qin Huairu, where did your mother-in-law put the money? You should take it out and return it to Chen Jun quickly, otherwise, once Chen Jun reports it to the authorities, you won't even have a chance to apologize," the kind-hearted aunt advised Qin Huairu.

"That's right, hurry up and return the money, or your mother-in-law will definitely go to jail."

"If she goes in, then no one will help you make money anymore, and... no one will be hauling the septic tank anymore."

Listening to the advice of those around her, Qin Huairu felt like crying but had no tears left to shed.

There's no such thing as 500 yuan!

Even if they did, they couldn't have stolen them today.

After entering Chen Jun's house, Jia Zhangshi fell down from above and never returned home. She also couldn't have carried that much money with her.

So either Chen Jun deliberately tried to extort money, or Jia Zhangshi did it yesterday.

"I don't know! I don't know anything!"

Qin Huairu didn't lie this time; she genuinely didn't know about the five hundred yuan.

"Heh, since you don't know, then I'll go search your house!" Chen Jun said irritably.

Qin Huairu, having given up all hope, replied directly, "Search, search all you want."

If Jia Zhangshi really stole Chen Jun's five hundred yuan, then Qin Huairu would have to quickly distance herself from her, otherwise she would definitely be implicated.

If he didn't steal it, Chen Jun wouldn't be able to find any evidence.

By then, a few steamed buns and some fruit shouldn't be enough to deter the authorities from coming to arrest people.

Liu Haizhong chimed in, "Then let's search!"

Chen Jun didn't waste any time and went straight to the Jia family's house to start rummaging through their belongings.

Seeing this, everyone stood at the door to watch, waiting to see what would happen.

After searching for only half a minute, Chen Jun stopped.

"Why did you stop? Did you find the money?"

"Oh dear, Jia Zhangshi is really brainless. She actually put the stolen money in the cabinet. She's both wicked and stupid."

"It's a good thing she's stupid, otherwise we would be the ones in trouble."

Just as the group of middle-aged women were whispering and gossiping, Chen Jun took something out of the wardrobe.

Liu Haizhong stared intently, and his breathing became rapid.

Wow, isn't this the calligraphy that Chen Jun lost yesterday?

Sure enough, it was at the Jia family's house!

"Qin Huairu! What else do you have to say?" Liu Haizhong shouted, "Why is that calligraphy piece that went missing from Chen Jun's house in your cabinet?"

"I...I don't know!"

Qin Huairu really didn't know.

She checked the closet yesterday, and there was nothing inside except clothes.

If such a large piece of calligraphy was hidden inside, it would be impossible for him not to discover it.

The only explanation is that Jia Zhangshi put the calligraphy in this morning.

I rely on!

What an incredibly stupid mind it must take to do something so outrageous.

Why did you bring it home when you were hiding it so well outside? Putting aside whether the people in the compound will find out, what if the security department and the government come to investigate?