"I stole it," Zhang Minzhen said with a smug grin. But before the grin could fully spread across her face, Wen Xiu smacked the back of her hand with a loud SLAP. She looked up, saw Wen Xiu trembling with rage, then looked down at her own reddened hand, on the verge of tears.
"You think I can't discipline you just because you're older? Is that it? You get back there and put that money back right now! I'll cover whatever you've already spent. Embezzling public funds will land you in jail! People will curse your name for the rest of your life!" Wen Xiu was livid. Zhang Minzhen jumped, then quickly put on a placating smile. "Mom, what are you thinking? I'm just a regular salesclerk. Even if I wanted to embezzle public funds, no one would give me the opportunity."
Not daring to be mysterious any longer, she leaned in close and whispered, explaining how her daughter had discovered Gu Lihui's hiding spot and how the two of them had found the money and divided it. Then she looked at Wen Xiu, her eyes shining with pride, practically begging for praise. "So, Mom, I'm a rich woman now."
"You? What's there to be smug about? Is this the extent of your ambition? If you ask me, you aren't even as decisive as ten-year-old Nuannuan. Why did you have to be so scrupulous? Since you were taking it anyway, why not just take all of it? What did you leave any for them for? Hmph. People who are hesitant and overthink things can never accomplish anything big." In her frustration, Wen Xiu smacked the back of her hand again.
"Huh...?" Zhang Minzhen was dumbfounded, a sense of grievance welling up inside her.
"You feel wronged? You think I'm wrong, don't you? I'm telling you, Nuannuan is going to be leagues ahead of you in the future. You, you..." Wen Xiu's heart twinged with pain as she thought about the money her daughter had left behind. 'Even though some of it was that Gu bastard's money, not just my daughter's hard-earned cash, were his actions even human? Leaving that money there was letting him, his mistress, and his illegitimate child off way too easily.' It was a shame. By now, the rest of the Gu Family had probably heard the news and rushed over. It was no longer realistic to go back and get the rest of the money.
"But... but... if I'd taken it all, wouldn't they have raised all hell?"
"Are you dense? Only if you hadn't touched a single cent would they have quietly pocketed the money for themselves and kept their mouths shut. You already took most of it, so how could they possibly keep quiet now?" Wen Xiu gave her a look that said, 'You're so naive.'
"That's a shame..." Zhang Minzhen had to admit her mother had a point, and she was filled with regret.
"We let them off easy."
Wen Xiu spat on the ground in disgust, then pulled Zhang Minzhen closer. "Now listen, don't you get any foolish ideas about going back for the rest of that money. If you get caught, it'll start a huge fight, and they'll come after the money you already have. If you end up having to give it all back and get branded a thief on top of it, we'll be at a complete loss.
From now on, you need to remember: no matter what anyone says, no matter who you're talking to, you must deny everything. Insist that you didn't take it and that you don't know where any money was hidden. This is crucial. Don't you dare slip up. You can tell your eldest brother the truth. He's tight-lipped and knows what to say and what not to say.
But forget about your other brothers and your sisters-in-law. You have to keep it from them. Your eldest sister-in-law is a good woman, and she wouldn't be after your money, but you can't guarantee she won't gossip about it to her own family. Once that happens, it's not a secret anymore. Also, don't touch this money for now. You'll have plenty of expenses later on."
"...That's exactly what Nuannuan said. Don't worry, Mom, I understand. But we still have to contribute to our food expenses, right? Otherwise, won't my sisters-in-law start looking down on us?"
"Look down on you for what? You just stay here and don't worry. It's not their place to look down on you. Are you living in their house? Are you eating their food?" Wen Xiu turned and stared at her daughter. "Your father and I are still perfectly capable of earning our own money. The family assets haven't been divided all these years, and while your father and I manage the farm's income, your second and third brothers often go out and find odd jobs when it's not the busy season. Your father and I have never asked for a single cent of that money.
If any of them dares to say a single word against you and Nuannuan, we'll just split the household. I'll send them all out to fend for themselves, and it'll be a load off my mind. It makes no difference whether they're here or not, anyway.
Unlike your eldest brother, those other two are more selfish than each other. They both feel like they won't see any of the money from the harvest, so they slack off and come up with all sorts of excuses to avoid working in the fields. Do they ever stop to think what this whole family would eat without that harvest?"
Wen Xiu felt a deep sense of unease talking about her two younger sons. 'It was their wives, the wives of my second and Third sons, who led my good boys astray. My eldest son's wife, now she's a good one.'
"Mom, I knew I had to be your real daughter..." Zhang Minzhen didn't want to badmouth her second and third brothers. It was pointless and would only upset her mother. 'I've always known Mom dotes on me, but she'll always put her sons first. In her mind, her sons are the ones who will care for her in her old age, so deep down, she values them more.' But that was normal, so she deliberately changed the subject, hugging Wen Xiu and nuzzling against her. "I knew it," she said, her tone light and teasing.
"If you weren't, what, did I find you on the side of the road?" Even between mother and daughter, Wen Xiu wasn't used to this level of physical affection. She reached out to push her away, but her touch was feather-light, and the corners of her lips slowly curled into a smile.
"Mom, I'm really regretting it now. I should've brought back a couple of big meat buns for everyone. Just think about all that money I left behind... how many meat buns could that have bought?" The more Zhang Minzhen thought about it, the more frustrated she became. 'Why was I so stupid back then? Why didn't I listen to my daughter and insist on leaving them some money?'
Even her own mother was saying her daughter was right and would surpass her in the future. 'Looks like listening to my daughter more from now on is the way to go.'
"What's this about buns?"
When she understood the story, Wen Xiu laughed. "We're family, why bother with such formalities? If we want meat buns, we can just make them ourselves. It's much cheaper than buying them. You did the right thing not buying any. Don't you start getting loose with your spending just because you have a little money now."
"Mom, don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Zhang Minzhen said, her voice turning wheedling.
"It's best that you have a plan. Children are a debt you can never repay, and daughters especially are a source of endless worry. Sigh. How can your father and I possibly rest easy with you in this situation?" Wen Xiu began to sigh again.
"Mom, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault, so what are you apologizing for?" Wen Xiu's spirits sank, and she shook her head. "If you want to talk about faults, it's that you're too soft-tempered. But you can't be blamed for that. It's my fault, and your father's. We always taught you to be good to others, to be respectful. We told you that girls especially shouldn't be too fierce or hold grudges. Those are good traits, but only when you're dealing with good, reasonable people. The problem is, not everyone in this world is reasonable. And we never taught you how to handle the ones who aren't, and in the end, that's what hurt you."
Zhang Minzhen was silent.
She forced a bitter smile and was quiet for a moment. "Mom, it's not your fault or Dad's, and it's not all my fault either. The ones who are truly wrong are his family. All it means is that they don't deserve someone good. What kind of woman has a child with another man while she's married and actually gives birth to it? She's trash. As for the two of them, they're a match made in hell."
Zhang Minzhen looked at Wen Xiu with determination. "Mom, you just watch. Because of this, I'm even more determined to make something of my life. One day, I'll make them regret this. I'll make them realize what a huge mistake they made treating me this way."