A Good Country Wife
Chapter 354 - 348_1

Chapter 354: Chapter 348_1

"Eh, Xiaomei, you haven’t gone back yet? Has something happened?" Lin Yue was eating when she saw Li Xiaomei return hurriedly, somewhat surprised, especially since she seemed so rushed, she guessed something must have happened.

Li Xiaomei felt that speaking outside was not safe, fearing that someone might overhear, "Sister-in-law, let’s go inside and talk."

Once inside the house, Li Xiaomei informed Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue about the theft of the sweet potatoes, "Sister-in-law, I reckon this must have been done by an insider, an outsider can’t get into the workshop, let alone steal the sweet potatoes without anyone noticing. It’s infuriating, and if I hadn’t paid special attention today, I wouldn’t have noticed."

Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue were initially angry to hear that someone had stolen the sweet potatoes, that despite being vigilant, there still was an internal thief. Human nature is particularly unpredictable. But seeing Li Xiaomei seething with indignation, they couldn’t help but shake their heads with a smile, which made them feel much less frustrated.

Although Li Xiaomei had a bad reputation in the village before, the tasks Lin Yue had given her lately, she performed exceptionally well, treating them with even more importance than her own family’s matters. Now, one reason Li Xiaomei wanted to earn money for her family was because of the division in her old home, and another was something Lin Yue had seen before: that at her core, Li Xiaomei was a decent person. Even though she appeared to have many small faults and shortcomings, she wasn’t greedy or insatiable. To the extent that you were good to her, she sincerely kept it in her heart and repaid you with her actions.

With Li Xiaomei able to do such things, Zhao Erhu, who had previously been prejudiced against Zhao Cheng and his wife, had come to really think this couple was not bad these past few days. Not to mention how hard Li Xiaomei worked for their family, Zhao Cheng also worked tirelessly when it came to labor, his dedication motivating many others. Consider, if a lazy person usually could work so hard, then the rest could not bear to fall behind and would put forth their greatest effort.

"Brother, Sister-in-law, I’ve got our Zhao Cheng hiding near the workshop keeping an eye out. You need to come up with a plan quickly. Who knows how much of our sweet potatoes this damn thief has taken," said Li Xiaomei, increasingly anxious seeing Zhao Erhu and Lin Yue seemingly unperturbed.

Lin Yue soothingly patted Li Xiaomei’s hand, "Don’t worry, there’s not much we can do about this kind of thing except to keep a close watch and wait for the thief to fall into the trap."

"What, wait for the pig to catch a rabbit? What’s that mean? Make it clear, sister-in-law." Li Xiaomei, the rural woman, though quick with words, actually could barely recognize a few characters and really didn’t grasp what Lin Yue meant.

Zhao Erhu kindly explained to Li Xiaomei, "It means secretly having people keep watch, waiting for the inside thief to show up."

"So that’s what you meant, sister-in-law. You’re smart, but you speak in such a roundabout way, I almost didn’t understand. Then, Zhao Cheng and I will continue to keep watch, and you should come over quickly. Zhao Cheng is slow on his feet; I’m afraid he won’t be able to catch the thief if he finds him. It’s safer to rely on Brother Erhu," Li Xiaomei said, hoping Zhao Cheng could be a bit more formidable, so if they caught the thief, he could claim some credit. But she knew well what her husband was like; if he let the thief escape, it would be a loss.

"Alright, you two keep watch for a bit. I’m going to discuss a plan with Zhao Erhu. One person certainly isn’t enough; we need to call a few more people to take turns keeping watch. We’ll come to replace you as soon as we have arranged for the manpower. You and Zhao Cheng also be careful, and if it’s not safe, just hide and don’t come out. The thief, having tasted the sweetness, won’t stop just because no one has found out. There will be a time when we catch him," Lin Yue said, unsure if the thief was alone or with others. She warned Li Xiaomei, eager to catch the thief without regard for safety, and only let her leave after giving these instructions.

"Wife, you stay at home. I’m going to call some people over," said Zhao Erhu, feeling the urgency of the matter. He hurriedly finished the last few bites of food in his bowl and went out to call for help.

Dalang and Erhu followed upon seeing the situation, "Dad, we’ll go with you."

Zhao Erhu nodded, "That’s good, more people will speed things up." Dalang and Erhu were now capable of handling many things. They could help by going to call people, no problem at all. Sanlang and Silang would stay behind at home to keep Lin Yue company.

Lin Yue, who usually didn’t eat much at night, had lost her appetite entirely, considering Zhao Cheng and his wife hadn’t eaten yet and their two children were waiting for a meal at home. If they were to go home to cook, this evening’s incident would certainly cause a delay. Glancing at the rice steamer, which still contained quite a bit of rice, Lin Yue stir-fried a couple of more dishes. Once Zhao Erhu had called people over to relieve them, she planned to invite them to have dinner at her place.

Lin Yue, thinking of Li Xiaomei asking for sweet potatoes, put a few in the stove to bake.

"Mom, we’re back." Dalang and Erhu had split up to act independently and, at this moment, they even returned before Zhao Erhu did.

Just as Lin Yue was about to go to Zhao’s old house to call Li Xiaomei’s children over, she saw Dalang and Erhu return. She sent them on the errand, "Dalang, Erhu, since you guys are back, could you go to your fourth uncle’s and ask his two sons to come over for dinner?"

"Understood, Mom, we’re heading there now." After Lin Yue finished speaking, Dalang and Erhu dashed out like the wind. Seeing them hurrying, Lin Yue repeatedly reminded them from behind, "Be careful, you two. Don’t run so fast. It’s nearly dark. Pay more attention to the road, and don’t fall."

Before long, Zhao Erhu came back as well, and Zhao Dahuo, Wu Qiang, Liu Aniu, and two of the more trustworthy long-term workers from their home had all arrived quickly upon receiving the news.

"Erhu, what’s the matter that you called us here?" Zhao Dahuo had been notified by Dalang and Erhu. Seeing their hurried appearance and being urged to come quickly, he thought there must be some grave matter. He’d rushed over without delay and immediately inquired upon entering.

Upon learning it was a theft in the workshop, Zhao Dahuo, like Li Xiaomei, was much enraged. In his view, working for the Zhao Family paid better than most places, and jobs were hard to come by during this season. It was outrageous to think that someone would target such a generous household, a household that was downright rotten to the core in their actions.

"So that’s what happened. The human heart is unpredictable, and there are all sorts of people in the world, especially when it comes to their interests. Most likely, the thief stole the sweet potatoes to sell them for money. Brother Dahu, don’t be too angry."

Wu Qiang, who knew the full story, wasn’t surprised. The Zhao Family had hired so many workers this time, and even with careful selection, it was impossible to guarantee that all were honest. Some people simply had not had the chance to misbehave yet, which is why no one knew their true character. There would always be a few with hidden agendas.

"Erhu, you’ve called us here; what are your plans? Do we have any leads on who the thief is?"

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