I am chasing a rough man in the 80s
Chapter 145: It’s hard to guard against a thief in the family

Chapter 145: Chapter 145: It’s hard to guard against a thief in the family

"Five, ten... counting my fortune."

Wang Cuihua pulled the curtain and crossed her legs as she sat on the couch, counting money.

"Jiaojiao, mama needs a glass of water. Ai Ma, my throat’s burning!" Business was booming, and it was taking a toll on her throat.

"Mama, I think what’s really burning is not your throat, but the laughter blooming on your face, huh?"

Jiaojiao carried water over, the shining expression on her mama’s face as she counted the money was almost blinding the girl.

How could Wang Cuihua not be happy? These few days around the New Year, she made a little extra cash from all the business they had, all thanks to the many spectators who came by.

Other people had to pay when their houses caught fire, but her family earned so much it felt as if they were flying.

"Why does this water taste so sweet?"

Suizi carried a plate of finely cut turnips. During winter, everybody enjoyed gnawing on turnips as if they were fruit.

"I added a bit of wild honey. Drinking honey water is good for mama’s throat."

This honey was also a gift from a villager.

Over the past few days, all sorts of gourmet and local ingredients, all kinds of eggs, she received so many she could barely hold them all.

Suizi and Yu Jingting were distinguished for their actions during this fire incident, and the village chief had praised them over the loudspeakers.

The ingredients villagers gifted her were all processed by Suizi.

Wang Cuihua was heartbroken from all the dining -

What could she do if she yearns for a good homemade meal after such a good daughter-in-law moves to the city after New Year?

"Suizi, let’s just have that smoked meat you made for lunch, wrapped in pancakes." Wang Cuihua’s mouth watered as she spoke.

Inspired by the fire, Suizi had smoked a batch of pork loin, pork belly, big ribs, various chicken, rabbit, and tofu at home using fruitwood.

When other families’ fences caught fire, the whole family would line up, frown and sigh, wiping away their tears.

But her daughter-in-law, standing in the burnt-out courtyard, flared her nostrils, pondered, and said:

Authentic fruitwood, let’s smoke some meat.

A big iron pot was set up in the courtyard, a small iron rack inserted into the pot, and all sorts of marinated meats were placed into it.

A handful of sugar was added for caramelization before taking the pot off. The fragrance of the smoked goods travelled far after it was taken off the stove.

The smell made the neighborhood children crave it so much that they stood at the Yu Family’s doorway crying, and not even Yu Jingting’s threats could make them leave.

In the face of dreadfully delicious food, fear seemed less important.

Only after Suizi offered them meat did the children finally leave.

At forty, this was the first time Wang Cuihua had tasted such delicious food.

She asked Suizi why she didn’t prepare such food earlier, as they had many frozen wild chickens and rabbits at home.

Suizi sighed, "I know too much, have too many skills. Without these sorts of incidents, I wouldn’t even remember all the things I am capable of."

Looking at the very talented Suizi, then back at Jiaojiao, who only knew how to eat, Wang Cuihua felt as though she birthed a disappointment.

Hearing that they could eat smoked meat for lunch, Jiaojiao started bouncing excitedly, clinging to Suizi, begging her to also make some Chinese pastries.

Suizi agreed, smiling as she went to fetch.

Behind their eastern room, there was another smaller one without a heated brick bed or a stove. It was used for storage.

All the tasty things were there.

After opening the lid, Suizi’s smile faltered.

A huge empty pot. Not to mention smoked meat; even the smoked tofu was gone.

Suizi thought her mother-in-law had moved them somewhere else and searched the small room thoroughly.

Not only was the smoked meat gone, but the lotus seed pastries she made for Jiaojiao were also down to the last one.

"Mama! Do we have rats or thieves in our house?!"

This was not just a few pieces of meat; it was a big pot full.

Not an ordinary washbasin, but a basin for washing clothes!!!

With so much meat mysteriously missing, the family’s assets suffered a significant loss. Everyone was dumbstruck.

This was definitely not rats; rats wouldn’t steal without leaving a trace. Could it be a thief?

"In our village, do people really have the guts to trespass and steal from our house?"

Jiaojiao’s words echoed everyone’s thoughts.

Has Yu Jingting lost his grip, or have the thieves become extra sneaky?

"Better fetch Tiegen back quickly and ask him—where’s Tiegen?"

Wang Cuihua only remembers this lazybones of a son when she needs him.

"He went out before I even got up, he took some money, said he had something to attend to in the city."

"Oh dear! He didn’t take that smoked meat to sell in the city, did he? Why didn’t he leave us a piece!"

Wang Cuihua knows her son’s habit of dealing with things, frustrated that she couldn’t eat such good meat.

"No worries, I’ll smoke more. We still have some rabbits, and a ham, I’ll smoke them all."

The storage room inside the house is a natural refrigerator, and the barn outside is a freezer. The meat is frozen solid inside and definitely won’t go bad.

After a while, Suizi came back with a strange expression.

"Mom, we can’t smoke the rabbit or the ham anymore."

"????"

"They’re all gone."

"!!!!" Wang Cuihua exploded.

Well, the biggest "rat" is lurking right at home!

Did this good-for-nothing Tiegen carry off half of their belongings?

The top ingredients, all taken away.

With so much stuff, they must have used a silk bag to carry it out.

Imagining her son sneaking into the city with a silk bag before dawn, Wang Cuihua could only comfort a nearly weeping Jiaojiao.

"It’s okay, we still have pork belly and wild chicken, I’ll go to the Tofu Shop and order some dry tofu."

Although all of it’s delicious, compared to what Yu Jingting took away, its class was much lower.

Jiaojiao’s lips pouted as if she’s about to hang an oil bottle.

Wang Cuihua was heartbroken that all the food in her house was taken away by her son, but when she thought that this little wretch was trying to make money, she wasn’t that angry.

But Suizi was stroking her chin thoughtfully.

Why did she feel that Yu Jingting didn’t go to the city to sell smoked goods?

Suizi guessed right.

Yu Jingting took the village coach into the city and swayed all the way to the train station.

He checked the train schedule and waited.

At half-past ten, two figures appeared in the waiting room as he expected.

"Mom!" Yu Jingting greeted them with a brilliant smile.

This yell of ’mom’ rang out clear and loud!

Half of the people in the waiting room turned to look.

Chen Lijun felt like she was hallucinating.

Chen Zixiao, who was with his sister, also had the same shocked expression.

"What are you doing here?!"

Chen Lijun looked around, she didn’t see Suizi. She wasn’t sure if she felt more relief or disappointment.

"I’m waiting for you here. Mom, you’ve come all the way here, at least I, as the son-in-law, should see you off."

Chen Lijun’s temples throbbed.

This man, left and right, kept calling her ’mom’, and her blood pressure was rising. If it wasn’t for the fact that her daughter was still a "hostage" in his house, she would have slapped this overly familiar face by now. Did he dare to claim her as his mom?

Chen Lijun took out her sunglasses from her pocket and wore them, forcing out a very reluctant smile.

"I remember, before I left, you were still calling me aunty."

The implication was, this self-proclaimed son-in-law has yet to gain official recognition from his wife’s family.

"Things change with time. Suizi is my wife now, it’s right that I call you mom, no need to pay the name-changing fee."

Yu Jingting kept his enthusiastic and flawless smile, ignoring his mother-in-law’s annoyance.

It’s a joke, if he didn’t have a thick skin, would he dare to marry Suizi?

If he runs away after a few side eyes from his wife’s family, would he still be the number one tough guy in the Wang’s family?

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