The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 703 - 702 Shen Baolan Kidnapped

Chapter 703: Chapter 702 Shen Baolan Kidnapped

"Aunt Cuihua, calm down, all of Shen Baolan’s accounts have been checked, and every transaction is clear, it’s impossible that every single account was mistaken."

Upon hearing Pei Yang say this, Liu Cuihua grabbed his collar in a fury, "What do you mean, what do you mean, huh? Are you hoping that all the money is gone, that my daughter is more capable than your family’s Shen Mingzhu, and you’re jealous, aren’t you?"

"How can you, a grown man, be so malicious? Yesterday you cursed my Baolan to come to harm, and now that she really has, are you happy?"

At this moment, Liu Cuihua was like a mad dog, biting anyone she could.

Five million, enough for the entire family to live lavishly for a lifetime, and yet before they could even enjoy it, it was all swindled away. How could such a blow not drive her hysterical?

The detective in charge stepped forward to pull Liu Cuihua away, "Madam Liu, we understand your emotions, but you can’t just lash out indiscriminately, Pei Sir has been running around trying to help you."

Another detective also spoke up to comfort her, "Crying and shouting won’t solve the problem. Right now, you need to provide as many clues as possible to help us figure out your daughter’s whereabouts, and we’ll try to find her as soon as we can."

Upon hearing what the detective said, Liu Cuihua finally realized her daughter was truly in trouble.

She collapsed onto the ground, wailing, "Goddamn it, I never should have agreed to let her be with that Gao guy. A big man with a tender face, doesn’t look trustworthy at all. Oh you foolish girl, how could you be so naive..."

...

An hour later.

Liu Cuihua, Shen Dashan and his wife, Ma Sufen, Zhou Quanxiong, including the two children Shen Wenwu and Zhou Fu, were all asked to the police station to assist with the inquiry.

They were the ones who had the closest contact with Shen Baolan, Gao Hualiang, and Huang Chunyu, and might be able to provide useful clues.

Pei Yang also took the initiative to inform Shen Mingzhu about Shen Baolan’s suspected kidnapping.

Zhou Shuhuan, as Shen Baolan’s ex-husband and having had an unpleasant divorce with her, was also listed by the police as one of the suspects and summoned back to Fengcheng for investigation.

Zhou Shuhuan, citing work and family care, couldn’t leave and had his lawyer negotiate with the police on his behalf.

Zhou Shuhuan was quickly cleared of suspicion.

Firstly, he had an alibi, and secondly, both parties’ lawyers confirmed that he and Shen Baolan had reached a settlement during the divorce proceedings and had no motive to commit the crime.

Although his suspicions were cleared, Zhou Shuhuan couldn’t help but worry about another matter.

Gao Hualiang had approached Shen Baolan following Qiao Ya’s orders.

If Gao Hualiang were caught by the police, it was possible that Qiao Ya would be implicated.

When Qiao Ya learned that Shen Baolan had been kidnapped, she felt schadenfreude at first, but after hearing Zhou Shuhuan’s concerns, she could no longer smile.

"It’s over, Brother Zhou, I’m not going to jail, am I?"

"Don’t worry, I’m here."

Zhou Shuhuan held her in his arms, gently patting her back to comfort her, "If it comes to that, you just put all the blame on me. Say that I instructed Gao Hualiang to seduce Shen Baolan so I could get a divorce quicker, and that you knew nothing from start to finish."

Moved to tears by his willingness to take the blame, Qiao Ya cried incessantly.

"Brother Zhou..."

Zhou Shuhuan held her face, planting a kiss, and softly said, "I’ve promised you, I won’t let you and the child suffer in any way. Besides, it’s me who’s gotten you involved. Anyway, I’ve been in once; going back again is no big deal. If I do end up going in, you must take good care of yourself and our child."

Qiao Ya nodded continuously, crying with tears streaming down her face.

"Don’t cry," Zhou Shuhuan cooed as he wiped her tears. "I’ll stand tall even if the sky falls."

Leaning into his embrace, Qiao Ya’s eyes were swollen from crying, but her face radiated happiness and sweetness.

They say adversity reveals true feelings, and she was now deeply aware of this, also glad that she had chosen the right man.

Zhou Shuhuan looked down at the wife in his arms, his expression indecipherable.

He decided to take the blame for Qiao Ya not out of responsibility or loyalty, but for his own interests.

The fact that Qiao Ya had risked danger for him was true. If the scandal broke, the Qiao family would definitely blame him.

It was better for him to step forward and shoulder the responsibility, which would not only satisfy the Qiao family but also secure Qiao Ya’s heart, earning him a good reputation for being passionate and loyal.

To establish himself in Fucheng, he needed the support of the Qiao family. As long as he had a hold on Qiao Ya, the Qiao family would be his greatest support and backing.

...

In Fengcheng, after completing the police statement, all of Shen Baolan’s family members returned to the villa.

The once grand and spacious living room was now overshadowed with gloom due to the disappearance of the mistress of the house.

From Liu Cuihua to Shen Dashan, to the couple Shen Hao and Tian Wenfang, each person’s face was filled with confusion and heartache.

Five million, just like that, gone!

Shen Wenwu, only six years old, was oblivious to the earth-shattering events unfolding in his home, completely engrossed in a world of toys.

"The sun has set; I’ll go cook dinner,"

Tian Wenfang said as she was about to head to the kitchen but was stopped by a fierce scolding from Liu Cuihua:

"Have you lost your conscience to a dog? We don’t even know if Baolan is alive or dead, and you’re still thinking about eating. Will skipping one meal kill you?"

Tian Wenfang’s face turned a mixed shade of green and red.

Ever since entering the police station, she had been holding back a wave of anger.

They had agreed to lend her the money to buy a house, but at the last moment, they backed out and disappeared. Now, not only was the person missing, but Tian also had to deal with inquiries at the police station and had been hungry all day. She was looking forward to a meal and got scolded instead. What did she do to deserve this?

"Mom, if you’re going by your logic, if Baolan never comes back, are we all supposed to starve to death as a sacrifice for her?"

"Shut your damn mouth, who said she’s not coming back? Are you cursing Baolan on purpose?"

Liu Cuihua grabbed a vase from the coffee table and hurled it over.

Tian Wenfang failed to dodge in time and was struck squarely on the forehead, stumbling backward onto the couch.

When she touched her forehead, her hand came away covered in blood, which frightened her into loud weeping.

Shen Dashan and his son, one restraining Liu Cuihua, the other pressing a towel against Tian Wenfang’s wound, were suddenly very busy in the ensuing chaos.

Once the bleeding from her forehead stopped, Tian Wenfang, holding her son, threatened to return to her parents’ home, and it took quite a while for Shen Hao to calm her down.

By now, it was already 8 p.m., and everyone was famished. Shen Dashan had no choice but to go out and buy several bowls of noodles.

While the kitchen did have rice, flour, oil, and vegetables, pity that the Shen family didn’t know how to use the gas stove.

When the noodles were brought back, everyone except Liu Cuihua ate ravenously, especially Shen Hao, who wolfed down half a bowl in one go.

"Come on, Wife, eat. Don’t just sit there,"

Seeing Liu Cuihua not moving her chopsticks, Shen Dashan kindly stirred the noodles for her and pushed the chopsticks into her hands.

Liu Cuihua brushed the chopsticks away and knocked the bowl of noodles to the floor, her swollen red eyes glaring at the father and son duo like they were enemies.

"You’re all heartless, only caring for yourselves. Don’t you worry about Baolan? If she really comes to harm, how am I supposed to go on living, wuu wuu wuu..."

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