Witty Wife, Better Life
Chapter 202 - 195: Hard to Guard Against the Thief in the Family 2

Chapter 202: Chapter 195: Hard to Guard Against the Thief in the Family 2

Before going to sleep, Shen Yunfang opened the cupboard to set up the bedding and discovered that it was as if locusts had ransacked the place. The inside of the cupboard was in complete disarray—it was without doubt the handiwork of her mother-in-law and younger sister-in-law.

Shen Yunfang tidied up from top to bottom and was speechless to find that the family’s kang quilt had been taken by them.

She leaned against her forehead silently. The kang quilt was indeed large, thick, and made of cotton, but it was the only used item in the entire cupboard, and also the least valuable. That quilt was the same one she used as both bedding and cover when she had first transgressed to this place. Even after she had money, she couldn’t bear to throw it away and had it re-fluffed instead.

The smaller mattress next to it was newly made for her wedding, with fresh cotton at the bottom and wolf skin that she had beaten out herself on top. Right now, it seemed that Qiu Shuping and her daughter didn’t recognize its value, otherwise this fine piece would have definitely been taken as well.

Also missing from the cupboard was a piece of blue cloth and her towel quilt.

Shen Yunfang sighed, tidied up the cupboard, and then locked it again. She then put on her shoes and went down to check around the inside and outside of the house.

Afterward, she discovered that not a single chicken or duck was missing, but two baskets of eggs and a sack of millet were gone from the root cellar.

Well, that mother and daughter had left during the day, and during the day, all the chickens and ducks were released outside. Even if they wanted to catch a couple to take away, they wouldn’t have been able to do so; thus, they could only take the eggs.

Shen Yunfang frowned and thought things over, marking her mother-in-law’s character with a huge X once again. Not only was the woman troublesome, but she was also light-fingered. How could such an elderly person inspire respect from the youngsters below her? Besides, as the old saying goes, "If the father is a cripple, the mother will cripple a brood." If others knew of Qiu Shuping’s sticky fingers, wouldn’t all the Li Family’s children be subjected to judgmental looks? Li Hongxing and Li Hongjun were already married, and the impact on them was not so great. But for Li Xianghe and Li Hongqi, who were of marrying age and still at home, it was a disaster; no doubt their character would be questioned too, and it would be strange if suitors came calling for them in the future.

Shen Yunfang was full of resentment with nowhere to vent, so she called Taxue over and glared at its vigorously wagging tail in anger, "What good are you? You can’t even look after the house. You don’t deserve the good food you’re given." This is what happens when there’s no watchdog, or else all the possessions might well have been carried off.

Taxue, the little dog, blinked its innocent eyes and whined in protest as if to say, "Master, I was watching the chicks today, okay? I wasn’t at home either."

As for Qiu Shuping and her daughter, one carrying a carrying pole and the other a large bundle, they trudged towards Taoshu Village, stopping and going. Eventually, a war broke out between them halfway through their journey, primarily over who should keep the towel quilt.

Li Xianghe took a liking to the towel quilt and wanted to keep it for herself for when she got married. However, Qiu Shuping felt that such a fine item should be reserved for her youngest son. If he went to college, he would have to marry a city girl in the future, and she, as the mother, should start saving up for her son’s future wife right away.

The two bickered all the way, and Li Xianghe, no match for her own fierce mother, was reduced to tears by Qiu Shuping’s scolding. So, by the time they returned to Taoshu Village in the afternoon, local villagers saw Qiu Shuping walking ahead, angry and carrying a large bundle, while Li Xianghe followed behind, carrying a carrying pole with tears streaming down her face, looking pitiful.

Entering the house, Li Xianghe angrily threw the carrying pole she had been shouldering to the ground and ran to her room, covering her face with her hands.

Qiu Shuping, who was ahead, let out a shout of surprise, then scolded, "You silly girl! Be more careful; those are eggs there." She quickly dropped her own bundle to rescue the two baskets of eggs.

Wang Dan, hearing the noise in the courtyard, came out just in time and lit up at the mention of eggs, "Mom, did the second one bring eggs? Are they all here? Oh, Mom, you just got back; you should rest. I’ll take care of it, I’ll take care of it."

Qiu Shuping really didn’t trust Wang Dan at that moment. If she let her daughter-in-law clean up, all those eggs would end up in her own house. "You stay put. Don’t touch them; those are for your father and your brother to nourish their bodies. They’ve got nothing to do with you. Go inside and look after the children," Qiu Shuping said as she pulled the baskets her way.

Wang Dan, unable to grab the handle, was somewhat displeased and pursed her lips, grumbling inwardly about who would actually want to work. However, she said aloud, "Alright, Mom, you take care of the eggs; I’ll help you carry this bag inside."

After speaking, she turned around to pick up the bundle her mother-in-law had just thrown on the ground. She wasn’t indifferent to the eggs, but she knew that no matter who the eggs were for, her three sons would certainly get to eat them; thus, she wasn’t in a hurry.

Seeing her eldest daughter-in-law reaching for her bundle, Qiu Shuping became anxious and once again threw the basket in her hand onto the ground with a clang and turned around, hastily trying to rescue her bundle. "Don’t touch it; I can get it myself."

Wang Dan suspiciously watched her mother-in-law, feeling there was something amiss. Her eyes suddenly lit up as she stared at the bundle. Could there be something valuable inside?

Qiu Shuping still decided to first put her bundle away properly, then come back for the eggs, especially since the towel quilt was the most valuable item. She also knew her eldest daughter-in-law’s nature all too well; if she saw that towel quilt, Qiu was certain her daughter-in-law would insist on having it, and wouldn’t give up until she got her way.

Wang Dan’s eyes fixated on the bundle in her mother-in-law’s hand. As Qiu Shuping carried the bundle inside, Wang Dan stood at the doorway, peering in.

Just as Qiu Shuping was about to untie the bundle, she noticed Wang Dan’s gleaming eyes at the door and quickly blocked the view with her body. "What are you doing standing there like a fool? Aren’t you insightful enough to see the eggs still need gathering? Hurry up and move the basket to the kitchen. I’m telling you, there are hundreds of eggs in there. I counted them myself. If I find any missing later, you and I are going to have issues."

Wang Dan huffed twice but didn’t utter a word, turning around to pick up the eggs. Compared to the unknown contents of the bundle, visible eggs were more tangible.

Qiu Shuping, after watching her daughter-in-law leave, hurriedly closed the door and secured it, and only then did she open her bundle, carefully folding the towel quilt and placing it on top. She then pulled out a piece of white cotton cloth from the kang cabinet, wrapped the towel quilt, and hid it at the bottom of the cabinet.

After some thought, she looked around, lifted her skirt, and loosened her belt, reaching into her waistband and pulling out a small handkerchief package. It contained the fifty yuan given by Shen Yunfang. She carefully hid the small handkerchief package in her usual hiding spot for money. Only then did she feel at ease, closed the kang cabinet, picked up the old-fashioned brass lock, and with a click, it was secured. Now she truly felt relieved.

Qiu Shuping was still preoccupied with the eggs outside, so after stashing the money, she quickly put on her shoes and headed to the ground floor. By the time she reached the kitchen, she saw her eldest daughter-in-law picking eggs from the basket.

"That’s enough, that’s enough; you don’t need to do this. Clumsy as you are, I better do it myself," Qiu Shuping said, her face full of disdain for her daughter-in-law’s work.

This time, Wang Dan was relieved, happy not to work. "That’s perfect since I can’t gain anything good from working, I don’t even want to do it." Saying this, she stood up from the stool, walked out of the kitchen with a cold sneer, and entered her own room.

Qiu Shuping looked at her eldest daughter-in-law suspiciously, wondering if she had already taken the eggs. But it was just speculation; she couldn’t just go and search the eldest son’s room, so even if she knew her daughter-in-law had hidden the eggs, she could only watch helplessly.

Turning back, Qiu Shuping sat down on the stool and started to pick up the eggs. The ones on top were fine, but as she got to the bottom two layers, there were some broken eggs. Some were just cracked, while others had broken apart, with egg whites spilling everywhere.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, this wretched girl is utterly lacking in virtue. Why didn’t you just drop dead? Look at how many eggs you’ve ruined," she lamented while picking up the eggs.

On the other side, Wang Dan locked her door, went up to her kang bed, and opened the kang cabinet, mimicking her mother-in-law’s actions. However, what she hid inside the kang cabinet was the eggs—a basketful of them, roughly thirty or forty.