Chapter 12: A Thieving Mother and Daughter

Only when there was something to gain would Wang Xiuzhi acknowledge Xu Qingmo as her granddaughter.

Perhaps for the original owner, being acknowledged by Wang Xiuzhi was a kind of happiness.

But for the current Xu Qingmo, being acknowledged by Wang Xiuzhi was more disgusting than being forced to eat shit.

“My mom has already divorced your son. Your son is dead too. I have nothing to do with your family anymore. Every bite of meat I eat comes from pigs I caught myself in the mountains, risking my life and working hard for it. Yet you two sneaked out in the middle of the night to eat it. Why didn’t you dare eat it during the day? Why only at night?”

Xu Qingmo’s words left the mother and daughter inside the room speechless for a moment.

The villagers outside immediately began scolding them for being shameless.

“Wang Xiuzhi used to be so proud in the village, saying her family would soon be a thousand-yuan household and that we weren’t on the same level as them.”

“She was just scamming money from her daughter-in-law, putting on airs.”

“Tsk, tsk. She’s actually rotten to the core. She even steals her granddaughter’s food—she must have done this kind of thing plenty of times before.”

Listening from inside the room, Wang Xiuzhi grew angrier by the second and shouted back through the door.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Keep wagging your tongues and I’ll tear your mouths apart!” she roared furiously.

Grandma Liu seized the chance to provoke her. “What kind of skill is it to curse people behind a closed door? If you’ve got guts, open the door and argue it out with everyone.”

Grandma Wang echoed her. “Exactly. If you really didn’t steal anything, open the door and let the villagers come in and take a look.”

Of course Wang Xiuzhi wouldn’t do that. Her arrogance flared up again as she shouted through the door, “This is my house. If I don’t want to open the door, I won’t. What can you do about it?”

Xu Yuanyuan chimed in, yelling at the people outside, “You bunch of nasty things! You see our life getting better and your eyes turn red with envy. Whatever our family becomes is none of your business. Get out of here!”

That wooden door was no obstacle to Xu Qingmo, but she didn’t want to make a move yet.

After all, it wouldn’t be long before Wang Jing would come to take her away.

But Wang Xiuzhi and Xu Yuanyuan would continue living in this village.

Better to make their relationship with the entire village even worse.

Xu Qingmo spoke up. “Whoever opens this door and finds the meat inside can have it. I only want justice and a sincere apology.”

The moment her words fell, the crowd seemed to be injected with adrenaline.

They rushed forward together to ram the door.

Even with Wang Xiuzhi and her daughter blocking it, there were simply too many people. Before long, the wooden door was smashed open.

Wang Xiuzhi and Xu Yuanyuan were sent flying and fell to the ground.

The villagers immediately poured into the room to search. It didn’t take long before they found more than ten jin of meat hidden by the mother and daughter.

The first person to find the meat was overjoyed. Those who didn’t get any sighed in disappointment.

The looks they shot at Wang Xiuzhi and her daughter were filled with anger.

If those two hadn’t blocked the door, others would have had a chance to find the meat first as well.

Wang Xiuzhi pushed herself up from the ground and rushed to snatch the meat back, only to be shoved aside and knocked down again.

In the courtyard, Xu Qingmo sat on a small stool, surrounded by a crowd. Wang Xiuzhi and Xu Yuanyuan were forced into the center.

Only then did Wang Xiuzhi understand why Xu Qingmo hadn’t shown up at all last night while they were eating and hiding the meat.

She had been waiting for this moment.

Now, the mother and daughter had completely lost face in front of the entire village.

…

Xu Yuanyuan still tried to grab the meat back, but she was no match for the others.

“Wang Xiuzhi, you colluded with your younger daughter Xu Yuanyuan to steal my pork. Now we’ve caught you red-handed. What else do you have to say?” Xu Qingmo was small, but her words carried overwhelming authority.

The villagers all joined in condemning Wang Xiuzhi, and Xu Yuanyuan was cursed as a thief as well.

Wang Xiuzhi glared furiously. “I’m your grandmother. Even if you don’t admit it, the blood of the Xu family still flows in your veins. If I’m a thief, then you’re the descendant of a thief too!”

She decided to drag Xu Qingmo down with her.

Xu Qingmo shrugged, not falling into her verbal trap.

“Everyone heard that—she admitted it herself that she’s a thief,” Xu Qingmo said to the crowd. “Whoever can make Wang Xiuzhi bow her head and apologize to me will get two jin of pork.”

Xu Qingmo had plenty of ways to force Wang Xiuzhi and Xu Yuanyuan to admit their wrongdoing, but she deliberately didn’t use her own methods.

She wanted the villagers to drive it, so Wang Xiuzhi would never be able to hold her head up in the village again.

The temptation of two jin of meat was simply too great. In an instant, the onlookers all began pointing and scolding the mother and daughter.

Some even said they would tell Old Wang’s family in the neighboring village, so they would know Xu Yuanyuan’s true nature.

Xu Yuanyuan panicked. She had finally found a man willing to marry her. If this got to his ears, he would definitely come to break off the engagement.

She hurriedly apologized to Xu Qingmo. “I’m sorry. We were just too hungry, so we went to eat the meat…”

Xu Yuanyuan thought that apologizing would settle everything, but Xu Qingmo had no intention of letting her off.

“You eat so much that my pork is missing a lot. How about this—after lunch, you come with me to the back mountain and catch another wild boar. Return all the meat you and your mother owe. Then I won’t pursue the matter.”

Wang Xiuzhi exploded in rage. “Xu Qingmo, don’t go too far! Your own father just died, and now you want your aunt to die too? Is your heart made of stone?”

Xu Qingmo didn’t refute her. Her heart might not be made of stone, but it had been tempered until it was harder than stone.

Xu Yuanyuan immediately hid behind Wang Xiuzhi. “My mom ate some too. She’s healthy—she can go to the back mountain with you.”

Wang Xiuzhi’s eyes went wide. Just like that, her own younger daughter had pushed her out to take the fall.

“Xu Yuanyuan!” Wang Xiuzhi roared.

Xu Yuanyuan explained seriously, “Mom, Big Brother is already gone. Do you want to see me get gored to death too? You’ve lived long enough anyway—you’ve gotten your share. After you die, I’ll burn lots of paper money for you so you can be a rich ghost over there.”

Wang Xiuzhi raised her hand and slapped Xu Yuanyuan across the face.

“You cheap little slut! I fed you and clothed you all these years. I never thought that at a moment like this, your first reaction would be to shove me out front. Your heart is rotten!”

Xu Yuanyuan touched her stinging cheek and continued, “You already hit me. Let this slap count as my filial piety.”

“One slap is far too light,” Wang Xiuzhi snarled, chasing after Xu Yuanyuan and continuing to hit her. The courtyard erupted into chaos.

Xu Yuanlong’s body was still lying in the main hall, and someone needed to stay behind to arrange the burial.

Xu Yuanyuan was obviously unfit for that, so Wang Xiuzhi had to stay.

Xu Qingmo said to them, “Wang Xiuzhi will stay and arrange the burial for that person. Xu Yuanyuan will go up the mountain with me.”

Xu Yuanyuan suddenly seemed to have all the strength drained from her body and collapsed onto the ground.

Seizing the chance, Wang Xiuzhi grabbed a broom and started beating her mercilessly.