Lin Zhixia would not let her be easily brushed off.

“Auntie, everyone in the compound knows you’re the one in charge at home. Uncle listens to you about everything—how could he possibly keep anything from you?

Don’t tell me you’re planning to keep my things for yourself and refuse to return them, so you’re making up excuses on purpose?”

Lin Zhixia was not the original host, so she wouldn’t show any respect just because they were relatives. She didn’t hold back her words at all.

“You…” Liu Xiaolan was furious.

Lin Zhixia didn’t give her a chance to speak and continued, “Auntie, I came here today to take back everything that belongs to me.

If you refuse to give it back, I’ll report you to the Revolutionary Committee and say that all of the Xie family’s gold and silver jewelry ended up in your hands!”

Liu Xiaolan was shaking with anger. She lowered her voice and shouted, “Nonsense! Who took the Xie family’s jewelry!”

She quickly pulled Lin Zhixia a bit further into the room to prevent the neighbors from hearing.

People at this time feared being linked to the Revolutionary Committee. Once targeted, it could mean serious consequences—something they could hardly escape from.

Lin Zhixia calmly counted on her fingers.

“When I got married, the gold ring, gold necklace, and gold bracelet that Xie Jingheng bought for me were all taken by Lin ZhiHua.

She’s still wearing them now.

Tell me, if I report this, can you escape responsibility?”

Lin Zhixia understood very well how much people feared the Revolutionary Committee.

As expected.

The anger on Liu Xiaolan’s face froze. She forced a smile and grabbed Lin Zhixia’s hand.

“Zhixia, we’re family. Why make things so ugly? Can’t we just talk this out nicely?”

Lin Zhixia pulled her hand away and didn’t give her any face.

“Auntie, return my things, and everything will be fine. Otherwise, there’s nothing to discuss.”

“But I really don’t—”

Lin Zhixia didn’t want to hear her excuses and interrupted sharply.

“Auntie! I’m about to be sent down to the countryside. The Xie family has had everything confiscated, and we don’t even have money to buy food anymore.

If you don’t return my things, you’re basically watching me go die in the countryside. If you want my life, then why should I care about family ties anymore?”

“Worst case, we all go down together. I’ve got nothing to lose!”

“Why are you arguing again?” Lin Jiang said impatiently as he pushed the door open. Seeing Lin Zhixia, he paused for a moment and said unhappily, “What are you doing here?”

“Don’t tell me you came to ask us to pull strings so you can stay in the city?

I’m telling you, don’t even think about it! I don’t have money to help you. Give up and go back.”

From the moment he appeared, Lin Jiang was already trying to send her away, showing no concern for his niece at all.

Lin Zhixia’s gaze turned colder. Compared to the seemingly kind but malicious Liu Xiaolan, she despised this uncle who showed no sense of family duty even more.

She immediately pointed at the slightly embarrassed Liu Xiaolan and said loudly:

“Auntie, didn’t you say Uncle was out on a business trip? He’s clearly at home.

So you were lying to me on purpose because you wanted to keep my parents’ dowry for yourselves, right?”

Fine!

If you refuse to return it, I’ll go report you to the Revolutionary Committee!

I’ll also go to the Steel Factory and ask Deputy Director Chen to stand up for me. Let’s see whether the factory can tolerate people like you—secretly keeping a niece’s dowry and trying to force her to death!”

As she spoke, Lin Zhixia headed toward the door.

Liu Xiaolan panicked, her face turning pale. She screamed, “Lin Jiang, stop her! Don’t let her leave!”

Lin Jiang was stunned for a moment, then immediately blocked the doorway.

Lin Zhixia was only pretending. Seeing him block the door, she stopped and said calmly, “It won’t help even if you stop me. My husband Xie Jingheng is waiting for me at the factory gate.

We agreed that if I don’t return within half an hour, he will go to the Revolutionary Committee himself and report you!”

Hearing her mention reporting again and again, Lin Jiang became both furious and uneasy. He shouted at Liu Xiaolan, “What exactly is going on?”

Liu Xiaolan quickly explained everything. After hearing it, Lin Jiang exploded in anger.

“Lin Zhixia, are you insane? Coming to your own family to demand things for your in-laws—and even threatening to report us? Are you even human?”

“And using Deputy Director Chen to scare me? Do you think he’ll even meet you?”

“Of course he will!”

Lin Zhixia gave a cold laugh.

“He is my father-in-law’s comrade-in-arms. They fought side by side and have always kept in contact. After learning about the Xie family being sent down, he even visited us to ask if we needed help.

Tell me, do you think he will see me? Will he stand up for me?”

Lin Zhixia was boldly bluffing, waving a powerful name like a banner. Of course, Deputy Director Chen would not visit the Xie family at this moment—but Lin Jiang didn’t dare verify it.

He didn’t dare ask, and he didn’t dare let her go either.

In the end, they had no choice but to return the items.

“You!” Lin Jiang’s face turned dark with anger. He raised his hand, ready to slap her.

Lin Zhixia showed no fear. Instead, she leaned forward and said, “Go ahead and hit me! Let’s see if my husband lets you get away with it!”

Thinking of Xie Jingheng’s tall, imposing figure, Lin Jiang hesitated, his pride stinging. He shouted at Liu Xiaolan, “Hurry up and bring her the things!”

Then he pointed at Lin Zhixia.

“Listen carefully. From today on, we cut all ties!

I don’t have a niece like you who turns her elbow outward and helps outsiders. Even if you die outside, it has nothing to do with us!”

“Perfect!” Lin Zhixia immediately replied.

She had already thought it through. Once the Xie family was rehabilitated, their status would become even stronger than before.

Cutting off these leech-like relatives now was not a bad thing—it would save trouble later.

Her quick response and obvious eagerness to sever ties only made Lin Jiang even more furious.

Lin Zhixia didn’t care whether he was angry.

In fact, the angrier he was, the happier she felt.

Preferably angry enough to drop dead.

“But…” Liu Xiaolan hesitated.

She accidentally stepped on Lin Jiang’s nerves. He roared, “Go now!”

The veins on his neck bulged, making him look terrifying.

Startled, Liu Xiaolan snapped back, hands on her hips. “Why are you yelling at me? Useless coward!”

After scolding him, she reluctantly went back to the room.

Lin Jiang and his two sons all worked at the steel factory.

If Lin Zhixia really reported them, none of them would be able to keep their jobs.

Without their jobs, the entire family would be finished.

But giving everything back so easily made her extremely unwilling.

She had long treated those gold and silver pieces as her own. Every so often, she even took them out to wear for enjoyment.

Before, when someone had wanted to buy them, she refused.

If she had known, she should have sold them earlier.

Or… maybe secretly take a few pieces? After all, Lin Zhixia probably wouldn’t know exactly how many there were.