Chapter 113: Searching For Evidence
Liu Jinhua heard unusual noises in the courtyard, recalled her son’s instructions and could no longer focus on watching the daughter-in-law, and hurriedly ran out from the kitchen.
Upon seeing the courtyard full of dark red blood, that terrifying and horrifying scene, and the thick pungent stench all made her feel scared while uncontrollably retching wave after wave.
Finally catching her breath and coming to her senses, the anger in her heart surged upward, and she planted her hands on her hips, throwing her head back and cursing loudly.
“Ah!”
“Shut up, what are you screaming like a ghost for, useless thing!”
Seeing the daughter-in-law’s expression like she was about to cry but not quite, with her body swaying unsteadily, Liu Jinhua’s anger grew even more uncontrollable, “If you dare show that seductive fox spirit half-dead look to me again, I’ll beat you to death!”
Her youngest son had originally been so good and obedient to her, but ever since meeting this fox spirit spendthrift woman, everything about him had changed!
Although the retirement money he gave her each month was still a little, it couldn’t even compare to a fraction of when she controlled all his money back then.
Just the betrothal gifts given at the wedding, those three rounds and one ring, those thirty-six legs… thinking about it made her feel short of breath, her heart aching so much it nearly cost her her life.
Someone like this fox spirit actually deserved it?!
He used to listen to everything she said, always putting her considerations first, her most successful and proud son not only repeatedly defied her for this woman, but even seized control of the household with the excuse that retirement meant enjoying life without worries.
This undoubtedly poked at her sore spot even more; only a fool could tolerate such a daughter-in-law!
“Go, go out and see if the youngest has come back, standing there like a corpse! All you can do is act coquettish and seductive, what else? Useless waste without any eyesight!”
The mother-in-law’s torrent of abuse made Huang Mingzhu’s eyes instantly bloodshot, and she quickly lowered her head to hide the full hatred.
She quickly calculated in her mind Yan Bin’s usual time to come home, didn’t obey her words to go out immediately, but instead covered her face and sobbed until it was about time, then quickly ran out the door.
Su Ning, having watched the good show, couldn’t help digging in her ear; this woman really cursed too filthily.
From the daughter-in-law coming out to the outburst of scolding, not only were the words dirtier one after another, but she even managed no repeated phrases.
Taking advantage of the young daughter-in-law running out the door, the old woman who clearly hadn’t cursed enough chased right after, standing blatantly at the threshold spewing spittle everywhere.
Su Ning seized the opportunity, jumped down from the wall without hesitation, quickly avoided the pig blood she had splashed and went along the wall base to under the eaves.
Then without avoiding it, she forcefully stepped in the blood, leaving several footprints from the courtyard to the wall corner, then followed the footprints back.
Seeing that the footprints left from stepping back and forth were clearly larger than her original size, she confidently changed into a new pair of Huili shoes, threw the bloody pair back into the space, tiptoed into the room.
She glanced around the main hall and found nothing particularly special, then pushed open the door to the room immediately to the left.
There was a smell in the room like dust or something moldy, making her frown slightly.
It seemed not every old man was as fond of cleaning and tidying as Grandma Qu; this old woman looked fierce and nagging.
Holding back her disgust, she searched the room inside and out, top to bottom, and couldn’t help exclaiming inwardly at the eye-opener.
The wardrobe standing in the wall corner didn’t hold clean clothes but was stuffed with worn ones, while the clean unworn ones were all piled at the foot of the bed—what kind of habit was this?!
And in that standing cabinet, all those biscuits and pastries that had grown moldy—could she really eat them if hungry in the middle of the night?
While rummaging, she couldn’t help complaining; Su Ning was utterly disgusted by this sloppy old lady.
Especially seeing those stacks of money and ration coupons hidden in pockets she had sewn herself outside worn underwear…
Taking a deep breath and holding it, she took out a snakeskin bag from the space, stuffed all the underwear dug out from every corner into it, then silently looked at her hands and comforted herself: Wearing gloves, just take them off, wash and disinfect, still usable—don’t think about chopping them off!
If the spring water could regrow limbs, there wouldn’t be such hesitation.
Coming out of the old woman’s room, she with her little face flushed red from holding her breath finally exhaled, then hurried to the other room.
Yan Bin was nearly thirty, they had been married not long, less than three years, and the biggest benefit after marrying the daughter-in-law was no longer having to let his
Look at how neat and tidy the room is, not to mention there’s a fragrance of powder. How is it not a hundred times better than that one?
He quickly crouched down and finally could breathe freely to search around!
First, they carefully searched the wardrobe, boxes, and such things, and found nothing else except some scattered money and ration coupons.
This is very wrong.
According to Tang Tian’s recollection, her uncle was reported by someone four years later, and the key to success was this booklet.
It doesn’t make sense that she hasn’t remembered it now, but will only start to after a few years?
Moreover, this money and ration coupons doesn’t add up either. Managing so many black markets in the county towns, the money earned would leave a huge amount even if the whole family spent it like crazy.
She wouldn’t expect someone like Yan Bin to deposit money and valuable things in the bank.
Where was it that we didn’t look?
She began scanning from the doorway bit by bit, not even sparing the raised spots on the ground.
Until the line of sight reached the bed, then turned toward under the bed.
This bed is somewhat like the ancient style, with a footrest in front of the foot of the bed. Logically speaking, the height of this footrest…
Her eyes lit up. Su Ning quickly stepped forward and tried to move that foot pedal away. Because she wanted to use force, her fingers unconsciously dug into the small narrow gap under the foot pedal.
“Click～”
A faint sound suddenly came from beside her ear. Her spirits greatly lifted as she abruptly pulled back the bedsheet and the cotton quilt underneath.
Only to see the originally intact, whole bed board automatically parted to make space for a square inner compartment.
Inside it were not only several boxes, but also a flat box that seemed to be used for holding books.
She bent down to fish up the flat box, and there was a tight silver lock on the outside of the box.
Her eyes turned, and she took out a small iron hammer from the tool room in the space, knocked off the lock and opened it to see, sure enough, there were two booklets inside, one large and one small.
She flipped through a few pages slightly; the larger one recorded his family assets accumulated from the black market over the years, while the smaller one recorded one by one the transactions with him and the people behind him.
Detailed to the time, location, and amount all recorded in the booklet.
She put the things back in the box, along with the other boxes in the inner compartment, and collected them all into the space.
Just as she reached the main hall doorway, she heard increasingly intense arguing voices coming from the front gate.
Thinking of Yan Bin who had not yet returned home, Su Ning quickly walked to the kitchen outside, close to the wall.
According to the plan, she didn’t rush to climb over the wall, but flashed into the space.
She could jump down from the nearly two-meter-high wall, but climbing back up by herself alone, she knew it would make a huge noise.
She was afraid that as soon as she finally climbed to the top of the wall, she would be caught red-handed by someone.
Anyway, she had a place to rest and a whole night; she could wait a bit later, use the ladder to climb out quietly!
Having achieved her goal, she wasn’t in a hurry, leisurely returned to the Peach Blossom Spring Courtyard, first threw away the gloves and scrubbed her hands hard to disinfect them, then prepared to eat to fill her stomach.
On the other side, just as he returned and hadn’t reached the home doorway, he heard his old lady shouting and cursing at the top of her voice.
Yan Bin’s face was dark with coldness all over his body, plus that knife scar from the brow bone to under the eye, about a finger long, absolutely scary enough that no one dared to look a second time.
The people crowded at the corner of the outside wall watching the excitement all stopped the unusual excitement on their faces and changed to smiling faces to make way one after another.
“Mom, what happened again?”
“What happened again? Do you think I want something? Why don’t you take a look at your good wife!”
Yan Bin glanced at his little wife who was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath, and his expression on his face became even colder.
In his heart, he began to consider Biao Zi’s proposal.
Since the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law couldn’t get along, it was better to separate them; as the saying goes, far fragrance near stink, maybe it could really ease things a bit?
Anyway, with his old lady’s temper, no matter going to older brother’s or second brother’s house, the two sisters-in-law would absolutely not let her have an easy time.
At worst, he could contribute more retirement money each month.
Completely unaware that her treasure youngest son had already made up his mind to send her to the other two sons’ homes, Liu Jinhua was still there detailing to her son the daughter-in-law’s wrongs.
When he helplessly heard the source, a fierce light flashed in Yan Bin’s eyes, startling the nonstop chattering and cursing person.
“Mom, what did you just say?”
“I said that all over the courtyard…”
Before she finished speaking, she saw Yan Bin quickly rush past her into the yard; only then did Liu Jinhua react and her face changed drastically.
“Oh no!”
For a moment, in her excitement of cursing, she had forgotten about the blood that had fallen from the sky in the courtyard!
