Chapter 32: Proving My Innocence
After saying this, Lu Qiaoge went to Old Mrs. Li and said, “Grandma Li, I analyzed that the weather on the day you lost your gold ring was definitely very good, with golden sunshine, and you happened to get up a bit late. Was there only you at home, with the window open without a screen, while you were sleeping?”
Old Mrs. Li instantly widened her eyes; she remembered that day’s events very clearly.
But how did this girl Lu Qiaoge speak as if she had seen it with her own eyes?
Lu Qiaoge frowned slightly. This old woman was too suspicious; she actually suspected her?
No wonder things had been found, but the matter still hadn’t passed.
Lu Qiaoge continued, “The swallow happened to go out foraging at that time. When passing by your house, it saw the gold ring shining in the sunlight, and you were sleeping soundly, so it flew in and took the ring away.” After saying this, Lu Qiaoge innocently asked Old Mrs. Li, “Grandma Li, is my analysis correct?”
She then said enviously, “My grandma can’t sleep in; she gets up at six every day.”
An old woman said, “Old Mrs. Li, you don’t make breakfast every day and eat ready-made food, yet you can still sleep in. Your two daughters-in-law say nothing about it—what more do you want? Don’t make trouble for no reason; if you ruin a good life, you’ll be happy?”
Lu Qiaoge pressed, “Grandma Li, is my analysis right or not?”
Old Mrs. Li didn’t make a sound.
Li Zhenhui said angrily, “Mom, if it is, it is; if not, it isn’t—why aren’t you speaking?”
Lu Qiaoge burst out laughing. “Heavens, Grandma Li, you don’t suspect I was standing in front of your window that day, do you?”
The crowd burst into laughter.
No one noticed Director Hu outside the crowd and Captain Jin who had hurried over upon hearing the news.
Captain Jin was Cui Min’s cousin; he had come to support his sister.
This was Second Uncle’s only daughter. After Second Uncle passed away, Second Aunt remarried to another military factory, leaving Cui Min at his house, so she was like his own sister.
He wanted to step forward but was held back by Director Hu who happened to pass by, who told him to wait first.
He hadn’t expected Lu Qiaoge to be here.
This girl was somewhat interesting!
Lu Qiaoge blinked her watery peach blossom eyes. “I remember you lost your gold ring on May 19th, but that day I was at the third neighborhood committee pasting matchboxes with everyone. I went before dawn and didn’t get home until after eight at night.”
At this point, someone in the crowd loudly vouched for her.
“That’s right, I know this; this girl was at the third neighborhood committee the whole day.”
Old Mrs. Li’s face turned bright red, and she hurriedly said, “That’s right, your analysis is all correct.”
Lu Qiaoge smiled. “That’s good.”
After that, Lu Qiaoge brought over a ladder. The sky hadn’t fully darkened yet, but Qi Shuang still took a flashlight and kitchen knife, with the basket prepared for the swallow’s nest beside them.
Old Hu thought Lu Qiaoge would say a few more words, as he found this girl quite talkative with her little mouth.
Unexpectedly, Lu Qiaoge really just took down the swallow’s nest and carefully placed it into the basket.
She didn’t say another word throughout.
At this moment, the naughty swallow finally flapped its wings and flew out.
Old Hu nodded appreciatively in his mind; smart people who knew when to advance and retreat would not go wrong in their futures.
In today’s matter, Lu Qiaoge was completely an outsider with no position yet; she currently had no qualification to lecture this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair.
Moreover, she had said what needed to be said; saying more wouldn’t be good.
Old Hu thought he had seen through Lu Qiaoge, but little did he know that Lu Qiaoge was looking at Cui Min with a somewhat solemn expression. “Sister Cui, you just said that to prove your innocence you’d jump into the river and commit suicide. I hope Sister Cui was just saying that. A few days ago I nearly drowned; that feeling was too uncomfortable. Then I suddenly remembered a picture book I read before, about how in ancient times a big bully wanted to seize a poor family’s land, so he slandered their youngest son for stealing and eating his family’s big goose. Do you know what the final outcome was?”
Cui Min had made a fuss and her anger had mostly subsided; now she was drawn in by Lu Qiaoge’s story.
The several children surrounding them loved hearing stories the most. The onlookers had come for the spectacle, but now they were all looking at Lu Qiaoge.
This story hadn’t been published yet, so almost no one knew it.
The little boy who had wanted to eat roasted bird eggs earlier, about eight or nine years old, chased Lu Qiaoge asking, “What was the outcome?”
Lu Qiaoge hesitated a bit but still said, “The outcome was that the child’s mother, under pressure, cut open her youngest son’s belly with a knife, letting the bully and others see whether her youngest son had really stolen and eaten the bully’s big goose.”
The little boy’s face changed drastically; he clutched his belly and tremblingly insisted, “……Then……then what happened……”
Lu Qiaoge scanned the crowd who were listening intently and said angrily, “Of course there was nothing.”
The scene suddenly fell into dead silence.
Many people looked at Lu Qiaoge with indescribable expressions.
This story the girl told was too frightening.
Lu Qiaoge pretended not to see everyone’s reactions, but afraid of scaring the little boy, she smiled and said to him, “This is just a story, not real; don’t be afraid.”
But at this time, Old Mrs. Li’s face had turned pale.
It seemed she had heard a similar story, when she was little?
Old Hu was also at a loss for words.
It was truly a mix of coaxing and scaring.
He thought Lu Qiaoge would continue, but she acted as if nothing happened, smiling brightly to Qi Shuang, “Sister Qi, I’m taking the swallow’s nest.”
Qi Shuang wanted to ask where she was taking it, but seeing the next-door mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair with their drastic change in expression and silent, she swallowed her words.
Even if they moved to the Lu family, so what—Lu Qiaoge clearly didn’t care.
Lu Qiaoge hugged the basket and smilingly walked out of the Qi family’s courtyard.
The crowd dispersed. The dazed Cui Min and pale-faced Old Mrs. Li both went home.
By now Old Hu had long left, and Captain Jin had gone next door.
Not long after, sounds of Captain Jin scolding came from next door, but he was reprimanding Cui Min.
Cui Min: “Older Brother, I was just saying angry words; I won’t die to prove my innocence.”
The courtyard was very quiet. Not long after, Old Mrs. Li said, “I……I won’t guess suspiciously anymore.”
Only then did Qi Shuang breathe a sigh of relief.
Looking outside again, Lu Qiaoge had long walked far away.
By the time Lu Qiaoge got home, Huang Juan had already left.
But all the Lu family members were there, all beaming joyfully at her.
Thus, Lu Qiaoge learned she had been admitted.
Lu Qiaoge grinned; um, she was still very happy.
But she still showed the basket to her family and casually mentioned what happened between Qi Shuang and Old Li’s family.
Old Mrs. Lu was quite pleased. “Swallows are good; they not only eat bugs but also flies and mosquitoes.”
On a normal day, Meng Xia would have scolded Lu Qiaoge for meddling.
But today she was too happy, happily carried away.
She happily directed her eldest son, “Go get the ladder; fix the swallow’s nest right now.”
Finally, the spot was chosen under Old Mrs. Lu’s eaves.
Because that spot could shelter from wind and rain, it was the most suitable.
Meng Xia contentedly looked at her second daughter. “Rest early; tomorrow you still have to go report, fill out forms, and go to work—lots of things.”
Ah, her second daughter finally had an iron rice bowl and wouldn’t have to worry for life.
Lu Da was also happy.
His second daughter was first place!
Keep asking for support! Now the most loved are all kinds of tickets~
