“500 bucks?” said Jin Gen’s mother who was distressed just thinking about it, “How long will it take to earn the money back? She’s someone who has nothing. How can she have so much money all at once? It must be Changsheng who gave her. Otherwise, how can there be 500 bucks when she can’t even show her face and is crippled? Is this not from your Changsheng? Is it not yours?”
The more Jin Gen’s mother got into it, the more furious Changsheng’s mother was.
Changsheng’s mother was so angry that she kicked the cabinet. As a result, the cabinet shook a little, and almost hurt her leg.
They then overturned boxes and did a thorough search for a long time. They even found the loose brick in the side of the heated brick bed. When they felt the brick loosen, Jin Gen’s mother was still excited in her mind, thinking that they finally found it. But when the two people eventually pulled off the brick, there was nothing inside the brick.
The face of Changsheng’s mother turned ashen from anger when she realized that they did not find it. She was reminded of the words said by Jin Gen’s mother and suddenly found 500 dollars under the pillow easily. It was also a brand-new red crisp note, which was Changsheng’s hard-earned money. Changsheng had worked hard to earn the money. But when that vixen came, Changsheng gave her all the money, not to his mother. No, she was not a vixen. She was simply a sow spirit who was ugly-looking and crippled. She was the ugliest woman in the village. No one was as ugly as she was. But she did not know what means she had used to make her son so willing to give so much money to her.
She just recovered 500 dollars which was hidden by the woman. Who knew if there were thousands of dollars, or even tens of thousands of dollars?
“There’s a crack in the wall,” Jin Gen’s mother shouted all of a sudden.
Changsheng’s mother hurried over and the two people peered inside the crack in the wall. Then they put their hands inside. The two of them grabbed and pulled until they were about to tear their skin. When they finally were able to feel inside after much difficulty, there was nothing inside except dust.
“Why is there nothing inside?” Jin Gen’s mother was still somewhat unconvinced and said, “We have looked in every place we can search, even the impossible areas. How can there be no money? Do you think it is here?”
Jin Gen’s mother patted the board on the heated brick bed as she said, “I just don’t buy that there is no other money. If it were me, I would not put all the money in one place.”
Changsheng’s mother gnashed her teeth and stared hard at the heated brick bed which Changsheng had built this year. It must be stuffed here. Could it be possible that when Changsheng fixed up the heated brick bed at the time, he had already thought of giving the money to this woman?
But she was his mother. He did not give the money to his mother as a show of filial piety to her. Instead, he gave it all to the vixen.
The more she thought, the angrier she became. The angrier she was, the more mindless she became. She became senseless and not using her intelligence because she did not have much intelligence quotient to begin with. Otherwise, how could she not think carefully about it? How could it be possible that Changsheng had so much money? All the money he had on him was saved by Changsheng’s mother. He was only able to make some money all year-round. Could it be possible that they did not keep track in their mind?
If there were really tens of thousands of dollars, how was it that they still lived in such a mud house? In the village, one could build a house for up to 10000 dollars.
She rushed out in anger and her face was so black like the lid of a pot. Upon seeing Yan Huan standing outside standing, her face became gloomy and then she glowered at Yan Huan.
Yan Huan slightly pulled at her own almost colorless lips. She stood calmly and did not even change her stance.
Changsheng’s mother gave a snort. Within a short time, she already took a hoe from somewhere and then went in. Soon after, Yan Huan heard the sounds of banging inside.
When Changsheng’s mother came out again, her entire person was covered in dust. But her face also became contorted and was ugly to look at. The muscles in her face also seemed to be taut. She was no longer the kind old lady before, nor was she Changsheng’s mother who took pity on Yan Huan.
She extended her hand to Yan Huan.
“Where’s the money?”
Yan Huan put her hand into her pocket. She felt around for a while before pulling out a rolled-up 100 dollar bill, which she placed in front of Changsheng’s mother.
Changsheng’s mother immediately grabbed it. But when she unfurled it and saw how little it was, she almost all screamed out, “Only 100 plus dollars? What about the few 1000 dollar bills? How about tens of thousands?”
“A basket of eggs can only fetch so much,” Yan Huan said evenly, “Auntie, didn’t you already ask the village’s Sister Chen to look at it? The other party paid me for the amount sold in front of her face. You can ask her. Was I ever short on the money? Or did I even spend a single cent?”
Changsheng’s mother’s face stiffened and was momentarily embarrassed at being exposed.
Indeed, she did ask the Chen family’s woman to help watch her, for fear that Yan Huan would secretly take the money from the sale. Who knew how many eggs were sold before? Perhaps, they were sold for 300 dollars at a time and she only gave her 100 dollars or so to deceive her, this poor old lady.
Suddenly, she was reminded of those tens of thousands of dollars. She instantly felt pain in her heart. That was money, all her money.
“Where’s the money my son gave you?” Changsheng’s mother tightly clutched the 100 dollars in her hand and demanded, “You tell me. Where’s the money my son gave you?”
Yan Huan suddenly felt sad, because Changsheng’s mother’s face was contorted with greed for the money. She was no longer a kind old person.
Man would do anything in his means to become rich.
And such an understanding made her a little sad.
“Auntie, how much money do you think Changsheng can earn from working the land in a year?” she directly asked Changsheng’s mother.
“Half a kilo of eggs used to sell for three to five dollars in the past. He only went out once a month to sell. Auntie, what much do you think he could sell for? Or does Auntie think that those were not chicken eggs but golden eggs?”
“He did not even go down the mountain during the winter. Did Auntie think that the wind will blow the money over here?”
“Where did the 500 dollars come from?” challenged Changsheng’s mother because her shame soon turned into anger from her words. Because those words, every single sentence deeply stabbed in her heart and caused her pain. She also had a guilty conscience.
“I sold the jewelry I had with me. That’s how I got it,” Yan Huan spoke the truth, but the other person might not necessarily believe her.
“Pah! Bullsh*t if you have any jewelry on you. You still want to lie to me?” She directly spat on Yan Huan’s face and yelled, “You get out of my house immediately. Don’t let me see you again.”
That gooey feeling on her face disgusted Yan Huan a little. She wiped off the blob of spit with her fingers. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and crouched on one side to throw up. Because she did not eat anything in the morning, so all she vomited out was bile and acid.
And when Jin Gen’s mother came out, she also looked ashen with fury because she could not find the money. She lifted her nose and snorted at Yan Huan.