Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

  As things had turned out this way, Ding Jiayi was at a total loss. “Mr. Policeman, can you come over for a bit? I have something to tell you.” At the thought of the neighbors crowding the entrance and the words that she was going to tell the police officers, Ding Jiayi’s aged face turned red and could not lift her head in front of the police officers.

  “Speak your mind.” The police officer who advocated justice did not like Ding Jiayi’s behavior and asked her to be open about her thoughts.

  “I wanted to say that we did not lose any money. This is a misunderstanding. My younger daughter did not lose her money. I…… I was the one who took it. It’s true. I’m really sorry to have caused you inconvenience. My child is the one who’s insensible and ignorant. I’ll get her to apologize to you.”

  Ding Jiayi was clearly the one in the wrong, but she insisted on using Qiao Nan as her shield at this point and shoved all responsibility to Qiao Nan.

  “What? You took it? Is it true?” The police officer looked at Ding Jiayi suspiciously. “I’m telling you. If you lie to us, that constitutes as giving false statements and you’ll be liable legally. Don’t tell me you know who the thief is and you’re purposely saying that to find a scapegoat for him?”

  “Why would I? It’s true. That sum of money is really with me. It’s not lost.”

  “You took your daughter’s money without telling her or your husband. You just took it like that yourself?” At the thought that no one in the whole family knew where the money went to, the police officers felt strange.

  “My daughter is still young. I’m afraid that she will squander the money away if she keeps it with her. So, I…… I just wanted to help her safe keep the money for time being. I didn’t know that this child is such a money-grubber and would cause you so much trouble. Sorry, sorry. I didn’t teach my child well. Mr. Policeman, don’t worry. I’ll definitely educate my children properly later.”

  “It doesn’t make sense. Didn’t you all mention that the money earned by your younger daughter was meant for paying off the debt? Why would she squander it away?” The police officer knitted his brows. “This friend, come over. Can your family of four clarify this? Did you really lose the money?”

  “It’s not lost, definitely not lost. It’s all with me.” Ding Jiayi snapped and emphasized continuously that the money was with her.

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  “I don’t believe her words too. Every family has its hardships……” Qiao Dongliang sighed. “My wife is not reliable. Otherwise, my hospitalization and surgery fees would not have been borrowed by my younger daughter last time. We even need my younger daughter’s help to pay it off now. Please investigate this thoroughly.”

  “O-Old Qiao, what are you trying to do? Do you really want me to go to jail? The money is with me. When was it stolen? If you don’t believe it, I’ll show you!” Ding Jiayi jumped with anxiety, her eyes red.

  She did not understand why everyone doubted her although she was clearly telling the truth today. Why didn’t anyone believe her?

  No one believes those who tell the truth in this world anymore!

  Ding Jiayi did not care. She took out all the money in her pocket. Some of it was in stacks of ten yuan, but there was also a lot of change. “See, I’m not lying. The money is here.”

  “How much money is this?” The policeman expressed some doubt. Although he did not work in the bank, it did not look like there were five hundred yuan in that pool of money.

  “.……” At the mention of the amount of money left, Ding Jiayi’s face immediately swelled and turned dark red. She was so embarrassed that she did not know what to say.

  In the end, Ding Jiayi sounded like a mosquito as she said sulkily, “Two hundred and fifty yuan……”

  “What?” The police officer could not hear Ding Jiayi as she had spoken too softly.

  “There…… there’re still two hundred and fifty yuan……” When she heard the police officer questioning her, Ding Jiayi was frightened and her reply was much louder this time.

  “.……”

  “.……”

  After hearing Ding Jiayi’s words, everyone present in the house went silent, especially the two police officers who resisted rolling their eyes at Ding Jiayi.

  No wonder that man had been saying that his wife was unreliable. She was indeed unreliable. They had felt strange that the medical expenses for the man’s accident were borrowed by the younger daughter. Where was the man’s wife at that time?

  The money was borrowed by the younger daughter and now the younger daughter wanted to earn money to repay the debt. This family was too much. Every matter had to depend on the young lady. What had the parents been doing?

  Didn’t they say that this young lady had just enrolled in senior high school?

  She was just a child!

  “Five hundred yuan. Why is it only half left after you took it? Half the day has not even passed yet.” The police officer shouted and looked at Ding Jiayi in a serious manner. “You said that your child is young and did not know how to guard the money. My friend, did you feel guilty when you said that? This money was earned by your younger daughter to repay a debt, but you…… you spent it just like that?”

  The police officer’s mind was filled with the two words ‘spent it’. The younger daughter’s earnings meant for repaying debt were all spent by the mother. Spent it, spent it……

  “No no no, it’s not five hundred yuan. It’s three hundred yuan. The sum of the money in her envelope was only three hundred yuan, not five hundred yuan. I spent fifty yuan, not two hundred and fifty yuan!” Ding Jiayi was about to cry. She counted umpteen times and was certain that there was only three hundred yuan. Where did the five hundred yuan come from? Unless……

  “Tell me, did you spend the other two hundred yuan then blame it on me?!” Yes, why didn’t she realize that she had clearly taken only three hundred yuan, but the police mentioned that five hundred yuan was lost? The numbers did not tally!

  That wretched girl not only hid money from her but also spent half of it boldly. If the police were not around, Ding Jiayi would have greeted Qiao Nan’s face with a slap long ago.

  “Talk nicely. You dare to behave like that in front of the police!” Now, the police officer was really furious.

  The child was so sensible to help the family lessen the burden. This was a blessing for the parents. But this person took all the blessings for granted. This was really unreasonable.

  The young lady could not spend the money that she earned, yet the mother used the excuse of safekeeping to take her money without asking and even spent it. Spent it!!!

  Was there any reasoning in this?!

  “Your younger daughter has her rights too. Her parents can help her safe keep but not use her money. I believe your younger daughter has reached sixteen years old. Even if a 16-year-old child does not pass her money to the parents for safekeeping, that’s legal in the eyes of the law. Your action of taking without permission, to put it bluntly, was no different from stealing. You still blamed your younger daughter for being insensible. I think you’re the one that’s the most insensible one in your whole family. You spent your daughter’s money that was meant for repaying the debts. Tell me, what were you thinking? Two hundred and fifty yuan? I think you’re really a pea-brain!!”

  “Tell me, how do you intend to settle this situation now?” The other police officer was impatient. He was most annoyed whenever he came into contact with confusing housewives.