"Grandma, do your eyes play tricks on you with age? I brought luggage from home. If you don't believe me, you can ask around. I only rented this place a couple of days ago, so what could I possibly have to sell?"
"Little sister, why are you renting a place? Isn't it just to facilitate your speculation and profiteering?" Chen Baozhu seized on the key point and questioned her.
Chen Lishu: "I got tired of living in the countryside and wanted to experience city life. Isn't it fine to have the means at home?"
"How can a rural woman like you afford to rent a place in the city? I strongly suspect you're a speculator!" The woman, with her chin tilted to the sky, looked at Chen Lishu with intense disdain.
"What's wrong with being a rural woman? I strongly suspect you're engaging in gender and class discrimination! The Great Leader once said that revolution work has no high or low status, whether one is a farmer or a worker. How can you discriminate against us working people now? What are your intentions?"
Chen Lishu's barrage of words immediately changed the woman's demeanor: "I, I didn't mean that. You're completely misinterpreting my words."
Seeing that she had intimidated the woman, Chen Lishu stopped arguing with her and turned her gaze to the other comrades in the yard: "You've seen for yourselves, can you prove my innocence?"
One of the male comrades nodded, but still hesitantly asked his inner doubt: "Comrade, may I be so bold as to ask, your rent is probably not cheap, right?"
"My third brother is a military officer and receives a salary and allowance every month. Why can you live in the city but we can't? What kind of logic is that?" Gu Xingping, seeing that they were still persistent, was both angry and anxious, and spoke without fear.
So they are military dependents.
The comrades exchanged glances, then nodded apologetically at Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping before turning to leave.
"You can't leave, the items haven't been found yet. I tell you, this wicked girl is definitely up to no good. Her father used to sneak into town to sell things." Old Mrs. Chen, seeing the people about to leave, unwillingly stepped forward to stop them.
"Madam, the matter has been investigated and it's clear you are unreasonably making trouble. If you continue to obstruct our work, we will call the police."
Upon hearing about calling the police, Old Mrs. Chen and Chen Baozhu were startled. The Public Security Bureau was not a good place; only bad elements who violated the law and committed crimes went there. In their minds, even a study class was better than the Public Security Bureau.
When the municipal management personnel saw that she had stopped making trouble, they bypassed her and left.
Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping both breathed a sigh of relief as they watched them go.
"Where exactly did you hide the things? You heartless, money-losing girl, not only did you cheat your uncle, but I personally saw you selling clothes at the department store, and you still deny it stubbornly. They didn't search thoroughly enough. I'll search myself. When I find the evidence, let's see how you can argue."
Old Mrs. Chen glared fiercely at Chen Lishu after the others left, then strode into the yard.
Chen Lishu would not let her succeed. She sidestepped and pushed her directly out of the yard.
Seeing that she dared to fight back, Old Mrs. Chen pounced on Chen Lishu with flailing arms, cursing her with all sorts of foul language.
"Xingping, do you know where the Public Security Bureau is? Go there quickly and tell them that two bad people have come to our home and are threatening my life. Ask them to come over immediately."
Old Mrs. Chen was advanced in age, and if Chen Lishu really fought back, anything that happened would be disadvantageous to her. Chen Lishu, relying on her agility, immediately dodged and at the same time remembered to instruct Gu Xingping.
"Oh, oh." Gu Xingping had never seen a grandmother like Old Mrs. Chen. She froze for a moment, nodded quickly, and ran out.
"I'm threatening your life? Your father was born to me! Today, I'll choke you to death, you wretched girl!"
The more she dodged, the angrier Old Mrs. Chen became, and the angrier she became, the less she could catch up. Finally, she had no choice but to call out to Chen Baozhu: "Baozhu, what are you standing around for? Hurry up and help me hold down this wretched girl. I don't believe I can't teach her a lesson today for causing trouble all day long, instigating her father to be distracted from giving me filial money, causing Mancang to be sent to a study class and fined."
Upon receiving Old Mrs. Chen's command, Chen Baozhu rushed forward without a word, grabbed Chen Lishu's arm, and Old Mrs. Chen seized the opportunity to pinch Chen Lishu fiercely twice.
Her hands pinched the soft flesh of Chen Lishu's waist, fast and hard, causing Chen Lishu's tears to stream down immediately.
"Chen Baozhu, you'd better let me go now, or you'll regret it!"
"Big sister, Grandma is the one punishing you, I have nothing to do with it."
Chen Baozhu, being a man, was no match for Chen Lishu in strength. His hands, accustomed to labor, locked onto Chen Lishu's arms like vises. If she dared to move even slightly, he would increase the force, making Chen Lishu feel as if her arm was about to break.
Seeing Old Mrs. Chen swing a slap, Chen Lishu had no way to avoid it and could only try to turn her head to dodge. However, unable to move, she took the slap squarely.
Chen Lishu immediately felt a burning pain on her face, and her mouth was filled with the taste of rust.
"What are you looking at me like that for? I am your grandmother. Do you want to eat me? You're just a money-losing girl. It's not just one slap, even if I choked you to death, no one would say anything."
Old Mrs. Chen felt a little apprehensive by Chen Lishu's dark gaze. However, after the slap, she felt a bit of the anger that had been suppressed for a long time. She spat at Chen Lishu, turned, and said to Chen Baozhu: "Grandson, keep an eye on her. Renting a place in town and being able to speculate means this wretched girl must have a lot of money. It's time she showed some filial piety to me, her grandmother."
Upon hearing Old Mrs. Chen's words, Chen Baozhu knew that it was right to have Old Mrs. Chen come over today. He happily said to Old Mrs. Chen: "Grandma, don't worry, I won't let her move an inch." At the same time, he tightened his grip, controlling her more firmly.
Chen Lishu's forehead broke out in a cold sweat from the pain, but she gritted her teeth and refused to make a sound.
"If you dare to take even a penny of mine today, I will make you regret it."
Chen Lishu's voice was not loud, and with her eyes half-lowered, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking. Only her slightly trembling body showed that she was extremely angry.
Chen Dabao was dismissive and sneered: "Big sister, what can you do besides talking tough? Besides, we are all family. Isn't it natural and right for Grandma to spend your money?"
What a natural and right thing to do.
Chen Lishu tightly pursed her lips stubbornly and said nothing more.
Old Mrs. Chen went into the house and soon found the more than three hundred yuan and twenty feet of cloth coupons that Chen Lishu and the other had earned from selling clothes under the sofa cushions.
The arrival of the municipal management personnel was sudden and the door was knocked on urgently. Chen Lishu and Gu Xingping were anxious to hide their belongings. The money and cloth coupons were just stuffed under the sofa cushions. After all, the money was easier to explain, but the goods were not. Who could have imagined that Old Mrs. Chen would come in and search later?
Old Mrs. Chen's eyes widened as she looked at the pile of colorful money and coupons.