Chapter 144: Lin Miao ‘s Classmate
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The store clerk approached and, upon recognizing Mrs. Lin and Li Hua, was taken aback. “Are you Lin Miao’s mother and sister-in-law?”
Lin Miao had previously mentioned that despite their rural residence, their family was rather well-off. However, they were discreet about their wealth, fearing envy from others in the village.
During a parent-teacher conference in her final year of high school, she recalled seeing Mrs. Lin and Li Hua elegantly dressed. It contrasted starkly with their current appearance, resembling that of impoverished individuals.
The clerk remarked, “So, you’re pretending to be poor even though you’ve come to the city? Where’s Lin Miao? She used to hang out with me, but now she’s disappeared. ”
Li Hua, feeling uncomfortable, whispered, “MO Li, we’re not pretending. We’re not wealthy villagers. ”
Mrs. Lin chimed in, “During that parent-teacher conference, we wore new clothes, which might have caused the misunderstanding. We’re sorry for that.” Mrs. Lin was at a loss. Lin Miao had always been somewhat vain.
Every time before such events, she insisted on wearing her finest clothes and shoes. To avoid any embarrassment, they portrayed themselves as affluent rural folks.
Especially with MO Li, Lin Miao had sought her friendship because MO Li’s parents had respectable jobs.
MO Li’s father worked in the power supply bureau and her mother was an official worker in the textile factory.
Hence, MO Li could not be blamed for thinking that Lin Miao was well-off. Of course, that was also the reason why she kept in contact with Lin Miao.
Gu Zi understood what was going on when he saw this scene. He did not expect Lin Miao to be so vain!
MO Li, however, seemed unwilling to accept the explanations. She continued, “Auntie, you can’t fool me. Lin Miao used to treat everyone and always carried around five-hundred yuan bills. But it’s been over a month since I last saw her. ”
MO Li did not know why Lin Miao had not contacted her recently, as if she had vanished from the face of the earth.
Who knew she would bump into Lin Miao’s mother and sister-in-law here?
Mrs. Lin’s face turned red. She really didn’t know how to explain.
“Our entire family doesn’t even have that much money. How is it possible she would carry that around?” Li Hua said.
Gu Zi narrowed his eyes slightly and felt that it was very strange. Lin Miao should have been at the Lin family’s house more than a month ago. Where did she get so much cash on her at that time?
If a person suddenly became very rich, it was really a little suspicious.
“Miss MO, can we talk in private?” she asked as she handed Su Le over to Li
It was at that moment when MO Li finally noticed the elegant woman accompanying Mrs. Lin. Judging by her attire, she seemed like a city resident, and her refined demeanor suggested she hailed from a wealthy background.
“Absolutely,” she replied, smiling as she ushered Gu Zi indoors.
Gu Zi was very good at expressing herself and communicating with others. She quickly clarified some things and explained MO Li’s misunderstanding.
MO Li’s face turned red with anger when she realized that she had been deceived for so long.
“She’s too pretentious. To think that I thought of her as a close friend!” MO Li lamented, learning that Lin Miao actually hailed from a poor farming family in a mountain village.
However, with Lin Miao nowhere in sight, MO Li didn’t have a target for her frustration. She resolved to focus on her business and rake in a bit more commission.
“What you say counts. Buy the most expensive pair of dragon and phoenix candles from me,” MO Li requested Gu Zi.
“No problem. Go fetch them; I’ll settle the bill right away,” Gu Zi replied cheerfully.
Knowing that there was money to be made, MO Li became nimble and quickly packed up a pair of exquisite dragon and phoenix candles and handed them to Gu Zi. “Fifty yuan!”
Gu Zi took the candle and paid the money without hesitation. She felt that after figuring out this matter, 50 yuan was worth it even if she did not want the candle.
“Why did you end up paying by yourself in the end? Did she demand more money?” Mrs. Lin inquired.
“It’s alright; we’re all family,” Gu Zi reassured her. “Mom, let me ask you something. Did Lin Miao mention staying at MO Li’s house a few days before or after the dowry went missing?”
“Yes, is that important?” Mrs. Lin responded after a moment’s thought.
Gu Zi explained, “MO Li and I reviewed the timeline just now. She mentioned that Lin Miao’s flaunting of cash likely happened after the gift money went missing. Furthermore, during her stay at MO Li’s place, she frequently left early and returned late, often alone.”
Gu Zi had been puzzled before. Little Lin Village had suffered a significant loss of money, prompting the involvement of the police. One would expect clues to emerge during a door-to-door investigation.
Yet, the reality was different. The authorities had failed to advance their inquiries. Gu Zi speculated that their lack of progress might be due to
overlooking someone with a solid alibi..