Chapter 20: Chapter 20 Embezzlement
“Third daughter-in-law, where’s the money?”
Upon arrival, Mrs. Zhang immediately asked Su Yunjin for money, leaving Su Yunjin somewhat confused, “Money? What money?” Su Yunjin asked Mrs. Zhang, “Sister-in-law, I don’t think I owe you any silver, do I?”
“Third daughter-in-law, you haven’t owed me any silver, but,” Mrs. Zhang said as if it were natural, “our Gu Family hasn’t split up, so everyone’s money must be pooled for communal use. The silver your elder brother and the others have sent you; you must give it up.”
As if Su Yunjin would hog all the silver for herself. Impossible!
After all this fuss, Mrs. Zhang was here for the money sent by her elder brother? Su Yunjin sneered. She had seen thick-skinned people before, but Mrs. Zhang’s shamelessness was on another level.
The silver her elder brother and parents had scraped together to lend her for medical expenses, and now her sister-in-law had the audacity to ask for it? Leaving aside that she had already returned the silver to her elder brother and second sister, even if she hadn’t, Su Yunjin wouldn’t give Mrs. Zhang a single copper coin!
“How about it, third daughter-in-law, you’re not planning to swallow all the silver by yourself, are you?” Mrs. Zhang heard everything loud and clear; Su Yunjin’s elder brother and second sister had sent her well over a tael of silver. That much silver could almost feed the entire Gu Family for half a year.
For Su Yunjin to think she could keep it all to herself was pure delusion!
With an expressionless face, Su Yunjin spread her hands, “Sister-in-law, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, the silver, I don’t have it!”
“Don’t have it?” Mrs. Zhang didn’t believe a word, “Bah! Su Yunjin, who are you trying to fool? That tael and a bit more of silver your elder brother and second sister just sent you, and you say it’s gone?”
Does this Su Yunjin really take her for a fool?
“I said it’s gone, it’s gone. Believe it or not, sister-in-law, that’s up to you.” Su Yunjin was too lazy to explain too much to Mrs. Zhang and simply stated the money was gone.
But Mrs. Zhang was convinced that Su Yunjin wanted to hoard all the silver for herself, and immediately put her hands on her hips, rolled up her sleeves, and started hurling abuse, “Su by name, do you have any conscience at all? Tell me, how much money do you and third brother need each month from our Gu Family? Eating from our Gu Family, drinking from our Gu Family, and now what? With money in hand, you actually want to pocket it yourself?”
She unleashed a torrent of curses, and before Su Yunjin could respond, Mrs. Zhang snorted coldly and said, “Wait, third daughter-in-law, I’ll call mother over, have her judge this properly. Let’s also bring your fourth and fifth brothers in to see whether you should hand over the money or not.”
Mrs. Zhang stormed out with a dark face, and Su Yunjin didn’t pay her any attention. Soon after, Gu Ya, who had gone out to see off Su Yunjin’s elder brother, returned. Walking up to Su Yunjin, his handsome face full of concern, he asked, “Yunjin, did sister-in-law come to bother you again?”
Mrs. Zhang went out, and by chance, was seen by Gu Ya, who was returning. Knowing Mrs. Zhang wasn’t easy to deal with, and fearing that his young wife might be suffering from her bullying, Gu Ya hurried in to check on her.
“Sister-in-law just came asking for money,” said Su Yunjin.
Gu Ya was puzzled, “Asking for money? What money?” The money for his young wife’s medication and treatment, he had borrowed elsewhere, leaving Gu Ya unable to understand what else Mrs. Zhang could possibly want from her.
Before Su Yunjin could answer, Mrs. Zhang already brought the whole Gu Family into Su Yunjin and Gu Ya’s room, “Mother, look, the third daughter-in-law has money in her hands, but she deliberately refuses to hand it over to you. To think how well you’ve treated her, and with money now, she even wants to keep it for herself!”