When Ji Meiling heard Ji Guodong’s words, she quickly covered her mouth.
Oh no, she had let it slip in the heat of the moment.
She knew that in her father’s heart, he was unwilling to spend money on her.
But Ji Meiling didn’t want to go to the countryside either, so when her mother suggested having Ji Shuyu take her place, she naturally agreed without hesitation.
When Mom had brought this up with Dad before, he said that if Ji Shuyu was willing, then Ji Shuyu could go.
But if Ji Shuyu refused or made other demands, he wouldn’t spend a single extra cent.
Now, if Dad found out that Mom was planning to give Ji Shuyu so much just to make her go to the countryside, he’d be furious.
Ji Shuyu sneered inwardly. She had been waiting for this exact moment.
Instantly, her face filled with grievance and shock, her voice trembling as if on the verge of tears.
“Go to the countryside? What countryside? Meiling, what are you talking about? Dad, Auntie, what’s going on? Wh-why would I have to go to the countryside?”
She deliberately looked at Lin Xiumei, her eyes confused and fearful.
Lin Xiumei’s face turned pale. She shot a fierce glare at Ji Meiling and quickly tried to smooth things over.
This Ji Shuyu, what was she pretending for now?
She was the one who asked for the money and items. And now she had the nerve to play this two-faced game right in front of everyone?
“It’s nothing. Meiling was just talking nonsense, still half-asleep.”
She just wanted to gloss over the money issue as quickly as possible. The fact that she was spending money to send Ji Shuyu to the countryside absolutely could not be revealed now.
Especially not to Ji Guodong—he must not find out that she had taken so much money just to keep Ji Meiling here.
Ji Meiling also realized she had misspoken and quickly shut her mouth, but the look she gave Ji Shuyu was even more hateful.
Ji Shuyu wasn’t about to let it go. With such a good show unfolding, she wouldn’t rest until she’d stirred the pot thoroughly.
She immediately pointed at Ji Meiling, her voice quivering as she spoke to Ji Guodong, “Dad, I understand now. Has Meiling’s job assignment come through, but she doesn’t want to go? Does she want me to go to the countryside in her place? Is that why Auntie… prepared the money?”
“Just to buy my agreement to replace Meiling in the countryside…”
She deliberately paused, as if struggling desperately to hold back tears.
“No wonder Auntie has been so nice to me lately—it was all to make me suffer in Meiling’s place. That money… was it meant as compensation for me? And now that the money is missing, Auntie suspects I stole it? Because I don’t want to go to the countryside, so I hid the money to weasel my way out of going?”
Every word Ji Shuyu spoke struck right at Ji Guodong and Lin Xiumei’s sore spots.
“What?!”
Ji Guodong exploded as expected, slamming his hand against the door.
“Lin Xiumei! Meiling’s job assignment came down, and you’re letting her dodge it? You’re planning to spend money to make Shuyu go in her place? Where did you get the money?”
Lin Xiumei trembled at his roar, her face deathly pale, stammering, “Lao Ji, it’s not… I…”
Ji Meiling panicked too. “Dad, it’s not like that! I…”
Ji Shuyu added fuel to the fire, shrinking her shoulders fearfully and reminding him in a small voice,
“Dad, Meiling’s job is a permanent position that used up our family’s quota… If people found out she’s not going, making someone else replace her, and even spending money to buy her way out of going to the countryside… Wouldn’t that be considered an ideological problem? Could it implicate our whole family?”
Hearing Ji Shuyu’s words, Ji Guodong flew into a complete rage.
In these times, that kind of accusation could be fatal.
Trembling with anger, he pointed at Lin Xiumei and Ji Meiling. “Are you two trying to get the whole family killed?”
Lin Xiumei was utterly panicked. She no longer cared about the missing money and rushed over to cover Ji Guodong’s mouth. “Lao Ji, keep your voice down! It’s not what you think…”
Seeing that the situation had heated up sufficiently, Ji Shuyu immediately switched to playing the role of the sensible daughter.
She walked over to Ji Meiling’s door and feigned surprise. “Huh? Meiling, what’s that on the floor by your door?”
All eyes instantly snapped toward it.
Ji Meiling instinctively looked down.
In that split second, with a slight mental command, Ji Shuyu made the five-yuan note she had just stored in her spatial inventory appear right inside Ji Meiling’s room.
“Oh, it’s money!”
Ji Shuyu swiftly picked it up and held it out for everyone to see.
“Dad, Auntie, look—it was right at Meiling’s door.”
Lin Xiumei’s eyes nearly bulged out of her head as she whirled to face Ji Meiling. “Meiling?!”
Ji Meiling was completely stunned. Staring at the five yuan that had appeared out of nowhere, she was at a loss for words.
“It wasn’t me! Mom, I didn’t steal it! I have no idea where that money came from!”
Even if she were to take money, why would she only take five yuan?
Mom had three hundred!
Ji Guodong was so furious he nearly hyperventilated. “Ji Meiling, you’re something else! You don’t want to work, you don’t want to go to the countryside, and now you’re stealing from your own family? Lin Xiumei, is this the fine daughter you’ve raised?!”
“Dad! Mom! It really wasn’t me!”
Ji Meiling was crying in desperation. She pointed at Ji Shuyu and shrieked,
“It was her! She must have framed me! She stole the money and put it at my door!”
Ji Shuyu immediately welled up with tears, her eyes reddening with grievance, and handed the five yuan to Ji Guodong.
“Dad, I just got up this morning—I haven’t even left my room… Besides, where would I get money? I don’t have a single cent on me. Meiling, I know you don’t want to go to the countryside, but you can’t falsely accuse me like this…”
Her voice choked with sobs, her performance utterly convincing.
Ji Guodong looked at the sensible and pitiable Ji Shuyu, then at the hysterical, crying Ji Meiling.
“If Auntie wants me to take Meiling’s place in the countryside, I’m willing. But the compensation Auntie promised me…”
Ji Guodong glared fiercely at Lin Xiumei.
“Look how understanding Shuyu is! Since you were the one who agreed to it, the compensation for Shuyu must be paid in full—not a cent less. If the money is lost, you’ll find a way to make it up yourself. If you can’t, then sell your daughter’s dowry! Don’t even think about backing out!”
Of course, Ji Guodong had no idea how much money was involved, and Lin Xiumei didn’t dare say.
If he found out it was three hundred yuan, it would surely unleash another storm.
When Lin Xiumei heard that she had to come up with another three hundred yuan and might even have to sell Ji Meiling’s dowry, her vision went dark, and she nearly fainted on the spot.
Ji Meiling wailed even louder, torn between rage and terror.
In the past, Lin Xiumei had often used such “green tea” tactics to make the original host suffer.
This time, Ji Shuyu would beat her at her own game and leave her with nowhere to turn.
After Ji Guodong stormed off in a rage, Lin Xiumei took a few steps forward and blocked Ji Shuyu’s path.
“You were the one who agreed to this! How can you say we forced you? Ji Shuyu, is this how you conduct yourself?”
Lin Xiumei’s words nearly made Ji Shuyu laugh out loud.
“Auntie, as I recall, you and Ji Meiling led me to believe that my father knew about you sending me to the countryside in Ji Meiling’s place, right?”
“But judging by my father’s reaction today, it seems he was completely in the dark.”
Ji Shuyu smirked coldly, looking Lin Xiumei up and down.
“But I’ve already agreed. As long as you gather everything you promised and give it to me, I’ll naturally sign the consent form for the countryside.”
“When I give my word, I keep it. You’ve only got one day left—better hurry.”
With that, Ji Shuyu returned to her room and slammed the door shut.
Only Lin Xiumei’s screams remained outside.
She had already lost three hundred yuan—where was she supposed to find another three hundred now?
“Mom, I don’t want to go to the countryside… I don’t want to…”
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