Chapter 5: Chapter 5 It’s me who took it Chapter 5: Chapter 5 It’s me who took it Bai Jianguo sensed trouble the moment Bai Xiao spoke, effectively selling them out right there.
The entire village, upon hearing this, pointed fingers and cursed right at his backbone.
He hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Xiao, your uncle had no idea about this matter, those money, your uncle didn’t see a penny of it. You mustn’t wrongly accuse your uncle!” After all, Bai Xiao’s elder brother and sisters weren’t there, and it was just them framing empty words.
Bai Xiao laughed, “Uncle, you didn’t take the money, and you’re my uncle, how could I not trust you? I understand the situation now, there must have been someone messing around. My elder brother said that he sends money home through the post office every month, and I need to find the postal worker who delivers mail to our village. How dare he embezzle it? Our family’s money, since I was 14, my elder brother began sending money home every month, and now I’m 18, four years later, this isn’t a small sum.
This postal worker is outrageously bold; he must have done this more than once. I’m going to find the village chief right now, we definitely need to report this to the police. Such a person, if not arrested and taught a lesson in jail, who knows how many more people he will harm in the future.
Don’t you all think so?”
Bai Jianguo, not admitting it was good. By denying it, he could escalate the situation.
Now, let’s see how Li Chunhua and Bai Jianguo will wrap this up?
Bai Xiao, looking at all the villagers present, tears streaming down, “All esteemed elders and aunts and uncles, please stand up for me! My brother and sisters clearly sent me money every month, but it ended up being embezzled by this heartless postal worker, and for four years at that. Think about it, that’s four years. That almost amounts to more than a thousand yuan.
In our peasant homes, that’s enough to build a house, yet because of the postal worker’s corruption, my uncle and grandmother thought I was freeloading; I believe that my grandmother and uncle are not unkind people. Taking my elder siblings’ money, how could they let me starve meal after meal? The clothes I wear were made by my parents before they passed away. Over the years, they became small, and I had to patch them with scraps of cloth, not realizing it was all because the postal worker was embezzling our money.
If I don’t get him jailed, I wouldn’t be doing justice to my brother and sisters, who have worked so hard saving money for my education, and not to mention my uncle and grandmother who care for me as if I’m their own child. You all must help me prove this, we can’t let such a villain escape!” Bai Xiao, furious, headed toward the village chief’s house.
Bai Jianguo dared not let Bai Xiao actually go to the village chief’s house. Once the issue reached the village chief, who would be fool enough?
Just querying at the post office who signed the withdrawal forms and whose seal was stamped would clearly show they were lying.
Then their family’s reputation in the village would be well established.
Bai Jianguo gave his mother a meaningful glance. At a time like this, of course, the blame should be pushed onto the grandmother, she could afford to be shameless, but he still had to live in this village, and his children had to marry and start families; the entire family couldn’t bear the stigma of misappropriating their niece’s living expenses.
Li Chunhua suddenly slapped her knee, “Bai Xiao, what nonsense are you talking? It’s your grandmother, I took the money. I was saving these funds for you, how else could you have continued your education all these years? What about your food and drink that cost money?”
The crowd immediately started murmuring quietly. Though rural people were simple, it didn’t mean they were fools. Just moments ago, the grandmother was proclaiming how hard she and her son worked to raise this grandchild and support her education, loudly complaining that this grandchild was an ungrateful wolf, unwilling to work for them.
Now, out of the blue, she admitted she took the money—19 yuan a month, enough even for white flour.
But what was the child wearing? What did she eat daily? Anyone with eyes could see for themselves.
It turned out that Bai Xiao’s high school education was paid for by her elder siblings, which had nothing to do with the grandmother and uncle.
Bai Xiao, startled, feigned a face full of regret, “Grandmother, so you really took the money. If only you had told me sooner, just now I almost went to the village chief. If we had accused the postal worker, that would have been wronging him, knowing now that you took the money, I’m relieved.
“Over the years, it was my older brothers and sisters who paid for my high school education, and the food and drink I consumed were from my own home. Now that Grandma has given me some money, I need to buy medicine. This isn’t excessive, is it? I haven’t spent any money from my uncle’s family.”
The timid expression suddenly made everyone notice the numerous scars on Bai Xiao’s face and body, especially the two bumps on her head, which looked particularly frightening. Someone couldn’t help but speak out, “Grandma Bai Xiao, you really went too far this time. Are you trying to kill the child? What kind of parent beats their child to this extent? And you’re her grandmother.”
“It’s not for you, Grandma, to worry whether she should go for a job. Her brother and sisters will take care of that.”
“Exactly, hurry up and give her some money for a check-up. If something serious happened as a result of the beating, fine, we’d understand it was to teach her a lesson, but it would look really bad, as if you were after her inheritance to harm her.”
“This child is really too pitiful; she needs to be seen.”
Li Chunhua smiled awkwardly at everyone and said, “I actually just told her to rest a bit. When we country folk are sick or affected by disaster, who goes and takes medicine? We just endure and get over it. Who considers themselves so precious?”
Asking the old lady for money was like trying to extract her heart.
Under such circumstances, she still clung on stubbornly.
Bai Xiao swayed a moment, and her aunt immediately steadied her.
Feeling her forehead, her aunt exclaimed in surprise and concern.
“Oh my, how can this child have such a high fever? You adults are also to blame, not fearing that the child might end up seriously ill. Quickly, take her to the village clinic to get some medication.”
The other aunts immediately overflowed with sympathy, and everyone’s stance suddenly changed.
“What a sin! How could you beat a child like that?”
“Quickly, take the child to see a doctor!”
Bai Jianguo also knew that if he didn’t show the right attitude now, his hard-earned reputation might become worthless in everyone’s eyes, and he would be seen as deceitful and duplicitous.
He couldn’t afford to gamble or lose on this.
He urgently said to Li Chunhua, “Mother, I didn’t know about this. Why didn’t you tell me about these things over the years? Here I thought I was the one supporting the child. Isn’t this just a giant joke? You’re old, and if you wanted some money for elder care from your grandchildren, this wasn’t the way to do it.
Quickly give me two yuan so I can take Bai Xiao for a check-up; we can’t delay her treatment.” All of this made pushing the responsibility to the elderly mother seem reasonable.
Li Chunhua also knew she couldn’t keep resisting, so, grudgingly, she pulled out two yuan from her pocket and handed it to Bai Jianguo, but an immediate hand reached out and snatched it away.
It was Bai Xiao who took it.