Chapter 102: A Reckoning Tomorrow

Chapter 102: Chapter 102: A Reckoning Tomorrow

Bai Zhi feigned a look of surprise. "Wow, you lost that much silver? That’s a terrible loss. Why haven’t you reported it to the authorities? If you don’t, you’ll never get that thirty taels of silver back."

Old Mrs. Bai snorted. "Report it? Why would I need to do that? You’re the one who stole it! Don’t even think about denying it."

Bai Zhi put down her chopsticks and slowly rose. Being slightly shorter than Old Mrs. Bai, she had to look up at her. "If you’re going to accuse me of stealing, you’ll need proof. You can’t just declare it to be so. Your word isn’t law."

Old Mrs. Bai waved her hand dismissively. "Proof? What proof do I need? Isn’t it obvious? The whole village knows you left with nothing when the family split. A single day passes, and suddenly you have money to buy land? And here you are, eating and drinking so extravagantly. Tell me, where did this money come from? If you didn’t steal it from me, where else could you have found so much?"

Just then, Hu Changlin came out of the house. He sneered, "This is the Hu Family home, not your Bai Family’s. What we eat and how much we spend on our food is none of the Bai Family’s concern."

Liu chimed in, "How is it not our concern? The Hu Family has never been this wealthy. As soon as Zhao Lan and Bai Zhi show up, you’re suddenly rich, feasting like kings. Isn’t it obvious you’re spending their money? And where would those two bitches get that kind of money? They must have stolen it from our Bai Family!"

Bai Zhi glanced at the evening sky. "It’s getting late," she said. "Let’s wait until tomorrow. We’ll settle this account properly then."

Liu’s heart skipped a beat. "Settle what account? Are you admitting you stole money from the Bai Family?"

Bai Zhi sneered. "I’ll deal with you tomorrow. For today, this conversation is over. We’re hungry and need to eat. You should head back, too. Any later and you’ll be eating your watery porridge without even an oil lamp to see by." This was no exaggeration. The half-jug of lamp oil they’d had left was smashed to pieces by Yang Sigeng the other day, leaving not a single drop.

But Old Mrs. Bai wasn’t about to leave. The matter was far from settled.

She was just about to open her mouth when Hu Feng slammed his chopsticks onto the table with a sharp CLACK. His eyes narrowed. "Get the hell out."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was incredibly cold and sharp. The sheer force of his presence was overwhelming, causing Old Mrs. Bai to swallow the words on the tip of her tongue. She couldn’t stop herself from taking two steps back.

Liu’s heart pounded with fear as she recalled the savage look on Hu Feng’s face the day he’d broken both of Dazhu’s hands. She quickly tugged on her mother-in-law’s sleeve. "Mother, didn’t that damned girl say she would settle this with us tomorrow? Let’s just wait and see what happens then."

Seeing a way to retreat gracefully, Old Mrs. Bai immediately took it. "Fine! We’ll settle this tomorrow. But I’m warning you two, don’t even think about running. If you do, I’ll find a way to drag you back and skin you alive!"

Bai Zhi’s icy gaze swept over them. Her voice was soft, but her words cut like a knife. "I’d give you the same advice. Don’t think about running before this account is settled. Be careful, or you’ll be the ones dragged back here to have your legs broken."

Old Mrs. Bai was seething, but she didn’t dare make a scene in front of Hu Feng. She had no choice but to swallow her anger and lead her family away from the Hu residence.

Once they were gone, Hu Changlin asked, "Zhi, what did you mean by that just now? ’Settle accounts tomorrow?’"

Bai Zhi snorted. "She’s falsely accusing me of stealing her money, isn’t she? Fine. I’ll give her what she’s asking for. Tomorrow, I’m going to the county to file a report. I’ll have the constable investigate, and we’ll see who the real thief is."