Chapter 24: Sold Out

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Sold Out

Seeing he was angry, Su Wan couldn’t help but look toward Zheng Zhizhi. ’Could Zheng Zhizhi have deliberately hidden everything?’

Lu Zhengchuan had been watching her from the corner of his eye and naturally saw her reaction. His sharp features remained stern.

Zheng Zhizhi’s heart skipped a beat. She shot a quick glance at Lu Zhengchuan, frightened by his fury. Rubbing her eyes, she said in a confused tone, "Xiao Yun, what are you talking about? I haven’t been corresponding with Brother Lu."

Zhang Yun was stunned. Staring at Zheng Zhizhi, she asked in disbelief, "Zhi Zhi, what are you talking about? Didn’t you tell me that you and my cousin were getting along so well?"

"And my cousin didn’t even criticize you in the letters he wrote to my dad! We said it was because he must have feelings for you, not Su Wan. That’s why he didn’t even question it when Su Wan sent him a blank piece of paper."

"Xiao Yun, weren’t you the one who came up with that analysis back in the village? I believed you because I thought you knew something!" Zheng Zhizhi cried, looking wronged, and shifted all the blame onto Zhang Yun.

Zhang Yun shook her head and stamped her foot. "Zhi Zhi, how can you say that? I may have suggested it, but you never denied it! And when I asked if you were writing to my cousin, you let me believe you were!"

"Let you believe it? I did no such thing! I was just being shy! You’ve completely misunderstood me!" Zheng Zhizhi stamped her foot, a mix of indignation and embarrassment on her face.

Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Zhang Yun. "Xiao Yun, if you hadn’t constantly been in my ear, telling me that Brother Lu liked me, I never would have developed such fantasies."

"But forget it, Xiao Yun. I know you only meant well. I don’t blame you."

Zheng Zhizhi sniffled, her eyes red. She took the watch out of her suitcase and turned to Lu Zhengchuan. "Brother Lu, here is the watch. It was all a misunderstanding on my part. Please don’t blame Xiao Yun."

Zhang Yun was dumbfounded. Hearing this, the anger she had felt moments ago evaporated, replaced by self-recrimination.

She couldn’t help but second-guess herself. ’Did my words really influence Zhi Zhi and cause this whole mess?’

The thought that a public criticism would be issued, and that everyone in the production brigade would surely condemn Zhi Zhi, made Zhang Yun’s guilt well up inside her.

"Zhi Zhi, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault."

Zhang Yun cried into her hands. After a moment, she seemed to realize something and walked over to Su Wan, trying to curry favor. "Sister-in-law, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have been so resentful toward you just because of some gossip I heard."

"I completely misunderstood you, and that’s why I wanted my cousin to marry someone else. Zhi Zhi was just influenced by me."

"Sister-in-law, if you’re going to be angry with anyone, be angry with me. Don’t blame Zhi Zhi. Could you please not report her mistake? Please don’t let her be publicly criticized!"

Su Wan watched as Zhang Yun, her eyes swollen from crying, continued to plead on Zheng Zhizhi’s behalf.

She couldn’t help but wonder if Zhang Yun had a single brain cell to her name.

"Lu Zhengchuan, is your cousin all there? No wonder Zheng Zhizhi could trick her into becoming a thief in her own house. She’s been sold and she’s still helping them count the money."

Lu Zhengchuan found her viciousness somewhat novel. When Su Wan shot him a glare, he cleared his throat and nodded. "Yes, you’re right."

"Zhang Yun, if you’re not going to use your head, then don’t speak."

Being criticized so harshly by her cousin, Zhang Yun forgot all about her guilt and sadness. As someone who idolized him, she couldn’t help but use what little brainpower she had to figure out how, exactly, she had been duped.

"Zheng Zhizhi, you can drop the act. We’re in front of the leadership," Su Wan sneered, intent on exposing her. "Do you really think everyone here is a fool? That we can’t see you for who you are?"

Zheng Zhizhi’s expression turned sour at Su Wan’s blunt condemnation.

Especially when she saw Political Commissioner Lin, Master Ji, and the others watching her with stern authority. They were all old foxes; she knew at a glance they wouldn’t be easily fooled.

Zheng Zhizhi was clever in a petty way. Tricking the ordinary villagers wasn’t much of a challenge.

But trying to fool these leaders was a joke.

After all, even Su Wan wasn’t confident she could pull the wool over their eyes.

"Su Wan, don’t push it! You have no proof! Even leaders can’t just frame an innocent person!" Zheng Zhizhi said, struggling to sound defiant.

Su Wan chuckled. "The matter of the switched letters is ironclad. It’s already been handled, so don’t think you’re getting away with it."

"As for the watch, you may have returned it, but I have a reasonable suspicion that you still have other things Lu Zhengchuan sent me."

This wasn’t just a wild accusation. Su Wan thought back carefully. In the three months since she had married Lu Zhengchuan, her own life had certainly improved.

But Zheng Zhizhi’s life also seemed to have gotten much easier.

The Zheng Family hadn’t struck it rich, so before, she had suspected that maybe Lu Zhengchuan was secretly giving Zheng Zhizhi money on the side.

But now... perhaps Lu Zhengchuan really didn’t have any lingering feelings for Zheng Zhizhi. Perhaps it had all been a deliberate deception on Zheng Zhizhi’s part.

’Not only did she fool Zhang Yun, but me as well?’

At this thought, Su Wan couldn’t help but look at Lu Zhengchuan.

Lu Zhengchuan met her gaze for a second before looking away. Frowning, he said, "Then let’s tally everything up."

"Over the last three months... the first month, I sent a stipend of one hundred yuan, a pair of women’s leather shoes, and a tin of clam oil."

Lu Zhengchuan’s gaze fell to Su Wan’s feet, but he saw an unfamiliar pair of shoes.

His lips thinned into a tight line.

"I received all three items." Noticing his stare, Su Wan instinctively drew her feet back, feeling a little self-conscious.

"I brought the shoes with me. They’re in the family quarters," Su Wan added quickly.

Lu Zhengchuan’s expression softened slightly.

Su Wan noticed his reaction, and a strange, tingling sensation fluttered through her.

Before she could make sense of the feeling, Lu Zhengchuan continued, "The second month, I sent home a stipend of one hundred and twenty yuan, a ladies’ watch, and a white Dacron shirt and skirt set."

"Also, a box of rolling donkey pastries and a box of chocolates."

With every word Lu Zhengchuan spoke, Zhang Yun’s expression grew more shocked. When he finished, she whipped her head around to stare at Zheng Zhizhi.

"Zhi Zhi... the chocolates you were eating back in the village, and that white Dacron shirt you wore... my cousin bought those?"

Exposed so bluntly, Zheng Zhizhi’s face flushed with shame and anger.

"Xiao Yun, weren’t you the one who gave those to me?" Zheng Zhizhi blurted out, trying to push all the blame onto Zhang Yun.

Seeing Lu Zhengchuan’s gaze turn to her, Zhang Yun frantically waved her hands. "Cousin, I didn’t! I really, really didn’t!"

"I didn’t know those things were from you! I just saw Zheng Zhizhi eating and using them around the village and thought her own family had bought them for her," Zhang Yun said, on the verge of tears.

As dense as she was, even she could see that Zheng Zhizhi had been lying to her all along.

Su Wan watched their little dog-eat-dog drama from the side and tutted to herself.

"I only received the one-hundred-yuan stipend and a box of rolling donkey pastries," Su Wan stated when the leaders looked her way.

A young soldier stood to the side, taking down the details.

At this point, everyone present understood the situation perfectly.

Lu Zhengchuan frowned at Zheng Zhizhi, then continued, "The third month, I sent a stipend of one hundred and thirty yuan. I had believed what was written in the letters. Considering I was away and couldn’t take care of Su Wan, I figured I should just send more money."