Chapter 11: The Warehouse Theft

Du Huacheng had once again offered a perpetual lamp in the Temple of a Thousand Gods, and donated a thousand yuan to the Xuanming Priest within the temple. The Xuanming Priest helped Du Huacheng and Du Ying’er to drive away the evil spirits, and only then did Du Huacheng hurriedly escort Du Ying’er to the physician at the back of the temple.

The physician, upon seeing Du Ying’er, immediately began to treat her—needling, pricking, and bloodletting. Du Ying’er let out another wretched scream, then completely fainted.

Yang Yuehe was anxious, but the physician said, "If we don’t remove all the clotted blood now, you’ll have to wait for surgery at the hospital. None of the hospitals in Yue City have any anesthetics; if you opt for surgery, it will be without anesthesia. If you’re willing to let your daughter suffer like that, then suit yourself."

Yang Yuehe dared not say another word. She turned to Zhou Yongxin and said irritably, "I’ll leave Zhong Xiao to you. If you don’t manage to send Zhong Xiao to the countryside, I’ll beat you every time I see you from now on!"

Zhou Yongxin quickly agreed, assuring her he had his own methods.

As dusk approached, Yang Yuehe glanced at her pocket watch; her two sons, Du Changlin and Du Changgong, were about to return home from school. After the physician’s needles, Du Ying’er’s complexion had visibly improved. Yang Yuehe finally relaxed and brought Du Ying’er back to the Zhong family home.

When she entered the house, she saw—Zhong Xiao was sleeping soundly in bed?

Yang Yuehe was furious. Her own daughter had suffered so much, fainting from pain several times, yet Zhong Xiao was enjoying such comfort, sleeping without a care.

Yang Yuehe snorted disdainfully, "Hmph, just keep enjoying yourself while you can. Cherish these last moments—you’ll see how things turn out for you soon enough!"

With that, Yang Yuehe returned to Du Ying’er’s room. Du Ying’er was still very weak, and Yang Yuehe resolved to go to the market the next day to buy some black-bone chicken or something similar to nourish her daughter. After all, it was a postpartum confinement; she mustn’t let lasting illnesses take root.

Moreover, she had to find time soon to bring Ying’er to Hong Kong for a thorough check-up. For this alone, she needed to hurry and get Zhong Xiao sent to the countryside.

Thinking these thoughts, Yang Yuehe glanced at Du Ying’er, then went up to the third floor, intending to discuss matters with Du Huacheng.

But Du Huacheng wasn’t in the bedroom. Only then did Yang Yuehe recall that since their return, Du Huacheng had disappeared somewhere, seemingly not yet home.

Yang Yuehe left the bedroom, and as she reached the first floor, she saw Du Huacheng entering.

Preoccupied with other matters, Yang Yuehe failed to notice Du Huacheng’s dark, sinister expression, and approached him, saying, "Old Du—"

A sharp slap echoed through the room!

Yang Yuehe’s whole body was knocked to the ground by the blow.

It was nothing like the two slaps from Zhong Xiao. Though Zhong Xiao had used considerable force, she was still a young lady, raised in luxury, with little strength in her hands. Even a forceful slap from her caused little lasting harm.

But Du Huacheng was different. He was a man, and before marrying into the Zhong family, he’d done over a decade of hard labor. His slap landed squarely, sending Yang Yuehe’s head spinning, her vision filled with stars, her mind ringing.

The pain from her body hitting the floor and the swelling on her face merged into one, leaving Yang Yuehe barely able to hear the sounds around her.

Just then, her sons, Du Changlin and Du Changgong, returned from school and witnessed Yang Yuehe being knocked flat by Du Huacheng’s slap.

Du Changlin burst into tears with a loud wail.

Du Changgong was stunned, too scared to approach, huddling with his brother at the side.

Du Huacheng’s face was flushed red, trembling with a mix of anger and fear, his voice quivering, "Yang Yuehe! The warehouse… Where did everything in the warehouse go!"

Yang Yuehe’s mind was still ringing, unable to make out Du Huacheng’s words. After a long moment, she came to her senses, tears streaming down.

She had been with Du Huacheng for so many years, and he had never hit her before!

Today, she’d been slapped three times, and her face felt as though it would fall apart.

Half lying on the floor, Yang Yuehe turned to look at Du Huacheng, her face already swollen.

She cried, "What are you talking about? What things in the warehouse?"

Du Huacheng pointed at her, his fingers trembling.

"Everything in the warehouse is gone! Tell me! Where did it go!"

Yang Yuehe was stunned.

Immediately, she forgot the pain in her face and body, rushing up to the third floor warehouse.

She was dumbfounded.

The third floor, once packed with boxes, was now empty. Boxes and medicines—everything gone, not even a trace left.

Yang Yuehe stood there, wide-eyed, for a full minute.

Du Huacheng’s voice rang out, furious, "I’m asking you! Where are the medicines from the third floor? Where did they go!"

Yang Yuehe could no longer maintain her usual gentle, virtuous demeanor in front of Du Huacheng. She shouted, "How should I know? How should I know where the medicines went! They were here when I left!"

Du Huacheng was beside himself, nearly choking her in his anger. "Fine… You claim you don’t know… You brought the wolf into our home, and now you tell me you don’t know?"

Yang Yuehe was taken aback.

Then she thought of the young woman from the chemical plant.

She shook her head, dazed, "Impossible, Peiyun wouldn’t do it. She can’t have…"

Suddenly, Yang Yuehe’s eyes turned fierce as she looked at Du Huacheng. "It couldn’t have been someone I brought! If anyone would steal, it’s definitely Zhong Xiao! She must have found out we deceived her today, so—"

Du Huacheng raised his hand again.

But Yang Yuehe, perhaps now conditioned by the earlier blows, quickly darted aside, howling in panic, "Old Du! Calm down—"

Du Huacheng’s rage boiled over.

"Yang Yuehe, you’re insane. Zhong Xiao? What would she steal with? Could she carry a single box? This is her home! Why would she steal from her own house! You brought outsiders into the warehouse, and now the goods are gone, yet you blame others?"

Yang Yuehe was speechless.

From the current situation, it did seem that the people she brought were the prime suspects.

Yet, deep down, Yang Yuehe had an intuition.

She felt, somehow, that it was still connected to Zhong Xiao!

She had known Zhong Xiao for so many years, watched her grow up—how could she not know?

Zhong Xiao had changed.

But what exactly had changed, Yang Yuehe couldn’t say.

Du Huacheng watched Yang Yuehe’s silent, pensive expression, clenched his fists, and finally let out a heavy sigh.

"Let it go. After all, with money, you can always buy more…"

He stopped mid-sentence, as if suddenly remembering something, and rushed down the stairs to the first floor!