Chapter 25: A Thief Crying "Stop, Thief!"

Du Huacheng’s nerves, already frayed and restless, now seemed to unravel as he discovered the hidden thread within. The medicine in the third-floor warehouse had been purchased at Yang Yuehe’s insistence. At that time, obtaining medicine was already exceedingly difficult, but Yang Yuehe was undeterred by the inconvenience, running to several black markets, even traveling to black markets in other provinces to buy it from contacts. She spent more than ten golden bars in total. Du Huacheng had not understood her reasoning then.

Yang Yuehe explained that in these times, medicine was as valuable as firearms and ammunition—strategic supplies to be stockpiled against unforeseen calamities. When the moment came, having medicine on one’s person would be more useful than possessing gold bars. Half-believing her, Du Huacheng followed her advice and bought the medicine.

But on the day it all happened, Yang Yuehe had, for no apparent reason, brought a stranger into the warehouse, showing her the medicine. Afterwards... the warehouse was robbed. As for the treasure hidden in the basement, only he and Yang Yuehe knew of it. Not even Du Ying’er, Du Changgong, or Du Changlin were aware. Zhong Xiao knew even less; she had no idea what was stored on the third floor. If not for the urgency of that day, with her limited understanding, Zhong Xiao would have assumed the warehouse was full of nothing but the miscellaneous items on the first and second floors.

So, when the warehouse was robbed, Du Huacheng never suspected anyone else. He was convinced it was the woman Yang Yuehe brought, Li Peiyun, who had orchestrated the theft. But what if... what if Yang Yuehe cried thief to cover her own tracks? Deliberately bringing an outsider to the warehouse, then framing another? In truth, all the goods had been moved by her! After all, no one knew the contents of the warehouse better than she did.

At this thought, a surge of blood rushed through Du Huacheng, his veins standing out against his hand, his expression fierce as he questioned Du Changlin.

“Where did you find this?!”

Du Changlin was startled by Du Huacheng’s demeanor. His lips quivered as he was about to cry, stammering,

“Just... just under your bed...”

Du Huacheng immediately dropped to the floor and looked beneath the bed. There was nothing. He asked again, “Where exactly?”

Du Changlin, tears streaming down his face, crawled under the bed. He reached the middle section, felt around for a moment, and then lifted a piece of wooden flooring!

Du Huacheng was stupefied. He had lived in this house for twenty years and never knew the floor beneath the bed was hollow—never imagined it could hide anything! He wanted to squeeze in himself, but he was too heavy to fit under the bed. So, with a rough gesture, he simply tore off the entire floorboard and threw it aside.

Yang Yuehe was coming upstairs with Du Ying’er, just then startled by the loud “thump.” She hurried up the stairs to find Du Changlin crying at the doorway. She quickly let go of Du Ying’er and rushed to embrace Du Changlin. About to ask what happened, her glance caught the overturned bed boards, Du Huacheng bent over, dismantling the boards beneath the bed.

A sense of dread seized Yang Yuehe. She hurried forward to explain,

“Old Du, this—”

Du Huacheng turned around, his face livid and dark. With his bulk kneeling on the ground, he resembled a wild boar ready to charge in a frenzy.

With a hoarse voice, Du Huacheng roared, “What’s going on here? What are these things?!”

Yang Yuehe explained, “Old Du, listen to me... Over these years, I did... I did save a little private money for myself, but not for my own sake. I did it for... for Changlin and Changgong.”

“Don’t be angry, I didn’t take much. These are all from what you gave me, what I managed to save. Now, they can finally be put to use, can’t they...”

As Yang Yuehe spoke, she suddenly caught sight of a dazzling golden necklace. The jade embedded in it was nearly perfect—round, plump, with excellent color and translucency, set in gold like an oasis in a desert.

Her tone froze.

“A necklace?”

“How is this necklace in your hand?”

Yang Yuehe remembered: this necklace had been part of Zhong Rui’s dowry. Yang Yuehe had always liked it and had begged Du Huacheng several times for it, but he never gave it to her. Later, she saw him place it in the warehouse basement with her own eyes.

Hadn’t the basement been robbed? Wasn’t everything gone from inside? How was the necklace now in Du Huacheng’s hands?

But to Du Huacheng, her question carried another meaning.

“Why is the necklace in my hand? That’s what I should be asking you—why did you hide it!”

“Wasn’t the warehouse robbed? Weren’t all those things gone? Why are my Rolex watch and this necklace hidden by you?!”

“I always wondered why you, usually so cautious, suddenly brought a stranger to the family warehouse.”

“So you had it planned all along, crying thief to cover your own theft!”

Yang Yuehe was dumbfounded.

“What necklace? I’ve never taken that necklace! And what Rolex? Old Du, what are you talking about?”

A sudden slap!

Du Huacheng struck Yang Yuehe hard across the face, knocking her to the floor.

“Give me back my things! Spit them out!”

Du Ying’er rushed over to help up Yang Yuehe, crying as she shouted,

“Dad, what are you saying? How could Mom ever steal from you? Everything she does is for us, for this family!”

Du Huacheng stared at Du Ying’er with bloodshot eyes, then turned to Yang Yuehe, looking at the mother and daughter pair.

Suddenly, Du Huacheng understood—