Chapter 24 - 24: Do you want to steal money?

Translator: 549690339

Zhu Cuiying had been eyeing the road closely and instantly lit up at the sight of Qiao Xiaomai. She straightway rose from her bench.

Seeing Qiao Xiaomai leading Qiao Dami towards herself, Zhu Cuiying quickened her pace to welcome them. She revealed a smile, her face filled with pockmarks. “Xiaomai, are you on your way to town?” she asked.

Qiao Xiaomai responded with an extremely indifferent grunt.

Zhu Cuiying kept silent, just smiling at Qiao Xiaomai.

Her face was pockmarked, her small eyes gleaming with hidden schemes. She grimaced, revealing yellow-stained teeth. Her coarse and dull complexion revealed a clear loathing for Qiao Xiaomai – so intense it was as if she’d willingly sell her to a brothel. Yet now, she strained a pleasant smile.

She gave Qiao Xiaomai goosebumps all over.

Only when she saw Xiaomai and Dami approaching the entrance of their house did Zhu Cuiying speak again. “Oh, what a full basket you have there. What did you buy?”

“It’s none of your business,” Qiao Xiaomai replied even more coldly.

Zhu Cuiying kept smiling, her demeanor even friendlier than before, which only meant her gummy, yellowish teeth were even more exposed now. “Why should it not concern me? You haven’t paid this month’s filial piety money yet.” Filial piety money?

Qiao Xiaomai paused, turning to Qiao Changshun. “Dad, was it supposed to be paid already?”

Qiao Changshun grunted, “Today is the fifth, it is time to pay.”

“Okay.”

“Alright,” Qiao Xiaomai acknowledged.

The filial piety money was a rule set by the Sun Family when the Qiao Family divided ten years ago – fifty wen each month.

Apart from the filial piety money, another fifty wen was set as subsidy money.

The youngest son of the Sun Family, Qiao Changshun’s younger brother Sun Junyan, was studying at Bailu Academy in town. As the Qiao Family was poor, Sun Junyan’s tuition was covered by Qiao Changshun and his other brothers, with the expectation that Sun Junyan would pay them back and look after his brothers once he succeeded in the Imperial Examination.

The filial piety money plus the subsidy added up to a total of one hundred wen.

“Wait a bit, I’ll get it for you at home.” Qiao Xiaomai, leading Qiao Dami, moved towards their house.

Zhu Cuiying stretched out her arm to block her, “Didn’t your mother take all the money from your home?”

“It’s none of your business,” Qiao Xiaomai glared at her coldly.

“As your aunt, it’s only right that I care for you.”

All she wanted to know was the amount of money left in Qiao Xiaomai’s house so she could continue to exploit them.

For more than a decade, she and the Sun Family had done exactly that allowing Qiao Xiaomai’s family just enough to live and wresting away every other resource.

“Heh—” Qiao Xiaomai snorted, leading Qiao Dami a step to the left, trying to bypass Zhu Cuiying.

The moment they began to eclipse each other, Zhu Cuiying darted her hand to lift the cloth covering Qiao Xiaomai’s basket.

Anticipating this move, Qiao Xiaomai quickly dodged to the side, “Auntie, are you trying to rob me?”

“What do you mean rob? 1 just wanted to have a look,” Zhu Cuiying justified herself, tilting her chin high and meeting Qiao Xiaomai’s icy gaze.

Zhu Cuiying was accustomed to Qiao Xiaomai’s family being easily bullied, and although Qiao Xiaomai had behaved slightly differently these days, in her opinion, she hadn’t crossed any lines.

In the end, she’s still that little girl. What is there to fear?

“Then 1 should also check your house, maybe even rummage your money box. How does that sound?” a cold smirk danced on Xiaomai’s face.

At Xiaomai’s words, Zhu Cuiying’s forced smile finally faltered, and she began to scold instead, “You shameless girl, we were just talking about your basket and you bring up my home. I bet you’ve been coveting my family’s silver for a while!”

“What, are you going to steal because you can’t pay the tax?”