A jinx, me? But I bring good fortune to my whole family!

The loudspeaker was still broadcasting, mixed with the brigade leader's shouts, making even the dogs that had just gone to sleep in the village bark loudly.

Gu Jianguo fished the spoon out of the bowl without making a sound.

His eyesight, honed through training in the forest, was incredibly sharp; he spotted flaws in the two children's expressions.

Xiao An almost buried his head in the bowl, and the sound of him drinking porridge was much louder than usual, but the tips of his ears were so red that they looked like they were about to bleed.

Nuannuan remained quite calm, holding a rough porcelain bowl that was bigger than her face in her two small hands. She tilted her head, blinked her big, black grape-like eyes, and looked completely innocent.

"Eat." Gu Jianguo looked away, his smile fading. "Eat more, so you'll have more strength."

Su Xiulan didn't understand the meaning behind her husband's words. She looked out the window with a worried expression. "That second son's family deserves it. Even God can't stand it anymore. They just fell into a cesspool, and now their house has been burgled. How are they going to survive this winter?"

"Cough—cough cough!" Xiao An choked on a mouthful of porridge, coughing until her face turned red.

Nuannuan quickly reached out her little hand to pat her brother's back, saying in her childish voice, "Mommy, this is called karma. When Second Aunt took our things, she didn't even think about how we would survive."

Su Xiulan sighed and explained, "I don't care how she's doing; I care about our things. They're probably all gone... I should have insisted on getting our things back before letting them rescue people!"

We're out of food at home now, we'll have to figure out how to get some more tomorrow!

Just then, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a loud bang.

That night, the already dilapidated wooden door of the Gu family suffered greatly.

"Su Xiulan! Gu Jianguo! You bunch of bastards! Hand over the stuff!"

Zhang Aidi rushed in with disheveled hair, her cotton-padded coat buttoned up incorrectly, her face covered in ash and tears, and she was carrying a fire poker in her hand, looking like a madwoman.

Following behind were Old Mrs. Gu with a dark face and Dayong.

Su Xiulan was stunned and put down her bowl to get out of bed.

Gu Jianguo grabbed his wife's hand, propped himself up on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and coldly watched his second sister-in-law rush in.

"Second sister-in-law, what's wrong with you so late at night? What is that?"

"Pah!"

Zhang Aidi spat on the ground, "Stop pretending! It was your two little brats who did it! Everyone in the village knows you hate our family! Our house was robbed just now, who else but you could do something so despicable as to bring about the extinction of your lineage!"

Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like she wanted to eat someone alive.

They're really in a hurry.

There's nothing left in the house now, not even a blade of grass, let alone food. Worst of all, the money and gold bracelet hidden in the cracks in the wall are gone! They were her lifeblood!

She dared not tell the old lady the truth, so she could only insist that it was the third branch of the family who stole it, hoping to use this as an opportunity to search the place.

It would be best if you could find it, but even if you couldn't, you could still get something back by deceiving others.

"Second sister-in-law, you need evidence to speak," Gu Jianguo's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. "You think my child stole it? Fine, the brigade leader just announced over the loudspeaker that there was a thief. Let's go get the brigade leader right now and investigate him face to face!"

"Investigate if you want!" Old Mrs. Gu slammed her cane down, her triangular eyes fixed on the children. "Someone saw these two brats go out just now! Staying up so late, acting all sneaky—what else could they be doing but thieves?"

Su Xiulan's lips were trembling. "Mother! You're so biased! Nuannuan just played for a little while at the gate, and she's considered a thief? Da Yong and Xiao Yong run around the village all day long, are they the ones stealing everything that's gone missing in the village?"

"You jinx, how dare you talk back!" Old Mrs. Gu raised her cane to hit her.

"Let her search."

A childish voice rang out.

Nuannuan jumped off the stool, stood in front of her mother, and looked up with her little face, not afraid at all.

She turned both small pockets inside out; they were empty except for a few sunflower seed shells.

"Grandma thinks we stole something, so let's search her then." Nuannuan blinked. "If she finds something, she'll make sure Nuannuan sits down properly. But if she doesn't find anything..."

The little girl continued, "That's slander! Uncle Hat said that slandering good people is also a crime! Then they'll arrest Auntie and send her to jail!"

Zhang Aidi was enraged by the little girl. "Search then! Let's see where you can hide!"

She threw down the fire poker and started frantically ransacking the house.

The tattered clothes in the kang cabinet were scattered all over the floor, the small bags of grains were shaken upside down but there was no grain, and the kang mat had been overturned several times.

Su Xiulan protected her belongings, her eyes reddening.

Xiao An clenched his fists, staring at Zhang Aidi's back, his palms sweating.

He knew his sister had everything on her. But seeing his second aunt searching through everything still made him incredibly nervous.

Zhang Aidi searched every corner of the room.

No.

There was nothing there.

Forget about those few pounds of cured meat and tens of yuan, you can't even find a chicken feather.

This house is so poor it's practically filthy; even a mouse would have to cry if it came in.

"Impossible! Impossible!" Zhang Aidi was unwilling to give up and went to check the earthenware pot that contained rice again. There were only a few grains of unpolished rice inside, not even enough to cook one meal.

There were still some wild vegetables in the basket next to it, but nothing else.

"How's it going, Second Sister-in-law? Did you find anything?" Gu Jianguo sneered, looking at Xiao An. "Go and call the brigade leader and the village secretary over!"

Zhang Aidi was dumbfounded. Only the third brother's family in the village had a grudge against her. Some people also said that they saw the third brother's child wandering around in front of her house. How could it not be the third brother's family who stole it?

How could so many things—pots and pans, bedding, clothes, and firewood—suddenly disappear?

Grandma Gu's expression also changed.

If they really don't find anything, then this matter will escalate. The brigade leader just said that anyone who causes trouble again will be sent to the commune for public criticism.

"It's definitely hidden outside!" Old Mrs. Gu insisted. "It's right here in this yard! Dayong, go dig! Dig up this yard!"

"That's enough!"

A loud shout came from the doorway.

Battalion Commander Gu Chengye, wearing a military overcoat and followed by several militiamen, stood at the door with a dark expression.

"Gu Zhangshi! Zhang Aidi! Are you still not done with this?"

Gu Chengye was absolutely furious with this family.

Someone just ran to the brigade headquarters to report that the second branch's people have broken into the third branch's house again.

Is there no law anymore?

He hurried over with his men and happened to run into Xiao An, so they rushed over together.

"Captain! You've come at the perfect time!" Zhang Aidi immediately perked up, plopped down on the ground, and started wailing, "I can't live like this anymore! My house has been completely robbed! It must have been them! You have to get justice for me!"

Gu Chengye looked at the mess in the room, then at Gu Jianguo and his family standing to the side with composed expressions, and snorted coldly.

"Make the decision? How can you make the decision? You've searched, you've made a scene, where's the evidence?"

"I..." Zhang Aidi was speechless.

"No evidence, that's a false accusation!" Gu Chengye pointed to the door. "Now, immediately, get back inside! If you dare cause any more trouble, your second branch of the family won't receive a single grain of rice for tomorrow's relief food!"

These words hit the second wife's Achilles' heel.

Now the family doesn't even have a pot left. If there's no relief food, the whole family will really starve.

"But the things that went missing from my house..."

"Do you have evidence? I found it. I'll handle it without you having to tell me!"

Zhang Aidi was rendered speechless by the blockade. She searched inside and out, but couldn't find it!

Old Mrs. Gu glared at the third branch of the family with resentment, then pulled Wang Zhaosi up from the ground. "Let's go! We'll settle this score later!"

Da Yong didn't dare to say a word and followed behind dejectedly.

Just as the group was about to leave the house, Nuannuan suddenly ran over and blocked the doorway.

"Grandma, Second Aunt, the brigade leader and the village secretary just told you to bring back the things that were stolen from our house, and then your house was robbed. Could it have been intentional?"

The little girl tilted her head, her eyes clear and bright.

She pouted and muttered to herself, "What a coincidence!"