Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 58 Got slapped in the face

Wang, Zhou Tingting's mother-in-law, was stunned for a moment upon hearing this accusation. Before she could say anything, Zhou Tingting continued to vent her anger at her:

"Didn't I tell you that the jade pendant was an heirloom from my mother? Why did you steal it? Have you lost your mind? Give it back to me!"

Having been upset at the Zhou household, Zhou Tingting directed all her anger towards her mother-in-law for the missing pendant. She remembered how her mother-in-law had admired the jade pendant before, even hinting that Zhou Tingting should give it to her. When Zhou Tingting didn't, her mother-in-law was upset for quite some time.

Her mother-in-law wasn't one to be messed with. Hearing Zhou Tingting's accusations, she immediately became furious: "What would I want with your jade pendant? You're the crazy one here, disrespecting me like this. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

A few years ago, when Zhou Tingting had just married into the family, she wasn't this audacious. After all, she was from a humble rural background. But when her elder brother started his business and made a fortune, Zhou Tingting gained a firm footing in the Wang family. Her in-laws became less strict with her, treating her better and even asking her to help get their younger son a job at her brother's factory.

So, Zhou Tingting became the hero of the Wang family, growing increasingly arrogant. While her mother-in-law sometimes couldn't stand her, she held back, considering the family's situation. After all, she was now the sister-in-law of the factory owner.

Even though the Wang family lived in the city, their wages were still low.

Living off government wages, they might appear well-off on the surface, but in reality, they earn only thirty yuan a month. Naturally, they had to keep Zhou Tingting happy.

It was unimaginable for Wang, a primary school teacher, to steal such a thing from her daughter-in-law. She did admit to praising the jade pendant's beauty, but she had no interest in such a trinket, especially since Zhou Tingting claimed it was her late mother's heirloom. Wang considered it bad luck to keep things from the deceased.

Zhou Tingting's temper had grown worse over the years. Back when she first married into the family, even if Wang had been accused of theft, she would have silently borne the blame. But now, with a successful brother as her backing, she retorted confidently, "If it wasn't you, then who else in this house would steal from me?"

The jade pendant wasn't even the most valuable piece. If someone really wanted to steal for resale, they wouldn't just pick this one. Only her mother-in-law had shown interest in it, and Zhou Tingting couldn't think of anyone else who would.

"What about that old woman you brought home the other day? The one who's staying in your room. Why don't you accuse her?" she added.

Two days ago, Zhou Tingting had brought an old woman home, claiming she was a relative who had been injured and needed a place to stay for a couple of days. Wang hadn't said anything, seeing the woman was injured.

After finishing her words, Zhou Tingting defiantly strode towards Wang's room. She rummaged through Wang's desk and even checked under the bed, growing more frantic with each passing second. If her mother-in-law cherished that jade pendant so much, logically, if it were stolen, it would be hidden away. The pendant wasn't even particularly valuable, and her mother-in-law wasn't hard up for money; she wouldn't sell it.

A disconcerting thought began to form in Zhou Tingting's mind: Could she have misunderstood? Could Aunt Liu really have taken it?

As she calmed down, Zhou Tingting regained her composure. If her mother-in-law wanted to steal the pendant, she would have done so long ago, not now.

Two days ago, Zhou Tingting had heard about Aunt Liu being mistreated in the Zhou household and even bitten by a dog set loose by Sinen, feeling they owed Aunt Liu. Full of guilt, she had personally brought Aunt Liu home and cleared out her own room for her to sleep in. Who else could it be?

Everyone, including her brother and the villagers, now her mother-in-law, pointed fingers at Aunt Liu. She was the only one who refused to believe it, stubbornly trusting Aunt Liu.

Could she have been wrong all along? Zhou Tingting's face was filled with disbelief. Perhaps she hadn't looked in the right place; that must be it. Zhou Tingting refused to believe she could be wrong!

Sinen and Zhou Yueshen had come to the police station together to deal with Aunt Liu's case.

This whole situation could have been resolved if Aunt Liu had just apologized sincerely and corrected her ways. Instead, she bribed someone to get bailed out and even had the audacity to cause trouble for Sinen again. Truly incorrigible!

And this time, it wasn't just about stealing from Sinen; she also deceived the police with false pretenses. Plus, with Zhou Yueshen submitting evidence that she had embezzled money meant for vegetables, this had escalated into a serious offense. Before, she might have been released after a few days, but this time, she was looking at a potential prison sentence.

Sinen stood behind Zhou Yueshen, watching him converse with several police officers. Aunt Liu, on the other hand, was wailing, admitting her mistakes. Seeing no response from anyone, she plopped down on the ground, "I promise, I'll never steal again! Spare me, I swear, I'd rather be struck by lightning and give birth without an anus!"

As she sat, something fell out of her pocket with a clatter, revealing a somewhat murky jade pendant. All eyes immediately shifted to the pendant.

Sinen raised an eyebrow.

Aunt Liu froze, hastily reaching out to grab it. However, the police officers were sharp and immediately sensed something was off. They quickly picked up the jade pendant before she could.