"How is that possible?!"
Tao Dagou couldn't believe it. He searched several times, but couldn't find even a single hair: "I really hid it here."
"This is my secret base, no one else knows it but me. How could it not be here?"
Afraid that Tao Lengshuang would chop him again, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed for mercy: "Auntie, Auntie, please spare me this time? I really don't know where those things went. I promise I'll never dare to do it again."
Tao Lengshuang could tell he wasn't lying, but she was utterly perplexed.
She glanced at the place where the items were hidden.
This cave was quite hidden, and the outside was covered with weeds. No one would come to this mountain at this hour.
If it was as Tao Dagou said, that no one else would find it here, then why were the things gone?
Who could have stolen the things from here?
For some reason, she had a feeling that things were not simple.
She looked up at the sky, touched her inexplicably cold neck, and thought that these days were never peaceful.
"Tao Dagou, go back and tell your family that I'll come for the silver this afternoon. If you don't give me the silver, I have plenty of ways to deal with your family."
With that, she quickly walked in the direction of Aunt Shen's house, too worried about Xiao Feng.
When she arrived at Aunt Shen's house, she saw the well-behaved Xiao Feng standing at the main entrance, eagerly waiting for her, like a dog abandoned by its owner, which made her heart ache.
"Xiao Feng!"
Tao Lengshuang hugged Xiao Feng and said gently, "Xiao Feng, you're so good, waiting for Mommy to come."
Xiao Feng's face lit up with joy, and he held his mother's hand tightly: "Is Mommy okay? Did the Tao family bully you?"
Tao Lengshuang had just said no when she saw Aunt Shen hurrying out. Noticing that her eyes were slightly red, she asked, "Aunt Shen, is something wrong?"
Aunt Shen wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes and said quickly, "It's my grandson."
"For some reason, he suddenly started to have a fever. I was preparing to go to the mountains to gather some herbs for him."
She paused and then added, "Are you alright? Xiao Feng is very well-behaved here. He doesn't even want to eat anything."
Tao Lengshuang shook her head to indicate she was fine and said softly, "If Aunt Shen doesn't mind, I can take a look at your grandson."
"When I was about ten years old, I learned a few tricks from Yaoling Yi."
Aunt Shen looked at her suspiciously and repeatedly said no, then went out to gather herbs.
Tao Lengshuang was not annoyed. She led Xiao Feng to the room where Aunt Shen's grandson was.
It was a simple mud house. Inside, besides a semi-old bed, there was only a semi-old wardrobe and a set of table and chairs.
A slightly thin and dark boy lay on the bed with a flushed face.
Beside him sat a plainly dressed, somewhat weathered young woman, wiping his forehead with a wet cloth while shedding tears, completely oblivious to Tao Lengshuang and her son.
Tao Lengshuang saw that the child's condition was not good. She asked Xiao Feng to wait obediently nearby, then went over to take his pulse.
Her movements finally caught the woman's attention.
"What are you doing?"
Liu Shi forcefully pulled Tao Lengshuang away, her eyes red as she glared at her: "Do you want to hit my son again?"
"I'm telling you, if you dare to touch a single hair of my son today, I'll fight you to the death!"
Hearing this, Tao Lengshuang remembered that the original owner was so vicious that she would casually beat and bully even the village children.
In the past, Liu Shi's son had been scolded and beaten by the original owner many times.
"I'm not here to hit your son, I'm here to check on his condition."
Liu Shi looked at her with suspicion and disdain: "You?"
"What else do you do all day besides stealing chickens and dogs? Now, to cheat people, you even claim to know medicine. Aren't you ashamed?
I'm telling you, my mother-in-law might be kind, but I'm not. Get out of here quickly, or I'll make you pay."
Tao Lengshuang knew that it wouldn't be easy to gain Liu Shi's trust: "Your son isn't just having a fever, he ate something bad."
"Take a look quickly, see what your son just ate, and make him vomit. Don't use any random medicine..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw Liu Shi lunging at her ferociously with a broom.
"Get out! Stop cursing my son here!"
Tao Lengshuang quickly pulled Xiao Feng and ran out, reminding him with concern, "If anything happens, come find me anytime."
"Get out!" Liu Shi slammed the door shut with a bang.
Tao Lengshuang was a little worried and thought about telling Aunt Shen later.
However, Aunt Shen didn't return after a long wait, so she had to take Xiao Feng home first.
After returning home, she tidied up the fields and prepared to make lunch.
"Xiao Feng, what do you want to eat for lunch?"
Xiao Feng wanted meat, but he knew there was no meat left at home for him. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Mommy, whatever we have."
Tao Lengshuang thought of the remaining coarse flour at home and decided to make some flour dumplings. She had to get compensation from the Tao family today, otherwise, they would be eating the northwest wind for dinner.
Just as the mother and son finished lunch, they heard the angry roar of a middle-aged woman.
"Tao Lengshuang, come out here!"
Tao Lengshuang found the voice somewhat familiar. When she went to look, she saw a middle-aged woman with a slightly dark complexion but still charming, exuding a certain grace in every move.
This was Luo Yang's mother, the village chief's wife – Mother Luo!
Behind Mother Luo followed a large crowd of villagers who had come to watch the excitement.
"Is something the matter?" Tao Lengshuang asked impatiently.
Mother Luo looked at Tao Lengshuang with extreme displeasure and disgust, pointing at her nose and scolding: "My Luo Yang kindly came to see you, but what did you do to her, causing her to cry non-stop at home."
Luo Yang was her treasure, her hope for a wealthy future, and she couldn't tolerate even the slightest loss.
Upon hearing this, the villagers pointed and gossiped about Tao Lengshuang.
"Tao Lengshuang is simply too much. I heard Luo Yang kindly went to break up a fight, but she slapped her. I really don't know what Mo Lingxi is still tolerating. If it were me, I would have divorced this wicked woman long ago."
"It's all because of that life-saving grace. You all know what kind of person Tao Lengshuang is. She keeps holding onto that life-saving grace. It's really pitiful for Mo Lingxi to have such a wife."
Tao Lengshuang leaned against the door frame, her eyes filled with a layer of coldness, and said in a drawn-out tone: "Oh, I think it's Luo Yang who wants to marry into the Tao family, that's why she ran to break up the fight."
"Otherwise, why would she say 'the Tao family is not wrong' one moment and 'the Tao family is right' the next?
It was clearly Tao Dagou who secretly sneaked in to steal my family's silver and belongings, yet she said Tao Dagou was not wrong and I shouldn't have hit her?
It's a shame she had the nerve to go back and complain to you all, and still cry."
The villagers knew that Tao Lengshuang's family had bought a lot of good things yesterday, but they didn't know about the theft. Everyone felt she deserved it.
"It's truly heaven's will. Heaven doesn't want Tao Lengshuang to have a good life, so it lets the Tao family torment her."
"Oh, I feel much better. Thinking about it, Tao Lengshuang and the Tao family have caused a lot of trouble in the village over the years. Now it's Tao Lengshuang's turn to suffer."