CHAPTER 410: CHAPTER 405: INTERROGATION

After the villagers left, Luo Zhiyong looked at Fang Pingying somewhat perplexedly, "What on earth is going on? Didn’t they say that dad was sick? How come my dad falls ill, and Luo Zhiming is getting married."

Fang Pingying knew the inside story, she pursed her lips and didn’t speak.

However, Luo Honglan recalled what Luo Cuilan said yesterday. She glanced at Fang Pingying and then looked at Luo Zhiyong with suspicion, "Brother, what mom mentioned about deceiving people yesterday, it might be true."

Luo Zhiyong frowned, "What are you talking about?"

Luo Honglan hemmed and hawed, not knowing how to explain.

Seeing her unable to articulate clearly all at once, Fang Pingying pulled Luo Zhiyong and said, "Stop asking, we’re home now, won’t we see everything once we go back?"

Luo Zhiyong nodded, his expression turning somewhat angry, and he stormed ahead with his luggage on his back.

Fang Pingying glanced at Luo Zhiyong and followed after with Luo Honglan.

Sure enough, when they returned to the Luo Family’s place, the house was indeed bustling incredibly, the wedding was set up grandly; at least ten to twenty tables were set for the banquet, filling both inside and outside of the courtyard, it seemed like the whole village had been invited.

In the courtyard, there were also newly bought firecracker rolls being set up, and many people around the courtyard were praising the impressive wedding arrangements of Luo Zhiming and Xu He.

Seeing all this, Luo Zhiyong had a rough idea of what was happening. His face darkened terribly. He tossed his luggage into the courtyard and strode in.

Fang Pingying saw this and her eyes flashed, then she followed him inside.

People in the courtyard who saw Luo Zhiyong thought they had come back specifically for Luo Zhiming’s wedding, so they greeted with smiles, "Uncle Dashan, Aunt Zhou, your son Zhiyong and his wife, as well as Hong Lan, have returned. You’ve come back just in time."

Zhou Yunmei was smiling and chatting with people about how much money their family spent on this wedding. Hearing the shout, her face changed dramatically, "What?"

Then, she saw the three of them, Luo Zhiyong, appearing before her. Zhou Yunmei’s face instantly turned extremely panicked, she tried to force a smile and looked at Luo Zhiyong, asking, "Zhi... Zhiyong, why have you come back?"

If Luo Zhiyong still didn’t understand what was going on now, he would be truly too foolish to deserve to be called human.

He looked at Zhou Yunmei, then swept a cold glance across the yard, asking out loud, "Mom, what’s the matter, you didn’t want me to come back?"

"No," Zhou Yunmei shook her head, feigning that nothing was amiss, trying to pull Luo Zhiyong inside, "Now that you’re back, come in first. Rest for a while inside, later you can go with your brother to fetch the bride."

Zhou Yunmei wanted to pull Luo Zhiyong into the house by himself, some things would be better resolved privately.

But this time, Luo Zhiyong was not just angry, he was utterly disappointed with everything Zhou Yunmei had done.

He didn’t intend to settle these matters privately with Zhou Yunmei. On the contrary, he felt it was better to resolve them in front of the whole village. At least then everyone else would understand the reasons behind it, and even if he went overboard later, at least they would realize it was excusable.

Zhiming slowly released Zhou Yunmei’s hand that was pulling on him, then stared straight into her eyes and furrowed his brow to ask, "Mom, didn’t you say Dad was in poor health and needed to be hospitalized? Has Dad been discharged?"

Zhou Yunmei’s lips quivered, but no sound came out.

It was Luo Dashan who, from behind the crowd, pushed his way forward, completely at a loss as he asked, "What’s this about my poor health? Who did you hear that from?"

Luo Zhiyong gave a mocking smile, glanced at Luo Dashan, then fixed his gaze on Zhou Yunmei and said, "A few days ago, Mom called me saying that you were seriously ill and needed five hundred yuan to be hospitalized in the county. She seemed very anxious at the time, and I was afraid that sending money might get delayed in transit, so I specifically asked my father-in-law to bring it back with him."

After a pause, Luo Zhiyong’s tone grew heavier, "Moreover, afraid that the money wouldn’t be enough for your treatment, Pingying deliberately gave my father-in-law one thousand yuan to bring back. The day my father-in-law returned, he should have given the money to Mom."

Having said that, Luo Zhiyong turned to Zhou Yunmei again, pressing her to confess, "Mom, is that right?"

"This..." Zhou Yunmei didn’t know how to respond. She actually wanted to say she hadn’t received any money, but that lie seemed untenable. Furthermore, Luo Zhiyong’s return today had disrupted her plans, leaving her at a loss.

She had originally thought that when everything was over, even if Luo Zhiyong threw a big tantrum, what was done was done and what else could happen? She hadn’t expected that Luo Zhiyong would actually return at this critical juncture.

Zhou Yunmei hemmed and hawed for a while, then tried to change the subject, "Zhiyong, there’s no rush for this matter. I’ll explain it to you later, let’s first focus on your brother’s wedding. Look at all the guests here today."

In the past, had Zhou Yunmei spoken like this, Luo Zhiyong would definitely have let it slide since making a scene in front of outsiders was fodder for gossip.

But today, Luo Zhiyong couldn’t care less about that. It was because he had always cared too much about what others thought that his own mother treated him like a cash cow, always asking him for money whenever there was an issue at home.

It used to be tolerable, just tens of yuan, which he could afford, so he didn’t bother to quibble.

But now it was suddenly about more than a thousand yuan, and this money wasn’t his; it was earned by his wife, Fang Pingying, working tirelessly. Even when she was pregnant, she scarcely rested and continued to earn money.

Truth be told, as a man, Luo Zhiyong himself was embarrassed to even use Fang Pingying’s money, but now his family was squandering it like this. And the beneficiary was someone who almost killed his two children and his wife. If he allowed Zhou Yunmei to continue this way, he truly wouldn’t be fit to call himself a man.

Therefore, he ignored Zhou Yunmei’s words and persisted in asking her, "Mom, I just want to ask you one question: Did Dad really get sick, and was the money I sent really for treating him?"

By now, Zhou Yunmei had no more excuses, and she stuttered out a response, "No... no."

Today, Luo Zhiyong didn’t plan to let Zhou Yunmei off easy and kept pushing her, enunciating each word as he stared at her for an answer, "What do you mean ’no’? Is it that Dad wasn’t sick, or that the money I was supposed to send back wasn’t really for treating him?"

"You’ve returned yourself, and you’ve clearly seen it with your own eyes, does Dad look sick to you?" In front of a crowd, Zhou Yunmei felt humiliated by Luo Zhiyong’s pressure and exploded in anger, lashing out at Luo Zhiyong. "What’s with you repeatedly asking whether your father is sick? Are you cursing your father to be ill?"

"Am I cursing my dad to be ill? What did you tell me when you asked me for the money?" Luo Zhiyong sneered coldly and said, "To put it unpleasantly, the way you sounded back then was as if, if I didn’t send the money back, Dad wouldn’t have any hope left."

(To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with a recommendation or monthly ticket on Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)