Transmigrated as a Peasant Girl with Prophetic Dreams: Using My Space to Become the Richest Person - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Thief

Yang Xue had no way of knowing that shortly after Yang San left the Village Chief’s house, the Chief had also headed out. He didn’t return until noon the following day.

Since an entire morning passed without any movement from the Chief’s side, Yang Xue prepared herself to lead her family into the mountains under the cover of darkness. In fact, she had already started her preparations the night before.

Overnight, the Yang family residence underwent a mysterious transformation: the eggs in the coop vanished into thin air, and the surplus grain in the kitchen disappeared without a trace.

Early that morning, once Wang Dani discovered the missing items, her shrieking and cursing filled the courtyard. Naturally, her first suspects were Yang San’s family.

However, Yang San’s branch all looked so timid and submissive that they didn’t seem like they would ever have the guts to steal. Wang Dani’s gaze quickly locked onto Yang Xue. The others might not dare, but that didn’t mean Yang Xue wouldn’t. This “money-losing commodity” had already dared to hit her; what wouldn’t she do?

Faced with a barrage of accusations, Yang Xue maintained a face of pure innocence.

“Grandma, I didn’t do it. How could I possibly steal from our own home?”

Wang Dani’s early morning tirade had already drawn a crowd of onlookers from the neighborhood.

“Old Lady Wang, you lost something? Maybe you had a thief last night. Don’t go blaming Xue’er; that girl clearly isn’t the type for sneaky business.”

“I say, Wang Dani, first you try to frame her for hitting you, and now you’re accusing her of theft? Are you just out to ruin the girl?”

Wang Dani was purple with rage. “What do you people know? This brat definitely stole it! You piece of trash, hand over the goods right now or I’ll beat you to death!”

Yang Xue wiped away fake tears, looking utterly aggrieved. “Grandma, I really didn’t.”

Qian Yue’e shielded her daughter. “Mother, Xue’er wouldn’t steal from the family.”

Yang San stepped forward too. “Mother, we didn’t take anything. Please believe us.”

“Bah! If it wasn’t you, then who? A family of useless money-losers, you actually dared to steal from me! If you don’t hand it over today, none of you will have a good day ever again!”

…

Shifting the Blame

Yang Xue caught the eyes of her younger siblings, Yang Yu and Yang Tian. Understanding the signal, the two children began to shout at Wang Dani: “It wasn’t us! It wasn’t us! It was Eldest Aunt! We saw the Elderly Aunt!”

Sun Qiuping, the wife of the second son who was standing nearby watching the drama, immediately chimed in with a sarcastic tone: “Oh, I was wondering why Sister-in-law disappeared last night. She said she was going back to her parents’ house, but maybe she just hid so she could sneak back and steal the goods at night?”

“Eldest Sister-in-law is something else,” Sun Qiuping continued, stoking the fire. “Mother, you treat her so well, and this is how she repays you?”

Wang Dani had always been biased toward her eldest son and his family. Sun Qiuping had long harbored resentment over this and wasn’t about to pass up a chance to fan the flames.

Wang Dani paused. It actually could be Zhao Zhadi. Thinking her favorite daughter-in-law might be the thief made her heart ache with fury. “Eldest! Eldest son, get out here! Go find that woman of yours!”

“That short-sighted wench, stealing from her own home… when I find her, I’ll strip a layer of her skin off!”

As the target of the verbal abuse shifted, Yang Xue secretly gave her younger siblings a thumbs-up.

Yesterday, while her parents were still in the fields, Yang Xue had dragged the unconscious Zhao Zhadi out of the house and dumped her in a dilapidated, abandoned courtyard in the village. She had also fed her a sedative to make sure she stayed asleep. The lines the children spoke were rehearsed, and they had performed perfectly.

Nice work, Yang Xue thought. Extra chicken legs for them tonight.

For the first time, Yang Yu and Yang Tian felt a genuine sense of joy. Their sister was right—as long as they stood their ground and made changes, they wouldn’t be bullied. They had spoken up against their grandmother, and for once, they weren’t the ones being punished.

…

The Village Announcement

At noon, because of the “theft,” Wang Dani was in a foul mood and refused to give them even a single steamed bun, telling them to drink cold water instead. Yang Xue sighed; she’d have to let her family go hungry for a few hours, but she’d make it up to them tonight.

Instead of letting them rest, Wang Dani drove the family back to the fields to work. While Yang San and Qian Yue’e tried to make Yang Xue sit and rest, she pulled them close to discuss the night’s plan.

“Dad, Mom, listen. Tonight, we’re going to—”

“Uncle Yang! Quick! Come to the village center!” A villager ran past, panting. “The Chief has a very important announcement!”

Yang Xue’s words were cut off. The family shared a look. “Is it about the flood?” Yang San asked.

“Probably,” Yang Xue replied. “Let’s go see.”

She was actually quite surprised. She hadn’t expected the Village Chief to actually go public with the information.

When they arrived, a large crowd had already gathered, buzzing with speculation. Moments later, the Chief stood on a high platform and raised his hands. “Neighbors! Silence, please!”

The chatter died down.

“I have received some news,” the Chief began, his face grim.

“Is it good news or bad news, Chief?” a villager shouted.

“It is very serious news. A master of the stars has predicted that a massive flood is heading toward our region—including Naior Village.”

“A flood?!!”

The crowd erupted. People looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful, clear day. How could there be a flood?

“Chief, that’s impossible! Who told you that? They must be pulling your leg.”

“Exactly! The weather is perfect. No rain, no wind. How can there be a flood? Chief, stop joking with us!”

No one wanted to believe it. Everything looked perfectly normal—but Yang Xue knew the calm was about to end.