My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]-Chapter 214

The new year began with a snowfall as heavy as goose feathers.

New Year's Day was a time for celebration, and every household rose early to sweep the snow in their yards. In no time, the snow was piled up in one spot. Yuanyuan came bouncing out, shouting, "Daddy, don’t shovel the snow away! We still need to build a snowman!"

It seemed like her wish had come true. Just yesterday, she had been hoping for enough snow to build a snowman, and today, the snow was exceptionally heavy. The little girl happily swung her twin pigtails, lively as a little magpie.

Zhuang Zhixi agreed, "Alright, we’ll pile it all here."

The father couldn’t refuse his daughter. On such a cold day, everyone craved something warm. Ming Mei had gotten up early to prepare black sesame paste, while Zhuang Zhixi went out to buy deep-fried dough sticks. Whether it was the dough sticks or crispy rings, they couldn’t get enough of them.

Though it wasn’t the Lunar New Year, the atmosphere was still festive. Early in the morning, the two children put on their bright red sweaters, as there was a performance scheduled for the day. Strangely enough, even though Tuantuan and Yuanyuan were twins, as they grew older, they didn’t look as similar as they once had.

Of course, if you saw them together, you’d still guess they were siblings, but they didn’t quite look like twins anymore. Tuantuan had a more refined appearance, while Yuanyuan took after her mother, with a charming, sweet look. However, dressed in their matching red sweaters, they resembled the adorable children often depicted in traditional New Year paintings.

The two had a natural rapport. As soon as Yuanyuan raised her hand, Tuantuan handed her a tea egg. The little girl ate heartily, mumbling, "Mom, can we go to the factory after school today?"

Though she knew the answer was likely no, she couldn’t help but ask.

Ming Mei replied, "You two go straight home. Didn’t you want to build a snowman? After you finish at home, we’ll all go to Donglaishun for hotpot together. How does that sound?"

The two children immediately nodded with joy. A snowy day was perfect for hotpot.

Not only was Donglaishun delicious, but even Grandma Wang’s Northeastern-style pickled cabbage and pork belly hotpot was incredibly tasty. Yuanyuan declared seriously, "Hotpot is my favorite food, ranked number one on my list."

Ming Mei teased her daughter, "Last year, you said your favorite was roast duck."

Yuanyuan pouted, "But people can change their minds!"

Ming Mei chuckled and tapped her little nose. Yuanyuan grinned and asked, "Mom, will Grandma and Grandpa come with us?"

Ming Mei nodded, "Of course! We’ve already arranged it. Your brother Hutong and sister Xiaoyanzi will be there too."

Yuanyuan let out a long "Oh," her excitement growing. Ming Mei’s school also had a New Year’s celebration, and she glanced at the time, saying, "I have to go now, or I’ll be late."

Zhuang Zhixi offered, "I’ll take you."

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan looked at their father with pleading eyes. Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "We’ll all go together. I’ll drop you off at school, then take your mom, and finally head to work. How’s that? Isn’t Daddy the best?"

The two children burst into giggles, clearly delighted.

Of course, this was perfect.

The family of four stepped outside, and as soon as they reached the gate, they heard Aunt Zhou’s loud voice asking, "Xiao Zhuang, what time does the Mechanical Factory’s cultural performance start?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied, "At nine. Don’t go too early; it’s too cold."

"Got it!"

He added with a smile, "Should I find you a good spot?"

Aunt Zhou waved her hand, "No need. Jiang Lu invited us to her office. We can watch from the window—no cold, no crowds. Hehe."

The old ladies had plenty of connections.

Zhuang Zhixi nodded, "Alright, then please take care of my parents."

After the small talk, the children gathered, and Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei led the little troop to school. The snow hadn’t stopped falling, and flakes landed on their heads and shoulders, eliciting laughter from everyone. The roads were covered in snow, and the narrow alleys hadn’t been cleared yet, leaving deep footprints with every step.

The kids deliberately chose the uncleared paths, stomping through the snow.

Yuanyuan, ever the mischievous one, spotted a snow pile from a distance, took a running start, and leaped into it, covering her legs in snow.

"Wow! So cool!"

"I can do it too!"

The children clapped and cheered, thoroughly impressed.

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei exchanged a look.

Now they knew why Yuanyuan’s clothes always got dirty so quickly.

Zhuang Zhixi teased, "Sweetheart, do you jump into puddles in the summer too?"

Yuanyuan puffed out her chest, "Of course! I’m really good at it!"

Zhuang Zhixi: "..."

Ming Mei: "Pfft!"

Tuantuan quickly tugged at his sister’s sleeve. Yuanyuan glanced at her parents, saw they weren’t upset, and laughed brightly, her voice like a silver bell. Growing up in such a loving family, she was naturally cheerful and happy.

The little ones soon started running and jumping again, making the walk to school much longer than usual.

Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei dropped them off, reminding them, "Go straight home after school. It’s crowded everywhere today, and the snow is heavy. Don’t wander off."

"Okay!" The children responded in unison.

Zhuang Zhixi turned to Ming Mei, "Let’s go, I’ll take you. It’s been a while since I’ve done that."

Ming Mei teased, "You’ll have to do better. This isn’t good enough."

Zhuang Zhixi grinned, "I promise to improve in the future."

He set off with his wife, pushing the bicycle instead of riding it to keep pace with the kids.

Ming Mei warned, "Be careful. Ride slowly; the roads are slippery today."

"I know."

Like every working family in the city, Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei left home early, bustling with activity as they headed to their respective workplaces. Some had work to do, while others had events to attend. For some reason, many units were holding activities this year, and the Mechanical Factory’s event attracted quite a crowd of family members.

Though it was held outdoors in the freezing cold, it didn’t dampen anyone’s enthusiasm.

What’s a little cold compared to the joy of the occasion?

Even though the event didn’t start until nine, people were up early, dressed and ready. He Lan, for instance, had put on her padded coat by seven in the morning and was pacing around the yard. Zhao Guihua came out to pour water and asked with a smile, "It’s still snowing. What are you doing out here?"

He Lan replied, "I’ve got nothing else to do. Everyone’s either at work or school. I’m just waiting to go to the Mechanical Factory. They’re starting so late—nine o’clock feels like mid-morning already."

Zhao Guihua, having attended several such events, had some insight.

She explained, "It’s for the leaders’ convenience. At the end of the year, leaders visit various factories, and heavy industry factories like the Mechanical Factory are especially important. Starting too early wouldn’t work. If it ended too soon, the leaders wouldn’t have time to show their support."

"That makes sense."

Having been a homemaker for so long, He Lan wasn’t used to these things.

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Though the Mechanical Factory didn’t hold events every year, He Lan had attended enough to know they usually started around nine or ten. Still, she hadn’t thought to ask why until now.

Zhao Guihua said, "I’ll boil some ginger tea and pour it into a thermos. It’ll be nice to have something warm after the event. With this snow and no sign of the sun, we might catch a cold."

Heeding her advice, He Lan hurried home to prepare some ginger tea for when her daughter returned from school.

The group of elderly neighbors set out together, bundled up against the cold. Lan Sihai, ever the eccentric, carried a small water bottle filled with ginseng slices and other herbal roots, clearly a tonic. The other old men glanced at it, impressed.

Lan Sihai, as usual, declared, "In life, you’ve got to take care of yourself."

His wife nodded in agreement by his side.

Some people, you see, are just interesting regardless of their age. Living with them always brings a different flavor to life. Lan Sihai is one of those people. Although he hasn’t had much formal education, there’s nothing he can’t do except studying. And he makes everyone around him feel comfortable.

“Old brother, I really have to learn from you,” Old Zhuang and the others sighed in admiration.

Lan Sihai: “Alright then, I’ll take you out to see something interesting tomorrow. I recently met an old man who’s really into raising pigeons. It’s quite fascinating…”

“That sounds great…”

The men chatted and laughed together, and the women were no different. There was no generational gap, whether they were older or younger.

Wang Xiangxiu had now joined the elderly crowd. In the past, though she seemed friendly, there was always a bit of distance, mainly because of all the old scandals. She used to feel a little embarrassed, but since Jinlai took over the family duties, she’s had more time at home and has gradually warmed up to everyone.

Now, she’s part of the elderly group, though she’s one of the younger members. Compared to Zhao Guihua, Aunt Wang, and Aunt Zhou, she’s still part of the younger generation. And compared to Old Lan, she’s two generations younger. In this group, she’s considered middle-aged, alongside He Lan and Wang Zizhen.

With her hands tucked in her sleeves, she said with a hint of pride, “Today, our Jinlai has a performance.”

She had been keeping it a secret for days, wanting to surprise everyone.

“Oh! What’s he performing?”

“Is he singing, dancing, or doing a skit?”

“That boy’s got good looks. He’s perfect for the stage.”

“That’s true.”

Wang Xiangxiu beamed with pride and said, “He’s doing a skit, playing a pretty boy. It’s basically him playing himself.”

Everyone: “…”

You’re really his mother.

How could you say that so bluntly?

But it’s also spot on.

“Being able to perform on stage is an honor. If you’re not good-looking, you wouldn’t even qualify to play a pretty boy. Only the good-looking ones can do it. It’s actually a compliment,” Zhao Guihua chimed in.

Wang Xiangxiu looked at Zhao Guihua in surprise and after a while said, “You sound just like my Tonglai.”

Zhao Guihua burst out laughing. It was clear that Tonglai had been trying to comfort his older brother.

But who would have thought that someone like Jinlai, who’s usually so stubborn, would actually listen and start behaving better? People are hard to predict. After all, in his past life, he never changed even in old age.

Everyone locked the courtyard gate and left together. On a day like this, the courtyard was completely empty.

Even Aunt Sui and the others went out. When else would you go out to see the excitement if not on a day like this? Everyone walked out together, unaware that several pairs of eyes were silently watching them.

Yes, these weren’t just any eyes. They belonged to the “Meal Gang,” a group that had been planning for months and had been lying low due to injuries.

The group had gathered behind the toilet, pressed tightly against the wall, afraid of being seen. Luckily, it had snowed heavily early in the morning, and the weather was freezing, so there weren’t many people wandering around outside.

They had left at the crack of dawn, heading straight here to hide.

They all agreed that this was the best plan. Why? Because it was early, and being early meant they were less likely to be noticed. If they had come later, when everyone was heading out, it would have been too risky.

After all, the neighborhood’s elderly surveillance squad was no joke. These old ladies could spot outsiders from a mile away. By coming early, they avoided that problem, even if it meant freezing their tails off. But as they say, no pain, no gain.

The suffering they were enduring now was all for the sake of future prosperity.

So, they could endure it.

They had arrived at five in the morning, sneaking around like ghosts, and had been waiting here ever since, turning into snowmen, nearly frozen stiff.

But they could endure it. They *had* to endure it.

The four of them gritted their teeth, enduring the cold, pressed against the wall, not daring to chat, silently waiting. They had even endured the smell of people coming out to use the toilet or empty their chamber pots.

Sure, the smell wasn’t great, but it was winter, so it wasn’t too bad!

Compared to their previous sewer escapade, this was nothing.

As they watched wave after wave of people pass by, they grew more and more frustrated. Where were the people from House No. 44? They were seething with anger. Those people really deserved to die!

They were determined to rob them blind.

Just as they were about to freeze into icicles, they finally saw the people from the courtyard come out, including Wang Xiangxiu.

Old Cai’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He hated Wang Xiangxiu with a passion. Whether or not others were involved, she was the one he hated the most. It was this woman who had cost him his power.

He almost lost control and rushed at her, but Little Cai, who had been keeping a close eye on his father, quickly grabbed him. Old Cai turned around, glaring.

Little Cai shook his head, trying to calm him down.

Old Cai clenched his teeth.

His enemy was right there, within reach.

Fan Debiao saw the situation was getting out of hand and quickly restrained Old Cai. If this old man ruined their plan, he’d kill him. With the two younger men holding him back, Old Cai couldn’t go after Wang Xiangxiu.

After a while, when Wang Xiangxiu was gone, Old Cai growled, “Why didn’t you let me take my revenge?”

Little Cai said seriously, “Dad, if you take revenge now, you’ll alert them. We have bigger plans. Don’t you understand the importance of the bigger picture? You were a leader. You know better than to act rashly.”

This struck a chord with Old Cai. He had indeed been a leader with vision.

But it was all that bitch Wang Xiangxiu’s fault.

He muttered, “That woman’s son is actually doing well now. Damn it, the world is so unfair.”

Little Cai said, “Dad, if you think it’s unfair, then we should work harder. Making them lose everything would be the best revenge, don’t you think?”

Hearing this, Old Cai immediately said, “Let’s go now.”

“Wait, just a little longer,” Fan Debiao said, feeling increasingly annoyed. He really couldn’t stand these two old fools. If it weren’t for the money, he wouldn’t give them the time of day.

He forced himself to stay calm and said, “There are still people in the alley. Let’s wait until the event over there starts and confirm that there are fewer people around before we make our move. If we go now and someone sees us breaking in, what then? We need to take the smallest risks to achieve the biggest results.”

They were here to do something big, something truly significant.

“Right, we need to be steady. Dad, don’t rush. I have experience with this. They start late and end late.”

Old Cai continued to wait, but Jiang Baohong was already feeling miserable. The last time she had been in a hurry and hadn’t paid much attention, but this time, seeing all these familiar faces, she felt like she was going crazy.

Back when she worked at the bus station, her life had been pretty good. Her clothes weren’t any worse than Ming Mei’s. But now she was wearing an old cotton-padded jacket, which, though not patched, had worn-out cuffs and elbows. It had been years since it kept her warm. Her cotton shoes were also several years old, already repaired multiple times.

But when she looked at Ming Mei, wearing a brand-new sand-colored mid-length cotton-padded jacket, a style she had never seen anyone else wear, and knee-high leather boots, her heart ached.

How could this be? Why?

How could she live so well?

Jiang Baohong was already feeling terrible, but then she saw a girl with braids riding a bicycle. Coincidentally, she recognized her too—it was Guan Guiling’s eldest daughter. Even though it had been four or five years since she last saw her, Jiang Baohong remembered Guan Guiling’s family clearly, especially since she hated Guan Guiling so much.

Plus, she already knew Guan Guiling’s eldest daughter lived around here, so she recognized her immediately. The girl was dressed just as well as Ming Mei, wearing a bright pink wool coat.

Jiang Baohong's eyes were bulging with jealousy.

Such a beautiful color—she should have one too. Everyone else was dressed well, even Wang Xiangxiu looked decent.

Come to think of it, it had been over a decade since she last saw Wang Xiangxiu. The last time was at the hospital, where she had been consumed with hatred for this woman who had seduced her man, leading to a physical fight. But back then, things had gotten so chaotic that she hadn’t even noticed what Wang Xiangxiu looked like.

Now, seeing her again, Wang Xiangxiu hadn’t aged much. Compared to Jiang Baohong’s own weathered appearance over the years, Wang Xiangxiu, though clearly older, still looked younger than her peers. She seemed lively, as if she had been living a good life all this time.

Jiang Baohong gritted her teeth, feeling as if her heart were being wrung dry by an invisible hand.

Why was her life so bitter?

“Mom, Mom,” Little Cai nudged Jiang Baohong twice before she snapped out of her thoughts and asked, “What is it?”

Little Cai frowned and said, “It’s almost time.”

None of them had watches, but the others had already left for a while, and they could faintly hear the constant sound of firecrackers from the machinery factory. It seemed the event had already started.

He said, “Let’s move.”

“Huh? Oh, right, okay.”

Jiang Baohong immediately tensed up, scrambling to stand. But having crouched for so long, her legs were numb, and she stumbled, falling right onto Fan Debiao, pinning him down completely.

Fan Debiao let out a muffled groan, his face darkening. “Are you trying to take advantage of me on purpose?”

Jiang Baohong’s face flushed red. “What nonsense are you talking about? I’m not that kind of person.”

Though she said that, her eyes lingered on Fan Debiao. Admittedly, Fan Debiao wasn’t much to look at—short and not particularly handsome—but he was still a man. As for her husband, Old Cai… Jiang Baohong pursed her lips. He wasn’t much of a man at all.

Truth be told, she looked down on Old Cai, but she also felt that she couldn’t survive without a man to lean on. So, even though Old Cai treated her poorly, she stayed by his side without complaint.

But now, something stirred inside her. She gave Fan Debiao a suggestive glance.

Fan Debiao shuddered and quickly dodged her gaze. “Let’s go, we’ve got important business to attend to.”

In his heart, he cursed Jiang Baohong relentlessly. How could she, at her age, even think of coveting a strong man like him? Not a chance!

This little exchange between them went unnoticed by Old Cai and Little Cai. Old Cai was still seething with hatred, wishing he could kill Wang Xiangxiu, while Little Cai was busy scouting the area, preparing to pick the lock.

Little Cai felt bitter. Out of the four of them, he was the only one actually putting in the work.

He quickly said, “Let’s go now.”

“Wait, my legs are still numb.”

“Why are you so troublesome? You’re useless and yet you insist on tagging along, only to hold us back. Let’s go first, you… uh, my legs are numb too.”

Old Cai, who had just been berating Jiang Baohong, suddenly realized his own legs were numb.

They had been crouching for so long; of course, their legs were numb.

Little Cai sighed. “Rub your legs and get the blood flowing. We’ve got time, don’t panic. Stay calm! We can do this!”

All four of them rubbed their legs, trying to get the feeling back. After a while, they finally managed to stand. Little Cai pulled out a scarf, folded it to cover his face, leaving only his eyes exposed. “As we agreed, my codename is Red Hook. To avoid being discovered, we’ll only use codenames from now on. No real names, got it?”

“You little brat, daring to give orders now?” Old Cai smacked Little Cai on the head. “What do you take me, Club King, for?”

Little Cai retorted, “Straighten out your stone.”

The character for “club” and “K” were not the same thing.

“You…”

Fan Debiao was also exhausted by his companions’ incompetence.

He said, “Stop arguing. Club King it is! It doesn’t matter.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m Ace of Spades.”

Jiang Baohong quickly added, “I’m Circle of Diamonds.”

“Good. On my command, let’s move.”

They all pulled out their makeshift face coverings. Jiang Baohong grabbed a stolen pair of underpants—whatever worked, it didn’t matter what they were originally for. They crept silently toward Compound 44.

Sure enough, the street was eerily quiet. With the machinery factory’s residential area nearby, everyone had gone to watch the festivities.

They quickly got to work. Little Cai said, “I’m not good at picking locks. Ace of Spades, you handle it.”

Fan Debiao: “…”

Damn it!

They had planned everything meticulously, but they hadn’t accounted for the fact that none of them knew how to pick a lock. Talk about amateur hour.

Fan Debiao frowned. “I’ll give it a try.”

Even though he had no idea what he was doing, he grabbed a piece of wire and started jabbing at the lock… which remained stubbornly closed.

They clearly hadn’t inherited any thief genes. Incompetence was written all over them.

After poking at the lock for a while, Fan Debiao’s hands were starting to cramp, but the lock hadn’t budged.

He cursed, “Damn it.”

Old Cai sneered, “Useless.”

Fan Debiao was about to explode, but Little Cai intervened. “Let’s just break it open. We don’t have time for infighting. Dad, cut it out. If you’re not going to contribute, at least stop causing trouble. We’re here to make money and get revenge, not listen to your complaints. Change your attitude.”

Just as Old Cai was about to retaliate, Fan Debiao suddenly reached out and slapped him across the face. “Damn it, you old fool. I’ve had enough of you. Do you think I’m some pushover? I was making money when you were still in some backwater village. Don’t act all high and mighty with me. If it weren’t for Little Cai, I wouldn’t even be working with you. Either shape up or I’ll finish you off. Don’t think I’m someone you can mess with.”

He pulled out a knife and waved it menacingly.

Old Cai immediately backed down, covering his face and not daring to argue.

That’s how people like him were—all bark and no bite when faced with real danger.

Little Cai gave Fan Debiao a wary look, his eyes lingering on the knife for a moment. But he quickly said, “Enough. No more fighting.”

Old Cai stammered, “I-I was just joking.”

Fan Debiao snorted. “From now on, you all follow my lead.”

Little Cai protested, “You haven’t been scouting as long as I have. You don’t know the area…”

Fan Debiao sneered, “I’ve been here before. I’ve even fought here. Have you? Can you handle your useless parents? I must have been out of my mind to team up with you. All you do is talk nonsense without any real skills.”

Little Cai: “You!”

He felt humiliated but knew he had no other options. Fan Debiao wasn’t someone to be trifled with.

He took a deep breath. “Fine, I’ll follow your lead.”

He glanced at the knife again, his suspicion of Fan Debiao growing. He had wanted to use Fan Debiao, but he didn’t want to be used in return. After all, he planned to take the money and run. The last thing he wanted was for someone else to have the same idea.

He could think that way, but others couldn’t.

That just wouldn’t do.

His head was spinning, but he took a deep breath, deciding to focus on the bigger picture. It was too early to make any decisions. First, they needed to get the money. He said, “Let’s break the door down.”

“Okay!”

They started smashing the door. Fan Debiao was furious, thinking how utterly useless his companions were. Even breaking down a door fell to him. And what was with this compound? Why did they need such a heavy lock?

He was so annoyed. Bang! Bang! Bang!

He turned and barked, “Stop standing around and help me!”

The others quickly joined in. Fortunately, it seemed no one was around to hear the commotion. After what felt like an eternity—probably ten or twenty minutes—they finally managed to break the lock open.

The group took a deep breath, quickly removed the lock, and pushed the door open. The Cai family was unfamiliar with this place, but Fan Debiao seemed somewhat acquainted with it, having been detained here the last time he caused trouble.

Even though he was the one who got beaten up.

Just thinking about it made him furious. He glanced in the direction of the Zhuang family, sneered, and said, "Hurry up and close the door. Let's get started."

The group shut the door behind them and tossed the heavy lock aside. This was their first time doing something like this, and they were both excited and nervous, unsure of how to proceed.

Old Cai took a deep breath and said, "Let's split up. Each of us takes one room."

Fan Debiao disagreed, "We shouldn't split up. It'll be faster if we stick together, searching room by room. If someone happens to come back, we can quickly subdue them. If we split up and run into trouble, we'll be at a disadvantage."

He didn’t want them to separate. If they did, someone might hide things for themselves. It was better to stay together.

Little Cai shared the same sentiment and nodded in agreement, "Right."

"Alright, let's start. We'll begin with the Zhuang family."

That little woman from the Zhuang family had dared to lay a hand on him. This time, he was determined to clean out their house completely.

"No, I disagree. I can't agree with that. We have to start with Wang Xiangxiu's house. We must!" Old Cai harbored deep resentment toward Wang Xiangxiu.

Fan Debiao suppressed his frustration but didn’t argue. After all, it didn’t matter whose house they emptied first; they wouldn’t leave anyone untouched in the end. He said, "Fine."

Old Cai immediately felt smug, thinking that Fan Debiao still showed him some respect.

The group quickly headed toward Wang Xiangxiu's house, banging on the door with all their might. Damn, this was when they realized the importance of having some lock-picking skills. If only they knew how to pick locks, it would have saved them so much trouble.

After much effort, they finally managed to break the door open and squeezed inside.

The room was sparsely furnished: a bunk bed, a set of cabinets, a square table in the middle with only two chairs. Bedding was thrown haphazardly on the bed, along with some dirty clothes. Coal briquettes were piled up in the corner, making the place look messy and unkempt.

"Is this Wang Xiangxiu's house?"

"Yes, I'm sure. The four main rooms here belong to Wang Xiangxiu. I checked beforehand. This is the compensation she got after her husband and father-in-law died. It’s definitely her place. Probably her sons live here."

"Alright, let's start searching."

"Wang Xiangxiu's youngest son is still in high school. I think her older sons live here together."

"Stop worrying about who lives here and just get to work."

They immediately began rummaging through the room, searching high and low. However, their progress was frustratingly slow. The room was as clean as a whistle—not a single penny to be found.

Little Cai frowned, "How is it possible there's no money at all?"

Fan Debiao replied, "The fact that there's no money here actually proves that this is where they’ve hidden it. Even the poorest family would have some cash lying around. The absence of money here means it’s been deliberately hidden."

"Right, the money must be hidden. Search carefully."

"Her family is so sneaky, hiding the money so well. Even if we have to dig three feet into the ground, we’ll find it."

"Exactly!"

The group responded enthusiastically, searching everywhere—under the bed, inside the pillows, in the pockets of dirty clothes... Still, nothing. They checked the table, chairs, beams, and cabinets—nothing anywhere.

"Damn it..."

No matter how much they cursed, it was useless. The four of them spent over half an hour searching a room less than twenty square meters and came up empty-handed. How the hell could they find nothing?

"Nothing. What do we do now..."

They were all stumped.

Fan Debiao didn’t want to give up, but there were still so many houses left to search.

He said, "If we can’t find anything here, let’s move to the next house. Let’s go next door!"

The next room was slightly cozier than the last, but the clothes looked outdated. Jiang Baohong sneered, "They pretend to be decent when they go out, but at home, it’s all rags."

No one paid her any attention as they continued searching. This room had more stuff than the last, so they searched more thoroughly. But still... nothing. Damn it, how were they hiding the money? Even rats weren’t this good at hiding things!

Nothing is more discouraging than a bad start, and this was exactly what they were experiencing. Their morale was plummeting. At this point, they didn’t care about being methodical anymore. They just started breaking into other doors randomly.

"I found something!" Little Cai shouted excitedly.

Normally, he would have kept it quiet, but their terrible start had been so frustrating that this felt like a small victory. "There’s money in this drawer."

Although it was mostly loose change, it added up to about thirty or forty yuan.

He was thrilled, "Not bad!"

Finding any money was a good sign, but Fan Debiao wasn’t satisfied. In his mind, a successful raid meant looting at least five figures. A few dozen yuan meant nothing to him. He said, "Hurry up and keep searching. Here’s the plan: Caohua Kai, you focus on breaking the doors. Smash them all open, and we’ll search each one."

"Got it."

Old Cai knew better than to argue with Fan Debiao at this point. They were off to a terrible start, and they needed to pick up the pace. He wasn’t the strongest, but he still put all his effort into breaking down the doors. By the time he was done, he was completely exhausted.

He collapsed onto the ground, panting.

Little Cai pulled him up, "This isn’t the time to rest. We’ve already wasted too much time."

They had indeed wasted a lot of time. As he turned his head, he caught a glimpse of light reflecting off a nearby window. He walked over and saw a clock in the room. It was already 10:40. They had spent so much time just breaking the locks.

Little Cai said, "This is taking longer than we expected."

"Let’s hurry up."

At this point, they didn’t care about sticking together anymore. They split up to search separately.

Even the two who had wanted to keep things for themselves didn’t object. With so much time wasted and the money so hard to find, they were all feeling the pressure. They didn’t have the luxury of being picky anymore.

They quickly found the nearest room and rushed inside.

Meanwhile, a group of elementary school kids were walking home after school. Unlike the adults, who had started their activities at nine, the kids had been out since eight. Their fun was already over.

Yuanyuan said, "Watching TV, setting off firecrackers, building snowmen, eating hotpot—so many plans for today!"

Everyone laughed. Qijin warned, "Yuanyuan, you’d better be careful. If the adults find out we bought firecrackers instead of sparklers, we’re going to get in big trouble."

Yuanyuan replied softly, "I know, don’t worry. We won’t let them find out. Hehe."

Everyone chuckled, enjoying the thrill of doing something mischievous.

As they reached the entrance, Yuanyuan frowned, "Huh? Why is the gate unlocked? Did someone not go to the festivities?"

Li Zhenzhen said, "I heard everyone went."

The kids pushed the gate open and stepped inside. Immediately, they noticed something was wrong. The courtyard was a mess. The snow had been falling on and off all day, so the path they had cleared in the morning was covered again, with messy footprints all over.

And all the doors to the houses were wide open.

It was clear that they had been forced open, not simply unlocked.

The kids’ faces turned pale.

"What’s going on?"

Just then, Tuantuan remembered something. "There were a lot of scratch marks on the gate earlier..." Before he could finish, Jiang Baohong burst out of one of the houses. She let out a sharp cry, "Quick, someone! The kids are back!"

She lunged at the children, grabbing Bai Qingqing, who screamed in terror, "Ah!"

Without hesitation, Qijin charged forward and bit Jiang Baohong's hand. Tuantuan and Yuanyuan quickly stepped on Jiang Baohong, who cried out in pain and let go. Li Zhenzhen immediately pulled Bai Qingqing over. Just as the children were about to run, they turned around to see Old Cai slamming the gate shut. He had been at Bai Fendou's house, which was closest to his own, and upon hearing the commotion, he had rushed out and shut the door.

If the kids managed to run out and call for help, it would be over.

He grinned menacingly and said, "You little brats, still trying to run?"

"Damn it, let's beat these little bastards to death! How dare they bite me!"

At that moment, two more people emerged, effectively surrounding the children.

The kids trembled in fear, but Tuantuan quickly shouted, "Grandpa Lan!"

Thinking someone had returned, the adults reflexively glanced at the door. Li Zhenzhen took the opportunity to charge at Jiang Baohong, and the sturdy little girl managed to knock her off balance. The children quickly dashed toward the backyard, where Little Cai stood at the connecting point between the front and back yards. He wasn't afraid at all; instead, he wore a mocking expression, like a cat toying with mice. He had just come from Grandpa Lan's house.

The kids running toward him were practically walking into a trap.

There was no way he would let them reach the backyard. He cackled with a sinister grin, his face full of malice.

"I suggest you all behave. If you do, I'll just tie you up and throw you in the cellar. You'll still have a way out. But if you piss us off, I'll take your lives! You don't want to mess with me."

He continued to cackle, but Tuantuan and the others didn't stop. Yuanyuan leaped forward and kicked him. Despite her young age and lack of strength, she had some martial arts training. Little Cai, on the other hand, was lazy and did nothing all day, so he wasn't particularly strong either.

Add to that the fact that he had just recovered from a serious illness, and this grown man was actually knocked back several steps by the little girl. Before he could react, Tuantuan rushed up and kicked him.

Well, boys know best where to hit a man.

Or rather, little boys know best where to hit a man. He aimed straight for the most vulnerable spot—a skill passed down through generations in the courtyard.

Little Cai let out a piercing scream: "Ahhh!"

He clutched the injured area and crouched down. The kids didn't press their advantage. Instead, as the others closed in, they dashed into Lan Sihai's house. Tuantuan quickly bolted the door from the inside.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it! These little brats, I'll make them pay!"

The children rushed into the room, their faces filled with fear. They never expected the bad guys to be bold enough to break into their home.

"What do we do?"

The adults were already at the door, starting to pound on it.

Fan Debiao shouted, "Break the windows!"

At his command, they sprang into action.

Little Cai was still crouched on the ground, his eyes wide with rage. "Those little bastards! I'll kill them! I swear I'll kill them!"

Jiang Baohong, also injured, was furious. Bang! Bang!

The window shattered.

"What do we do?"

Bai Qingqing and Li Zhenzhen were crying, and the other kids' eyes were red with fear. Seeing that the adults were about to break through the window, Tuantuan said, "We can't let them in!"

He took a deep breath, ran to the corner, and found two ice picks—tools Lan Sihai used for ice sledding. He handed them to Qijin and Li Zhenzhen. "You two stand by the window. If they stick their hands or heads in, stab them!"

"Huh?"

Tuantuan shouted, "Hurry! Do you want to live or not?"

Li Zhenzhen wiped her tears and rushed over, with Qijin following close behind.

Tuantuan continued, "Little sister Qingqing, come help."

The two girls didn't hesitate. Though terrified, they had grown up together and had a deep understanding of each other.

The reason Tuantuan had immediately run to Lan Sihai's house was that he knew it was full of strange tools that could be used to fend off the bad guys. The row of boxes in the corner contained all sorts of useful items.

Yuanyuan found some rope and a small rake that could hook onto the wall, stuffing them into her pockets for later use.

"Ah!"

Qijin stabbed Old Cai's hand, and he let out a scream. Why was it always his family getting hurt?

Tuantuan yelled, "Hold on! We're coming to help!"

He found two mousetraps and gave Bai Qingqing a meaningful look. She quickly placed them by the door.

Tuantuan finally found something even more important. Yuanyuan rushed over, and together they set it up by the door. Tuantuan started cranking it, and soon smoke began to fill the room. He then unbolted the door.

He turned back and pulled out the firecrackers they had secretly bought earlier.

Originally, they had planned to play with them, but now they came in handy.

He pulled out a match and said, "On the count of three, light them and throw."

He lowered his voice. "We don't have many, so throw them slowly."

"Okay."

The four adults hadn't gained the upper hand against the kids and were now furious. However, they were still adults, and it was impossible for the children to hold them off forever. Just as they were about to break through the window, the men sneered, "You damn brats, just wait till we get our hands on you..."

Li Zhenzhen sobbed but shouted through her tears, "I'm not afraid! I won't be scared!"

The room was now filled with smoke, making it hard for the people outside to see clearly.

Fan Debiao cursed, "What the hell is this?"

At that moment, the door suddenly swung open, and Fan Debiao felt something being thrown at him. He reflexively dodged and laughed, "You think you can kill me with that? You little... Holy crap!"

Bang! Boom!

The firecracker made a loud noise, sparks flying everywhere.

Although Fan Debiao had dodged, it still landed on his foot and exploded. The blast wasn't powerful, but... damn, it still hurt!

Fan Debiao shouted, "Holy crap! You damn brats!"

He charged forward, ready to strike—Snap!

"Ah! Ahhhh!"

The powerful mousetrap snapped shut. Even Su Jinlai had experienced its bite. Fan Debiao felt one snap on his foot and jumped in pain—Snap!

"Holy crap! Ahhhh! Help!"

Fan Debiao was caught again.

Life's greatest tragedy is thinking you're a king when you're actually a useless weakling.

Both his feet were caught in mousetraps, and he fell backward, crashing into a chamber pot by the door. The pot tipped over, and though it was empty, it was still disgusting.

Before he could react, another firecracker was thrown at him, landing on his body and blowing a hole in his cotton-padded jacket.

The exposed cotton caught fire.

"Holy crap! Roll on the ground!"

"Quick, roll!"

Fan Debiao felt pain in his back and feet. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he cried, "Help me, quick..."

The Cai family, of course, wouldn't lift a finger. They were too afraid the fire might spread to them. No way they'd get involved.

Little Cai said, "We're after the kids. Just keep rolling."

He charged toward the door but hesitated, afraid of suffering the same fate as Fan Debiao. Who knew if there were more mousetraps inside?

The Cai family refused to help, and Fan Debiao rolled around in the snow, finally extinguishing the flames. But the pain remained. He felt like his feet were going to fall off, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pry the mousetraps open.

"Help me!"

He screamed, but Little Cai ignored him, too scared to charge in himself. He ordered his parents, "You go!"

Old Cai: "..."

Jiang Baohong: "..."

Neither of them was eager to comply.

Who knew what else was waiting inside?

They all gathered at the door, while Li Zhenzhen and Qijin finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had been so scared!

Tuantuan quickly lit another firecracker and threw it straight at Little Cai.

Little Cai: "Holy crap!"

He dodged, but unexpectedly grabbed the firecracker. Seeing the sparks sizzle, he let out a scream and quickly threw it away—BANG!

"Ah!"

Fan Debiao screamed again—it had landed on him!

Though it wasn’t a grenade, throwing it like that was bound to cause an explosion. Even if the firepower wasn’t strong, it could still send cotton flying and cause minor injuries.

"Damn it, Little Cai, you bastard! Can’t you tell friend from foe... you jerk!"

Little Cai: "It wasn’t on purpose!"

He wasn’t actually hurt, just scared.

But now he was even angrier. These kids were really getting out of hand.

He shouted, "Come out, you... ah!"

What the hell was thrown this time?

He quickly dodged—firecrackers again!

Did their courtyard buy firecrackers this early? And keeping them at home was so dangerous! They must be crazy!

Little did he know, the kids had secretly bought them to play with.

Though Fan Debiao was useless now, the other three were adults. But as selfish adults, none of them were willing to charge in. They weren’t fools—Fan Debiao had already tried, and what happened?

He got his foot caught in a mousetrap.

The kids had deliberately created a smokescreen to make it hard for them to see where they were stepping.

These adults were smart—they weren’t falling for it.

By now, the commotion had died down, and the kids huddled together, frowning.

Tuantuan gestured a few times, and the other kids nodded solemnly without saying a word.

The fact that no one from the surrounding courtyards had come to check on the noise meant they were probably on their own. They just had to hold out until around midnight when the adults would return.

It was already nearly eleven—just one more hour to go!

Everyone bit their lips. Tuantuan gestured again, first pointing at Yuanyuan, then at himself, and then at each of the others, making a "keep going" motion. Everyone’s resolve hardened.

Yes, they could do this!

They had to be brave!

Tuantuan pointed to the roof, then outside. Yuanyuan, her little face serious, nodded firmly.

Tuantuan went back to the door to distract them, while Yuanyuan peeked out the window. No one noticed her as she pulled out a small rake, climbed onto the wall, and made her way to the roof. Once up, she threw down a rope, even sending the rake down. Tuantuan handed the firecrackers to Qijin, grabbed a kitchen knife and hammer, and quickly climbed up too.

If the adults had been more cautious or coordinated, they might have noticed, but Fan Debiao was already in the corner, unable to see what was happening. He was yelling, trying to pry the mousetrap off his foot, but it was no easy task.

The other three were still dodging at the door, none willing to charge in, afraid of stepping on a mousetrap.

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, now on the roof, quickly lowered the rope. With the help of the rake and their combined strength, Li Zhenzhen climbed up, followed by Bai Qingqing. All of them were now on the roof.

Tuantuan left the kitchen knife and hammer behind, lowered the rope, and went back to the door to let Qijin out. Li Zhenzhen, being strong, helped pull Qijin up with the other girls. Seeing their friends escape, Tuantuan took a deep breath. They were out of firecrackers.

He steeled himself, quickly poured oil on the ground by the door, and then rushed to the window, climbing up in a flash.

"Damn it!"

Little Cai finally saw him and shouted, "That little brat’s getting away!"

"Grab him!"

All three rushed over, but Tuantuan was already on the roof. They didn’t even catch a glimpse of him.

If it had been Qijin or one of the other kids, they might have been caught, but Tuantuan had been trained in martial arts. He wasn’t as lively as his sister, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t capable. Now all five kids were on the roof, the snow still falling. Yuanyuan immediately ran over and hugged her brother, saying, "Brother!"

Tuantuan patted her head and said, "Victory assembly!"

The kids all nodded, and the five of them hugged each other, chanting, "Keep going!"

Their antics had thoroughly infuriated the adults below. They couldn’t believe they were being outsmarted by a bunch of kids.

"You damn brats..."

"You’re the ones who should die! You bad guys are still alive, so we’ll be fine!"

Tuantuan wasn’t holding back.

He grabbed the small hammer he’d prepared and started chipping away at the icicles hanging from the eaves.

Old Cai: "You little brats, come down here! Come down!"

Qijin shot back, "You old bastard, come up here!"

By now, the kids weren’t as scared anymore. Earlier, they’d been trapped, but now they were on the roof—they had the upper hand! Though the weather was cold, their hearts were burning with determination.

"You little devils..."

Old Cai was hopping mad, but Tuantuan had already broken off an icicle. It fell with a crack, and Old Cai yelped as he dodged, crashing into Jiang Baohong. The icicle didn’t hit them, but... they both fell on their backsides.

Yuanyuan: "Make snowballs! Hit them!"

"Yeah, hit them!"

The kids on the roof quickly started their counterattack.

"Oh my god!"

"These little troublemakers..."

Old Cai: "Damn it, get up!"

Jiang Baohong rubbed her back, saying, "I-I-I... I threw out my back."

She wasn’t young anymore, and a fall like that wasn’t doing her any favors.

Old Cai: "You’re useless! You can’t do anything right."

"Stop fighting among yourselves!"

"Ah!"

"What now?"

Old Cai slipped, falling flat on his face again.

Old Cai cursed, "I hate snowy days the most!"

The kids stood on the roof, hands on their hips, laughing at the scene below: "Old turtle, flipped on its back!"