Chapter 30: "You want to climb the mountain? Are you sure you can make it? Aren't you afraid of ghosts?"

Jin Hua instantly began to tremble with fear. This was murder; she didn't have the guts for such things.

Yang Guixiang’s gaze turned fierce. "The old man is just like us. Didn’t we poison that little bastard’s mother with chicken soup? If it’s really necessary, I’ll just go pick some poisonous mushrooms."

Hearing this, Su Jianjun’s entire body began to shake. Su Heng, noticing his father’s reaction, quickly hugged him tightly to comfort him, hoping to hear more useful information.

Jin Hua turned pale as a sheet, terrified by her mother-in-law’s words. She had always known her mother-in-law was ruthless, but she never imagined she was this vicious. She decided she had better treat her well from now on; otherwise, what if she sent her off with a bowl of soup? She was terrified. From now on, she resolved to never touch anything the old woman didn't eat.

Su Mao said uneasily, "The money that’s already been accounted for can stay at home, but the rest should be hidden in the mountains by our son. We can bring it back out after some time. I just have a bad feeling about this."

Yang Guixiang was loath to part with her wealth, which had taken so many years to accumulate. "It’s fine, it’s well-hidden in the house."

"No, Mother, listen to Father. We thought the grain was hidden well, too, but it still got discovered," Su Jianwei argued.

Yang Guixiang finally relented. "You two go to the doorway first; I’ll take it out." She still felt the need to guard against her daughter-in-law.

Knowing how formidable her mother-in-law was, and although she was desperate to know where the old hag had hidden the money, Jin Hua valued her life more. She quickly walked out, followed closely by Su Jianwei.

Su Heng, eager to learn where the old woman kept the money, carefully poked his head out to peek into the room. He saw the old couple move a cabinet, lift a floorboard, and pull out a small box. They placed it on the table while fumbling with something else on the floor. After seeing this, he pulled his head back.

Once the room was restored to its original state, Yang Guixiang sat on the bed and called out, "Come in."

Su Jianwei and Jin Hua entered. Seeing what was in his mother's hands, Su Jianwei asked curiously, "Mother, how does the family have such an exquisite box?"

Jin Hua’s eyes lit up the moment she saw the box in her mother-in-law’s hands.

Yang Guixiang handed the box to her son and warned, "This is the entire fortune of our family. Once this storm blows over, you must return it to me."

"Understood." Su Jianwei opened the box and was stunned. Inside were gold bars, various gold and silver jewelry, cash, and a high-quality jade pendant. He said in shock, "Mother, so the family was this wealthy all along? Why didn't you bring this out sooner? If you had told me, I wouldn't have had to risk doing that deed."

Su Mao looked at the box, thinking that if it weren't for this money, they would never have risked committing murder. Seeing such a large sum, he felt it was worth it.

Yang Guixiang explained, "This all came from that woman. The jade pendant was taken from Jianjun’s neck, the silver bracelet was pulled off her wrist, and the cash is what you’ve been letting me save all these years."

Outside the wall, Su Jianjun was already weeping silently, his fingernails digging deep into his palms.

Jin Hua, unable to resist, reached out to touch the gold bars, but Yang Guixiang immediately snapped at her: "Keep your hands off these! This is all meant for your son."

Terrified by her mother-in-law’s ferocity, Jin Hua quickly pulled her hand back. Her mother-in-law was too scary. She decided to head to the kitchen to see if those two little brats had stolen any of the meat.

Su Heng knew he wouldn't hear anything more important, as the people inside had begun moving grain. He knew that transporting dozens of bags of grain up the mountain was no simple task; the family had a busy night ahead.

He pulled his father’s arm and they climbed over the wall from the backyard to return home and discuss their next move.

Once back in their living room, Su Jianjun finally let out a loud sob. Su Heng clenched his fists tightly; they had to report this to the police and make sure these people faced the firing squad.

Su Wanwan and Zhao Hefen pulled their son aside to understand the situation. Su Heng recounted everything he had heard at the old Su residence.

Zhao Hefen had a sudden realization. So that was it; it all made sense now. No wonder the mother-in-law had never liked their family. Her husband, Jianjun, had worked like a beast of burden for them his entire life, and now his greatest pain was realizing that the people he had supported for years were the murderers of his own mother.

Su Heng headed for the door. "I’m going to report them to the police right now."

Su Wanwan ran up and grabbed her furious second brother. "We must report them, but not right now. If you go now and the old woman denies it, they won't receive the punishment they deserve. We would only be able to catch our eldest uncle; the others would at most be considered accomplices, and the penalty wouldn't be enough to warrant a death sentence."

"Besides, we need to get our hands on the belongings our grandmother left behind. If they fall into the hands of others or the police, they might be confiscated, and Father would lose his only remaining connection to her. Second Brother, you’re always so impulsive; think this through."

Zhao Hefen also felt her daughter was right. Su Jianjun, hearing this, wiped his tears and said, "Everyone, sit down. Let’s discuss this properly. That whole family must be executed, but we must find out where they buried my mother first. And those belongings must be recovered."

He looked at his son and said, "Your sister is right. If I report them now and the old woman denies the murder, where would I find my mother? I don't even know where they buried her. I must ensure the entire family gets the punishment they deserve."

The family sat down. Su Wanwan said earnestly, "Second Brother, repeat everything you heard at the Su house, word for word."

Su Heng realized his sister’s mind was sharper than he had thought, so he repeated everything without missing a detail.

Su Wanwan immediately had a plan. She looked at her father and said, "We need to know where they hid the grain. Our eldest uncle will definitely try to hide Grandmother’s belongings too; that will be our chance."

After laying out her plan, she added, "Tomorrow, we’ll threaten them severely and, while we're at it, take back everything they’ve stolen from our family over the years. Doesn't the old witch want to poison us? Let her try. That will provide the evidence of attempted murder."

Su Jianjun looked at his daughter, wondering when she had become so clever. He looked at his son and remarked, "Look at your sister—why couldn't you think of that?"

Su Heng also agreed that his sister’s plan was excellent. "Then let’s move quickly!"

Su Jianjun stood up hastily. "Yes, time is of the essence. Son, let’s go together." With that, he headed for the door.

Su Wanwan followed. "Take me with you. If something unexpected happens, I can offer ideas."

Su Heng asked doubtfully, "We have to climb the mountain. Can you handle it? Aren't you afraid of ghosts?"

"I can. With you by my side, I’m not afraid," Su Wanwan said firmly. If anything went wrong, she could always retreat into her space.

Su Jianjun agreed, "Then come along. Hefen, you stay here to watch the house. If something comes up, at least my daughter can help me figure out a solution."

Since drinking the spiritual spring water, Su Wanwan’s physical condition had vastly improved. Her five senses had become increasingly acute, and she could see clearly even in the dark. Climbing the mountain shouldn't be difficult. Before leaving, she made sure her family drank some diluted spiritual spring water, so they wouldn't feel exhausted even if they had to stay up all night.