Chapter 626: Chapter 609: Championship Battle 3

“Thump, thump, thump!”

The stick banging on the door echoed thunderously, startling everyone in the courtyard badly.

They hurried to open the door: “Who is it—!!!”

The curse words they had ready were scared back by the swinging stick. They quickly dodged to the side, almost getting hit.

Before he could speak, Mu Ying slapped the stick against the door: “Uncle, where is our gold bar?”

Zhou Lihui patted his chest, frightened: “You child, banging on the door with a stick early in the morning? You nearly hit someone! What kind of behavior is that for a girl, running around with a stick?”

As he spoke, he tried to take the stick from her, but Mu Ying dodged his hand and slapped the door again, her presence imposing: “Uncle, where is our gold bar?”

Zhou Lihui glanced at the neighbors who had come out to see what the commotion was about, “Gold bar? What gold bar?”

Seeing her uncle still playing dumb, as if afraid others wouldn’t hear, Mu Ying shouted loudly: “It’s the investment gold bar you tricked us out of by pretending grandma was seriously ill! The very next day after you took the gold bar grandma passed away, yet you claimed all the money was spent. That was all of our savings, meant for renovating the farmhouse for tourists. Next year, the scenic area is going to open, and we have no money to renovate, but suddenly your family is starting their own farmhouse. Isn’t it obvious where the money went?”

“You child, I’ve explained everything to your parents already, the money was indeed spent on grandma, and the funds for our farmhouse were all borrowed from others!” Zhou Lihui said with a pained expression.

He had made up those excuses many times, and it almost sounded believable even to himself.

“Oh? Borrowed from others? You keep saying you borrowed the money, but which family lent it to you, and who would dare lend you any? Besides, if you’ve really spent all the gold bar funds, then dare you take me to the bank where you changed the gold bars into cash right now to see exactly when and how you spent it all?” Mu Ying raised her voice as she spoke.

She had learned to match the original owner’s way of arguing loudly, but her logic was much stronger than the original owner’s. Had it been the original owner, she would probably only be accusing the uncle of lying and threatening him with a stick to return the money.

The neighbors glanced at each other, Zhou Lihui was well-known in the village as a bachelor with no proper occupation. He was not married and indeed, no one would lend him money.

Of course, Zhou Lihui dared not take her to the bank. In reality, his family’s farmhouse was still in the planning and fundraising stage, and the gold bar hadn’t been spent yet – it was hidden in a place no one could imagine!

Seeing the neighbors’ looks becoming more and more peculiar, he opened the door wide, stepping aside to make way: “Come on in then, you say I haven’t spent it all, so search the house. If you find it, you’re amazing. I have a clear conscience anyway!”

“Hmph! Search then I will!” said Mu Ying as she entered the yard.

Her uncle’s refusal to take her to the bank meant that the gold bar had indeed not been spent. Knowing her uncle’s personality, even if he hid the treasure well, it would only be hidden under his watchful eye – he wouldn’t feel secure otherwise.

Calling her bluff to search probably meant he was confident she wouldn’t find it.

Her uncle closed the courtyard door behind her. Mu Ying glanced at it but didn’t care. With her uncle’s scrawny physique, and her with a stick in hand, she wasn’t afraid of what he could do!

Determined to search, Mu Ying didn’t give in an inch. She went through every room, leaving no brick on the wall unchecked.

She used to visit often when her grandmother was alive and was very familiar with the place.

But seeing that her uncle didn’t seem worried at all, Mu Ying couldn’t help but wonder if she had guessed wrong. Perhaps he really didn’t hide the gold bar at home?

After searching the entire house thoroughly and finding nothing, Mu Ying’s heart gradually sank.

“How is it? Nothing, right? Would your uncle deceive you?” Zhou Lihui said, “It’s almost noon, there isn’t much at my house, and your parents will be calling you home for lunch. You should go back.”

Mu Ying tapped on her cell phone screen.

Zhou Lihui leaned over to look: “A metal detector??!”

Mu Ying quickly made a payment and ordered online, “Uncle, I feel that as I’ve been searching, I still haven’t been thorough enough. I just checked online, and a metal detector can find gold bars. I’ve placed a rush order, and it will arrive day after tomorrow. I’ll stay here for these two days, and once the detector arrives, I’ll search again!”

Zhou Lihui couldn’t sit still anymore and didn’t dare to glance in the direction where the items were hidden. This time, his niece was much more astute than usual, even thinking of using a metal detector.

No, he couldn’t let her stay here. If she really used a metal detector, he feared the items would no longer be concealable, and he would need to find a new hiding place!

“Mu Girl, it’s not that your uncle doesn’t want you to stay here, but ever since your grandma passed away, we haven’t cooked in a long time, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to take good care of you,” Zhou Lihui said.

“It’s fine, I can cook. I’ll call my mom and ask her to send me a couple of changes of clothes,” Mu Ying confidently went to fetch two quilts and laid them out in her grandmother’s room, “I’ll sleep here!”

The window of this room had a clear view of the courtyard.

Zhou Lihui: “…”

He knew this little annoyance probably wasn’t going to leave.

“Fine, have fun here then, I’m off to the fields,” Zhou Lihui said as he prepared to leave.

“Hey! Uncle, I’ll come with you!” Mu Ying, holding a stick, followed him out.

Zhou Lihui: “…”

Mu Ying, like a guardian deity, followed closely beside Zhou Lihui, the surveillance implicit in her actions.

Zhou Lihui glanced at her and left the house with his hands behind his back.

He was actually worried she wouldn’t follow! Leaving her alone at home, there’s no telling what she might get up to!

He was heading to the fields to take measurements; they were planning to build a rural tourism spot on their own land.

Watching him busy himself at the edge of the fields, Mu Ying probed, “Uncle, you didn’t hide the gold bar outside, did you? Aren’t you afraid someone else might pick it up? Is there anything in the fields?”

Zhou Lihui was thoroughly annoyed, “I’ve told you, I didn’t hide anything, and all the money went to your grandmother’s medical bills! Am I really that untrustworthy?”

Mu Ying shook her head without hesitation, all the while poking the ground with her stick.

“If you think there’s something, then go ahead and use that metal detector when it arrives and see for yourself!” Zhou Lihui said irritably.

So confident? The gold bar certainly wasn’t outside; the greatest possibility was that it was hidden in the house. Once the metal detector arrived, she would surely find it.

Chances are, someone might not be able to wait for the detector to arrive before attempting to move it.

Mu Ying decided to stick to him like glue over the next few days; she was bound to notice something amiss.

That day, Zhou Lihui behaved very normally. Her mother didn’t come at noon, so her father came to deliver some things and food. He also said he was uneasy about his daughter staying there alone and came over to take care of her.

Zhou Lihui, with a belly full of grievances he wanted to complain about to her sister, had nothing to say in response.

Mr. Mu even shared a room with Zhou Lihui, keeping a close watch over him.

Deep into the night, Zhou Lihui’s eyes were closed, but his mind was fully alert. Did they really think they could keep an eye on him like this? Listening to the thunderous snoring from the person beside him, he let out a soft sneer. What use was this guy who slept like a dead pig?

He stepped over the person and carefully got out of bed.