Proofread by Peter Gong

“Grandpa, where is my money?” asks Jin Weiwei earnestly. “Miss Jin. Don’t worry. Since the money is not here in the meat shop, I guess the money has been taken out of there. Think carefully, you are sure that you four have been staying in the shop the whole day and no one goes out?”

Suddenly, Tao Xiqoing slaps his lap as if something suddenly dawned on him. He speaks out loudly, “I remember! Uncle Jin went out! It would have been my job of sending meat to Aunt Zhang’s home, but today Uncle Jin insists on helping me to send the meat.”

“Yes! Today, only my father leaves the meat-shop. So the thief is...” Jin Weiwei stops on purpose. Everyone looks at Jin Dabao the moment she stops talking. “No...No...I am innocent!” Seeing that all the people begin to suspect him, Jin Dabao waves his hands anxiously. “But it is true that you are the only person to leave the shop.” Says Tao Xiaoqing, scratching his head.

“If you are not the one who steals the money, the money must fly away from the shop?” “What do you mean by these words. I am innocent! It’s not me!” argues Jin Dabao. “Dad, how can you do that? Isn’t the money stolen by you, my father!” says Jin Weiwei, wearing an sorrowful expression.

Stamping his foot anxiously, Jin Dabao says, “I am not the thief! You can search me if you don’t believe my words.” With his words, Jin Dabao takes off his coat and shakes it hard. Then he turns around, signing that he does not hide any money. “Who will be so foolish to hide the stolen money in the coat? I think the thief must hide the money in another place.”

“How is Jin Dabao still the same as he used to? Last year, he took all the money of the family away and eloped with that widow. Jin Weiwei was abandoned by him. This year, he returns home to steal money again!”

“Aha, as the old saying goes, ‘A fox may grow gray, but never good.’” Jin Dabao has already been accustomed to the lazy life style. How could he resist the temptation of stealing money?” comment those villagers. He is almost driven mad, knowing that everyone has already been sure that he is the thief. He says anxiously, “Nonsense! Do you have any evidence? Not even a penny has been found in my pocket!”

“There’s no room for any explanation, my dad. Under such a condition, any excuse seems to be in vain.” Sobs Jin Weiwei, pretending to be sorrowful. “If you don’t have money, tell me directly! Since you returned home, I am taking care of your life carefully. I never ask you to do any work in the shop. Why are you still not satisfied with your life here? How can you steal money again! I am so disappointed about what you did!” Looking at the sorrowful expression of Jin Weiwei, everyone feels pitiful about her experience.

“She’s right! You enjoy your happy life there without doing any work. How can you steal the money of your own sister? That’s disgusting!” “You are the shame of our village.” “We shouldn’t have agreed to let him return to our village! Drive him out!” Everyone accuse Jin Dabao of his misdeed. Jin Dabao cannot stand anymore.

“Stop! Stop! I said...one more time. I AM NOT THE THIEF!” shouts Jin Dabao, covering his ears with his hands. “Dabao! Jin Dabao! You come back!” shouts the head of the village. But no matter how hard he shouts at him, Jin Dabao runs away quickly. Seeing that the main character has gone to nowhere, villagers disperse after some gossip.

“Weiwei, this thing comes down to the private affairs of your family.” The head of the village talks alone with Jin Weiwei, “No matter how bad Jin Dabao is, he is your father. There’s no lasting hatred between you and your father. After a while, go and find him. Say some good words to him.” Hearing that, Jin Weiwei feels a little bit angry. She thinks, “The head of the village is so unreasonable that he even advises me to apologize to Jin Dabao just because he is my father!”

“No. It is him who steals my money. Why I have to find him and apologize to him?” says Jin Weiwei angrily. “Aha, you are her daughter! You should pay respect to your father.” Seeing that Jin Weiwei refuses to accept his advice, the head of the village responds to her with a poker face. “It is his fault to steal the money. But just as I said, he is your father, the head of your family. You should protect his dignity and save his face. Am I right?”

His face? His dignity? Jin Weiwei is amused by the words of the head of the village. She says, “Grandpa. It is he who can protect his own dignity and save his own face, but not others.” Her words make the head of the village speechless.

He sighs, “Maybe this is what others say: judges are not upright dealing with household chores. It’s better for you and your father to solve the problems between you two. But now you’d better find your father. It’s getting dark outside. If he has some accident, it is more troublesome for you to take care of him.”

Seeing that the head of the village is a little bit angry, Jin Weiwei does not want to speak to him anymore. She has to agree with him and says, “OK. Grandpa. Don’t worry. I will find my father immediately and never let him sleep outside alone.”

Jin Weiwei is a kind-hearted girl. “I know that you are a good girl. Since you agree with me, I leave. A good talk is essential for a good father-daughter relationship.” Saying good-bye to the head of the village, Jin Weiwei asks Tao Xiaoqing to pack things, clean the shop, and they return home for dinner.

After all things are done in the shop, on their way home, Tao Xiaoqing cannot help asking Jin Weiwei, “What? My boss, you don’t want to find your father?” “Hum... Why to find him? It’s none of my business, even he dies outside.” Says Jin Weiwei.

Obviously, what she said just now is only to satisfy the head of the village. She never thinks about looking for Jin Dabao. Surprisingly, they encounter a villagers who asks, “Miss Jin...Are you still looking for your father?”

Thinking that this guy is such a busybody, she gives a stare at that villager. With an unnatural smile on her face, she says, “Yea. My father is so strong-minded that no one can stop him from running away. We three have been looking for him for a long while, but fail to catch a glimpse of him. It’s getting dark outside. We don’t know where to find him!”

“You can’t find him there. I encountered him just now.” Says the villager with his face looking curious. He continues, “He said to me that he decided to go to your mother’s tomb to pour out all his grievances to her because he was wronged by others and no one believes him except your mother.”