Chu Xi's Scheme
The back door of the Su family's house swung open, and Chu Xi quietly entered.
She had a spare key, as she had worked with the Su family for a long time.
Seeing that the house was empty and the Tibetan Mastiff was tied up in the front yard, she felt emboldened.
She sneered and entered the kitchen. When she saw the valuable items on the cabinet, her eyes lit up and she reached out to take them and put them in her pocket.
Chu Xi felt delighted beyond measure because she had found an unexpected bonus.
She then walked to the cupboard and retrieved the bowls belonging to Su Li, Su Bing, and Su Le. She remembered that the children had their own bowls.
Then, she took out a paper bag from her pocket. It was filled with white powder that looked like flour.
She sprinkled a thin layer in each bowl, and the water at the bottom of the bowls absorbed the powder. She picked up the bowls, shook them, and the powder dissolved. She returned the bowls to their places and concealed the powder bag and the remnants of the powder in the cupboard's secret compartment.
After completing these ominous actions, Chu Xi wore a sinister smile. She couldn't wait to witness Su Shen expel Gu Zi when the three children fell ill from the poison.
"Su Shen, since you won't let me have any benefits, don't blame me for being ruthless," Chu Xi muttered.
Ever since she lost her job, she hadn't had an easy life at home. Her daughter called her useless, her in-laws referred to her as a parasite, and villagers gossiped about her.
Her current mindset was clear: if they wouldn't allow her an easy life, she wouldn't hesitate to resort to ruthless actions.
She had to force Gu Zi, that nuisance, out of Daqing Village. Only then could she regain her job.
Just then, she heard Lele's baby babble in the distance, prompting her to make a hasty escape through the back door.
Gu Zi, who had sensed something, opened the door and heard some commotion. She passed Su Le to Su Bing and hurried into the kitchen. The kitchen appeared normal, but Gu Zi couldn't let her guard down.
Just then, Su Shen came downstairs.
When he saw that the children and Gu Zi had returned, he felt that he was being a little paranoid.
"Did you hear something just now?" Gu Zi asked him.
Gu Zi believed that Su Shen's injuries were too severe, so he needed at least a day of rest before returning to work. Therefore, he had taken the day off.
However, Chu Xi was unaware of this, as Su Shen had returned late the previous night. Few people had seen his injuries, and she had heard nothing about it.
Although the kitchen appeared normal, Gu Zi was not ready to relax. She suspected that Chu Xi might have been there.
"Yes, isn't it because you returned?" Su Shen asked.
Gu Zi shook her head. "We just got back, but when I opened the door, I heard some noise in the kitchen."
However, it was already too late when she went to check. The kitchen door was locked.
Su Shen, who had awakened with a start, furrowed his brow slightly. "So, it wasn't you or the kids."
While he was still groggy, he had heard a commotion. But since he hadn't slept well the previous night, he had been careless.
"Just now, while we were by the ditch mowing the grass, we met our neighbor. She said that she saw Chu Xi acting strangely today," Gu Zi explained.
Gu Zi did not directly mention Zhang Cuihua, but Su Shen was also a smart person. In this village, the only person who was familiar with Gu Zi and could see their surroundings was their neighbor, Aunt Zhang.
"In what way was she acting strange?" Su Shen asked.
"She's been loitering around our house since this morning. When I heard that, I rushed back with the children, " Gu Zi recounted. Regrettably, Gu Zi had been a few steps too late.
A dark expression filled Su Shen's eyes as he concluded, "So Chu Xi must have thought no one was home and secretly entered our house. She was the source of the noise."
Gu Zi didn't have concrete evidence at her disposal. After considering it for a moment, she stated, "That's my assumption, but nothing appears to be missing from the kitchen."
It was clear to both of them that they couldn't make accusations without evidence.
Su Shen inquired of Su Bing, "Have you lost your key before?"
Their house had the latest anti-theft locks on all the doors. Without a key, Chu Xi couldn't have entered.
Su Bing still didn't dare to approach Su Shen closely. He stood at a distance and explained, "I lost it once, but Grandma Chu had a copy made in the city."
Grandma Chu always told them that their father was very busy with work and that they should be sensible and not disturb him with trivial matters.
Therefore, they felt that there was no need to tell their busy father about many things, including the loss of the key.
"Alright, bring your siblings out to play for a while." After Su Shen finished speaking, his brows furrowed. It seemed that he had to get his men to help out and speed up the investigation..