Tang Dad certainly never imagined that, on the one day he was away, his whole family would dig up all his secret savings.
[The study is full of money! Wahaha, let the treasure hunt begin! This is so exciting!]
What? It was everywhere?
Tang Mother immediately started searching the bookshelves. She took down the highest book, Journey to the West, and opened it. It really was full of money!
Where was the book? Had Tang Cheng eaten it?
That wasn't all. Tang Mother picked up a copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms next.
This time, only half of it was a book. The other half was all money!
Tang Mother was already gritting her teeth in fury.
The three brothers had only meant to take a casual look, but the more they found, the more excited they got. It was like picking up free money.
They completely failed to notice their mother's expression.
The eldest said, "Dad's amazing! Even the pen holder is made of money!"
The second said, "That's nothing. Look what I found! Flip over this floorboard, and it's all money."
The third came over to show off too. "Yours are nothing. What I found is the real deal."
Three heads leaned in, followed by a chorus of surprised noises.
The second said, "He actually put it inside the sofa? How did he get it in there?"
The third said, "I suspect there's more inside. Shall we cut it open and look?"
The third brother fetched some scissors and cut the sofa open with two snips. Then he froze in shock!
It was packed solid with money. How... how long had he been saving this?
Only then did the three of them notice their mother's dark expression. They quickly stood quietly to one side.
Tang Mother stuffed all the money into bags and ordered them to keep looking.
"Search! I'll take full responsibility for anything you break or destroy!"
That was exactly what they'd been waiting to hear!
Tang Shiba excitedly fetched a mallet, stunning her brothers.
"What are you planning to smash?"
Tang Shiba pointed at a pillar, leaving the three brothers even more astonished.
"That's solid. How could he possibly hide anything inside?"
The eldest reached out and knocked on it, then fell silent.
"It's hollow."
Tang Mother snatched the mallet and struck it. A hundred-yuan bill wrapped in plastic wrap fell out.
The eldest brother reached out to pull it, but the more he pulled, the longer it got...
Only when a huge pile lay on the floor did everyone realize this was no small matter.
[It sure isn't. There's even more in Mom and Dad's bedroom!]
What?! There was more in the bedroom!
Dad was done for. He was going to get one hell of a slap when he came home!
After finishing the study, they moved on to the bedroom.
Everyone searched even more carefully now, turning out clothes, pants, pillows, and quilt inserts.
The eldest said, "There's actually money in the pillows?"
The second said, "Bro, come look at this!"
Everyone gathered around again.
Oh, wow!
There were no words!
Dad had stuck money together in the shape of underwear and hung it... in the wardrobe.
Seriously, Mom hadn't noticed? It was so obvious!
"He just made this. The idiot forgot to hide it!"
Tang Mother's teeth ground together as she tossed the hundred-yuan underwear into a bag too.
Tang Shiba silently walked onto the balcony and pulled the flowers out of a pot.
Then she took out a package.
The third brother quickly snatched it and opened it, only to find it full of diamonds!
Those flowers were way too expensive!
Tang Shiba lowered the balcony curtain next. The eldest leaned in for a look and discovered that all the decorations on it were necklaces!
The second brother was speechless...
Seriously, it was so obvious. Why hadn't Mom seen it?
Tang Mother spoke in a grim voice. "Your dad told me he bought them from a roadside stall. A hundred yuan for a whole pile. He thought they looked nice, so he used them as decorations!"
The eldest pulled one off, examined it, and fell silent. "Mom, these are all real. Each one costs thousands, even tens of thousands."
Seriously, where had Dad gotten so much stuff to hide?
Tang Shiba held back her laughter, but she was close to losing it.
[You really can't blame Dad for this one. A jewelry company owed him money, so they paid their debt with jewelry. Dad thought it was too cheap to give as gifts, but it looked pretty, so he hung it up there.]
Rich people could do whatever they wanted!
Just then, Dad's voice came from outside the door.
"Honey, I'm home!"
The three brothers hurriedly put down the money.
The eldest said, "Mom, there's still work at the company. I'll head out first!"
The second said, "I've already had two days off. I need to get back to work too!"
The third said, "I've moved my schedule back here. I need my second brother's help with a few things, so I'll go with him."
Then all three abandoned Tang Shiba and ran.
Startled, Tang Shiba hurriedly said, "Mom, I'll go see if there's anything to eat in the kitchen. I'm hungry."
[Run! Something's wrong with Mom!]
Tang Mother waved weakly. It was the warning sign before an explosion. Dad was finished.
Tang Shiba quickly fled.
As the three brothers left, they ran into Tang Dad coming upstairs. All three gave him a sympathetic look.
Tang Dad was puzzled. "What's with those looks? Do I owe you money?"
Yes, exactly! And a lot of it!
The third brother said, "Dad, good luck. We've got work to do!"
After the three left, he encountered Tang Shiba, and his expression immediately softened. "Shiba, where have you been playing?"
Tang Shiba smiled sweetly. "Dad, in your study and bedroom!"
Tang Dad perked up. "Oh? What were you playing?"
"A treasure hunt for money!"
"Money?" Tang Dad's expression suddenly froze!!!
He was dead!
He asked nervously, "Is your mom in the room?"
Tang Shiba nodded obediently. "Yes. She's counting the money!"
[No, she's sharpening her knife!]
Tang Dad shuddered! Inwardly, he knew he was done for.
How was he supposed to explain this?
Most men had ulterior motives when they stashed away secret savings.
But he really had only hidden it. He hadn't used it!
He was innocent. He hadn't been fooling around!
Tang Dad gave an awkward smile and turned to leave. "I just remembered I left a contract at the office. Tell your mom not to wait for me for dinner tonight."
"Tang Cheng! Get in here!"
Tang Mother's calm voice rang out.
Tang Shiba shook her head regretfully.
[Too late... Dad, don't blame me. If we don't find it now, when the company goes bankrupt later, the house will be seized to pay off the debts, and someone else will take all your secret savings.]
[So just give it to Mom. We're family. What's yours is ours. No need to be shy!]
Tang Dad could only lower his head and enter the bedroom.
The moment he stepped inside, the devastation gave him a fright!
He was done for. They'd even dug out his underwear.
He quickly dropped his bag and rushed to soothe her. "I can explain, really! I didn't deliberately keep it from you. I just didn't want you to worry!"
Tang Mother took a deep breath and chose to trust her husband anyway.
"Go on, then. Explain!"
"Ten years ago, didn't our company run into trouble? The financial crisis nearly wiped us out. I thought, what if the company got into trouble again one day and we had no money?"
"So I started saving money back then. I really haven't wasted a single cent. Really! I swear!"
Tang Mother found it both funny and heartbreaking.
"All right. Then find the money yourself. Either leave it with me or leave it with our daughter. Just stop keeping it hidden in the house."
"What if the house catches fire one day..."
Tang Cheng broke out in a cold sweat. "I'll find it, I'll find it! I'll give it all to our daughter!"
How had he never thought of that? If the house caught fire, all his money would be gone.
Hearing no commotion, Tang Shiba felt a little disappointed.
[Mom actually believed Dad's nonsense?]
[Dad didn't waste it, sure, but he did use it to buy booze!]
Tang Mother!!!
Tang Dad... What a kid. Selling out her own dad!
"Tang Cheng!"
Their mother's furious roar came from the room.
Tang Xueqing finally couldn't sit still any longer and came out of her room.
Huh? Was her hunger strike over?
Before you continue