Everyone I loved was being forced to kneel and beg me to “hand over the money.”
Hand over what?
Where was I supposed to get it?
A commotion came from the ward.
My uncle was slowly making his way over, supported by a nurse.
His face was ashen, and his breathing was weak.
He had clearly learned everything that had happened.
He stopped in front of me and looked at me for a long time.
“Wanwan, just hand over the money for now.”
“I won’t blame you.”
In an instant, it felt as though all the blood in my body had turned to ice.
Even my uncle believed the money was in my hands.
He had simply chosen not to pursue the matter.
The nurse standing beside us urged, “Family members, are you going to make the payment or not? If you aren’t, we’ll have to cancel the surgery.”
Great-Aunt was crying.
Third Uncle was cursing.
My mother kept calling my name over the phone.
More than forty pairs of eyes were fixed on me.
It was exactly like that day in my previous life.
I lowered my head and took a deep breath.
When I raised it again, I looked toward my aunt-in-law, who was standing not far away, the corners of my lips curling up slightly.
“Aunt, you said you withdrew a hundred thousand yuan in cash and handed it to me. Then let’s go to the bank now and check the records associated with that withdrawal slip.”
“For cash withdrawals exceeding fifty thousand yuan, banks require advance registration.”
“Every banknote has its own serial number. Aunt…”
“Do you dare to verify them with me?”
## Chapter 2
After the message was sent, the group remained silent for a full minute.
The serial numbers on banknotes.
Many people had never even heard of such a thing.
Third Uncle was the first to react.
“What serial numbers?”
My hands were still trembling, but I spoke every word with absolute clarity.
“Every banknote has its own unique code. When a large amount of cash is withdrawn, the bank keeps records of the transaction. The serial numbers of every banknote in the hundred thousand yuan Aunt withdrew can be checked.”
“If the money really was handed to me, there would be traces of it wherever I used it or made transactions with it—the payment counter, my bank account, or other related transactions.”
“If Aunt never handed it to me…”
“Then all we have to do is investigate to find out where that hundred thousand yuan went.”
I raised my head and looked at my aunt-in-law at the far end of the crowd.
Her face turned visibly pale.
“Fine! Let’s verify it!”
My cousin pushed his way forward, raising his voice as he tried to sound confident.
“My mother has a clear conscience. She has nothing to fear!”
“Fine.”
I nodded.
“But before we verify anything, I want to ask Aunt three questions.”
I turned to face her and spoke slowly, one word at a time.
“First, did I open the envelope right in front of you?”
My aunt-in-law’s lips moved.
“…Yes.”
“Second, did I deposit the money into Uncle’s hospital account, banknote by banknote, right in front of you?”
“…Yes.”
“Third…”
I took half a step forward.
“You just said you withdrew a hundred thousand yuan and handed it to me. Now, in front of Uncle and the entire family, say those words one more time.”
Everyone in the corridor turned to look at her.
She opened her mouth.
The word handed seemed to circle around inside it several times, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
“Go on! You said you had nothing to fear!”
My aunt-in-law suddenly turned away and shouted, “The bank is closed! Tomorrow! We’ll verify everything tomorrow!”
I glanced at my phone.
It was 8:40 p.m.
The bank’s priority customer service hotline operated twenty-four hours a day.
I called right there and put the phone on speaker.
The customer service representative’s voice rang out clearly.
“Certainly, ma’am. The account holder can bring their ID and transaction receipt to any branch to submit a request for an inquiry. If the matter involves a dispute, the records can also be retrieved through a written request for investigative assistance from the police. The process usually takes two business days…”
I hung up and looked at my aunt-in-law.
“Heard that?”
“Since the investigation will take two business days and Uncle’s surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning, let’s pool the money to cover the operation first. We can investigate afterward.”
“Let’s meet at the bank entrance at nine the morning after tomorrow. Anyone who refuses to show up must have something to hide.”
The people around us exchanged glances, but no one spoke.
In the end, they all turned to look at my aunt-in-law.
Her lips trembled for a long time before she finally managed to force out a sentence.
“You… You’re deliberately trying to force your own uncle to his death!”
“At a time like this, all you care about is money. You don’t care about your uncle at all! He loved you so much when you were little, and this is how you repay him!”
“I’ve already told you that I really did hand you the money. Now you’re not only refusing to admit it, but you’re trying to make me pay you again!”
Those words from my aunt-in-law immediately set Chu Hao off.
He shoved his way through the crowd and grabbed my father by the collar.
“Just look at her! This is the daughter you raised! What a disgrace!”
“If I had a daughter like her, I’d rather hang myself than live with the shame!”
I immediately slapped his hand away.
“And I wouldn’t want a muddleheaded excuse for a father like you, either!”
Judging by the situation, a full-blown argument was inevitable.
I had already prepared myself for it.
A nurse pushed a treatment trolley over.
“Chu Jianjun, it’s time for the preoperative consultation. A family member needs to accompany you.”
My uncle sat in a wheelchair and was wheeled into the middle of the corridor.
He had heard everything along the way.
Now he raised his head and spoke softly—so softly that it was as though he were afraid of disturbing something.
“Wanwan, how much money is in the account right now?”
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