Reborn In 1983: Starting With Reclaiming My Birthright Chapter 282: The Missing Watch - Novel Cool

Chapter 282: The Missing Watch

Chapter 282: The Missing Watch

One morning, Lu Jiajin rushed out of the house and forgot to wear his watch. When he returned after a week, the watch was nowhere to be found.

Mali helped look for it, searching through drawers and closets to no avail.

With no luck in the house, they expanded their search to the children's rooms, but still, the watch remained elusive. "Did you drop it somewhere outside?" Mali asked. "How could it disappear if it was at home?"

"I realized I wasn't wearing my watch when I wanted to check the time on the bus," Lu Jiajin replied. "It must be here at home; watches can't just grow legs and walk away."

It was already past six in the evening, and the hired helper, Mrs. Song, had left for the day. The next morning, Lu Jiajin asked her, "Mrs. Song, did you happen to see my watch when you were tidying up my room?"

Mrs. Song nodded. "Yes, I found it on the floor and placed it on the nightstand. But when I came to clean the next day, it was gone. Didn't Mali put it away?"

Mali shook her head, indicating that she hadn't seen the watch.

Mrs. Song's face paled, and her voice took on a worried tone. "That's impossible! I clearly remember putting the watch on the nightstand. It can't just vanish into thin air."

Noticing her distress, Lu Jiajin quickly added, "Mrs. Song, we know you well, and we trust you. Please think carefully; perhaps you placed it somewhere else?"

Mrs. Song shook her head, her voice becoming more agitated. "I'm certain I put it on the nightstand. I couldn't have forgotten something like that."

The watch couldn't have disappeared into thin air. Lu Jiajin suddenly asked, "Mrs. Song, did we have any visitors that day?"

Mrs. Song was about to deny it, but then hesitated, her expression uncertain.

"That watch is a famous brand and cost me over six thousand yuan," Lu Jiajin said.

Mrs. Song's hesitation vanished at those words. "When I was leaving, your in-laws came by with your grandson," she said.

Mali's face darkened at the implication. "Mrs. Song, what are you implying? Are you accusing my parents of something?"

Mrs. Song was indignant at the accusation. "I merely stated that your parents and grandson were here. I didn't imply anything else. Maybe the child saw the watch, found it interesting, and took it to play with, putting it somewhere else. How is that accusing your parents?"

"You were insinuating that it was them!" Mali retorted.

Lu Jiajin trusted Mrs. Song; otherwise, they wouldn't have hired her in the first place. Moreover, Mrs. Song had been working for them for over a year without any issues. It was Ma Jixiang who had stolen money from the house to buy snacks.

Mrs. Song immediately swore an oath. "If I took Jiajin's watch, may I suffer broken hands and feet and may my intestines rupture."

Lu Jiajin quickly interrupted her. "Mrs. Song, please don't say such things. I believe the watch's disappearance has nothing to do with you."

Mrs. Song's eyes welled up with tears. "Jiajin, we must get to the bottom of this. I won't rest until my name is cleared of this unfounded accusation."

"Rest assured, I will investigate thoroughly," Lu Jiajin assured her.

Mrs. Song removed her apron. "Jiajin, I can't continue working for your family. I don't want to be blamed for any missing items in the future. But know that I won't go anywhere until this matter is resolved. I'll wait at Ale's house."

After Mali's accusation, Mrs. Song was understandably reluctant to continue working for the family.

Although Lu Jiajie offered good wages, it wasn't difficult to find work elsewhere, so she refused to put up with such humiliation.

Lu Jiajie personally escorted her back to Ale's house and apologized to Ale's mother.

Ale's mother knew it wasn't his fault, but she was still angry. "Ale, my eldest sister has never taken so much as a needle from anyone else. She can't be wrongfully accused like this."

Lu Jiajie said, "I will bring Lili to apologize to your eldest sister after I get to the bottom of this."

Song's eldest sister waved her hand and said, "I wouldn't dare let her come and apologize to me. I don't want her spreading rumors that I'm a thief."

It took a basketful of nice words from Lu Jiajie to soothe Song's eldest sister's anger.

Just as he was about to leave, Song's eldest sister called out to him, "Jiajie, I feel this is a family matter, so I shouldn't say much. But I must speak up about something I've noticed. Your wife often takes the things you buy for your children back to her own parents' house."

Whenever Lu Jiajie returned from a business trip, he would buy clothes, snacks, and health supplements for the children. As their skin was fair and delicate, he also bought their clothes. He hadn't asked about these purchases before.

After leaving Ale's house, Lu Jiajie went straight to the school to find Ma Jixiang. Unlike in later years, the rules weren't as strict, and when the teacher learned that he was Ma Jixiang's maternal uncle, she agreed to let him take the child out.

Once they were outside, Lu Jiajie looked at Ma Jixiang and asked, "Where's my watch?"

Ma Jixiang's eyes flickered with unease, but he claimed he didn't know what Lu Jiajie was talking about.

Lu Jiajie was certain the watch had been taken by Ma Jixiang, so he slapped him hard and demanded, "Talk! Where's my watch?"

Ma Jixiang covered his face and wailed loudly.

A passerby saw the harsh slap and intervened, "Comrade, it's right to discipline a child when they misbehave, but you mustn't hit them so hard. You might hurt them."

Lu Jiajie's face darkened as he explained, "He stole my watch. That watch is worth more than six thousand yuan. Not only did he take it, but he's also refusing to say where it is. Don't I have the right to hit him?"

The passerby didn't dare to say another word upon hearing this. Stealing a watch worth over six thousand yuan and then not telling the truth—a beating was the least he deserved.

Lu Jiajie slapped Ma Jixiang again, and the other side of his face swelled up. "Talk! Where's the watch? If you don't tell me, I'll beat you to death."

Frightened that Lu Jiajie would make good on his threat, Ma Jixiang stopped crying and sobbed, "I... I sold it."

"Where did you sell it?"

"I... I sold it to the small goods store."

"How much did you sell it for?"

"Fifty yuan."

Lu Jiajie dragged Ma Jixiang to the small goods store and asked the owner for the watch back. Unexpectedly, the owner denied ever receiving Ma Jixiang's watch.

Ma Jixiang was shocked that the owner would deny it, and he shouted, "You clearly took my watch! I asked for a hundred yuan, but you said the watch was only worth fifty. I bought ice cream and soda, so you gave me forty-nine yuan and fifty jiao."

The owner refused to admit it and insisted that Ma Jixiang was making up stories.

Lu Jiajie's face turned gloomy as he said, "I bought this watch last year for six thousand eight hundred yuan. I still have the receipt. If you return the watch to me, I'll give you a hundred yuan, and we'll forget this ever happened. But if I call the police and they find the watch here, I'll make sure your business shuts down."

The owner saw the determination in Lu Jiajie's eyes and grew fearful. "Oh dear, my memory. Now that I think about it, I did receive a watch last Tuesday. Wait here, and I'll go get it for you."

Lu Jiajie didn't argue with the owner after getting his watch back. He gave the man a hundred yuan and then took Ma Jixiang back to school.

(End of Chapter)

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