God-Tier Get Rich System – CH110

Chapter 110: Playing Two Roles

“What?”

Everyone was stunned, all eyes turning to Li Shengli and Du Xiujua.

Their faces were pale as snow.

“My heavens!” Aunt Chunhua’s eyes went wide. This… this… She already thought some things in the Dongfanghong brigade were outrageous, but she hadn’t expected something even more shocking!

“Ugh—ugh—” Hu Ying gagged again, throwing up filth.

Mu Lantu secretly pitied the two innocent girls. The truth might be even more complicated than they imagined.

“I’m going to kill them—” Sanqiang’s eyes were bloodshot with rage, and he charged toward the kitchen.

Sun Changsheng’s two sons quickly wrapped their arms around his waist.

“Don’t be rash, brother! Kill someone and you’ll end up in prison!”

It took Sun Changsheng a long while before he found his voice again. “Li Shengli! From the Li family! Comrade Su—what you said, is it true?”

Li Shengli and Du Xiujua shook their heads desperately, but said nothing. It was obvious they were still hiding something.

Sun Changsheng was utterly disheartened. The reputation of their brigade… ruined!

“Call the Public Security… report it! This is beyond me now…”

From the backyard came the sound of a scuffle.

Mu Lantu grew alert. “Li Changsheng is trying to run?”

Sanqiang turned to Xu Jincheng. “Brothers, please help! My sister and your friend are the same—both victims!”

Xu Jincheng said to Mu Lantu: “Comrade Mu, I’ll trouble you and Comrade Xu to handle this.”

Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang ran to the backyard. With the aid of the courtyard’s lamp and the moonlight, they saw a black figure darting quickly toward the village road.

Darkness seemed not to hinder his vision at all.

But Mu Lantu and Xu Huazhang were even less hindered. Within a few breaths they caught up with the shadow.

Sure enough, it was Li Changsheng.

Xu Huazhang kicked him down, twisted his arms behind his back, and shoved him forward.

Li Changsheng thrashed and cursed foully. “Let go of me! You son of a btch, f**ing let go of me—”

Xu Huazhang tightened his grip, making Li Changsheng break into a cold sweat and scream miserably. “Ahhh—”

Mu Lantu let out a low snort.

When force didn’t work, Li Changsheng turned to pleading. “Listen, just let me go and I’ll give you money! A hundred each, how about it? No? Two hundred!”

Mu Lantu said coldly: “Say one more word and I’ll gag you with mud.”

Li Changsheng fell silent but still struggled.

Xu Huazhang dislocated his arm.

The pain brought tears to Li Changsheng’s eyes, and at last he grew afraid. As the courtyard loomed closer, his twisted face filled with terror.

“No, no, let me go, let me go…”

Xu Huazhang reset his arm and shoved him back into the courtyard.

Sanqiang broke free of the captain’s sons and smashed his fist into Li Changsheng’s face.

Blood gushed from Li Changsheng’s nose.

Du Xiujua cried out in distress and rushed forward. “Son!”

Xu Jincheng urged: “I advise you all not to waste any more time! If nothing else works, Captain, why not tie them all up and, once morning comes, we all go to the police station together.”

“Fine. I’ll have the militia come guard them.” Sun Changsheng was disheartened, unwilling to meddle further, and agreed at once.

Li Changsheng wept and wailed. “Dad! Mom! I don’t want to go to prison!”

Cornered, Li Shengli could only surrender. “I’ll confess, I’ll confess everything!”

“Dad—” Li Changsheng shrieked in fear, no trace left of his former gentlemanly air.

Du Xiujua panicked. “Old man!”

Aside from mother and son, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.

Mu Lantu pulled Xu Huazhang to sit on chairs.

“Children are always debts one must pay!” Tears streamed down Li Shengli’s face. “It was all that wretched son Changmao’s reckless schemes!”

Li Changsheng and Du Xiujua relaxed a little, lowering their heads at the same time so no one would notice.

“But it was only in thought, he never acted on it. What Qianqian saw that time was also a misunderstanding. It was Changmao pretending to be Changsheng—in fact, it was Changmao.” Li Shengli looked at Su Qianqian and Hu Ying with a pointed expression.

Mu Lantu arched a brow in mockery. He thought Li Shengli was trying to “help” Su Qianqian and Hu Ying save face. But the two girls were not so easily fooled, and neither were the others present. Even if they pretended to believe it, rumors would spread. The wisest path was for Su Qianqian and Hu Ying to seek the truth themselves.

Su Qianqian said firmly: “Impossible! I am one hundred percent certain it was Li Changsheng! Uncle Li, if you insist on saying that, then I demand both Li Changmao and Li Changsheng be present. No matter how they try to imitate each other, I can guarantee I’ll know who’s who!”

Li Shengli’s expression shifted unpredictably, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Hu Ying said flatly: “Uncle Li, it seems you’re still not being honest. Do you really think we’ll believe just your one-sided words? I think reporting to Public Security is the best course.”

Li Shengli spoke with difficulty: “Fine, I’ll tell… it’s all that wretched Changmao’s fault… useless boy! He always wanted a son. He looked down on his wife for bearing two daughters, and she hadn’t conceived again these past two years. He worried he’d never have a son, so he forced Changsheng with his wife… There was no wife-swapping, how could they dare? My wife and I would never allow that…”

Su Qianqian finally relaxed a little. She recalled carefully and was sure it had always been Li Changsheng with her—Changmao had never touched her.

Hu Ying vomited bile, tears blurring her eyes—both from body and spirit. “Ugh—ugh—”

Sanqiang gently patted her back, but his own eyes brimmed with tears of anger. “Sis, don’t panic. That’s just Li Shengli’s one-sided claim! Changmao isn’t here—he can twist the story however he wants. Once we find Changmao, we’ll hear it from his own mouth!”

Li Changsheng and Du Xiujua stiffened, sneaking looks at Li Shengli.

His fist clenched and unclenched.

“No… no…” Hu Ying shook her head. “I’m certain it was Changmao with me. On his body—” She remembered the marks, his scent—there was no way she could mistake him!

Li Shengli looked at her apologetically. “Daughter-in-law, I know you’ve suffered, but—”

Mu Lantu cut him off.

“Captain, I heard from Zhuzi that years ago Changmao almost died? Was he badly injured then?”

“Clang!” A porcelain bowl was knocked over and shattered into pieces.

Li Shengli, Du Xiujua, and Li Changsheng all turned pale.

“Why do you suddenly ask that?” Sun Changsheng was puzzled, but unease crept in.

Mu Lantu casually asked a second question. “Since then, has Li Changmao and Li Changsheng ever appeared together in front of outsiders?”

Sun Changsheng dumbly asked: “Wha… what do you mean?”

Mu Lantu only smiled, twirling a fluffy dogtail grass in his hand.

Sun Changsheng’s eldest son suddenly jumped to his feet, shouting: “Never! In front of people it’s always been either Changmao alone or Changsheng alone. They’ve never appeared together!”

Hu Ying glared at Du Xiujua. “I’ve been married into the Li family for four years! Even during New Year, Changmao and Changsheng have never sat at the same table! What’s going on here?”

Xu Jincheng was horrified. “Could it be… Comrade Mu, do you mean that Changmao died long ago, and later it was Changsheng pretending to be him? Is that what you’re saying?”

A chill spread through everyone’s hearts.

Su Qianqian screamed in breakdown and hid in Aunt Chunhua’s arms.

Sun Changsheng roared in fury. “Li Shengli! Even now, are you still refusing to be honest?”

If this was true, then the victims weren’t just Su Qianqian and Hu Ying. The Li family had defrauded the Jiefang Brigade and even harmed the interests of the state!

Before Changmao was registered for state rations, each year he’d taken an extra share of pork, grain, and other supplies from the brigade. After he gained state rations, he took wages and benefits from the state each month. What’s more, because his injuries had been severe, the Li’s had extorted heavily from the families of the youths who had gone hunting with him…

Li Shengli, Du Xiujua, and Li Changsheng all kept their heads bowed, buying time. As long as no one could find Changmao, and they refused to admit, no crime could be nailed down.

Sun Changsheng barked: “Doesn’t matter if you won’t speak. Once we call Public Security, won’t they find out everything? Eldest, go call the militia now!”

Li Shengli panicked. “I’ll talk, I’ll talk! It was that damn woman’s idea!”

Before anyone could react, he slapped Du Xiujua across the face.

She stared at him in disbelief. “Old man, clearly it was—”

“Shut up! Outside, I might still find a way for you. But if I go in, this family is truly finished!”

His voice was low, but Mu Lantu still heard every word.

Du Xiujua seemed resigned to fate, silently weeping.

Li Changsheng looked helplessly from mother to father, at a loss.

“It was Xiujua’s foolish idea back then…”

From Li Shengli’s mouth came an astonishing story.

Back then, when Li Changmao’s accident happened, he was only fifteen.

He and some friends had gone into the mountains to hunt, but they ran into a wild boar. His legs and internal organs were badly injured. Brought home, he died not long after.

Normally, a funeral should have been held. But Du Xiujua had a sudden scheme—have Changsheng pretend to be Changmao. The reasons were many: first, to extort more money and grain from the hunting companions’ families; second, to double their household’s share of village resources; third, with two “sons,” the Li family could marry in two daughters-in-law, bringing more support from their wives’ families.

To avoid suspicion, Li Shengli and Du Xiujua deliberately picked fights with neighbors, then used the excuse to move out of the village center.

Changsheng proved bright, studying hard all the way to high school, winning his teachers’ favor. This made Du Xiujua believe her idea had been brilliant.

Through his teacher, Changsheng secured a job as a purchasing agent in the county food factory. With Du Xiujua’s guidance, over two years he built connections and also arranged for “Changmao” to get a job at the cannery as another purchasing agent.

That job gave freedom. Playing both roles, Changsheng managed smoothly, never arousing suspicion.

He even rented a courtyard in the county to serve as his “switching place” whenever he needed to change roles.

As “Changmao,” he acted reserved and silent. As himself, he was outgoing and lively. The stark contrast of personalities kept suspicion at bay.

When it was time to arrange marriages, Du Xiujua deliberately looked far away—choosing hardworking but simple-minded brides. Honest, so they’d never suspect the brothers were one person; hardworking, so they could slave for the Li family.

Hu Ying fit all of Du Xiujua’s requirements. Her brigade was far from Jiefang Brigade, a three-to-four-hour walk away.