Da Ming Sheng waited for Shang Ming and Lam Shu Pan to take their habitual stroll in the garden. Then she looked for an alibi, an eighteen-year-old a.s.sistant, Xiao Yu who dropped out of school due to a poor family background.
‘Xiao Yu, did you come to clean the bathrooms?’ Da Ming Sheng asked.
‘Yes young mistress,’ Xiao Yu said.
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ Da Ming Sheng said.
Da Ming Sheng waited for Xiao Yu to clean Shang Ming and Lam Shu Pan’s bathroom. Then she casually walked into the bathroom.
‘Xiao Yu, I forgot to ask you,’ Da Ming Sheng said. ‘The pot plants in my bedroom haven’t been watered for days. Can you go water them for me?’
‘Yes young mistress,’ Xiao Yu said.
Xiao Yu walked to the shed to get a watering can, and Da Ming Sheng’s ransacked Lam Shu Pan’s vanity table drawers. Da Ming Sheng took out a diamond necklace from a box. Afterward she carefully used a tissue to wipe her fingerprints, and put the empty box back in the drawer.
Da Ming Sheng returned to her bedroom, hid the diamond necklace under the bed and pretended to watch TV.
‘Young mistress, can I come in to water the pot plants?’ Xiao Yu asked.
‘Come in,’ Da Ming Sheng said.
Xiao Yu walked to the pot plants. She was suspicious why Da Ming Sheng asked her to water the pot plants that looked like they were watered in the morning. But she didn’t want to lose her job so she watered the pot plants.
‘Young mistress, I’m done watering the pot plants,’ Xiao Yu said.
‘You can leave,’ Da Ming Sheng said.
‘Yes young mistress,’ Xiao Yu said.
Da Ming Sheng locked the bedroom door after Xiao Yu left. Da Ming Sheng grabbed the diamond necklace from under the bed, and inspected it closely. Why did Shang Duan Hua lie to her? If his family was on the verge of bankruptcy then why did Lam Shu Pan buy an expensive diamond necklace? Shang Duan Hua must have put on an act with his parents to scare her so she wouldn’t spend their money. If they were selfish then she didn’t need to feel guilty about p.a.w.ning the diamond necklace.
Da Ming Sheng put the diamond necklace in her handbag, and she calmly walked downstairs.
‘Young mistress, dinner is almost ready,’ an a.s.sistant said. ‘Where are you going?’
Da Ming Sheng gripped her handbag in case the diamond necklace fell out.
‘Tonight I’m meeting a friend for dinner to tell her I won’t be buying the rare dress she reserved for me,’ Da Ming Sheng said. ‘Tell Duan Hua’s parents to eat dinner without me.’
‘Yes young mistress,’ the a.s.sistant said.
Da Ming Sheng took a taxi to the p.a.w.n shop. She also called a friend to eat dinner with her to be her alibi. She wished Da Tian Ting had visited the Shang family home that evening, because she could have used Da Tian Ting to be her scapegoat if Lam Shu Pan asked her about the missing diamond necklace.
At the p.a.w.n shop, the owner was immune to seeing shady sellers like Da Ming Sheng.
‘Miss, what do you want to sell?’ the owner asked.
‘Boss, take a look at this diamond necklace,’ Da Ming Sheng said. ‘How much is it worth?’
‘One million dollars,’ the owner said.
‘Boss, we both know this diamond necklace is worth a lot more than one million dollars,’ Da Ming Sheng said.
‘Miss, I need to make a living too,’ the owner said. ‘One million dollars is my highest offer. You can take it or leave it.’
‘Deal,’ Da Ming Sheng said.
Da Ming Sheng accepted the cheque from the owner, she went to buy the rare dress and ate dinner with her friend.
The owner called his friends and bragged about hitting the jackpot.
‘Guess what?’ the owner asked a friend. ‘I paid one million dollars for a diamond necklace worth ten million dollars.’
At night, Da Ming Sheng returned home and saw everyone looking stiff in the living room. It made her worry that Lam Shu Pan found out about the missing diamond necklace while she went to p.a.w.n it.
‘Dad, mum, Duan Hua, what happened?’ Da Ming Sheng asked.
‘Tian Qiang’s CEO refused to see Duan Hua too,’ Shang Ming said.
Da Ming Sheng was relieved no one found out about the missing diamond necklace. She sat next to Shang Duan Hua, and pretended to be a dutiful wife.
Shang Duan Hua forgave Da Ming Sheng’s tantrum after he heard an a.s.sistant inform him about Da Ming Sheng meeting a friend for dinner to tell her friend that she wouldn’t be buying the rare dress.
Lam Shu Pan didn’t want to be in the same room as her daughter-in-law.
‘I’m tired,’ Lam Shu Pan said. ‘I’m going to bed.’
Da Ming Sheng anxiously waited for Lam Shu Pan to unleash a storm.
A few minutes later, Lam Shu Pan returned to the living room like Da Ming Sheng expected.
‘My diamond necklace is missing,’ Lam Shu Pan said. ‘Has anyone seen it?’
Da Ming Sheng acted surprised like everyone else.
‘Which diamond necklace?’ Shang Ming asked.
‘The diamond necklace that’s worth ten million dollars,’ Lam Shu Pan said.
Da Ming Sheng was startled the p.a.w.n shop owner fleeced her.
‘Mum, take another look for it,’ Shang Duan Hua said. ‘Perhaps you misplaced it somewhere.’
‘I always keep it safe in my vanity drawer,’ Lam Shu Pan said. ‘But the diamond necklace box is empty.’
Da Ming Sheng innocently followed everyone upstairs to help Lam Shu Pan look for the diamond necklace she p.a.w.ned.