This is how it goes, people always get caught red-handed at the most opportune moments.
Just moments ago, the Su Family mother and daughter claimed that their child was framed, but Zhao Guihua immediately recognized her own salted fish, which she had hung to dry by the stove.
Zhao Guihua raged, "Well, the Su Family sure knows how to do things! Sneaking into my house to steal while I'm away, you little scoundrel, always thieving and causing trouble, you deserve to be locked up and fed for free! What kind of person are you!"
Seeing Zhao Guihua so furious, everyone silently stepped aside, making room for any potential brawl.
However, although Zhao Guihua was furious, she didn't make a move. She couldn't bring herself to touch someone covered in "gold."
Aunt Su's face changed, quickly reacting, "You're mistaken, this is our salted fish."
She could twist black into white, but Zhao Guihua just sneered, not surprised at all by Aunt Su's words. After all, Zhao Guihua knew her well after so many years of living together.
She sneered, "My salted fish has distinguishing features. I can prove it's mine. Can you prove it's yours?"
Aunt Su's face turned sour, but she still spoke softly, "Aunt Zhao, I know you don't want to admit that Zhuang Zhixi misunderstood my grandson, but you can't just make things up. This salted fish really is ours. Let everyone else judge, salted fish is just salted fish, what distinguishing features could it have? Don't try to argue your way out of this."
Zhao Guihua sneered, "Pfft, it's you who's arguing here, isn't it? Let me tell you, my salted fish does have distinguishing features. If you can't say what they are, it means this fish isn't yours. I'll ask you again, what distinguishing features does this fish have?"
Aunt Su was stumped, knowing Zhao Guihua was tough and unyielding.
She looked at Zhao Guihua, hoping she would let it go, or else her grandson would be branded a thief. In fact, Aunt Su had a high opinion of her own family, thinking her children were perfect, but she didn't realize that no one around liked her three grandsons.
Although the three brothers were enviable, no one liked those three brats.
Everyone knew they were thieves and troublemakers.
Though they didn't steal big items, just small things, taking from kids, it was enough to make everyone dislike them.
If not for Aunt Su and Wang Xiangxiu's "skills" and acting abilities, their family would have been confronted and humiliated long ago.
Aunt Su softly said, "I... I won't argue about it."
"Pfft, you won't argue? I haven't even mentioned your little thief yet, and you have the nerve to say you won't argue? Where's your face? Everyone, check the fish, I cleaned it all out, the intestines and all. That's the distinguishing feature of my fish."
Times were tough, even making salted fish like this was unusual, usually keeping those parts for a bit of sustenance. But Zhao Guihua, being reborn, cleaned it thoroughly, discarding anything useless.
Like the fish guts and liver, which she cooked with tofu, and anything inedible, she threw away.
So this fish was lighter than it should be.
The dark-faced man nodded, "That's true."
Zhao Guihua thought, "This fish definitely can't be taken now, the dark-faced man is covered in 'gold.'"
"Aunt Su, don't argue anymore, look, there's evidence. It turns out the thief around here is your grandson, aren't you tarnishing our neighborhood?"
"That's right!"
"Oh, there's more in the bag."
"Yes, look at what else..."
He had a small bundle, not just one item stolen, and there was also half a roast chicken and a handful of fried peanuts. Everyone looked at Zhao Guihua, thinking, you sure eat well.
Zhao Guihua quickly said, "That's not mine."
Everyone started murmuring, Madam Zhou Li turned around, her anger flaring, "Damn it, that's mine!"
She charged forward, "You little brat stole from me, he's really got guts, I'll kill him, I'll kill him!"
Madam Zhou Li instantly turned into a raging dragon, no one dared to stop her, who would dare touch her grandson covered in filth? Winter laundry is already a pain, let alone dealing with this.
Plus, everyone felt the kid deserved a lesson.
He stole from two houses in one night, how outrageous!
Stealing like this, now covered in 'gold,' the owners definitely wouldn't want the items back. His family was always poor, if they couldn't repay... letting the victims vent their anger was justified, right?
So no one stepped forward, no one wanted to get dirty.
Madam Zhou Li had recently allied with Aunt Su to confront Zhao Guihua, but now she wanted to kick Aunt Su. New and old grudges flared up. Madam Zhou Li was like this, she could wrong others, but others couldn't wrong her.
She charged and started hitting, Aunt Su screamed, "Ah!"
Hearing his beloved's cry, Old Man Bai jumped in, "You dare hit me? Old Man Bai, you old fool, watch me take care of you!"
Madam Zhou Li couldn't fight both, she looked at her daughter-in-law, shouting, "You little wretch, what are you staring at, aren't you on our side? Don't you see our things stolen, your husband and mother-in-law being bullied? If you don't help, you might as well marry Bai Fendou!"
Those words were harsh, very hurtful, Jiang Lu, seemingly spurred on, picked up a stone and charged.
Of course, she wasn't aiming at her mother-in-law, seeing Zhou Qun like this, she was heartbroken and furious, not caring about anything, she swung a brick towards Aunt Su.
"Watch out!"
"Be careful!"
"Ah...!!!"
In a crucial moment, Old Man Bai saved the day, pushing Jiang Lu, the brick fell into a cesspool, splashing onto Bai Fendou closest. Bai Fendou wiped his face, instantly furious, such humiliation, who could bear it?
Moreover, he was a proud man from the city, he jumped up, shouting, "Are you done, or what? There's no such thing as this kind of bullying!"
"Who's bullying who, catching a thief is wrong? But you're protecting the thief, what's your deal? What's your relationship with the thief's mother, don't think we don't know." Zhou Qun wasn't holding back either, despite his usual pretense of dignity, he couldn't keep it up in this situation.
Who could keep their cool after such an ordeal!
"What the hell are you saying!"
Hearing Bai Fendou curse Zhou Qun, Jiang Lu wasn't having it, charging forward, "I'll make you bully my man!"
Bai Fendou had just stood up, not yet joining the fight, when Jiang Lu, reckless and unafraid of dirt, charged and knocked him back—splash!
He fell in again.
"Damn! Splashed me all over."
Bai Fendou, not being a brick, made a bigger splash this time, the scene immediately erupted in chaos, everyone cursing. The big brawl that had just calmed down started again, but this one was particularly smelly.
The scene turned into a melee again, Aunt Wang didn't dare approach, she had already been splashed with some filth, she definitely didn't want to get near the "golden poop man."
Although she considered herself tough and capable, Aunt Wang couldn't bring herself to join in this mess.
She couldn't handle it.
At this moment, Aunt Wang envied Zhao Guihua, who was safely staying far behind, untouched by the "bloodbath" in front. Those who got close to the scene, more or less, suffered.
The scene erupted into chaos once more, and even Aunt Wang couldn't handle it anymore. She quickly shouted, "Hurry to the police station, go get the police. We can't handle this."
Today's situation was not just under Aunt Wang's jurisdiction; people from other neighborhoods had also come to watch. Someone shouted, "Old Wang, wait here, I'm going to get someone."
"Hold on!"
The scene was in complete disarray.
Zhao Guihua and Zhuang Zhixi were relatively close to the front of the Zhuang Family, but even then, they were only in the middle section. Zhuang Zhixi, relying on his tall stature, peered over the crowd and continuously provided live updates to those behind.
"Aunt Wang is organizing people to throw ropes again to rescue someone. Bai Fendou seems to be splashing around in the cesspool. No one wants to save him, everyone's cursing..."
"Jiang Lu and Wang Xiangxiu are fighting. Wang Xiangxiu has Jiang Lu pinned to the ground, Jiang Lu is pulling Wang Xiangxiu's hair, and Wang Xiangxiu is pinching Jiang Lu's face..."
"Madam Zhou Li is being ridden by Old Man Bai... well, they're fighting anyway."
Describing fights between men and women wasn't exactly easy.
He said, "Let me see... Aunt Su is hugging Jinlai and wailing."
He tiptoed to get a better look and said, "It's starting, they're starting to rescue Bai Fendou... Where's Zhou Qun? Ah, Zhou Qun is also watching the commotion."
With his own mother and wife fighting, he was standing by watching the commotion, quite a character indeed.
"Has Bai Fendou been fished out yet?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Let me see, not yet! Not yet!"
"Ah... so he's full now?"
Hearing this, Zhuang Zhixi thought for a moment and gagged.
"Hey, don't throw up, or you'll get it on us."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Why don't you go up front and experience the scene yourself?"
The guy who responded said, "I want to, but I can't get through!"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Come on, I'll make way for you, go ahead, you'll be satisfied."
"Oh my, you think Bai Fendou won't freeze to death in this cold weather?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Who knows."
Zhao Guihua spoke up at this moment, saying, "It shouldn't be, the cesspool should have some warmth from fermentation, not like ice water."
"Right, seems like it. I've never seen a cesspool freeze even in the coldest weather."
"Who says it doesn't freeze? I've seen it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
While those in the front were watching the commotion, feeling both disgusted and intrigued; those in the middle couldn't see much but were passionately debating whether cesspools would freeze. It was as if they were discussing some important academic research.
Ming Mei: "???"
Those further back, the worst position for a bystander, could only rely on the middle section's recounting.
Ming Mei: "Next time there's a lively event, we have to come out earlier."
Liang Meifen nodded, and inadvertently turned back to see her father-in-law, Old Man Zhuang, even further back, even less useful. Even in the bustling crowd, he couldn't squeeze in.
The fight was fierce, and when the police arrived, the entire street had a peculiar, unforgettable smell, making one wonder if prolonged exposure would harm the nose.
"Make way, everyone, make way, the police are here."
"Quick, make way."
Everyone, stop watching, disperse, this is not the place or time for a spectacle...
...
As the police arrived, Bai Fendou was finally pulled up again. Hearing about the major incident, six police officers rushed over. However, upon reaching the scene, they all started retching.
This was more disgusting than encountering a particularly gruesome scene.
It was a different kind of awful, truly different.
The central figures in the fight were now covered from head to toe, almost unbearable to look at.
The leading police officer, struggling to endure the discomfort, asked, "What exactly happened here! Can anyone explain?"
At this moment, Aunt Wang stepped forward without hesitation. She vividly recounted the entire sequence of events in detail, not out of a sense of duty, but because she had been at the forefront from the beginning. She knew the ins and outs of the situation intimately.
This report was, of course, to be detailed, leaving nothing out.
The cause and effect, babbled on, took another half an hour to finish, leaving the police officers: "..."
Although the thief was indeed caught, the current state of affairs made it impossible to settle the case on the spot. "Everyone, go home and clean up first, and then we'll make a detailed record and investigate this matter thoroughly."
At this time, Aunt Su suddenly burst into tears, crying, "My Jinlai is innocent..."
No one believed this. With over a hundred people present, everyone had seen the contents of the bundle. To claim innocence after stealing from two households was to treat everyone like fools. There was no way to get away with such nonsense.
Immediately, someone said, "Innocent my foot, if Jinlai is innocent, the sun could rise in the west."
"Exactly, still not admitting it, how thick-skinned can you be?"
Zhao Guihua also shouted from a distance, "Aunt Su, you're not exactly a paragon of virtue either. Your son stole, and not only did you help him deny it, you even lied that the salted fish was yours. It's laughable, you know whether you have salted fish or not. You're clearly trying to wriggle out of responsibility for my salted fish."
"And my roast chicken, this was for my son to drink with. He ate half and went out to patrol and catch thieves. Who would have thought that while my son was out catching thieves, you came to steal from my house. Heartless, may lightning strike you down~" Madam Zhou Li's voice was even louder than Zhao Guihua's.
She could stir up trouble even without a reason, let alone today when she was wronged.
The police officers rubbed their temples and said sternly, "Aunt Su, one must be honest. This is not right, hurry and clean up, we'll talk later."
They weren't just repulsed, but also worried someone might catch a chill, given they were pulled out of a cesspool.
"Disperse, everyone, disperse!"
"This matter..."
"First clean up."
Under the repeated urging of the police officers, everyone finally began to disperse, making way for those involved. However, going home? Absolutely not!
Such a grand spectacle was unprecedented, and leaving was out of the question, absolutely out of the question.
Zhuang Zhixi sighed, "I've lived for over twenty years and never seen anything like this."
Zhao Guihua glanced at her son and said, "I've lived for forty-eight years and never seen anything like this either."
If she counted her previous life, that would be close to a hundred and fifty years, and she still hadn't seen anything like this. Zhao Guihua was truly amazed, deeply feeling she lacked the guts to fight like that.
It was just too smelly.
She clicked her tongue.
"Let's go, let's go home first."
"How do we wash this off?"
"I've got some on me too, going home to wash my clothes, wasting soap again."
"You're lucky, I only have this one cotton-padded jacket, what do I wear to work tomorrow if I wash it? Damn it, there's no way to be this unfair, we must get an explanation."
"Right, we must get an explanation."
Those affected by the incident also reacted, starting to shout.
The crowd was noisy, and Aunt Wang called out, "Could everyone help prepare some hot water..."
"We haven't washed our own clothes yet, why should we prepare hot water for them?"
"It's not that we don't want to help, but there are so many of them, how much would it take?"
Hearing this, Madam Zhou Li cursed, "You bastards, how can you be so heartless, giving us a little hot water would kill you! Don't worry about others, we're the most innocent, give it to us. Everyone, go home and boil water for us! Not doing it makes you a bastard!"
"Tch~"
"What kind of person is that."
"Exactly!"
"Get a grip, who cares about you!"
Those who were thinking of going home to boil water stopped when they heard Madam Zhou Li's shameless demand. Who would help her if she spoke like that?
If you asked nicely, maybe some would help, but with such arrogance, who owes you anything?
Aunt Wang was also rendered speechless by Madam Zhou Li's words. Was this woman going to be stupid to death?
Since that was the case, she didn't bother to say more. She was also filthy herself and said, "I'm going home to change clothes too."
Aunt Wang went home to change, but there were some who insisted on not leaving. The courtyard entrance was surrounded by layers of people, all gathered around their courtyard. If it weren't for the public security officers insisting that everyone disperse, the surrounding crowd would have entered the courtyard to watch.
Even so, the smell in the courtyard was quite indescribable.
Ming Mei, though a curious and gossipy girl, knew at this moment that she couldn't stay outside. Given the scene, she really couldn't handle it. Don't look at her as someone who could fight; she couldn't engage in a fight in a cesspit.
Ming Mei dashed home and peered out the window. Liang Meifen noticed and thought this sister-in-law was cunning. She needed to learn from her too, so she hurried home. If they fought again and fell into the manure, it wouldn't be good.
The two sisters-in-law went back to their respective rooms, with Ming Mei peering out the window, her eyes sparkling.
Honestly, when things started, she really didn't expect such a result, but the outcome was indeed...
Just a few hours ago, the young couple was having their usual "emotional exchange." It would be strange for newlyweds not to engage in such exchanges. Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhixi explored many new mysteries together, finally finishing, only to find there was hardly any hot water left in the house.
Zhuang Zhixi quickly tidied up and went out to fetch water for Ming Mei to bathe. But unexpectedly, as he stepped out, he saw a shadow jump down from the window of his mother's room. Old Man Zhuang was a heavy sleeper and didn't notice anything.
Zhuang Zhixi shouted "Thief!" and immediately gave chase. The thief ran fast, darting out quickly.
After that, Ming Mei didn't know what happened.
She waited for a while but no one returned, so she had to get up and wash herself briefly. By the time she finished and went out, the scene had already turned into a big brawl. Although there were some interruptions, Ming Mei managed to watch the whole thing from the window. She listened as her husband was recounting the situation to the public security officers.
After all, Zhuang Zhixi and his mother were among the few who knew what happened and were still clean.
As for the others... they were currently boiling water to bathe, and the smell under the hot water was even more unbearable. Ming Mei thought this smell would probably linger for at least a week. The hot bath only made the smell more intense...
Zhuang Zhixi, Zhuang Zhixi felt it even more acutely. He was standing in the courtyard, saying, "Naturally, I had to chase after seeing the thief. I didn't know it was Su Jinlai, and I didn't even think it could be him. Think about it, he didn't run home, but outside. I was the first to chase out, and I could have been the first to catch the thief. But Bai Fendou, that bastard, bumped into me. I was in too much pain and saw several others were already chasing, knowing the thief couldn't escape, so I didn't force myself to chase. Luckily, my mother arrived and helped me to the side."
He didn't mention that Bai Fendou bumped into him to steal the credit, but everyone on the scene wasn't stupid. They all knew the context.
"Bai Fendou wanted to steal the credit, right? Afraid you'd catch him first, but ended up catching the son of his lover. It's like a flood hitting the Dragon King's temple."
"Hahaha, what a mess this is."
The public security officers listened to the discussions and roughly understood the situation. Because Zhuang Zhixi and his wife were praised for catching the thief, everyone in this area wanted to catch the thief.
As a result, they caught the boy Su Jinlai.
The dark-faced man who was the first to catch up with Jinlai was also there, as one of the key witnesses. He was allowed to enter the courtyard to recount the scene. He said, "When I was chasing, I actually noticed he was quite small, but I really didn't think of him as a child. The situation was too urgent, who thinks about that?"
He added, "Look, look at all this stuff on me, all splashed by them. I'm really unlucky, but I did a lot of work catching the thief."
Zhuang Zhixi nodded, deeply agreeing. The dark-faced man did a lot of work indeed. If he hadn't grabbed the bundle, Bai Fendou wouldn't have fallen with Jinlai.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Public security officers, we caught Jinlai today, and it's certain he did steal food from our house and Zhou's. So, was he the one who stole from our neighborhood?"
Everyone eagerly looked at the public security officers, knowing that whether or not it was Jinlai would greatly affect them.
If it was Jinlai, they would have made a great contribution.
If not, it was just a ten-year-old boy stealing food, which, although still petty theft, was not a major issue due to his young age. Plus, he had already received some punishment tonight, so it might just result in a reprimand and education.
Then, their suffering would be in vain, and the merit would be minimal.
The public security officers: "We'll need to ask Su Jinlai a few more questions." He felt it probably wasn't Jinlai. Although Jinlai was caught in the act, he stole food, which was in line with a child's mentality.
But the habitual thief in their neighborhood stole money and valuables, which was quite different.
However, the public security officers didn't make a definitive statement, and everyone waited.
Indeed, as a reborn person, Zhao Guihua knew that the habitual thief in this neighborhood wasn't the boy Su Jinlai but a twenty-something short man.
That man was a habitual thief, but not very daring. In his previous life, he stabbed Zhuang Zhixi and was so scared that he dropped the knife and surrendered immediately. Later, he was sentenced to over ten years, and after getting out, he even came to their courtyard to apologize to Zhuang Zhixi.
Some people, even after being imprisoned, don't change and remain bad to the core.
But many others, influenced by bad people in their youth and going down the wrong path, change after profound education. Like this thief, he reformed.
He served over ten years and came out to start anew.
So Zhao Guihua thought that if that thief could be caught, it would be a good thing for him.
But now, whether or not they could catch that thief, the commotion caused by their neighborhood's pursuit of the thief would certainly spread. Zhao Guihua felt they were likely to become famous. After all, there hadn't been such a sensational event in Beijing.
"What to do? What to do? My grandson has a fever..." Aunt Su's crying voice came, tears streaming down her face, sounding very pitiful: "The child is scared and cold, he's got a fever. Public security officers, you have to help us!"
She didn't just want to use her plight to gloss over the theft, but also to get some money to treat her grandson.
This money, if she could save her own, she had to find a way.
Zhao Guihua wanted to mock her a few times, but at the crucial moment, she held back.
With so many people, it wasn't her place to step out and risk being unpopular.
In fact, such a situation happened in her previous life too, although not a fall into a cesspit, but something else. The Su Family called for donations for their family. At that time, Zhao Guihua already knew what kind of people the Su Family were and couldn't help but expose them. As a result, the donations didn't happen, and she actually saved money for everyone, but instead of being thanked, they said she was mean and not kind to a widow and her child.
From then on, Zhao Guihua kept her distance from such people.
She knew that even if you fought for everyone's benefit, those who gain will still pretend to be good people.
So why bother?
Indeed, this time Zhao Guihua didn't speak, but someone else was unhappy, saying, "Aunt Su, stop pretending. Your Su Jinlai usually bullies other kids, steals their things, and we've already let it go. Now he's started stealing too, and could run faster than a rabbit. It's not right for him to suddenly become weak."
"Yeah, you guys should hurry up and clean up and deal with the situation. We still have to go to work tomorrow."
"Why don't you let Zhuang Zhixi take a look? He works in the clinic, right?"
Who knows which brain-dead idiot said that.
The police officers immediately turned to Zhuang Zhixi, their eyes filled with hope. Zhuang Zhixi, exasperated, raised an eyebrow and said, "For the hundredth time, I reiterate that I am a cashier at the clinic, not a doctor. How many times have I said this, yet someone still expects me to diagnose? Honestly, I suspect you all have it out for the Su Family and are deliberately setting me up to harm someone. Otherwise, why would you insist on having me, someone who is clearly not a doctor, diagnose? That's not diagnosing; it's asking for trouble! What kind of heart is that?"
This time, Zhuang Zhixi was not holding back at all.
It's not that he wasn't annoyed; it had happened so many times already. If he didn't put his foot down, this nonsense would never end. Every little thing was being pushed onto him!
"Who said that just now? Let me see who it was."
Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "Aunt Su, you better remember who said that, because next time they might not just talk but actually take action."
The one who spoke was from the neighboring courtyard. He stood at the door, looking rather downcast, but he knew he had to clear things up quickly, or he'd be in trouble later.
He quickly said, "I didn't mean it that way. I just didn't react in time. I have no intention of harming anyone; I have no grudge against anyone. You can't just make accusations."
Zhuang Zhixi chuckled lightly, "Were you not speaking nonsense just now? I've been working at the clinic for years, and you still got that wrong. Isn't that deliberate? The police officers might not know I'm not a doctor, but surely you all do?"
Zhuang Zhixi was not holding back, and everyone else felt awkward.
It wasn't... well, it wasn't entirely deliberate, just a bit of an oversight...
Besides, he had received rewards, which naturally made people a bit envious. It was inevitable that they'd want to make things a bit difficult for him.
It wasn't a big deal, but he would definitely have to explain in detail that he wasn't a doctor, which would make Zhuang Zhixi look bad. After all, wouldn't it be embarrassing for someone working at a clinic not to have medical skills?
But they didn't expect Zhuang Zhixi to be so blunt in his response.
With Zhuang Zhixi not holding back, the one who spoke didn't dare to say anything more, fearing Zhuang Zhixi might say something even more unpleasant.
The police officer coughed, "If your child is unwell, take them to the hospital, but that's not a way to avoid dealing with this matter. We must get to the bottom of it."
Aunt Su: "But, but we don't have much money left..."
"I have some!" Old Man Bai shouted.
He rushed out halfway through his bath, wrapped in a coat: "I have some, let's get the child treated first!"
The surrounding crowd: "......"
He's really head over heels.
In these times, such devotion is rare.
Even his son, Bai Fendou, is like that, but Bai Fendou still can't compare to Old Man Bai. After all, Bai Fendou can still save up some money to buy a bicycle for himself, while Old Man Bai is completely under Aunt Su's control, from his prime years to old age, still a loyal dog.
Aunt Su gently said, "Thank you, I knew you were a good man."
Old Man Bai smiled.
He was proud and satisfied.
Zhuang Zhixi whispered, "Can this be resolved before dawn? I still have to go to work."
This was true; from catching the thief until now, several hours had passed. Winter days are long, but it's not like it's still early now.
Zhao Guihua glanced at Zhuang Zhixi and said, "If you can't handle it, go back and rest. You still have to work tomorrow, and there's nothing much for you to do here anyway."
It couldn't be said there was nothing for him to do, but Zhuang Zhixi had already clarified his role. The rest of the matters were mostly unrelated to him. He was just a discoverer, pushed aside.
The police officer probably also realized Zhuang Zhixi's role here was minimal, so he said, "If you can't take it, go rest."
Zhuang Zhixi looked at the police officer, then at his mother, and said, "Alright, I'll go back and rest."
He actually wanted to watch the whole drama unfold, but the smell was too overwhelming. He felt like he might faint if he stayed any longer. The smell in the yard was worse than the toilet.
Hot water baths can be dangerous!
Zhuang Zhixi fled, and Old Man Zhuang was also sent back to rest by Zhao Guihua. He did delicate work and couldn't afford to be tired. Old Man Zhuang always listened to Zhao Guihua, so he obediently went back to the room.
The Zhuang father and son couldn't take it, but others were determined to stay and watch the whole show.
Zhuang Zhixi entered the room, and Ming Mei immediately covered her nose, saying, "Close the door quickly, close the door quickly."
Even though the door was closed, the smell still seeped in. But even so, it was better than leaving it open. Ming Mei covered her nose and looked Zhuang Zhixi up and down, saying, "You stink too."
Zhuang Zhixi swore, "I kept my distance from the start, absolutely no problem."
Ming Mei nodded, "Then take off your jacket too."
Zhuang Zhixi thought about it and agreed. He took off his jacket and stood shoulder to shoulder with Ming Mei at the window, watching the commotion. They opened a small crack in the window. They couldn't open it fully because the smell was unbearable.
Zhuang Zhixi put his arm around Ming Mei's shoulder and asked, "Are you cold?"
Ming Mei: "No."
She whispered softly, "Aren't you going to sleep?"
Zhuang Zhixi shook his head, "Sleep? I'm watching the drama. My job is easy, I can catch up on sleep tomorrow during the day."
Ming Mei pouted, "You're slacking off."
Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "So what if I am?"
He gently tapped her, saying, "What about you? Aren't you going to rest early? Will you have the energy to work tomorrow?"
Ming Mei shook her head, "No energy, but if I don't watch, I'll regret it."
She tilted her head and pouted, "You said the thief couldn't be Su Jinlai, and look, how embarrassing is that?"
Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "Who said it wasn't? But I guess the habitual thief isn't him. I just don't know why he decided to steal today."
Ming Mei guessed, "Maybe he thought you all were out patrolling and took the chance to break in?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Huh."
He said, "I hope this lesson is enough, otherwise having a thief in the same courtyard will be a nightmare."
Ming Mei softly agreed, then couldn't help but murmur curiously, "Why didn't he go home when you caught him? Instead, he ran outside and towards the toilet. Now he's really full."
Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
He sighed, "Wife, that's a bit gross, isn't it?"
Ming Mei: "Didn't he eat?"
She looked at Zhuang Zhixi, puzzled, thinking he must have eaten. After all, he was so small, he must have had a few gulps.
Zhuang Zhixi had a black face, helplessly smiled, then said, "He must have eaten."
Once he fell in, there was no way he wouldn't have eaten.
He rubbed his stomach, feeling like he could skip breakfast tomorrow.
Zhuang Zhixi couldn't bear to think about it, it was too gross. He quickly shifted his thoughts, saying, "I can guess why he ran outside instead of going home."
Ming Mei: "Huh?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "If he went home, we'd immediately know it was him. Even if he got inside, we could still go in and take back what he stole, and reprimand him severely. But if he ran outside, he thought he could escape? He's young and easy to hide. If he hid in the night, maybe the whole thing would be forgotten. He ran towards the toilet, I can guess why. He could hide there, and if he managed to evade capture, he could say he was just going to the toilet. With his family backing him up, no one would question when he went out."
Zhuang Zhixi hadn't thought about it when he started chasing, but after so long, he figured out what Su Jinlai was up to.
He smirked, "I didn't recognize him at first, but when he bolted out of the courtyard, I knew it was him. So when they all rushed to chase, I just let it be. There's no benefit in catching him, and I'd be exhausted. Plus, he ran towards the toilet, and I had a bad feeling about that."
Ming Mei giggled and said, "You're just talking nonsense... 'Unlucky premonition'? Don't you dare say that outside, or people will think you're superstitious."
Zhuang Zhixi smiled gently, poking her cheek and said, "My premonition isn't some kind of superstition. Look, Su Jinlai is running pretty fast, but there are so many people chasing him, it's easy for him to panic and choose the wrong path. That's a toilet, not just any place. If anything small were to happen, it would be disgusting. That's why I was really scared and didn't dare to chase him. And look, my premonition was right, wasn't it? Something really did go wrong... I tell you, my mother, Zhao Guihua, should thank me. If I hadn't pretended to be uncomfortable from being bumped, she might have rushed to the front. Look how big of a hole we managed to avoid."
Zhuang Zhixi thought about this and felt that he was indeed very wise.
He sighed, "I'm just too clever."
There won't be any falling-down scenes below~
