Chapter 549: That's easy to settle

The boy lifted his head, looked at everyone, and shook his head desperately.

Tuan Tuan asked softly, "What's your name?"

Daoba chuckled: "Little ancestor, you forgot? The people on the street said he's mute, can't speak."

Tuan Tuan furrowed her little brows: "What should we do then?"

The boy suddenly raised his hand, pointed at the table, and gestured twice.

The adults exchanged glances.

Tuan Tuan's eyes lit up: "He wants pen and paper!"

Daoba blinked: "He can still write?"

The boy nodded.

Daoba said nothing more, turned and ran out.

Soon after, he returned holding the brush and ink, placing them on the table.

The boy sat by the table, poured water, ground ink, picked up the brush, unhurried and composed, looking the part.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi glanced at each other; this beggar-like boy actually seemed educated—where did he come from?

The boy lifted the brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote two characters on the paper, neat and proper, horizontal level, vertical straight.

Tuan Tuan climbed onto the chair beside the table, stared at the two characters, and exclaimed, "Your writing is so beautiful!"

The boy looked at her, his gaze flickered, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

Tuan Tuan's little face scrunched up: "But I don't know how to read!"

The boy stared, his face instantly fell: "……"

Xiao Er tried not to laugh, and read softly: "Kang An. Is that your name?"

The boy nodded.

Tuan Tuan nodded: "So you're called Kang An—what a nice name! I'm Tuan Tuan!"

Tuan Tuan, Kang An silently noted in his heart, his ears turning red again.

Tuan Tuan looked at him: "Xiao An'an, how old are you?"

Xiao An'an?

Kang An hesitated, then lifted the brush and wrote: "Eight years old."

Lu Qi sized him up, brows slightly furrowed: "Eight? His build looks more like six."

Kang An lowered his head, his hand paused, and wrote two words: "From hunger."

Daoba blinked: "From hunger?"

Tuan Tuan felt a bit sad; Xiao An'an must always be hungry, which is why he's so thin and small.

She reached out her little hand and patted Kang An's arm: "Don't worry, I won't let you go hungry again. By the way, that Pass Clearance Document—who did you steal it from?"

Kang An picked up the brush and wrote quickly on the paper.

Several people gathered around to look.

Xiao Er read it aloud for Tuan Tuan: "It was stolen from the couple who run the Karakhan Spice Shop; I've seen them."

Tuan Tuan looked puzzled: "Then why didn't you tell them? You got beaten for nothing."

Kang An lowered his eyes, gripped the brush tighter, and slowly wrote a line: "Because I'm hungry, I always steal food, and no one believes me."

Lu Qi read it slowly aloud.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Tuan Tuan grabbed Kang An's hand: "Who said no one believes you? I do!"

Kang An lifted his head, stared straight at Tuan Tuan, his light-blue eyes shining amazingly, the corners of his mouth turned up, and for the first time he showed a hint of a smile.

Daoba muttered: "This kid can even smile."

Tuan Tuan stared unblinkingly at Kang An: "Xiao An'an, your eyes are really beautiful! I wish I had a pair of blue eyes like yours!"

"Your smile is lovely too! Please smile at me more often!"

Kang An nodded, the curve of his lips widening.

The two little ones locked eyes, neither willing to look away first.

Daoba coughed once.

Xiao Er supported Tuan Tuan's little shoulder, turning her toward himself.

Tuan Tuan then came to her senses: "Uncle Xiao? We need to help Xiao An'an; we can't let him be wronged like this."

"All right, but catching a thief requires evidence; we can't go on just his word."

Lu Qi tapped the table lightly: "How did you see them stealing the document?"

Seeing Kang An still looking at Tuan Tuan, Lu Qi patted his shoulder: "Kid, are you watching the back of his head too? I'm talking to you!"

Only then did Kang An snap back, looking at Lu Qi with a puzzled expression, obviously not having heard what he asked.

Lu Qi: "……"

"You little brat, can't get enough of staring at the miss?"

He stepped between them, looked at Kang An, and said: "I'm asking you—did you see them steal the document?"

Kang An nodded firmly, picked up the brush, and wrote again.

"They dragged the caravan people into the spice shop, stole the document while they were looking at the spices—I've seen it twice at the doorway."

Daoba read it once: "This is a black shop!"

Xiao Er stood up: "Come on, let's go take a look."

The night was already deep.

The street had few people; only a few shop doors still hung lanterns, swaying in the wind and flickering with a dim yellow glow.

Kang An walked in front, Xiao Er holding Tuan Tuan, and several people followed behind him.

Daoba whispered, "This kid really is thief material, walking without making a sound."

Lu Qi grunted, "At such a young age to be mixing on the streets, one must have some skill."

After turning two streets, Kang An stopped, raised his hand and pointed ahead.

Several people followed his finger and looked over.

On the street corner there was a shop, its front not large, a wooden sign hung at the entrance, with a few crooked characters written on it.

The shop was already closed, the door panels shut tight, a faint yellow light seeped through the crack.

"Black Khan Spice Shop." Daoba read it aloud, "Is this the place?"

Kang An nodded.

Xiao Er put Tuan Tuan down, took her little hand, and walked slowly past the shop entrance.

He then strolled around the shop once more.

Tuan Tuan stopped, pointing at the back of the shop: "There."

Xiao Er bent low and asked, "Miss, where?"

"They hid the stolen things in a box, buried underground over there."

Kang An froze, ran to Tuan Tuan's front, widened his eyes staring at her, his two hands gesturing quickly.

Tuan Tuan didn't quite understand, but roughly grasped his meaning.

"Are you asking how I know?" she tilted her head, "I just know!"

Kang An was stunned.

Daoba couldn't help laughing, "You still don't know, this little ancestor of ours has considerable skill."

Xiao Er glanced at him, lifted his chin toward the shop: "Go have a look."

Daoba nodded, his form flickered, and he vanished into the night.

Not long after, he returned, his expression quite colorful.

"That couple is counting their silver." He lowered his voice, imitating their tone, "These few sheets this time can still fetch a good price."

Lu Qi raised an eyebrow: "Any more?"

Daoba continued imitating: "That little thief really lacks judgment, being mistaken by them as a thief of documents, now it's good, it saves us trouble, truly heaven helps me."

Tuan Tuan clenched her little fists: "These two bastards!"

Daoba spread his hands: "Person and goods both caught, we can now go in and drag them out."

Xiao Er shook his head, lifted Tuan Tuan: "Not urgent."

"We're not from here; if we rush in now, they'll kick up a fuss, and might even turn the tables, claiming we planted the stolen goods to frame them."

"By then it won't be clear."

He looked at Daoba: "Who has the final say around here?"

Daoba thought: "There's a man called Shatuke, who is the headman here."

"Whether Hu or Han, for any matter they go to him to decide, more effective than the government's word."

Lu Qi nodded, instantly understanding Xiao Er's meaning: "Then it's easy to handle."

"Aren't those few victims coming to find Kang An tomorrow morning? We can just turn the tables on them."