Chapter 37

Arson is always a serious crime; not to mention Yi Daye, even if everyone in the Courtyard House were together, they couldn't bear this charge; Yi Daye could only arrange a few youngsters to go find the police station.

As for Bang Geng and them, they were tightly bound and thrown at the entrance of the Grocery shop.

He Yuzhu opened the Grocery shop's door and let Character go in to have a look; during these days she was away, the Grocery shop had been managed very well by He Yuzhu.

"Indeed not bad, the goods look much more than in my grandfather's time." Character looked delighted, "Your situation has been told to me in a letter by Grandfather Hong; the past matters are over."

The "Grandfather Hong" that Character spoke of is the leader whom He Yuzhu often goes to cook for.

"Character, you haven't eaten yet, right? I'll go back and get you something to eat." He Yuzhu hurried home and brought back white flour steamed buns and meatball stewed with cabbage.

Character also didn't stand on ceremony, and ate the whole bowl of cabbage.

"I heard you were performing out of town; why did you suddenly come back?"

Character smiled and gave a detailed explanation of her recent days away. Previously she was on the city wrestling team; because she placed in a competition, she followed an exchange team to an out-of-town friendly match.

But she was about to retire, so when the exchange team returned, she herself went elsewhere for a trip.

"I went to visit a master to further study the Technique." Character explained, "I went to Changyang in Gangcheng, Lu Province; that is the birthplace of the Technique, with many great masters."

He Yuzhu actually knows this place, because it also produces pears and taro.

Upon hearing that He Yuzhu knew this place, Character was greatly delighted and hurriedly asked how he knew.

"Gangcheng can be said to be rich in natural resources and outstanding talents. Lu cuisine is the foremost of the eight major cuisines, and Gangcheng is one of the birthplaces of Lu cuisine; every chef knows this."

The northern part of Gangcheng borders the sea, producing various precious seafood. The central and western parts have some hills; almost all northern fruits are cultivated there, with the apples and cherries being of the best quality.

These things have also nurtured generation after generation of famous chefs.

He Yuzhu finds nothing surprising about that.

"The sea there is very beautiful, blue and blue." Character said softly, "However, my master lives in a quiet little village at the foot of a mountain."

After listening to Character's detailed introduction of the local customs, He Yuzhu also felt drawn to Gangcheng; when he becomes financially free in the future, he will definitely buy a house there.

The two chatted softly in the Grocery shop, the distance between them growing closer; finally He Yuzhu gently took Character's little hand, making her a bit shy.

Their intimate talk didn't continue further, because outside there was a noisy clamor; it seemed that everyone who should have been summoned had been summoned.

Director Zhang was drinking at home when someone hurriedly called him out; hearing that an arson case had occurred, he was more anxious than anyone, having just taken office a few days ago, and now this case arose—this is a slap to his own face.

"Yi Zhonghai! What did I say before? Stay steady, stay steady—is this the Courtyard House you brought? Even arsonists have shown up; next step, are we going to overturn the heavens?" Director Zhang wiped his glasses and scolded.

Yi Daye was like a turtle pulling its head in, not daring to utter a word of rebuttal; as for Er Daye and San Daye, they hid in the crowd, pretending to be passersby.

After carefully examining the scene and looking at Bang Geng and them tied up there, Director Zhang paced back and forth; he wasn't acquainted with Bang Geng, but he didn't want this matter to interfere with his own position.

"Don't you have three elders in your courtyard? Go and talk to the victim; since the fire didn't actually start, can we avoid charging arson? I'll go discuss with the police station."

The three people in the Courtyard House still hadn't figured out a solution when Qin Huairu brought her whole family and knelt beside them, saying if Bang Geng lost his life, their family couldn't survive.

"I'll go back and break his leg, Yi Daye, you plead with Zhuzi for me." Qin Huairu threw herself onto Yi Daye's leg, sobbing, "This wasn't his idea either."

"Enough, enough." Yi Daye staggered to his feet.

Entering the Grocery shop, Yi Daye spoke first: "Zhuzi, the Jia Family has only this one grandson; you can't watch his line die out. Besides, there are still three little hooligans; why not let Bang Geng off?"

"If you make a mistake, you must pay the price; as for the Jia Family, that's someone else's family—what does it have to do with me?"

Er Daye, thinking he had Director Zhang's backing, could put on airs; he stepped forward, pointed at He Yuzhu and shouted, "This is Director Zhang's meaning—don't you give the leader any face at all?"

Before He Yuzhu could speak, Character grabbed Er Daye's finger, twisted it hard upward, stepped into a bow stance, and slipped her other hand under his knee.

With that, she threw Er Daye out of the Grocery shop.

"I've trained hard in the Technique for so many years; someone like you I could take on ten or more." Character shouted with hands on hips, "You old bones still come out to block the way—truly you don't know what death is."

He Yuzhu stood aside, eyes wide open; this wife's combat power is quite high.

"Actually, the young ladies all tell me to be gentler." Character leaned close to He Yuzhu and whispered, "From now on I won't strike out."

"For bad people, one must show no mercy."

All this commotion finally drew Director Zhang over; he even opened his mouth to speak, and Character handed him a piece of paper, saying, "Take a good look at what's written on it before you speak."

Director Zhang's forehead immediately beaded with sweat; he stared at Yi Daye and them a few times and said, "Old Ma, take the people back to the police station; tomorrow the Security Department of the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative will come over to handle the handover."

Qin Huairu knelt outside the door, crying out, "Director Zhang Xianghuo, Yi Daye, please save the child."

Several people sighed and went home; no one could manage this. Qin Huairu lay at the entrance of the Grocery shop, weeping bitterly, still unable to change anything.

"Ding, this move of the host to lure the snake out of its hole is quite rewarding: reward—five hundred catties of meat, one ton of grain, fifty catties of various meat products, fifty catties of vegetables, unlock industrial goods—blanket."

"Ding, the host's wife has a rather high combat value; specially unlocking Black Technology—360-degree anti-fall and collision-resistant clothing, requiring only one hundred million to obtain; one hundred million you can't buy a loss, one hundred million you can't be deceived."

"My current salary is only over fifty yuan; you're selling one hundred million! Could it be paid in installments, plus give me eighty years of interest-free preference, I might consider buying one."

"Alas, the host actually doesn't cherish his own body at all—how sad."

The two of them chatted together for a while again, He Yuzhu then went home; as for Character, of course she was sleeping in the grocery shop.