Chapter 45

Lu Qiaoge didn't have time to go to Red Star Lake.

Early the next morning, she put on her rain boots and went to the unit.

There were quite a few dilapidated houses in the military factory and houses in low-lying areas.

Last night's rainstorm was very terrifying.

It was like the sky had leaked, pouring until the ditches were full.

Water entered the Lu family's kitchen. As soon as the rain stopped, the Lu family got up to drain the courtyard and check the utility room. Fortunately, they were prepared, and the grain and such were placed in high places.

The swallow nest was fine, and the Naughty Swallow flew out early in the morning to find insects.

Meng Xia filled out the form with trepidation and joy, and Old Lu carefully put it in his bag and rode his bicycle to work.

Lu Qiaoge, walking on the road, saw that the drainage ditches on the side of the road were full of water, and the old locust tree branches broken by the wind were floating in the stagnant water.

The cadres of the neighborhood office came quite early. Director Hu called Lu Qiaoge: "You and Shao Le follow Officer Liu to investigate in the West 45th District. The chickens and ducks raised by the families there have been stolen. These bastards, they are simply taking advantage of the robbery, no, no, taking advantage of the rain to rob, and they even pushed an old man down, who is now hospitalized..."

Deputy Director Huang said: "The police station said this is a habitual offender. They must have known there would be a rainstorm at night, so they came out to steal things. They are also investigating. There are more than thirty households that lost things last night, but basically, they were all chickens and ducks."

Ren Xiaocui said worriedly: "This is not easy to investigate. Last night's rain was too big, it will wash away many traces."

Shao Le asked: "Can't we look at footprints?"

Officer Liu: "Even if there were footprints, they would have been destroyed long ago."

When the three arrived at the West 45th District, they saw many people busy.

Some were in a hurry to go to work, some were in a hurry to drain their courtyards, and some were stepping on ladders to check their roofs.

"The comrades from the neighborhood office are here!" Someone shouted, and the crowd gathered together automatically parted a path.

The investigation had to start from the first family.

Lu Qiaoge took out her notebook from her bag and listened to Mother Wang, who greeted them, talk about what happened last night.

"The rain was strange in the middle of the night. I heard movement in the chicken coop..." Mother Wang's withered hands clenched, and she continued: "I was worried, so I hurriedly put on my raincoat and went out, and then I saw a figure carrying a bag jump over my wall..."

Officer Liu asked: "Then did you see what the other person looked like?"

Mother Wang shook her head: "Last night's rain was accompanied by wind, it was as scary as it could be, how could I see what the other person looked like?"

Stealing only chickens and ducks, it was clear that it was done by hoodlums and street urchins nearby.

At this point, they had probably already stewed them and eaten them into their stomachs.

As for the fragrance of chicken meat...

They weren't stupid either; they couldn't possibly eat in the family courtyard, so the place to sell the stolen goods wouldn't be far from here.

A family behind ran over and told Officer Liu: "You go to my house first. My chicken coop collapsed, and three chickens were injured. By the way, I saw footprints beside the chicken coop. Is it the thief's?"

Officer Liu asked while walking: "Did your chickens not get lost?"

"The chickens didn't get lost, but a duck was lost."

Lu Qiaoge and the others arrived at the backyard. She looked at the collapsed chicken coop; three wet, speckled hens were huddled under the broken tiles, their orange beaks opening and closing.

No inner voice, not even a trace could be heard.

Either they were scared, or they hadn't derived one.

At this time, several public security officers walked toward this side.

Officer Liu hurriedly greeted them.

These were the public security police from the Xiang Yang Neighborhood Police Station.

Officer Li measured the footprints with a tape measure, and Officer Liu asked: "Do you have any clues over there?"

Officer Li said: "This rain washed away the evidence. The old lady didn't see the face clearly, no clues..."

Someone in the crowd who followed said angrily: "People with proper jobs wouldn't do such stealing and dog-thieving things. I think it's the unemployed youth or the educated youth who returned to the city."

"They wander around all day without doing proper work. I said sooner or later something would happen. Look, this stealing of chickens and ducks, there must be more than a hundred, right? It definitely wasn't done by one person; it was done by a big group of people!"

"I suggest arresting all the educated youth who returned to the city and have no jobs, regardless of gender. We will definitely be able to ask what's going on."

Shen Yun, standing in the crowd, sneered and took a few steps back.

She stared coldly at Lu Qiaoge. She didn't expect that reporting her was useless, and she actually got into the neighborhood office.

She was very passive now, not even daring to meet Liang Aishu.

Uncle Liang was the vice chairman of the labor union, and her father was the logistics director.

They all wanted a reputation, so they managed things even more strictly than before.

When Lu Qiaoge was there, they could chat freely. Without Lu Qiaoge, why didn't they even dare to speak?

If Lu Qiaoge could cherish old feelings and quietly break off the engagement, how could she and Liang Aishu be in such a passive situation?

Watching the excitement today wasn't in vain. The words of those people just now reminded her.

Lu Qiaoling was an educated youth who went to the countryside, her household registration was in the countryside, and she still had no job now.

According to regulations, she could not stay in the city without reason.

She worked in the factory's labor and capital department, and a few days ago, the section chief said they were going to repatriate some educated youth who stayed in the city without reason.

Shen Yun got on her bicycle and headed toward her unit.

She was going to work today, and she was going to have Lu Qiaoling repatriated.

Lu Qiaoge, oh Lu Qiaoge, don't blame me for being unrighteous if you are unkind.

If I don't have peace, don't think about having a good life either.

And here, more than a hundred people were gathered together, messy and noisy.

Officer Liu hurriedly said: "Everyone, don't argue, we are starting to register now."

Lu Qiaoge was surrounded by the crowd. She took out her fountain pen and glanced at Shao Le: "Are you recording or am I?"

Shao Le: "You just register, I'll handle the rest."

He saw it; Lu Qiaoge's fountain pen handwriting was very beautiful.

He heard she practiced it herself.

With that fountain pen handwriting of hers, she was one of the best in the neighborhood office.

When Lu Qiaoge started recording who lost what, she saw someone in the crowd with drifting eyes. She reminded everyone seriously: "We must be realistic and not report falsely. Under the situation of joint case handling, the thief will be caught soon. What you lost will be clear after investigation, don't add trouble to yourself."

With this said, several people who wanted to fish in troubled waters and report falsely dispelled their little thoughts.

Suddenly, Lu Qiaoge heard a rustling sound from above, and more than twenty pigeons flew up in surprise from a family's courtyard.

【The people from the military representative office are lining up and coming this way.】

【Is it Representative Qin leading the team?】

【It's just lost chickens and ducks, could it be that valuable items were also lost?】

【Do you see that human, the one with the notebook?】

【What's wrong with her? Could it be that she stole the chickens?】

Lu Qiaoge glanced at the flock of pigeons still circling overhead, then retracted her gaze without changing her expression.

Qin Hengzhi actually came.

【That tabby cat is hers. Let's fly higher. I don't know what it ate now, but it can actually jump up and catch us.】

(End of chapter)