Chapter 80: Leave it to me

The person in front of me still doesn't recognize me.

Li Jiaci explained unhurriedly: "You once visited our orphanage and even wrote an inscription for it."

Our director said your calligraphy is unmatched in Pingzhou, even those famous calligraphers can't compare.

Kang Nian Yi pondered: "Are you from the Li Po Village orphanage?"

"Oh, I remember now."

Kang Nian Yi pointed at Li Jiaci with his finger and said: "You're the little brat who used to follow behind Director Chen!"

"That's me."

Although the timing is a bit off.

But this opening line and his reply are basically no different from before.

"I didn't expect your memory to be so good."

"You even remember me as a little kid."

"Hehe."

"It's mainly because the impression you left back then was too deep—I couldn't forget even if I tried."

Kang Nian Yi poured a cup of tea and pushed it toward Li Jiaci, saying: "I just got up this morning and haven't boiled water yet; this is tea from last night, so make do with it."

"Thank you, Uncle Kang."

Li Jiaci took the cup and sipped: "Mm, good tea, and after sitting overnight the flavor actually seems better than before."

"Hehe."

Kang Nian Yi smiled and said: "If you like it, I'll bring you two boxes when you leave."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with Uncle Kang."

Li Jiaci also smiled and replied.

At that moment.

Kang Nian Yi also sat down, tapped the plastic bag on the table, and said: "You came to see me and brought all those local specialties—surely it's not just to mooch off my two packs of tea?"

"Uncle Kang, you're perceptive."

Li Jiaci said: "Indeed, I can't hide anything from you."

"Don't be cheeky!"

"Get straight to the point!"

Kang Nian Yi said: "And since you're able to come find me, you should understand my rules—if this matter can't be settled, even if you can't take my tea, you won't be able to take those local specialties back either."

"Don't worry, Uncle Kang."

"Even if I don't take your tea, I'll still bring you some of the local specialties."

Li Jiaci pursed his lips and said: "Besides, this matter isn't really a big deal."

"It's that we brothers don't even know what we did to offend Officer Lin of the West District Office, making him hold a grudge against us."

"The first time they arrested us."

"They suspected we had killed a Zhao-surnamed thug, arrested us, but released us due to lack of evidence."

"But this time he's playing an even trickier game."

"We still haven't figured out what's going on, yet they brought people and arrested us."

"They accused us of stealing the West District Office's service weapons and participating in selling powder."

Kang Nian Yi narrowed his eyes: "Service weapons? Selling powder? That's no small matter."

"Tsk!"

"Uncle Kang, saying that is not right."

"To me this is a big deal, but to you it's just a small matter, right?"

Li Jiaci said: "Besides, this really has nothing to do with us—it's just a frame‑up; otherwise I couldn't be standing here so calmly."

"Hmm, that's true."

Kang Nian Yi said: "If you really did this, you'd probably be in jail by now."

"But…"

"You're out now, so why are you coming to see me?"

"I am out."

"But my friend is still inside."

Li Jiaci gave a wry smile and said: "You know this person too—he was one of my partners back then, the youngest of the group."

"The youngest…"

Kang Nian Yi thought for a moment and said: "Xiao A Lan?"

"Yes, that's him."

Li Jiaci said: "His service weapon was lost a few days ago; at that time I wasn't in Pingzhou, and A Lan wasn't either, so it has nothing to do with us."

"Hmm."

"What about the powder?"

Kang Nian Yi asked: "Is it related to you?"

"The powder accusation is even more far‑fetched."

"You know very well what our orphanage is like."

"Among the people there, how many were sent in for doing good deeds?"

"In our six brothers, four of our families were ruined by the powder—how could we possibly touch that stuff?"

"And Uncle Kang, you don't know—they found five hundred grams of powder in my house, five hundred grams!"

Li Jiaci said: "You're well-informed and knowledgeable; you surely know what five hundred grams of flour means, right? Even if we look across Pingzhou, few people could produce that much flour."

Hmm...

Kang Nian Yi nodded again: "In that case, this matter between you two is indeed suspicious."

Speaking of this,

Kang Nian Yi paused, then said: "So you mean it's Officer Lin who framed you?"

I dare not say that.

But if it's not him, I doubt anyone else could be.

Li Jiaci deliberately put on a nervous look and said: "Kang Uncle, you know we few have no background, no backing, no parents."

If I weren't forced with no other choice, I wouldn't have come to you.

And I don't want anything else.

I just hope you, Kang Uncle, can help me clear up this misunderstanding with Officer Lin.

If I've done something wrong, let him say it, and I'll apologize to him.

I only ask that he release my brothers and stop bothering me in the future.

I'm just an ordinary commoner; I only made a bit of money doing business with my brothers thanks to good luck.

Li Jiaci said: "When I keep him company while he eats government-subsidized meals, I really can't afford to keep him company..."

On the other side.

Kang Nian Yi's fingers tapped the tabletop intermittently.

After Li Jiaci's words fell, there were about six or seven seconds, then Kang Nian Yi suddenly exhaled: "Is Xiao Lan still at the police station?"

Yes.

Li Jiaci said truthfully: "Originally, yesterday they had made it clear that he would be released soon, but out of nowhere a witness appeared, insisting we were involved in flour trafficking, and they took him back."

And I suspect this person was also arranged by Officer Lin.

Kang Nian Yi slammed the table.

This Lin Niansheng is going too far.

Bullying others is bad enough, but how can he bully you poor kids?

Leave this to me; later, when they go to work, I'll personally go over and bring Xiao Lan back.

Hearing Kang Nian Yi's words,

Li Jiaci also let out a long sigh of relief.

As long as he can say those words, Wang Lan will surely be released today.

Kang Nian Yi looked up at Li Jiaci and said: "Haven't you eaten yet? Would you like to stay for a bite?"

Never mind.

I've already troubled you so much, Kang Uncle.

How could I still eat your meal?

Li Jiaci glanced at the few iron boxes of tea on the table, chuckled, and said: "If you really want to give me something, just give me these two boxes of tea."

Kang Nian Yi stared, then laughed.

You little brat, you're quite interesting.

Fine, you want tea leaves, I'll give you tea leaves!

Kang Nian Yi straight up grabbed the two boxes of tea and tossed them into Li Jiaci's hands: "If anything comes up, just come find me, Kang Uncle!"

Thank you, Kang Uncle!