Chapter 49: Do I Not Know Who You Are?

After searching the entire courtyard, Li Xuewu pointed to the Zheng and Tian families next to the Deaf Old Lady, the Qin Huairu family, and the three families in the front courtyard entrance hall, saying, "The Zheng and Tian families work during the day, and their children come home after two classes in the afternoon. The Jia family's children are the same, and the three families in the front courtyard are the same. Go call the children over; I want to ask them."

When Jia Zhangshi saw that she had been left out, she didn't say it was impossible for her to steal the chicken, but she couldn't throw a tantrum yet. After all, she couldn't just sit on the ground and ask why he didn't ask if she had stolen it or not.

But hearing that the children were to be called over, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were both panicked.

Qin Huairu stammered, "That, Xuewu, our children are all asleep. Can we ask them tomorrow instead?"

Xu Damao saw that Li Xuewu was about to solve the case and wouldn't give up. He said sternly, "No. It's only past eight. Usually, at this time, your family's children are the loudest. How come they're asleep today? Isn't it because you're feeling guilty?"

Qin Huairu, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, shrieked, "Xu Damao, you're talking nonsense!"

Lou Xiaoe also saw the clues. Good heavens, when she said one thing about Banggeng at Seeing Sha Zhu's house, Qin Huairu scolded her and ran away immediately. So, it was because she was guilty.

《Sword of Coming》

"Everyone else agreed to call their children. Why do you disagree?"

Jia Zhangshi used her tantrum technique at this moment: "Oh my! There's no justice left! The Security Division is bullying people! Our family is being driven to death!"

The First Master couldn't stand this. He exchanged a look with Seeing Sha Zhu and was about to get up to mediate.

Li Xuewu said to the First Master with a half-smile, "How about... we stop investigating? You solve it?"

This sentence stopped the First Master in his tracks. He was the one who said he wanted to investigate; if he said he didn't want to investigate now, no one would listen to him in the future. He hesitated and sat back down.

Over there, Seeing Sha Zhu saw Qin Huairu wiping away tears and said anxiously to Li Xuewu, "Xuewu, why don't we just let it go?"

Just as he was about to speak, Xu Damao interrupted, "No way. It's not your family that lost a chicken."

Lou Xiaoe also stomped her feet and shouted, "Exactly, we must get to the bottom of this."

Li Xuewu looked at Seeing Sha Zhu. Is this guy a blood slave? Can't he walk straight when he sees a widow?

"Are you sure? If you keep blocking here, then I can only conclude that you stole it."

Seeing Sha Zhu immediately said, "Didn't you just say it wasn't me..."

Li Xuewu interrupted, "That's right, you're temporarily cleared of suspicion."

Seeing Sha Zhu looked back at Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi throwing a tantrum on the ground. Thinking of the First Master's teachings, he hardened his heart and said, "Then count it as me stealing it. I'll pay for it."

Seeing Sha Zhu's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in the courtyard heard it. They all looked at Seeing Sha Zhu.

Qin Huairu looked at Seeing Sha Zhu with surprise and joy. This enthusiastic neighbor was truly too decent.

Jia Zhangshi stopped crying and howling. She stood up from the ground with a slide, dusting off her clothes as if she hadn't been throwing a tantrum but had just fallen.

Li Xuewu smiled, reached behind his back, took out his handcuffs, and cuffed Seeing Sha Zhu's hands in one motion.

This scared Seeing Sha Zhu silly, and everyone in the courtyard was stunned.

Everything was going fine, so why did he suddenly put on handcuffs?

Seeing Sha Zhu grabbed Li Xuewu's hand with his right hand as he was about to continue cuffing him and asked, "Xuewu, what do you mean by this? Didn't I say I would pay for it?"

Li Xuewu saw Seeing Sha Zhu grabbing the handcuffs without using force against him. He stopped smiling, turned cold, and said, "He Yuzhu, you are suspected of stealing workers' property, which has already violated the law. I remind you, stealing might get you a bullet, and deceiving the public security and legal authorities might also get you a bullet. I'll ask you one more time: did you steal the chicken or not?"

Are you acting in the middle of the night? Whatever you say goes?

The First Master saw that things were going wrong and hurriedly stepped forward to pull Seeing Sha Zhu and Li Xuewu apart, saying, "Xuewu, what are you doing? We all live in the same courtyard. Let's talk slowly. Let go quickly."

Li Xuewu let go following the First Master's hand, and Seeing Sha Zhu also let go, but Li Xuewu cuffed the First Master's hand instead.

This poked a hornet's nest. Everyone shouted in unison, "What's going on? Why?"

Li Xuewu pointed at the First Master's hand that was grabbing his overcoat and asked, "Yi Zhonghai, are you trying to assault an officer?"

The First Master's hand felt as if it had touched a hot iron, and he hurriedly let go.

Li Xuewu unbuttoned his military overcoat, lifted his clothes with his right hand to reveal his holster, and scanned the shouting crowd.

Once their eyes met, the surrounding noise vanished instantly.

Only then did everyone realize that this person wasn't just Li Xuewu; he was also from the Security Division.

The First Master's wife hurriedly walked up and hit the First Master, saying, "Why are you causing trouble? Xuewu is helping Seeing Sha Zhu. Why are you acting like a big shot here? Apologize quickly!"

The First Master's face was very ugly. He really didn't expect that there would be a day when he would be handcuffed, and by a child he had watched grow up.

How could he say it in front of all the elders and young men in the courtyard?

Li Xuewu wasn't in a hurry. He just wanted to suppress the crooked atmosphere in this courtyard. None of the three masters had a straight mind. Now they wanted to persuade? If they were so good with Seeing Sha Zhu, why didn't they think of a way to mediate privately? They had to hold a big meeting—it was nothing more than suppressing Seeing Sha Zhu and winning over people's hearts.

He still had to take shelter in this courtyard and couldn't let this crooked wind blow on him.

The First Master's wife saw that the First Master wasn't speaking, so she poked him again, signaling her husband to look towards Qin Huairu with her eyes.

When the First Master looked, a wave of frustration rose in his chest. Jia Zhangshi was standing on tiptoes watching the excitement, with no intention of helping to persuade. She didn't care about Seeing Sha Zhu's life or death at all.

Qin Huairu was wiping away tears and wanted to come up, but she was held tightly by Jia Zhangshi, who would poke her and say a few words from time to time.

The First Master sighed and said to Li Xuewu, "Xuewu, it was the Master who was anxious just now. Don't take it to heart."

Only then did Li Xuewu reveal a smile. He took out the key and unlocked the First Master, but he continued to hold the other side of the handcuffs on Seeing Sha Zhu, saying, "First Master, look at what you're saying. Do I not know who you are? You're just warm-hearted. But being too warm-hearted can easily burn yourself."

Everyone in the courtyard felt a chill down their spines as they watched Li Xuewu's changing face. He was like a dog's face—unpredictable.

When he said he wouldn't be polite, he would really cuff you. When he said he would be polite, he was truly courteous.

The First Master sheepishly withdrew his hand and looked at Seeing Sha Zhu, saying, "Speak the truth quickly. Don't be stupid."

Seeing Sha Zhu also realized it now. If he really took the blame for Banggeng, this Li Xuewu would really dare to send him to jail, and he might even get a bullet.

He couldn't stand either outcome. He didn't dare to look back and said stammeringly to Li Xuewu, "It's not that I don't want to see bad neighborly relations. I just thought I'd pay for it myself."

Li Xuewu ignored this and asked sternly, "Did you steal it or not?"

Seeing that Li Xuewu was uncompromising, Seeing Sha Zhu could only say sternly, "No."

Li Xuewu narrowed his eyes and looked at Seeing Sha Zhu, saying, "Since you are so loving, from now on, you send a chicken to every household every day. That way, the neighborly relations will be harmonious. How about that?"

Seeing Sha Zhu paused and understood Li Xuewu's meaning. He lowered his head, his face flushed with shame.

Li Xuewu used the key to unlock Seeing Sha Zhu's handcuffs, held them in his hand, and said to Liu Guangfu, "Guangfu, go to the families I mentioned earlier and bring these children over. Be polite."

Liu Guangfu felt that Li Xuewu could call him to do things, which gave him too much face. He stretched his legs and ran.

Jia Zhangshi panicked and wanted to cry and howl again, and Qin Huairu also wanted to go home. ===== CHAPTER 50 =====