[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji":3,"chapter-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-50":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Siheyuan: Food, Love, and Family in 1960s Beijing",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2314100,4526,"Chapter 50: Chapter Fifty-One: The Case Is Solved","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-50",50,"\u003Cp>Li Xuewu tapped the table with his handcuffs and said, “I gave you chances before—you didn’t take them. Don’t try to stop me when I take them away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who’d dare stop him after what happened to Big Uncle? They’d just end up going in with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu added, “You six families have decided—unless you investigate thoroughly, your children will remain under suspicion. Now that it’s clear, you can prove your children’s innocence.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three families in the front courtyard all spoke in unison: “Investigate, investigate thoroughly—we support it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two families in the back courtyard also voiced their support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now only Jia’s old woman was still throwing a tantrum, and Qin Huaiju was crying—everything was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the courtyard stared at the Jia women with strange glances; now, no matter how much Jia Zhangshi threw a fit, no one would stop her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Big Uncle frowned, but Big Aunt pinched him twice, and he dared not speak again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Guangfu, trained by Second Uncle to run like the wind, had gathered over a dozen children in the front courtyard by now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Guangfu still held Banggeng by the arm as he walked over, since the boy had been dragging his feet and didn’t want to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Banggeng reached the front courtyard and saw his grandmother throwing a fit, and his mother standing there staring at him, he ran straight over and threw himself into her arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu ignored him—let him play the coward for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The children were all a little afraid of Li Xuewu; when he told them to line up, they lined up immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood in front, grinning, and asked, “Uncle hasn’t eaten chicken in ages—I don’t even remember what it tastes like. Is it good? Who knows? Tell Uncle, and you’ll get candy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this era, people ate chicken maybe once a year, and even then they’d forgotten the taste—except for Xiao Huaibai, who chirped clearly, “Chicken’s delicious, especially dipped in soy sauce.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Xiao Huaibai spoke, Qin Huaiju knew trouble was coming—she cried out, “Huaibai!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how hard she tried to stop her, Xiao Huaibai had already blurted it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zhangshi stopped crying and sat on the ground, glaring hatefully at Li Xuewu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Damao suddenly looked enlightened and shouted, “Damn it! This afternoon I saw Banggeng sneak soy sauce out of the kitchen, and he was caught by...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at the bewildered Xiao Huaibai, pulled a candy from his pocket, slipped it into her small jacket pocket, knelt down, and asked, “How do you know that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the candy, Xiao Huaibai momentarily forgot her mother’s warning and beamed, “This afternoon, my brother made a clay-pot chicken—it was so delicious!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Xiao Huaibai reveal the theft, Xiao Dang nudged her. Xiao Huaibai stared blankly at her sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Dang was about to say more, but when she saw Li Xuewu staring at her, she clamped her mouth shut in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled again at Xiao Huaibai and asked, “Where did the chicken come from?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Huaibai stared blankly at Li Xuewu, silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu slipped another candy into her pocket and said, “Teachers don’t like liars. You don’t want to stop going to school, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Huaibai hurriedly said, “I want to go to school—it was my brother who took it from the chicken coop in the back courtyard. The chicken wouldn’t behave, and it...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone in the courtyard waited for this sentence. Xu Damao’s anger flared: “So you, Qin Huaiju, your own child steals chickens and robs, yet you pretend to be virtuous and lecture us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lou Xiaoe was also furious: “Qin Huaiju, why didn’t you admit Banggeng stole the chicken? Do you think I’d force you to sell your house or land? We’ve lived side by side for years, and you can’t even offer one honest word or an apology—do you really enjoy watching all of us freeze here while you put on a show?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing his wife’s words, Xu Damao exploded: “Xiao’e, don’t waste words with her—just take this little brat straight to the police station!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju burst into tears, clutching Banggeng tightly: “I’ll pay compensation, I’ll pay, I’ll pay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu ignored the commotion, handed two candies to each of the children in line, patted each of their heads, then tossed Liu Guangfu a Da Qianmen cigarette and said, “Take the kids back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Guangfu, thrilled by the favor and the face he’d gained, couldn’t have been happier—he watched his brother’s envious gaze with pure delight and scampered off to return the children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the children were gone, Li Xuewu’s face turned cold. He turned back and walked toward Qin Huaiju.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Xuewu approach, Banggeng hid even deeper. Xu Damao and his wife stopped shouting, waiting for Li Xuewu to resolve it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three Big Uncles were stunned—they never expected Li Xuewu to solve the case so brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn, is stealing a chicken even a case?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stepped before Qin Huaiju, watching her clutch Banggeng and shake her head, tears streaming. He didn’t say anything about spoiling a child with too much love.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Single-parent households often suffer from lack of care or biased affection, so some children grow up with bad habits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu tapped the arm holding Banggeng with his handcuffs and asked, “Do you want me to mediate this now—or wait until Banggeng grows up and I shoot him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words froze Qin Huaiju’s face; she stopped crying entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mediating now means only compensation and discipline—I don’t know if you’ll lose your job, but I know this child will steal again if he stole once.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yuzhu explained from the side: “Banggeng’s still young—he only takes things from my place, never even from Rainwater’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu didn’t want to make things too tense—he said to Qin Huaiju, “I know what He Yuzhu says, but you understand the saying: jade must be carved to become useful. If you keep raising him like this, you’ll raise a bandit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju knew Li Xuewu was right. She looked at her son, tears falling, then gritted her teeth and shoved him away, forcing him to stand upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Banggeng dared not face Li Xuewu alone—he clung tightly to Qin Huaiju’s hand, crying, “Mama!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu waved the handcuffs to scare him—children shouldn’t be cuffed; even if no rule explicitly forbade it then, there had to be a bottom line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wasn’t some nihilistic plot killer who wanted to kill a child after watching a TV drama.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Monster Museum”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing this uniform, there had to be some meaning—if he couldn’t even manage his own courtyard, the whole unit would laugh him to scorn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pointed at Banggeng: “Either admit your fault—or I’ll lock you up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju slapped her son twice, then shoved him forward toward Li Xuewu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Xuewu about to punish Banggeng, Jia Zhangshi launched herself forward, screaming and clawing at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Jia Zhangshi charged, He Yuzhu tried to stop her but failed—Qin Huaiju was blocked by He Yuzhu, and everyone else was too far away to intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could Li Xuewu really wrestle with an old woman?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Click.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black, loaded Type 54 pistol pressed against Jia Zhangshi’s forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time froze. Jia Zhangshi’s mouth hung open, her hand raised—she didn’t dare move, looking absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Huaiju covered her mouth, stifling a sob.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He Yuzhu and the others dared not step forward—they feared Li Xuewu might pull the trigger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sequence—drawing the gun, unlocking the safety, chambering a round—had been lightning-fast. No one expected him to actually fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Zhangshi had wet herself from terror, yet still didn’t dare move.\u003C\u002Fp>",1276,"2026-06-20T13:46:54.288Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a129b887d2afcbf171d964f6e438cd895a1bd0c2c01cb61449c15dbd0d88e0a8","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-51","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-49",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]