60s: I have a store

Chapter 501 The Damn Thief

In the interrogation room of the police station, Liu San finally confessed his guilt under the strong psychological pressure.

At this time, Lao Li asked: "Liu San, we went to your house, but we didn't find the things you stole?"

If the evidence could have been found at Liu San's home, there would have been no need to go through so much trouble to get Liu San to confess.

Liu San explained in a trembling voice: "I didn't dare hide those things at home. Instead, I buried them behind the abandoned Wang Family Courtyard on West Street."

After he finished speaking, he slumped down in his chair. He knew what the consequences would be.

All I can say is that his momentary greed ruined his entire life.

In the interrogation room, Lao Li and other police officers exchanged glances, and a hint of relief flashed in their eyes.

Finally solved the case. It was quite stressful to handle such a large theft case.

"You're smart, kid!" Old Li closed the interrogation record tightly, turned to the young police officer and said, "Xiao Wang, notify the station to prepare the vehicles. We're going to seize the stolen goods now."

After receiving the order, Xiao Wang left quickly, while Lao Li took Liu San out the door.

Three police motorcycles roared towards West Street. The spring sunshine sprinkled on the bluestone road, making people feel warm.

But the people in the car had no intention of enjoying the beautiful scenery. Everyone was thinking about the stolen goods that were about to be seized.

The broken walls of the Wang family compound looked particularly desolate in the wind. In the weed-covered courtyard, Liu San pointed to a piece of soft land with trembling hands, "Right...right here."

Lao Li waved his hand and two police officers immediately started digging.

The sound of the shovel hitting the soil was particularly clear in the silent yard. As the soil was gradually turned over, several sacks wrapped in oilcloth were revealed.

The police officers carefully opened the sack, and the aroma of white flour, yellow millet, bacon and salted fish instantly filled the air.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed the young police officer Xiao Zhang.

"This much meat is enough for our police station to eat for half a year!" His eyes were fixed on the bacon, and his throat moved unconsciously.

Old Li glared at him and said, "Stop talking nonsense and sign up quickly."

But he himself was shocked by the scene before him - more than ten bags of grain, half a pork, a whole box of supplementary food, and some scattered old clothes.

"Captain Li, we found a large amount of stolen goods!" Xiao Zhang shouted excitedly, "And... and this!" He held up an enamel jar covered in mud, with some solidified gravy still inside.

Liu San stammered, "I... I really couldn't help it. That night I ate half a piece of meat with pickles."

Old Li looked at him with disgust and continued to direct the police officers to move the stolen goods.

He knew that the meat was saved by the residents of the courtyard house through their frugality, but he never expected that Liu San would get to eat it.

When the three motorcycles returned to the courtyard with their full loads of stolen goods, the workers were just finishing their work and going home. The sharp-eyed Aunt Zhang was the first to spot the convoy, and she shouted at the top of her voice: "Old Li's family, come and see! The police comrades are here!"

The originally lifeless courtyard suddenly became lively. Residents poured out of their houses and surrounded the police car, asking questions in a flurry.

"Comrade police, have you caught the thief?"

"Did you find our bacon?"

"That half piece of blue cloth of mine is for making clothes for my daughter!"

Old Li stood on the motorcycle and pressed his hands down to signal everyone to be quiet: "Fellow villagers, the thief has been caught. This is part of the stolen goods. Now please claim them according to the list you registered earlier."

The crowd suddenly cheered, and a few impatient young people had already squeezed in front of the car to search for it. But soon, the cheers turned into sighs.

"Why are there only bones left of my bacon?" Uncle Wang's voice was trembling. He had been looking forward to finding the bacon that was specially pickled for the Chinese New Year. That was the bacon that the whole family saved by living frugally, and they had thought that they could take it out to improve their lives during important festivals. Now there are only a few bones left. His eyes were red and his voice was choked. "How can our family live like this? That meat is our hard work!"

"How come half of the bag of rice is missing?" Mrs. Sun put her hands on her hips, her face full of anger. "The thief is so wicked that he ruined our family's food supply. We, the whole family, still rely on this rice to survive!"

As she spoke, she stamped her feet and cursed the thief.

"Where's my bicycle bell?" Young Xiao Zhao anxiously searched among a pile of items. "I asked someone to buy that bell with great difficulty, and it's gone just like that. The thief must be damned!"

His face was flushed red and his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

"That damn thief must have sold him for money to gamble!" someone in the crowd shouted, and everyone echoed and cursed.

"This thief is so heartless. We saved all these things by cutting back on our expenses. How could he be so cruel?"

"That's right, if I knew who he was, I would skin him alive!"

Everyone was talking at once, and the anger towards the thief reached its peak.

Zhou Yimin stood behind the crowd, looking at the residents' expressions of surprise or disappointment, feeling mixed emotions.

Dapeng and Li Youde squeezed next to him, and Li Youde poked him: "Yimin, it's your turn."

Zhou Yimin walked forward and saw his enamel pot and aluminum lunch box. The braised pork inside had long disappeared, leaving only some solidified oil stains.

He smiled bitterly and shook his head. Just as he was about to leave, Lao Li stopped him and said, "Section Chief Zhou, there's still this."

Old Li handed over an oil-paper package, which contained half a hard steamed bun. Zhou Yimin opened it with suspicion and found three cents wrapped inside.

Lao Li explained: "Liu San said this is the money from selling your bacon, a total of three dollars and seventy-five cents."

"These thirty cents are what's left over."

Zhou Yimin took the money and suddenly found it funny.

He stuffed the money back into Lao Li's hand and said, "I don't want this money. Use it to buy cigarettes for the colleagues in the institute."

Then he added two more dollars and stuffed it into Lao Li's hand.

When Mr. Li saw this, he quickly refused, saying that this was what they should do and it had not been done well yet.

How could he have the nerve to accept Zhou Yimin's money?

However, under Zhou Yimin's tough attitude, he had no choice but to accept it.

After returning all the belongings to everyone, Lao Li left with the police officers.

Dapeng and Li Youde followed him into the house. Li Youde couldn't help but ask, "Yimin, you really don't feel bad? There's so much meat!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Why are you feeling bad? Those pieces of meat are nothing to me."

Dapeng and Li Youde looked at each other and rolled their eyes at the same time, even though they knew Zhou Yimin was telling the truth.

After all, they are now helping Zhou Yimin sell goods on the black market, and the meat or other things sold from them.

This little bit of damage is really nothing.

However, the two of them still admired Zhou Yimin's calmness. If they were in his shoes, even if they had Zhou Yimin's ability, they would not be able to do what Zhou Yimin did.

(End of this chapter)