"We'll know once we investigate, but for now, everyone stays quiet!" The officer warned before turning to the street director, "Please head to the police station and bring back two of my colleagues."
It seemed like a regular civil dispute, but unexpectedly, it involved robbery, making it quite tricky.
The officer's words made Ma Cuihua and the others sink even deeper.
In the end, Liu Li was just a spoiled girl who had never seen much of the world. She was scared, hiding behind Ma Cuihua and trembling, cursing Lin Qin under her breath.
After understanding Chen Wenjun's situation, the officer asked, "Do you know this lady?"
Chen Wenjun looked at Lin Qin with unfamiliarity and confusion, and just as he was about to shake his head, pain struck his face, and he quickly replied, "I don't know her."
"He's lying!" Liu Yongguo exclaimed with agitation.
Chen Wenjun found it baffling, feeling his eyes redden with anger, "What am I lying about? I sell fish on this street, and I swear I've never seen her before, at least she's never bought fish from me!
I have never set up a stall in the alley. Unless someone calls me when I'm moving through the streets, and your family hasn't bought fish from me, how could I possibly know this woman!"
His words left everyone a bit dizzy, but after sorting it out, they felt he made sense.
Lin Yi cried, "My daughter has always been soft-natured, unable to speak up at her in-laws, and she's never handled the family's money. She doesn't buy groceries or go to the market; her clothes are still from her wedding, and she hasn't had a new outfit for years. How could she possibly get involved with a fish seller! The Liu family is simply bullying us too much!"
Li Lian quietly muttered, "It's her own fault for being useless; otherwise, why would the Liu family bully her and not the elder daughter-in-law!"
"Say less!" Lin Zhi warned, glaring at Li Lian.
The current situation made it clear where the problem lay. What if Li Lian's words got her labeled as a collaborator of the Liu family?
Li Lian pursed her lips, instinctively shaking her still-numb hand, cursing Lin Qin countless times in her heart.
The officer had formed a preliminary judgment, looking at Lin Qin with more sympathy.
While waiting for his colleagues, he noticed Liu Yaya, dirty all over and her eyes swollen like a rabbit's. He quickly picked her up and asked, "Little girl, tell Uncle what just happened?"
Liu Yaya, knowing the officer was there to help her mom, started sobbing, pointing at Ma Cuihua and Liu Li, "Grandma and Aunt beat my mom; they bullied her together. I begged Aunt to let my mom go, but Aunt kicked me down."
The officer squinted at Liu Li.
Liu Li was scared white.
Ma Cuihua immediately shielded Liu Li, glaring menacingly at Liu Yaya, "You little pest talking nonsense! Ungrateful wretch! I'll sell you off tomorrow!"
"Wah!" Liu Yaya cried even harder.
The officer was furious, "Threatening human trafficking in front of a police officer, do you believe I can arrest you right now!"
"I...I was just saying..." Ma Cuihua shrunk back, feeling defiant yet not daring to threaten Liu Yaya further.
Lin Qin hurriedly took Liu Yaya into her arms, "Yaya, don't be afraid. That old witch can't sell you. If she dares, I'll tear her apart. We'll die together if it comes to that!"
Lin Qin retorted defiantly.
She looked at Ma Cuihua with the eyes of an arch-enemy.
Ma Cuihua's face also harbored resentment, and both sides seemed like they could tear each other apart.
What hatred, what vengeance?
The officer continued to keep the situation under control until the colleague sent to find Li San's mother returned with Chen Wenjun's baskets, yoke, and some weights.
Chen Wenjun was excited upon seeing the items and wanted to get to his feet, "Yes, these are my baskets, yoke, and weights. One of the baskets has a bamboo sheet stuck underneath and a torn fishing net wrapped around it."
The officer checked and indeed found a bamboo sheet stuck under one of the baskets, though he couldn't see the torn fishing net. However, there were net-like threads attached to the basket edge, indicating that a net might have been on it before.
"What about the stuff on top?"
"When I got there, Li San's mother denied it. After explaining the situation to her, she got scared and quickly handed over the items. That's how it was."
The two officers felt speechless, expressing their deep sympathy for Chen Wenjun's situation.
Chen Wenjun, seeing his items damaged, looked dejected, "Officer, I can fix the broken stuff, but please, you have to help me get back the fifty-three yuan and twenty-five cents! What should I do? Should I report it at the police station?"
The officer signaled Chen Wenjun to stay calm and walked over to Liu Yongguo with his hands behind his back, "Hurry up, return whatever you took from him now, and I can handle it. But if you don't admit it, we'll have to pass it on to the robbery unit, and it won't just be about mediation anymore. You could end up in jail or even face the death penalty!"
Liu Yongguo was stunned, shivering with tears, "We really didn't rob him!"
The officer lost patience, raising his voice, "There are witnesses and evidence. Those two are indeed innocent. If you didn't steal from him, how did he end up knocked out and in your house?
Don't talk to me about illicit affairs! It looks like you saw money and got greedy, and because you didn't like Lin Qin for having a daughter, you concocted this scheme. Quite a skillful two-birds-one-stone strategy!"
Liu Yongguo immediately knelt, tearing up, "Officer, I admit we don't like Lin Qin and wanted her out, so we falsely accused her. I was just going out to find a thug when I saw Chen Wenjun unconscious on the road and thought I could save some money by bringing him back.
But we didn't steal his money, I swear. If I had taken his money, I'd be cursed to die a horrible death!"
"Bunch of lies! Do you think I would believe your nonsense?" the officer retorted angrily, glaring.
Xu Manzhi hurriedly explained, "Officer, it must be Li San's mother. When my husband saw Chen Wenjun, he was already knocked out. Li San's mother picked up his stuff, she must have taken the money too!"
"Bullshit!" Li San's mother stormed in furiously, "Xu Manzhi, you shameless slut, it was bad enough that you and the Liu family conspired to frame Lin Qin, but you dare to slander me? I'm not someone you can push around!
Aren't I someone who helps anyone in need? If I saw a grown man lying on the ground, would I go through his pockets? I'd definitely scream and call for help!
Besides, someone saw me find the items, and it was already dark by then. Wasn't he knocked out at that time?"
Chen Wenjun nodded in agreement, "I was knocked out before it got completely dark."
"Listen! Listen to what he says! Officer, I say it's Liu Yongguo who did it! Old women and girls don't dare mess with a guy!" Li San's mother asserted confidently, firmly accusing the Liu family of stealing.
Xu Manzhi was utterly panicked, knowing the situation was not in their favor. She made a last-ditch effort through clenched teeth, "Officer, you can't assume his words are true just because he was attacked. What if he's lying to us? What if he never had money on him in the first place?"