Chapter 371 Chicken Thief

Under the scorching sun, the Beijing alleys and courtyards are interwoven into vivid pictures.

The narrow alleys are shaded by green trees, providing a cool space for pedestrians.

Deep in the courtyard, there is a long-lasting ancient charm, and every brick and tile seems to be telling stories from the past.

People sat or stood, leisurely following the sun as it slowly climbed over the blue-gray walls, enjoying this rare half-day of leisure time.

In the sunshine of this new society, although people's pace of life is fast, there is no shortage of such warm and peaceful moments.

They were either sipping tea and chatting, or fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, with smiles of satisfaction and happiness on their faces, truly feeling the good life brought by the new era.

Every laugh in the alley and every breeze in the courtyard have become the most moving melody in this hot summer, making people yearn for it and unforgettable for a long time.

No. 95, Nanluoguxiang.

Today is Sunday and yesterday was the Ghost Festival.

The tranquility of the early morning was ruthlessly torn apart by a sudden burst of shouting and cursing.

"Who is so wicked as to dare to steal my chickens?" Xu Damao's words were filled with anger and fear, which echoed in the early morning air and disturbed the tranquility around him.

"Who is this? He has no sense of public morality!" Yan Jiecheng turned over irritably, covered his ears with his hands unconsciously, and muttered, "I finally got a chance to enjoy a lazy nap, but he ruined it all. Yawn..."

Ran Qiuye responded from the living room, with a hint of understanding in his voice: "Who else could it be? Xu Damao from the backyard!"

Yan Jiecheng tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. He suddenly sat up and muttered to himself, "Wow! His chickens were robbed again?"

Why again? Because a few years ago, Xu Damao’s chickens were stolen once.

However, since Liu Zhiye's rapid rise to fame, Courtyard 95 and its surrounding neighborhoods have bid farewell to the secrecy and have become a place of peace and prosperity.

It is true that no one picks up lost items on the road and no one locks the door at night.

However, after Liu Zhiye's family moved away, the security situation in the neighborhood became worrying again.

Tsk tsk, thieves these days are getting more and more arrogant, and they are simply lawless. Yan Jiecheng frowned, turned to Ran Qiuye and said solemnly: "Qiuye, you have to take care of our family's property carefully, don't let those blind thieves take advantage of the opportunity and steal it quietly!" After that, he got off the kang neatly, put on his light slippers, lifted the heavy door curtain, and strode out of the door.

Ran Qiuye quickly asked: "Where are you going?"

Yan Jiecheng didn't stop, just said briefly: "Hey! I'll go see what's going on."

Ran Qiuye then told him: "Then don't delay too long, we still have a lot of things to do today!"

"I know, there's no time to waste!"

backyard.

As Xu Damao kept cursing, the neighbors came to find out what was going on.

"Da Mao, what's going on?" Yan Jiecheng walked over quickly and asked without further ado.

Because of Liu Zhiye's relationship, they all got along well and were good buddies in the same courtyard. When Xu Damao's house was robbed, Yan Jiecheng and others felt the same way.

"Look, one of the three laying hens I kept under my roof is gone."

The neighbors came forward to take a look and found that a chicken was indeed missing. Because everyone knew that Xu Damao had recently bought three laying hens from the countryside to maintain his health.

At this moment, there were only two chickens left in the chicken coop. They curled up in a corner, and under the focus of everyone's attention, their feathers trembled slightly, looking helpless and terrified.

After Liu Haizhong was reinstated, this pretentious style returned.

He put his hands behind his back, bent his body slightly, and walked slowly around the chicken coop twice. Then he said in a deep voice: "Look, everyone, there is a big hole in the corner of the cage. I guess the chicken was taken away from here."

Xu Damao rolled his eyes and said, "Second Uncle, you should just take a rest. Everyone can see that there is a hole here, but you make it seem like it's real. Ha!"

"Uncle, you guys are all here. You have to help me judge the case today. I was planning to use my chicken to recuperate and cure my old ailment, but unexpectedly someone took it away."

Xu Damao looked around again, his eyes revealing a bit of determination, "This thing was most likely done by someone in our yard. Think about it, someone from outside would not go to so much trouble just for a chicken. It must be someone they know."

"Well, what Xu Damao said makes sense." Yan Jiecheng agreed.

"How are the others doing? Have their homes been robbed?" Yan Bugui asked the crowd loudly, with a hint of urgency in his tone.

"I don't have one at home!"

"No, no, my family is fine!"

"It seems that only Xu Damao's family lost a chicken. I also think it was done by one of our insiders..."

"Who could it be?" Everyone looked at the people around them.

"Hey! Why are you looking at me? Are you doubting me?"

"I didn't say that!"

"I think you did it..."

Sha Zhu had just arrived, so he did not go forward to join in the fun. Instead, he stood aside holding a large bowl of noodle soup, eating and watching the fun.

I saw him slurping the noodle soup in big gulps. The sound was particularly irritating to other people's ears.

But Sha Zhu didn't care and ate with gusto. Every time he swallowed a mouthful of noodles, he would take a big bite of half a clove of raw garlic, "Crunch, crunch!"

Xu Damao could no longer bear it and said, "Shazhu, you grandson, my chicken is missing, and you didn't help to find it, but you just stood there and watched me make fun of you. Is there anyone like you?"

Sha Zhu rolled his eyes at him, then lowered his head and drank the soup happily with a "slurp".

"Xu Damao, is this all you have? With your family's financial situation, do you really need to bother about such a small matter? How much is a chicken worth?"

"So early in the morning, making so much noise..."

Xu Damao was so angry that he yelled at Sha Zhu, "Grandma, is this a matter of whether I have money or not? Oh, does that mean my family deserves to be robbed if they have money?"

Sha Zhu smiled and said, "I didn't say that. I just advised you not to make a fuss. Is that a big deal?"

Xu Damao rolled his eyes at him and said, "Is it really that serious? If you have the guts, come and compensate me with a chicken."

Sha Zhu said: "Why should I do that? I owe you something?"

Xu Damao: "Then don't play Reagan here, it's cool, just stay there!"

Yan Jiecheng stroked his forehead and thought, "Here they go again. Do these two feel uncomfortable if they don't quarrel for a day, or what?"

He had no choice but to persuade them: "You two, stop arguing. Xu Damao, aren't you still thinking about finding your lost chicken?"

"Yes, yes, yes, it's more important to find the chicken first, it's all Shazhu's fault..." Xu Damao was still unyielding.

Now that things have come to this, I think we should all help look for it together.

Although Xu Damao only lost one chicken, everyone was worried before they found out the truth. Imagine if a chicken is lost today, and something else is missing tomorrow, wouldn't that make people even more worried? Therefore, everyone decided to work together to find the truth as soon as possible.

But the No. 95 courtyard was so small that they searched for a long time but didn't find even a chicken feather. Some people, hungry and not yet full of breakfast, had no choice but to give up and went home in disappointment.

Xu Damao finally had to return home angrily. He was so angry that he didn't even have breakfast. He became more and more certain that it was the neighbors who stole his chickens.

Let’s talk about this: Sha Zhu just walked into the house holding a bowl.

Just then, the door of the east wing of the Jia family was heard to open quietly with a creaky sound. Sha Zhu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Bang Geng sneaking out of the house. He first looked around cautiously, and after making sure that there was no one, he ran out of the yard with a bulging schoolbag on his shoulder, leading his two younger sisters, laughing happily.

Seeing this, Sha Zhu seemed to be thinking about something, his expression slightly solemn, then he quickly put down his bowl and chopsticks, and wanted to get up and chase after him.

Wang Qiuju happened to be on vacation today, and seeing him in a hurry, she couldn't help but get curious and asked, "Where are you going?"

Sha Zhu said, "I have something to go out for a while. I'll tell you in detail when I come back." When Sha Zhu chased them out, the three little brats had already run far away, and there was no trace of Banggeng and his siblings anywhere.

Sha Zhu had no choice but to listen to the pedestrians on the road. He followed the trail and asked around, and finally found the traces of Banggeng and his three siblings on a construction site outside Dongzhimen.

…………

Xiaodang stared at the roasted chicken in Banggeng's hand. His stomach growled with hunger. He couldn't help but urge him softly, "Brother, is it ready? My stomach is almost sticking to my spine..."

Huaihua also nodded and said, "Brother, I'm hungry too. I don't know where mom went. We haven't eaten meat for a long time." As she spoke, her little eyes were fixed on the roasted chicken, not blinking.

Bang Geng swallowed his saliva and said, "Hey, why are you two in such a hurry? The chicken has just been roasted. Let's eat it after it's cooked!"

It is said that it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go back to frugality. Since Qin Huairu relied on Li Huaide, the Jia family has indeed enjoyed a good life for a period of time.

Needless to say, the table was filled with fish and meat for every meal, but at least such things were commonplace for the Jia family, and their quality of life far exceeded that of most of their neighbors.

In just one year, the three brothers and sisters of Banggeng were nourished to the point of being plump and round, just like the spoiled young masters and young ladies of the landlords' families in the old days, with a voluptuous look.

Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. Ever since Qin Huairu was implicated by Li Huaide and taken away for investigation, the Jia family's life has returned to the days before liberation!
Why eat so much meat and fish? It's already good enough if we can eat steamed bread every meal.

Just think about it, after being used to eating delicious food, now even pickled vegetables and steamed buns can’t fill you up, who can stand this?

Therefore, Bang Geng, who was craving for meat, once again stretched his evil hands to the chicken coop of Xu Damao's house...

When Sha Zhu hurried over, he happened to witness this scene.

Honestly speaking, seeing the miserable plight of these three siblings, Sha Zhu couldn't help but feel an indescribable feeling of pity in his heart.

They lost their father at such a young age, and their mother committed a crime and was arrested. There is no telling when she will be released.

The children's grandmother is a wacky person who loves leisure and hates work.

Therefore, these three children are extremely pitiful!
Sha Zhu felt sorry for it and decided to let Bang Geng go. He shook his head and was about to go back, but after a few steps, he stopped.

His expression was mixed with sadness, and he finally sighed and turned back. He was determined to teach Banggeng a lesson, so that the child would not go astray and ruin himself.

It has to be said that Sha Zhu has undergone a significant transformation in the way he behaves and deals with things. When faced with right and wrong, he is no longer confused and shows unprecedented clarity.

He no longer acts based on his personal preferences, and this growth may be inseparable from the positive influence of Wang Qiuju.

Sha Zhu suddenly stepped out from the shadows and appeared in the large cement pipe where Bang Geng was busy roasting a chicken. He said jokingly, "Hey, kid, you really know how to pick a place. It took me, Uncle He, a long time to find you."

When Banggeng suddenly saw Shazhu, he was so shocked that he felt like he was nailed to the spot. It took him a long time to come to his senses. He shouted urgently, "Sister, run away!" After saying that, he turned around and ran away like an arrow.

However, Gengbang ran for a long time but did not see the two sisters following him. His heart sank immediately: "Oh no, my sisters must have been captured by the stupid uncle."

Bang Geng hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and resolutely turned back.

Arriving at the huge cement pipe, he felt timid and stopped moving forward, but when he heard his sister Huaihua crying, he said, "Wow...Brother, I want to find my brother..."

Bang Geng gnashed his teeth in hatred and could only shout outside the tube: "Silly Zhu, if you have the guts, just come at me directly. How can you be called a hero if you take your anger out on my sister?"

Sha Zhu smiled innocently and said to the teary-eyed Xiao Dang and Huai Hua, "Don't cry, Uncle He will show you his skills. Tsk tsk, your brother's skills are too crude, he really ruined this good chicken, watch me."

When they heard that they could continue to eat roast chicken, Xiaodang and Huaihua immediately stopped crying and were no longer sad.

The two of them watched helplessly as Sha Zhu started to process the chicken, whose feathers had not even been plucked out.

"Let me see what seasonings you brought..."

"Wow! There are soy sauce, MSG, salt, and chili peppers. Okay, these seasonings are barely enough."

After a while of roasting, the aroma of the roasted chicken filled the air. "It smells so good! Uncle He, can we eat it now?" Xiao Dang couldn't help swallowing and asked anxiously.

Sha Zhu gently tore off a piece of chicken, put it in his mouth and savored it carefully: "Hmm, the taste is just right, we can start. Here, this chicken leg is for you..." He said as he handed over the chicken leg.

Huaihua said anxiously: "And me, and me..."

Sha Zhu smiled and said, "Don't worry, we have them all. Ruo, this chicken leg is yours..."

Sha Zhu then asked: "Is it delicious?"

Huaihua and Xiaodang said in unison: "It's delicious, so fragrant!"

Sha Zhu laughed heartily: "Hahaha, if it tastes good, just make as much as you want. These are all yours."

Bang Geng was sniffing the tempting aroma outside, rubbing his hands and stamping his feet anxiously. When he heard that his two sisters had already started eating, he became even more anxious and rushed into the cement pipe in an instant without caring about anything else.

"Silly, I want to eat too!"

When Sha Zhu heard this, his face instantly darkened and he shouted unhappily, "How did you call me? You little bastard, are you itching for trouble?"

Bang Geng was smart, he immediately put on a smile and said, "Uncle He, I know I was wrong, I won't dare to call you Shazhu anymore."

Sha Zhu raised his lips and said with a smile: "Why, you greedy cat also want to taste the chicken?"

Bang Geng nodded his head like a rattle when he heard this, and said with eager eyes: "Uncle He, I really want to eat it."

Sha Zhu rolled his eyes and said jokingly, "You want to eat it? Okay, but you have to tell me the truth first. Where did you get this chicken?"

As soon as Banggeng's eyes rolled around, Shazhu knew he was going to lie.

Sure enough, Bang Geng said, "We picked this up outside. It was dead when we found it. I thought it would be a waste if it died, so I picked it up and roasted it for dinner."

"If you don't believe it, you can ask Xiaodang and Huaihua." After saying that, he did not forget to wink at his two sisters, trying to get their response.

However, Bang Geng's two sisters were enjoying the delicious roast chicken and were completely unaware of his hint.

"Hahaha..." Sha Zhu laughed heartily, "Boy, don't play tricks in front of your uncle He. Where did you get this chicken from? Do you think I really don't know?"

Bang Geng smiled awkwardly, "You already know everything, why are you still asking me? Uncle He, you are not going to report me, are you?"

Sha Zhu shook his head gently and said to him, "Eat first, and then follow me back after you finish eating."

Seeing this, Bang Geng's face suddenly lit up with a joyful smile, and he quickly responded, "Okay! Thank you, Uncle He!"

"Mm! Uncle He, your cooking skills are amazing. It's delicious... so delicious..."

…………

"Hey! What's going on, Shazhu?" Yan Bugui paced anxiously outside the door, looking forward to the arrival of the matchmaker, but he was surprised to see this scene suddenly before his eyes.

I saw Shazhu carrying Huaihua on his back, holding Xiaodang in his hand, and Banggeng, who looked very satisfied, following him. They looked like a family. What a warm picture.

Yan Bugui was stunned.

Sha Zhu smiled and said to Yan Bugui softly, "Uncle San, do you still remember the theft of Xu Damao's chicken this morning?"

Yan Bugui frowned slightly when he heard this, and his eyes instantly locked on Bang Geng. Seeing this, Sha Zhu nodded slightly at him and said in a firm tone: "Yes, it was him who did it. Now the truth is out, the case is solved!"

When Banggeng heard this, his face suddenly changed and he shouted indignantly: "Shazhu! You are not trustworthy. Didn't you promise not to expose me?" Before he finished speaking, he turned around and tried to escape.

However, Sha Zhu was quick-witted and quick-handed. He grabbed his collar firmly with an iron hand and pulled him back.

Bang Geng tried his best but couldn't break free from Sha Zhu's iron arms. A fierce look flashed in his eyes and he bit Sha Zhu's arm.

"Ouch! It hurts... It hurts so much, you little bastard, let me go!" Sha Zhu grimaced in pain. It was obvious that the bite was quite severe, and he gasped.

Yan Bugui was shocked when he saw this, and then he shouted sternly: "Banggeng, let go! Are you trying to make trouble?" Before he finished speaking, he raised his hand and slapped Banggeng hard on the back of his head.

Banggeng saw Yan Bugui getting angry and instantly came back to his senses, with a feeling of fear in his heart. After all, Yan Bugui was his elementary school teacher, and the awe he felt for him had already been deeply engraved in his heart.

(End of this chapter)