Su Qingluan turned and went to the small compartment where the Liu family kept their miscellaneous items.

It was called a "compartment", but in fact it was just a small space separated by weeds and rotten wooden boards. It was very cramped. Even Su Qingluan, a little girl of thirteen or fourteen years old, could touch the two sides of the "compartment" with her hands outstretched.

The sundries inside were placed on a multi-layered wooden shelf. The wood had become damp and moldy, and even if you put your hand lightly on it, it would make a "creaking" sound.

Since everyone in the alley set up a stove in the public space outside and took turns cooking, the Liu family did not have a kitchen, and the water tank was just placed casually in the corner of the compartment.

The water in this tank was relatively clear, but Su Qingluan looked against the light and could see from the reflection on the water surface that there was a thin layer of dust floating on it.

Su Qingluan frowned slightly when she saw this: Sure enough, such an environment is not conducive to recuperation.

Thinking of this, Su Qingluan was filled with hatred for the "master" who had tried to swindle the Liu family's resettlement fee - wasn't this murder for money?!

Thinking of this, Su Qingluan felt that she must expose the old liar's deeds in person.

She looked everywhere and found that the Liu family was short of even the most basic seasonings.

This place was just a partition made of dry grass and broken wooden boards, so there was no privacy. However, the Liu family was well-known in the area, and the people around them were all ordinary people who lived a tight life, so there was no question of stealing, and nothing had been stolen.

On the contrary, as people spend more time together, neighbors will help each other and check to see if anyone has taken anything.

So the neighbors passing by heard the noise, came out of their houses, and watched her rummaging through the drawers.

"Hey, what are you doing, kid?!"

A sudden shout from behind startled Su Qingluan. She quickly turned around and saw a gray-haired, dark-faced old man in a short coat glaring at her fiercely: "What are you doing rummaging around in someone else's house, kid?!"

Su Qingluan was stunned when she heard this, and then she realized: she must have been mistaken for a thief who broke into a house.

She quickly stepped forward to explain: "My dear father-in-law, you have misunderstood me. I am Yunniang's friend."

I thought that by calling out the family's name, their suspicions would be dispelled. Unexpectedly, before Su Qingluan could even finish her words, the old man grabbed the nearby carrying pole and started chasing her, "You little scoundrel! How could a girl from the Liu family know a scoundrel like you?"

What rice?!

Su Qingluan was a little confused by the impact of the carrying pole. She was only relying on her youth, quick reaction, and agility. Otherwise, if she had been swept by the carrying pole like this, she would have been crippled at least.

"Sir! No, old man! You really misunderstood! I'm not a thief! Not a pervert!" Su Qingluan dodged left and right, jumped up and down, and even did not forget to defend herself. In a panic, she ran into a dead end.

The old man behind was coming at them aggressively. When there was no hope of escape, a voice interrupted from the side: "Qingluan? Uncle Liu? What are you doing?"

Su Qingluan's eyes filled with tears as if she had heard heavenly music: "Yunniang, save me!"

Uncle Liu, who was chasing Su Qingluan with a carrying pole, stopped and asked, "So you two really know each other?"

Su Qingluan gasped for breath and nodded with tears in her eyes.

Uncle Liu finally realized he had misunderstood and scratched his head in embarrassment. "Oh, I saw this guy wandering around your water tank. He looked unfamiliar, so I thought he was here to steal something!"

Liu Yunniang was at a loss whether to laugh or cry when she heard this: "Uncle Liu, what do you think is worth stealing from our broken pots and stoves?"

Liu Bo's action of scratching his head froze: What you said is such a heart-wrenching remark!

Su Qingluan couldn't help but twitch her lips when she heard this: Yunniang, don't underestimate these thieves and liars. There is a very happy person jumping around in your house!

Seeing that it was just a misunderstanding, Liu Yunniang said hello to Su Qingluan and Liu Bo and went back to the house. From the sound, it seemed that the "great immortal" had started to "perform rituals" again, and everyone in the family needed to be present.

Su Qingluan quickly waved her hand and asked Yunniang to go over and do her thing, while she continued to look for what she had found.

At this time, Uncle Liu, who was standing nearby, came over and asked, "What are you looking for, kid? If you hadn't been sneaking around here just now, I wouldn't have mistaken you for a thief."

Su Qingluan smiled bitterly: "I just want to find some seasonings."

"It's not time to light a fire and cook yet, why are you looking for that thing?" Uncle Liu put the carrying pole back to its original place and asked curiously.

Su Qingluan naturally couldn't say that she was trying to expose the "Great Immortal's" deception, so she just said, "I originally came here to find some water to drink - there's a water tank over there, so I can see it at a glance. But I just had an upset stomach and some acid reflux, and I heard that drinking baking soda in water can make your stomach feel better, so I came here to look for it."

Soda ash mixed with water creates an alkaline liquid, which does have the effect of neutralizing stomach acid. However, Su Qingluan's claim of stomach discomfort was just a fabrication.

However, Uncle Liu believed Su Qingluan's words and pointed to a terrace outside to explain to her, "We are all poor families who can barely make ends meet. We are lucky enough to have a shelter from the wind and rain. We don't have a place to make a fire and cook, so we just go there to cook something."

Su Qingluan turned around and looked in the direction Liu Bo pointed. Sure enough, about ten steps out of the alley, there was a cluttered platform with pots, bowls, bottles, jars, and all kinds of things on it.

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