When Li Yuanzhao left, Song Yan gave her some of the sprouted mung bean sprouts.

"How come your mung bean sprouts are growing so well?" Li Yuanzhao asked.

Song Yan: "When the room is warm, the mung bean sprouts grow better."

Li Yuanzhao: "Can you teach me how you were born?"

Song Yan then led her to the kitchen to see the large baskets displayed there.

Actually, sprouting beans isn't difficult at all. Song Yan then explained the most important steps.

“I know this process too, I’ve sprouted bean sprouts before, but none of them are as good as yours!” Li Yuanzhao looked at the long and thick bean sprouts with great admiration.

Song Yan: "Actually, there's a trick to it."

Li Yuanzhao wasn't particularly interested in the tricks of the trade; if Song Yan wanted to teach her, he wouldn't hide anything. "1, 2, 3, 4," Li Yuanzhao pointed to the willow baskets. "These four big baskets... why did you have so many?"

Song Yan hadn't intended to hide it from her in the first place. He trusted Li Yuanzhao's character. She had the "female lead's halo" (a term used to describe someone with a strong female lead aura), and he couldn't let anything happen to her. Besides, even if something did happen, her family could probably get her out of trouble…

Li Yuanzhao nodded repeatedly. She whispered, "I've discovered that you're really smart."

Song Yan: "You also have mung beans. Want to work together? I'll have Chang Xiaohu deliver a basket every day, and I'll give him two cents per pound."

Li Yuanzhao nodded. Who wouldn't want more money? "He can get a share of the profits if he sells it, but what if I sell it?"

Song Yan: "Same here, whoever sells it gets paid." They only have a little over 100 jin of mung beans in total. They won't be able to sell them for very long.

Li Yuanzhao: "Then I'll go home and try a little bit, sir."

Song Yan: "If you think your bean sprouts aren't growing well, come find me."

That evening, Cheng Wenkai and Li Yuanzhao arrived.

Cheng Wenkai hadn't yet taken his day off; he had come back specifically because he felt he still didn't know enough about Tugang Village. Currently, all they could get from Wei Aiguo's interrogation was what he'd learned, and there had been no new breakthroughs.

Cheng Wenkai heard Wei Aiguo's message from Li Yuanzhao and came looking for him.

Cheng Wenkai and Wei Aiguo were talking, while Li Yuanzhao went to find Song Yan to check on the bean sprouts.

"I only realized you hadn't finished speaking after I got back. Why did you have to come to me if the bean sprouts weren't growing well?" Li Yuanzhao asked, staring at Song Yan.

"You're such a shrewd person. You know I know traditional Chinese medicine. I treated someone on the train, and he gave me something as a gift." Song Yan took out a bottle that looked like water. "This is nutrient solution. One milliliter is enough for one pound of mung beans. Dilute it with water and soak the mung beans so they can absorb all the nutrients. Don't waste any. It'll help them sprout."

As you know, Jiang Xiaoxiao lives at my house and always feels like she's taking advantage of me. I don't want her to know about this, so she doesn't feel guilty.

Li Yuanzhao looked at the unmarked bottle and asked, "Aren't you afraid I'll feel bad about it?"

Song Yan snatched the bottle away. "Then you can go back and grow that bean sprout you watered."

Li Yuanzhao snatched the bottle back, saying, "I was just joking with you. I know that if we lived together, you would let me use it secretly."

Song Yan rolled her eyes at her. You're so cunning, how could I not make you appreciate it?

Li Yuanzhao and Cheng Wenkai left with smiles on their faces.

Cheng Wenkai was puzzled, "What's making you so happy?"

"Was the bean sprouts I ate tonight delicious? Song Yan taught me how to grow bean sprouts," Li Yuanzhao said.

"It's delicious! It's different from the mung bean sprouts I used to have; it's especially refreshing," Cheng Wenkai said.

“I’ll go back and sprout some bean sprouts for you to take back to the office for everyone. Look, they volunteered to cover your night shift so you could go home; shouldn’t we thank them?” Li Yuanzhao actually had other plans. These bean sprouts are so delicious; once you eat them, you’ll definitely want to eat them again! With so many people at the office, would she really let them eat hers for free? Sending Cheng Wenkai to sell the bean sprouts was definitely out of the question. Li Yuanzhao adopted a roundabout tactic.

"Okay! My wife is so thoughtful. But we should keep some for ourselves too, these mung bean sprouts are so delicious." Sure enough, this person doesn't think things through. There are so many people here! She just gives them away for free.

He's a bit silly; how come he didn't realize it back then? But there are advantages to being silly; silly people are honest.

It was completely dark outside, but Li Yuanzhao wasn't afraid of being seen. She linked arms with the mentally challenged man and walked home...

The next day, the police arrived in Tugang Village to investigate. They asked if anyone else had any information and encouraged the village members to report any suspicious activity, promising a reward.

Although the people of Tugang Village didn't say anything, they all suspected that there might be someone else who knew the truth.

The police officer said, "Of course there is. Captain Mao let it slip; he only said half of it and then stopped."

Murder and arson are capital offenses; they deserve to be shot. The verdict will be delivered in a few days.

If his accomplices surrender themselves, their sentences will be reduced.

The current leader in charge of Tugang Village is the militia captain. When Cheng Wenkai spoke, Mao Libin's eyes clearly darted away.

Cheng Wenkai: Wei Aiguo's suspicions are correct!

"Eating bullets? How can you eat bullets?"

"That guy surnamed Cheng is from their Qingshan brigade. We see each other all the time, are they really going to kill him?" An old man came in just in time to hear Chen Wenkai say they were going to get shot.

“Murder and arson will always be punishable by death. How can you expect to escape being shot?” Cheng Wenkai said.

Cheng Wenkai didn't say that Captain Mao got shot.

"No, this wasn't done by my son. You can't frame my son like this." The old man was very agitated.

"Everything will be proven by the evidence." Cheng Wenkai thought to himself, no wonder Captain Mao is so difficult to deal with, his father is just like that.

This old man was considered a senior figure in Tugang Village. He used to have a nickname, "Mao Yiheng" (pronounced with a fourth tone), because he was reckless and unreasonable in battles. He was the biological father of Captain Mao Dahai and the biological grandfather of Mao Libin.

"That's because the Qingshan Brigade is acting unfairly. They're really going to try and kill someone!" Mao Yiheng shouted.

The police officers were dumbfounded. Mao Yiheng's reasoning was just too twisted.

"The law is just and will give criminals a fair trial." Cheng Wenkai said, somewhat angrily.

"Isn't it always the case that officials won't investigate unless the people complain? But it's always the people who keep pressing the issue," Mao Yiheng said.

"Old comrade, are you dissatisfied with the law? Or do you have a problem with our work?" Cheng Wenkai's years of experience in criminal investigation and interrogating prisoners made him quite intimidating when he spoke seriously.

Mao Yiheng didn't retort to Cheng Wenkai's words; his son was still in Cheng Wenkai's hands. Mao Yiheng was afraid of offending Cheng Wenkai too much, lest Cheng Wenkai punish his son. Although he was extremely resentful, he held back. Besides, he dared not voice his dissatisfaction with the law.

Cheng Wenkai's assessment of Mao Yiheng: Don't let his arrogance fool you; he actually knows who he can mess with and who he can't.

The villagers of Tugang Village were very tight-lipped, and Cheng Wenkai couldn't get any information out of them. Actually, this was expected.