036 The thief cries "Stop thief!" (meaning to catch a bug)
In broad daylight, without anyone noticing, seven-year-old twins disappeared. They searched for three days straight but couldn't find them, not even a single clue.
Residents of Yinxing Hutong believe that the two children were most likely kidnapped.
“When kidnappers snatch children, they smear a cloth laced with sleeping potion on the child’s face. It can knock out not only children, but even adults.”
"That's definitely it! They'll confuse the child, then the kidnapper will change the child's clothes and carry the child away. Who would recognize them then?"
"Exactly! Kidnappers always operate in gangs. Maybe those two kids were separated and taken away!"
The elderly folks spoke eloquently, and upon closer listening, their arguments did indeed make sense.
What if the kidnapper takes advantage of the absence of others, knocks the child unconscious, changes their clothes, and then takes the two children separately? Who would be able to tell them apart? Besides, it's winter now, and everyone on the street is bundled up tightly. With hats and scarves on, you really can't see what they look like unless you get very close.
But this is only one possibility.
This incident caused quite a stir, and since it happened in Ginkgo Hutong, after the Changhu Police Station reported it, the Municipal Public Security Bureau dispatched personnel to help search for the child.
In Ginkgo Alley, armed fugitives came and went, and within six months, a suspected human trafficking gang appeared, forcing the Municipal Public Security Bureau to take it seriously: Could a criminal gang be hiding in Ginkgo Alley?
Superstitious elderly people are more inclined to believe that something unclean might have been attracted to the alley.
“Let me tell you, Chang Zhengyi kept saying that there were unclean things floating around in the toilet. I suspect that those things were afraid of being discovered, so they pushed the fugitive out as a scapegoat! Otherwise, why do you think the fugitive ran away and then came back?”
As soon as Guan Yuehe entered the gate of No. 2 Courtyard after get off work, Aunt Bai quietly called her to a stop, pulled her to her door, and whispered, "Yuehe, when you caught that fugitive, was he first held down by that thing?"
Guan Yuehe thought that Aunt Bai was going to talk to her about something important, but she didn't expect it to be this question!
"No! I knocked him down by smashing him with a big rock!"
"Aunt Bai, you can't say things like that out loud! Superstition is no good! Those who sell talismans door-to-door are all liars!"
She suspected that someone was deliberately spreading feudal superstitions to sell talismans to people who were afraid to go out to use the toilet at night.
Chang Zhengyi from the main courtyard bought some talismans and was distributing them to his parents and wife when Aunt Zhao hit him several times with a rolling pin. Even Cao Lili couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
Aunt Bai smiled awkwardly, not refuting her words, but she didn't agree with them either.
"By the way, Aunt Bai, is Sister-in-law Zhou feeling any better?"
"Sigh. Not yet." Aunt Bai sighed.
The Zhou family is now down to just Sister-in-law Zhou and her daughter Baoyu. Sister-in-law Zhou is too traumatized to go out and look for her daughter, and she is currently lying in the car factory's infirmary.
Baoyu was afraid something might happen to her, so he stayed by her side every step of the way. Recently, Aunt Bai and Aunt Er have been helping to deliver meals to the mother and daughter.
"Sister-in-law Zhou said that people from the Zhou family took the child away. Has the police investigated?"
“I happened to run into Officer Song and Gui Fang when I was delivering food this afternoon. They said that her in-laws had been questioned, and they had also asked the neighbors and colleagues at work. There was nothing unusual. So far, it doesn’t seem like it was her in-laws who did it.”
“Officer Song also said that no children have been reported missing recently, so it might not be a kidnapping. It’s also possible that Bao’an Baoning went with someone on her own.” Aunt Bai became agitated as she spoke. “How could Bao’an Baoning go with someone? She must have been stolen by bad people!”
Just then, she saw Grandma Sun come out to fetch water, and Grandma Bai spat on the ground angrily.
The argument between Guan Yuehe and Grandpa Sun and Grandma Sun that night spread throughout Ginkgo Alley the next morning.
In the past, people only thought that Grandpa and Grandma Sun were a bit mean and shameless, but they hadn't done anything serious, so people thought they could tolerate them. But the things they said made everyone realize that these two were truly vicious.
Few people were close to them to begin with, and now they avoid them even more. Who knows if this family might resort to underhanded tactics behind your back?
Because of this incident, the police first interrogated the Sun family.
Sun Dashan and Zhou Dasao were workers in the same workshop, but on New Year's Day this year, Zhou Dasao was named an advanced worker. Because he wasn't nominated by the workshop director, Sun Dashan often gossiped about Zhou Dasao to other workers behind her back. When Zhou Dasao overheard this, the two had a fight in the workshop, and in the end, Sun Dashan was punished by having to write a self-criticism.
People suspected that the Sun family might be harboring resentment because Sun Dashan was not recognized as an advanced worker and was punished with a self-criticism, so they secretly hid Bao'an and Baoning.
However, the police did not search for the child at the Sun family's home or at the homes of the Sun family's relatives. In fact, the Sun family had neighbors who helped them provide testimony during the period when the child was missing.
Moreover, on the night the child went missing, Sun Dashan went out with the neighbors to look for him. Officer Song can testify to this.
After proving their innocence, Grandpa Sun and Grandma Sun spoke even louder in the yard, making sarcastic remarks that Sister-in-law Zhou had brought misfortune to her husband and daughter.
Unsurprisingly, they've had quite a few things thrown at them by people in the alley these past few days. Sun Dashan was almost pushed into the toilet while using it. And the people who did it just gave them a perfunctory apology: "Oh dear, I didn't mean to."
With the Sun family as a contrast, Aunt Bai now thinks Aunt Ding from the neighboring No. 3 courtyard is kind.
At least Aunt Ding knew her child was missing and asked her son and grandson to go out and help look for him.
Grandma Sun snorted and picked up the bucket to go home.
The people in Courtyard No. 2 also suspected the Sun family, but they were not at all guilty, so everyone dismissed their suspicions.
After the meal, Guan Yuehe went out on patrol.
Yes, the neighborhood committee has organized patrol teams to patrol around the alleys to prevent any child abduction gangs from lurking nearby.
Guan Yuehe, who was chosen as the captain of the eighth squad, waited for everyone to gather at the entrance of the alley, and then handed over the reins to Zhou Hongqi, the captain of the seventh squad.
After patrolling for two hours, they handed the gong to the ninth squad.
The longer the time drags on, the lower the chances of finding the child.
If it hadn't been stolen by bad people, adults would have frozen to death overnight in the freezing cold outside.
Even a reporter from the Daily News came to report on it, urging more citizens to help keep an eye out for the child.
Meanwhile, in a bungalow in the suburbs, two men, one tall and one short, were scratching their heads in worry.
The shorter one spoke first, "What should we do? You told me that hiding the children for a few days wouldn't cause any problems... How about we quietly release the children and let them find their way back on their own?"
He was terrified. The whole city was searching for the human trafficker who abducted the twins. If someone glanced at him on the street, he felt suspicious. He couldn't sleep soundly at night.
"No!" the tall man said fiercely. "They've seen us before. If we let them go back, the police will definitely come looking for us! Now is not the time!"
He thought that if he could just delay for ten days or half a month, things would be done, and then he could secretly send the child back. But once it was all done, even if Luo Guifang knew the truth, there was nothing she could do!
If the heat dies down, they can be sold to human traffickers even if they aren't returned...
The short man's face turned pale instantly. "I... I'm not a kidnapper! I just locked them up for a few days, it should be fine, right?"
He was tricked into coming because he was too old, unemployed, and couldn't find a wife. His buddy, who also worked as a black marketeer, promised to find him a beautiful wife, which is why he agreed to come. But he didn't want to get shot over this...
"If you just do as I say, we'll both be fine!"
"What do you suggest we do?"
“...You stay here for a few days, and things will be done in a few days.” The tall man coaxed, “You’ll only get one chance like this once in a lifetime. Think it through. At your age, and being a divorcee, do you really think you can marry a young woman in her early thirties?”
"Okay!" The short man gritted his teeth and agreed, but his heart was pounding.
—
Ten days have passed since the twins went missing. Many people, though they don't say it, have already concluded that Bao'an and Baoning have been abducted by human traffickers.
In just ten days, Sister-in-law Zhou became so thin that she looked unrecognizable. If it weren't for Baoyu, she probably would have collapsed long ago.
That day, Guan Yuehe returned home to find the front yard of No. 2 courtyard crowded with people. She was strong and pushed aside the people who were watching the commotion at the gate, clearing a path for herself.
Before she could even ask, Cao Lili, who was standing far away on the periphery, answered her: "Sister-in-law Zhou's parents-in-law, uncles and aunts have all come, asking her for her child. Now they also want to take Baoyu away, saying they can't let Sister-in-law Zhou's children all be lost by Guifang."
Cao Lili scoffed and said sarcastically, "They certainly know how to use this as a pretext. They're making a scene by taking advantage of Bao'an and Bao Ning's disappearance, saying it's all for Bao Yu's good. They just want to steal Zhou Dasao's job."
Guan Yuehe finally learned what had happened. Inside the Zhou family house, which was surrounded by a crowd, the Zhou family members, Zhou's sister-in-law, and police and street office staff were having a meeting.
The Zhou family said a lot of nice things, but their real intention was to get their jobs back.
Sister-in-law Zhou hugged Baoyu tightly, refusing to let the Zhou family take him away.
The neighborhood committee is criticizing the Zhou family: "You're not allowed to engage in feudal superstition. If you keep talking about cursing this or that, don't blame us for sending you to the police station for a few days!"
While calming both sides down, the police also subtly probed the Zhou family's emotions.
The Zhou family came to cause trouble with ulterior motives. Could it be that they deliberately hid the child?
But the Zhou family members were all open and honest, showing no fear of being questioned. Moreover, this was the third time the police had questioned the Zhou family, yet they still hadn't been able to find any clues from them.
"Luo Guifang, you're such a jinx! My son is gone, my two granddaughters are gone, why don't you just get yourself killed?"
"Luo Guifang, tell me the truth, did you have a lover outside and deliberately abandon my two granddaughters? If it wasn't you, their own mother, who abandoned them, how could the children just disappear like that?"
If they keep accusing people, and if Bao'an and Bao Ning really can't be found, even if Zhou Dasao didn't do it, people might still speculate about it.
The people standing outside were silent for a moment, then someone suddenly shouted inside: "Bao'an and Bao Ning must have been hidden by that Zhou guy! They did it on purpose! They're so vicious, even harming children, just to steal Sister-in-law Zhou's job. Are they even his own grandparents, uncles, or other relatives?"
Guan Yuehe suddenly looked at Cao Lili, her eyes overflowing with admiration.
At that moment, she felt that she had met a different Cao Lili, a living person who was completely different from "Aunt Zhao's daughter-in-law".
The next second, someone echoed the first person's words: "That's right! It must be the Zhou family's doing! It's easier for them, as grandparents, uncles, and aunts, to trick the child away!"
"What do you mean there are witnesses? They're the ones who hired the human traffickers. They don't like Bao'an and Baoning anyway. Selling the children will give them a lot of money, and they'll also have an excuse to steal jobs and houses! It must be them!"
"Yes! Arrest them, lock them up in jail, and interrogate them!"
No matter how loud the Zhou family members are, can they be louder than dozens of people speaking at once?
The Zhou family was almost driven mad with anger. The eldest son of the Zhou family came out and tried to push away the person who was lying at the door, but he was pushed down and sat on the ground instead.
"Look! They're furious! They must have something to hide! Officer Song, arrest them and interrogate them! Put them in jail!"
"Yes! Arrest them!"
Police Officer Song: "......"
From the neighbor's perspective, he felt that everyone had made a good fuss just now, otherwise all the blame would have been thrown on Sister-in-law Zhou.
But as a police officer, he really couldn't just handcuff people and take them away arbitrarily.
Moreover! Their Changhu Police Station doesn't have a prison!
The Zhou family was driven away by the people of Ginkgo Hutong, but they did not give up.
The next day, he went to the Five Star Automobile Factory to complain to Zhou's former boss, saying that it was a pity that Zhou had passed away so early, and that his wife had lost two children, and he was afraid that his remaining daughter would also be lost...
Zhou's supervisor isn't stupid; he knows the Zhou family is trying to get work again by using their connections.
When Engineer Zhou first left, his family also came to make trouble. At that time, she insisted that Engineer Zhou's husband take over the job.
Now it's even less likely that she'll let the factory take back the jobs and transfer them to the Zhou family.
When she disagreed, the Zhou family put up big-character posters at the factory gate and even went to a reporter from the Daily News, confidently claiming that it must be Luo Guifang's lost child and that they were just crying wolf.
The Zhou family's unreasonable behavior meant that Ginkgo Alley and the Five Star Automobile Factory were never quiet.
From New Year's Day until the end of the year, it caused a great uproar, with people everywhere discussing how the child got lost.
Some people are starting to suspect that Zhou's wife might have deliberately dropped it...
"Impossible!" Guan Yuehe would deny it seriously every time she heard it.
Sister-in-law Zhou is good to her three daughters. Although her conditions are not as good as those of dual-income families, she makes sure they are well-fed and clothed, keeps them clean and tidy every day, and educates them to be sensible and polite. How could she possibly abandon her children?
As the Spring Festival draws ever closer, there is still no news from Bao'an and Baoning districts.
The atmosphere in Courtyard No. 2 was so heavy it made everyone feel suffocated, and everyone was very careful when they went to the front yard to fetch water.
Even Grandpa Sun and Grandma Sun have started to keep their tails between their legs.
It wasn't that they had a change of heart, but rather that they had said last time that it was their own fault for the child being lost, which Baoyu overheard. He went back to his room without a word, grabbed a kitchen knife, and stared intently at Sun Jiawang.
Grandpa and Grandma Sun were so frightened they almost fainted. They didn't dare say anything more sarcastic and even kept Sun Jiawang at home, forbidding him from going out, fearing that Baoyu would chop him up.
—
The Spring Festival holiday lasts from New Year's Eve to the second day of the Lunar New Year, a total of three days.
If the factory has a heavy production schedule, the workers will still go to work as usual, regardless of the holiday. At most, they will go home for a meal or have a meat dish at the factory canteen.
Fortunately, both Wuxing Automobile Factory and Zhuoyue Garment Factory successfully completed their assigned production tasks this year. Apart from those who had to work shifts at the factory, most of the remaining workers were able to take their normal Spring Festival holiday.
The year-end bonuses were distributed early; a few days before Lunar New Year's Eve, Guan Yuehe began bringing rice, flour, cooking oil, and fruit home.
The Spring Festival gives out the most benefits, and they're all practical everyday items. No wonder everyone looks forward to the Spring Festival.
On what should have been a joyous and lively day, the Zhou family's house remained quiet.
Sister-in-law Zhou still goes out to look for her child every day, so exhausted that she's just a stiff skeleton moving around.
On their days off, Guan Yuehe and the young people in the alley would ride their bicycles through the streets and alleys, asking each courtyard if they had seen a pair of twins coming to their area.
If they hadn't bumped into each other in a hutong, Guan Yuehe wouldn't have known that Gu Mannian would drive her sister out every Sunday to help search for people.
Normally, Guan Yuehe would have teased her sister, and Guan Yuehua would have been furious and told her to stop joking. But now, no one was in the mood for anything else. After exchanging information about the places they had visited, they all went in different directions.
Before nightfall, back in Courtyard No. 2, Guan Yuehe and Bai Xianghong spoke at the same time:
"Sister Yuehe, how's the situation over there?"
"Xiang Hong, have you found anything there?"
After a moment of silence, they went back to their respective homes.
—
"Good news! Xiao Guan!" Gu Mannian rushed up to the factory office, and before he even saw Guan Yuehe in person, he excitedly exclaimed, "Bao'an and Bao Ning have been found!"
On the way back with the purchasing department's delivery truck, we heard someone cheer: "The child has been found!"
He asked his colleague to stop the car, and when he got out to ask, he learned that Bao'an Bao Ning had been found!
He went out to help look for people for two consecutive Sundays. Although he had never seen what Bao'an Bao Ning looked like, he had a general idea of what Bao'an Bao Ning looked like after listening to Guan Yuehua and the people he was asking about.
Upon learning that his child had been found, even this grown man couldn't help but burst into tears.
When Guan Yuehe returned to the factory office, she saw Brother Wang and Sister Zhu clapping and praising the work. Just as she was wondering what was going on, she was overwhelmed with good news.
Bao Ning from Bao'an has been found?!
As soon as it was time to leave work, Comrade Xiao Guan from the factory office rushed out of the factory gate like a whirlwind.
The alley was bustling with activity, and many people were crowded in courtyard number two.
They all rushed to see Bao'an and Baoning after hearing the news.
"Poor thing, when Officer Song brought the child back, his face was all black and he smelled terrible."
"It's obvious that they haven't eaten for many days. Look how hungry the child is; his eyes are practically glued to the food."
Guan Yuehe listened for a long time but didn't catch the main point. "So how did the child get lost?"
Upon hearing this question, the elderly men and women clenched their fists.
"I told you it was the Zhou family, but you didn't believe me! Look at that family, they're shifty-eyed and obviously no good. They even sold their brother's daughter to steal their dead brother's job. They deserve to be shot!"
Aunt Niu is giving her hindsight advice again.
"They're really cunning! Boss Zhou hired an outsider to drug the child, take him away, and hide him. His whole family even went to a wedding banquet that day. Now that the child is missing, they can still say with a straight face that it has nothing to do with them."
"They accused Guifang of crying 'stop thief' while being the thief herself, but it turns out they were the ones crying 'stop thief'!"
Guan Yuehe was shocked. She hadn't expected that the Zhou family was really crying wolf! Cao Lili and she had just made it up on the spot!
He quickly interrupted Aunt Bai's tirade against the Zhou family's ancestors and continued, "How was the child found?"
“I know that!” Aunt Ding answered quickly. “Old Zhou told his friend that he would only keep the child locked up for a few days and would send the child back once he got the job. But Old Zhou changed his mind at the last minute and said he would sell the child. His friend was terrified and wanted to quit the business, so he argued with Old Zhou.”
"Who knows!" Aunt Ding suddenly became agitated. "Zhou Laoda's neighbor thought Zhou Laoda was no good, so he secretly followed him. He followed him all the way to a dilapidated bungalow in the suburbs, overheard their argument, and then called the police!"
The other elderly folks had heard it several times, and upon hearing it again, they couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief and exclaim, "Thanks to that neighbor!"
"That's not all! Can you guess why Boss Zhou was able to fool his friend into kidnapping the child?" Aunt Ding said after seeing Guan Yuehe shake her head, "Boss Zhou promised him that once he got the job, he would marry Guifang to him!"
Guan Yuehe finally figured out the whole story.
With the good news, the gloom above Courtyard No. 2 dissipated, and Guan Yuehe finally had the leisure to come out and join in the fun.
As the car factory workers gradually returned, the good news finally spread throughout Ginkgo Hutong.
One cheer after another seemed to be an early welcome to the Lunar New Year's Eve.
After settling her two daughters, who had been lost and found again, Sister-in-law Zhou carried a large bag of fruit candies and went from house to house, delivering the candies, from courtyard number one to courtyard number thirteen.
He said thank you again and again.
The only ones I missed were a few families who not only didn't help but also made sarcastic remarks, including the Sun family next door.
Perhaps because they were frightened by Baoyu, the Sun family was quiet. Even though the courtyard of No. 2 was full of people, none of them came out.
To join in the celebration, Guan Yuehe made dumplings and took them to Courtyard No. 3 to share with her family.
To my surprise, my family also made dumplings.
"I asked Aiguo to tell you to come over for dinner, why did you make dumplings again?"
Guan Aiguo, who had forgotten his mission while watching the excitement, suddenly widened his eyes and frantically hinted to his second sister: Second sister, please!
Guan Yuehe snorted softly. Considering that something good had happened today, she wouldn't punish him!
—
On New Year's Eve, the No. 2 courtyard was filled with festive cheer.
Sister-in-law Zhou slept well last night. Although her eyes were still swollen, she had regained her energy and was all smiles, greeting everyone she met.
Bao'an and Bao Ning were frightened. Their eyes were timid, and they hid behind the door, refusing to come out and play.
But things will get better.
Northwest and Southwest sent Guan Yuehe some fried vegetarian meatballs and stayed at her house to play.
They had been repeatedly told by Tsai Ing-wen not to go out and have fun until last night, which had made them very bored.
It's only when Sister Yuehe isn't working or going out to meet people that they can come over to play.
Because the Zhou family had just been arrested, Officer Song still had to go to Changhu Police Station to interrogate them on New Year's Eve. Cai Ying was busy at home alone, feeling that her brother and sister were not only not helpful but also causing trouble, so she also wanted Guan Yuehe to help take a look.
Guan Yuehe doesn't plan to cook here; she'll definitely be spending the New Year at her parents' house.
A little while later, Lin Sitian also brought over a bowl of fried meatballs. Aunt Fang fried meatballs, which were even more fragrant.
When the children from the Northwest and Southwest saw it, they were so hungry that their mouths watered, and they ran home begging for fried meatballs.
Not long after, cries came from the northwest and southwest across the street. They must have been beaten up.
Hearing this voice, Lin Sitian couldn't help but sigh.
Guan Yuehe knew that she was thinking about her older brother, who hadn't come home again this year.
Just as I was about to change the subject, I heard a sharp, angry roar from the front yard: "Why are you arresting my son?"
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