Chapter 58 The Thief
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"Why are you arresting me? I don't know you!" the man shouted as people gathered around, trying to confuse the crowd and mislead them.
He was dressed respectably and had a decent appearance. His first impression was that of a kind and honest person. He seemed to know the advantage of his appearance, and he spoke with great confidence.
"Stop pretending, I saw you take something out of my bag!" She Ning glared at him, her eyes resolute.
"Don't frame an innocent person! I didn't steal anything!" the man continued to argue, even turning the tables on me, "You're not trying to extort money from me, are you?"
"Judging from your clothes, you don't seem to be from a poor family. You're so young, why do you do such irresponsible things?"
She Ning has been getting better nutrition lately and has grown quite a bit taller, but she is still only 13 years old. Moreover, her face looks small, making her appear even younger at first glance.
The onlookers began to whisper among themselves. Some questioned the man, while others thought that She Ning might have misunderstood.
"Young lady, are you sure it's him?" An elderly woman with gray hair stepped forward, tugged at She Ning's hand, and asked hesitantly.
“I’m sure he had a blue money pouch in his pocket, and that’s mine!” She Ning said, glancing at the man’s pocket.
"Who said it's yours? My wife clearly sewed that for me." A seasoned veteran who'd encountered all sorts of situations, the man immediately reacted, retorting, "What proof do you have that this purse is yours?"
"Is your name written on it?" Straightening his back, the man took out his money pouch from his pocket and showed it to everyone, saying confidently.
After touching the purse, he had already examined it. It was just a simple bag sewn from blue cloth, without any marks on the surface. He was certain that She Ning had no evidence to prove that the purse belonged to her, and the man spoke arrogantly.
“You can’t just let someone get away with slandering them because they’re a child, and we can’t let you off the hook without holding you accountable.”
"Come on, let's go to the police station and talk this over." He spoke with righteous indignation and awe-inspiring confidence. If She Ning hadn't been the person involved, she would have actually believed his nonsense.
Upon hearing this, many onlookers felt their hearts were tipped in his favor and turned to persuade She Ning, trying to smooth things over.
"Young lady, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"It was all a misunderstanding, young lady. Just apologize."
“It’s all a small matter, why take it to the police station? Brother, you don’t seem like a petty person, why bother arguing with a young girl like that?”
"Forget it, forget it." The man was also afraid that things might get complicated if he waited too long. After all, he was just bluffing. He raised his chin at She Ning, lifted the hand that She Ning was holding, and said in a condescending manner, "Let go, and then sincerely apologize, and this matter will be over."
She Ning looked at him coldly and said in a deep voice, "You think you can just say it and forget it? You're really good at twisting the truth."
"You say the purse isn't mine, then do you have any proof that it's yours?"
The man was speechless for a moment. He naturally couldn't provide any evidence, but he stubbornly insisted, "It's mine. What evidence do I need?"
“If you can’t explain it either, why don’t we go to the police station and talk about it?” She Ning said, gripping his wrist.
“Fine, I’ll go. Who’s afraid of who?” the man said.
Noticing the change in the gazes of those around him after hearing She Ning's words, the man's eyes flickered. Following She Ning's gesture of pulling his hand, he dragged her away from the crowd.
She Ning had been watching him closely. When she saw that he was about to run away after leaving the crowd, she pulled him with both hands, turned around and bent down, and with a "smack," threw him over her back. Then, she knelt down on one knee, pressed down on his back, bent his arms behind his back, and deftly took out a rope to tie his hands behind his back.
Her movements were swift and decisive. Before anyone could react, she was already bound hand and foot to the ground. Everyone had seen the man's strange behavior just now, and they all knew who was right and who was wrong.
"Little girl, you're amazing!" An auntie next to her gave a thumbs-up in praise.
"Thank you, Auntie," She Ning replied politely.
On the ground, the man was still arrogantly shouting that he was innocent, but after She Ning searched his body and found the stolen goods one by one, and as people came to claim their belongings, he finally lowered his head and stopped resisting.
After escorting the victims to the police station and taking their statements, She Ning rushed home. Having been delayed for so long, she knew she wouldn't make it in time for lunch.
Not far from the market, Zhu Xiujin picked up the gifts he had thrown on the ground in his haste.
He never expected that going out to buy gifts for his grandfather to visit his old comrades would lead to such a wonderful scene. He had originally thought of going up to help, but then realized that it was completely unnecessary.
The little girl remained calm and composed when facing the thief, displaying remarkable agility and skill. Despite her small stature, she held her own against an adult a head taller than her, subduing him in no time. Her back throw was quite professional, making her a promising candidate for military service.
If we have the chance to meet again next time, I must ask her if she wants to join the army.
Turning around and walking back into the supply and marketing cooperative he had just left, Zhu Xiujin bought a new set of gifts according to the original list.
"Knock, knock, knock." Someone knocked on the gate of the She family's courtyard.
She Ning came out of the kitchen to work. She changed into some breathable clothes: a dark green linen-cotton long-sleeved top with a left-fastening blouse, paired with straw-yellow wide-leg linen-cotton trousers, a dark blue apron around her waist, and a high ponytail that revealed her fair and flawless forehead.
She has fair skin, and wearing dark clothes makes her skin appear even fairer.
Before she even reached the door, She Ning heard a commotion outside.
"Who are you looking for?" At the doorway, a young soldier in military uniform stood tall and straight. Not far away, a group of villagers were gathered, looking in the direction of the She family's house, occasionally whispering to each other.
As she opened the door, She Ning met his sharp, piercing gaze and asked hesitantly.
"Excuse me, is this the home of the venerable She Aidang?" Zhu Xiujin looked down at She Ning and his eyes lit up. His serious face softened instantly. She was the little girl who had subdued the thief in town. He hadn't expected to run into her so soon.
She Ning nodded. In the past, many of her grandfather's comrades-in-arms or younger relatives had come to visit the family. However, the person in front of her was an unfamiliar face, and she had no recollection of him.
After receiving an affirmative answer, Zhu Xiujin looked at She Ning with even greater admiration.
As expected of a descendant of the late Elder She, she is bold, meticulous, courageous, and resourceful. According to Sister Shengnan, the young girl has also helped them solve several major cases.
He explained that his grandfather and sister Shengnan were originally going to come together, but due to some emergencies, only he was able to come to visit.
He said it was an emergency, and She Ning knew it was the spy case; she never expected it would even alarm the military.
"Ah Ning, why don't you invite them in to sit down?" Hearing the commotion from the west room, Chen Yuzhen came out leaning on her cane and stood in front of the main room. Seeing that no one had come in, she called out.
Upon hearing the voice, She Ning quickly stepped aside to make room for her. Her face flushed slightly as she said apologetically, "I'm sorry, thank you for your trouble. Please come in and sit down."
Zhu Xiujin did not go into the house immediately. He asked She Ning to wait a while. He walked to the military vehicle parked not far from the road and took all the gifts off the vehicle.
Grandpa had an urgent mission to return to the province first, so he specially left the car for him to use. Through Sister Shengnan, they learned about She Aidang's death and the current situation of the She family of four.
After her stroke, Grandma She needs to go to the city for regular check-ups. Grandpa's idea is for him to take the four members of the She family to the city for a comprehensive check-up in the next couple of days, to treat any illnesses and to prevent any illnesses.
Zhu Xiujin recalled how her grandfather had remained silent for a long time after hearing about what had happened to the She family over the years before finally saying something.
Old Man She was still as stubborn as ever, preferring to bear the burden himself rather than cause any trouble for his comrades or the country.
The She family, under his leadership, was no different. Looking at the records of the follow-up visits to the families of martyrs in the commune, the She family always thanked the Party and the government for their concern, said that their family was doing well, and hoped that the special treatment would be reserved for those who needed it more.
Just as they said, the She family is self-reliant and strong, and now they are living a prosperous and thriving life.
Zhu Xiujin carried several large bags full of gifts, his hands brimming with them, into the She family's home under the intense gaze of the crowd.
Upon seeing this, Chen Yuzhen was startled and quickly declined, saying, "It's too much trouble. Xiujin, we are already very happy that you came to visit us. We can't accept these things."
"Grandma She, please don't be so polite. Compared to what Senior She has done for the country and the people, this little token of my appreciation is nothing," Zhu Xiujin said solemnly and sincerely.
The two pushed and shoved each other several times, and finally Chen Yuzhen gave in first.
Chen Yuzhen invited him to stay for lunch, but Zhu Xiujin had a mission to complete and couldn't stay long. After drinking a few sips of tea, he got up to take his leave.
"I'll pack you some steamed dumplings and meat buns for your trip. Wait a moment." Hearing that he couldn't stay for dinner, She Ning said this and then got up and went to the kitchen.
She steamed the dumplings with various fillings and the steamed meat buns, and quickly prepared a sweet, sour and spicy dipping sauce.
She handed him the packed lunchbox and thoughtfully explained the dipping sauces: "This one is sweet, sour, and spicy, with a mild spice. This one is aged vinegar. You can dip your food in whichever you prefer."
"Thank you for your trouble." Zhu Xiujin took the still-warm lunchbox and thanked him with a smile.
She Ning saw him off. Standing in front of the military vehicle, Zhu Xiujin turned around and looked down at her. The girl's eyes were bright and clear, as if they held the stars and the sea. Her posture was upright, as tenacious and resilient as a young poplar in the Gobi Desert.
Thinking about how she had fallen into the water and nearly died from a high fever a while ago, Zhu Xiujin felt that it was too lenient for She Yaozu to only go to jail.
Before leaving, he gave her his contact information and address, and Zhu Xiujin made an appointment with them to go to the city for a medical check-up the day after tomorrow.
She Ning watched him get into the car and saw it disappear at the end of the road.
"Ah Ning, is this your relative?" After watching for a long time, the villagers finally got their chance and pulled She Ning aside to gossip.
"How old are you? Are you married?"
“I have a niece on my mother’s side who is beautiful, hardworking and capable, a truly wonderful girl.”
When will he come next time?
...
Surrounded by people, She Ning couldn't find a way out until Chen Yuzhen came out after a long time when no one returned.
"Ah Ning, there's still a ton of stuff to do at home, why aren't you back?" Chen Yuzhen called out from the courtyard gate. After calling out, she turned and left, leaning on her cane.
"Excuse me, everyone, my grandma is calling me home to do some work, so I have to go now." Before they could react, She Ning turned and ran.
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