Chapter 47 This was He Zhao's first time undergoing such an investigation, and he found it somewhat novel. Sitting opposite him...
This was He Zhao's first time undergoing such an investigation, and he found it quite novel. Sitting opposite him was a gentle older woman in a uniform, who smiled and said to He Zhao, "You don't need to be too nervous, just answer my questions."
He Zhao nodded, and Qiao Yanyu was right beside her, so she wasn't nervous at all.
The forensic artist didn't ask many questions, and even when He Zhao answered, "I don't remember very clearly," she remained very gentle. Finally, after all the questions were answered, the forensic artist finished painting.
She turned the painting in her hand towards He Zhao and asked, "Is this the person you saw?"
Her drawing was incredibly accurate, bearing a striking resemblance to the tall, slender figure in He Zhao's memory. Although it was a black-and-white sketch, if one compared it to the drawing and then saw the person, they would immediately recognize that person as the one in the portrait.
He Zhao nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, and the forensic artist smiled and said, "Okay, then my task is complete."
The forensic artist nodded to Qiao Yanyu, then left with the painting. Qiao Yanyu told He Zhao to rest for a while, then went to the information processing department to discuss things with her colleagues before leaving with He Zhao.
"Sister Qiao, is that person really a criminal?" He Zhao was still a little confused because the other party hadn't actually done anything that made him seem suspicious. Although He Zhao felt that the other party had malicious intentions, he didn't think that the other party was a criminal.
But Qiao Yanyu said, "At first, I wasn't that wary of that person, but after visiting the rented room in 501 today, I felt that he was very problematic. I have a feeling that the 'stitched seam' water ghost you encountered might also be related to him."
She paused for a moment, then said, "I know this kind of intuition might not be very reliable, and I don't have any magic tricks to predict the future, but... my intuition has always been very accurate."
He Zhao didn't let her continue, but instead replied, "I believe you."
They returned to the resettlement housing complex and drove He Zhao's food truck away. He Zhao probably wouldn't come to this complex again; after all, she had no ties to it. Although some of the business owners in the complex were nice, none of them were as important to He Zhao as Qiao Yanyu.
Back in the food truck, He Zhao started preparing for her evening stall. She remembered the sutured water ghost really wanted something spicy, so He Zhao got to work. She prepared the chili powder she'd made earlier, put on plastic gloves, and began preparing the extra-spicy rice.
The extra-spicy rice is cooked in a small, special rice cooker, which can only cook a few bowls at a time. The system also subtly hinted that if He Zhao cooked it now, what if the guests didn't come that evening? Wouldn't that be a waste of rice?
But He Zhao was even more shameless than the system had imagined.
“How could it be a waste? If it doesn’t come today, I’ll keep it and feed it when it comes tomorrow. If it doesn’t come tomorrow, I’ll keep it and feed it the day after tomorrow. If it still doesn’t come, I’ll find a chance to let other guests finish it.”
The system was bewildered: [How can you treat your customers like this?]
He Zhao scoffed, "It doesn't matter. My customers are all ghosts anyway. They don't care if this bowl of rice is moldy or anything."
[...] The system fell silent. Is this really correct?
To He Zhao's surprise, Qiao Yanyu was quite interested in her chili powder, and even asked, "Can this chili powder be eaten directly? For example, can it be put directly into dishes, or used as a dipping sauce for grilled meat?"
He Zhao hadn't thought about this, because she couldn't eat anything so spicy. But seeing Qiao Yanyu's eager look, she said, "This is very spicy. Are you sure you want to try it, Sister Qiao?" She should be able to eat it, since He Zhao did all the stir-frying. She couldn't help but sneeze while she was cooking, and after she finished, she even had to run to the bathroom to turn on the ventilation, otherwise the whole small rented room would be filled with the smell of chili peppers.
After confirming that it was edible, Qiao Yanyu was even more tempted: "Then, can I have some chili powder?"
Qiao Yanyu really likes spicy food, but the last time she went to eat red oil wontons with He Zhao, it was only medium spicy. So He Zhao repeatedly told Qiao Yanyu to be careful when eating and not to put too much in at once.
Qiao Yanyu naturally agreed, and when it came time for dinner, she unceremoniously added some chili powder to her takeout.
The chili powder produced by the system was extra spicy, and the taste was truly exceptional. Qiao Yanyu only added a little, picked up some food with her chopsticks, and immediately felt the intense spiciness hit her.
The chili powder clung to the vegetable leaves, then landed on Qiao Yanyu's tongue. In an instant, Qiao Yanyu felt her mouth was filled with chili, not just a little bit of chili powder. The chili powder was really spicy; even someone like Qiao Yanyu who loved spicy food couldn't help but turn red from the spiciness.
But... after that extreme spiciness comes the fresh aroma of chili peppers. He Zhao's chili powder isn't just simply spicy; once your taste buds get used to the spiciness, the fragrant, spicy, and numbing sensation will make every chili lover fall in love with it.
Qiao Yanyu ate several glasses of water with chili powder, quickly finishing her meal. Yes, not only the dishes were dipped in chili powder, but the rice was also coated.
Rice also helps to relieve the spiciness; you can eat it bite by bite without feeling choked.
This chili powder mixed with vegetables is truly a lifesaver for making rice more palatable.
When Qiao Yanyu came to her senses, she was surprised to find that she had already finished all the food. She ate with great relish and felt completely satisfied.
Seeing how much Qiao Yanyu enjoyed the food, He Zhao wasn't stingy and took out his jar of chili powder, handing it to her: "Sister Qiao, if you like it, eat more. I have plenty more here." Although He Zhao told Qiao Yanyu to eat as much as she wanted, he could tell that it was really spicy, so spicy that Qiao Yanyu didn't dare to eat much.
However, Qiao Yanyu really liked the chili powder and accepted it without hesitation: "Thank you."
After dinner, the two went back to their respective rooms and waited to go out together that evening.
Actually, the two of them, having just started living together, felt a little awkward under the same roof. Unlike the previous evenings spent together by the dining car, when Qiao Yanyu mostly slept, or at least had something to do when she was awake, now the two of them sat together in the living room, staring blankly at each other, unable to say anything.
Yesterday was alright; He Zhao was sick and in a daze, and Qiao Yanyu was taking care of him, but he couldn't say much. But now He Zhao is obviously much better, and it's just awkward for two sober people to sit together.
Especially since He Zhao was well aware that he harbored ill intentions towards Qiao Yanyu, it became even more difficult for him to face her. He was always worried that he might inadvertently reveal his secret crush. That's why the two of them went to their respective rooms after dinner, almost without prior arrangement.
Qiao Yanyu went to the study, saying she had work to do; He Zhao said he was going back to his room to rest for a while.
When it was almost time, the two met in the living room and then went downstairs together. He Zhao's food cart was parked downstairs; she had managed to get her tricycle into the community after arguing with the property management for quite a while. This seemingly simple electric tricycle did indeed clash somewhat with the style of the neighborhood.
There are people riding electric bikes in this community, but they're all two-wheeled and can go directly down to the underground parking lot. He Zhao's three-wheeled bike, however, has difficulty going down through the electric bike entrance. After discussing it for a while, they suggested renting a parking space and going down through the vehicle entrance. He Zhao jumped up in dismay when he heard about the rental fee.
Upscale residential areas have higher monthly rents than other places. Parking fees in a typical complex are around 150 to 300 yuan a month, but this complex is asking for 1000 yuan right off the bat. He Zhao simply couldn't accept that price—it was a day's wages!
Moreover, the monthly parking space rental in the community is calculated on an annual basis, starting at 12,000 yuan per year. How much money does He Zhao have? Why would he specifically get a parking space for his little electric scooter? She shook her head like a rattle-drum, refusing to agree.
Qiao Yanyu wanted to help her pay for the parking, as it was really nothing to her, but He Zhao refused. She had already taken advantage of Qiao Yanyu by living in this neighborhood; if she were to ask Qiao Yanyu to pay for the parking, what kind of person would she be, taking advantage of her family?
Despite still feeling feverish from a cold, He Zhao fought fiercely with the property management for over three hundred rounds. In the end, the property management had no choice but to give in and let He Zhao park in the area below the building, which was originally used to park patrol cars in the community.
He Zhao was satisfied, but it wasn't free. She paid 150 yuan a month, and this small amount was the result of He Zhao's reasonable argument. Originally, the community property management wanted to charge 300 yuan.
This resulted in He Zhao's electric tricycle being parked in a different spot than Qiao Yanyu's motorcycle, which was naturally parked in the underground parking lot. The two agreed to meet at the entrance of the residential complex and then went to find their respective vehicles.
When He Zhao arrived at the entrance of the residential area, he found that Qiao Yanyu was already there. She came up from the underground parking garage, and she was even faster than him. Thinking about it later, it made sense. The surface roads were winding and passed through a lot of greenery, while the underground roads were more direct, so Qiao Yanyu was faster than He Zhao.
After meeting up, He Zhao gave a shout and then led the way.
Qiao Yanyu's motorcycle followed behind her like a guard, never leaving her side.
He Zhao's electric scooter had rearview mirrors, and Qiao Yanyu was behind her. She would occasionally glance at the mirror. Her food cart was large, yet Qiao Yanyu's figure could still be seen in the rearview mirror. The heavy motorcycle following behind her was truly aggrieved, unable to even twist the throttle too hard.
He Zhao was delighted to see Qiao Yanyu following behind him.
When they reach a traffic light, Qiao Yanyu will drive up to He Zhao and check if He Zhao's hat and scarf are on properly. If he's even slightly careless, she'll remind him.
"Although your fever has subsided, your cold hasn't completely cleared up. Don't catch a chill, or you'll get a fever again when you get back."
Her kindness warmed He Zhao's heart, making him feel no cold wind on his face: "I know!"
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