"What do you mean, 'found on the street'? This is my cabinet. Tell me, did you steal my things?"
Having finally caught the thief, why would Shi let her go?
"Shi, stop! Yunniang came with me to help fetch water and put out the fire. We came across this cabinet blocking the way and brought it back. How did that become stealing from your house?"
The third sister, who was carrying four buckets, also hurriedly stepped forward and said something.
Besides, they all came out of their homes one after another, so how could they have had time to steal anything?
"That's right, don't try to frame me. We found this cabinet on the road. If your things are stolen, don't come looking for me. I'm a law-abiding citizen," Yunniang quickly retorted.
This whole family is shameless scoundrels. If she's really framed for theft, she'll be lucky to escape with her life, and her whole family might even lose everything.
“That’s right, we still have this bucket with us. If we hadn’t come across this cabinet on the way, we wouldn’t have turned back halfway. How did we become thieves?” Third Sister said, scratching her head innocently.
"Hmph! I think you two are in cahoots. My whole house has been emptied out. How could one person do that? Tell me, how many other accomplices do you have?"
Seeing this, Wang Lan also came up and grabbed San Niang behind her, demanding that the two of them reveal their accomplices.
She was heartbroken; all her savings from so many years and the gold ingots she had received from Wang Dalang's biological father were gone!
She was determined to make those two pay.
"Yes, you must be in cahoots, and the Zhang family too. You must have started the fire at the Zhang family's house. You just wanted to take advantage of the chaos!"
Wang Lan's daughter, Wang Fang, also went up and blocked the two from leaving.
"Second Brother, Third Brother, stop them quickly! Don't let these two little thieves escape!"
At the same time, he was directing the two younger ones to surround Yunniang and Sanniang.
"Wang Lan, aren't you being unreasonable? Didn't you see that he was holding a bucket of water? How did he become a thief?" The neighbors around couldn't stand it anymore.
"Exactly, this cabinet was picked up from the street, how did that become stealing from your house? If it really is yours, why don't you keep it at home? You're shameless."
The others also spoke without any politeness.
“Their family has always been shameless. Didn’t they almost kill Dalang? This is retribution.”
Seeing a group of people gossiping about them and even siding with the thief, Wang Lan became anxious.
She's a victim, yet these villagers aren't willing to help her at all; instead, they're helping the thieves?
Just then, a shrill scream came from the Zhang family's side:
"Oh my God! My house has been burgled!"
It was Zhang Wangshi's voice.
"Really? Aren't all your things still here?" Everyone looked at this person with great curiosity.
“It’s not ours, this cabinet in the house isn’t ours.” Tian Qing shook her head in fear from the side.
Their fire was set by thieves.
"No, this table belongs to my family."
Shi Shi had somehow gotten close to them, and then, looking at the table with its charred corners, she spoke excitedly.
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Lan abandoned her guard over Yunniang and the other woman and rushed over quickly.
They then discovered that the table really did belong to their family.
“This box is mine!” Wang Fang shouted, pointing to a box as well.
······
The group looked at each other, wondering what was going on.
"Are all these yours? What about my things? What about my wardrobe, chests, and tables?" Zhang Wangshi asked in shock.
"Dad, all the pots and pans in our kitchen are gone, all our things are gone."
Zhang Xiuzhu rushed out of the kitchen and shouted at Zhang Wangshi.
Actually, she was saying this to other people.
She wanted people to know that her family was also a victim.
"My God! How are we supposed to live like this?!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Wangshi immediately sat down on the ground, her cries echoing through the air.
His house was not only burned down, but also completely robbed.
"No, then how did my things end up in your house? Are you in cahoots with me?"
Wang Lan wouldn't let the two change the subject; her belongings had been found at the Zhang family's house.
Zhang Wangshi immediately retorted angrily, "You're talking nonsense! My house was also robbed of everything, how did you become a thief?"
"Then how come my things are in your house?" Wang Lan seized on this question.
Then, looking at the people who came to put out the fire, he pointed at them and said, "I knew it! Your house suddenly caught fire. Someone must be trying to take advantage of the fire and steal things."
"You're talking nonsense! Don't try to make false accusations. It must have been that thief who stole your things and then came to steal from my house, which is why he left these things behind. Not only was my house stolen, but it was also burned down," Zhang Wangshi retorted without any politeness.
It has to be said that his wild guesses actually came true.
"Hmph, who knows if your house was deliberately faked to have burned down?" Shi said, unwilling to give up.
"Try burning your house down! Besides, what would I steal from your family of lazy good-for-nothings?" Zhang Wangshi retorted without any politeness.
"What did you say? You widow..."
The villagers watched as the two families started hurling insults at each other, and they all looked at each other in bewilderment.
Yunniang and Sanniang, who had been blocked, also leaned there to watch the show.
Regardless, the relationship between these two companies is definitely not going to be good in the future.
Just then, a row of swaying torches was carried in from outside the village, and the sound of horses' hooves startled everyone.
"Who are these people who have come to our village?"
"Could they be bandits?"
Those who were watching the commotion and those who were arguing all stopped.
The firefighting tools in their hands had now become weapons, which they held tightly in their grasp.
The man was always ready to escape.
As the torches drew nearer, everyone's hearts were in their throats.
A sharp-eyed villager noticed that the men were dressed in the uniforms of government officials and quickly waved:
"Don't be afraid, it looks like government officials. The government officials are here."
Upon hearing that they were government officials, the others breathed a sigh of relief and put down their buckets, basins, and carrying poles.
Someone shouted, "The official's wife is here! Perfect, let's see who stole the things!"
"That's right, it's perfect that the adults can make decisions for you."
The arrival of the officials surprised the villagers.
But at least the two families stopped arguing.
The officials' wives were also very curious, and they saw the torches being carried in the village from afar.
Their group headed straight for this place.
Only upon closer inspection did I realize the significance of the villagers, the water buckets and carrying poles around them, and the house still emitting smoke.
"Are you all from the village? What are you doing up so late at night? Putting out a fire?"
The woman at the head of the group, dressed in brocade, looked around and then asked a question.
She was the one who apprehended the criminals this time. She looked like a refined scholar, but in reality, she was a highly skilled martial artist, a ruthless detective, and a commander under the Governor's Office.
Wang Lan recognized at a glance that this was the woman who had written the contract for her that morning.
She immediately pulled her head back.
Zhang Wangshi had also met her, so she didn't dare to say anything.
Zhang Xiuzhu, suppressing her fear, bowed and replied, "Sir, our house suddenly caught fire in the middle of the night. After the villagers helped put out the fire, we discovered that our house had been robbed."
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