In this warm and harmonious atmosphere, Xichun was even feeling drowsy when suddenly a commotion broke out outside.
"Xichun, Xichun, are you home?" It was Aunt He's voice outside the door. Her sister-in-law was visiting today, so she hadn't left home.
"Aunt He, what's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?" Xi Chun asked, puzzled.
"Oh dear, are you alright? Are you all okay?" Aunt He checked on her first, and only continued after finding that she didn't seem to be in any trouble. "You don't know, quite a few families in our village who went to visit relatives have been robbed. We heard about it and thought we should come and check on you as soon as possible."
"What? They dare to steal things in broad daylight? Have they caught the culprit? Where are they from?"
Xi Chun was also somewhat surprised. Not every household in the village had gone out, so how could someone dare to steal things?
"I'm worried because we haven't caught them yet. I don't know where they came from. Everyone says they might be from the village. Otherwise, how would someone from another village know about the village's situation and not be discovered? Anyway, you guys better be careful."
After Aunt He left, Xi Chun remembered that Aunt Zhang's family was also not home, and she didn't know if their house had been burgled. She thought it best to go and check.
Fortunately, they all had the habit of locking the door. Xichun checked and found that no one had gone in, which put her mind at ease.
"Xichun, who do you think did this? You were the only one in our village who was robbed around the same time last year, but those were from other villages. I don't think it could be those people. I'm thinking, could it be Old Chen's family?"
Wang recalled Chen Lizhong's appearance and felt very suspicious.
“I also think it’s possible, but we can’t say anything about it without solid evidence, otherwise Old Madam Chen might not let it go. In short, we should all be careful.” Xi Chun also had some doubts, but she couldn’t say anything without finding evidence.
"Yes, I know. It's just the two of us talking here. The Chen family is really getting worse and worse. Chen Lizhong used to be spoiled by your grandparents because he was the eldest grandson. Now they've really spoiled him into becoming a nemesis. They deserve it."
"Let's not talk about him anymore, Mom. Look, Xiaofeng is asleep. You can rest here. Anyway, Xiaofeng's grandma is at home, so don't worry."
"Okay, I'll go take a nap first. Call me if you need anything."
"become."
Seeing that the two were asleep, Xichun went out into the yard and checked all the spikes that had been placed around the house. If anyone dared to jump down from the corner of the wall, he would make sure their feet bled profusely. He also locked all the houses before leaving the doors open, which also served as a lookout for Aunt Zhang's house.
That evening, almost everyone who had gone out in the village returned. Upon hearing that there had been a thief, they all forgot about it and went home to find that their hidden belongings had indeed been ransacked, and some people's hidden money had been stolen.
"Oh dear, what a disaster! All the money in my house has been stolen! Oh no, what am I going to do? Who stole it? If I find out, I'll make sure they get a beating!"
"Village chief, who did this? We must find out! Get my money back! They even took two eggs from my old hen! That heartless bastard! If I find out who it is, I'll kill him!"
Such scenes were playing out in many households in the village, with everyone beating their feet and chests in frustration, wishing they could catch this person and give him a good beating.
"Don't worry, everyone, I will definitely investigate and find out who did it." The village chief was also very troubled because someone in his family would have been robbed as well. But now that so many thefts have occurred in the village, he can forget about having a peaceful New Year.
"Aunt Zhang, you're back! Quickly check if your house has been robbed!" After Wang returned home, Xichun didn't close the door and kept staring outside. When she saw Aunt Zhang and the others return, she quickly ran over to say this.
"We heard about this and ran back from the village entrance." Aunt Zhang was panting, afraid that the money she had saved for Qiangzi's wedding had been stolen.
The two brothers, Qiangzi and Taozi, also ran back; both of them had made money.
"Phew, thank goodness Xichun, you were there to keep an eye on things. Our house wasn't robbed, otherwise, Qiangzi's dowry for his wife would probably be gone," Aunt Zhang said thankfully.
"Aunt Zhang, judging from your words, does that mean Brother Qiangzi's marriage has been arranged?" Xichun knew that the purpose of their visit today was to find a match, and upon hearing this, she knew that there was hope.
"Hehe, yes, I think we can find a matchmaker to propose marriage after the New Year. The girl is a good person, and her parents are good. Her mother and I are from the same village, so we know each other well. I can finally put my mind at ease."
Mentioning this made Aunt Zhang's expression much better, and she even shared the scene of Qiangzi going to look at potential partners today.
"I heard that many families in the village have been robbed, but no one knows who it was. Everyone says they haven't seen anyone from outside the village come, but some people have seen Old Chen's eldest son pass by the door of those houses."
After confirming that everything was alright at home, Uncle Zhang went to the village to inquire about the situation.
"So, did he steal it?" Aunt Zhang thought he was more likely to be the thief.
"We haven't found him, and no one saw him take anything. Everyone ran to Old Chen's house, but Old Mrs. Chen said that everyone was bullying her and her child, and she was cursing. The village chief said that we have to wait until we find him before we can be sure. Everyone should go back and check what was stolen. He will write it down. If all else fails, we will have to report it to the authorities. You all need to be more vigilant these next few days, just in case the thief comes at night."
“We need to be more careful, Xichun. I’ll stay at your house for the next few days. I’m really worried about you being alone. If it really is Chen Lizhong, I’m afraid he’ll come looking for trouble. That whole family are heartless. Who knows what they might do?”
"Thank you, Aunt Zhang. We really need to be careful. If he dares to steal in broad daylight, he'll probably be even more likely to commit crimes at night. Uncle Zhang, has the village chief arranged for someone to keep watch at night?"
"It's been arranged. Every adult male in the household must keep watch at night. You don't need to. Just stay alert and get some rest."
"Okay, even during the New Year we can't have a peaceful holiday. Sigh, I really hope we can have a peaceful New Year." Xichun shook his head. Right now, everyone in the village is on edge, and no one is in the mood for the New Year.
A little while later, Aunt He also came over. Her house hadn't been robbed either, but she was just as worried about Xichun's situation, so she came over to ask.
"I think about 80% of the villagers believe it was Old Chen's family who did it, but there's no evidence. Otherwise, their door would probably be trampled to pieces." Aunt He shared the information she had gathered.
"That's right. Think about those gamblers. They have no conscience. As long as there's money to keep them gambling, they'll never stop."
Fortunately, nothing happened that night and no one was robbed. However, Chen Lizhong, whom everyone had suspected, did not return that night, which further fueled everyone's doubts about him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
