The man grabbed by Wang Dahua was named Li Deng.
Li Deng simply didn’t want to offend Wang Dahua; it wasn’t that he was afraid to do so.
Previously, he was just watching the show and didn’t want to bring trouble upon himself.
But now, Su Qinghe was holding two full catties worth of meat coupons in her hand!
Just running to call the police would take only a few minutes, and he could earn two meat coupons—only a fool wouldn’t go!
Li Deng was young and strong. With a powerful jerk of his arm, he sent Wang Dahua stumbling back.
“Wang Dahua, you’re getting up there in age, why are you pulling on me? Trying to eat young grass as an old cow?”
Li Deng was a rascal to begin with, and now that he was in a hurry to leave, he held back even less with his words.
Hearing Li Deng say this, Wang Dahua was furious. “You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about! Would I take a liking to you? I’m telling you to mind your own business!”
“Who are you calling yourself mother to?” Li Deng glared fiercely at Wang Dahua. “Keep talking nonsense and see if I don’t slap you across the face!”
Remembering the things Li Deng usually did, Wang Dahua subconsciously pulled her neck in.
“I’m just telling you not to go!” Wang Dahua spoke again, her voice much softer. “It’s just a few dried sweet potatoes. If you really bring the police here, they’ll think you’re looking for trouble and wasting their time.”
Hearing this, Li Deng indeed hesitated and subconsciously looked over at Su Qinghe.
Su Qinghe reached into her satchel and pulled out another meat coupon.
“Whoever helps fetch the police gets four catties worth of meat coupons!”
Li Deng, who had looked hesitant moments ago, instantly had flames burning in his eyes, bright enough to almost blind Wang Dahua.
“When in trouble, turn to the police! Even if it’s just a few dried sweet potatoes, the police comrades will definitely take care of it!”
After saying that, Li Deng turned on his heel to leave.
But as soon as he turned around, he saw several people already sprinting ahead.
Seeing this, Li Deng was instantly furious.
These guys actually dared to get a head start!
Li Deng broke into a full sprint.
Watching the several people sprinting off, Wang Dahua’s expression changed instantly.
These busybodies who loved drama were actually going to fetch the police!
What would she say once the police arrived?
The look on Wang Dahua’s face shifted continuously, but she soon relaxed again.
Even if the police came, so what?
If she said dried sweet potatoes were missing, then they were missing!
She couldn’t prove Qin Wang stole them, but nobody could prove Qin Wang didn’t steal them either!
Thinking this way, Wang Dahua’s expression turned smug once again!
Ten minutes later, two police officers arrived.
Li Deng walked beside the two officers with a proud look on his face. “I’m the one who brought the police comrades here!”
He had nearly run his legs off!
His lungs felt like they were about to burst from running!
But he had finally been the first to rush into the Public Security Bureau and invite the police officers over!
Su Qinghe looked at Li Deng with a smile. “Comrade, you worked hard. Quick, wipe off your sweat!”
Saying that, she handed the two meat coupons in her hand to Li Deng.
Li Deng took them with a grin, inspected them carefully, and only stuffed them into his pocket after confirming there were no issues.
But he didn’t leave.
He wanted to see what would happen next now that the police officers had arrived.
Of the two police officers, one was older and the other was a young man.
The Public Security Bureau always operated on a mentor-apprentice system, and these two were clearly master and apprentice.
The older officer spoke in a deep voice, “Who here wanted to report to the police? What happened?”
The officer who spoke was named Xu Changjiang, a veteran police officer.
The young man beside him was named Zhao Liang, an apprentice whom Xu Changjiang had taken on just this year.
“Me!”
Su Qinghe raised her hand.
“Comrade officers, it’s like this. This old woman claims that my son stole her dried sweet potatoes!
Although dried sweet potatoes aren’t worth much, this matter affects both my son’s reputation and mine!
How could my son be a thief? How could I be a thief’s mother?
This must be thoroughly investigated!”
Xu Changjiang had originally wanted to ask why bring him here over a few missing dried sweet potatoes.
But before he could speak, he heard Su Qinghe’s following words.
He was persuaded by Su Qinghe.
A few dried sweet potatoes indeed weren’t worth much.
But this concerned the reputation of a child and a mother!
Investigate!
It had to be thoroughly investigated!
“Who lost the dried sweet potatoes?” Xu Changjiang asked in a cold voice.
Everyone turned to look at Wang Dahua.
Wang Dahua had no choice but to step forward. “It’s me! Comrade officers, I lost the dried sweet potatoes.”
“Where were you drying your sweet potatoes?” Xu Changjiang continued asking.
“Right here!” Wang Dahua pointed to the edge of the steps in front of her house.
Everyone looked over and indeed saw a small straw mat spread on the ground, with slices of dried sweet potatoes laid on top.
The sweet potato slices were still moist, clearly cut and put out to dry not long ago.
Wang Dahua pointed at the straw mat and continued, “Comrade officers, look here. Two slices of dried sweet potatoes are missing here—the imprints are still right here!”
With that, Wang Dahua shot Su Qinghe a triumphant look.
She hadn’t falsely accused Qin Wang on a whim!
She had come prepared!
Hearing Wang Dahua’s words and seeing the two round marks on the straw mat, the crowd instantly believed Wang Dahua. They looked at Qin Wang with teasing eyes, while looking at Su Qinghe with a bit of sympathy.
Being stuck with such a son, being a stepmother was truly no easy task!
Stared at by everyone, Qin Wang clenched his fists tightly and glared at Wang Dahua with hatred.
Just as he was about to speak, Su Qinghe beat him to it.
“Your dried sweet potatoes were just freshly sliced, right?”
“Yeah! What about it?”
“Since they were just freshly sliced, that means they were sliced from whole, freshly boiled sweet potatoes!”
“Yeah! Isn’t that obvious?”
As Wang Dahua spoke, she looked at Su Qinghe as if looking at a fool.
The corners of Su Qinghe’s lips curled up. “In that case, we can definitely piece them back together! Just piece them back into whole sweet potatoes and see if two slices are missing, right?”
As soon as these words were uttered, everyone was dumbfounded.
This… this works too?
Xu Changjiang also looked at Su Qinghe with some surprise.
The young woman was quite sharp to actually think of a method like this.
Wang Dahua grew visibly flustered. “Easier said than done! Who could piece them back together?!”
“I can!”
Su Qinghe’s voice was firm and resolute.
“I’ll piece them together right here for everyone to see with their own eyes!”
Xu Changjiang nodded. “Alright, go ahead.”
Since Xu Changjiang had agreed, Wang Dahua couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to. She could only stand to the side anxious and restless, her heart in utter turmoil.
She didn’t believe Su Qinghe could actually piece them back together.
But at the same time, she was terrified that Su Qinghe might actually succeed.
She regretted even more that she had merely picked up those two slices of dried sweet potato and tossed them onto the other slices instead of eating them or hiding them away.
But it was too late for regrets now!
Su Qinghe squatted beside the straw mat, picking up the dried sweet potato slices one by one, assembling them right before everyone’s eyes.
What seemed completely impossible to the crowd was ridiculously easy to Su Qinghe.
She had solved ten-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles before, let alone a few sweet potatoes!
Even if she tried them slice by slice, with fewer than a hundred pieces of dried sweet potatoes here, she would quickly restore them to their original shape.