As soon as Ye Jianguo spoke, everyone began whispering among themselves again.
They suddenly realized that what Ye Jianguo said made a lot of sense.
If an outsider had really stolen the chicken, how could they have stolen only one?
Wouldn't it have been better to take the entire chicken coop?
There was absolutely no way they would steal only one chicken.
After all, if they were thieves, they definitely would not have taken just one.
They would certainly have picked up the chicken coop and taken both chickens away.
Therefore.
This chicken thief really could be someone from the courtyard compound.
For some reason.
Everyone could not help looking toward Yi Zhonghai.
They all wanted to see what Yi Zhonghai would say.
Yi Zhonghai's expression immediately became extremely ugly.
He truly had not thought of this.
He had not expected that the crucial point he had finally found would be easily destroyed by Ye Jianguo.
This made him very unhappy.
It made him furious.
However.
He could not refute it.
If an outsider had really stolen the chicken, they indeed would not have stolen only one.
When Sha Zhu saw that Yi Zhonghai did not refute it immediately, he quickly spoke up: “Ye Jianguo, this is nothing more than your speculation.”
“You are not the chicken thief, so how do you know what he was thinking?”
“Perhaps he only wanted to steal one chicken?”
“Are you saying that people are not allowed to steal just one chicken?”
“How ridiculous!”
“When all is said and done, you still have no evidence to prove anything.”
“Since that's the case, stop wasting everyone's time here.”
“Finally, I advise you to apologize to Sister Qin and Aunt Jia immediately.”
Jia Zhangshi also began making a scene: “Exactly. Ye Jianguo, apologize to me immediately. You must compensate us.”
“Otherwise, I will never let this go!”
After hearing Sha Zhu's words, Yi Zhonghai also felt that he was right.
If Ye Jianguo really had evidence, he would have brought it out long ago.
But.
He had been talking for so long, yet he still had not produced any evidence.
What did this show?
At this thought.
Yi Zhonghai slammed his palm onto the table with a sharp crack.
The people who had been discussing animatedly all fell silent.
It had to be said.
Yi Zhonghai's intimidating presence was still quite powerful.
Yi Zhonghai looked at Ye Jianguo and said: “Ye Jianguo, you keep insisting that this child Bang Geng is the chicken thief.”
“There is no need to discuss anything else. Bring out your evidence.”
“If you have no evidence, then you must apologize to Aunt Jia and Qin Huairu.”
“You will even have to give them some compensation.”
“After all, you accused them without cause, causing them considerable emotional distress.”
Yi Zhonghai's voice remained as calm as ever.
But.
It was filled with a chill.
Ye Jianguo smiled, and his smile grew even brighter.
He looked at Yi Zhonghai and asked in return: “Yi Zhonghai, if I really expose Bang Geng, this little ingrate, as the chicken thief, will you also apologize to me and compensate me?”
“Because from beginning to end, you have constantly defended Qin Huairu and the others while targeting me!”
“Moreover, Sha Zhu has constantly targeted Lou Xiaoe, saying all sorts of things about her. This has clearly harmed her, so he must apologize to her and compensate her for emotional distress.”
“It does not need to be much. Five yuan is definitely necessary.”
Just as Yi Zhonghai was about to speak, Sha Zhu immediately said: “Ye Jianguo, if you can produce evidence proving that Bang Geng is the chicken thief, I will represent First Uncle and apologize to you, as well as compensate you five yuan.”
“As for Lou Xiaoe, I also agree to apologize to her and compensate her five yuan.”
“However, if you cannot prove it, then not only must you apologize to Sister Qin and Aunt Jia and compensate them five yuan, you must also apologize to First Uncle.”
“Of course, there will naturally be no compensation for Lou Xiaoe.”
“The question is, do you dare accept?”
After Sha Zhu finished speaking, he looked at Ye Jianguo arrogantly.
Yi Zhonghai felt very depressed when he heard Sha Zhu's words.
Why had Sha Zhu snatched the words right out of his mouth?
Moreover.
By speaking this way, wasn't the fellow indirectly proving that he was siding with Qin Huairu and the others?
But.
He could not refute Sha Zhu.
After all.
He knew that Sha Zhu had spoken up like this for his sake.
Only.
Ye Jianguo's conditions were far too excessive.
He wanted Yi Zhonghai to apologize and pay compensation, and he also wanted Sha Zhu to apologize to Lou Xiaoe and compensate her.
Could this bastard really have evidence?
Jia Zhangshi, on the other hand, was overjoyed inside.
There really was five yuan in compensation?
This was wonderful.
It had to be known.
In her opinion, receiving even a few coins in compensation would already be quite good.
But.
Now, with Sha Zhu's help, the compensation had actually been raised to five yuan?
That was five yuan!
How many meals of fatty pork could that buy her?
Afterward.
She thought of the plate of chicken at Ye Jianguo's home.
She added: “You also have to compensate me with that plate of chicken at Ye Jianguo's home. Hmm, and the remaining half of the chicken must be compensated to me too!”
Lou Xiaoe was also stunned at this moment, deeply moved by Ye Jianguo's words.
Why was he helping me?
It had to be known.
Even that bastard Xu Damao had not spoken up for her.
Yet now Ye Jianguo was helping her seek justice.
He even wanted Sha Zhu to apologize to her.
This was something Lou Xiaoe had never dared imagine.
But.
It was actually happening now.
Ye Jianguo had truly helped her.
For some inexplicable reason.
Lou Xiaoe looked toward Ye Jianguo, staring at him in a daze.
Liu Qian was completely stunned at this moment.
She had never expected things to develop this way.
Now.
It had actually turned into a matter of monetary compensation.
She worriedly tugged at Ye Jianguo's arm.
Sensing Liu Qian's concern, Ye Jianguo gently held her small hand and softly comforted her: “It's fine. I am here.”
After hearing Ye Jianguo's words, Liu Qian suddenly calmed down.
Her worry disappeared.
Ye Jianguo gave her a tremendous sense of security.
Moreover.
Ye Jianguo was not only going to expose the chicken thief; he was also standing up for his good friend Lou Xiaoe.
It had to be known.
Lou Xiaoe often helped her.
Otherwise.
Her life would definitely not have been so easy.
Therefore.
After seeing Ye Jianguo speak up for Lou Xiaoe, she felt extremely grateful to him.
After comforting Liu Qian, Ye Jianguo looked at Sha Zhu, who had willingly jumped into the trap.
He said indifferently: “Everyone, you all heard that.”
“If I can expose Bang Geng, this little ingrate, as the chicken thief, then Sha Zhu will represent Yi Zhonghai and compensate me five yuan, and Yi Zhonghai will apologize to me!”
“Sha Zhu must also apologize to Lou Xiaoe and compensate her five yuan for emotional distress.”
Second Uncle Liu Haizhong immediately spoke up: “Ye Jianguo, we all heard it. Now hurry up and prove it!”
“What exactly is your evidence?”
Third Uncle Yan Bugui also spoke up: “Exactly. Hurry and bring out the evidence. We are all watching.”
For a moment.
Everyone began speaking up, urging Ye Jianguo to produce his evidence.
Ye Jianguo smiled and looked at Sha Zhu, asking with a half-smile: “Sha Zhu, who did you encounter on the way when you came back just now?”
Actually.
Just moments ago.
When he asked Sha Zhu whether he had seen Bang Geng in the kitchen, he had already noticed that something was wrong with him.
It was obvious.
Sha Zhu definitely knew that Bang Geng had stolen the chicken.
In other words.
When he came back, he must have encountered Bang Geng, and he had very likely seen Bang Geng happily eating Beggar's Chicken.
Therefore.
That was why he had suddenly asked this question.
Sure enough.
He saw Sha Zhu's expression change again.
Although Sha Zhu quickly concealed it.
But.
Ye Jianguo had still seen it clearly.
Without waiting for Sha Zhu to speak, he continued: “On your way back, you ran into Bang Geng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua, the three siblings. They were eating Beggar's Chicken.”
“You even walked over and praised Bang Geng for being a good child who knew to share Beggar's Chicken with his younger sisters, didn't you?”
As soon as Ye Jianguo spoke.
Sha Zhu's expression changed drastically.
He truly had not expected Ye Jianguo to know about this.
How did Ye Jianguo know?
How could he possibly know about this?
Sha Zhu was frightened.
However.
He quickly recovered.
He shouted angrily: “Ye Jianguo, I don't know what you're talking about.”
“When I came back, I did not see Bang Geng at all, much less see him eating any Beggar's Chicken.”
“You are slandering me!”
After hearing Ye Jianguo's words, Qin Huairu also cried: “Ye Jianguo, how can you slander my Bang Geng like this?”
“What did he ever do to offend you?”
“When has he ever eaten Beggar's Chicken? You are slandering him!”
“Waaah...”
However.
Jia Zhangshi, who had been shouting the loudest, suddenly fell silent.
She suddenly remembered that tonight, when Bang Geng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua faced the Coarse Flour Steamed Buns, they had surprisingly had no appetite.
They had even.
Belched with full stomachs.
Her face immediately turned deathly pale with fright.
Just then.
A voice rang out again: “Jia Zhangshi, when Bang Geng, Xiaodang, and Huaihua faced your family's Coarse Flour Steamed Buns and sweet potato porridge tonight, they could not eat any of it, could they?”
“They even belched from time to time, didn't they?”
“Don't you think that behavior was far too abnormal?”
Jia Zhangshi trembled all over, her face paling as she made a scene: “I don't know what you're talking about. It absolutely was not my Good Grandson who stole the chicken.”
“Absolutely impossible.”
At this point.
Jia Zhangshi knelt on the ground again and wailed: “Dongxu, did you see that?”
“That bastard Ye Jianguo is bullying your mother and falsely accusing your Good Grandson!”
“If you can see this, take him away!”
“Waaah...”
Seeing Jia Zhangshi's reaction, Ye Jianguo knew that his guess had been correct.
Although there had been some deviations.
But.
The overall situation had not changed.
As for Jia Zhangshi making a scene, what use was it?
It could not change the fact that Bang Geng had stolen the chicken.
When Sha Zhu saw Qin Huairu crying so bitterly, he shouted: “Ye Jianguo, all of this is your slander. What use is it to argue like this?”
“If this is your so-called evidence, then there is nothing more to say.”
“Apologize to Sister Qin and Aunt Jia immediately, and compensate them for their losses.”
Yi Zhonghai also said grimly: “Ye Jianguo, if this is your so-called evidence, then fulfill your promise immediately.”
“No one will believe this nonsense of yours.”
“I don't believe you, and I believe no one else will believe your slander either.”
Yi Zhonghai now became even more convinced that Ye Jianguo had no evidence at all.
All of this was nothing more than his sophistry.
Ye Jianguo looked at Bang Geng, who was hiding in Qin Huairu's arms, and said with a half-smile: “It seems you really won't shed a tear until you see the coffin.”
“Since that's the case, there is nothing more to say.”
At this point.
Ye Jianguo looked at Xu Damao and said: “Xu Damao, since Sha Zhu, Jia Zhangshi, and the others know that Bang Geng stole the chicken but refuse to admit it, go report it.”
“Once you report it, they will definitely discover very quickly that Bang Geng was the one who stole the chicken.”
At this point.
Ye Jianguo glanced at Qin Huairu and Jia Zhangshi before saying: “Bang Geng, this little ingrate and chicken thief, should be sent to the juvenile detention center!”
As soon as Ye Jianguo said this, everyone present erupted.
None of them had expected Ye Jianguo to say something like this in the end.
He was actually telling Xu Damao to report it.
In fact, after hearing Ye Jianguo say that Bang Geng had stolen the soy sauce, Xu Damao had been watching Bang Geng, Sha Zhu, Jia Zhangshi, and the others.
He noticed that Bang Geng looked extremely frightened.
He kept hiding in Qin Huairu's arms.
Whether it was Sha Zhu or Jia Zhangshi, their expressions had changed repeatedly under Ye Jianguo's questioning, and their faces had turned deathly pale.
Seeing this.
He also arrived at an answer.
That was.
His old hen had definitely been stolen by that little bastard Bang Geng.
Therefore.
After hearing Ye Jianguo's words, he immediately said: “Fine. Since they refuse to admit it, I will go report it right now.”
“I will definitely catch this chicken thief.”
“I absolutely will make him compensate me!”
After Xu Damao finished speaking, he was about to stand up and report it.
....