Chapter 53: A Clue
Chapter 53: A Clue
As the painting was unfurled, the eldest sister immediately recognized the person depicted and exclaimed, "This woman came to buy some treats at the beginning of the year. She bought two jin of fruit candy, and after receiving it, she insisted that I had given her less than the right amount."
She continued, her voice filled with indignation, "I've been selling things for almost twenty years, and I've never short-changed a customer. I suspected that she had hidden some of the candies, so I told her I wanted to search her bag and clothes, but she refused and started arguing with me."
It would have been fine if she had complained about her attitude, but accusing her of selling less than the actual amount was unacceptable. If she had tolerated this accusation, it would have affected her reputation and possibly her job. That was why the elderly woman had left such a deep impression on her.
Lu Jiaxin was overjoyed. "Elder Sister, do you happen to know where this person lives?" she asked eagerly.
The elder sister shook her head. "I'm not sure where she lives, but based on her accent, she's from the western village. Apparently, her son holds a leadership position in some factory, and she boasts about it."
Even if her son held a high position in a factory in another region, it didn't matter. Their authority didn't extend here, and they couldn't interfere with local matters. The old woman had quieted down as soon as she mentioned calling the police, clearly aware of her wrongdoing.
Lu Jiaxin's joy knew no bounds. This clue brought them one step closer to finding the elderly woman. She grabbed a large handful of fruit candy and pressed it into the elder sister's hand, overflowing with gratitude. "Elder Sister, thank you so much. You've been incredibly helpful."
She then grabbed another handful of fruit candy and offered it to the kind sales assistant.
After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, Zhao Dajun said, "Miss Lu, we should go to the Public Security Bureau now and inform Director Wu and the others of this new lead."
However, Lu Jiaxin shook her head. "You saw it yourself, Zhao. There were only a few people at the Public Security Bureau today. The others must be out on assignments."
It was evident that they were short-staffed. Otherwise, they wouldn't have asked her to fill in for them.
"Uncle Zhao," Lu Jiaxin suggested, "let's head back and inform my second and fifth brothers about this. Tomorrow, we'll go to the western village together. With all these clues, we're bound to find her tomorrow."
The current police force was nowhere near as efficient as it would be in later years. They would likely have to wait until they had solved a case before they could arrest the old woman.
Frowning, Lu Dabo replied, "Jiaxin, even if we find this person, we can't just arrest her."
Venturing into another village to make an arrest would be a delicate matter. While the police were authorized to carry out their duties and were armed, the locals might not take kindly to their intervention. If they attempted to arrest someone under such circumstances, they would likely be chased out by the villagers.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "We just need to find the person. The actual arrest is the responsibility of the Public Security Bureau."
Reassured by her words, Lu Dabo nodded in agreement.
On their way back, Lu Jiaxin suddenly said, "Uncle Zhao, I think the dishes and steamed buns made by the state-owned restaurant aren't as delicious as Auntie's cooking."
Lu Dabo laughed and said, "Your Auntie's braised pork and sour and spicy potato strips are indeed not as good as the chef's, but her buns and steamed bread are much softer."
Lu Jiaxin explained, "Sour and spicy potato strips are quite easy to make. I'll cook some for you tonight, and I guarantee they'll taste just as good as the chef's."
"Oh? Then I'll have to give it a try tonight," Lu Dabo said with a smile.
As they walked and chatted, Lu Jiaxin brought up her Auntie's culinary skills again. "Uncle Zhao, if someone in the family could learn Auntie's cooking skills, we could open a restaurant in the county town. That would be another source of income."
Her Auntie was already in her seventies, and it wouldn't be feasible for her to run a restaurant. Even with Xiao Qiu's help, she struggled to prepare meals for the large family, and the demands of running a restaurant would be far more strenuous.
Lu Dabo couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed in Lu Hongjun. "Jiaxin, opening a restaurant isn't that simple. It requires a lot of work and dedication..."
Lu Jiaxin knew her uncle's concerns, and said, "Uncle Lu, many small restaurants have already opened in Si Jiucheng. When I don't have time to cook, I go there to eat. Not only is the food delicious, but the service is also excellent."
She understood that many people were adopting a wait-and-see attitude towards the reform and opening up. Those who had opened small restaurants in Si Jiucheng were either excellent cooks or daring individuals. However, a significant portion of them had also taken this path out of desperation, having no other choice. If they had stable jobs, they wouldn't be taking such risks.
Uncle Lu waved his hand dismissively. "I can't control what others do, but our family is not allowed to open a restaurant. There's no need to take risks when we can get by just fine."
When they arrived home, Lu Jiaxin learned that her Second Uncle and his son had returned early, but her second eldest brother and the others hadn't come back yet.
Her aunt said, "Jiaxin, I took the painting you gave me and asked around in the nearby villages, but no one recognized the old woman."
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "It's alright. We've already found out that she speaks with an accent from the western village."
Her aunt was astonished. "Jiaxin, how did you find that out?"
When she heard that the information came from the sales clerk at the supply and marketing cooperative, her aunt praised her, giving her a thumbs-up. "Jiaxin, you're so clever. Your uncle never would have thought of that."
The other family members probably hadn't thought of going to the state-owned restaurant or the supply and marketing cooperative to ask around either. After all, the people who worked at those places often had unfriendly attitudes, and they didn't expect to get any useful information from them.
Uncle Lu, seeing her indirect criticism of him, said helplessly, "Alright, now that we have a lead, we'll go to the western village tomorrow to inquire. Even if we find her, we mustn't act rashly. We'll let the public security bureau handle the arrest."
Her aunt also understood that taking action in someone else's territory could easily lead to trouble.
When the children saw all the things Lu Jiaxin had bought, they eagerly waited for their uncle and aunt to leave, then rushed into the room to ask questions.
Niu Niu, the boldest among them, asked directly, "Cousin, what delicious things did you buy?"
Lu Jiaxin took out a bottle of soda, opened it, and said with a smile, "Go get some bowls, and each of you can have a little sip."
The soda was all-natural, so there was no need to worry about stomachaches.
Xiaoqiu quickly interjected, "Little cousin, they already had guopi dan and Da Bai Tu milk candy today. Let's save these for later!"
She wanted to drink it too, but she was afraid that her grandmother and mother would scold her.
Lu Jiaxin smiled and said, "It's fine. Go get three bowls, and each of you can have half a bottle. If they scold you, just say that I insisted on giving it to you, and you couldn't stop me."
Xiaoqiu brought over some bowls, and the children happily drank the soda. After they finished, Xiaoqiu picked up the empty soda bottle from the floor and said, "Little cousin, I heard that these bottles can be returned for money."
Lu Jiaxin recalled what the salesclerk had told her. "One soda bottle can be returned for two cents."
"Little cousin, you bought ten bottles. If we return them after drinking, we can get two jiao!"
In her previous life, she had never worried about money. In this life, only the period in the ancient capital had been difficult, but things had become more comfortable since returning home. "Once we finish drinking, we'll see who's going to the county town and take the bottles to the supply and marketing cooperative to exchange for money."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report