Li Xiangyang arrived at the Public Security Bureau and went to Yang Dingbang’s office. He saw him hunched over his desk writing and knocked on the door. "Captain Yang, still busy?"
Yang Dingbang looked up, saw him, and stood up with a smile. "Co on in. When did you get back?"
Li Xiangyang smiled. "Yesterday afternoon. I thought you were away on another business trip."
Yang Dingbang poured him a cup of boiled water, sat down, and leaned back in his chair, looking at him. "I just got back this morning. Still writing up my report!"
Li Xiangyang placed the piece of braised at, wrapped in a vegetable leaf, on his desk. "As soon as I got back, the old man told soone had caused trouble at my shop. And today, I found this in Little Lan’s yard."
Yang Dingbang unwrapped it, looked it over, and sniffed it. "Rat poison. Soone tried to poison Wangcai?"
Li Xiangyang nodded. "This is the second ti. Last ti, Wangcai barked so fiercely he scared them away."
Yang Dingbang sighed. "Case numbers have been on the rise for the past two years. We’ve discussed it at the bureau, and we think it’s mainly due to the high number of unemployed people."
"Those from better-off families can manage while being unemployed, but so from poorer families, who are also lazy and greedy, have no inco and start thinking about crooked ways to get by."
Li Xiangyang leaned back in his chair and said with a smile, "This little matter of mine doesn’t need a top detective like you to handle it. I ca to get the stun baton you took from last ti. I plan to leave one with Little Lan and keep one at the shop."
Yang Dingbang nodded. "I put it upstairs here. I’ll grab it after work and bring it to you." After a mont’s thought, he asked, "When are you two moving to Yucai Road?"
Li Xiangyang told him about Lin Lan’s idea of having her parents co to Lexing to open a restaurant. "Once they’ve discussed it and decided, if they’re going to open a restaurant, Little Lan will move to Yucai Road, and they can live in the Lexing courtyard house."
"That’s a good idea!" Yang Dingbang said. "You should move over there soon. With Uncle Li at ho, my grandma will also have soone to talk to."
"Soon," Li Xiangyang said, getting up. "I need to go check on the shop. Find at the departnt store after you get off work."
Yang Dingbang nodded and stood to see him out.
Li Xiangyang arrived at Limin Road and saw that Old Li and He Li were both busy, with custors waiting to be served.
He quickly pushed his vehicle into the backyard and went into the shop to help.
****
Xu Xiaobo finally finished kneading the dough. He felt like he didn’t even have the strength to move his hands. With trembling hands and dragging feet, he shuffled over to a stool and sat for a while before he felt recovered.
Wu Shuhui, who was helping Wu Shufen make lunch, saw how exhausted Xu Xiaobo was. The fact that he hadn’t just thrown up his hands and quit brought happy tears to her eyes:
"Second Sister, Littlebo is finally growing up. At ho, he wouldn’t even pick up a broom if it fell over."
Wu Shufen glanced at Xu Xiaobo slumped on the stool and smiled. "Littlebo is growing up. You’ll just get to sit back and enjoy life from now on!"
’Even though her relationship with Wu Shuhui wasn’t the best, they were still sisters. She also hoped Xu Xiaobo would make sothing of himself, so Wu Shuhui wouldn’t have to worry in her old age.’
After sitting for a bit, Xu Xiaobo felt his hands weren’t shaking as much and the stabbing pain in the soles of his feet had subsided. He stood up and said to Lin Lan, "Cousin, I just rembered I haven’t bought a toothbrush. I’m going to go out and buy one."
Before Lin Lan could speak, Wu Shufen chid in, "Littlebo, lunch is almost ready. Go after you eat."
Xu Xiaobo sniffed the air, catching a sour and fragrant aroma. "Auntie, are you cooking fish?"
Wu Shufen shot him a smiling glance. "Mhm, I bought a big grass carp and I’m making fish with pickled greens."
"Littlebo, there’s also sliced pork with garlic sauce and sweet-skin duck. Your cousin’s food is even better than what we eat for New Year’s," Wu Shuhui said, carrying over two pieces of at to show him.
Xu Xiaobo craned his neck for a look. In the porcelain basin were two pieces of steaming rump roast, more lean than fat. He couldn’t help but swallow hard. "The food at Cousin’s house really is amazing."
Tong Xinglan ca in carrying a baking sheet. When she saw him practically drooling, she burst out laughing. "Littlebo, sliced pork with garlic sauce is nothing special. You want to talk delicious? Let’s talk grilled lamb and hot pot lamb!"
"Your cousin marinates streaky lamb in spices, then grills it on the barbecue. The at sizzles, SZZZZ, and the aroma just drills right into your nose. You wait until it’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside... that first bite, now *that’s* what you call satisfying."
Xu Xiaobo’s mouth watered just listening to her. "You brat, there’s no such thing as food that good."
"Cousin, it really is that good. It’s way, way better than twice-cooked pork," Qiaohui said earnestly, also carrying a baking sheet.
Xu Xiaobo shot her an exasperated glare. "I’m so hungry my stomach’s touching my spine, and you all keep talking about delicious food."
"Xinglan, bring Littlebo a few pastries to tide him over," Wu Shufen said, grinning so wide her eyes disappeared.
Lin Yuezhen pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile.
’The food at Lin Lan’s house is so good,’ Wu Shuhui thought, ’it would be worth it even without getting paid.’
Lin Lan looked at Tong Xinglan and teased, "Xinglan, from now on, when custors co to buy pastries, you’ll be the one to describe their unique flavor."
Qiaohui nodded. "Xinglan, I never knew you had such a way with words."
Tong Xinglan stuck her tongue out. "Cousin, I like eating things that are numbing, spicy, and fragrant. I don’t know how to describe pastries."
Everyone burst into laughter at her words.
Wu Shufen brought the dishes to the table, and Qiaohui went to the wet market to call Zhigang over for lunch.
’After eating and drinking his fill,’ Xu Xiaobo thought as he slumped back in his chair, ’if Lin Lan wasn’t always watching and making work, a life with such good food and drink every day wouldn’t be half bad.’
’Then he thought about the cured ats hanging from the rafters in Lin Lan’s house, the television and sewing machine Wu Shuqin had ntioned, and the two guys waiting in Lexing. If they could just get all of Lin Lan’s things out, it would all turn into stacks of cash. His hands started to itch.’
Wu Shuhui said to Wu Shufen and her daughter, "Second Sister, Lin Lan, I’m taking the afternoon bus back. I’ll have to trouble you to look after my Littlebo."
Wu Shufen smiled and tried to get her to stay. "Shuhui, I’m heading back tomorrow myself. If you’re not in a hurry, you should wait and go with ."
Lin Lan added, "That’s right, Second Aunt. You can go with my mom. You’ll have company on the road."
Wu Shuhui hesitated for a mont, then nodded. "Alright then. Sorry to trouble you."
After a few more polite exchanges, the three of them got ready to head to Lexing.
Xu Xiaobo said to Lin Lan, "Cousin, I’m going with my aunt for a bit to get so things."
Lin Lan smiled and nodded. "Go ahead."
Xu Xiaobo followed the Wu sisters back to Lexing. When he saw Wangcai baring its teeth and barking wildly at them, a headache washed over him.
He got a yuan from Wu Shuhui, then went out to buy a toothbrush.
He walked out of the alley and stood there for a mont. Then, the two young n who had tried to poison Wangcai walked toward him.
The man with sunken cheeks and triangular eyes pointed at him. "You brat, what took you so long?"
"That damn hag Lin Lan had doing hard labor all morning," Xu Xiaobo said in a low voice, looking at the two of them. "Didn’t you guys go buy the braised at?"
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