Chapter 77: Probably a Thief
Xiao Yingchun finished her soup dumplings and stood up to throw the trash into the trash can outside. Then she heard the young man ask, "Are the soup dumplings delicious?"
Xiao Yingchun rolled her eyes and ignored him.
That's when Wang Yongjun walked in.
He was tall and thin, with long arms and legs and eagle-like eyes.
His neat crew cut and straight back made it clear he was either a soldier or a police officer, and he carried a recognizable righteous air.
The teasing look on the young man's face paused, panic flashed in his eyes, and he lowered his
head to drink water guiltily... Wang Yongjun first nodded to Xiao Yingchun and handed over a paper bag: "This is your clothes. I washed and dried them and returned them to you."
Xiao Yingchun was slightly surprised: "Why did you come here specially to return them? You don't have to return them..."
Wang Yongjun didn't respond, his eyes fell on the young man's face: "Are you a customer?"
Xiao Yingchun had already gone back behind the counter and hummed: "I came to buy water."
Wang Yongjun glanced at the young man, suddenly pulled out a stool, sat down opposite the young man, took out his mobile phone and took a photo of the young man directly.
The young man was shocked and his tone could not hide his panic: "What are you doing?"
Wang Yongjun shook his mobile phone: "I don't think you are a good person. I want the police to check your identity."
"You are talking nonsense! You...you are violating your privacy!" The young man was anxious and stood up and tried to grab Wang Yongjun's mobile phone.
Wang Yongjun, however, quickly and decisively grabbed the young man and pinned him to the table.
"Ahhh! It hurts!"
Wang Yongjun scoffed, not letting go, only laughing coldly.
"My friend was robbed yesterday, and the thief hasn't been caught yet. You'd better pray nothing happens to her again, or I'll have the police investigate you first!"
"You...you...you're slandering me!" The young man's tone was visibly panicked.
Even though Xiao Yingchun had been surprised at Wang Yongjun's actions at first, she now understood everything.
Wang Yongjun suspected that this man was the thief who had come in the middle of the night the night before!
She looked at the thin young man and began to recall in her mind whether it was him.
Unfortunately, she hadn't seen the man's face that day and couldn't recognize him.
As Wang Yongjun released his hand, the young man took off running. After running a distance, he got on a motorcycle and drove away without looking back.
After the man had completely disappeared, Xiao Yingchun asked, "Was that man really the thief?"
Wang Yongjun replied cautiously, "Possibly."
"Why do you say that?" Xiao Yingchun was confused.
"Typically, after committing a crime, criminals often return to the scene to confirm they've been discovered, or perhaps out of a hidden desire to show off."
"You're in an urban village, so most of the people who come here are neighbors. He's a stranger, right?"
Xiao Yingchun nodded.
"A young man like that, sitting here chatting with just a bottle of water in the morning when he should be working, isn't that normal?"
Xiao Yingchun suddenly realized. Then, reflecting on the man's disgusting, sticky behavior, he became highly suspicious.
"So, this man really could have been the thief from that night! He wasn't tall, he was skinny..."
Standing next to the bed, the height difference was palpable.
Wang Yongjun's expression grew serious. "Ms. Xiao, do you want me to investigate this person?"
Xiao Yingchun looked surprised. "Is it convenient?"
Wang Yongjun nodded. "Wait a minute."
He first told his police friend about the burglary at Xiao Yingchun's home, then about the young man who had harassed Xiao Yingchun early in the morning and had been caught red-handed.
Finally, he asked if he could check if this man was the thief from that night.
Not long after, Wang Yongjun's phone rang: They offered to help check the nearby roadside surveillance.
This person arrived on a motorcycle, and Wang Yongjun had taken a photo of his face. Using the motorcycle and the photo, it was easy to verify his identity.
However, there was a prerequisite: Xiao Yingchun needed to go to the police station and give a statement.
Xiao Yingchun hesitated, but remembering the shock of that night and the greasy, disgusting look of that man today, she nodded decisively: "Okay, I'll go to the police station."
Wang Yongjun asked her to wait: "Wait a moment, I'll have Zhou Haipeng come down to help you watch the store."
"Huh? Is that okay?"
Wang Yongjun chuckled: "You gave him such a big deal, so what if he helps you watch the store for a while? He'll even thank you!"
Xiao Yingchun chuckled: "Okay."
Wang Yongjun went upstairs, and Zhou Haipeng followed him down a moment later, also smiling: "Miss Xiao, just go ahead, I'll watch the store for you."
Xiao Yingchun smiled apologetically: "Then thank you for your help."
Wang Yongjun gestured: "I'll go with you. I know him well, so he can handle things more efficiently."
Xiao Yingchun had never been to the police station except to apply for an ID card. At this moment, not caring about inconveniencing him, she immediately agreed and followed.
The two arrived at the police station. Shortly after entering, a young police officer familiar to Wang Yongjun came out to meet them and take their statement.
After completing the statement, the young officer said they would quickly retrieve the relevant road surveillance footage to confirm the situation. If they confirmed it was the same person, they would call him to the police station for questioning.
The thought of being able to deter the suspect reassured Xiao Yingchun.
After leaving the police station with Wang Yongjun, Xiao Yingchun wanted to treat Wang Yongjun to dinner.
Wang Yongjun smiled and said, "I have some things to do, so I won't have dinner today. Go back to the store and get back to work. It's not too late to treat me to dinner later when things are settled."
Xiao Yingchun agreed, and the two returned to the Yingchun store, where Wang Yongjun excused himself and left.
Next came the various cleanup and construction projects.
Xiao Yingchun received a call from a courier, and the soaps, cosmetics, and other items had arrived. She
went to the rented warehouse to pick up the goods, and when she returned, it was already evening.
With several workers working simultaneously, the first coat of cement on the wall and the plumbing were complete.
The weather was hot, so the cement dried quickly.
Zhou Haipeng said that the order had been placed yesterday, and they had been working overtime today to finish the doors and windows.
I estimate all the doors and windows will be installed tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow we can start puttying and tiling.
"Miss Xiao, you can buy the lights and appliances and furniture now. Once the renovations are finished, we can move right in with the furniture and appliances."
Xiao Yingchun was overjoyed and placed her order online.
Furniture, appliances, curtains...
there's a lot to buy when it comes to decorating a home...
My parents used to worry about all this, but now it's my turn, I realize how demanding it is to finish a two-bedroom, one-living room on the second floor in a week.
After the decorators left, Xiao Yingchun used the Time and Space Supermarket's tidying function to clean up any messes on the first floor, then continued shopping for items she liked. It wasn't
until a tall figure blocked the light that she looked up, bewildered, and met Fu Chenan's smiling gaze.
"You're here?"