Chapter 32

Lu Zheng and Hou Jianjun walked over, only to see a fierce-looking housewife at the entrance of a bakery, holding onto a boy around eight or nine years old, slapping him while fiercely scolding, "Little thief, I'll beat you to death! Stealing my buns! Stealing my buns!..."

"What's going on! Stop it!" Hou Jianjun walked over with a stern face, his police uniform making the onlookers step aside.

Seeing the police, the middle-aged housewife in a white apron shouted, "Comrade police officer, you came just in time. This little thief has been stealing my buns for no reason. My husband has caught him several times. He's a repeat offender, quick, arrest him!"

"Shut up! Let him go first! Whether he's a thief or not is still up for debate, but you can't just hit people randomly. Do you know that's against the law?!" Hou Jianjun was annoyed by the housewife's tone and didn't speak kindly to her.

The housewife, startled, became a bit subdued but still mumbled, "He, he's a thief, if I let him go, he'll run away! He runs faster than a rabbit!"

"Let him go!" Hou Jianjun frowned and scolded, startling the housewife, who loosened her grip.

The little boy quickly tried to slip away, but a strong force grabbed his collar, and it was Lu Zheng who caught him.

Lu Zheng rarely wore his police uniform except for work and official duties, a habit he had since his military days. He believed that military and police uniforms had different meanings, and after work, he was just an ordinary person. Wearing a uniform off-duty could lead to misconduct, tarnishing the reputation of the military and police force.

Because he wasn't in uniform, the slippery little boy didn't notice him and tried to squeeze past, but was caught by Lu Zheng.

The little boy seemed to understand the principle of not fighting a losing battle. After being caught by Lu Zheng, he stopped struggling, his eyes darting around, probably thinking of some mischief.

Hou Jianjun was surprised that the boy almost got away, feeling a bit embarrassed. He was angry but didn't dare to kick the boy with Lu Zheng present.

"You see, I told you he would run..." The housewife's voice grew smaller, intimidated by Hou Jianjun's glare.

Lu Zheng looked at the boy. Despite the patches on his clothes, which were clearly old and resized, he was clean and had a delicate appearance, making people feel good at first sight. Lu Zheng said, "Alright, he's still young. Register his parents' names and address, and have them bring him to the station tomorrow for questioning." He frowned and added, "If you keep this up, you'll end up in a juvenile detention center! They won't be gentle with thieves there!"

Lu Zheng, a former soldier who had been in the police force for a long time, had a tough heart. The boy clearly lacked discipline.

The housewife, seeing that Lu Zheng and Hou Jianjun were on the same side, quickly said, "Comrade, I know his family. They live nearby. I'll take you there. This little thief is a liar, don't let him fool you!"

The housewife and her husband ran the bakery. Her husband was kind-hearted and never went to the boy's home to confront his parents. He even secretly gave the boy buns and steamed buns, which infuriated her. Today, she wanted to teach the little thief and his family a lesson.

Lu Zheng checked his watch; it was a little after eight. It was mid-summer, and it wasn't too dark yet. He gave Hou Jianjun a nod, "Let's go and take a look."

Hou Jianjun had no objections and turned to the onlookers, "Alright, disperse, there's nothing to see here!"

After dispersing the crowd, the housewife led the way, with Lu Zheng and Hou Jianjun following. They ended up in the same alley where they had visited Du Botao.

"Uncle, please let me go, please let me go," the boy, held by Hou Jianjun, pleaded softly. Hou Jianjun glared at him, "Shut up!" If it weren't for Lu Zheng, he would have already hit the boy.

After passing through the large iron gate of the Commercial Bureau's residential area and walking about 200 meters, the view opened up to a dark, sprawling area of old houses. Only a few lights flickered, contrasting sharply with the brightly lit buildings across the street.

Lu Zheng, a police officer, knew the county area well. This old residential area had been built shortly after the founding of the People's Republic of China, originally for the families of employees from the supply and marketing cooperative, food factory, and other units. Now, with the merging and splitting of these units, it was unclear who managed the area. Few people lived there, and it was about to be demolished.

They walked into the old residential area, which had recently been hit by a heavy rainstorm. The dirt paths were muddy, and Lu Zheng and Hou Jianjun's shoes were caked with mud. Fortunately, the housewife soon pointed to a low brick-walled courtyard, "It's this one."

The wooden fence gate was dilapidated, and it seemed a single kick could break it. Hou Jianjun pushed it open and shouted, "Anyone home? Police!"

The three-room tile-roofed house had uneven brick walls that looked dangerous and unstable. The lights were off, but there were sounds of people talking inside.

"Come out! Police!" Hou Jianjun shouted impatiently.

"Who is it? What's the noise for?!" A woman's voice, soft and sweet, came from inside, familiar to Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng was taken aback. This voice? Sure enough, the plastic curtain was lifted, and a familiar figure appeared—Wei Xiangxiu. She was wearing a full set of olive-green police trousers, her clear and beautiful features, and her strong yet charming aura, made her stand out. The white collar of her shirt made her face even more radiant, and her ample chest pushed up her police uniform, perfectly showcasing the allure of a female police officer.

Seeing Hou Jianjun and Lu Zheng, Wei Xiangxiu was surprised, then her gaze shifted to the boy whose arm Hou Jianjun was holding. She seemed to understand and her face turned stern, "Xiao Dong, what have you done now?"

The boy lowered his head, clearly afraid of Wei Xiangxiu. On the way, he had tried to escape from Hou Jianjun several times, but now he was subdued and didn't dare to speak.

Lu Zheng coughed and turned to the bakery owner, "Ma'am, come to the station tomorrow and go to the Public Security Department for further notice."

The housewife, seeing a female police officer, was startled and didn't dare to say more. She mumbled a few words and hurried away.

Hou Jianjun released the boy and stood to the side, folding his arms. This was an internal matter, and with Lu Zheng present, he couldn't interfere.

His eyes roamed over Wei Xiangxiu's full chest and slender legs, finally landing on her pink plastic slippers. The delicate red trim on her green police trousers and the transparent stockings on her small feet were barely visible, a blend of simplicity and charm that made Hou Jianjun's breathing quicken. He cursed inwardly, wondering what it would feel like to touch her.

Hou Jianjun had dealt with Wei Xiangxiu more than once and had even flirted with her, but she was a tough cookie and never gave him a good look. His interest had waned. However, seeing her at her doorstep, combining the strictness of her uniform with the warmth of her home, Hou Jianjun couldn't help but fantasize about pressing her in her uniform and ravishing her.

While Hou Jianjun was lost in thought, Wei Xiangxiu suddenly pulled out a willow branch and started beating the boy, "I'll teach you to be a good boy! I'll teach you to be a good boy!"

Xiao Dong didn't try to dodge, just lowered his head and let her hit him.

"Enough!" Lu Zheng frowned and stopped her, thinking she had a violent streak. Her hits were real, not just for show.

Wei Xiangxiu didn't dare to continue, and with a stern face, she said, "Go inside and stand with your brother. He didn't discipline you properly, so he's also at fault!"

Xiao Dong lowered his head and went inside. The light in the east room turned on, while the hall and west room remained dark.

"Director, I will discipline him properly. I know I've brought shame to the bureau. I'll write a detailed self-criticism tomorrow," Wei Xiangxiu said sincerely, her eyes glancing around, hinting at something.

"It's not that serious. I heard he's been stealing for a while. Pay the money back and apologize properly. Don't do it again, or the situation will change," Lu Zheng said, then signaled to Hou Jianjun and turned to leave.

"Since you're here, why don't you come in and sit down? My husband is here, and he wants to meet Director Lu to report an important matter," Wei Xiangxiu said urgently.

Lu Zheng knew Wei Xiangxiu's husband had a labor dispute with the unit and wanted to discuss it. Since Wei Xiangxiu was part of the bureau, he decided to help if he could, not because of any personal relationship.

"Alright, let's go in," Lu Zheng gestured for them to enter.

Wei Xiangxiu's face lit up, and she led the way, her police training making her walk gracefully and sensually.

As Lu Zheng was about to enter, Hou Jianjun, who had been staring at Wei Xiangxiu's behind, snapped out of it. He thought for a moment and didn't follow, instead waiting at the gate.

"Chen Biao, Chen Biao!" In the hall, Wei Xiangxiu turned on the light and called out to the west room. No one responded. She went over and pushed the door open, and a strong smell of alcohol hit them. Even Lu Zheng, standing in the hall, wrinkled his nose.

"Always drinking!" Wei Xiangxiu sighed and said to Lu Zheng, "Director Lu, come into this room."

Wei Xiangxiu meant the east room, but when Lu Zheng entered, he was surprised to see two elderly people sitting on the bed. The old man was smoking a pipe, and the old woman was counting cards, both looking alert as Lu Zheng entered.

The room had few furnishings. Xiao Dong and another slightly older boy were standing by a red cabinet, heads down, secretly glancing over. They were clearly being punished.

"Mom, Dad, this is Director Lu from our bureau!" Wei Xiangxiu raised her voice, unsure if the elderly couple had hearing problems.

"Director Lu, these are my in-laws."

The old man seemed to ignore Wei Xiangxiu and continued smoking, but the old woman jumped up, looking at Lu Zheng and asked loudly, "Are you the leader? Are you here to solve our son's problem?" Clearly, she was a shrewd old lady.

Wei Xiangxiu quickly intervened, speaking loudly in the old woman's ear, "Mom, Director Lu isn't in charge of Biaozi, he just came to check the situation."

The old woman asked loudly, "Then, is he your leader?"

It turned out the old woman was hard of hearing, and Lu Zheng had to raise his voice to communicate.

The old woman soon started crying, "You're Xiangxiu's leader? Then, you must praise Xiangxiu. She's a good girl, kind and hardworking! She's suffered so much for us! Look, to save money, she doesn't even have proper clothes. Luckily, the police provide uniforms, or she would be naked!"

Lu Zheng was at a loss for words, thinking it wasn't that bad.

The old woman continued, "We're from Cuijiayan village, but my sons and their wives kicked us out, none of them take care of us! I've raised a bunch of ingrates!"

"Xiangxiu, only Xiangxiu, my fourth daughter-in-law, is good. When she found out we were kicked out, she didn't hesitate to bring us and our fifth son to the city. Raising all of us costs a lot of money. In the city, everything costs money. If it weren't for us, Xiangxiu wouldn't have to live so hard!"

The old woman started crying again, sobbing, "Look, look, seven of us are crammed in here. Biaozi and the fifth son live in the west room, and the five of us live in this room. There's no space at all. Xiangxiu, you might as well let me die!" She pounded the bed and cried.

Lu Zheng was stunned. He knew Wei Xiangxiu's family was struggling, but he didn't expect it to be this bad. Wei Xiangxiu had invited him in to show him the situation. The "important matter" Biaozi wanted to report was just an excuse.

He was also surprised by Wei Xiangxiu's loyalty. Biaozi was originally a driver for a subordinate unit of