C14 Investigate the Situation!

After Little Milk Bun heard what Tang Jin said, she offered the apple to him.

"Daddy, you eat first!"

A surge of warmth filled Tang Jin's heart. He remembered that before his rebirth, Tang Tang wouldn't even call him daddy. His heart churned with emotions.

"Okay, Daddy will eat first!"

Tang Jin took just a small bite from the apple.

"It's really sweet! Little Milk Bun, you try!"

Little Milk Bun took a large bite, and the sweet juice immediately spread across her taste buds.

She smiled and asked, "Is it sweet? Has Mommy tried it yet?"

At that moment, Xia Churan came into the room, holding the apple.

"Mommy and Daddy both have some, Little Milk Bun, go ahead and eat!"

Yet, Churan hesitated to bite into the apple.

Tang Jin looked at her and said gently, "Go ahead and eat. We're well-off now. I promise, I won't let you or your sister ever suffer again."

Tears unexpectedly welled up in Xia Churan's eyes.

Little Milk Bun reached out and wiped away her mother's tears.

"Did Little Milk Bun misbehave and upset Mommy?"

Churan shook her head: "No, of course not!"

"Then why won't Mommy eat the apple?"

"Mommy will eat, right now!"

Churan took a tentative bite of the apple, then handed it back to Tang Jin.

While the family was enjoying this tender moment, a commotion erupted outside.

"Tang Jin!"

"Why is Yongzi here?"

Xia Churan's brow furrowed.

"Who knows!"

"I'll go have a look."

Tang Jin stood up and headed outside.

As he emerged, he saw two uniformed men standing behind Yongzi.

Yongzi had made his way to the basket and lifted the cloth covering it.

"Officer, look at this. These items must be ill-gotten. The apples, shrimp, and sugar cubes here are quite valuable!"

Zhang Qing, overhearing Yongzi, was at a loss for words.

"That's not necessarily true. Just because these items are valuable doesn't mean they're stolen."

Yongzi chuckled: "Comrade, you're not aware, but this man has been lazy all his life. His family was so poor that his wife had to beg for food. How could he possibly afford apples, shrimp, and sugar cubes?"

Woo Ann and Zhang Qing quickly grasped that Yongzi was likely acting out of jealousy, but as the Village Secretary, his concerns still warranted attention.

Woo Ann approached Tang Jin.

"Where did you purchase these items?"

Tang Jin was seething with anger, yet he managed to contain his fury in front of his fellow officers.

"Comrade, I bought all these from the town's grocery store!"

Yongzi let out a disdainful snort: "What a tough nut to crack, even when he's cornered!"

The commotion drew a crowd of villagers outside. The arrival of the police was a rare spectacle in the village.

Soon, Tang Jin's house was encircled by the locals.

Wang Caifeng and Tang Fugui joined the gathering to see what was happening.

Ergou, hearing the commotion, hurried over as well.

Upon seeing Yongzi with the police, Wang Caifeng mocked, "Hmph, this wastrel has never been up to any good, and now he's resorted to thievery. Everyone should keep a close eye on their belongings to prevent them from being stolen by this fellow!"

Tang Jin's neighbors exchanged worried glances at the unfolding scene, with some even rushing back home to check for missing items.

Xia Churan also began to suspect something was amiss, considering Tang Jin's seemingly inexhaustible supply of money.

Tang Jin's frustration was evident.

Zhang Qing and Woo Ann glanced outside.

"Cough, cough. Let's not jump to conclusions just yet. We're here simply to follow up on Comrade Yongzi's report and understand the situation. Whether these items were stolen or not is something we'll determine after a thorough investigation," Woo Ann stated.

Hearing this, Tang Jin felt a surge of appreciation.

Yongzi, meanwhile, was visibly upset, puzzled by Woo Ann's defense of Tang Jin.

Zhang Qing stepped forward.

"If you claim these items were purchased from the grocery store, let's go there and confirm your story. Does that sound fair?" he proposed.

Tang Jin nodded in agreement.

Together, Woo Ann, Zhang Qing, Tang Jin, and Yongzi set off toward the town.

Upon their arrival at the grocery store, the saleswoman instantly recognized Tang Jin.

After Woo Ann and Zhang Qing were briefed on the situation, they both nodded in agreement.

Yongzi felt like a frostbitten eggplant when the salesperson confirmed that the items were indeed purchased by Tang Jin.

"What about the shrimp? He still hasn't cleared that up!" Yongzi exclaimed.

Tang Jin glanced over at Yongzi once more.

"You won't believe it until you see it for yourself. If it's proven this time, you'll have to apologize to me in front of the whole village," Tang Jin declared.

Woo Ann and Zhang Qing couldn't help but disdain Yongzi's haughty demeanor.

"Absolutely, the reputation of the people is not to be tarnished. Comrade Tang Jin is correct. If the allegations are true, you, as our comrade, should lead by example and apologize to Comrade Tang Jin, seeking his forgiveness," they concurred.

Yongzi's complexion turned ashen.

"Fine! But we need to thoroughly investigate this shrimp situation first!"

Tang Jin led Yongzi to the seafood stall, and upon seeing the officers from the station, the owner became visibly flustered.

Once Woo Ann and Zhang Qing stated their purpose, the owner corroborated Tang Jin's story, bringing the truth to light.

Yongzi stood there, completely dumbfounded.

Tang Jin looked at Yongzi again.

"Listen, Village Secretary, you need to apologize to me in front of the entire village this time. If not, I won't accept it. As the Village Secretary, to slander me in such a way is unacceptable. If the outcome doesn't satisfy me, I'm prepared to file a formal complaint!"

Yongzi was well aware that this significant error involved not just him and Tang Jin, but also the two comrades from the station. If the issue escalated, it could spell the end of his tenure as Village Secretary.

Yongzi's attitude took a drastic turn.

"Let's not be hasty. After all, we're from the same village, and I am the Village Secretary. Apologizing to you in front of our fellow villagers would be quite embarrassing for me. We are, after all, one and the same family, aren't we?"