books44 Chapter 231: Sending Off the Official
Chapter 231: Sending Off the Official
Chapter 231: Sending Off the Official
The man slowly approached Ji Meiqing and Lu Yu, but the two were so engrossed in their shopping that they didn't notice. It wasn't until they were about to pay that Ji Meiqing realized her money was gone when she touched her waist. However, she assumed she had forgotten to bring it and didn't think much of it. She then asked Lu Yu, "Did you bring any money? I think I forgot." Lu Yu also touched his waist, shook his head, and said, puzzled, "I remember bringing some!"
“I think so too, but we really don’t have a single penny right now. What’s going on?” Ji Meiqing scratched her head and thought for a moment.
"There was a thief just now," an elderly woman who was also buying groceries by the roadside finally couldn't stand it anymore and kindly warned her.
"Ah! The public security is really bad these days. It turns out it's not that there aren't helpful people in modern times; it was like this in ancient times too. Not only is no one helping us, but there's not even a single person to warn us," Ji Meiqing complained sheepishly. Were those scenes of chasing thieves in TV dramas just fake?
Lu Yu pulled her out of the crowd of people buying groceries, since there was no point in leaving money there.
"What did you just say? I don't understand." Lu Yu noticed that Ji Meiqing kept saying some inexplicable things.
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just saying, where are we going now?" Ji Meiqing said, trying to cover up her mistake.
"It's still early, and the restaurant is nearby, so let's go check it out. We can also get some money while we're there. After all, we came out to buy groceries, and it wouldn't be good to go back empty-handed," Lu Yu suggested.
"Okay." The two agreed and headed towards the restaurant.
Ji Meiqing pulled Lu Yu to sit in a place where they would be least likely to be noticed. They each poured themselves a cup of tea and had the waiter bring some food.
Ji Meiqing originally wanted to check how business was going today, but then she caught a glimpse of something that made her pupils dilate. She hurriedly reached out and touched Lu Yu, who was eating next to her.
"Hey, stop eating! Look at that money bag on that person's table, doesn't it look familiar? It looks like ours." Ji Meiqing gestured with her chin towards someone.
Lu Yu stopped eating and looked in the direction her chin was pointing. He saw a thin, dark-skinned man eating several dishes. Beside his arm was a purse embroidered with mandarin ducks, but it didn't quite resemble mandarin ducks. It was something Ji Meiqing had learned to make on their "wedding anniversary." Because her skills weren't great, it was unique and easy to spot.
Ji Meiqing raised an eyebrow. "I never expected that I would find him so easily, even after searching high and low. Why would someone with hands and feet steal? This kind of person should be handed over to the authorities; we can't let him harm society." With that, she got up to grab him.
Lu Yu casually grabbed Ji Meiqing's arm. "What are you doing? Trying to catch him? He managed to steal right under our noses, which means he's pretty fast. Don't alert him. I'll subdue him, and you go report to the authorities. Even the worst soldiers are better than you."
Ji Meiqing chuckled and said, "Yeah, I was totally carried away. Well, I'm off then." With that, she hurriedly left.
Fortunately, the restaurant was very close to the government office, and Ji Meiqing had run there, so she arrived in no time. Just as she was about to enter, she was stopped by the guards outside. "What are you doing here?"
"Brothers, I'm here to report to the authorities. My silver has been stolen, and the thief is currently in my restaurant. Please have your master come with me to arrest him," Ji Meiqing explained her purpose.
Unexpectedly, the gatekeeper chuckled and said, "My husband is so busy every day, he doesn't have time to bother with such a small matter. Go away, don't take up space here."
Ji Meiqing reluctantly went back. After entering and taking a sip of tea, she realized she didn't see Lu Yu and asked the shopkeeper next to her, "Where is Brother Lu?"
"Boss, Young Master Lu has gone to his room upstairs," the shopkeeper replied truthfully, putting down his ledger.
"Upstairs?" He asked to himself and went upstairs. As soon as he opened the door, he saw that Lu Yu had already subdued the thief.
Ji Meiqing walked over and complained, "Brother Lu, do you know how arrogant that prefect is? Oh, no, I mean his gatekeepers. They wouldn't let me in, so I got a cold shoulder. They don't care, what are we going to do with this guy now?" He pointed to the person on the ground who was tied up and didn't say a word.
Lu Yu didn't react at all, but instead pushed her down onto the bed and said, "You should be glad you didn't succeed. You know what kind of person that prefect is. If it weren't for him, would I have ended up in prison?"
“You’re right. I’ll make him pay sooner or later. Someone like him doesn’t deserve to be a local official. Why do you say we should be glad I didn’t succeed?” Ji Meiqing finally grasped the key point.
"That's because if you knew why the man stole it, you wouldn't be angry!"
"Oh? No matter what the reason, you shouldn't steal things. But since you've said that, then tell me why?" Ji Meiqing saw that the man looked guilty and stopped talking, knowing that she wouldn't get anything out of him. Seeing that Lu Yu looked like he knew everything, she simply asked Lu Yu instead.
“Alright, this man’s name is Shengping. Don’t let his adult appearance fool you; he’s only fifteen or sixteen. It’s just that boys in his family generally develop quickly, which makes him look older than his actual age. He comes from a poor family; his father died early, and he and his mother depend on each other for survival. Now his mother is bedridden, so he’s forced to work. But he’s been cheated out of his wages, and the money he earns isn’t even enough for food, let alone medical treatment for his mother. That’s why he had this wicked idea. Maybe we were lucky; we caught him stealing for the first time. After he succeeded, he smelled the aroma of our restaurant’s food and decided to pack some to take home for his mother to try.” Lu Yu said, gesturing helplessly with his arm.
Ji Meiqing, who was listening nearby, was almost in tears. Back in her modern days, she would fast-forward through similar scenes on TV, never imagining she would witness it herself. She looked at the man—no, the child—who still refused to speak. She thought, perhaps her threat to report him to the authorities had frightened him, which was why he was willing to talk to Lu Yu but wouldn't speak to her now.
She untied the child, waved her hand, and said, "Never mind, I'm not that petty." She took some money and gave it to the child. "Go see a doctor for your mother. Remember, don't steal again." Then she had someone take him home. Just as the child was about to leave, he suddenly turned around and said, "Sister, I remember, don't worry." Then he quickly ran out.