The entire courtyard knew about the major incident that had occurred.
Upon learning about the situation, Qin Huairu became anxious. Upon returning home, she immediately sought out Bang Geng to investigate the truth.
"Bang Geng, tell me honestly, did you steal Liu Kai Xuan's chickens?"
"How could it be me!"
Bang Geng shook his head like a rattle drum. "Mom, you have to believe me! This time, Liu Kai Xuan's property was stolen, and I have nothing to do with it. I've been framed!"
"It's good that it wasn't you. If it was, we'd quickly go and clarify things! You are Mom's only hope. Please, don't do anything illegal or criminal again!"
Bang Geng's previous imprisonment for theft had left an indelible stain. The thought of it made Qin Huairu's heart ache. In this era, if a young person was marked by a criminal record, it would be difficult to erase it for a lifetime. The label of a criminal would greatly affect his future prospects in finding a partner and a job. Bang Geng might not realize these consequences now, but Qin Huairu understood them all too well. Therefore, she absolutely would not allow Bang Geng to engage in any illegal activities again.
Meanwhile, Zhao Feiyan recounted the entire incident to Wu Xue. This afternoon, Zhao Feiyan, with nothing else to do, had taken the two children to her maiden home to help Jiang Aiying with her needlework. When Zhao Feiyan returned home in the afternoon to feed the chickens, she found the coop damaged and both her hens stolen. Later, Zhao Feiyan inquired with her immediate neighbors, but they hadn't seen anyone suspicious. However, both neighbors privately suggested that Bang Geng might have been responsible. Yet, they hadn't witnessed Bang Geng stealing the chickens themselves and couldn't provide testimony to Zhao Feiyan.
With very few clues provided by Zhao Feiyan, Wu Xue could only proceed by visiting people. She questioned the neighbors in the courtyard, but none of them had noticed anything unusual. Only Zhang Hongshuan from the back courtyard offered some useful information. Zhang Hongshuan was not working today. When he went out for a walk at noon, he passed by Liu Kai Xuan's house and noticed that the chickens in the coop were gone. Calculating the time, Zhang Hongshuan had left immediately after lunch. This meant the theft occurred before 1 p.m. Zhao Feiyan had taken the two children to her maiden home around 10 a.m. The crime took place between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., within these three hours. Although a general timeframe was established, it was not enough to solve the case. The investigation had to continue. Naturally, it led to the Jia family.
As soon as Wu Xue arrived at the Jia family's home, before she could even speak, Qin Huairu preempted her. "Officer Wu, Liu Kai Xuan's chickens were stolen, and we don't know who did it! Please go and inquire with other families."
Wu Xue replied calmly, "No hurry. Since I'm already here, let's sit down and have a good chat. Who in your family had lunch at home today?"
Having suffered greatly last time, Qin Huairu no longer dared to be clever or lie. She directly stated the truth: "Today is Sunday, so our entire family was at home and didn't go out!"
Wu Xue looked at Bang Geng and asked, "Bang Geng, tell me, did you go to Liu Kai Xuan's house at noon today?"
Bang Geng immediately became agitated. "Auntie Police, I'm being framed! I didn't steal Liu Kai Xuan's chickens. I didn't go to Liu Kai Xuan's house all day today! His chickens being lost has nothing to do with me!"
Wu Xue said seriously, "Bang Geng, don't be nervous. I haven't said that Liu Kai Xuan's chickens were stolen by you! I'm just asking you for information. If you have any clues, it would be great if you could provide them!"
Bang Geng thought for a moment and replied, "If you say so, I do have some clues! Recently, I think my dad mentioned that he wanted to get revenge on Liu Kai Xuan!"
"Your dad?" Wu Xue frowned. Qin Huairu quickly explained, "After I married Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai became Bang Geng's stepfather!"
Wu Xue then inquired, "Why does Yi Zhonghai want to get revenge on Liu Kai Xuan? What kind of grudge exists between their families?"
Bang Geng immediately responded, "My dad said that he was doing well as an eighth-grade fitter at the Hongxing Rolling Mill! Liu Kai Xuan caused him to be disgraced and miserable, wishing he were dead! This anger has been bottled up in his heart, making him extremely uncomfortable. He wants to get severe revenge on Liu Kai Xuan to vent his dissatisfaction!"
With the clue provided by Bang Geng, Wu Xue immediately led her team to Yi Zhonghai's home to inquire. Upon learning about the situation, Yi Zhonghai became furious and exploded with rage!
"Bang Geng, you little beast, are you tired of living? What does Liu Kai Xuan's stolen chickens have to do with me? Are you trying to slander me?"
Bang Geng retorted righteously, "Yi Zhonghai, listen to me, I'm not slandering you! You yourself said that you and Liu Kai Xuan have a deep-seated hatred! My mom was present at the time, and she can testify!"
Qin Huairu nodded in agreement. "Yes, Yi Zhonghai did say he wanted to get revenge on Liu Kai Xuan. The feud between them is very deep!"
Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, Yi Zhonghai hastily explained, "Officers, I'm being framed! I admit that there are indeed some grievances between Liu Kai Xuan and me! But that's all in the past, and I don't want to dwell on it anymore! Liu Kai Xuan's chickens were not stolen by me at all, I'm being framed!"
"Huh?" At this moment, Liu Kai Xuan suddenly noticed something. "Comrade Wu Xue, quickly look, what is this?"
Wu Xue looked back and saw a few scattered chicken feathers on the ground. Zhao Feiyan's eyes also lit up. "That's right, the color of these chicken feathers is exactly the same as my chickens! Yi Zhonghai stole my chickens, you chicken thief, you pay me for my chickens!"
"I..."
At this point, Yi Zhonghai's mind was completely shattered. Liu Kai Xuan's chickens were lost, and chicken feathers appeared in his home. "Bang Geng, you little beast, you deliberately framed me, didn't you? I'll kill you, you little bastard!"
Suddenly, Yi Zhonghai realized that Bang Geng might have deliberately set up a trap to frame him.