The Yun family members were almost all present. Lu Jinping was so terrified she was beside herself and frantically banged on her own courtyard gate.
"Dong dong dong..."
"Gou Dan, hurry and open the door for me! Let me in!~"
What kind of husband was this, locking his wife out at a crucial moment.
If she could barely handle Liu Cuirong alone, how could she possibly deal with Da Man, Er Man, and Old Man Yun...
"You, you stay outside for a while!" Yun Gou Dan said nervously.
His clothes were soaked with sweat, his entire body dripping wet as if he'd been caught in a downpour.
"Old woman, what are you all gathered here for?" Old Man Yun asked as he walked over.
Before Gu Shi could answer, Xiao Xi Tian pointed at Lu Jinping and said, "Daddy, they stole our bricks and won't admit it!~"
"Huh? Did they really take them?" Yun Da Man's tiger-like eyes fixed directly on Lu Jinping, and he asked with a stern face, "Where are our bricks?"
"I, I, I... How would I know?" Lu Jinping's face flushed red and then turned pale.
Xiao Xi Tian pouted, not in a hurry. "Alright, we'll wait for the constables to come. Then we'll see if you open the door!~"
"Daddy, Mommy, Big Brother, let's go wait in the shade across the way. Brother Kong should be back soon..."
As she spoke, Xiao Xi Tian pulled her parents' hands and walked towards the base of the opposite wall.
The villagers also followed in a neat row, squatting along the wall.
Xiao Jin Heng couldn't help but chuckle. He turned and instructed Granny Jin, "Go and bring the ice pops we made for the little village girl to eat!~"
"Wash some of the cantaloupes we bought yesterday and share them with Uncle Yun and Aunt Yun..."
The weather was too hot, and he was afraid the little village girl would suffer from heatstroke.
"Understood, little master!~" Granny Jin replied, and led two maids back.
Xiao Jin Heng walked over and squatted beside Xiao Xi Tian, smiling as he said, "If you're willing, I can have someone break down the door right now..."
Bodyguard Jia and Bodyguard Yi were already eager to act.
To dare to oppose Sweet Baby, Yun Wang Cai's family was simply playing with fire.
The little master was so polite to her, what was Yun Wang Cai compared to that scoundrel...
Xiao Xi Tian shook her head. "No need, the constables will handle it!~"
Constables investigating a case was one thing, but trespassing was another matter entirely.
Xiao Jin Heng reached out and patted the dust off Xiao Xi Tian's sleeve, asking, "Are you sure it was their family that stole them?"
He knew the little village girl wouldn't falsely accuse someone without reason...
"Mhm, it was their family!~" Xiao Xi Tian said with certainty.
Xiao Jin Heng was a bit surprised when he heard this. "But I just glanced into the courtyard, and there were no signs of bricks or tiles. Could they have hidden them somewhere else?"
Alas, why hadn't Kong Xing Zhuo returned yet? He was so slow with his work...
"I don't know!~" Xiao Xi Tian shook her head.
No matter where they hid them, they would find out once they searched.
Lu Jinping stood at her own doorstep, her face about to blister from the sun, truly wanting to cry but having no tears.
After a short wait, Granny Jin walked over with a bamboo basket, covered with a cotton quilt.
She took out a large, round ice pop and handed it to Xiao Xi Tian, smiling. "Sweet Baby, have this and cool down..."
She had watched this child grow up. No matter how she looked at her, she was endearing.
"Thank you, Grandma Jin!~" Xiao Xi Tian said crisply.
Granny Jin then distributed the remaining ice pops and cantaloupes to the Yun family, and even the villagers who came to watch got a share.
Liu Cuirong was quick to snatch two ice pops. She licked them both and smacked her lips, saying, "Ha, so sweet..."
These ice pops were made with syrup and orange juice.
They were deliciously tart and tasted excellent.
Ordinary families couldn't afford them.
Lu Jinping stood opposite, her mouth watering.
She yelled towards the courtyard, "Yun Gou Dan, you scoundrel, hurry and open the door for me! I'm about to die of heat..."
The only shady spot was across from the door, and it was already occupied by the Yun family and the villagers.
She could only stand alone in the scorching sun, sweating profusely, a pitiful sight.
Yun Gou Dan paced back and forth in the courtyard with his hands behind his back.
He was contemplating how to cover his tracks and prevent the Yun family from discovering the whereabouts of the old bricks...
With no other options, he had to rush into the house to call Yun Wang Cai.
"Dad, oh dear, don't sleep! The old Yun family is here. What should we do now? They've reported it to the authorities, and the constables will be here soon!~"
Yun Wang Cai snored, blowing on his short mustache like a catfish.
He instinctively replied, "Get lost..."
Don't disturb his sleep.
Seeing this, Yun Wang Cai was filled with anger.
He kicked over a stool and cursed, "What kind of father are you? Disaster is imminent, and you still have the mind to sleep?"
"Let me tell you, this is all your doing. Don't blame me. Even if you have to go to jail, it'll be you. I won't take the blame for you..."
Father had lived long enough to be content. What was a few days in jail for his son?
Yun Wang Cai scratched his ear and cursed again, "Get lost!~"
"Fine, I'll get lost. You deal with them yourself. I'm not involved anymore!"
Yun Gou Dan looked around, grabbed a bundle, stuffed a few clothes into it, and then slipped out through the back door...
Yun Wang Cai's eyes snapped open, and he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on? Where is he?"
The room was silent, except for a mouse crawling onto the dining table to eat leftover bun crumbs.
"No, where is he?" He got off the kang, put on his shoes, and ran into the courtyard.
Then he heard a violent knocking at the door...
"Dong dong dong!~"
"Open the door, open the door! Constables investigating a case!"
Left Shiye heard that the old Yun family had lost something, so he personally brought two constables to investigate.
With the little prince supervising, he had to find the bricks...
Yun Wang Cai's face paled with panic, and he quickly opened the courtyard gate.
He saw Xiao Xi Tian and all the Yun family members standing outside the gate, and the villagers who had come to watch were crowded three rings deep.
They all looked at Yun Wang Cai with disdain.
"Oh, it's Yun Fu!~" Yun Wang Cai looked at Old Man Yun, his eyes crinkling into slits. "Why do you have time to visit today?"
Old Man Yun frowned, his face as cold as ice. "Stop trying to get close to me. Where are my bricks?"
"Wh-what bricks? I don't know!~" Yun Wang Cai pretended to be ignorant.
He glanced at Lu Jinping and asked with his eyes: Where is Gou Dan?
Lu Jinping snorted coldly, her flushed cheeks filled with disgust.
At this point, she knew Yun Gou Dan had run away.
Letting them stay behind to clean up the mess...
Left Shiye pushed Yun Wang Cai aside and instructed the two constables, "Go in and search. Five thousand old bricks shouldn't be hard to find. Search thoroughly!~"
"Yes!~"
The two constables responded and entered the courtyard with their sabers.
Yun Wang Cai didn't dare to stop them and could only stamp his feet. "Oh my, what are you doing? Are you bullying honest people?"
Xiao Xi Tian rolled her eyes. "Your family has no honest people. That donkey was stolen by Yun Gou Dan, wasn't it?"
"Hmm? Stolen donkey?" Left Shiye narrowed his eyes and glared at Yun Wang Cai. "If you don't explain this clearly today, I'll send you to a big prison!~"
"I, I, I... I didn't steal the donkey!~" Yun Wang Cai fell into despair.
Just then, the two constables returned. "Shiye, we've searched the entire courtyard and found no old bricks!"
"None?"