Street Hustler and His Policewoman Wife

Chapter 417: She’s Herself by Day and Night!

The meal is served.

Ah Yu sat down but didn’t pick up the chopsticks.

With her chin resting on her hands, she kept staring at Chen Xiao.

She unabashedly looked him up and down, smiling every time she finished looking at one part.

Seeing this, Chen Xiao asked, "Ah Yu, why are you smiling?"

"Sister said you’re good-looking, I think so too."

Chen Xiao grinned, "But not as good-looking as Sister, right?"

Ah Yu nodded, "She is the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen."

Chen Xiao took a deep breath, "Where did Ah Yu learn to cook these dishes?"

"From climbing over Uncle Zhu’s garden wall, he’s a cook at the town restaurant."

"These dishes must have cost quite a bit, right?"

Ah Yu puffed her cheeks, then turned her pockets inside out, revealing a few coins:

"Collected from picking up water bottles for a long time, almost all gone."

"Aren’t you feeling the pinch?"

"I want to treat Sister to a meal, she’s the best person I’ve met. She braids my hair, accompanies me to catch fish, oh..."

As Ah Yu spoke, she suddenly exclaimed, Chen Xiao asked:

"What’s wrong?"

"I forgot to check the ground cage, there should be shrimp inside. Sister said she loves shrimp the most."

Ah Yu was very upset.

Chen Xiao laughed, "No worries, how about Brother buys some groceries for Ah Yu to cook tomorrow? Just the smell of the dishes Ah Yu makes is so enticing."

Ah Yu was quite proud, "I’ve secretly learned all of Uncle Zhu’s dishes, I’ve thought about becoming a cook when I grow up."

Chen Xiao gave a thumbs up.

At that moment, Lin Xi came in from outside.

Her eyes were a bit red, she probably came in after hearing the conversation outside.

Ah Yu was very happy to see her, ran over, and took her hand, saying, "Sister, hurry up and eat, fish isn’t good when it’s cold."

"Silly girl, didn’t I say I have a small appetite? What if you made too many dishes, and can’t finish them?"

"I knew there would be food snatchers!"

Liao Cheng, about to pick up the chopsticks, froze, with a face caught between laughter and tears.

"But I don’t mind, Uncle must be a good person too."

As Ah Yu said this, Liao Cheng chuckled, "Alright then, can we start, little girl? I’m hungry!"

Ah Yu nodded and, acting like a little adult, sat in the main seat.

She was the head of the household, and Chen Xiao and the others were guests.

The little adult even took out another pair of chopsticks and served everyone dishes.

Throughout, afraid others were reluctant to eat, she herself barely ate and kept serving others rice and dishes.

All these actions, she was so adept.

But as he ate, Liao Cheng’s emotions became noticeably more complex.

He too had a child about the same age.

And precisely because of this, the food he was eating tasted so mixed.

After dinner, Ah Yu went to wash the dishes.

Lin Xi didn’t offer to help and just sat on the doorstep with Chen Xiao under the moonlight, while Liao Cheng fiddled with his phone, lost in thought.

Lin Xi looked up at the moonlight and said to Chen Xiao,

"Ah Yu is very independent; after her grandma passed away five years ago, she cooked and washed clothes by herself. During the day it’s her, at night it’s also her."

Chen Xiao knew Lin Xi felt for Ah Yu, but she also respected Ah Yu’s independence.

Perhaps independence, or in simpler terms, doing everything on her own, was Ah Yu’s proudest achievement.

Chen Xiao nodded, "This house, though shabby, is kept neat and clean, quite an impressive girl."

"Yes, she hasn’t been to school, but she understands a lot of principles. I asked her where she learned everything, guess what she said?"

Chen Xiao shook his head, Lin Xi smiled, "She said she doesn’t want to pay for school, she can eavesdrop and write with a stick on the ground. And, she likes to listen to people chat, saying that she can learn a lot from adults’ conversations."

Chen Xiao was also surprised, "Can she tell what she should learn and what she shouldn’t?"

"I don’t know, but I feel if she were in a different environment, she’d definitely succeed. But then I also think, if not for tough conditions, she might have been someone completely different."

Chen Xiao agreed, then looked at the darkness over Jingguang Village, and said,

"Doesn’t anyone in the village help her?"

"A lot do, even competing to help, do you know why?"

Chen Xiao thought for a moment, "The house?"

Lin Xi nodded, "Ah Yu’s sharpest trait is safeguarding what’s hers. Before passing, her grandma might have heard that Jingguang Village might be demolished someday, and she’d receive a lot of money, so she left everything to Ah Yu."

"To this day, Ah Yu still holds her grandma’s photo while she sleeps."

At this, Lin Xi couldn’t help but wipe her eyes.

Chen Xiao let out a long sigh and asked, "She was found near the ancient tomb, has anyone helped her find her family over the years?"

The question was crucial.

He knew Lin Xi must have asked around.

"The township helped look, but nothing ever came of it. Over the years, no one has come into contact with her. Also, she’s not related to any of the six people found in the tomb."

Chen Xiao couldn’t help but think of those thirteen footprints, and said, "Do you think one of those thirteen footprints could belong to one of her relatives?"

"I have thought about it, but then I thought, do you think it’s possible? This case clearly revolves around tomb raiding. Whether the victims or perpetrators, it’s unlikely anyone would carry an infant during a tomb raiding operation, right?"

Chen Xiao nodded, "Indeed, but have you ever wondered why, although the Jin Guang Tomb was breached, the archaeology department was sure there was no evidence of theft?"

"I can’t figure it out either, there was murder involved, it must be related to treasures in the tomb, why else kill?"

As Lin Xi said this, Chen Xiao couldn’t reveal the memories from his future.

Only he and those who had been involved in archaeology knew that, in fact, there was an object missing from the sacrificial plate in the main burial chamber!

As for what that object was, Chen Xiao didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure if the archaeology department knew.

As they were talking, Ah Yu, who had finished washing the dishes, walked out.

As she walked, there were occasional "squeak" sounds beside her.

Chen Xiao and his wife looked in the direction of the sound, and their eyes immediately froze.

Ah Yu held a pair of iron tongs, with which she had caught a big mouse.

Ah Yu wasn’t afraid at all, clamping the mouse and walking out, she muttered complaints under her breath.

When Chen Xiao heard clearly, he chuckled bitterly, "Really sharp with the words."

Lin Xi laughed, "She sure has a sharp tongue. Yesterday when I came, she was having a shouting match with a village lady. That little kid, hands on her hips, even I was shocked."

As the two laughed and talked, Ah Yu came back after getting rid of the mouse.

She put down the tongs, washed her hands, and dragged a small stool to sit in front of Chen Xiao and his wife.

"Sister said you’re a great detective, you came to find me to ask something, right? I’m available now, go ahead and ask!"