EBE Chapter 176 Flower Picking Thief
Chapter 176 Flower Picking Thief
As the sun rises, the streets and alleys of Junhua City gradually become lively.
The street stalls are lined up next to each other, filled with a wide variety of goods. The stall owners are shouting at the top of their lungs, and the sounds of hawking are intertwined.
As time passed, the sun rose slowly. The higher it climbed, the hotter and more dazzling it became. The red light was so fierce that it poured down without reservation, and the entire city was shrouded in the shining sunlight.
Cheng Yuntao and Jiang Yu went out to buy household items. They were busy all morning, moving through the bustling crowd.
Jiang Yu's hands were filled with packages of all sizes, including various household items, small gadgets bought for his younger brothers and sisters, and newly-made clothes for his family...
The sunlight grew hotter and hotter, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. The clothes on his back were already soaked with sweat, sticking tightly to his body, outlining his tall and straight figure.
Cheng Yuntao saw this and quickly walked over to Jiang Yu, reaching out to take some of the heavy objects from his hands: "It's too much, let me help carry some."
Jiang Yu slightly turned sideways to avoid Cheng Yuntao's hand and said with a smile, "I can carry this little thing. It's not tiring at all." As he spoke, he deliberately shook his arms to indicate that he had no problem at all.
"It's just that the sun is getting higher and it's a bit hot." Jiang Yu bent his arms and casually wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Just then, a fresh scent of tea wafted over. Cheng Yuntao looked up and saw a tea stall not far away. Tables and chairs were arranged haphazardly. Although irregular, it exuded a casual, homely atmosphere. The stall owner stood by the steaming teapot, his face full of smiles, warmly greeting the passing customers.
Cheng Yuntao glanced at the tea stall, then turned to Jiang Yu and said, "I think we've almost finished shopping. Let's sit down and have a cup of tea to quench our thirst and rest for a while before going home."
Jiang Yu licked his dry lips and nodded: "Okay."
The two walked towards the tea stall side by side, their steps becoming a little lighter.
As soon as I sat down and ordered two bowls of cold tea, I heard the noisy voices and the lively conversation of two tea drinkers at the table next to me.
A middle-aged man in grey coarse linen and a goatee lowered his voice and said with a hint of indignation, "Have you heard? There's an unforgivable flower thief in Junhua City!"
Although the sound was not loud, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing thousands of waves.
Sitting opposite was a slightly plump man wearing a conical hat. He immediately became interested upon hearing this. Like a hound that had found its prey, he leaned forward impatiently, almost reaching over the table, and asked anxiously, "Tell me quickly, what's going on?"
The man with a goatee picked up the tea bowl, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, and took a big gulp. After putting it down, he casually wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and a few drops of tea splashed down the back of his rough hand.
He glanced around and, seeing no one was paying attention, he moved closer to the fat man and continued, "This flower thief is incredibly cunning. He specifically targets women whose husbands have just left home. He knows everything, and these women are shy and afraid to tell their husbands or speak out. That's why he succeeds time and time again, and he's already harmed quite a few decent women!"
The fat man's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "How could something like this happen in broad daylight?! Is there any law or order?"
Cheng Yuntao and Jiang Yu looked at each other, and they unconsciously moved closer, holding their breath and listening more attentively.
The goateed man continued, "His evil deeds had never been exposed until a few days ago when a fierce-willed woman put up a desperate fight against the thief's evil deeds. The thief panicked and, in his haste, accidentally killed her. With a fatality, he was finally exposed!"
He paused, a look of pity crossing his face as he added, "I heard the woman died in a horrific way. She was covered in blood, her limbs twisted, and her eyes were still open. When her husband returned home and saw the scene, he was frightened to death on the spot, babbling incoherently, completely distraught. A happy family was torn apart by that flower thief."
The fat man's face flushed red with rage, veins popping out on his forehead. He slammed the table so hard that the tea bowl on the table jumped up, spilling a lot of tea. "This is simply insane! Someone's dead. Shouldn't the authorities take action?"
The goateed man was startled by his display, his entire body shuddering, and he nearly dropped the tea bowl in his hands. He hastily reached out and tapped the air a few times, signaling the fat man to keep his voice down. His eyes were filled with panic, and he glanced around quickly. Seeing the gazes of the other tea drinkers, he became even more nervous.
"Keep your voice down!" The goateed man lowered his voice, almost whispering, "Although this matter is bad, don't shout it out to everyone. The flower thief might be nearby. If you are so loud, if you alarm him, who knows what trouble he will cause!" Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and it was not known whether it was due to the sun or his anxiety.
"The government has issued a wanted order, saying they will do their utmost to capture him, but this flower thief is as cunning as a loach and hasn't been caught yet. Everyone in the city is scared, especially those with female family members. They don't dare let them go out alone." The man with a goatee shook his head helplessly.
The fat man then realized his gaffe. He scratched his head awkwardly, a blush on his face, and bowed apologetically to the tea drinkers around him.
He sat back down, leaned forward, lowered his voice, and approached the goateed man. He asked, "The government has issued a wanted order, but there's no useful clue? It's been several days, and they still haven't caught him. This is too outrageous!"
The goateed man picked up his teacup and took a long sip. "What clues could there be? That flower thief was so secretive and nimble, he left no trace. The authorities are also very worried. They say they've sent more people to search every corner of the city, but they've still found nothing."
The two tea drinkers shook their heads and sighed at the same time, their faces full of helplessness. Cheng Yuntao and Jiang Yu looked at each other, their eyes also full of shock.
I didn't expect that such a murder would happen in the seemingly peaceful Junhua City, not to mention that the murderer is still at large and no one knows where he is hiding.
Jiang Yu's expression was solemn, and his martial arts blood that had been dormant for many days began to boil again. "Yun Tao, I'll take you home later. We won't be setting up stalls for the next two days. Stay home, close the doors and windows, and safety is our top priority."
"If this matter is exposed, there's no guarantee that this person won't go all out and commit another provocation. If he's cornered and pushed into a corner, he might indiscriminately hurt people."
"I have to go to the government office and see if I can get some more specific information from them so that I can help catch this hateful flower thief as soon as possible!"
Cheng Yuntao nodded slightly to show her understanding, and the two of them stood up at the same time. Jiang Yu took out a copper coin from his pocket to pay for the tea, and then they hurried home side by side.