Chapter 478: Feeling Guilty! – Daily Gossip in the Courtyard of the Sickly Young Lady

Chapter 478: Guilty Conscience! – Neighborhood Drama of the Sickly Young Woman in the Compound

The Officer patted Su Dazhuang on the shoulder again, "Young man, your reward will be settled once the case is fully closed. Don’t worry, you’ll get it."

Su Dazhuang studied him carefully, as if gauging the truth of his words.

"Really, I’m not lying. The process for the reward payout takes some time. We’ll make sure to deliver the reward to you soon."

"Okay!" Su Dazhuang nodded.

Mother Su was overjoyed that Su Dazhuang had made her so proud—something she had never experienced before.

Once they finished talking, Mother Su quickly tugged Su Dazhuang back.

Just as everyone thought nothing else would happen, they realized the cops were still there.

Lin Qing and Cen Xi, like the others, stayed near their doors. However, they didn’t step outside, instead peering out from inside.

When Su Dazhuang mentioned the reward, aside from looking at the cop, he also looked their way. But perhaps because the last reward had also been delivered by the police, he didn’t say much beyond a few glances.

Lin Qing and Cen Xi knew exactly why the police hadn’t left yet and stayed way calmer than the others.

Lin’s parents, however, were clueless, their eyes filled with curiosity as they watched the officers.

Mother Li spoke up at just the right time—though she should have done so earlier, but it had been Su Dazhuang and the Officer’s moment, so she hadn’t stepped in.

"Officer, is there something else?"

The lead Officer nodded. "Yes, we’re here for something else." The earlier stuff was just a coincidence; they’d simply acted accordingly.

Mother Li understood, and so did the others.

If Su Dazhuang hadn’t suddenly stepped forward, the officers probably wouldn’t have said so much.

Once Mother Li grasped the situation, her stomach dropped. "Then… has someone in our compound caused trouble?"

The Officer weighed his words before answering, "Someone in your compound bought something illegal."

Panic rippled through the crowd, everyone on edge.

Was it what they’d bought earlier?

But it didn’t seem like it!

Mother Li held her breath as she asked nervously but firmly, "Who?"

The Officer glanced at Mother Li, then at the crowded courtyard. "They haven’t returned yet."

His words cut the tension right away. If the person hadn’t returned, it meant it wasn’t any of them. The crowd collectively sighed in relief.

This kind of nerve-wracking scare from a police visit wasn’t something they wanted to experience—twice in one day was bad enough. Any more, and their hearts might just give out.

Once they recovered, they began eyeing the other households in the compound, focusing on those who hadn’t come home yet.

Zhou Qin and his wife, Jin Jianhua, Jiang Yang, Gu Hang, Li Sen… none of them had returned.

Soon, the families of these individuals felt their stomachs knot up again.

Fortunately, the repeated shocks had toughened their hearts a little—enough to keep them from actually giving out!

The officer suddenly realized that his words had scared quite a few people. "Y’all should go back and start dinner. Don’t let us delay you. It’s nothing serious. Once our guy shows up, it’ll be resolved quickly."

"Is that really true?"

"Yeah right, like we believe that."

Still, folks started sending people from each household to prepare dinner. They wanted to stick around for the show, but they also wanted to eat.

Cen Xi and Lin Qing, who knew the inside story, volunteered to fix supper. Lin’s folks just figured they were being good kids and didn’t notice anything unusual in their expressions.

"Great! We’ll leave dinner to you." Lin’s parents hauled out some stools and sat by the door.

Just as they sat down, they noticed the officers standing in the yard and thought it looked rude. Ma Lin elbowed Pa Lin. "Go bring out a few more stools."

Lin’s father obeyed, scurrying back inside and bringing out several small stools.

These stools were originally prepared by Lin’s father for her hen sessions with the girls, but they also served as guest seating.

Now they were just what they needed.

"Officers, here are some stools for you. Please have a seat while you wait!"

The lead officer didn’t refuse. "Thank you, uncle and aunt."

"No need, no need." Lin’s parents quickly waved their hands.

Mother Jiang, struggling with her illness, gritted her teeth in frustration, sneering at Lin’s parents’ behavior. Hmph! Such phonies!

If she hadn’t injured her back recently and been unable to go out, she would’ve definitely noticed the suspicious activity of those traffickers and reported it to the police station. Then, Su Dazhuang, that snot-nosed kid, wouldn’t have gotten all the credit!

And just now, she should’ve told her boy to keep his eyes peeled. How could they miss such a perfect opportunity to gain favor with the police?

Damn it all...

…

Jin Jianhua and Wang Qiaomei, go figure, were also returning late today. As soon as the other latecomers stepped into the yard and saw the officers waiting in the middle, they stopped dead in their tracks.

Now this was something!

Especially when all the officers turned their gazes toward them, their whole lives flashed before their eyes, racking their brains for any crimes.

The officers nodded at them, and they instantly understood—they were off the hook. Relieved, they beat a hasty retreat into their homes.

Next, everyone waited for Zhou Qin and Qin Xianglian.

With everyone staring, they stepped into the courtyard. Just before entering, they were still chatting and laughing, but the moment they crossed the threshold, their smiles froze.

Zhou Qin wondered—had the cops come to bust him and Sister Lian?

But he and Sister Lian were innocent!

Once he realized this, his tension eased.

Qin Xianglian, however, was different. She’d cut plenty of corners, and seeing the officers made her nervous. She even let out an awkward laugh to lighten the mood, but in the unnaturally quiet yard, it just made things weirder.

The officers were sharp observers. The moment they saw the guilt on Qin Xianglian’s face, they pegged her as trouble.

They even thought to themselves—what kind of shady things had she done to look this guilty? Maybe they should look into it later. Could be another notch on their belts.

Because of this, unlike with the others, the officers didn’t nod right away. The crowd immediately cast suspicious glances at the two.

Was there really something going on between them?

After a moment, the lead officer finally nodded, and everyone instantly understood—alright, these two weren’t the ones the police were after either!