Chapter 40 Thief?
the next day.

Before Li Jiandong opened his eyes, he heard Qin Huairu calling him

"Brother Jiandong, Brother Jiandong, wake up. Our hospital's advanced banner has been stolen."

"When did you find out?"

Li Jiandong opened his eyes in a daze, but after hearing these words, his eyes suddenly became clear.

"Oh, Old Yan got up this morning and went to the toilet. When he came back, he found that the silk banner was gone. It must have been stolen last night."

"I see."

Li Jiandong got up, put on his clothes, washed his face slowly, and then went to the front yard.

There were already many people gathered there, discussing who would steal the banner.

Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong were also present.

"Old Li, I don't know which heartless person stole our advanced courtyard banner."

Yan Bugui stepped forward and spoke to Li Jiandong.

"You know, this thing isn't worth much, it's not even enough to make a pair of pants, so why would someone steal it?"

Liu Haizhong also said: "I don't think this person necessarily thinks the banner is useful. He is just jealous that our hospital has won the advanced award."

Other residents also expressed their opinions, and most of them believed that the children from other courtyards were jealous and stole the item in the middle of the night.

Li Jiandong glanced around and found that Yi Zhonghai was not there.
However, his wife Li Huilan was hiding at the door of Old Yan's house, looking over here with a somewhat nervous expression on her face.

"Zhuzi, come here."

Li Jiandong waved to Sha Zhu.

"Master!" Sha Zhu walked up to Li Jiandong.

Li Jiandong asked him, "How does our police station punish theft?"

Sha Zhu stood at attention and said loudly as if he was reciting a text:
"Master! We have a law that stipulates that if the amount of stolen things is small, the person will be ordered to return the stolen things first.

Then, criticism and education will be carried out at the police station for no more than one week.

If the amount of theft is large, more than 10 yuan, the person will be sent to a detention center, with a sentence ranging from 3 months to 3 years. If the nature of the theft is serious or the amount is extremely huge, the maximum sentence is death penalty.

Li Jiandong nodded and said loudly to all the residents,

"Everyone has heard it. Although our banner is not valuable, it is of great significance."

"Whoever stole the banner, I advise him to hand it over immediately. Once you call the police, there will be no room for maneuver."

Old Yan was standing nearby and asked curiously, "Old Li, do you mean that someone from our hospital stole the banner?"

Old Liu shook his head repeatedly in denial.

"Impossible! This is the honor of our school. Isn't stealing this just like slapping himself in the face? Unless he is a fool!"

The other residents also shook their heads, saying that they definitely did not steal it.

Li Jiandong saw everyone's reactions and already had a rough idea in his mind.

He shouted, "Well, since no one stole anything, I'm calling the police!"

"Shazhu, go to the police station and call for help. The rest of us will guard the door. Don't let anyone out before the police arrive. Let's start by checking our own yard."

"Yes, Master."

Sha Zhu agreed and prepared to go to the police station to call for help.

At this time, Yi Zhonghai's wife Li Huilan suddenly ran out shouting,
"Wait, uncle, you misunderstood, you misunderstood, the silk banner was blown down by the wind last night.

I saw it when I went out in the morning, so I took it home to wash it and hang it up, but I didn’t expect it to be misunderstood by everyone.”

"Li Huilan, why didn't you say anything just now?" someone immediately questioned.

"Just now... I just woke up and my mind was confused. I just woke up now." Li Huilan hesitantly.

No one believed her and looked at her coldly.

Almost twenty minutes had passed since Yan Bugui discovered that the banner was missing. How could someone be awake for so long and still be confused?
"Mrs. Yi, the nature of the matter is extremely bad. I advise you to tell the truth." Li Jiandong looked at Li Huilan sternly.

"Now if you tell the truth, I can give you and Yi Zhonghai a lighter sentence no matter what."

Having said that, Li Jiandong paused and his expression changed.

"Otherwise, I'll ask Zhuzi to call the police and see what kind of strong wind can blow down such a solid silk banner."

Li Huilan was almost crying with anxiety.

She couldn't sleep well at night because of her illness.

Last night at midnight, Yi Zhonghai got up and she heard it.
Yi Zhonghai was in good health and almost never got up to go to the toilet in the middle of the night.

Li Huilan was curious about what he was doing up in the middle of the night, so she chased him out.

As a result, Yi Zhonghai was seen with his own eyes pulling down the banner of the Advanced Compound and throwing it outside the alley.

Li Huilan was worried that if someone found out the next day that it was Yi Zhonghai who did it, she would be targeted by everyone in the hospital.

She brought it back secretly and prepared to hang it up after sewing it.

As a result, Yan Bugui got up too early in the morning, and she had just finished sewing the banner, but before she had time to hang it up, she was discovered.

If we take out the banner now, everyone will know that it must have been pulled down.

No tornado could be that powerful enough to tear such a big hole where the nails were nailed.

But if she admitted that it was Yi Zhonghai who pulled down the banner, how would her man be able to gain a foothold in the yard in the future?

"Uncle No. 1, Uncle No. 2, Uncle No. 3, and all the neighbors, I admit that I was the one who pulled down the silk banner last night.

I wanted to steal it back and make a pair of gloves for Lao Yi. I was foolish, please forgive me."

In the end, Li Huilan gritted her teeth and decided not to give Yi Zhonghai away, but chose to take the blame herself.

Yan Bugui thought carefully, shook his head and said:
"No, if you want to make the banner into gloves, then once you wear them, won't people find out? Your excuse doesn't hold water."

"Yeah, I didn't think too much about it at the time. Later, I thought about it and wanted to return the banner. But you found it before I could do it. This is all my fault."

Li Huilan kept apologizing, tears streaming down her face.

Li Jiandong had long guessed that it was Yi Zhonghai who did it. It was unfortunate for Li Huilan to meet such a man.

So, he waved his hands and said, "Okay, since you admit that you stole the banner, then if you return it, we won't call the police.

However, in order to punish you and to serve as a warning to others, I will make you clean the toilets at the entrance of the alley for three months. Do you have any objection?"

"No problem, no problem, I accept the punishment."

"Alright, let's all go. Li Huilan, hang up the banner immediately and everyone should go back to their work."

Li Jiandong waved his hand and led the way away.

Although Li Huilan was punished to clean the toilet, Courtyard 40 was only responsible for the hygiene of the men's toilet.

How could a woman like Li Huilan clean the place? So in the end, Yi Zhonghai was the one who was punished.

Yi Zhonghai has never shown up.

When he learned that the banner was brought back by Li Huilan and she admitted that she had stolen it, Yi Zhonghai was so angry that he couldn't speak.

…………

It's the weekend again in a blink of an eye.

Originally, Li Jiandong had other plans this week, but Jia Zhang had already agreed that Jia Dongxu could marry Liang Ladi.

Jia Dongxu couldn't wait any longer and wanted to tell Liang Ladi and discuss the marriage with her.

His cycling skills were not very good, and he was a directionally challenged person who didn't know the way, so Li Jiandong had to change his plan and go to the machine repair shop with him.

After arriving at the place, Jia Dongxu went into Liang Ladi's dormitory.

Li Jiandong had no choice but to go find Ding Qiunan and give her temporary tutoring.

The two of them had just sat down under the big tree, and Li Jiandong was about to ask her some questions about the homework assigned last week.

Suddenly, Jia Dongxu ran over excitedly.

"Master, Ladi said there's a big bay nearby. Shall we go fishing together?"

"Do you want to go?" Li Jiandong looked at Ding Qiunan. He was a little tired after giving her extra lessons for three consecutive weekends.

"I don't know." Ding Qiunan was a shy girl and said with her head down.

Li Jiandong smiled: "How come you don't know yet? You don't even know whether you want to go out and play?"

Ding Qiunan didn't say anything, just shook his head.

It was the first time Li Jiandong met such a shy girl, so he had to make the decision for her.

"Forget it. You've been a little tired from studying lately. Just go out and relax today. Your brain can't handle studying intensively all day. The right thing to do is to combine work and rest."

"Well, I'll listen to Master."

Ding Qiunan said weakly.

"Great, Master, please wait a moment. I will go and prepare things with Ladi."

Jia Dongxu jumped up happily, and then ran back to Liang Ladi's dormitory in a hurry.

After a while, the two walked out together.

Liang Ladi was holding a large package in her hand and locked the door at the back, while Jia Dongxu was holding a large box in his arms.

Li Jiandong asked: "Are you going on a picnic or moving? Why are you carrying so many things?"

Jia Dongxu chuckled and said, "Master, just watch and see."

"Huh? You're still keeping me in suspense. You've grown up." Li Jiandong smiled.

A rickshaw can only carry three people.

It was a bit cramped for the four of Li Jiandong to sit, but luckily Ding Qiunan and Liang Ladi were both women with relatively slim figures.

The two of them squeezed behind Li Jiandong, leaving Jia Dongxu alone with his things in his arms, sitting in the right carriage, which was barely enough.

Li Jiandong started the motorcycle, Ding Qiunan sat behind him, and Liang Ladi sat in the parking space.

The three of them were already quite crowded, and the suburban roads were bumpy, so collisions were inevitable along the way.

Liang Ladi, who was sitting at the back, didn't feel anything, but Li Jiandong and Ding Qiunan felt a little embarrassed.

Fortunately, the place Liang Ladi mentioned was relatively close, and it only took less than 15 minutes to get there by riding a bicycle.

When getting off the car, Ding Qiunan's pretty face was flushed, while Li Jiandong sat on the couch and refused to stand up.

With the help of Liang Ladi, Jia Dongxu finally moved the box that was pressing on him away. Seeing Li Jiandong sitting still in the car, he asked:

"Master, what are you thinking about?"

Li Jiandong glanced at him and said, "My legs are a little numb from the bumpy ride. You guys go ahead and have fun. I'll come after a short rest."

"Oh."

Jia Dongxu agreed without any doubt, picked up the boxes and started to prepare the picnic supplies with Liang Ladi.

It’s true, the environment of the place Liang Ladi found is really nice. There are mountains behind and water in front, and trees all around, with the fragrance of flowers, the singing of birds, and the shade of huge trees. It’s the best place to go for a picnic on such a hot day like now.

After a few minutes, Li Jiandong's legs were no longer numb and he got out of the car.

It turned out that the box that Jia Dongxu was holding contained a radio.

There is also a barbecue grill and two fishing rods. The fishing rods are assembled, and the two parts can be screwed together directly with threads.

According to Liang Ladi, this was made by her herself, and she refused to sell it to many people who wanted to buy it.

In those days, every household was short of food and clothing. Liang Ladi had no home to return to on weekends, so she often went fishing to improve her diet.

Sometimes, if you catch a lot, you can sell them for some pocket money.

However, she had always gone fishing near the machine repair factory before, and this time it was only after she saw Li Jiandong riding a scooter that she suggested going so far away.

"I heard from others that this reservoir is called Dongbeigou, and the water in it has not dried up for more than ten years. Someone has caught a big carp weighing five or six kilograms here. I always wanted to come here before, but it was too far away. If we catch a big one today, we will be in for a treat."

As Liang Ladi spoke, she took out a big pot from the box. She was definitely well prepared.

"Master, do you fish?"

Jia Dongxu came over with one of the fishing rods.

There were two fishing rods in total, one for Liang Ladi and only one left for Li Jiandong.
He wasn't very interested in fishing to begin with, so he shook his head and said, "You go fishing, I'll just walk around."

The surrounding environment is quite nice. Li Jiandong hasn't been to such a remote place for a long time.

He put his hands behind his back and strolled slowly around the Northeast Ditch when suddenly a system notification sounded in his ears.

[Ding! Your apprentice Jia Dongxu has learned how to prepare fish food and started his second career, 'Fishing'. ]

[Ding! Your apprentice Jia Dongxu has learned how to adjust the fishing float. I will reward you with 100 fishing experience points.]

[Ding! Your apprentice Jia Dongxu has learned how to cast the hook, and you will be rewarded with 100 fishing experience points.]

……

Li Jiandong was stunned.

It was the first time for him to encounter an apprentice who started a second job halfway through his career, and Jia Dongxu had already completed his apprenticeship.

"A fishing profession?"

“Isn’t this considered a serious profession?”

Thinking of this, Li Jiandong opened his own attribute panel, which showed that his fishing profession level was LV1 (experience 100/200).

The classification of occupational levels during this period was rather chaotic. For example, the occupational levels of workers ranged from 1 to 8.

Teachers, doctors and other highly professional people all adopt the 13-level system, and the smaller the number, the higher the level.

There are also 24 levels for cadres, and 9 levels for cooks, also with numbers from large to small.

The initial level of this fishing profession is level 1, which is calculated according to the workshop worker. The highest level is 8, which is relatively easy to reach the maximum level.

It's a pity that this profession is not very useful. Even if you are good at fishing, it can only improve your food occasionally. It is far inferior to professions such as fitter and repairman, but it is better than nothing.

"Master."

Ding Qiunan caught up from behind.

Li Jiandong turned around and looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Master, I came across an unfamiliar word that I don't quite understand. Could you explain it to me?"

Ding Qiunan held in her hand the Russian medical book that Li Jiandong gave her.

"Didn't we agree to take a rest today? Why did you bring a book with you?"

"Liang Ladi and the senior brother are fishing, and I'm sitting here alone, not knowing what to do. I might as well read some books." Ding Qiunan whispered.

Although Li Jiandong was helpless, he also knew that Ding Qiunan was just like that.

Moreover, she was obsessed with going to college, and this obsession prompted her to study hard and she couldn't stop at all.

"Which uncommon word do you not understand? Let me take a look."

Li Jiandong no longer forced her to rest. He took the book, found a shady place to sit down, and then began to explain to her.

Before I knew it, it was noon.

"Master, Junior Sister, come and have dinner." Jia Dongxu waved and shouted from a distance.

Li Jiandong closed the book and looked at the sun above the treetops. It had already reached the center, and it seemed to be twelve o'clock.

"Let's go and have dinner first. I wonder if they caught any big fish."

Li Jiandong stood up and Ding Qiunan followed him.

Not far away, Li Jiandong asked, "How's it going? Did you catch a big fish?"

Jia Dongxu grinned and said, "Of course, Ladi's fishing skills are better than Uncle San's. She caught a big one not long after she started."

Liang Ladi said modestly, "It's not that I'm good, it's just that there are many big fish here.

Li Jiandong looked into the pot and saw a really big carp. There was another one lying on the shore with its mouth open.

"Amazing! You caught two big ones in just a few hours. With this skill, you can support your family by selling fish."

Li Jiandong praised him, then washed his hands and sat down by the lake with Ding Qiunan.

Four people gathered together to eat fish soup.

Jia Dongxu first took out the fish head and put it into Li Jiandong's bowl.

In a family, only the head of the family is qualified to eat the fish head, and it was not given to Li Jiandong because there was no meat on the fish head.

After eating the fish, Ding Qiunan and Liang Ladi were responsible for cleaning up the pots and pans.

Li Jiandong picked up a fishing rod to practice.

Just now, Jia Dongxu fished for the whole morning and returned nearly 1000 fishing experience points to Li Jiandong a hundredfold.

Now Li Jiandong has reached level 3 fishing skill and wants to try out how strong his fishing ability is.

As soon as I threw the bait, I heard someone talking behind me.

Two rough men with dark skin and tattered vests came down the hillside and saw someone by the lake and immediately shouted angrily,

"What are you doing? Don't move."

This confused Li Jiandong.

Is fishing not allowed here?
The two men ran down the mountain at high speed.

Li Jiandong and Jia Dongxu put down their fishing rods and stood up, both looking confused.

Liang Ladi and Ding Qiunan didn't understand what was going on.

When people came closer and saw clearly the clothes Li Jiandong and others were wearing, their expressions eased slightly.

But he still asked in a very aggressive tone: "Which village are you from? What are you doing in our Dongbeigou?"

Li Jiandong didn't say anything. This was not the urban area. Liang Ladi and Ding Qiunan were the natives here.

Liang Ladi also took the initiative to stand up and said: "Master, we are from the machine repair shop."

"Machinery shop? Which machine shop? What is the purpose of this machine shop here?"

"Which other machine repair factory is there in our township? Isn't there only our Dongjiao Machine Repair Factory?

Today, it's not just the weekend.

We thought we'd come here for an outing and catch some fish. I guess the two masters haven't eaten yet?

We still have some fish soup left, if you don't mind, would you like to share some?"

Liang Ladi is bold, careful and thick-skinned. She is not at all shy when meeting strangers. Her smiling appearance dispels the other party's vigilance.

The other party looked at the fishing rods and blankets on the shore, as well as the pot that had not been cleaned up, and said unhappily,

"Outing? You guys are so idle. Hurry up and leave. We are going to use a machine to pump water here. Otherwise, please go away and don't interfere with our work."

"Okay, let's change places."

Liang Ladi didn't waste any time. She greeted everyone and prepared to pack up and move to another place.

(End of this chapter)