How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 160 - 162: Complaints_1

The pond was situated amidst a field of crops, with wild grass growing thickly all around.

The trio separated to search for any traces.

Li Qiao spotted a hint of red in the mud by the pond; upon closer examination, she realized it was a candy wrapper. She gave it an extra two-second glance then continued her search elsewhere, but after turning up nothing, she suggested visiting the nearby village.

Xu Feng said, "I’m sure the police have already visited."

Li Qiao, "We can’t just leave without trying something, can we? Let’s ask around again; maybe we’ll find something."

Ma Ling agreed.

Outvoted two to one, Xu Feng had no choice but to accompany them.

After some inquiries, they found that no one in the village was missing, nor had they seen any strangers.

Xu Feng said, "I told you it was pointless."

It was blazing hot, and when they passed by a small shop at the entrance of the village, Li Qiao said, "I’ll treat you both to popsicles."

Xu Feng quickly offered: "I’ll pay, I’ll pay." How could he let a young lady foot the bill? He stepped into the shop.

Li Qiao and Ma Ling stood under the shade of a tree to cool off.

"Thank you, Uncle San."

"Thank you, Uncle San."

"..."

The innocent voices of children caught Li Qiao’s attention.

A short, middle-aged man handed out colorful candies to kids passing by.

She immediately thought of the candy wrapper she had seen by the pond.

The village shop mostly sold square lard candies, wrapped in a thin layer of paper, three pieces for a penny.

The colorful packaging was for gummy candies, which she had only seen in the supply and marketing cooperative, sold by weight and requiring candy tickets. Anything that involved tickets wasn’t easily obtainable by the average person. Qin Jin had previously brought home two jin of candy tickets from his dealings in selling fertilizer.

Her grandmother, generous as she was, wouldn’t even exchange the candy tickets for her, opting to save them instead, saying they would exchange them during the New Year’s festival.

Wasn’t the generosity of the children’s uncle a bit over the top for someone who wasn’t their father?

The middle-aged man noticed someone watching him and turned his head to meet Li Qiao’s gaze.

Li Qiao smiled, "Uncle, they are all your nephews and nieces, aren’t they?"

The middle-aged man paused for a moment, then smiled amiably, "I wish I had that good fortune, they’re the village kids; I just can’t help but treat them well because I find them so likeable."

Li Qiao was skeptical, wondering who in the world would do good without a reason?

"Seeing you two look a bit unfamiliar, you aren’t from our village, are you?"

Ma Ling replied, "We are from the Liuhe Road Criminal Police Team in the county town, here to investigate a case. Have you seen any unfamiliar faces entering the village these past few days?"

"Isn’t that you guys?"

At this moment, Xu Feng emerged with three red bean popsicles.

"This is my favorite flavor; thanks!" Li Qiao shifted her attention away from the uncle, took the popsicle from Xu Feng, and started to eat after unwrapping it.

As Xu Feng urged them to leave, Li Qiao glanced back in the direction of the uncle, but he was already gone.

Few candy wrappers discarded by the children remained on the ground. She walked over, picked them up, and observed that they seemed to be made of the same material as the one she found by the pond.

Xu Feng asked, "Why are you picking that stuff up?"

Li Qiao replied seriously, "Let’s go back to the pond for a bit; I might have a new discovery."

Xu Feng curiously asked, "What discovery? Why didn’t you find it earlier then?"

Li Qiao explained as they walked.

Ma Ling joked, "With a gust of wind, couldn’t those candy wrappers have just blown away anywhere?"

Li Qiao replied, "Better safe than sorry."

The candy wrappers by the pond were still there, she bagged them up with a plastic bag and headed back to the department with her two colleagues. As they reached the entrance, they ran into Li Dadao and his two companions. She asked with concern, "How did the exam go?"

Li Fang sighed, "Don’t even mention it, you know my educational background. I couldn’t understand so many of the questions. Dadao and Nan said he finished all of them. Should we head to the cigarette factory to register now?"

Li Qiao thought to herself, what education do you have? Didn’t you graduate from high school? She looked up at the sun, it was nearly midday, and there was some distance from the criminal police team to the cigarette factory. They wouldn’t make it before people’s lunch breaks, and no one would entertain them if they got there then. "No rush, have you guys eaten? I’ll treat you to noodles."

"Oh, we couldn’t possibly impose," Li Fang said, though her heart leapt with joy.

Loser Qin reportedly made a fortune off the chemical fertilizer scam, and his family was also into weaving. Li Qiao was still the Top Scholar, let alone treating them to noodles, even dining out was affordable for her.

Inviting them for noodles was a bit stingy.

Li Dadao and Li Xiaonan felt a bit embarrassed:

"No need, Qiaoqiao, we can get by on our own."

With a small gesture from her hand, Li Qiao pointed: "There’s a noodle shop just there, they also have fried rice, and the portions are generous. Don’t be shy, let’s go!"

She led the trio into the noodle shop: "What do you all want to eat? Hurry and decide."

Li Fang said, "I’ll have a beef noodle soup."

"Just a vegetable noodle soup for me."

"Me too."

Li Qiao ordered a beef noodle soup, two vegetable noodle soups, and considering the boys’ appetites, she additionally bought two chicken legs, two poached eggs.

A bowl of beef noodle soup was fifty-five cents, and a vegetable noodle soup was twenty-five cents. Chicken legs were fifteen cents each, and eggs were five cents each.

In total, she spent one yuan and forty-five cents.

After paying, Li Qiao said, "Wait for me at the front gate after you’ve finished eating." Then she left.

"Hey."

Li Fang, eyeing the chicken legs and eggs, suddenly found the beef in her bowl less appealing. She whispered, "Qiaoqiao is really rich, she can pull out several yuan from her pocket so easily. Loser Qin really makes money." Their household’s monthly expenses didn’t even amount to a few yuan.

"Qiaoqiao is taking us to register and treating us to a meal, how can you speak about her boyfriend as a Loser? It might not even be Qin Jin’s earnings, it could be a scholarship from the school or the county. Otherwise, why would Li Jinhua go to all lengths to steal the admission notice?" Li Dadao said.

Li Fang felt especially embarrassed, "I just spoke without thinking, didn’t mean anything by it." She changed the subject, "If you two get into the breeding farm and I don’t, my mom will kill me. Can I copy from you during the cigarette factory exam, Dadao, is that okay?"

Li Dadao said, "I dare not."

"...."

After eating, the trio looked for Li Qiao. The weather was hot, and there wasn’t a spot of shade at the entrance.

Li Fang complained a bit, "Qiaoqiao too, telling us to wait without giving a specific time, we’re getting roasted here."

As she complained, Li Qiao’s figure appeared in their line of sight, accompanied by a spirited young man. She called out, "Qiaoqiao!"

Li Qiao waved at her, and as she approached, she introduced them, "This is my colleague, Liao Fan. He knows someone at the cigarette factory, so registration will be easier."

"Nice to meet you."

Li Fang’s eyes lit up instantly, a man in his early twenties with a spirited look on his face. She was unmarried, and to have a relationship with the young man before her would be something to brag about at home. She bashfully lowered her head, "You, hello."

"Hello."

"Hello."

Li Dadao and Li Xiaonan greeted him in turn.

The cigarette factory wasn’t far, so they walked there.

Li Fang, holding onto Li Qiao and deliberately lagging behind, whispered, "Qiaoqiao, does your colleague have a partner?"

Li Qiao, clueless about Li Fang’s intentions, replied, "I don’t know, why are you asking?"

Blushing and hesitant, Li Fang stammered, "I don’t have a partner either."

Li Qiao got the hint, she was being asked to play matchmaker. She blurted out, "Liao Fan, do you have a partner?"

Li Fang: "...." How could Li Qiao ask such a thing in public? If Li Dadao and Li Xiaonan went back and gossiped, how could she face anyone?

Liao Fan looked at Li Qiao, then at Li Fang beside her, and frankly said, "No, why? Are you offering to set me up with someone?"