Chapter 80 Resignation

That stall had not found a suitable person to watch over it for the moment, so the owner was keeping an eye on things herself. When she saw Shen Qingyi actually bring the police with her, she was shocked. Still, she was an experienced businesswoman, and quickly regained her composure.

The officer turned to Shen Qingyi and asked, “Your sister-in-law was watching the stall yesterday?”

Shen Qingyi nodded. “Yes.”

The officer who had just spoken shifted his gaze to the owner. “Was Comrade Lu Caiqing watching your stall yesterday?”

The owner didn’t dare lie to the officer; she nodded repeatedly.

The officer’s tone became stern. “Were you there at the time?”

The owner nodded, then shook her head. “I… I didn’t see anything.”

By now, other vendors and customers had gathered, curious about the commotion. Sensing an opportunity, Shen Qingyi raised her voice, “If anyone saw what happened and is willing to describe the situation, I’ll offer a ten-yuan reward.”

This announcement left everyone stunned, even the two officers nearby gave her a second glance.

“Ten yuan?”

“Just for a few words?” They had witnessed plenty and heard countless rumors, but seldom did anyone pay for gossip.

The owner grew nervous at this, fearing someone might claim she had been present, exposing her lie to the police. With the crowd gathered, nobody was interested in buying fabric anymore.

As she grew increasingly uneasy, someone in the crowd raised a hand. “I’ll speak!”

One of the officers stepped forward politely. “Please go ahead.”

“At the time, a man rushed over, shouting that the fabric sold at this stall was poor quality. Comrade Lu Caiqing asked which piece he’d bought, but he just pointed randomly and demanded ten yuan in compensation. When Comrade Lu Caiqing asked him for proof, he started cursing at her, waving his finger in her face.

Then, Comrade Lu Caiqing asked a woman nearby to fetch the owner. The man, seeing this, grew violent. We wanted to intervene, but before we could, the man pulled an iron wrench from his pocket and struck Comrade Lu Caiqing’s arm.

It looked terribly painful. Before she could even react, the owner arrived and separated them. Afterwards, Comrade Lu Caiqing insisted on finishing her shift before leaving. We assumed she was fine, but it turned out to be serious—she's been hospitalized.”

The officer, having heard the account, fixed his gaze on the owner. “Did you know that if Comrade Lu Caiqing was injured while working your stall, it counts as a workplace injury? You’re responsible for that, and yet you lied to us.”

At this, the owner’s face turned pale. She quickly admitted her mistake. “I’m sorry, I got confused and forgot for a moment. It’s coming back to me now. Please, give me another chance.”

Seeing her admit fault so quickly, the officer produced Shen Qingyi’s sketch and unfolded it. “Is this the man?”

The owner, shocked, nodded repeatedly. “Yes! That’s him.”

The officer showed the sketch to the crowd. “If anyone knows where this man lives or his name, please report to the Dongcheng police station immediately. Thank you for your cooperation.”

Shen Qingyi retrieved ten yuan from her purse and handed it to the man who’d testified. “Thank you!”

He accepted the money with delight.

Then someone else in the crowd asked, “If we know where the man lives or his name, is there a reward?”

Before the officer could reply, Shen Qingyi answered, “Yes, another ten yuan!”

The officer turned to Shen Qingyi. “Comrade, with witnesses and a sketch, we’ll certainly investigate this. There’s no need to be so anxious.”

Shen Qingyi smiled. “I just want to help speed things up and save you some trouble.”

The officer smiled back. “Very well, we’ll inform you as soon as there’s news.” With that, they departed.

The owner stared in disbelief. Was Lu Caiqing not short of money? Ten yuan here, another ten there—that was nearly a month’s salary for her. When everyone had dispersed, she took a careful look at Shen Qingyi’s attire—it wasn’t cheap. And her manner suggested she was not someone to be trifled with. The owner's tone immediately softened. “I’m sorry, I should’ve come forward for Caiqing sooner. If she recovers, she’s welcome back here anytime.”

Shen Qingyi gave her a cold glance—fawning on the powerful and bullying the weak. If she hadn't brought the police, the owner would never have cared. She replied, “That won’t be necessary,” and left.

After handling these matters, Shen Qingyi checked her watch—it was already two in the afternoon. On her way to pick up An’an, she stopped by their usual noodle shop for a bowl of noodles and bought two pounds of fresh dumplings to cook at home.

When she returned, Lu Caiqing was sitting on the sofa watching television.

Seeing Shen Qingyi and An’an come in, she hurried over. “Sister-in-law, how did it go?”

Shen Qingyi glanced at her arm. “Did you get your injection today?”

“I did! My arm feels better too.” She raised her arm to show.

Shen Qingyi set the dumplings on the table and sat on the sofa. “I reported it to the police and found a witness. But we’ll have to wait two days for results.”

Lu Caiqing’s voice was full of gratitude. “Thank you!”

Shen Qingyi smiled. “Don’t thank me just yet. I made a decision on your behalf—I quit your job for you.”

Lu Caiqing was stunned, taking a while to process. “Why?”

“Your boss isn’t a good person. You shouldn’t work for her.” Then she recounted the whole story.

Afterward, Lu Caiqing was silent for a long time, her hands covering her face, shoulders trembling.

Shen Qingyi grew worried. “What’s wrong? Weren’t you going to go into business with me?”

At length, Lu Caiqing wiped her tears away and forced a smile. “You really are silly—ten yuan for the doctor, twenty for the witness—I’ve worked for almost a month and a half for nothing.”

“Well… I couldn’t just let people look down on you. Your boss isn’t generous at all. She thought you, a country girl, would suffer in silence and act like nothing happened. And as for the man who hit you—why should you put up with that?”

Lu Caiqing started crying again, sobbing, “I’ll work for you—all my life, I’ll work for you.”

Suddenly, Shen Qingyi understood why she cried—she was moved. “So you’re going to entrust your whole life to me just like that?”

Lu Caiqing nodded emphatically. “No one’s ever been so good to me.”

Shen Qingyi smiled as she wiped away her tears. “How have I been good?”

“Every day there’s fish, meat, and you even give me clothes to wear.”

Shen Qingyi replied honestly, “You weren’t here when An’an and I were living like this. As for the clothes, I just hadn’t worn them in ages—they’d be wasted otherwise.”