Zhu Yanyi gave Xie Xinlian a thumbs-up. "Mom, you are the best in our family."
Xie Xinlian chuckled and tapped Zhu Yanyi’s head lightly. "Alright, grab the pig head. Let’s go home."
Zhu Yanyi nodded, holding the pig head securely. As she turned, a man rushed over and grabbed Xie Xinlian’s arm. "You woman! I finally found you. Running away from home to be with some stranger? I’ll teach you a lesson."
Scammer? That was Zhu Yanyi’s first thought. Her second action was faster. She swung the pig head and smashed it onto the man’s head. The impact made her wince in pain. She let go and stumbled back.
Zhu Yanyi sneered. "If you want to scam us, check who we are first. Ask around. Everyone here knows us. Who doesn’t?"
"Sister Zhu, Little Divine Doctor! How could we not know you?" the butcher who sold the pig head shouted. "Sister Zhu has been married into the Zhu family for over twenty years. How can she be someone else’s wife? She is a Xie family daughter. Everyone in this town knows it."
The man froze. He hadn’t expected them to be so famous in Sicheng Town. He had thought they were just simple country folk, easy to bully. His assessment was wrong.
Zhu Yanyi stepped forward and kicked her. "Who gave you the guts to scam us? Congratulations. You’re going to eat free meals in jail soon."
Pei Tiandu and Li Yang had already arrived. They had been following Zhu Yanyi and her mother but were startled by the sudden attack. Pei Tiandu pinned the man’s hands behind her back.
"Miss, I will take him to the police station," Pei Tiandu said. "Li Yang will stay with you."
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Tell the police officers not to be too soft. This kind of person is disgusting, especially near the New Year. She might be part of a human trafficking ring. If someone else falls for it, we can save them sooner."
Pei Tiandu gave an OK sign and left with the man.
Xie Xinlian shook her hand. "What was that about?"
"Probably a scam," Zhu Yanyi said. She knew it was more complex, but she didn’t want to worry her mother. "People without money try to trick others during the holidays. If you feel sorry for them, they might get money."
Xie Xinlian laughed. "Do you think I’m a fool? He called me a stray bird. If I felt sorry for him, I’d be crazy. I should have chopped him with the meat cleaver."
Zhu Yanyi laughed too. The man really thought they were fools. At least ninety percent of people in Sicheng Town knew them. The other ten percent were newcomers. Using such a cliché trick meant she wasn’t a local.
Near the New Year, few non-locals stayed in town except at the Azure Sovereign Qingdi Group dorms. But those employees knew Xie Xinlian and wouldn’t do this. So, he wasn’t from the group.
Zhu Yanyi suspected Zhu Xiangyao. Xie Zhong had mentioned two men came with her. Zhu Yanyi had ignored them before. It seemed she had been careless.