1952: Walking through Nantongluo Alley

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After a long time, time seemed to have stopped. The second brother worked very hard and finally found the key clue after going through untold hardships.

His sharp, hawk-like eyes slowly moved toward the top of the wall, and suddenly, a clearly visible footprint caught his eye. Although the footprint was small, it stood out against the white wall, like a mysterious mark, attracting people to explore the story behind it.

The second brother stared at the footprint, thinking to himself, if his judgment was correct, then this seemingly insignificant footprint was most likely a clue left by the culprit who stole the old hen. Thinking of this, the corners of the second brother's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile.

Then, without hesitation, the second brother pointed his finger directly at the footprint on the wall and shouted to the people around him, "Look everyone, I now know who this hateful murderer is!"

The moment the second brother finished speaking, everyone's gaze was drawn to him as if by a magnet. Their eyes were filled with curiosity, suspicion, or even anticipation.

Zhang the Mute, in the crowd, was particularly excited. His previously dull eyes now sparkled with excitement. Seeing Lao Er's composure and confidence, Zhang the Mute was filled with admiration. In his eyes, Lao Er was undoubtedly the most intelligent person in the village. It was truly astonishing that he had been able to uncover clues to the murderer so quickly and accurately after only beginning his investigation.

Zhang Yaba clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned slightly white from the force he exerted. He vowed to himself that if Lao Er successfully caught the chicken thief, he would teach him a lesson without mercy, making this audacious fellow suffer. Only in this way could he dispel the rage burning in his heart.

Suddenly, the mute rushed forward and grabbed the second brother's arm tightly. His face was full of anxiety, his eyes wide open, and he asked impatiently, "Second brother, please tell me clearly, who is the hateful murderer?"

The second brother was startled by this sudden action, but seeing Zhang the Mute's anxious look, he did not dare to neglect it and quickly replied: "Brother, don't worry, I'm thinking about it..."

Zhang the Mute couldn't wait any longer. He urged anxiously, "Hey, Lao Er, hurry up! Was it that damned Blind Li who did this? If it was him, I'll rush over right now and beat him up so I can vent my anger!"

At this moment, Blind Li, standing in the crowd, couldn't help but twitch slightly after hearing these words. He thought to himself: Oh no, could this mute Zhang have noticed something? No, I absolutely cannot let Lao Er give me away! However, he changed his mind and thought that the method he had carefully planned was flawless. There was no way Lao Er could have solid evidence to incriminate him. Thinking of this, Blind Li's nervousness gradually calmed down.

However, when he recalled how Zhang the Mute had just suspected him of stealing his old hen, Blind Li was furious. With his eyes wide open, he pointed at Zhang the Mute and roared at the top of his lungs, "Zhang, stop spitting blood at me! Who would want to steal that old hen from your house? Don't smear my reputation for no reason!"

Zhang the Mute turned at the sound, his gaze fixed on Blind Li, a sly smile flickering in his eyes. He sneered, "Hmph, Li, you look so guilty, you clearly have something to hide! Even at this point, you're still stubbornly refusing to admit your fault. Do you have to wait until the Second Brother identifies you before you start begging and crying like a lapdog?"

How could Blind Li be so easily affected by such a cheap provocation from Zhang the Mute? He simply ignored Zhang the Mute, not even looking him in the eye. He just snorted with extreme disdain and quickly turned his head away.

At this moment, seeing the tense confrontation between the two men like an arrow on a string, ready to explode at any moment, Lao Er really didn't want to let the matter drag on endlessly. So, he made a quick decision and decided to identify the real murderer at the scene immediately.

In a flash, Lao Er quickly emerged from the stinking pigpen. Without hesitation, he pointed a finger at Blind Li, who was standing nearby, and shouted, "Listen up, everyone! I've found the murderer!"

He paused, then raised his voice slightly and continued, "The thief who had the audacity to steal the old hen from Zhang the Mute's house was none other than this person before us—Blind Li!!!"

As the second brother blurted out these words, everyone's eyes instantly turned in the direction of Blind Li. At the same time, a burst of discussion began to rise from the crowd. Some people murmured in astonishment, "Oh my! I didn't expect that the thief who stole the old hen from Zhang Dumb's house was actually him..." Others shook their heads and sighed, muttering softly, "On weekdays, he seems to be honest and well-behaved. Who would have thought that he would do such a sneaky thing?" Some even said with a look of panic on their faces, "It really is true that the old saying 'You can't judge a book by its cover'! From now on, we have to keep a certain distance from Blind Li. What if one day he accidentally steals our old hen again?"

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Being pointed at on the cheeks by everyone, constantly accused and scolded, even Blind Li, who was always known for his thick skin, couldn't help but blush on his wrinkled old face at this moment.

He was trembling with anger, the resentment in his heart burning like a raging fire that couldn't be quenched. He glared at Lao Er in the crowd, pointed a trembling finger at him, and shouted, "Lao Er, don't lie! I definitely wasn't the one who stole Zhang Yaba's hen. I swear to God, I really didn't steal his hen!"

However, faced with Blind Li's intense reaction, the second brother simply raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a faint, yet dismissive smile. He responded calmly, "Hmph, Blind Li, even now, you're still stubborn? It seems you're truly determined to persevere until you see the Yellow River and the coffin!" Then, the second brother suddenly turned around, pointed at the wall again, and raised his voice, saying, "Everyone, come and take a look! Aren't these footprints on the mute's wall irrefutable evidence?"

Everyone looked in the direction the second brother pointed, and sure enough, they saw several clear footprints with nail marks on the wall. The second brother then said, "Think about it, Blind Li is the only one in the entire village who walks around wearing those nailed cloth shoes all day long. So, apart from him, there's absolutely no one else in the village who would have shoes like that!"

Hearing this, Blind Li froze in place, as if struck by lightning. He had been so confident that his crime had gone unnoticed, flawless. He had never imagined that a moment of carelessness would leave behind such crucial and damning evidence. Faced with this undeniable truth, Blind Li could only stare at the footprints on the wall in astonishment, his heart filled with regret and despair.

Blind Li's face was gloomy, his teeth clenched tightly, his cheeks puffed out as if two balls of fire were burning within. His hands were clenched into fists as if clamped in iron pliers. From the excessive force, his knuckles had turned a frightening white, as if the bones would burst through the skin at any moment.

At this moment, Blind Li was struggling internally over whether to admit to stealing the old hen. He wouldn't admit it until he was absolutely desperate. He knew full well that if he admitted the crime, he would never again be able to hold his head up high and live with dignity in this familiar village.

Everyone's gazes shot at Blind Li like sharp arrows, but he stiffened his neck, trying to appear calm. However, his slightly trembling body betrayed his nervousness. He feigned a confident air and shouted, "Humph, look at this footprint! It's been there forever! What does this have to do with whether I stole the hen? It's completely unrelated!"

At this moment, the second-in-command, who had been standing by and watching coldly, finally couldn't help but speak. His lips curled up in a mocking sneer, and he said mercilessly, "Hey, Blind Li, we've reached the end of our rope, and I've laid such irrefutable evidence before you, yet you still dare to cling to your words! You're really not going to cry until we reveal the truth before you're willing to plead guilty?"

Upon hearing this, Blind Li's face flushed crimson, his eyes widening to the size of bells, and he gasped heavily, like a powder keg that had been lit, instantly exploding. He placed his hands on his hips, veins bulging in his neck, and, with a hoarse voice, he shouted back with all his might, "Who's being stubborn? I, Blind Li, am a man of integrity and have never done anything like that! I clearly didn't steal the old hen from the mute Zhang's house! Stop lying and slandering me!"

Yet, faced with Blind Li's fierce reaction and denial, Lao Er remained remarkably calm. His lips curled slightly in a disdainful smile, and he gently shook his head, letting out a few cold, "Hehe" sounds through his nose. Clearly, Lao Er simply didn't believe Blind Li's story. In his heart, he had already determined that Blind Li was the culprit. If Blind Li remained stubborn and unyielding, refusing to admit his guilt, then he wouldn't be polite; he would then unleash his final, decisive move.

Thinking of this, the second brother suddenly took a deep breath and raised his voice abruptly, as if to wake up the whole village, and shouted at Blind Li: "Okay, since you are so stubborn and insist that you didn't steal the old hen from Zhang Yanba's house, then let's go to your house and find out what's going on! Let everyone see with their own eyes, right now, in that big pot of your house, is it just as I said, stewing the old hen that Zhang Yanba raised with so much effort!"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a bolt from the blue, hitting Blind Li directly. He trembled all over, and his whole body instantly froze like a sculpture, with the expression on his face frozen into one of utmost fear.

What the second brother said was absolutely true. At this moment, the big black pot in his house was bubbling with steaming hot soup, and in that pot of soup was the plump old hen from Zhang Yaba's house! What should he do? When he thought of this, beads of sweat rolled down Blind Li's forehead.

He knew full well that if this group of people really came to his house, his chicken theft would be exposed. If his crime was exposed, the consequences would be unimaginable! The good reputation he had painstakingly cultivated in the village for many years would be destroyed, and he would probably suffer the villagers' ruthless abuse and deliberate exclusion every day.

No! Absolutely not! This must not happen to me! Blind Li secretly swore in his heart that he would find a way to stop them from going to his house no matter what.

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