Eating Melons in the Police Station

"Oh, didn't Mr. Zhong just go home? Why is he back again?" Rao Shishi had just returned from the community when she caught a glimpse of Zhong Jin's figure darting past the corridor. She hurried to the inquiry desk to ask Little Wang.

Little Wang straightened up, craning his neck to look toward the office. Seeing Zhong Jin enter and close the door, he replied to Rao Shishi, "He got called out on a police matter on his way home and brought back two people who were fighting."

“Oh, I see,” Rao Shishi nodded and picked up her handbag, preparing to head to the changing room to change and leave work.

Little Wang called her back, "It was Aunt Liang who got into a fight with someone else. The other party was bullying Little Tong and smashed all of Little Tong's toys."

"What?" Rao Shishi immediately stopped in her tracks. "Where are they? Is Little Tong here too?"

Little Wang pointed to a mediation room down the corridor. "Little Tong is inside. Mr. Zhong is avoiding, and Inspector Hu is handling the case."

Rao Shishi quickly put down her handbag and, taking a notebook, casually held it in her arms as she pushed the door open and entered the mediation room.

She calmly walked over and sat down next to Little Tong, winking at the child.

Little ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‍Tong pouted, feeling wronged as she complained, "Sister, all my toys are broken."

“Sister will buy you new ones,” Rao Shishi comforted her, patting her head.

The son and daughter-in-law of the old man (Yam Squash Old Man) had arrived by now, and Hu De was lecturing them, "This is the third time you've called the police over conflicts involving your child. Other kids are fine, but yours keeps getting into fights. Sometimes, as parents, you need to reflect on whether your parenting methods are flawed."

Hu De flipped through the previous records. "There was also that incident at the boutique store, where your child was reported for stealing a doll. How exactly do you raise your child?"

The child's mother was so ashamed she wanted to hide under the table. She whispered, "We’re busy at work and usually leave the child with his grandfather."

"Here’s my suggestion: if you don’t have time to raise a child, don’t have one. But if you do have a child, take responsibility. Now that issues have arisen, you’re shifting all the blame onto the elderly. Can you honestly call that mature behavior?"

There was one more thing Hu De didn’t say in front of the child: parents like them, who only know how to "enjoy" themselves, don’t deserve to be called parents.

Hu De’s temper was notoriously bad, and he was known for being blunt and outspoken in his cases. He started going bald in his 30s, and by the time he was in his early 40s, he was completely bald. Coupled with his rugged appearance and that gleaming bald head, if it weren’t for his police uniform, he’d look more like a member of a criminal gang than a law enforcement officer. Rarely did anyone dare to argue back when he scolded them.

After giving the boy’s parents a good dressing-down, Hu De started reviewing the surveillance footage from the property management.

When the footage showed the boy pushing Little Tong, Rao Shishi pointed out loudly, "They claimed the girl hit their grandson, but look who started it? Adults who lie like this, how can they expect their child to be well-behaved?"

When the surveillance showed Little Tong getting up from the ground and, with great gusto, making a big grimace at the boy, both Rao Shishi and Hu De fell silent.

Was this really their police station’s kid?

This level of aggression was embarrassingly weak.

While their station might not go looking for trouble, it didn’t mean they had to let others push them around either.

Finally, Hu De, with his intimidating bald head and fierce expression, awkwardly tried to save face, "Look, how well-behaved the child is. She doesn’t even resort to violence."

The old man’s family was left humiliated after the scolding. Only then did the old man bring up, "That woman kicked me several times. Look, my knee is bruised. She has to take me to the hospital for an examination."

Hu De’s stern gaze swept over his face, and the old man’s assertiveness immediately wilted. Earlier, in the community, the old man seemed rather fierce, but compared to the genuinely intimidating Hu De, he looked like an obedient elementary school student.

Hu De cleared his throat,

In terms of legal assessment, both of you fighting would fall under "fighting and brawling," which doesn't qualify as "minor injury." Moreover, from the surveillance footage in the community, it was your side that initiated the physical contact. While you did get kicked, you're not in the right here. Additionally, Yin Daqiang, you destroyed the child's toys, a clear case of vandalism, for which the monetary value exceeds five thousand. This is a criterion that could lead to a criminal case, you know that, right?

The old man, named Yin Daqiang, was known for being a bully in the community, having been to the police station multiple times before. He had assumed this time would be no different—he might not gain anything, but at most, he’d get a few words of criticism before being sent home. However, at this moment, his face showed disbelief.

"What? Five thousand? Are you extorting me? Who lets their kid play with five-thousand-dollar toys in the sandbox? Comrade officer, this has to be extortion."

"Yeah, the kid’s dad is in on it with you guys. You can just say whatever amount you want." Yin Daqiang’s son also dismissed the claim, hurriedly adding his defense.

Hu De spread his hands wide, slowly pushing the tablet computer in front of them.@@novelbin@@

"I said the amount exceeds five thousand, not that the toys themselves are worth five thousand. Technically, the actual purchase price of this set of toys is seven thousand eight hundred. Here are the purchase receipt and e-invoice. If you doubt the authenticity, you can request an appraisal, though the fees will be on you."

Yin Daqiang was dumbfounded. Had he known the toys were that expensive, he wouldn’t have smashed them, even if his grandson had been wronged. He had been losing at chess all day and was already in a foul mood when he spotted the toys, which set him off. Little did he imagine that his impulsive act would lead to such a huge expense.

Rao Shishi, hearing this, quietly retracted her earlier careless remark. She patted Little Tong’s head and corrected herself, "Little rascal, once they pay up, we’ll use the compensation to buy you new toys."

Those toys? Yeah, my sister definitely couldn’t afford them.

Hu De then gave Yin Daqiang and his entire family another round of lecturing, made them apologize, write a guarantee, and forced Yin Daqiang to use his retirement savings to compensate for the toy money.

Yin Daqiang was devastated by the financial loss and, after leaving the police station, beat up his grandson, making the boy cry loudly. His parents joined in, also calling him "you deserve it," both of them believing he deserved it. Then, Yin Daqiang got into a fight with his son and daughter-in-law, yelling at them for being ungrateful. He declared he would no longer help take care of the child. The family argued outside the police station for quite a while before Hu De had to step out again and scold them some more to finally get them to leave.

Although Aunt Liang had been involved in the fight, she didn’t get hurt, and the destroyed toys were compensated for. Plus, Yin Daqiang had taken several kicks himself, so Little Tong’s side didn’t come out too badly.

However, the incident involving the "sky-high" children’s toys also confirmed Zhong Jin's identity as a second-generation wealthy individual.

Zhong Jin's family was well off in Jing City. When he was in kindergarten, his parents' business was already quite successful. They owned a large redwood furniture factory, and many high-end redwood furniture pieces on the market bore their brand’s logo.

Zhong Jin had never lacked for money since he was a child. By the time he was in elementary school, he was already being chauffeured in a Rolls-Royce. However, he wasn’t one to flaunt his wealth. He had always been low-key when it came to material things.

He didn’t care about brand names and never wore ostentatious luxury items, focusing solely on good tailoring and quality. His daily meals were simple, usually from the cafeteria, and he wasn’t picky about where he lived as long as it was clean and tidy. The only item of considerable value he owned in plain sight was the Jeep Wrangler SUV he often drove, worth around fifty thousand. But when asked, Zhong Jin would only say it was bought on loan.

Zhong Jin wasn't particular about material things for himself, and he tried to keep things low-key when it came to Little Tong's upbringing. He would buy high-quality items for her, but he didn't go overboard with luxury. This set of toys was actually an expensive purchase out of guilt for not being able to accompany her more often. He didn't splurge like this every time, and he had even bulk-ordered toys for her on 1888 before.

But no matter how he looked at it, this set of toys was way out of line with his current salary.

As soon as Zhong Jin and Little Tong left He'an Police Station, Rao Shishi, the chief of the station's gossip information center, led a group of officers in some good old-fashioned gossip. "Seems like the rumor about Chief Zhong being a rich second-generation from Jing City is true," they said.

"Tsk, Little Tong sure knows how to pick a dad."

"Handsome and rich."

"Now that Chief Zhong has a daughter, he's still missing a son. Maybe I should go and make it a perfect pair for him."

"Chief Hu, you're older than Chief Zhong. Maybe we should think of another way."

*

After leaving the police station, Zhong Jin and Little Tong returned home. The property management had already collected the toys that weren't broken, packed them in boxes, and left them at their doorstep. Although a few items were damaged, the remaining pile was still quite substantial, looking like a small mountain of toys stacked in the hallway.

Zhong Jin had intended to buy Little Tong a new set of toys, but she waved her hand, "No need, there's still plenty to play with."

She asked Zhong Jin to carry the toys to the bathroom, where she sat on a small stool, rolled up her pants, and stuck her bare feet in the water. She carefully rinsed each pot, pan, and bowl under the faucet.

Zhong Jin leaned against the bathroom doorframe, watching her with a smile on his face. Her little steamed bun face scrunched up as she focused intently on her task, looking incredibly obedient.

Aunt Liang's voice called from the kitchen, "Mr. Zhong, should I make spiced salt duck bone or simmer it into a soup?"

"Let me do it. I'll make a sweet and sour duck bone." Zhong Jin rolled up his sleeves and headed to the kitchen, glancing at the pink duck bubble gun on the bathroom floor as he passed by. "Little Tong, don't use the bubble gun to wash the toys," he casually reminded her.

Without giving it much thought, he went straight into the kitchen.

As Zhong Jin prepared the sweet and sour duck bone, Aunt Liang washed some green vegetables, planning to make a stir-fried vegetable dish later.

The conversation turned to the events of the day. Aunt Liang said, "Mr. Zhong, I didn't want to cause any trouble, but I also couldn't let the child be wronged."

Zhong Jin nodded, "I saw it from the surveillance footage. You've been very protective of Little Tong."

Zhong Jin, himself raised by a nanny, had experienced cases of nannies mistreating children. To be honest, he always harbored some bias against nannies. That's why he had installed numerous high-definition surveillance cameras with recording functions in the house and frequently chatted with Little Tong, even using investigative questioning techniques to probe if any of the nannies had been unkind to her.

Today's incident was a clear example. Most nannies would simply try to mediate, or ask their own children to share the toys, without ever risking offending anyone. After all, it wasn't their own child, so as long as they fulfilled their superficial responsibilities, that was usually enough.

No wonder many children raised by nannies either turned out to be brats or were overly timid. They simply didn't receive the kind of guidance and care that comes from genuine concern.

But the surveillance footage showed that when the little boy tried to snatch the toys, Aunt Liang immediately intervened. When the other party scolded Little Tong, she pulled her behind her and loudly rebuked them. Even when the other party made the first move physically, she didn't hesitate to fight back.

To be honest, even a child's own relatives could hardly have been more thorough in their protection.

Zhong Jin chopped the duck bone and tossed it into the pot with caramelized sugar for browning, asking, "By the way, did you really come to no harm? If there's anything wrong, you can go back and confront Yin Daqiang. You don't have to hold back."

Aunt Liang chuckled, "Not even a scratch, just a few strands of hair were pulled out."

"You're quite agile. That old man has large bruises on his legs," Zhong Jin remarked. From the surveillance footage, Aunt Liang's moves, though not exactly professional, were quite nimble for her age.

Aunt Liang, flattered by the compliment, got a bit carried away and casually said, "Oh, that's nothing. I've been practicing on my husband."

Zhong Jin: "......"

Aunt Liang immediately felt a bit guilty. "Is it okay for me to say that? Does it count as domestic violence?"

Zhong Jin poured some vinegar into the pot, stirred the duck bones, and after a moment said, "It's better not to hit. If you're really angry, maybe use a small cane and just spank the butt."

Aunt Liang burst out laughing.

"Hitting that area causes little harm but lots of humiliation. You get your anger out, and he'd feel too embarrassed to talk about it outside."

Zhong Jin's voice suddenly stopped as he turned to Aunt Liang, "Do you smell something like watermelon?"

Yes, there's a very strong watermelon scent. That's strange, we didn't buy any watermelon.

Zhong Jin handed the spatula to Aunt Liang. "Serve the duck bones."

He rushed to the bathroom, and sure enough, the chubby little child with her sleeves rolled up high was wildly spraying bubbles at the toys with the bubble gun. The watermelon-scented body wash bottle lay in disarray on the floor, its contents emptied and spilling everywhere. Zhong Jin estimated that the bottle had just been opened the day before yesterday.