Chapter 8

Manager Lin from the Cantonese restaurant had come too.

He wore a suit and carried a thick folder of documents.

“Officer, I’m Manager Lin of the Cantonese restaurant.”

“This Boss Lin is my supplier.”

“Zhang Guilan is suspected of forging a signature, contaminating food and damaging property, and injuring someone during a livestream.”

“We’re requesting that all of these acts be investigated.”

I handed over our evidence.

“These are our report and evidence list.”

“The security footage, audio recordings, and inspection results are all in here.”

The officer looked through them and nodded.

“The evidence is quite complete.”

“Where is the suspect?”

I pointed to my aunt, who was still livestreaming. “Over there.”

The police approached her.

“Ms. Zhang Guilan, you are suspected of forging a signature and deliberately damaging property. We need you to cooperate with the investigation.”

My aunt’s expression changed at once.

“I… I’m his older sister.”

The officer remained calm. “Your family relationship does not affect how the case is handled.”

“Come with us.”

My aunt dropped to the ground and began making a scene.

“Everyone, look! They’re trying to arrest me!”

“I’m an elder in this family. They can’t arrest me!”

The officer frowned. “Zhang Guilan, please come with us.”

She wailed, “I’m not going!”

“I’m an elder. What gives you the right to arrest me?”

The officer replied, “Whether you’re an elder in your family and what you’ve done are two separate matters.”

She continued screaming. “I’m not getting up! You’re bullying me!”

The officer stepped forward. “We can discuss it at the station.”

Only then did my aunt panic. She turned and shouted at me.

“Xiaoyuan!”

“Xiaoyuan, save me!”

“I’m your aunt!”

“Xiaoyuan, say something!”

I looked at her without moving.

Some relatives only remembered the blood ties when they got into trouble.

When they were taking advantage of someone, they never once thought of me as their nephew.

After my aunt was taken away, the onlookers dispersed too.

My mother stood beside me and let out a long breath.

“At last, we can have some peace.”

I took her hand. “No one will bully you again.”

After the story spread, the relatives who had attended the banquet one by one pretended they were innocent.

One of them came to the shop.

“Xiaoyuan, we were wrong before.”

“Guilan tricked us too.”

I wiped down the counter. “Mm.”

He tested the waters. “So we can say it’s all behind us now, right?”

I glanced at him. “We’ll follow whatever the court decides.”

He smiled awkwardly, then slunk away.

My uncle came too.

He stood at the entrance, rubbing his hands and wearing a flattering smile.

“Xiaoyuan.”

I didn’t look up. “What is it?”

He ingratiated himself. “Could you find me a job?”

“I’d even work as a kitchen helper.”

I looked at him. “At the banquet, you packed king crab to take home and ate more enthusiastically than anyone.”

“When it was time to split the bill, you were the first to run.”

“And now you remember we’re family?”

His face flushed. “I… I know I was wrong.”

I replied evenly, “If you want to be a kitchen helper, submit an application like everyone else.”

He was stunned. “Isn’t that treating me like a stranger?”

“My shop doesn’t hire people just because they’re relatives.”

He still wouldn’t give up. “Xiaoyuan, I’m your uncle, after all.”

I finished packing the roast goose I had just sliced.

“When you were packing king crab to take home, did you think of me as your nephew?”

My uncle opened his mouth, but in the end, no words came out.

“W-Well… I’ll be going.”

I nodded. “Take care.”

My younger cousin left too.

Before he went, he came to the shop to see me.

He looked much thinner, with dark circles under his eyes.

“Dad, I’m going away to find work.”

My uncle sat outside the shop smoking, saying nothing.

My younger cousin said: