Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 86

Old Sun’s heart skipped a beat when he heard this. Then, an inexplicable sense of superiority washed over him—who knew he had the influence to buy an ounce! It was worth it!

He glanced at his bumbling friends, checking around the market to ensure no familiar faces were watching. Then, in a low voice, he said, “Why don’t we pool our money and buy a pound together? We can split it later.”

Five or six of them together, it wouldn’t be too much… right?

So, the middle-aged men gathered around the truck. One transferred 2,000 yuan, another 3,000 yuan, and another 1,500 yuan.

Old Sun, the last to pay, reluctantly scanned the QR code. Suddenly, a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Police! Don’t move!”

…

Song Tan poked her head out from the truck bed, just in time to see Qiao Qiao being grabbed by a man in uniform. The silly boy was grinning widely.

“Uncle! Wow, it’s the police! Qiao Qiao has a badge!”

This didn’t sound like an adult’s tone at all. The crew-cut officer, taken aback, let Qiao Qiao slip out of his grip. Qiao Qiao reached into his collar, making everyone anxious, before finally pulling out a brass dog tag:

[Bao Bao Qiao Qiao]

Flipping it over, there was a phone number.

Song Tan was puzzled. “I just couldn’t rent a stall, so I’m selling from my truck… Now the police handle city enforcement too?”

Everyone was straightforward yet confused, feeling like they were missing something.

…

Moments later.

A group of sheepish men sat in a room, looking despondent.

“Come clean. How did you contact each other?”

What do you mean, “contact”? They had just come to buy tea leaves and had ended up here. The money had been transferred, but they hadn’t even received the tea yet!

Old Sun, the ringleader, shaken by the serious atmosphere, glanced around before hesitantly saying, “We just have a group chat. We get notifications about when to go to the market…”

Oh, great!

Running a criminal operation with a group chat—that’s a big deal!

The police, eager to bust this criminal ring, ordered, “Hand over your phones. Let’s see this group chat!”

Meanwhile, in another room—

The young officer had barely entered when Qiao Qiao greeted him cheerfully, “Police uncle!”

The officer stopped, rubbed his face, and frowned. “Don’t smile at me. Tell me clearly!”

Qiao Qiao wasn’t scared of his stern demeanor. He blinked and pulled out the badge that had almost been mistaken for a weapon.

“Uncle, my sister said if I see a police officer, show them my badge.”

His skin was fair, eyes bright, exuding an innocent air that didn’t match the serious situation. The officers taking his statement exchanged looks, feeling something was off.

In the next room—

As the stall owner and group admin, Song Tan was alone. No one had come in yet, and outside there was some commotion.

The door finally opened, and several embarrassed officers walked in.

“Sorry, sorry…”

One couldn’t help but complain, “Why were you all so secretive about selling vegetables and tea?”

They had received three calls that morning, all suspecting drug transactions, prompting a swift raid. Who would have thought it was a misunderstanding with a group of middle-aged men buying tea?

It wasn’t just tough for the police; Old Sun was even more distressed.

After a midnight confrontation, his wife had taken the rest of the tea leaves, leaving him only a small portion, which he had fiercely guarded.

He had carried it with him, double-wrapped for protection. He wanted to show his friends he had paid too much, and they owed him a cup each!

The men had brought their secret stashes of cash, sneaking to the market, ensuring no familiar faces were around before proceeding.

Who could have predicted this?

Just as they transferred the money, they ended up in the station.

Old Sun, law-abiding his whole life, had never experienced this. The whole market saw them; his reputation was ruined. How could he show his face there again?

Worse, when the police searched him and found the carefully wrapped tea, they cautiously unwrapped it to find only tea leaves.

Though there had been instances of drugs disguised as tea, the strong aroma clearly identified it as tea.

Just in case, they brewed it. Old Sun watched, heartbroken, as they poured hot water over the leaves.

When the aroma filled the room, unmistakably tea, the misunderstanding was cleared.

They apologized, but what good did that do?

Old Sun, tears welling, complained, “That was my last bit of tea…”

The officer who had brewed it felt uneasy, offering, “I have half a pound of tea. I’ll give it to you.”

Old Sun, surprisingly dignified, refused, “I don’t want it! Your tea can’t compare to mine. It’s 1,000 yuan per ounce!”

Good grief!

The officers, stunned, asked, “1,000 yuan per ounce?”

And you bought it?

Feeling insulted, Old Sun stood up, parading the tea around the room, making everyone sniff it.

“Tell me, isn’t this worth 1,000 yuan? I’m just buying tea. What did I do wrong?”

The aroma convinced the officers. If it fetched such a high price and attracted such loyalty, it must be exceptional.

Thus, Song Tan gained over a dozen new WeChat contacts, though Old Sun lost his money.

Song Tan didn’t console Old Sun. She sighed, “Buying tea like it’s illegal. Now everyone thinks I was arrested for selling vegetables. How will I do business?”

Old Sun, dejected, muttered, “The whole market knows me. My wife…”

The men exchanged glances, all feeling the weight of the situation.

Only Qiao Qiao was cheerful. “Sister, you were right. The police saw my badge and brought me to you!”