Chapter 260: Chapter 259: Xue Xingjun Is Taken to the Police Station for Hitting Someone

"You want to get an accountant’s certificate?" Xue Yue asked in surprise.

Daya nodded, then shook her head.

"I do want to learn accounting, but my teacher told me that with my current qualifications, I can’t get certified even if I learn it. I don’t have the educational background or any work experience in the field."

Xue Yue looked at her. "If you can’t get certified, employers might not hire you even if you learn the skills."

"Auntie, I know. I’m just really interested in it. I can learn it and help out at the supermarket."

He Lang nodded. "I think that’s a great idea. The supermarket’s books give me a headache. Daya, your uncle supports you. Once you’re done learning, you can come help me with the accounting."

Daya smiled. "Okay."

After Daya left, Xue Yue asked He Lang, "Are you really going to let Daya study accounting? I hear it’s very difficult. Daya doesn’t have a strong foundation—she’s only just learned to read and do basic math. Given her situation, she’ll have to work many times harder than others."

Xue Yue’s heart went out to Daya. After having her around for so long, Xue Yue had come to see Daya as her own child. If Daya had wanted to work in the shop or the supermarket, Xue Yue would have agreed in a heartbeat. After all, it was their own family business; she could do whatever she wanted. But of all things, Daya had to pick accounting.

He Lang, however, saw it differently. "If Daya has this ambition, we should support it. What work isn’t hard? Is life easy for us? Is your job not stressful? Am I not working from dawn till dusk? If she manages to learn it, that’s even better. I’ll have her manage the accounts for me at the supermarket. It’ll save me the trouble of finding an accountant, and I’d feel more at ease with a family member handling it. If she can’t master it, or gives up halfway, at least it will be a lesson for her. It won’t be too late to try something else then."

Xue Yue nodded. "Alright. She’s growing up and has a mind of her own."

Before the matter of Daya’s accounting lessons was even settled, news came that Xue Xingjun had gotten into a fight and was at the police station.

He Lang rushed over to the East City District Police Station only after getting a call from the supermarket.

The supermarket had reopened on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

Xue Xingjun hadn’t gone back to his hometown for the holiday, so he’d gone to the supermarket early to help out. Little Chen, on the other hand, had gone home for the New Year and wasn’t back yet.

An officer at the station asked He Lang sternly, "Are you the person in charge of Yueya Supermarket?"p>

He Lang nodded. "I am."

"Is Xue Xingjun an employee of your supermarket?"

"Yes."

"He’s a minor, you’re aware of that, right? Do you realize that it’s illegal for a business of your size to employ a child?"

Xue Xingjun had just turned 17 after the New Year, so he was indeed still a minor.

He Lang quickly explained, "Officer, it’s true that Xue Xingjun is only seventeen, but there’s no employment relationship between us. He’s my brother-in-law. We’re family, and he’s just helping out at the supermarket."

"Now that there’s trouble, you claim to be relatives. Where’s the proof?"

He Lang frowned. "That’s easy enough. I can have someone from our hometown send over a document proving the relationship between my wife and Xue Xingjun. But why would a simple kids’ fight land him in the police station?"

"Xue Xingjun assaulted someone. The old lady is laid up in the hospital right now."

"Can I see Xue Xingjun?"

The officer glanced at He Lang. "You can. I’ll take you to him."

Xue Xingjun was locked up in a cell.

He rushed over the second he saw He Lang.

"Brother-in-law."

He Lang looked him over, and seeing he wasn’t hurt, he asked, "The supermarket called me, but they weren’t very clear. What exactly happened? Why did you hit someone?"

Xue Xingjun immediately proclaimed his innocence. "Brother-in-law, I didn’t hit her! That old lady was stealing from our supermarket. I saw her do it, but she denied it and insisted I was slandering her. I just wanted to get the stolen goods out of her pocket. I barely touched her, and she just fell to the ground. Brother-in-law, I really didn’t hit her!"

Looking at Xue Xingjun, He Lang got a pretty good idea of what had happened. He turned to the officer standing nearby.

"Officer, he’s probably not lying. Besides, there must have been witnesses at the supermarket. You should ask around. He’s just a kid. Can you release him for now?"

The officer glanced at Xue Xingjun, then said, "This case came down directly from our station chief. We can’t release him for the time being. I suggest you hurry to the hospital and try to get the other party’s forgiveness. That’s the only way to de-escalate this."

Xue Xingjun said frantically, "I told you, I didn’t hit her! She was the one stealing! Why should we have to ask for her forgiveness? Officer, are you confused?"

He Lang snapped at Xue Xingjun, "Xing Jun, don’t talk like that!"

"I’ve given you my advice. He can’t be released. Whether you go to the hospital or not is up to you." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He Lang thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

He then looked at Xue Xingjun. "Don’t worry. You stay here for now. I’ll get you out of here as soon as I can."

"Brother-in-law..."

He Lang squeezed Xue Xingjun’s shoulder. "Relax. Don’t be afraid."

After leaving the station, He Lang went straight to the hospital.

He asked for directions at the nurses’ station and found the patient’s room.

He hadn’t even entered the room when he heard voices coming from inside.

"Mom, have some pork knuckle. It’s delicious."

"Finish eating and put it away quickly. It won’t look good if someone comes and sees all this."

"It’s fine, Mom. I’ve already talked it over with my uncle. The kid is still locked up at the police station. If they don’t pay up to our satisfaction, he’s not getting out. That punk should’ve found out who he was messing with before starting trouble."

"That’s right, Mom. It’s no big deal if someone sees. It’s not like we can’t eat. But you should hurry and get back in bed."

He Lang pushed the door open and walked in to see an old lady sitting on the edge of the bed, just about to take off her shoes to climb in.

There was no patient in the adjacent bed, but a man and a woman were sitting on it, eating what looked like a rather lavish meal of meat and vegetable dishes.

"Who are you looking for?" the man asked, looking at He Lang.

He Lang looked at him. "I’m looking for Wu Ermei."

The old lady also looked at He Lang. The man sized him up. "What do you want with my mom?"

He Lang said, "I’m the owner of Yueya Supermarket."

The moment he finished speaking, the old lady clutched her forehead. "Oh, oh my, my head is aching."

The man quickly hopped off the other bed. "Mom, is it hurting again? Here, lie down, quickly."

After helping the old lady lie down, the man turned to He Lang. "So, you’re the owner of the supermarket. Your employee falsely accused my mother of stealing and then hit her. Now she can’t even get out of bed and her head is hurting. What are you going to do about it?"

He Lang looked at him. "What do you have in mind?"

The man’s eyes darted slyly before he held up five fingers to He Lang.

"Fifty thousand. Then we’ll drop the whole thing. But you also have to make that kid apologize to my mother."

He Lang raised a hand and rubbed his forehead.

"How much?"

The man scoffed. "Fifty thousand. And don’t pretend you don’t have it. For a supermarket as big as yours, that’s just a drop in the bucket. I’m not being greedy. But if my mom has to stay in this hospital for a long time, the price is going to go up."

He Lang narrowed his eyes. "Look, pal, let’s be clear about things. You want me to pay? Fine. But I need to know exactly what I’m paying for."