Chapter 15 A Kind Female Thief (1/2)

The afternoon sun was strong. There was not a breath of wind. It was terribly hot.

Ning Tao was in a snack bar, eating rice noodles with fried sauce and looking at the neighborhood across the street.

It was the Happy Community. A dozen brick and concrete buildings stood on a small plot of land, with little greenery and some cracks on many of the walls. Apparently, the buildings were of poor quality.

The Happy Community was the settlement for the villagers whose houses were forcibly demolished by Ron. Ron tore down their home, gave them little compensation, and then cajoled them to buy houses in the Happy Community using their savings. This way, Ron made a lot of money, while these people suffered.

A girl walked into the snack bar and ordered a bowl of rice noodles.

Ning Tao glanced at her. The girl was about 18 years old, with a refined and delicate face and a pair of sparkling, black eyes. She was wearing a thin cotton T-shirt and a pair of very short hot pants. Her snow-white thighs were exposed to the air. She was full of youthful vigor and charm.

The girl shot Ning Tao a fierce look, as if dissatisfied with him looking at her.

Ning Tao took his eyes off her and got up to pay the owner who was cooking the rice noodles. When the owner looked for change for him, he thought, ”This is not going to work. I have only a few hundred left, and the clinic doesn't make any money, but I have to eat. I have to find a way to make money.”

”Young man, didn't the rice noodles taste good?” the owner asked as she noticed the dismal look on Ning Tao's face.

Ning Tao put away the change and casually said, ”No, it tastes good. You do what you got to do.”

The owner of the snack bar replied politely, ”Good, welcome to come again.”

Ning Tao went back to the table where he just sat and surprised to find that his small medicine chest was gone, along with the girl. He looked out into the street, but there was no one there.

At this time, the owner of the snack bar came over with a bowl of rice noodles. ”Where is that customer?” she murmured, startled.

”Boss, do you know that girl?” inquired Ning Tao.

The owner of the snack bar morosely answered, ”No, I don't know. Bad luck! How could she deceive me! Is it easy for me to run this small business?”

It turned out that they had met a thief.

Ning Tao sniffed and quickly identified the girl's scent. He walked out of the snack bar and followed the scent left by the girl.

Now he was in a suburb of Shan City. It was a remote place with roads but no buses. The girl came on foot without using any means of transportation. Ning Tao could tell from the two clues that the girl lived nearby.

With the scorching sun directly overhead, Ning Tao was dizzy and angry. ”I'm so poor and you stole from me. When I catch you, I must let you have a sunbath too!”

Ten minutes later, he came to the end of the road and a shabby two-story building came into view. In front of the building were a courtyard and a large rusty iron gate with a plaque reading ”Sunshine Orphanage” on the lintel.

The girl's smell reached into the iron gate, the yard and the building.

”Is she an orphan?” This information surprised Ning Tao. He reached out and knocked on the door.

Knock knock!

Ning Tao didn't use much strength, but the old iron door made a loud noise.

”Who is it?” asked a childish voice, and the sound of shuffling.

When the iron gate opened, a little girl with a dirty face stood behind it and looked at Ning Tao with curious eyes. The girl was about six years old, wearing a large boy's undershirt that almost covered her whole body.

”Who do you want, uncle?” the little girl asked in a childish voice.

Ning Tao crouched in front of her, all smiles, and asked, ”Hello, what's your name?”

”I'm Li Xiaoyu, and I'm six years old,” replied the little girl.

Ning Tao gently touched Li Xiaoyu's head and said, ”Good girl. I want to see a big girl who has beautiful eyes. She lives here. Can you take me to her?”

Li Xiaoyu tilted her head and said, ”Are you wanting to see Sister Su Ya, uncle?”

Ning Tao beamed and replied, ”Yes, I want to see Sister Su Ya.”

Li Xiaoyu said, ”Uncle, come in and I'll take you to her.”

Ning Tao went in. Li Xiaoyu pushed the iron door with her little hands, but she was too small to close it.

”Let me help you.” Ning Tao reached out and closed the big iron door for Li Xiaoyu.

Li Xiaoyu then led the way. ”Uncle,” she said, ”this is an orphanage. We are all orphans. Why don't you donate some money to us?” She looked back at Ning Tao and then added, ”If you don't have any money, you can donate clothes and food as well.”

Xiaoyu's small eyes made Ning Tao speechless. ”Uncle will buy Xiaoyu some candies later.”