Chapter 15: Treasure Hunting at the Scrap Yard 1

The next day, early morning.

Iron Orchid’s door was knocked on.

At the door, stood two public security officers in uniform:

“Iron Orchid, right? Someone reported that you are involved in a murder and assault case, we need you to go to the Public Security Bureau to assist with the investigation…”

Last night, Zhang Cui was killed, and Hu Zhuzi’s tendons were severed, leaving him unconscious for a night.

This morning, Hu Xiaolian went into their room and discovered the tragic scene.

When the public security officers asked her about the details, the first suspect she thought of was Iron Orchid.

“It was Iron Orchid! She locked us in the storage room for three days, had someone steal everything from our house, and now she’s killed my mother, she’s a devil!”

To this, Iron Orchid said she was innocent.

“Public security officers, look at my small frame, I could be blown over by a gust of wind, how could I kill anyone?”

“Besides, everyone in the neighborhood knows that Zhang Cui’s family is very good to me, why would I lock them in the storage room?”

“And their house was emptied overnight, it must have taken a lot of people, how could I, a girl, have such great ability?”

“Public security officers, I strongly suspect that Hu Xiaolian is mentally unstable due to her mother’s death, that’s why she’s slandering me!”

The public security officers felt it was unlikely from the beginning, and now after hearing Iron Orchid’s explanation, they were even more certain.

“Okay, we’ll investigate this matter thoroughly, you can go now.”

Just like that, Iron Orchid left the Public Security Bureau after less than an hour.

Hu Xiaolian quickly chased after her.

She looked crazy, grabbing Iron Orchid’s sleeve, gritting her teeth and said:

“It was you… was it you?!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Iron Orchid smiled at her:

“But one thing I’m sure of, your trip to the border is very hard and poor, you’ll never come back.”

These words were strangely familiar.

Hu Xiaolian’s face turned pale, her lips trembling as she said:

“It was you… you eavesdropped on our conversation… and you wanted revenge, you ruined our family!”

“Don’t talk nonsense, do you have any evidence?”

Iron Orchid sneered and walked away.

Hu Xiaolian walked home in a daze.

Before she reached the door, several aunties from the Street Office came to her.

“Hu Xiaolian, the train is about to leave, why are you still at home, come on, hurry up and go with us!”

No matter how much Hu Xiaolian resisted and screamed, she was still carried away by the aunties.

Awaiting her was a difficult journey through a dusty and desolate land.

Those who harm others will eventually harm themselves, those who do evil will surely meet their doom!

……

After leaving the Public Security Bureau, Iron Orchid went to the scrap yard.

Zhang Cui’s family was dealt with, and the original owner’s revenge was taken.

Now she was in a better mood to stock up on supplies.

The scrap yard was a good place for the female protagonist in a period drama to find treasures.

She had to check it out.

“I love money, I love money, I really love money. Having money is really happy, really happy～”

Iron Orchid hummed a little tune as she arrived at the gate of the scrap yard.

There was an old man guarding the gate.

Hey, this was the standard equipment for a scrap yard in a period drama.

If there was another “don’t take what you shouldn’t take” line, it would be perfect.

Iron Orchid followed the practice of the female protagonist in period dramas, and handed over three dimes:

“Old man, I’m out of paper to start a fire at home, I want to find some newspapers to take back to burn.”

The old man’s eyes became sharp, and he stopped smoking his pipe:

“Three dimes can buy a lot of waste paper and books, you can just buy them at the school, why come to the scrap yard, are you up to something?!”

Before he could stand up, Iron Orchid dashed away.

Your old man is still your old man, he can spot something wrong!

Miscalculation, try again!

10 minutes later, under a large tree in the scrap yard.

Iron Orchid, disguised as a middle-aged woman, peeked out cautiously.

She discovered that to enter the scrap yard, all she needed to do was greet the old man.

“Old man Li, I’m just going to have a look around!”

“Alright, don’t take anything you shouldn’t!”

Yes, this is the right vibe.

20 minutes later.

The previous person walked out swaggering, carrying a table with a missing leg.

“Old man, my family is missing a dining table, how much do you want for this one?”

Old man: “Just give me five cents as a token.”

“Alright, thank you, Old man Li!”

Iron Orchid: …

So easy? It seems like she was overthinking it before.

Iron Orchid greeted Old man Li the same way the previous person did, and unexpectedly, he let her in.

Hehe, a close call.

This scrap yard was a converted dilapidated warehouse, filled with things in a chaotic mess.

There were old furniture, books and scraps of paper scattered on the ground, broken porcelain, and other miscellaneous items.

There was no one inside at the moment, so Iron Orchid immediately started searching.

She searched through the pile of old furniture, but didn’t find any of the so-called huanghuali wood or golden nanmu wood mentioned in period dramas.

She did find a lot of furniture with missing arms and legs.

She collected some into the space, to be used as firewood later.

As for table legs, Iron Orchid’s fingers were sore from tapping, but she couldn’t find a single hollow one.

Everyone wasn’t a fool, if there was something good, they would have taken it beforehand.

Picking up bargains means picking up what’s left behind.

Iron Orchid was going for a casual approach.

She continued to rummage.

Hey, there were a lot of things hidden in the dusty books.

Various editions of domestic and foreign novels, she had to collect them, just to pass the time.

There were also some torn ancient paintings, what a pity.

Iron Orchid still collected all the fragments into the space.

When she had the opportunity in the future, she could have them restored by an ancient painting restorer, maybe they would be valuable.

Traditional Chinese medicine books, foreign machinery books, translation books, comic books, magazines, etc., she collected them all.

Among the broken porcelain, there were several blue and white porcelain pieces.

Collect them, they could be restored and used as ornaments later.

There were also things in the pile of miscellaneous items, like props and costumes for opera, and some damaged musical instruments.

Collect, collect, collect!

Iron Orchid’s operation was as fierce as a tiger, she collected everything that caught her eye.

She didn’t have any polite way of saying it.

After all, these were all scrap, worthless at the moment.

If she didn’t take them, someone else would, and they might even be destroyed.

Although she didn’t find anything very valuable, her harvest today wasn’t bad.

Iron Orchid’s attitude was as optimistic as ever.

Perhaps this attitude moved the heavens.

Just when she was about to give up, there was a twist of fate.

She actually found an old copper kettle with a lock in a hidden corner.

The surface of the old copper kettle was greenish, and the mottled marks on it showed that it was very old.

The key was that the lock on the kettle was embedded, without a key, ordinary people couldn’t open it.

It was probably because of this that it was discarded here.

For others, opening this kind of lock was difficult.

But for Iron Orchid, it was a piece of cake.