Chapter 19 — Bakery After the Rain

I turned to the police and said: "I want to report a case." "This is a break-in and vandalism." "There are cameras in the shop, there are also in the back alley." The flower shop owner quickly said: "The back door of my house also has a camera." "I immediately extracted it." Dad stood next to me, his voice very low. "This is not a dispute." "This is a crime." The police nodded and took notes. I took out my phone and called each customer who had ordered a cake. "Sorry, the store had a problem." "I will remake your cake." "If it's not on time, I will double the refund." The first customer listened and was silent for a few seconds. "Mrs. On, I saw what happened online." "Don't refund." "Tomorrow I'll be two hours late to pick it up." The second customer said: "Your birthday can wait, bad people can't spoil it." The third guest said: "My family's party is not in a hurry. You should take care of it first." With each phone call, the edges of my eyes finally turned red. Not because of resentment. But because this street doesn't push me out like Giang Nghien thought. At ten o'clock at night, the flower shop owner copied the camera. In the picture, a man wearing a hat comes from the back alley. He raised his head to look at the camera, then quickly looked down. But when he turned to pry open the door, rainwater wet his cuffs. I've seen that shirt before. Yesterday when Giang Nghien came to the shop, he was wearing the exact same dark gray jacket. Just as the police were about to verify further, my phone lit up. Giang Nghien sent a photo. In the photo is the key to the back kitchen of my shop. Below is only one sentence. Wen Duong, do you really think only I can enter? 19I stared at that photo, my fingers cold as if they had just been taken out of ice water. The key is in Giang Nghien's palm. There is a very shallow scratch on the silver serrated edge. That's my spare key. Winter two years ago, the lock in the store was frozen, Tieu Vien rushed to deliver the goods, the key fell to the ground and caused a scratch. I remember very clearly. That day Giang Nghien was also in the shop. He bent down to pick it up for me, and smiled and said: "Your small shop, everywhere is dead." At that time, I just saw it as his off-the-cuff joke. Now that I think about it, that sentence is like a thorn that hasn't been removed yet, and it takes a long time for it to start hurting. I gave the photo to the police. "This is what he just sent." After looking at it, the police frowned. "Don't answer for now." "This phone number and chat history must be kept." I nodded. Tieu Vien cried until her eyes were swollen, standing next to her and repeating over and over: "Miss Duong, I'm sorry." "I shouldn't have come back to get the application." "If I had come earlier, maybe I could have stopped her." I walked over and gently wiped the cream stains on her apron. "I came to help you find out." "The one who should apologize is not me." Tears fell from her eyes again. "But those cakes..." I looked towards the refrigerator. The melted ice cream dripped down along the edge of the tray, like a soundless collapse. I've been making cakes for so many years, and my biggest fear is seeing this scene. Not for money. But because behind every cake there is a person waiting to make a wish, waiting to take a photo, waiting to remember that day. What Giang Nghien destroyed wasn't a few trays of ice cream. It's someone else's birthday and full month party. I took a deep breath and called Giang Nghien. The police took a look at me. I clicked on speakerphone and placed the phone on the table. Giang Nghien quickly answered the phone. His voice carried a hint of laughter. "Finally willing to find me?" I said: "Where did the key come from?" He chuckled softly. "On Duong, you ask this very strange question." "I've been in your shop for four years, where have I never been?" Dad's face immediately darkened. Mom held my hand, her palm shaking. I continued to ask: "Who opened the side door?" "Who unplugged the refrigerator wire?" Giang Nghien remained silent for a moment.

second. Then he laughed. "Do you have proof?" "Don't blame everything on me." "It could be that you normally offend customers." "It could also be that the staff in the shop had unclean hands and feet." Tieu Vien's face turned pale. I immediately said: "Giang Nghien, don't touch my people." His voice was cold. "Your person?" "On Duong, you're so interesting now." "You used to revolve around me, but now you've learned how to protect others." I looked at the destroyed cake cabinet and suddenly calmed down. "I'm asking you one last time." "Where is the key?" Giang Nghien said: "I withdraw my lawyer's statement." "Bao Manh Tinh deleted the post." "Clarify with the school, say you misunderstood." "Can you tell me about the key?" What is a lock?" Dad couldn't help but speak up: "You still dare to set conditions?" Giang Nghien heard his father's voice, his tone was even more sarcastic. "Uncle, don't be in a hurry." "Your daughter is doing business, we also have to talk about expenses." "If you keep making trouble like that, what she lost is not just a few cakes." Mom was so angry that her eyes turned red. I pressed her hand. "Giang Nghien, you thought I would beg you after breaking the shop?" "I didn't break it." He immediately denied. "I'm just reminding you." "If the door opens once, you can open it a second time." As soon as this sentence ended, the policeman's pen stopped for a moment.