Jinqkang returned to the dining room. He immediately sat there. He looked at Chioujen and Jenqyih. As if asking what had happened.
"The wallet was found in Chingjoong Park," said Jenqyih.
"Hah??" Just like Jenqyih, Jinqkang's eyes widened too.
"Let me see that wallet," Jenqyih said.
Chioujen took the wallet out of his trouser pocket. He gave the wallet to Jenqyih. Just like what Chioujen did before, Jenqyih also checked the wallet very carefully.
"Eh?" Jenqyih frowned.
"What is it?" Chioujen asked.
"Are you sure this is your wallet?"
"Of course I'm sure," Chioujen said. "Yihge also knows that I have such a wallet."
"I still remember. One year ago Dahge gifted you a wallet like this," Jenqyih said. "But I'm not sure that this is the same wallet as the one Dahge gave you."
"I've never seen a purse like this for sale in here or any other town near here," said Chioujen. "Beaushu said that he bought this wallet in Yehjing. This kind of wallet is common in Yeuandong."
"I'm not talking about whether this kind of wallet is rare or almost non-existent around here. But I'm talking about this one. Can't you recognize your own?"
"What do you mean?" Jenqyih's words made Chioujen a little confused.
Have I forgotten something important?
"About nine months ago, something happened to this wallet. Do you remember that?"
"Ah! You mean that seafood feast?" Chioujen asked.
"What seafood feast?" Jinqkang asked with curious eyes.
"So we were eating seafood in the backyard." Jenqyih said. "If I remember correctly, then, like the rest of us, Chioujen was eating squid and other very fishy sea creatures."
"That's right. I eat squid, shrimp, crab, and other marine animals," said Chioujen.
"Then after that, because a courier was delivering a package, Chioujen had to go out to receive the package. It turned out that the recipient of the package had to pay for the package's postage, so Chioujen opened his wallet to take money," said Jenqyih. "After that, Chioujen came back to the backyard to continue eating seafood. At that time, he didn't put the wallet back in the bag because it was a bit sticky from the oil, so Chioujen put the wallet on the table that we had in the backyard."
Jinqkang looked at them. It was obvious that he had not been able to predict the direction of the story.
"An hour later, after finishing eating, we all went inside," said Jenqyih. "We didn't realize that Chioujen's wallet was left outside."
"Ah! So that's what you mean," shouted Chioujen. He chuckled. This time, he remembered clearly. He understood what Jenqyih meant.
Jinqkang looked surprised. He turned to Jenqyih.
"At night, while we were all watching television, we heard a loud noise in the backyard. We immediately ran out into the backyard. There we saw a cat pouncing on a mouse. The mouse was right above Chioujen's purse, which by then had been was above the ground."
"The mouse was after the wallet?" Jinqkang said.
"Dahge said that the oil and the fishy smell that was in Chioujen's hand stuck to the wallet. This attracted the attention of the mouse, which immediately approached the wallet when we were all inside the house. Then the cat pounced on the mouse while the mouse was still gripping or bite the wallet." Jenqyih laughed. He seemed to be remembering the incident.
"Then after we checked, it turned out that the rat bites and the cat's scratches had caused minor scratches or tears in certain parts of the wallet," said Chioujen.
"And now, take a look at this wallet," Jenqyih pointed at the wallet he placed on the table. "No rat bites or cat scratches on this wallet."
"But that only adds to the weirdness of the matter," Chioujen said. "Someone found a wallet that was almost identical to mine. The wallet, which turned out to be not mine, instead contained our home phone number."
"You're right! This adds to the row of mysteries we have to solve," said Jenqyih. He shook his head.
Jinqkang raised his hand. There was a little frown on his forehead.
Jenqyih smiled. With a hand gesture, he asked Jinqkang to blurt his question.
Jinqkang took the leather wallet. After carefully observing the object, he opened his mouth.
"Where did that cat come from?"
Jinqkang returned to the dining room. He immediately sat there. He looked at Chioujen and Jenqyih. As if asking what had happened.
"The wallet was found in Chingjoong Park," said Jenqyih.
"Hah??" Just like Jenqyih, Jinqkang's eyes widened too.
"Let me see that wallet," Jenqyih said.
Chioujen took the wallet out of his trouser pocket. He gave the wallet to Jenqyih. Just like what Chioujen did before, Jenqyih also checked the wallet very carefully.
"Eh?" Jenqyih frowned.
"What is it?" Chioujen asked.
"Are you sure this is your wallet?"
"Of course I'm sure," Chioujen said. "Yihge also knows that I have such a wallet."
"I still remember. One year ago Dahge gifted you a wallet like this," Jenqyih said. "But I'm not sure that this is the same wallet as the one Dahge gave you."
"I've never seen a purse like this for sale in here or any other town near here," said Chioujen. "Beaushu said that he bought this wallet in Yehjing. This kind of wallet is common in Yeuandong."
"I'm not talking about whether this kind of wallet is rare or almost non-existent around here. But I'm talking about this one. Can't you recognize your own?"
"What do you mean?" Jenqyih's words made Chioujen a little confused.
Have I forgotten something important?
"About nine months ago, something happened to this wallet. Do you remember that?"
"Ah! You mean that seafood feast?" Chioujen asked.
"What seafood feast?" Jinqkang asked with curious eyes.
"So we were eating seafood in the backyard." Jenqyih said. "If I remember correctly, then, like the rest of us, Chioujen was eating squid and other very fishy sea creatures."
"That's right. I eat squid, shrimp, crab, and other marine animals," said Chioujen.
"Then after that, because a courier was delivering a package, Chioujen had to go out to receive the package. It turned out that the recipient of the package had to pay for the package's postage, so Chioujen opened his wallet to take money," said Jenqyih. "After that, Chioujen came back to the backyard to continue eating seafood. At that time, he didn't put the wallet back in the bag because it was a bit sticky from the oil, so Chioujen put the wallet on the table that we had in the backyard."
Jinqkang looked at them. It was obvious that he had not been able to predict the direction of the story.
"An hour later, after finishing eating, we all went inside," said Jenqyih. "We didn't realize that Chioujen's wallet was left outside."
"Ah! So that's what you mean," shouted Chioujen. He chuckled. This time, he remembered clearly. He understood what Jenqyih meant.
Jinqkang looked surprised. He turned to Jenqyih.
"At night, while we were all watching television, we heard a loud noise in the backyard. We immediately ran out into the backyard. There we saw a cat pouncing on a mouse. The mouse was right above Chioujen's purse, which by then had been was above the ground."
"The mouse was after the wallet?" Jinqkang said.
"Dahge said that the oil and the fishy smell that was in Chioujen's hand stuck to the wallet. This attracted the attention of the mouse, which immediately approached the wallet when we were all inside the house. Then the cat pounced on the mouse while the mouse was still gripping or bite the wallet." Jenqyih laughed. He seemed to be remembering the incident.
"Then after we checked, it turned out that the rat bites and the cat's scratches had caused minor scratches or tears in certain parts of the wallet," said Chioujen.
"And now, take a look at this wallet," Jenqyih pointed at the wallet he placed on the table. "No rat bites or cat scratches on this wallet."
"But that only adds to the weirdness of the matter," Chioujen said. "Someone found a wallet that was almost identical to mine. The wallet, which turned out to be not mine, instead contained our home phone number."
"You're right! This adds to the row of mysteries we have to solve," said Jenqyih. He shook his head.
Jinqkang raised his hand. There was a little frown on his forehead.
Jenqyih smiled. With a hand gesture, he asked Jinqkang to blurt his question.
Jinqkang took the leather wallet. After carefully observing the object, he opened his mouth.
"Where did that cat come from?"
