Chapter 143: Chapter 144 Xu Jiangmin Is Arrested
“Is it really necessary to arrest him? Isn’t that punishnt too severe?” asked the leader of the third squad.
The village chief was stern, “Severe? We are fortunate there hasn’t been a heavy rain recently. If one had co, the consequences would be unthinkable. If the water dam had been destroyed, the lives of everyone in our entire village would be in danger, and those nearby would surely suffer as well.”
Being older and having more experience than the others, the village chief had lived through such an incident in his youth and knew all too well the dangers it posed.
Xu Jiangmin had actually dared to be so irresponsible with this matter, evidently not giving a damn about their lives. Arresting him was actually letting him off easy.
After talking for half an hour in the room, the village chief finally declared the eting over.
As they left the Xu Family’s house, Mrs. Xu curiously asked the n what they were discussing.
Mr. Xu then relayed the news that Xu Jiangming had been arrested.
Mrs. Xu’s mouth twisted into a gleeful expression, “He got what he deserved, who asked him to take the money and not do the work properly.”
Xu Ying also felt he deserved it. In her previous life, the dam had been breached and had almost caused severe flooding. Although not too serious, it still cost people their lives.
There was a subsequent drought due to excessive loss of water from the dam and no rain for a prolonged period. Crops failed, leading to a year of famine for the villagers.
It was far too lenient just to arrest this kind of person; he should have been executed.
Mrs. Xu’s smile hadn’t even faded when she heard a commotion outside and couldn’t help but run out to watch the excitent.
Officers in police uniforms went to Xu Jiangmin’s house, and before long, they brought Xu Jiangmin out under escort.
Zhou Huiru’s face was streaked with tears, pleading as she implored, “Please let my husband go, he didn’t do these things, it was all his relatives. This matter has nothing to do with him, he had no idea, you can’t arrest my husband.”
Xu Jiangmin too was frightened now. Seeing Mrs. Xu in the crowd, he cried out begging, “Auntie, I’m begging you to save , say a word to uncle, the squad leader, help out.”
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xu spat on the ground, “Pah, Xu Jiangmin, don’t think I don’t know. It was you who reported that our family had ‘old society’ goods hidden away. We’re all from the sa village, what deep hatred do you have against us? Besides, his whole family are peasants, how could they possibly have those things? This kid is up to no good, daring to falsely accuse our family. Not only does he refuse to help now, he actually thinks I would? Ridiculous.”
At Mrs. Xu’s words, Zhou Huiru’s expression changed again and again, then looking up, she quickly distanced herself, “Auntie, don’t talk nonsense. My parents co from a capitalist background, but I’ve already severed ties with them. Our family has done nothing wrong, and we have nothing. It wasn’t my husband who reported on your family.”
As soon as Zhou Huiru spoke, Liu Haiyun beca anxious and shouted sharply, “Sister-in-law.”
After shouting, she hurried to the front of Zhou Huiru, “Sister-in-law, you must be cautious with your words. Your husband’s guilt is already established, there’s no chance of reversing it. If you keep quiet, my husband and I can still look after you a bit. If you speak out, your future days won’t be easy.”
Zhou Huiru glared at Liu Haiyun viciously, “Is what you’re saying true? If my husband is arrested, will you really take care of our family?”
Liu Haiyun nodded.
Zhou Huiru, suspicious, asked, “How will you take care of then? My husband earns several yuan a month as a deputy squad leader.”
“Now that he’s been arrested, our whole family has no one to rely on for food and drink. If you agree to take care of and my child, I won’t report you all.
Otherwise, if both sides perish, we won’t have an easy ti, and neither will you.”
Liu Haiyun was furious, but she had no choice; it was all because she had been too loose-lipped in the past, occasionally telling Zhou Huiru all about her family affairs, including how her man made money.
Now, if this matter were revealed, the punishnt their family would face would be much more severe than Xu Jiangmin’s.
Left with no other choice, Liu Haiyun could only nod.
Seeing this, Zhou Huiru shut her mouth and hurriedly ran in front of her husband, saying, “Jiang Min, there’s no other way out at the mont.
You’ll have to endure so hardship inside for a while. Liu Haiyun has promised that as long as we don’t ntion that matter, he’s willing to take care of our child.
If we make a big fuss about this matter and they are also arrested, how will I ever make enough money to take care of myself and our child!” Zhou Huiru’s eyes reddened.
Indeed, Zhou Huiru was pregnant, already two months along.
Xu Jiangmin had been longing for this child for a long ti.
Ultimately, for the sake of the child, he swallowed this bitter pill.
Xu Ying returned during these days and just happened to catch a big spectacle.
The accountant of Xujia Village also couldn’t escape this round of scrutiny. The village chief, while inspecting, discovered a significant shortage in both the food supply and collective funds.
Before the Xujia Village accountant was arrested, he was packing up to flee.
Sadly, the village chief was one step ahead. The Xujia Village accountant’s embezzlent was no small sum—fifty yuan in total, plus two hundred kilos of grain.
All of these were the hard-earned provisions of the villagers of Xujia Village, yet so much had been embezzled by this old crook.
When Xu Jiangming was first arrested, everyone just watched the excitent.
But when it ca to the arrest of the Xujia Village accountant, the villagers of Xujia Village exploded with rage. As soon as their interests were implicated, these people went mad, giving the accountant a savage beating.
After the Xujia Village accountant was arrested, Mrs. Xu was among the crowd, feeling unsatisfied as if the spectacle hadn’t been enough.
“Ah, these days have been so comfortable, watching dramas every day. If only this could happen every day,” sighed Mrs. Xu, who was bored during the winter, with no TV at ho to relieve her boredom.
She also disliked sitting around in the village gossiping with others. After all, she had the status of being the team leader’s wife.
If she gossiped with others about her husband every day, she would surely get angry.
Mrs. Xu still maintained this bit of face for her husband.
“Mom, let’s hurry back. My little aunt and big aunt are both here,” Xu Ying said in an anxious rush, running out and dragging her mother back, half-pulling, half-tugging.
It was also fortunate that Xu Family’s second and third sisters-in-law were already bustling around at ho; otherwise, who knows when the birthday celebration would be ready.
At noon, Xu Ying took charge of the kitchen, preparing several elaborate dishes.
However, they were all made with less oil and less salt, as her grandparents were old and couldn’t handle food that was too greasy, which would not have been good for their stomachs and digestion.
Most of the dishes Xu Ying brought out were fetched after she’d ridden out on her bike, taken from another place.
Of course, a birthday celebration couldn’t be complete without the longevity noodles, which are an indispensable part of the banquet, symbolizing peace and long life.
Although the noodles themselves were bland, when combined with fried eggs, leafy greens, and so other side dishes, they were light yet delicately flavorful and very delicious.
Stir-fried beef, tomato and green bean pork, radish and lamb, stead fish…
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