Chapter 401: Chapter 402: The Secret in the Village
Village Chief Liu shook his head upon hearing this, “Liu Dashan’s mother is a midwife, and there are always people looking for her every day. I really don’t know what you’re talking about.
Since you suspect that your stepmother is responsible, you should investigate her. Why bother coming to our village?”
Just as Zhou Zheyuan was about to speak,
Huo Chen quickly grabbed him, feigning a sudden realization, and said to Village Chief Liu, “It’s true what they say about a village chief, always quick on the uptake. How co my uncle and I never thought of that?
Sigh, they say that military folks are all rough and simple, and it turns out to be true. Uncle, you’re even a regint commander, but all you’ve got is brute strength and no clue about anything else.”
Village Chief Liu’s face changed at Huo Chen’s words, and he imdiately waved his hand at the people behind him, signaling them to retreat quickly.
He hadn’t expected the man before him to be a regint commander in the military, a position not of a minor rank. Luckily they hadn’t taken any action just now.
Otherwise, the situation would surely have escalated. Soone like a regint commander suddenly disappearing, the higher-ups would certainly stir up a big fuss.
Third Uncle Zhou wasn’t a fool and naturally understood his nephew’s intent. He chuckled and nodded, looking at Village Chief Liu, “Thank you for the reminder, Chief. We’ll be heading back then.”
Zhou Zheyuan’s face was full of confusion, still seething with anger by the ti he got into the car, “Uncle, why did we leave just like that? Without soone from the Liu Dashan family to identify Zhang Yuhua, we have no way to deal with her.
Besides that letter, and that woman likely won’t hand it over to us so easily.”
He didn’t understand why they hadn’t pressed for answers upon encountering Village Chief Liu and seed to have beco fearful.
“Uncle, shall we go back and ask that grandmother?” he suggested, his heart aching whenever he thought of the person who caused his little aunt’s death walking free, wishing he could kill those bastards right away.
“Brother, there’s sothing strange about the people in that village,” Huo Chen said while driving.
Zhou San looked at his eldest nephew with so annoyance, “Your brain isn’t as sharp as your cousin’s. Didn’t you realize that man was about to harm us?
If we had dared to say one more word at that ti, we likely would have been killed on the spot. If it weren’t for your cousin ntioning that I’m a regint commander, I bet they would have really dared to make their move.”
“Uncle, how could it be? Aren’t those people afraid of being arrested by the police?” Zhou Zheyuan asked, shocked.
Third Uncle Zhou shook his head, “Perhaps the rural folks are just ignorant of these things.”
The thinking of so rural people remains very traditional, knowing only to fight and kill when issues arise; in their eyes, fists are the law.
Especially in more remote areas, this sort of thinking is most prevalent.
After dining with Third Uncle Zhou, Huo Chen drove them both back ho.
Just as they arrived, Xu Ying called him.
“Hey, what are you up to? Have you eaten yet?”
Huo Chen lay on the bed, rubbing his temples before replying, “Just got back from dining with Uncle.”
Huo Chen then recounted the day’s events at Liu Village to her.
As she listened, Xu Ying’s face turned pale, thinking of the future where in novels and TV dramas, villagers involved in child and bride trafficking are heartless, their thinking particularly unified against outsiders.
“I’m planning to go to the police with Uncle tomorrow. Then I’ll have the public security from Liu Village’s county investigate this matter.”
“No way,” Xu Ying imdiately rejected the idea.
Huo Chen looked puzzled, “Why not? I think the people in that village are very strange. If we don’t report to the police, Uncle and I won’t be able to handle this matter.
Kidnapping children is no small issue, and Liu Dashan’s mother is a midwife, after all. I can’t even imagine if she would take advantage of delivering babies to secretly switch soone else’s child.”
As this idea surfaced in Huo Chen’s mind, his heart couldn’t help but sour.
He might have also been spared because Liu Dashan’s mother had a premonition.
“I know, which is why you can’t go to the county to report it to the police in Liu Village; try a different place.
For such a big village to do such things, I believe the local police can’t be trusted.
It’s possible that so of these officers are colluding with them, which is why Liu Dashan’s mother and the people of that village dare to do such things.” Xu Ying’s voice was exceedingly calm, but her words sent chills down one’s spine.
Huo Chen’s brow furrowed tightly, and he nodded, his voice sowhat hoarse, “I understand. Once I’ve taken care of mom’s affairs, I’ll co back to be with you.
Be careful on your trip to the Foreign Exchange—don’t try to be strong if sothing happens.”
Huo Chen kept repeating his instructions; his wife was good in all respects, except for her stubborn nature, sotis too willing to show her capabilities, ddling in other people’s business.
If it weren’t so difficult to get a passport, he would have wished to accompany her on the trip.
Xu Ying nodded and talked with Huo Chen for over half an hour until the calm sound of her breathing ca through the phone, prompting Huo Chen to hang up.
The next morning, Huo Chen relayed everything his wife had said to Third Uncle Zhou.
Third Uncle Zhou and Zhou Zheyuan, who were listening by his side, had the sa reaction, their faces turning instantly dark with furrowed brows.
“Could these people really be so bold and reckless?” Zhe Yuan was sowhat skeptical, wondering if Xu Ying was overthinking it.
But Third Uncle Zhou felt it was better to be safe than sorry. He imdiately called his brother in the county of Liu Village to arrange things, and then, along with Huo Chen and a few others, set off for the police station.
“Hello, we’d like to report a case of child trafficking in Liu Village.” No sooner had Third Uncle Zhou spoken than the faces of several police officers nearby changed instantly.
They all moved closer to Third Uncle Zhou and his group, scrutinizing them with questioning eyes, “Do you have evidence to prove that people in Liu Village are trafficking children?”
The officers interrogated Third Uncle Zhou and his group repeatedly.
One of them sneaked off to find their leader.
“My sister died giving birth, delivered by the midwife in Liu Village…” As soon as Third Uncle Zhou ntioned this, the officers sneered, “Isn’t it normal for a woman to die during childbirth?
What’s so unusual about childbirth being dangerous? What does that have to do with the midwife?
And about the child trafficking in Liu Village, don’t spout nonsense without any evidence.”
Hearing this, Third Uncle Zhou’s brows furrowed even tighter; his niece-in-law had been right, these officers were obviously protecting Liu Village.
Moreover, the mont he ntioned the child trafficking in Liu Village, the officers’ expressions changed a bit—although briefly, he still caught it.
“Many children delivered by the midwife in Liu Village die young, yet no bodies are seen.”
Third Uncle Zhou coldly stated.
“Is that so?” A middle-aged man approached with a look of disdain, sized up Third Uncle Zhou, waved his hand at his subordinates, and said in a stern voice, “Arrest these people.
I want to see where they co from, daring to sow discord with such ulterior motives.”
As soon as he said this, the surrounding police officers advanced towards Third Uncle Zhou.
Third Uncle Zhou imdiately took up a defensive stance.
The middle-aged man let out a cold laugh, “Assaulting an officer is a cri. If you cooperate with the investigation and there’s nothing wrong, you’ll be released.
But if you resist openly and assault an officer, we won’t show rcy.”
Zhou Zheyuan’s face darkened as he cursed inwardly; these people really were as Xu Ying had said.
He didn’t want to imagine how many heinous acts Liu Village could commit with the aid of these police officers.
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