The newcomer was clearly no slouch; he was a tough nut to crack!
Liu Chunhe consulted with the short man. Both of them entered, intending to rely on their numerical advantage to take down this "peer" first, lest he spoil their good fortune.
If the target was too troublesome, they would cooperate; they could just split the loot after they succeeded.
When Han Qingsong first arrived home, he found the door locked. He didn't want to call out, as he didn't want Lin Lan to have to wake up in the middle of the night to let him in.
He thought about climbing over the wall, only to discover it had collapsed. His first reaction was: Was it a thief?
He didn't hear any movement afterward, so he figured perhaps the wall wasn't sturdy and had been ruined by the constant rain.
He walked directly into the courtyard through the gap. He still didn't hear any noise—it didn't look like a burglary—so he prepared to knock on the house door.
At this moment, Zhao Jianshe and the thin man were hiding in the darkness, not daring to even breathe hard. Had they retreated then and there, the subsequent misery would never have happened. After all, when thieves realize someone is home, they usually pull the "wind tight, tear away" routine—how could they possibly stand their ground?
But Zhao Jianshe had been blinded by the prospect of the massive 1500 yuan windfall!
He immediately gripped the wooden club in his hand, wanting to land a blow on the back of that "peer's" head—
Little did he know, Han Qingsong had sharp senses. He instantly caught the faint rustling coming from the darkness and kicked out toward the shadows—
That kick carried a thousand jun of force. Zhao Jianshe immediately changed his tune, quickly saying, "Brother, it's your own people!"
Han Qingsong didn't move, but he immediately deduced there were four people in total.
Hearing him not cry out about a thief, the four men became even more convinced that he was a peer who had come to steal money.
Zhao Jianshe gave a "hehe" sound and whispered, "Brother, you're from the village? Are you here for the money or the woman?"
Then, he let out a lewd laugh.
Han Qinghua had said this wife was quite pretty, and with her husband away, it was normal for bachelors in the village to have crooked thoughts.
A fire of rage instantly surged within Han Qingsong's chest. His worries had indeed been justified.
"You lot?" His voice was deep and magnetic, sounding especially distinct in the rainy night.
He had been away for years, and Liu Chunhe hadn't spoken to him a few days prior. Although Zhao Jianshe had overheard a word or two, Han Qingsong had traveled dozens of li in the night, making his voice deeper and slightly hoarse, so Zhao naturally couldn't recognize it.
"Hehe, brother, your skills are good. Let's partner up. Once we take the money, the five of us will split it equally."
Naturally, it was a lie; Zhao Jianshe didn't want to give anyone a single cent of the 1500 yuan. But since it was four against one, the other side would naturally have to weigh their options. He himself was no slouch.
Han Qingsong confirmed they hadn't succeeded yet and that the room was safe, so he exhaled, his body relaxing.
"Where are you lot from?"
"Don't worry about where we're from. We're all peers, after all."
Zhao Jianshe said smugly, while secretly nudging Liu Chunhe to figure out who this was.
Liu Chunhe couldn't recognize him, and suspected he wasn't from the village.
Zhao Jianshe knew they couldn't fight here, lest they attract outsiders and fail to steal. He could only stabilize this person and draw him into the group.
Han Qingsong gave an "mm," but said nothing.
Zhao Jianshe had Liu Chunhe and the short man watch Han Qingsong, while he and the thin man went to open the door.
The object hanging on the door had already been removed by the thin man. A few jabs with a thin piece of iron, and the door latch clicked open.
As the door opened, Zhao Jianshe slipped in first.
Unexpectedly, a gust of wind swept out from the darkness, and a "bang" landed squarely on Zhao Jianshe's head—accurate and ruthless.
Even the sound of it hurt.
Zhao Jianshe had been completely unprepared and collapsed with a muffled groan.
"Who? Who's there?" the thin man cried out.
There was no sound in the room, but another object flew out from the side, stabbing the thin man, followed by a loud "clang," and he too was knocked down.
The two tumbled to the ground, blocking the doorway.
"They're prepared! Run! Run!"
Liu Chunhe and the short man took the "wind tight, tear away" approach, turning to flee.
Lin Lan pulled back Dawang, who was about to give chase, signaling that there was no need to pursue a desperate enemy. They didn't know how many thieves had come, and if they chased them out and were injured by a cornered dog, it wouldn't be worth the loss.
Now that the thieves were yelling in panic, Lin Lan judged they wouldn't force their way in again, so she immediately shouted, "Thieves! There are thieves!"
The children inside all started shouting along with her. "Woof, woof, woof!" Wangwang, who had been fast asleep inside, barked belatedly. Then, the nearby dogs joined in, and soon the entire village was barking.
Liu Chunhe and the short man were even more panicked, stumbling as they turned to run, only for a long leg to sweep out ruthlessly. With two loud thuds, they fell flat on their faces.
The two felt as if their legs had broken right then and there.
Han Qingsong knocked them down and added a kick to each—kicks that were both ruthless and skillful, instantly dislocating the other's ankles.
"Ah—" Both began to scream like slaughtered pigs.
Inside the room, Dawang had sharp eyes. Sensing someone else outside, he immediately raised his pitchfork and thrust it out fiercely.
Han Qingsong, who was about to enter the room, felt a gust of wind heading toward him and hurriedly shouted, "It's me!" At the same time, he quickly bent his arm to block. With a "crack," the wooden fork snapped!
Hearing his voice, Lin Lan was both surprised and happy. "Han Qingsong? Don't hit him! It's your father! Don't hit him anymore!"
Dawang made an "ah" sound and immediately dropped the wooden club.
Behind him, Erwang and Maisui, who were holding clubs and small nafen, felt relieved. Maisui said, "Erwang, hurry, light the lamp!"
Erwang had never lit a lamp so nimbly. With a chi-la, he struck the match and lit the oil lamp.
On the kang, Sanwang was sleeping sprawled out, while Xiaowang was hugging the puppy. Both human and dog were staring at the outside with dark, round eyes, their expressions of fear identical.
As the light came on, Lin Lan saw Han Qingsong standing at the doorway. He was still carrying that large backpack, his tall and broad figure blocking the entrance, making him feel particularly safe.
Four men were lying on the ground, twitching and screaming.
"You're back. Come in quickly." Lin Lan leaned the wooden fork against the wall and quickly ushered Han Qingsong in, reminding the children to call for their father.
Several children called out "Dad," but kept their eyes on the thieves while holding their clubs. Dawang said, "I'm going to tell the security chief."
Lin Lan said, "Your father is back; he will handle it. It's late at night, don't go out."
Dawang, however, saw Liu Chunhe, who was splayed on the ground, wishing he could dig a hole and bury his face in it.
Although Liu Chunhe had rubbed mud all over his face, Dawang still recognized him. "Liu Chunhe!"
Dawang yelled, stepped over Zhao Jianshe, and jumped out. He struck with his club, delivering several heavy blows that sent Liu Chunhe howling.
Lin Lan saw that Dawang was hitting him very hard. Although she thought he deserved it, she still advised him to stop, lest the child grow up with too much malice and use excessive force.
Inside, she told Han Qingsong to put down his backpack and take off his raincoat and boots. "I'll make you something to eat." She then asked Maisui and Erwang to help.
Han Qingsong quickly said, "No need, I ate on the way back. I'm not hungry."
He put down his backpack. Lin Lan went to take it, but he stretched out his arm to set it on the floor himself. "It's heavy." Then he took off his raincoat and boots and changed into his household straw sandals.
Zhao Jianshe and the thin man were still lying in the doorway, their upper bodies inside the room and their lower bodies outside.
Han Qingsong frowned, a look of disgust flashing in his eyes. He stepped forward and grabbed each of them by the shoulder.
"Third Brother, Third Brother, please show mercy! We won't do it again, we really won't do it again..." Zhao Jianshe's forehead had been broken, and a pool of blood was flowing.
Han Qingsong heard him call him Third Brother and knit his thick brows. "You know me?"
Zhao Jianshe's heart skipped a beat. Thinking he couldn't take the fall alone, he immediately shouted, "Third Brother, I know you! I remember the state-run restaurant, and your fourth younger brother—we all ate together."
Han Qingsong's expression sank instantly. His pair of dark, bright eyes scraped over him like a sharp blade, his voice terrifyingly cold. "My Fourth Younger Brother sent you here?"
Zhao Jianshe, having gone this far, decided to go all the way. To exonerate himself, he no longer cared about anyone else—anything was better than being beaten to death by Han Qingsong.
He nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes. Han Qinghua suffered a loss because of my sister-in-law and nephew and was taken to the county public security bureau. He... he wanted revenge, so he found me..."
Han Qingsong's fingers suddenly tightened, his thumb twisting, and Zhao Jianshe let out a scream of agony as his arm went limp.
The next moment, he was thrown in a wide arc and landed heavily in the courtyard, splashing into a puddle of mud and water.
The thin man was also sent flying directly, his head colliding with Zhao Jianshe's, and he fainted on the spot.
Before they could even report the incident, people arrived to ask about the situation.
The security chief and Han Qingyun came running over, asking what was happening from far away.
Han Qingyun rushed in. "Sister-in-law, are you okay? Ah—what's this? What's going on?" He held up a lantern and looked at the men lying about, groaning and screaming in agony, his jaw dropping in surprise.
This woman is too formidable... "Third Brother! You're back?" He saw Han Qingsong, and the shock in his heart immediately dissipated. It must have been Han Qingsong who beat them.
Han Qingsong invited them into the room to talk. "Some petty thieves came to steal things."
The security chief saw Liu Chunhe and pointed at him in surprise. "Liu Chunhe? Why are you here too?"
Liu Chunhe wished he could just die, but Dawang had been hitting his legs and buttocks, so there was no way he could faint.
Lin Lan looked from Han Qingsong to the security chief, then finally said to Han Qingyun, "Qingyun, look at this. Should we have the Party Branch Secretary handle it?"
Han Qingsong said, "Just leave them in the courtyard for now. We'll wait until dawn."
Since he said so, no one had any objections.
Liu Chunhe, however, felt that Han Qingsong was taking revenge, intentionally leaving them there to suffer.
Since Han Qingsong was here, there was nothing to worry about. The security chief and the others left first; it wasn't dawn yet.
As Han Qingyun was leaving, he looked at the injuries on the men. "Heh, that must really hurt. I tell you, you lot have quite the nerve to come to our Shanzui Village to steal. My dad definitely won't let you off tomorrow."
Breaking into a home, in the middle of the night, with a wife and children inside—if Han Qingsong hadn't returned, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
These men wouldn't be able to escape their fate, whether it was a death sentence or just a lifetime of suffering.
After they left, Lin Lan told the children to go to sleep. It was the middle of the night; the adults were fine, but the children couldn't take it.
"Your father is back; we're safe. Everyone, hurry to sleep."
Sanwang was fast asleep, sprawled out. He probably wouldn't wake up even if there were thunder.
Lin Lan said, "It's fortunate that Dawang was home, or it would have been a disaster."
Although she wasn't afraid herself, Dawang's actions earlier had truly given her peace of mind.
Actually, she had been keeping an eye out ever since she became suspicious that day. Not only did she report it to the security chief, but she also made arrangements at home.
The small courtyard door used to be left closed; now she had added a lock. The room door was latched as well—not locked, but she had hung a piece of broken iron on it, so it would make a sound if someone touched the door.
She hadn't hidden any of this from the children; she had even told them of her suspicions. Maisui hadn't noticed anything different, but Erwang agreed that the house had been searched.
So they had prepared along with Lin Lan.
She was a light sleeper, and the noise hadn't been small, so she had heard it instantly.
Then she got up, grabbed the prepared club, and Dawang, hearing her movement, had also climbed up.
The house had long been equipped with large wooden clubs, long wooden forks, two-pronged hooks, and hoes.
When the enemies opened the door and entered, the doorway was narrow and only one could enter at a time. Dawang, who knew how to fight, had struck first, catching them off guard with a heavy strike. As the second man rushed in, Lin Lan immediately used the long-handled fork to pin him down, and Dawang followed up with another strike.
If there had been a third, they could have done the same.
However, they were certain that thieves wouldn't be that tough. Once they saw such a situation, those behind would run.
Her plan was to scare off the ones behind and then shout for help, lest the thieves realize there was no man in the house and, like a cornered dog, force their way in and commit violence.
So, even if Han Qingsong hadn't returned, she wouldn't have been afraid.
As long as they guarded against the thieves committing violence and murder, it would be easy to call the villagers, and there wouldn't be any major danger.
Dawang didn't say anything, threw down his club, and went to sleep. Maisui, Erwang, and Xiaowang, despite being very excited, also lay down on the kang and were fast asleep shortly after.
Han Qingsong, however, felt a lingering fear. He considered that the courtyard wall needed to be reinforced and heightened—it would be best to change it to brick and stone. He also thought that living here was a bit too remote and unsafe. He further planned to train Dawang and Erwang to make them look more like men, so they wouldn't be afraid when petty thieves showed up.
A pile of thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, though he didn't show anything on the surface.
When he returned from washing his feet, the screaming outside had diminished.
Lin Lan spread out a quilt for him next to Erwang.
Han Qingsong: ...
He saw that the children were all covering themselves with sheets, not quilts, and couldn't help but frown slightly. "Is there no cotton quilt at home?"
Asked like this, Lin Lan felt extremely embarrassed. She quickly said, "There is. I bought a lot of cloth and cotton and was just about to sew them."
That is... she hadn't sewn them yet. Oh dear, it was embarrassing to say it out loud; she would have to hurry and sew them tomorrow.
Han Qingsong stood in front of the kang and looked at Lin Lan. Her cheeks were flushed, and he was a bit puzzled—he didn't understand why she was blushing, but he found that she looked exceptionally beautiful when she did, so he couldn't help but stare at her.
Lin Lan hurriedly got off the kang and went to her spot. "Sleep, quickly."
Who knew that Han Qingsong would walk toward her again? Lin Lan's heart thumped with fear, and she subconsciously grabbed the sheet tightly, her mind racing with thoughts of what to do if he insisted on coming up.
Han Qingsong took an oilcloth package from his inner pocket and placed it beside her pillow. "This is my demobilization allowance; you keep it. We'll sort out the rest of the things tomorrow."
Lin Lan's attention was immediately drawn to the money. She picked it up and weighed it—it was a lot of money!
She hesitated for a moment but asked, "Should I not give it to the Old Lady?"
Han Qingsong replied, "You're in charge of the household; you make the decision."
Lin Lan felt sweet inside. "You've been walking for half the night. Go to sleep."
Han Qingsong nodded and stood for a moment before going over there to rest.
Lin Lan quickly pulled open the oilcloth package and took a peek. Oh my, it was brand-new money! Such a large stack—it must be at least a thousand yuan!
She had struck it rich!
She thought about it and tucked it under the kang mat beneath her feet, planning to put it away tomorrow and think about where to hide it later.
A heavy stone had fallen from her heart, and she felt relaxed. Combined with the mental tension she had been under recently, Lin Lan was truly exhausted and fell asleep quickly after lying down.
When she woke up the next day, she found that Han Qingsong was already gone, and the miserable wailing in the courtyard had vanished. Han Qingsong had likely already hauled them away.
It was later than usual, so Lin Lan hurried to prepare breakfast.
Soon, the children got up one after another.
Sanwang was the most spirited. "Mom, I dreamed all night about catching thieves. The thief wanted to run, but I knocked him down with one hit of my club..."
Listening to his little mouth chatter, Lin Lan smiled. "Sanwang, hurry up and go check at the brigade. See if your father and the others are interrogating the thieves there."
Sanwang asked in surprise, "My Dad is back?"
Lin Lan smiled and told him to hurry up and wash his face, drink a bowl of warm water, and be off.
Once the children were up, Dawang took a sickle and went to cut grass before breakfast. Maisui fed the chickens and small ducks, and Erwang helped with the cooking. Xiaowang was still small and could sleep a while longer.
Lin Lan: "Erwang, we'll make fine noodles; we'll have pancakes for breakfast."
Pancakes first thing in the morning? Erwang was a bit shocked.
He went to check. "Mom, there isn't much flour left."
"Then bring it all over. There's still wheat at home; I'll go push the mill with your father later."
Erwang was startled by Lin Lan's boldness but obeyed anyway. After all, Dad was back and deserved a good meal.
Speaking of which, Lin Lan's culinary skills weren't really good. Fortunately, supplies were scarce at the time, and there wasn't much to eat. Anything made with a bit of fine flour was a delicacy.
Lin Lan's posture while kneading the dough was still clumsy, especially with the fine flour, as the original owner hadn't touched it much.
After much difficulty, she got the dough ready, only to realize she'd forgotten to save flour to prevent sticking. She had no choice but to take out corn flour, feeling a bit of regret that the meal of pure fine flour had gone down the drain.
However, she discovered that the corn flour worked even better for preventing sticking.
She made a few scallion oil pancakes first. While they were cooking, she continued to roll out the remaining dough, then folded and cut it into noodles.
The custom was "dumplings before you travel, noodles when you return." Now that they were living their own lives, this sense of ritual was still necessary.
Erwang looked and said tactfully, "Mom, should I help you cut the noodles next time?"
Lin Lan smiled and said, "Once we use the mill, you can cut the noodles next time."
Erwang promised himself that he would definitely cut them better than his mother.
Lin Lan didn't realize at this moment that she was being looked down upon by her nine-year-old son. She was still quite pleased with herself, feeling a sense of accomplishment in making a good meal.
Thinking about the various great cuisines of her past life—the eight major cuisines, Japanese food, European feasts—it was funny that she was now happy over a few white flour pancakes.
Erwang saw Lin Lan smiling so happily and thought: It seems they've made up. Mom is happiest when Dad is back.
Lin Lan, who had been given a "husband-thinker" card, hummed a little tune while cutting the noodles.
Once the pancakes were done, she added water to the oily pan, brought it to a boil, tossed in a handful of scallions and dried shrimp, and then dropped in the noodles.
"Maisui, go call your father to eat."
She figured Han Qingsong had been walking all night and must have been hungry last night, but she hadn't made food because she didn't want to be a bother.
As it turned out, Maisui didn't come back, so she told Erwang to go check.
Soon Erwang returned. "Mom, they're having a meeting at the brigade. Auntie Yu is kneeling to Dad, asking him to let her son go."
Lin Lan raised an eyebrow. "What's the use of kneeling? Does kneeling just fix a mistake? If your father hadn't come back last night, our family would have been in trouble—either our money would have been stolen or someone would have been hurt. And now she's kneeling?"
Erwang nodded. "Exactly."
After a while, Han Qingsong led Maisui and Sanwang back, and Dawang also returned from cutting grass.
Lin Lan: "Wash your hands and eat."
Han Qingsong had fixed the legs of the table before he left, and he had also nailed together a long wooden bench. With the two wooden stools, they could sit there and eat.
Lin Lan served him a large bowl of noodles. As for the rest, the children could eat whatever they liked; if they didn't want noodles, they could eat pancakes.
"Everything is fine flour this morning. Our family doesn't eat two different meals; just eat your fill."
The children ate enthusiastically, looking forward to eating white flour for every meal from now on. "So delicious! Mom's pancakes are really delicious!"
...
That morning, when Old Lady Han heard that the third son was back, she was so excited that she wanted to get off the kang barefoot. She shouted, "Hurry, hurry! Go tell him to bring Fourth back for me!"
Younger Sister Han pouted, unhappy. "Third Brother really doesn't care about us now that he's divided the family. He didn't even come to see Mom and Dad first when he returned."
Did he give all those good things he brought back to that shrew?
Big Brother Han blocked her. "Mom, I saw Third Brother at the brigade. He'll come over in a little while; don't be anxious."
"Why wait? Why not come see Mom and Dad first? In the past, whenever we went out and came back, we had to kowtow to Mom and Dad first." The old lady was very unhappy.
Big Sister-in-law Han: "Mom, what you're talking about is old news. We're all families who have been struggled against; don't let people hear you say things like that."
Old Lady Han noticed that her eldest daughter-in-law had been contradicting her constantly these past few days, which made her very unhappy. She also knew she shouldn't have been so angry that she slapped the eldest a few days ago.
Old Man Han also came in from outside. "Those black-hearted thieves, they actually dared to come to our house to steal. They say outside thieves are easy to block, but family thieves are hard to guard against—they were all from our own village."
Only after hearing him speak did the family realize that when Han Qingsong returned last night, several thieves just happened to be going to steal things and were caught right on the spot.
Big Sister-in-law Han patted her chest. "How dangerous. It's fortunate that Third returned, or it would have been terrifying. Weren't Sister-in-law and the children scared?"
Big Brother Han said, "They weren't scared. Dawang is also capable; he knocked two thieves unconscious with a club."
Old Lady Han snorted, "That's exactly it—family thieves are hard to guard against!"
Wasn't her own money stolen by that family thief, the shrew?
Since people were fine, what were they all making a fuss about? Truly dramatic.
She didn't care about the theft; she only urged them to call Third over.
Because the fourth was arrested, Old Man Han still had a grudge. Hearing that Third was coming, he shouldered his hoe and went to work on the private plot.
The old lady shouted a circle, and no one went to call him. Younger Sister Han said, "If you guys won't go, I will."
As it turned out, she ran into Han Qingsong at the end of the alley. She immediately put on a long face, unhappy. "Third Brother, why didn't you come to see Mom and Dad first when you came home?"
Han Qingsong said, "I came back in the middle of the night; I didn't want to wake Mom and Dad."
"Then you should have come this morning."
"I had to take the thieves to the brigade first thing in the morning; I'll send them to the commune in a while." Han Qingsong said, entering the courtyard.
The children were all happy when they saw him back and gathered around. Han Qingsong took out the candy Lin Lan had stuffed into his pocket when he left and handed it all to Gumi, telling her to divide it. Then he greeted the Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Brother, and Second Sister-in-law, and went into the room.
When Younger Sister Han saw there was no share for her, she became anxious, stomped her foot, and cried, "Third Brother!"
Gumi immediately shared one with her. "Little Aunt, here's one for you."
Younger Sister Han was so angry that she slapped it away and ran off sulkily.
Second Sister-in-law Han curled her lips. "She's really full of herself, eating free food at home all day and thinking she's a fairy. Does she think she can just be pampered like that?"
In the past, Younger Sister Han was pampered, but she hadn't been home, and there was a possibility she might marry into the city and get a job with commodity rations, which made the Second Sister-in-law want to curry favor. Now that Younger Sister Han was home, living under the same roof, they saw each other constantly, so frictions were inevitable.
With Younger Sister Han as a foil, the Second Sister-in-law felt that everyone else was fine, and she actually had a better relationship with the Big Sister-in-law.
Han Qingsong entered the room and greeted the old lady.
Old Lady Han had originally wanted to start crying and complaining the moment her son entered, accusing Lin Lan and Dawang so that he would hurry and bring Fourth back. But when she saw that he was empty-handed and hadn't brought her things like he used to, she became unhappy. She didn't think about the fact that Han Qingsong had hurried back on his way from demobilization and might not have had time to buy anything; she only felt that he must have kept it all for Lin Lan and couldn't bear to give any to her, his mother.
"Third, have you demobilized?" The old lady was thinking about the demobilization money.
Han Qingsong nodded. "Yes, I've demobilized. I'll find a job at our commune."
Demobilization was different from being discharged.
Being discharged meant going home, being unemployed, and finding a job yourself. Of course, the brigade and commune would provide appropriate care, helping to prioritize suitable arrangements.
Demobilization meant that the job was arranged for you, and it was usually quite good. If one had performed well in the military, the leadership would provide care, and the work after demobilization would try to have good wages and benefits, basically staying the same as before.
Han Qingsong had returned this time to take on three positions, which was the intent. The combined wages of the three jobs were about 70 yuan, just like before.
This was also a special favor given to him; others didn't have it, as it was a rare case.
"What about the demobilization allowance?" The old lady's eyes glowed. "How much did you get?"
Han Qingsong replied, "I don't know yet; I gave it to the children's mother."
He truly didn't know. He took however much he was given and hadn't checked. At the time, the only time he had was spent on choosing his demobilized job. He couldn't take his dependents if he went elsewhere, so he wanted to coordinate finding something to do right at his doorstep. The superiors were also very caring, preparing three positions for him so he wouldn't suffer on his wages.
Old Lady Han exploded instantly. "You gave it to her? You're really a thing who forgets his mother once he has a wife. Is this how you are filial to your mother?"
Han Qingsong didn't say anything.
Ever since the old lady forced him into the military, and then turned around to say he wasn't home to serve her, he had realized that there was no need to reason with her. She just wanted an excuse to scold, so let her scold.
On the other side, Big Sister-in-law asked, "Third Brother, the family had thieves, were you okay?"
Han Qingsong: "Big Sister-in-law, we're fine."
Old Lady Han was so angry she didn't speak, becoming even more dissatisfied with her eldest daughter-in-law. It was clearly an accusation that she didn't care about the third family being stolen from and only wanted to ask for money.
What was there to ask? If there were bad things, someone would have come to tell her. If no one came, it meant everything was fine. What was there to make a fuss about?
The eldest daughter-in-law also asked Han Qingsong to eat together.
Han Qingsong: "I've eaten. I still need to go to the commune."
Old Lady Han immediately said, "You go to the county first and bring Fourth back."
Han Qingsong frowned slightly. "What's wrong with Fourth?"
Asked what was wrong, the old lady immediately started crying, becoming more and more aggrieved. "It's all because of the good deed she did!"
While crying, she recounted the story, distorting the facts. Naturally, she didn't mention that Han Qinghua went to provoke and beat Sanwang, only that Lin Lan came to the house to cause a scene, used an axe to chop people and the wardrobe, and stole all the money in the house. Then, she had Dawang go to the city to sue, and Fourth was arrested.
"Hurry up and tell her to bring back the money she stole from me. That's money I've saved up over the years by scrimping and saving. Third, you must get it back for Mom! She stole Mom's money; she's plucked out Mom's heart and liver—"
Han Qingsong just stood there quietly. The old branch secretary said there was no evidence for this.
Instead, Lin Lan had found the remittance receipt and forced her sister-in-law and brother-in-law to write an IOU.
"Third, what a good son you've raised. You tell me, how could such a little child be so bad? It's truly like his mother; bad to the core!"
Hearing her distort the facts like this, Han Qingsong knit his brows tightly, his face as cold as water, but he didn't say anything.
He had already interrogated Zhao Jianshe, checked the situation with Sanwang and the other children, and talked to the old branch secretary, the security chief, and others. The old branch secretary would basically act as a peacemaker and try to downplay big things. Even so, the fact that Fourth went to provoke, smash the vats, curse, and beat Sanwang couldn't be covered up. Afterward, when he was caught, the public security bureau had also issued a detailed document. He wasn't arrested because he beat Sanwang, but because he had reactionary thoughts and reactionary behavior.
"Mom, I have to go to the commune, I'm leaving first."
"You wait! You go get Fourth back first! Fourth has suffered, from childhood to now, where has he ever suffered such hardships—my son!" Old Lady Han started crying and complaining with snot and tears again.
Crying about her son suffering, crying about her own grievances, Third wasn't listening to her at all anymore; he took the money and didn't give it to her, giving it all to his wife. She couldn't live like this anymore.
Big Sister-in-law: "Third Brother, go on with your business. Mom, time to eat!"
She would nag all day long. In the past, the fuss the third family made meant her mother-in-law's fussing didn't stand out; now that the third family wasn't making a fuss, why was the old lady so annoying?
Because Han Qingsong had official business and had to report for duty, he left first.
Once he left, the old lady felt even more aggrieved, feeling she had completely lost this son.
When Han Qingsong left the house, he went to the brigade first, but was blocked by a woman at the end of the alley.
The woman was teary-eyed. "Third Brother Han, I beg you to show mercy and release my brother? He—he was just confused for a moment and made a mistake. We will definitely discipline him well, and he won't dare again. Please be kind." As she spoke, she stepped forward, reaching out to grab Han Qingsong's sleeve.
Han Qingsong immediately dodged. "Sister-in-law, if there's anything, go find the village cadres."
"Sister-in-law" was a general term for married women in the countryside, having nothing to do with seniority or age. He didn't know who this was at all.
Watching Han Qingsong's cold back as he walked away, Liu Chunfang covered her face and sobbed as she left.
Yu Gong was still crying and making a fuss at the brigade department, wanting Han Qingsong to release her son. She didn't know who had given her the idea to go beg Lin Lan for mercy.
She ran to Lin Lan's door and knelt to beg. "Nephew's wife, you have to be a good person and let my boy go. He won't dare again."
Lin Lan was already annoyed. After eating, she thought about Han Qingsong asking why there were no quilts at home, so she decided to do nothing else but take out the cotton and cloth to sew a quilt.
But the original owner's needlework really wasn't very good—or rather, she could manage simple mending, but she didn't know how to do big jobs like sewing a quilt at all.
Since she was a child, she had many older sisters in her family, so she didn't need to do it, and she hadn't had a chance after coming to her husband's family.
So, the original owner didn't know how to sew a quilt.
And Lin Lan didn't know how either!
She had studied it several times—actually, she had studied it before the autumn harvest, but she hadn't figured it out.
She couldn't imagine how to use a needle to sew those two large layers of cloth with such thick cotton in the middle.
In her past life, the quilts she had as a child were ready-made; she had never seen anyone sew one. After she started working, the quilts she used were silk quilts, camel wool, or duck down—she had never used a cotton quilt.
So, shrug...
Just then, Yu Gong brought a crowd of people to her courtyard, crying and screaming in a grand manner, and Lin Lan's temper truly flared.
It was raining and muddy, and there was no need to go to work, but you couldn't come to her house and cause trouble just because you weren't working!
She stormed off the kang and opened the door. "I said, Aunt, what are you doing? You want me to let your son go, but I haven't done anything to him—I haven't tied him up or bound him."
"Please, just be kind—be kind and don't take my son away—" Yu Gong just kept begging bitterly.
Lin Lan was angry. "He broke the government's laws by stealing, and it's the Revolutionary Committee that sentences him. What does it have to do with me? If I say I forgive him and don't arrest him, will the government stop? Fine, I'll say don't arrest him."
After being beaten like that, the whole village was probably terrified. Let's see who dared to come and make a scene at her house again.
Yu Gong's sister-in-law muttered in the crowd, "You don't need to kill people; they are already kneeling and begging, yet you still won't let them go. Why are you so heartless?"
Just then, the security chief ran over and scolded, "Are you finished? They are going to be sent to the commune for interrogation and sentencing. To dare to commit home invasion in your own village and still think you're in the right? If Qingsong hadn't returned, four grown men sneaking into a home with a woman and children in the middle of the night—what was that about? Why don't you talk about that?"
"Isn't it true they didn't do anything? They are all fine. My son didn't steal anything or do anything, so why are you clinging to us?" Yu Gong cried, her face full of tears and snot, stained with mud and dust. It was disgusting.
The security chief didn't mince words, his face grim. "The Secretary is very angry. If this continues, I'll have you all arrested together and struggle against you as bad elements!"
Yu Gong shivered. Being paraded in public with a big board on her chest was not a good thing.
She glared at Lin Lan with intense hatred, and reluctantly climbed up and left.
Lin Lan shouted, "You stop right there!"
Yu Gong glared at Lin Lan. "What?"
Lin Lan: "Why are you rolling your eyes at me? Your son is a bad element who committed home invasion, and you think you're in the right? Fine, you have successfully angered me. I'm angry, and I don't forgive him. I'm going to tell the Revolutionary Committee that he must be severely punished, or else I won't let it go!"
Liu Chunfang squeezed over to support her mother, her voice trembling. "Y-y-you don't have the final say. It's up to the Revolutionary Committee Chairman and the Public Security Bureau."
"You're right about that," Lin Lan said with a cold sneer. "The Revolutionary Committee and the Public Security Bureau are dedicated to cracking down on such bad elements. If your family raises such bad elements, they must be investigated to the end to see what's going on."
"Y-y-you're spouting nonsense. Isn't Fourth from your family also arrested?"
"That's why we divided the family," Lin Lan said, raising her eyebrows. "You'd better hurry to beg the Commune Director and the Public Security Bureau Director to see if they think night-time home invasion within their jurisdiction can be released without charge! If they think it can be released without charge, I'll go to the county public security bureau to file a complaint!"
Mother of, you commit crimes and think you're in the right, and the victim is malicious for not forgiving?
Fine, I'll be malicious to the end!
He must be severely punished!
Just then, Han Qingsong returned and swept his eyes over Yu Gong and the others.
He was already tall and broad, and didn't like to talk. Usually, everyone saw him with a serious expression; now, because of his anger, his expression was even colder. As he swept his eyes over them, many people subconsciously shrank back, not daring to look him in the eye.
Liu Chunfang helped Yu Gong quickly head to the brigade office.
Others quickly retreated, lest they annoy Han Qingsong.
Han Qingsong looked at Lin Lan. "Don't be angry."
Lin Lan smiled. "I'm not angry."
"Do you want to go to the commune?" As the victim of the theft, she could attend the trial as a spectator.
Lin Lan thought of the quilt on the kang and felt irritable. "No, I have more important things to do."
With the weather getting colder, they didn't have quilts to cover themselves with.
She couldn't ask other women to help sew the quilts for money, could she? That would surely lead to gossip and her being branded with the label of "bourgeois style," just like she had slammed Han Jinyu and Han Jinbao for.
She couldn't commit that offense herself.
Han Qingsong nodded. "Fine, then you go ahead."
Just as he was about to leave, Lin Lan called out to him. "Ride the bike."
She pointed to the main room.
The bicycle was parked inside the house. Han Qingsong had seen it before and knew it was the Fourth's, but he didn't know the full story of what had happened, because Lin Lan hadn't had a chance to tell him yet.
He shook his head. "There's a whole group of people; walking is fine." It was inconvenient to ride a bike in the rain.
Lin Lan told him to hurry up; she still had to go back to sew the quilt.
Han Qingsong went to the brigade office. The four thieves had already eaten and were listless, especially Liu Chunhe and the short man, whose ankles were still dislocated. The village's barefoot doctor had looked at them, but his skills weren't good, so both were still in excruciating pain.
Zhao Jianshe and the thin man had been knocked unconscious, but aside from being a bit dazed, they had no major problems.
In order to make them walk by themselves, Han Qingsong walked over to take a look and pushed Liu Chunhe's ankle back into place.
"Ah—" Liu Chunhe fainted directly from the pain.
The next one, the short man, was about the same, listless. The pain made him feel like a candle in the wind, and in the end, he fainted from the raw, living pain.
Others who watched felt their own ankles hurt. Generally, when setting a dislocation, one would distract the patient so they would relax, as it was only easy to set if done by surprise. Otherwise, if the patient was too nervous and the bone was forced, it was easy to make a mistake.
Han Qingsong, however, set them back while they were at their most tense. One had to say that he had great strength and excellent technique, but one also had to say that those two were in for some truly terrible pain.
Although it hurt, once the ankles were set, they could walk themselves.
Zhao Jianshe's arm, however, was still hanging limp, with no one tending to it, and he was in a wretched state.
Liu Chunfang helped Yu Gong and comforted her, saying she had brought money and would go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some high-end gifts and beg the Revolutionary Committee Chairman and the Public Security Bureau Director to try and get her brother released without charge.
She had her husband take her and take a shortcut to reach the commune first, and then, through connections, went to find the Revolutionary Committee Chairman.
As it turned out, the Revolutionary Committee Chairman heard about the matter and waved his hand directly. "You'd better find the Public Security Bureau; this is his business."
They went to find the Public Security Bureau Director, but the bureau told them that the previous director had been arrested and the new one hadn't taken office yet.
"Then, when will the director take office? Where is he from?" Liu Chunfang asked hurriedly.
The person flipped through the materials. "Oh, what a coincidence. He's from the same village as you: the demobilized officer, Han Qingsong."
Liu Chunfang felt the world go black before her eyes.
Her husband was still happy there. "Oh, it's just Han Qingsong? That's good, he's from our own village, just talk to him and it'll be done."
Liu Chunfang was so angry that tears came out. Why did I follow such a spineless fool!
Look at that woman—although she was a shrew, she had good fortune, marrying an officer who became a director immediately upon demobilization!
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