When Lu Cheng and Lu Haici arrived at the gate of the family compound, they found that it was surrounded by people. Mother Lin was still beating Grandma Zhang while riding on her. She had beaten her face like a pig's head, but the Zhang family just watched and no one dared to step forward. Zhang Youcai wanted to help his grandmother, but he was held tightly by the Zhang family.
Grandpa Zhang and Zhang's father knew the temper of Grandma Zhang. They knew it from what Lin's mother said just now. Before the Chinese New Year last year, Grandma Zhang wanted to blackmail someone, but failed. Now, they were recognized. Thinking that this was wrong, Grandma Zhang actually wanted to blackmail someone in the army, Grandpa Zhang and Zhang's father were very scared.
Ordinary people are afraid of officials, it's human nature, especially in this era, the Zhang family has done too many bad things.
"Please forgive me, I did it, I was really wrong, please..." Grandma Zhang's mind was in a mess from the beating, she had lost all her rationality, she could only admit her mistake instinctively.
Zhang Hongping and the others watched. If they had the intention to stop it at the beginning, they didn't even want to pretend to stop it after Grandma Zhang begged for mercy. They also knew about the hit-and-run incident that Lin Qingqing encountered before the Chinese New Year. Lin Qingqing mentioned it when she was chatting with them. Thinking about it now, they all felt a little scared. After all, Lin Qingqing was pregnant at the time. What would they do if something happened to her
What's more, is what Grandma Zhang did a human thing
So, let’s just watch the show.
“Help, soldier comrades, please save me… I was wrong, I will call the police… I will turn myself in, please save me…” Grandma Zhang felt that even if she turned herself in, the police comrades would not treat her like this, as she was in too much pain from being beaten by Lin’s mother.
"Then go and turn yourself in." Suddenly, a cold and deep voice sounded. Everyone turned around and saw that it was Lu Cheng.
"Captain Lu is here."
"Captain Lu..."
The people watching the show at the family compound made way for Lu Cheng to go in. Lu Haici followed his father and squeezed in.
Seeing her son-in-law coming, Mother Lin had no intention of getting off Mother Zhang. She said to Lu Cheng, "This man dares to blackmail my daughter. What if anything happens to my daughter?" Mother Lin was scared when she thought about it, and her eyes couldn't help but turn red.
"I'm sorry for making mother worry. I didn't take good care of her at that time." At that time, he should have insisted on not letting him go to the market to join in the fun.
“Comrade, soldier comrade, I was wrong, I apologize, I will compensate, please let me go, I beg you…” When Grandma Zhang saw someone who could speak, she immediately shouted for help, “Comrade, I was really wrong, please give me a chance, I can compensate you, I really can, one dollar, is one dollar enough? If not, two dollars... five dollars…” Grandma Zhang added the money one dollar at a time.
"Dad, we don't want money." Lu Haici pulled Lu Cheng's clothes. He hated this man, so he didn't want money.
Lu Cheng patted his son's hand and said, "Don't worry." Not to mention that their family is not short of money, even if they are short of money, he will not trade such a thing for money. "Don't want money, just do as you said just now, you go and turn yourself in. My mother was a little impulsive just now, and we will compensate you for the medical expenses for your injuries."
"What?" Grandma Zhang was stunned. There is still medical expenses to be collected? She immediately said, "I will turn myself in... I will turn myself in..."
Lu Cheng said: "Then write down what you planned to blackmail my wife before the New Year. Then I will send you to the police station. Of course, I will compensate you for the medical expenses in front of the police."
When Lin's mother heard this, she pulled Lu Cheng aside with some concern: "Lu Cheng, if I go to the police station and beat her, will it be..."
"No." Lu Cheng knew what his mother-in-law was worried about. "You are concerned about your daughter. This is a dispute between women. The police will not do anything."
Hearing her son-in-law say this, Lin's mother felt relieved.
In fact, the police would not do anything about this kind of small civil dispute. In this era, there are many such disputes between villagers, especially verbal ones. Although Lin's mother beat Grandma Zhang, there was a reason for it, and the police would not arrest her.
When Grandma Zhang heard that she had to write it down, she shrank back and said, "But I can't write. No one in my family can write."
Lu Cheng looked around and finally stopped at Zhang Youcai: "He wrote it." This kid is his son's classmate, an elementary school student. Even if he doesn't know enough characters, he can write clearly about blackmail. "If you don't know, use pinyin. As for the medical expenses, I'll compensate you five yuan. Is that enough?"
Grandma Zhang was really overwhelmed by the lack of compensation for medical expenses. She was willing to blackmail someone for money during the Chinese New Year last year, and now she is also willing to turn herself in for medical expenses. Grandma Zhang did not try, because money is the most important thing to her.
For Lu Cheng, money was the least important thing. Since the other party had done something wrong, he should be handed over to the police. As for compensation for medical expenses, Lu Cheng felt that his family should indeed compensate for beating someone.
In fact, to be frank, he is willing to spend money to make the other party accept the punishment.
"That's enough, let's write, let's write. If you have talent, you can write... If you write, grandma will buy you White Rabbit milk candy." Grandma Zhang called her grandson.
Zhang Youcai didn't know what it meant to surrender himself or not. When he heard that there would be White Rabbit milk candies to eat, of course he was happy.
Lu Cheng came to where the soldiers were standing guard: "Do you have paper and pen?"
Soldier: "Captain Lu, please wait a moment."
After the soldier brought paper and pen to Lu Cheng, Lu Cheng gave it to Zhang Youcai and said, "Come on, write." Then he said to Grandma Zhang, "You come and tell us what happened that day."
So, Zhang Youcai wrote down everything that Grandma Zhang had said, with shaking hands. When he encountered a word he didn't know how to write, he used pinyin. Although there were a lot of pinyin and blank words on the paper, the truth of the matter could still be seen clearly.
Grandma Zhang didn't dare to lie. With Lu Haici beside her, she was afraid that if she said something wrong, Lu Haici would point it out and then she would be slapped by Lin's mother. She didn't dare to make them angry now.
After Zhang Youcai finished writing the statement of Grandma Zhang, Lu Cheng asked Grandma Zhang to press her fingerprints and then took them to the police station in the town. Speaking of which, the group still walked there. Mother Lin was worried that if she went there, no one would take care of her daughter, so she suppressed her curiosity. However, she pulled Lu Haici aside and said, "Haici, grandma is not going to the police station. She will stay in the family compound to take care of your mother. You follow your father to the police station, and when you come back, tell grandma about the police station."
"Grandma, I understand. Don't worry, I will look at it carefully." Lu Haici said.
"Let's go and take a look together and serve as a witness for Captain Lu." Zhang Hongping said without complaining.
"Lu Haici, we'll go with you." Qin Ming said. He wasn't going to watch the fun, but simply to accompany a good friend.
"I'll go too." Of course Ji Yang wanted to go too.
So, Lu Cheng and a few military wives who were watching the show took the Zhang family to the police station in the town.
An hour later, everyone arrived at the police station in the town, which was also the town where the market was held last year.
When the comrades from the police station saw that the leading male comrade was a soldier, and looked at the badge on his uniform, they knew that his military rank was not low, and they said nervously: "Hello, comrade, what business do you have in the police station?" As they spoke, they glanced at Grandma Zhang, because she had been slapped many times by Lin's mother, and her face was swollen, which was particularly obvious.
Lu Cheng quickly explained what happened. Of course, he didn't just talk about the hit-and-run incident a few years ago. He started with Hu Xiaolan's incident and described all the evidence clearly. Then, he took out the apology letter written by Zhang Youcai: "Please read it."
The police were quite happy to encounter such a worry-free matter. Because the other party explained the matter clearly and found witnesses, it meant that they saved a lot of trouble. The police read the apology letter, and then looked at Grandma Zhang: "Is what the other party said true? Do you have anything to add?"
Grandma Zhang was afraid of being beaten again, so she immediately said, "No, no, what he said is true. But... but he said that since my face was beaten like this, they will compensate me five dollars for medical expenses."
The police looked at Lu Cheng, and Lu Cheng took out five dollars: "This is for medical expenses."
With the police as witness, Grandma Zhang quickly put the five yuan into her pocket. "Can I go home now?"
Logically speaking, this is indeed a small matter, but Lu Cheng actually took the trouble to bring the person to the police station, so of course he couldn't just let it go. He said: "Blackmail is a bad idea. Once this idea spreads, if there are more people with this crooked idea, it will affect the daily lives of ordinary people. I think it is necessary to take it as a warning."
The policeman understood immediately: "Indeed, we will detain him for a few days, and then discuss it with the commune."
Lu Cheng didn't say much: "Thank you, I hope the people can learn from you and not destroy the good virtues of our country."
"What?" Grandma Zhang was dumbfounded. "I still need to be locked up for this? I still need to be locked up?" She was willing to admit it and turn herself in, because she thought this was a small matter. But now she was going to be locked up, and of course she didn't want to. "No, no, I can't be locked up, I don't want to, police comrade..."
"Take her in and lock her up." The policeman didn't listen to her and directly called two comrades to take Grandma Zhang away. No matter how loudly Grandma Zhang screamed, it was of no use. In the end, not even a sound was left.
The Zhang family was obviously too scared to say a word. In the end, it was Zhang's mother who asked timidly: "Then... When can my mother-in-law come out?" Speaking of which, she was also involved in the original incident, but she did not go in. Because it was not her who hit Lin Qingqing, and Lu Cheng wanted to teach a lesson to the mastermind.
The policeman said, "Two months." He was sent to labor reform for education. Two months at most was the maximum. After all, this was not a crime.
Hearing this, the Zhang family felt relieved.
Family Courtyard
"Grandma, I'm back, Grandma..." Lu Haici ran into the house like the wind.
Lin's mother was taking a nap. When she heard Lu Haici's voice, she hurriedly got up from the bed. Because she got up in a hurry, her feet were a little numb after waking up, so she went weak and almost fell to the ground.
"Mom, please be careful." Lin Qingqing saw it and her heart began to beat.
Lu Haici had already run into the house: "Grandma, Mom, I'm back." This time he lowered his voice for fear of disturbing his sister.
"How is it? How is the matter with the old woman from the Zhang family?" Lin's mother was anxious to know.
Lu Haici said: "He was locked up. I heard from the police that he might be locked up for two months."
When Lin's mother heard the result, she was finally happy, but she was still not satisfied: "Then tell me what happened."
“Hey…” Then, Lu Haici began to speak with relish.
Lu Hai spoke vividly, and Lin's mother was happy to hear it. It seemed that the grandparents and grandchildren were a harmonious group.
"Lu Hai Ci..."
Lu Haici had just talked about Grandma Zhang when Qin Ming and Ji Yang arrived.
Lu Haici ran out again: "What's the matter? I haven't finished my homework yet. I won't go out to play."
Qin Ming said: "We haven't written our apologies yet, let's copy them."
Qin Ming and Ji Yang both carried schoolbags. After copying the self-review forms, they did their homework together. If they encountered homework they didn't know how to do, they could ask Lin Qingqing to teach them. There was no other way because the parents of both families had little knowledge, so they couldn't teach them anything.
In fact, Qin Ming's parents could teach them, but they were in the county town, and Teacher Qin and Zhang Hongping had never been to school, so they couldn't teach them. The same was true for the Ji family. So Lin Qingqing had always been teaching the children's homework. As for Lu Cheng, the children didn't dare to ask.
"Then you come in." So, a man went into Lu Haici's room, copying homework and chatting. The chirping sound was like a little squirrel eating melon seeds.
"Oh..." Lin's mother sighed, "I feel sad when I think about my son-in-law paying the other party five dollars for medical expenses." If this happened in the countryside, he wouldn't give even a single dollar as compensation.
Lin smiled gently: "Your son-in-law doesn't want you to be criticized. If he compensates for the medical expenses, we won't be at a disadvantage. That little money is nothing. Your reputation and safety are the most important. He cares about you."
Mother Lin was very pleased with her daughter Hong: "Yes, my son-in-law is a really good person. My daughter, now think about it, you had a good vision. So, a girl is not afraid of marrying late, the main thing is to marry the right person."
Lin Qingqing teased: "Then you married the right person by marrying my father. Aren't you the head of our family? My father never fights back when he hits you or scolds you."
Lin's mother heard her daughter's teasing and glared at her: "Listen to what you said, am I the kind of person who would beat your father?" However, the head of the family is indeed good. In fact, all the men in the Lin family are good, and it is her blessing to marry into the Lin family.
On Monday, when Lu Haici and others went to school, they met Zhang Youcai. When Zhang Youcai saw them, he was extremely jealous, like an enemy meeting, but he just stared at them and didn't go forward.
By noon, someone told many people that Grandma Zhang was detained in the police station for blackmail. Some people started to point fingers at Zhang Youcai, and some even said bad things to him.
By Tuesday, Lu Haici and others had not seen Zhang Youcai.
At first, Lu Haici didn't pay attention. As a result, a month passed in the blink of an eye, and he still didn't see Zhang Youcai.
That day, Lu Haici returned home from school, feeling a little worried.
Lin Qingqing has finished her confinement and has returned to work. Because her workplace is close to home and her job involves managing a farm, she can come over to see her daughter and feed her breast milk at any time during her commute. For Lin Qingqing, this life is quite comfortable.
During dinner, Lin Qingqing saw that Lu Haici was absent-minded, so she asked, "Haici, are you unhappy at school today?"
Lu Haici shook his head, hesitating to speak. But he rarely hid things from his mother, or rather, except for the self-criticism, he had never hidden anything from his mother. In addition, this matter had nothing to do with him, so he would not hide it. So, he told his mother the truth: "Mom, Zhang Youcai hasn't come to school for a long time, and I haven't seen him."
Lin Qingqing listened and said, "Then you can ask Hu Xiaolan, aren't Hu Xiaolan and Zhang Youcai from the same production team?"
Lu Haici nodded: "Then I'll go ask about school tomorrow."
Lin Qingqing said: "Well, if you encounter something you don't understand, don't keep it in your heart. Only when you ask, you can know the answer."
Lu Haici said obediently: "I know, Mom."
The next day when he went to school, Lu Haici asked Hu Xiaolan, "Student Hu Xiaolan, do you know why Zhang Youcai didn't come to school?"
Hu Xiaolan said: "I don't know."
Ji Yang heard their conversation and couldn't help but ask Lu Haici: "Lu Haici, why do you care about Zhang Youcai? It would be better if he didn't come."
Lu Haici pursed his lips and said nothing.
During the lunch break, Lu Haici went to find Ren Chao. "Teacher Ren, can I ask you a question?"
Ren Chao was quite cautious towards these military children: "Okay, what questions do you want to ask?"
Lu Haici pursed his lips and said, "Teacher Ren, I haven't seen Zhang Youcai recently. What happened to him?"
Speaking of this, Ren Chao sighed. Zhang Youcai hasn't come to school recently. As the class teacher and a member of the production team, Ren Chao naturally went to the Zhang family to visit, but the Zhang family didn't value learning. In other words, after Grandma Zhang went to the police station, no one in the Zhang family could control Zhang Youcai. Zhang Youcai didn't like to study, so he simply didn't come to school. She pondered for a while and said, "Zhang Youcai doesn't like to study, so he doesn't come. But Lu Haici, you can't learn from Zhang Youcai, although..." She wanted to say that although the current situation is not good for scholars, she felt that these words could not be said to a nine-year-old child, "Although studying is hard, think about it, reading can make people understand the truth, and if you read more, you can become a worker or a teacher. Being a worker or a teacher can make money, which is a very glorious thing, don't you think? You must study hard and become a promising person in the future to bring honor to your parents."
Lu Haici said, "I know Teacher Ren. I will make money in the future to support my parents and save a dowry for my sister. I will study hard." He has heard from the aunts in the family compound that when a girl gets married, she should have a bigger dowry so that people won't look down on her. Although he doesn't want his sister to get married, he also knows that his sister will definitely get married when she grows up. Therefore, he can only make more money and give his sister more dowry.
Yes, he can also save some money every year and give it all to his sister as a dowry in the future.
Ren Chao: “…” Is giving your sister more dowry something you, a nine-year-old kid, should consider