Chapter 76 Chapter 76 Part 2

Fu Mingze asked Zheng Jiamin to go to the educated youth point to get the account book, while he walked towards the village entrance. On the way, he grabbed a kid at random, gave him five cents, and asked him to go to the foot of the mountain to call Zhou Chuntao and Xu Wei to the brigade headquarters.

There were quite a lot of people in the brigade office, including brigade leader Zhou Mancang, accountant Ding Shouchang, militia leader Zhou Qingguo, and even the seldom-seen women's director Shen Hehua.

Zhou Mancang smiled so hard that his teeth showed whenever he saw Fu Mingze: "Have you been to the fields? The wheat is growing very well. I think it's much stronger than in other fields. Everyone has worked hard during this period. Things should get better in the future. We can take a break and wait for the wheat to mature and be harvested."

Ding Shouchang said with a smile: "It's not hard work. I see that Fu Zhiqing has become tanned recently."

Zhou Qingguo was holding his cute baby Congcong, who was holding a Luban lock in her hand and playing with it with her saliva dripping. The Luban lock would fall to the ground from time to time, and Zhou Qingguo would pick it up and put it back into his daughter's arms, saying, "You're a grown man, so just get tanned. I think Fu Zhiqing is doing well now."

Zhou Qingguo felt that Fu Mingze was too pale originally, like a pretty boy, and did not look tough at all.

Chen Hehua used the excuse that she was old and her waist ached from sitting in the office all day, and that women's work could not be done just by sitting in the office, and that one had to go deep into the masses and visit them. So she seldom came to the brigade headquarters. However, in recent weeks, out of the ten times Fu Mingze came, she was there seven or eight times.

Ding Shouchang also talked to Zhou Mancang behind her back, saying that he didn't know what was wrong with her recently and why she suddenly changed.

Chen Hehua was a little older than Zhou Mancang. Her hair was combed meticulously and her clothes were neat and tidy. She looked younger than her actual age. She looked quite friendly and smiled as she continued, "Fu Zhiqing is good-looking. No matter what color he is, he is handsome. They are the most beautiful couple in our brigade."

As soon as she said this, Zhou Mancang and Ding Shouchang couldn't help but look at her.

We have known each other for so many years, and everyone knows each other. Chen Hehua's personality can be summarized in five words: there is no gain without pain.

Moreover, Shen Hehua not only does not do anything without benefits, she is also too lazy to care about people without benefits. It is rare for her to praise people directly and actively. It is not an exaggeration at all. If someone else said this, it would be an ordinary compliment, but Shen Hehua said this, which means that the person being praised is profitable to Shen Hehua, or she thinks that he is worthy of a higher regard.

However, Zhou Mancang and the others were soon relieved. Fu Mingze was running the experimental field very successfully, so it was normal for Shen Hehua to look up to him.

As he was speaking, Zheng Jiamin came in. He greeted several team leaders and handed the notebook in his hand to Fu Mingze.

Fu Mingze flipped through the account and took a few glances. The account started from the time when Xu Wei borrowed the first thirty yuan on the pretext that Zhou Chuntao was sick. The time and place, the reason for borrowing the money, and the amount of money borrowed were all written clearly.

Fu Mingze now also has a seat in the brigade headquarters, right next to Ding Shouchang. He took another stool from the side and asked Zheng Jiamin to sit down. The two of them sat in front of the desk and waited.

Ding Shouchang thought they had something to discuss. After they sat down, one leaning on the chair and the other with his head down, neither of them spoke. He couldn't help feeling a little strange. Then he looked up and saw Zhou Chuntao and Xu Wei walking in.

Zhou Chuntao asked Zhou Mancang with a smile: "Captain, what do you want to talk to Xiaowei and me about?"

A while ago, she went to Zhou Mancang and cried about how difficult life was, and wanted Zhou Mancang to arrange for Xu Wei to attend the brigade primary school. Zhou Mancang refused, but did not say no. He said that he knew that life was not easy for the three of them, and if there were any easy jobs in the future, he would give them priority.

They are all relatives from the same clan, and her brother Zhou Qingguo is the captain of the militia. Zhou Chuntao believes that Zhou Mancang will take care of them, so when the child came to call for help, she immediately brought Xu Wei over.

Zhou Mancang asked in confusion: "I didn't look for you guys?"

Fu Mingze stood up and said, "Captain, we are looking for Comrade Zhou and Comrade Xu."

When Zhou Chuntao saw Zheng Jiamin next to Fu Mingze, the smile on her face faded, but she still asked, "What does Fu Zhiqing want to talk to us about?"

Fu Mingze nodded and looked at Zhou Chuntao: "Comrade Zhou should know what it is, do you want to talk about it in the yard?"

If the other party could pay back the money promptly, Fu Mingze had no intention of mediating the issue at the brigade headquarters. He asked this question to save face for the other party.

But Zhou Chuntao obviously didn't think so. She rolled her eyes, sneered, and said, "What can't be heard by others? Isn't it just that my Xiaowei took a few dollars from Zheng Zhiqing? When young men and women are dating, it's natural for the man to spend money on the woman. What's the matter? Zheng Zhiqing regrets it again and wants to ask us for money? We haven't settled accounts with you yet, and you have the nerve to settle accounts with us?"

She reacted quickly and turned the tables on the bad guy and filed the complaint first.

Zheng Jiamin stood up suddenly, unable to believe that Zhou Chuntao would make up lies right in front of him. He argued, "I am not dating Comrade Xu, how can you say such nonsense, Comrade Zhou? We are innocent. Comrade Xu said that his family was in financial difficulty, so he borrowed money from me. I am short of money recently and want to pay it back."

Xu Wei glanced at her mother and asked with red eyes: "Brother Zheng, if we weren't dating, how could I ask for your money?"

Zheng Jiamin looked at her in shock, as if he had just met her for the first time. He was silent for a few seconds and said, "You said that the Xu family didn't let you bring anything, and that the family didn't even have money to buy salt. I thought that you would have to bear the burden of the family at such a young age, so I lent you money. Later, your mother got sick and your brother fell and got injured, and you said you had no money to treat the illnesses. Also, you said that your mother wanted to beat you because you couldn't borrow money. I lent you money because I felt sorry for you. I never said I wanted to date you."

He grabbed the account book and said, "I have kept a record of everything since your mother's treatment. I also remember the reasons why you borrowed money. If I were dating you, why would I keep track of all this?!"

When Xu Wei heard that he kept accounts, her face changed slightly, but she quickly calmed down and said, "Some people will write down their expenses when they are dating. I didn't expect you to do the same."

Zheng Jiamin was not a tongue-tied person, but at this moment, he was actually a little speechless.

He looked at Xu Wei, who looked aggrieved and sad. This little girl who had always behaved innocently and weak finally revealed her true face. Zheng Jiamin felt strange and heartbroken.

The others finally understood what was going on. Zhou Mancang took the account book handed over by Fu Mingze and began to look at it with a frown.

The account book recorded clearly how much money was borrowed, when and for what reason. Zhou Mancang calculated in his mind and found that the total was one hundred and twenty-three yuan and sixty cents.

According to Zheng Jiamin, there should have been some things that were not recorded before. Zhou Mancang took a deep breath. Even if they were in a relationship, so much money was a bit scary.

When rural people are dating, it is considered generous if the man buys them some cookies, snacks and a red hairband. City people are said to even go to the movies and have a meal together. Even so, they only spend a dozen or twenty dollars at most before getting married.

Zhou Mancang raised his head and took a deep look at Zhou Chuntao and her daughter. Buying snacks and watching movies are called dating. But buying oil, salt, sauce and vinegar, and sending one's mother and brother to the county for medical treatment, these are not the money that should be spent on dating.

He handed the account book to others. Ding Shouchang glanced at it, his eyes flickered, and handed it to Zhou Qingguo. Zhou Qingguo grabbed his daughter's hand that was trying to grab the account book, and read it carefully, his face not looking good.

The three of them were silent after reading it. Chen Hehua took it and glanced at it before saying, "Actually, I think Xiaowei is right. If you weren't dating, why would Zheng Zhiqing be willing to pay so much money? You don't want to date anymore, but you want to take the money back. It's not good for a man to do this. The leader said that dating without wanting to get married is hooliganism. You obviously don't want to get married, right? This is not right. You want to take back the money you gave out before, Zheng Zhiqing."

Chen Hehua said in a sincere tone, "I am the director of the Women's Department. I have to protect the interests of the female comrades in our team. If you ask me, Xiaowei is good-looking, kind and gentle. If there are no major conflicts, you should just get married. After you get married, won't your money and her money all be your family's money? If you don't want to get married, then this money can be regarded as compensation for the female comrades. Otherwise, if they sue you for being a hooligan, you won't be in any good situation, right?"

Zheng Jiamin shook his head: "We are not in a relationship. I don't like her and there is no way I will marry her."

Chen Hehua smiled and said, "It seems that you don't want to get married. Then forget about the money. They are orphans and widows, and their lives are indeed difficult. Just consider it as you helping them. It's fun to help others. Is that okay?"

Zhou Qingguo frowned and interrupted, "Aunt Hehua, I don't agree with what you said. Dating is dating, and money is money. They are dating, and Xiaowei was bullied. As her uncle, I will definitely help her seek justice. But whether they are dating or not, it is definitely inappropriate to take more than a hundred yuan from someone."

He looked at Zhou Chuntao and said, "Sister, the money should still be saved. Return it to Zheng Zhiqing."

Her family members did not speak up for her and even asked her to pay. Zhou Chuntao hated her brother who always pretended to be upright and simply acted like a rogue: "It's all gone. I spent all the money on medicine for my illness."

She looked at Zhou Qingguo and asked with tears in her eyes, "As an uncle, it's fine if you don't help your niece, but are you going to help outsiders? Today, Xiaowei was bullied. If it was Congcong who was bullied, would you have the same attitude?"

Cong Cong looked up and said blankly: "Ah?"

Zhou Qingguo looked at his adorable little girl and was speechless.

If Congcong was bullied, he would have to beat him up first.

Intellectually, Zhou Qingguo also knew that what Zhou Chuntao and her daughter said today was not very tenable, but emotionally, his niece had always been well-behaved and sensible, and both of them had suffered misfortunes and had a difficult life, so Zhou Qingguo really didn't want to doubt them.

Besides, who can tell for sure whether one is in a relationship or not?

The office fell silent for a moment, with only Xu Wei's low sobs occasionally heard.

Fu Mingze glanced at the yard outside the door and suddenly said, "Whether you are dating or not, whether you have borrowed money or not, since you both have your own reasons, why not let a third party have the say?"

Zhou Chuntao sneered: "Whether they are in a relationship or not, don't they know it themselves? Others know it better?"

Fu Mingze looked at her, smiled, and said, "That's right. A bystander sees things more clearly. Maybe someone else knows better?"