Chapter 36 The residents of Pomegranate Alley together…

The residents of Shiliu Alley went home together. They didn't dare to make a sound along the way, silently following behind Shen Lang and Jiang Can, their hearts filled with turmoil.

One hundred thousand yuan!

Shen Lang and Jiang Can said no and that was it; they actually sent the director of the Education Bureau to the police station.

Widow Qian was heartbroken; why didn't anyone throw money at her house?

And that director of the education bureau, such a high-ranking official, just got locked up like that? And even put in silver handcuffs? Will he be sentenced to prison?

After Shen Lang and Jiang Can returned home, everyone gathered in twos and threes at other people's doorsteps and whispered among themselves. They had so much to say, and if they didn't say it, they wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

After Shen Lang and Jiang Can arrived home, they first put away the pork knuckle and braised chicken they had brought back, covering them with a pot lid to prevent rats from gnawing on them, as these were offerings to the God of Wealth.

Then he carried a bag of food to feed Tiger.

At the bottom is rice with broth, meat, and vegetables, topped with two large pork bones and a beef or pork bone, all with plenty of meat.

Tiger happily nibbled on its tail, then picked up a large bone and began gnawing on the meat.

Jiang Can squatted down and watched for a while. Tiger was eating with great relish. He had incredibly strong teeth and could even bite through big bones, making a crunching sound. If a thief were to climb over the wall at night, Tiger could bite off their thigh in one bite.

Tiger has been here for a few days and has visibly gained weight; his fur has also become much shinier.

Shen Lang was cleaning up the excrement with an iron shovel. This tiger was smart; it would poop and pee in the corner, the furthest distance the rope could reach, far away from the doghouse.

It's a good dog, isn't it?

This dog eats and drinks a lot and poops a ton, which is quite a hassle.

After Shen Lang finished cleaning, he put the iron shovel aside, washed his hands, and then took Jiang Can to see the newly purchased washing machine at home.

Next to the sewing machine, there was a Little Swan washing machine, a light green twin-tub washing machine with a washing tub on the left and a spin-drying tub on the right.

No more worrying about laundry at home, and the clothes dry quickly too.

Jiang Can was very interested and immediately wanted to use it. Shen Lang moved the washing machine under the eaves, connected it to electricity, added water, put in laundry detergent, and turned on the switch so it could start spinning on its own.

The washing machine made the two of them very happy for a while. After the clothes were washed, Jiang Can looked at the stains on the clothes and found that they were very clean. The two of them shook out the clothes and hung them up before going back to their room to sleep.

The next day, Jiang Can got up before five o'clock. After getting up, he first put the braised pork knuckle and braised chicken on the table in the living room, and then put four large white steamed buns, a plate of apples and oranges on it.

Finally, he lit incense and pulled Shen Lang to kowtow together.

The God of Wealth blessed their family, allowing them to buy two houses in a week; they must fulfill their vow.

After kowtowing, the two each ate a bowl of shredded pork noodles. After they finished eating, the incense had burned out. Jiang Can gave Shen Lang a braised pork knuckle and a braised chicken, saying, "Reheat them at noon and add a couple of dishes."

Shen Lang: "Okay. Be careful, don't leave the county, and don't go to remote places. Wait for me to pick you up after get off work." He kissed Jiang Can's lips, "See you tonight."

After Shen Lang left, it was almost 5:30. Jiang Can took out her English book and memorized the vocabulary. When it was almost time, she rode her bicycle to the morning market.

Today, Fang Yuan was asked to choose the meat, and she gave him a few pointers. They were all regular customers, and the butchers would show Jiang Can the best cuts of meat as soon as they saw him. In fact, they could also get the butchers to supply meat to the restaurant.

However, if Fang Yuan wants to learn more, he still needs to come to the market to observe and learn more. Take a piece of beef as an example; Fang Yuan needs to know where the meat comes from, whether it's from a bull or a cow, an old cow or a calf.

To be a chef, you must have a thorough understanding of the ingredients.

After shopping, Jiang Can didn't go back to the restaurant. She asked Fang Yuan to start braising the meat and vegetables first, as she had arranged to go to the city landmark to look at shops with Xu Rao.

Xu Rao's shop is right across from the bus station, surrounded by the largest shopping center in the county. The night school is also not far away, and the area is very densely populated with people. There are many restaurants, including several hot pot and barbecue shops.

The shop has two floors and used to be a noodle shop. However, due to a family crisis and the couple's impending divorce, they sold the shop and split the proceeds. Xu Rao happened to buy it. She was already in the hot pot business, which had high profit margins, and thought this location would be suitable for opening a hot pot restaurant as well.

We'll renovate the shop and turn the second floor into private rooms for greater privacy.

Jiang Can thought the location was excellent and the space was large enough. Xu Rao was lucky to be able to buy a shop here.

Otherwise, even if you offer them money, they won't sell it.

The two discussed the renovation costs, with each contributing 10,000 yuan. The rent was set at 2,000 yuan per year, and they signed a five-year contract. If Xu Rao decided not to continue the hot pot business within five years, the house would be rented to Jiang Can himself, with a penalty of 20,000 yuan.

This was added by Xu Rao. She said, "If our hot pot business doesn't work out, you can do other businesses and you definitely won't lose money."

Xu Rao was very sincere.

After discussing it, the two hired a lawyer to draft the contract, and the house renovation could be accelerated so that they could open for business before the end of the year.

With the deal settled, Jiang Can rode her bicycle back to the steel mill; she still needed to cook lunch. Xu Rao, on the other hand, didn't need to go back to the hot pot restaurant to oversee things; she contacted the renovation team and started construction.

When passing by the night school, Jiang Can enrolled Huang Xiaoling in accounting. The school issued her a student ID, and she could attend classes in the evenings.

By the time we got back to Jiang's Restaurant, it was almost 10 o'clock. The braised meat was still simmering in the pot, and you could smell the aroma from a distance.

The food for lunch has been prepared, and the free bone and mushroom soup has been simmering.

Jiang Can tasted the braised food and thought it was pretty good. He praised Fang Yuan and then talked to Huang Xiaoling about school. He handed her her student ID and said, "Xiaoling, you go to night school at eight o'clock tonight. I've enrolled you. Study hard, and I'll give you a raise if you do well."

Huang Xiaoling felt it was unreal. The boss had only mentioned night school yesterday, and he had already registered her today? Her eyes were red. "Boss, eight o'clock is too early."

The restaurant is still busy at eight o'clock. The customers are still eating. After the customers leave, the pots and pans have to be washed and the floor has to be mopped.

Jiang Can: "You leave at 7:40 every day, so it won't interfere with your class. We'll hire another auntie at the restaurant to wash dishes and mop the floor. You're still young, and life is so long. Hurry up and learn a skill. No matter if you work for me or go somewhere else, you'll have a bright future. Do you expect me to keep washing dishes forever?"

Huang Xiaoling is willing to wash dishes and clean plates for the rest of her life. She is willing to do anything as long as she works in this restaurant. She has never been so happy in her life.

Now that Jiang Can has given her a new choice and paved the way, how could she not appreciate it?

Huang Xiaoling was so moved that she couldn't say a word. She was holding her student ID card tightly, but then she loosened her grip because she was afraid of breaking it.

Jiang Can patted her on the shoulder: "Study hard, don't give up halfway." He went into the kitchen and started cooking. Today's meat dishes were sweet and sour pork ribs, boiled sliced ​​pork, spicy shredded tripe, and stir-fried pork. The vegetable dishes were garlic sprouts and duck blood, Mapo tofu, scallion and egg, and garlic greens.

Half a day later, Huang Xiaoling said from outside, "Boss, I'll work for you for the rest of my life."

Jiang Can laughed: "Then I'll have to work hard. Our restaurant is so small, we don't need an accountant."

She started cooking, with Fang Yuan assisting her. Jiang Can gave her a single glance, and Fang Yuan knew exactly what she needed.

Actually, cooking is simple. As long as the ingredients are fresh enough, you're willing to use oil, add scallions, ginger, and garlic, and the heat is just right, you can definitely cook delicious food. After all the dishes were cooked, Jiang Can smiled and said, "Try cooking this afternoon."

Fang Yuan was a little nervous. "Yes, Master."

Before lunchtime, a young couple came into the restaurant. The woman was pregnant, probably more than five months along, and the man was taking good care of her. It was clear that the two had a very good relationship.

The woman's name is Liu Anqi, and she came looking for Jiang Can.

Liu Anqi stood in front of Jiang Can, supporting her pregnant belly. She smiled and said, "Thank you. Otherwise, I would never have known that someone had taken my place in university."

Liu Anqi was a college entrance exam candidate in 1990. Her experience was similar to Jiang Can's. When she repeated the exam, her reputation was ruined. She was pointed at and gossiped about, and she didn't even dare to leave her home. Her father wanted to marry her off to a distant place because her reputation was too damaging to the family's reputation.

Xia Wen, from the same village, came to propose marriage, and Liu Anqi's father agreed without her knowledge.

After they got married, the couple opened a pig farm in the village. The business became more and more successful, and they opened another pig farm in the town, becoming the first household in the village to earn 10,000 yuan.

Once a person has money, even relatives change. No one points fingers at her anymore. Everything from the past becomes a distant memory, which she doesn't want to think about and gradually lets go of.

She also got pregnant this year.

A few days ago, Xia Wen was selling pigs in the county when he heard about Jiang Can's situation and gradually began to suspect Liu Anqi's past actions.

Jiang Can asked, "The vice principal and Qian Youlian?"

Liu Anqi smiled, pursing her lips. "I fell into my relative's pigsty. It's a pity the vice principal didn't fall for it, otherwise it would have been more interesting if the two of them had ridden a pig together. But following the old lady is also quite interesting."

The old lady who was being followed by the vice principal was Xia Wen's grandmother. She was a very shrewish woman, and no one in the village dared to mess with her. Liu Anqi originally wanted to find someone else, but the old lady volunteered and, with her excellent acting skills, ruined the vice principal's reputation.

The old lady is still lying in the hospital, and she received a thousand yuan from the vice principal's wife.

Liu Anqi also bought the old lady a gold necklace as a thank you.

Jiang Can smiled and gestured for Liu Anqi and Xia Wen to sit down, then asked Xiao Ling to bring out the dishes.

Liu Anqi: "Xia Wen and I came here after hearing about your situation. We heard you went to the provincial capital. I also bought a train ticket to Ontario and went there. The female student who took my place in university has now graduated, changed her name back to her original name, and is now a junior high school teacher in Ontario." She looked at Jiang Can: "She's doing very well, and she's married. Her husband is a professor at Ontario Normal University."

She reached out and took Xia Wen's hand. "Of course, my husband is better. When my reputation was so bad, he trusted me firmly and married me. I just find it ridiculous that she took my name, went to my university, and is doing so well. Those who harmed me are all doing well. And me? For the past four years, my husband has been with me, leading me from darkness to light."

The county's No. 1 High School is truly disgusting. I don't want to let them off the hook. What gives them the right to be so high and mighty and steal other people's destinies?

I'm going to bring them down, I'm going to put them in jail.

You're more capable and smarter than me. If you need evidence, I am the evidence.

Jiang Can understood this feeling all too well; she had been through it herself. "We really need your testimony. The provincial special investigation team arrived in Liao County yesterday to investigate the university impersonation case. Last night, the director of the Education Bureau, Shen Boxiong, came to my house and gave me 100,000 yuan to change my story. I sent him to the police station. I want justice, to expose the corruption within Liao County's education system! Let's eat first, then I'll take you to the investigation team." She handed chopsticks to Liu Anqi and Xia Wen.

Xia Wen: "How did you get the province to take this matter seriously? Shen Boxiong's younger brother, Shen Boyang, is a high-ranking official, and Shen Boyang's teacher is a member of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Political and Legal Affairs."

Jiang Can recounted how Shen Lang captured the notorious bandit. Liu Anqi and Xia Wencai had just returned from Anhui Province and came straight here after getting off the train; they hadn't heard any of this news. She said, "Going against Shen Boxiong is very dangerous. Anqi is pregnant, so she must be careful."

Liu Anqi: "I'm not afraid."

Jiang Can: "Eat. You need to be full to have the energy to work."

Liu Anqi ate her rice and vegetables, saying, "Your food is really delicious."

After dinner, Jiang Can took Liu Anqi and Xia Wen to the Liaoxian Hotel to find the comrades from the special investigation team. They couldn't find them at the hotel, but they found them at the hospital. A woman had been hit by a motorcycle while crossing the road, fracturing her leg. She had just undergone surgery and was still under anesthesia.

The motorcycle hit someone and sped away. It was going too fast, and the rider didn't even get a good look at the person. The police have been notified and are looking for the motorcyclist.

Zheng Xiangjie, the head of the investigation team, looked grim. Only two days after arriving in Liao County, one of his team members had broken his leg.

After Jiang Can was robbed and killed at gunpoint by ruthless bandits, they simply did not believe it was an accident. This was the Shen family's warning to the investigation team: this time it was just a minor injury, but next time it could be someone dying.

Jiang Can was very worried and asked for details.

Zheng Xiangjie: "Minhua fractured her right leg. She will recover carefully in three months and once the bone heals, it will not affect her walking."

Jiang Can was relieved. When she learned that Zheng Xiangjie and the others hadn't eaten, she asked Xia Wen to go out and buy them food. She introduced Liu Anqi to Zheng Xiangjie, briefly explained her situation, and finally asked, "Will the special investigation team continue its investigation?"

Zheng Xiangjie slammed his fist on the table, furious. "Did they think they could scare us away like this? I was careless this time. I've already reported to my superiors and am waiting for their support."

Bai Minhua's injury also served as a reminder to them that the Shen family members were vicious and ruthless, not benevolent people.

Jiang Can then told Zheng Xiangjie about how Shen Boxiong bribed her with 100,000 yuan to change her mind, and now Shen Boxiong is in prison.

Liu Anqi: "Isn't this evidence enough to arrest them? The director of the Education Bureau, as well as the leaders and teachers of the county's No. 1 Middle School, are all innocent."

There are witnesses and audio recordings; what else is there to investigate? Isn't that enough to just arrest them?

Zheng Xiangjie: "We have enough evidence. The law will bring them to justice. We are waiting for support from higher authorities."