Chapter 233 The old hag is finally gone!

"Why are you only arriving now? We've been waiting for you for ages!" Grandma Xiaohong said, squeezing her bottom to the side.

In this day and age, meeting rooms are furnished with long benches with backrests.

Suddenly, Grandma Xiaohong pushed them like that, and the whole row of people frowned and looked over.

Grandma Xiang, however, acted as if nothing had happened and plopped down on her seat.

Grandma Xiaohong asked the same question again, "What were you doing just now?"

As if realizing something, he said, "You old fool, you wouldn't be adding things to the list behind my back, would you?"

"Look at what you're saying, what do you mean by 'carrying you on my back'?"

Xiang's eyes flickered. "You know I have a bad memory. I just remembered, so I quickly asked someone to write it down for me."

"However, they are all worthless items."

Grandma Xiaohong snorted coldly.

I don't believe you for a second.

That old hag is very cunning.

"Alright, you have quite a lot of stuff too."

Grandma Xiang deliberately changed the subject, saying, "Once we've paid the difference, let's set a time to go to the county to buy things together."

When the topic of making up the difference came up, Grandma Xiaohong's face, which had been sullen for a long time, finally showed a hint of a smile.

"Okay, we'll go together then. I just don't know if we'll need to make up for the receipts this time."

"Then why don't you make up for it!"

The old lady said matter-of-factly, "You need ration coupons to buy these things. If the army doesn't reimburse us, we'll have to have a good talk with them."

Grandma Xiaohong nodded, "That's right, why shouldn't they give us compensation!"

The two continued talking to themselves, from paying more money to what they wanted to buy.

The voice grew louder and louder.

As he spoke, a hint of smugness crept in.

Of course I'm proud! All those things in my house have been used for years, and now I can trade them in for new ones. Isn't that great?

The two of them got really into a lively conversation about this topic.

Completely unaware, Commander Yao and his political commissar had been listening outside the conference room for quite some time.

Division Commander Yao frowned. "Go and ask whose military dependents those two are?"

"Yes, sir!"

Before the guard could finish speaking, Director Cao interrupted him, "No need to ask. One of them is the family member of Deputy Battalion Commander Xiang from the First Squadron, and the other one is the family member of Battalion Commander Kong from the Third Squadron."

Division Commander Yao and Political Commissar Li looked puzzled. "How do you know the details?"

Director Cao took out several letters of complaint from the folder.

"I received this a few days ago. After receiving the whistleblower letter, I sent someone to inquire about it privately."

However, during this period, everyone was busy with the post-disaster reconstruction, and he hadn't had time to report this matter.

Commander Yao took the letter of complaint and glanced at it.

Then, it was handed to Political Commissar Li.

After reading it, neither of them looked very happy.

"Let's go, let's get down to business first."

After saying that, the group went in through the side door.

As soon as the group stepped onto the stage, the previously chaotic meeting room fell silent instantly.

Time was of the essence, and Political Commissar Li didn't have time to beat around the bush, so he went straight to the point.

"I've gathered everyone here today to discuss three things."

"First, the damage caused by this typhoon is quite severe, but the military currently has limited funds."

"According to relevant military regulations, this money should be prioritized for combat readiness and defense."

"This is the bottom line, not a single cent can be moved!"

"Secondly, we must ensure the reconstruction of the farm. The farm is the foundation of our Fourth Division, and it must not collapse!"

At this point, Political Commissar Li changed the subject, "But the farm's factory buildings were damaged quite severely this time, and simply repairing them may not be enough."

"If we want to rebuild the factory, the existing funds are far from enough."

"So the first thing I want to tell you today is that we plan to raise funds again."

"Just like last time, it's still based on families, and how much to subscribe depends entirely on individual wishes."

These words immediately sparked discussion among the audience.

"We haven't even broken even yet, why do we need to invest more money?"

The one speaking was the woman sitting in front of Jiang Si.

Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for everyone around to hear.

"When we invested in the cannery two years ago, they said it was a sure thing to make money, so our family invested 800 yuan."

"We finally saw a return of over a hundred yuan during the Chinese New Year, and before we could even enjoy that money, they want us to invest again."

"That's right, we haven't even recouped our investment yet."

The other woman next to her also looked very unwilling.

“My house was flooded beyond recognition, and I don’t even have money to buy new things. Where would I get the money to invest in this?”

The remaining sisters-in-law, upon hearing this, also silently began to calculate the costs in their minds.

They didn't have a lot of money, but they could still come up with a few hundred yuan.

only--

One of the sisters-in-law immediately raised questions.

“When the cannery was half-built, it collapsed due to a typhoon. It was a lot of effort for everyone to pool their money and finish building the factory, but now it has collapsed again.”

"If we spend so much money building this factory, and it's gone in less than two years, what's the point of us pooling our money to build it?"

Upon hearing this, all the sisters-in-law echoed his sentiments.

"That's right. Our money doesn't grow on trees. We can't just chip in and rebuild it every time the factory collapses, can we?"

"Anyway, I'm broke. Let whoever wants to invest, invest."

"Please rest assured about this matter."

Political Commissar Li explained, "In a few days, the provincial military region will send geological and architectural experts over, and then we will select a new site."

"Furthermore, on behalf of the Fourth Division, I assure all military families that the newly built factory will have a significantly improved ability to withstand typhoons and earthquakes."

Hearing this, the murmurs among the crowd grew even louder.

Some people felt that since Political Commissar Li had said so, there shouldn't be any major problems.

However, many of the women in the family still disagree with this.

Political Commissar Li only mentioned a significant increase, but he didn't specify the exact amount.

Xu Mingjuan was also unsure, seeing Jiang Si's nonchalant expression.

She couldn't help but ask, "Si-mei, are you planning to vote this time?"

Jiang Si thought for a moment, "Let's not rush, let's wait until we see the design drawings."

Looking at the design drawings?

Before Xu Mingjuan could react, the voices on the stage rang out again.

This time, it was Commander Yao who spoke.

I heard everyone talking just now.

He also understood what everyone was worried about.

Commander Yao said, "This matter is not urgent. We'll wait for the provincial experts to arrive in a couple of days. Then everyone can speak freely if they have any questions."

"Let me repeat myself: this share subscription is entirely voluntary."

After a pause, Commander Yao spoke apologetically about the second matter.

"As everyone knows, the military can't come up with that much money in a short time."

"We'll have to trouble everyone to cover the costs of the house repairs for now."

"Once the funds allocated from above arrive, we will definitely compensate everyone according to the standards."

With the previous fundraising efforts as a foundation, the women expressed their understanding of my decision to pay for the house repairs myself.

After all, everyone knows how serious the disaster is.

The most dissatisfied people at this time were the group of elderly women in the No. 3 family compound.

When they arrived, everyone was extremely happy.

I thought I could finally collect the money and go home.

As a result, they haven't received a single penny of compensation and now have to pay for the house repairs themselves.

How can you do things like this?

Grandma Xiang wasn't happy about it either, but she wasn't stupid.

Look how many people have already tacitly agreed with the leader's words. If she jumps out at this moment, isn't that a slap in the face to the leader?

Besides, their leader said they would make up for it according to the standards later.

So when the military has money, their losses will be compensated, right?

The old lady was secretly thinking to herself.

Suddenly, she heard someone call her name.

The old lady stood up instinctively, "Here!"

What's going on?

Grandma Xiaohong, who was standing nearby, was wondering why the teacher had singled out the old lady's name.

Suddenly, she heard her own name again.

"Here!" Grandma Xiaohong also stood up.

The two looked at each other, their eyes full of question marks.

"Why are you calling our names? What did we do wrong?"

"I don't know."

That's what they say, but Grandma Xiaohong's intuition tells her it's not a good thing.

At this moment, Commander Yao spoke up.

His voice was noticeably more serious than before.

"Thirdly, we received a report that some people disobeyed discipline and led trouble during the typhoon!"

"They also incited military families to demand subsidies, seriously disrupting the order and stability of the military's disaster relief efforts."

After saying that, Commander Yao's sharp gaze swept over the two people below the stage.

"Xie Fengdi and Lu Guixiang, as mothers of soldiers, you were not originally eligible to accompany soldiers on military assignments."

"It was because the military was considerate of your family's difficulties that they specially approved the temporary military dependent certificate so that you could be cared for and have someone to rely on in your old age."

"But your actions have seriously betrayed this care and trust!"

"According to Article 4 of the Regulations on Military Dependents, those who make unreasonable demands and seriously disrupt the order of military life will be dealt with accordingly."

"Those who fail to respond to education should have their military dependent status terminated!"

"I hereby formally announce that, effective immediately, the temporary military dependent status of Comrade Xie Fengdi and Comrade Lu Guixiang is terminated. I hope that other military dependents will take this as a warning to others!"

With a loud bang!

The two felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in their minds.

One person's vision went black, and the other's legs gave way.

Finally, they both collapsed to the ground.

Li Mei stood at the very back of the meeting room, holding her child.

Seeing this scene, I felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

That old hag is finally leaving!

She couldn't even imagine how comfortable and pleasant her life would be without that old hag.

Thinking about all this, Li Mei couldn't help but laugh out loud on her way home to her family compound.

Half an hour later, the sentry at the gate came looking for her. "Are you Comrade Li Mei?"

Li Mei was taken aback for a moment. "I'm Li Mei. What do you need me for?"

The sentry said, "Someone is looking for you outside."

Li Mei asked again uncertainly, "Looking for me?"

The sentry nodded. "Yes."

Li Mei was even more puzzled. She had no relatives or friends here, so who would come looking for her at this time?

And so, Li Mei, carrying her child, followed the sentry to the gate of the family compound.

Upon seeing the person standing by the roadside, Li Mei was shocked: "What are you doing here—"