Chapter 77

Chen Dazhu had been in a good mood the past few days. The dam would be closed the day after tomorrow, and after dealing with the Xuchang River, the villagers of Xujiawan didn't dare to say a word. After collecting their wages, they hurried home to continue farming. Fifty cents a day, including lunch, many thought it was a particularly lucrative job, but none of them knew that their wages could have doubled.

Qingshi Town is a place with beautiful mountains and rivers. For thousands of years, no natural disasters have occurred there. There have been no earthquakes, and tsunamis are even more impossible. Even ordinary floods and mudslides only occur once every ten years or so.

So when he suddenly learned that his town could actually build a dam, Chen Dazhu was as happy as a grandson. He asked around and finally found out that someone from above had spoken well of the country and began to focus on the construction of water conservancy projects in various places, and their Qingshi Town was also put on the list of key construction projects.

Anything with the word "focus" added to it will always receive more attention. Workers' treatment will be improved, funds will be allocated quickly, and even the several intermediate steps will be eliminated. The funds will be directly sent to the Qingshi Town Revolutionary Committee, giving them huge room for development and operation.

Chen Dazhu has always known that this project is as much a godsend to their Qingshi Town as Chai Yaozu's position as the chief engineer. It is a chance to win. Chen Dazhu is so old that he cannot let it go. He has to make as much money as possible and only then will he feel that his investment is worth it.

As the saying goes, the bolder the man, the more productive the land. It's so true. Three years ago, he never would have imagined that this project would drag on for three full years. Thinking of this, Chen Dazhu remained modest. He felt that only a small part of this was his own achievement; the rest was largely due to his benefactor.

The noble man is thousands of miles away, but he can make plans for a small Qingshi Town. What a great ability he has.

Sometimes Chen Dazhu would fantasize about how great it would be if he were a noble man. Then he wouldn’t have to wait for others to give him projects, but instead he could take charge of all the projects himself. In that case, he would have a lot of money coming in every day.

Holding the wine glass, Chen Dazhu looked at the New Year pictures on the wall with a silly smile, slightly drunk. He drank a little too much today, and there was no one around to drink with him. After a while, Chen Dazhu stood up and went back to the house to sleep.

During the day today, he ignored Xu Jie's mother's crying and sent someone to drag Xu Jie, who was wrapped like a mummy, off the bed. It was also a coincidence that the people who sent him to the farm were the same people who sent his father to the farm two days ago. This time, the whole family is together. With Chen Dazhu's care, Xu Changhe will not survive this year on the farm. And this Xu Jie has no interest involvement with Chen Dazhu. Chen Dazhu will not harm him, but he will not protect him either.

After arranging Xu Jie's affairs, Chen Dazhu then called each of the leaders he knew, inviting them to attend the joint ceremony in two days. To ensure the ceremony was a splendid success, he invited the entire art troupe and had them rehearse for three full months. This was all Chen Dazhu's responsibility, and had nothing to do with Director Yang. By then, all the leaders would be able to see his abilities. Director Yang, a useless person, would probably be kicked out of Qingshi Town in no time.

Chen Dazhu was lying in bed with a smile on his face. Within two minutes, he fell asleep, snoring so loudly that it sounded like thunder to those who didn't know. He didn't know how long he slept, but he felt like he had only slept for five minutes. Then, his door was banged.

Chen Dazhu's wife turned over impatiently, but she didn't move. Chen Dazhu had to go to open the door himself. He was in a bad mood. Even if the noble person came in person, Chen Dazhu would not be in a good mood. What's more, he saw that the person standing outside the door was not an important person at all, but just his younger brother, Chen Sanzhu.

Chen Dazhu opened the door and scolded him, "What are you doing here so late at night? If you have something to say, please tell me now. If not, get out of here!"

Chen Sanzhu was extremely anxious. "Brother, how could it be okay! Director Yang just took people to move all the things in the accounting office. He was like a madman, threatening to shoot anyone who tried to stop him. Brother, did he do this because he found out what we did?!"

Chen Dazhu's mind was blank for a moment, and after two seconds, he finally reacted. "Why did Yang suddenly do this? What is he looking for?"

Chen Sanzhu: "I don't know, but I guess he's looking for the project's account books. Didn't Chai Yaozu ask for leave to go home at noon today? But he went to the dam again in the afternoon and stayed there until the evening. Not long after he left, Director Yang went to the accounting office. Everyone in the accounting office has gone home, and only Li Yan is there sorting things out. She's been detained now, too. I want to see her and ask her what happened, but I can't!"

Chen Dazhu was stunned, repeating a sentence in his mind over and over again.

Something happened, something happened, something happened...

For so many years, Chen Dazhu pretended to be a calm and composed leader, but deep down, he was a coward. He had been safe and sound for the past three years because no one had really targeted him. Now that he saw Director Yang's swift and decisive actions and the upper hand, he panicked. Running to the study, Chen Dazhu pulled out a box of money and a pistol he couldn't even use. Chen Sanzhu was stunned by his actions.

"Brother, what do you want to do?"

Chen Dazhu: "What do you say? Of course I run! Yang didn't say anything before, and now he suddenly did this. He must know about it and is planning to kill me. If I don't run now, am I waiting for them to catch me?!"

Chen Sanzhu: "It's fine if you don't run away, but if you do, wouldn't that be admitting that you did it? Big brother, don't forget, we've kept the accounts, and you didn't personally manage the project. Even if something really goes wrong, they can't find any evidence, and in the end they can only blame it all on Xu Changhe and Guo Heizi. You have nothing to do with it at all!"

When Chen Dazhu heard this, he immediately reacted. Yes, ever since he dragged Chen Sanzhu into this matter, Chen Sanzhu had been asking him to make a false account so that he could fool the people who were going to inspect. He had originally made one, but he felt that what Chen Sanzhu said made sense, so he found a few more people to make a more detailed one. Judging from the account book, he was absolutely innocent, and Xu Changhe was the culprit who took all the money.

Although he calmed down a bit, Chen Dazhu still felt very panicked. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? Why did you look so flustered when you first came here? Since there is no evidence in other people's hands, what are you afraid of?"

Chen Sanzhu: "Even if there is no evidence, Director Yang will not let us go easily. He can turn the accounting office upside down, and maybe even go straight to your house and mine. Brother, look, didn't you hide all the money at home?"

Chen Dazhu choked. "Where else can I hide if not at home? If that guy named Yang...if that guy named Yang breaks into my house, I'll fight him!"

Chen Sanzhu: "Brother, please stop talking in anger and come up with a solution quickly."

Killing Director Yang was a good idea, but the problem was that he couldn't kill him today because the closure ceremony was about to begin. If Director Yang died at this time, it would clearly be a problem. After being persuaded by Chen Sanzhu for a while, Chen Dazhu finally calmed down. He stood by the window and thought for a while, then handed the box in his hand to Chen Sanzhu.

"Take this money with you, go to the post office in the next county, and call Director Han in the capital. Beg him to save me quickly. He's an important figure, and he can save me with just one word."

This was the first time Chen Sanzhu heard Chen Dazhu talk about the noble man he knew. When he heard that the man's surname was Han, Chen Sanzhu's eyes flashed, and then he nodded, picked up the box on the ground and felt the weight.

It's quite light, so there shouldn't be much money in it. It seems that Chen Dazhu only put a small part of it here. No one knows where he hid the real big part.

If Chen Dazhu was caught, Chen Sanzhu naturally could not escape either. Money or life was more important. Chen Sanzhu was quite clear-headed in this regard. He repeatedly assured Chen Dazhu that he would find Director Han and ask him to rescue Chen Dazhu. Then, he picked up the box and quickly left the building.

Looking at his back as he left, Chen Dazhu had no idea what to do.

The three brothers were incredibly united in small matters, but when it came to big things, especially something as serious as this, where both money and lives were at stake, Chen Dazhu felt that if they were in the same situation and the danger hadn't been resolved, he definitely wouldn't risk his own life to save his brothers. The second brother was usually quite cold-blooded, and he was really worried that he would be the same this time, dumping him just like he had dumped those other women.

But at this moment, the only person Chen Dazhu could ask for help was Chen Sanzhu. If he didn't ask him for help, he wouldn't be able to find anyone else. His wife wasn't smart enough. She couldn't even hide. If he told her something was wrong, she would cry so loudly that everyone in the city could hear her.

If possible, Chen Dazhu really wanted to leave by himself and leave Chen Sanzhu here. Unfortunately, he was too big a target. Once he moved, he would be shot by a sharp arrow.

…

Facts proved that Chen Sanzhu was right; Chen Dazhu simply couldn't escape. Nie Bai borrowed a company of soldiers from the local military district. Nearly a hundred of them surrounded the Revolutionary Committee, while others surrounded Chen Dazhu's home. If he escaped, the military vehicles Nie Bai had brought would be of use. No matter how fast someone walked, they couldn't outrun a car. They probably couldn't get out of Qingshi Town, so Chen Dazhu was brought back.

Director Yang reported the matter to the county, who promptly reported it to the city. The city officials, figuring that if this was true, they couldn't let it go. Otherwise, if it got out of hand, even they would be held accountable. This was a time when even digging bamboo shoots was enough to get you paraded through the streets with a sign, let alone something as serious as embezzling flood control dams. The city leaders called directly and ordered them to arrest the perpetrators and interrogate them overnight. If nothing went wrong, Director Yang would take the blame. If anything went wrong, they could command quickly. Even if they didn't get any credit, they wouldn't be accused of incompetence.

After Chen Sanzhu had been gone for about ten minutes, Nie Bai and the others arrived. Chen Dazhu had a stern face, looking like he had nothing to fear. Before there was evidence, he was still the deputy director of the Revolutionary Committee. No one would torture him, but just locked him in a small room and kept asking him questions.

No matter what people asked him, he would just say, "I'm innocent, I'm a good person, you can check whatever you want, there's nothing wrong with me." Nie Bai listened for a while and was a little annoyed to see that he kept his mouth shut.

Nie Bai walked out of the interrogation room feeling craving for cigarettes. He didn't bring any cigarettes with him, and since he couldn't find anywhere to buy some, he could only walk around in circles in the corridor.

Director Yang brought back all the documents, but the account books were obviously fake. How could Xu Changhe have embezzled such a large sum of money? Two soldiers had already gone to the farm overnight. They wanted to bring Xu Changhe back for interrogation, but it was unclear how long the trip would take. Chen Dazhu's house didn't turn up much money; they even dug up the ground but couldn't find any place to hide the money.

Where did this old fox put his money?

Nie Bai was extremely worried because he couldn't find any evidence or money. Daybreak was almost approaching and this matter couldn't be delayed. The longer it was delayed, the more disadvantageous it would be for them. Oh God, why couldn't there be a noble person to help them?

Just as he was thinking this, Nie Bai suddenly heard a female comrade crying out at the end of the corridor. It was late at night and the place was already quite quiet. The female comrade's cry almost scared Nie Bai to death. He calmed himself down and walked to the other side of the corridor. There was no window on the door, so he could only put his ear to the crack.

The female comrade inside was Li Yan, the unlucky girl. She was the only one working overtime in the accounting office today. When Director Yang brought people over, he found that she was the only one here, and he detained her without caring whether she was a man or a woman.

Chen Dazhu was the deputy director, and no one dared to yell at him, let alone threaten him with words. But Li Yan was just an accounting assistant, and no one felt any pressure to bully her. The interrogator slammed the table as he asked questions, and coupled with his fierce appearance, Li Yan felt like she had arrived at the palace of hell.

In other words, she is about to go to Yama Palace.

She had never encountered such a horrible thing in her life. She was locked in this small room and she didn't know anyone around her. These people treated her like a prisoner, but she hadn't done anything.

The comrades interrogating her said that she had committed the crime of corruption and she had to honestly state all the facts of the crime, otherwise no one could help her.

They also said that her husband Chen Sanzhu had absconded with the money. They searched his house and found that he had taken away all the money in the house and they didn't know where it was at the moment.

Li Yan didn't like Chen Sanzhu. They almost always quarreled when they were together. But when she heard the news, she couldn't help but panic. Even Chen Sanzhu didn't want her anymore. He left her here just to wait for death.

The word "death" appeared in Li Yan's mind and could not be shaken off. She was terrified the whole time and could only stare at the interrogators. Suddenly, she burst into tears and spoke incoherently: "Don't kill me, I didn't embezzle anything, I didn't get a single cent. It was Chen Sanzhu and his gang who stole the money from the project. I, I didn't get anything, just a watch that was repaired once. Please let me go, I beg you, let me go!"

When the interrogator heard this, he immediately glanced at his colleague next to him. Then, he became even more aggressive and slammed his hands on the table, almost taking a gavel from the stage.

"You also participated in the falsification of accounts, right? Then let me ask you, where is the real account book?"

Li Yan cried so hard that her face was covered with tears and snot. She choked up and said, "I don't have the real account book, and I didn't make the fake account book. Comrades, you can see clearly. I'm just a handyman. They didn't let me do the accounting at all!"

At this point, she suddenly remembered something, and a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. She looked at the interrogator with hope, "Oh, right, I, I stole the expense report that Chen Sanzhu brought home. Does this count as an account book? If I hand it in, will it prove my innocence?"

Reimbursement form?

The interrogator frowned. "What expense report?"

Li Yan: "It was the expense reimbursement form for purchasing materials. Chen Sanzhu brought home a large stack of them, and I stole one of them."

A comrade nearby couldn't help but interject, "Why are you stealing this?"

Li Yan blushed when talking about this issue. "He had a fight with me that day and told me to divorce him so he could find another woman. I was afraid he would do that, so I stole one and wanted to use it to threaten him."

However, the next day, Chen Sanzhu woke up and passed away. He never showed up again, and Li Yan's expense report was never used.

The interrogator leaned his arm on the table, trying not to reveal his true emotions. He lowered his voice and asked sternly, "What kind of expense report is this? How do you know it's an expense report? If it doesn't have Chen Dazhu's signature, we won't recognize it."

Li Yan nodded quickly. "Yes, it's signed! What material... I think it's steel bars. This is the most expensive item on those expense reports, otherwise I wouldn't have stolen it. Comrade, I'll give this to you. Can I leave?"

Hearing this, Nie Bai raised his head and stood outside the door with his hands in his pockets. His waist no longer hurt, his legs no longer felt sore, and his urge to smoke no longer came. He whistled lightly and then returned to Chen Dazhu's interrogation room.

While he was laughing, he watched Chen Dazhui's stubborn resistance. The latter was frightened by his laughter. Looking at his hateful face, he wished he could rush over and kill him.

When Chen Dazhu saw Nie Bai appearing downstairs with a group of PLA soldiers, he knew that this matter had something to do with him. An outsider who had nothing to do with him actually teamed up with Director Yang to set a trap for him. How hateful, really hateful!

…

The people of Qingzhu Village had no idea how lively the town was. They still got up early and went to bed early. The men went to work, the women cooked, and the children chased and played in the countryside, each of them with endless energy.

Chu Jiujiu and Wen Xiuwei were worried about Nie Bai, so they didn't go anywhere. At noon, seeing that Nie Bai hadn't returned, Chu Shao called Han Shengyi and they went to the town to inquire about the news. Then, they brought back a bombshell.

The dam closing ceremony was cancelled and even the dam was blocked. Several villagers in Xujiawan were taken away early this morning. Now everyone in Xujiawan is in danger and no longer has the arrogance as before.

The villagers discussed with each other that there was a problem with the dam, and those who had built the dam in the past would have to suffer the consequences!

When Chu Shao and his companions entered the city, they did not see Nie Bai at all. However, since the ceremony was cancelled, it meant that Nie Bai and his companions had succeeded. They waited for another afternoon until the evening, when it was getting dark. Nie Bai finally came back and told them happily that Chen Dazhu was dead. This time, Qingshi Town could finally have peace for a while.

Upon hearing the news, Chu Jiujiu cheered immediately. In fact, whether Chen Dazhu was dead or not had no impact on them. However, hearing that the bad guy was brought to justice was a particularly happy thing in itself. Even Wen Xiuwei couldn't help laughing.

Nie Bai is not a local, but he was the first person to expose and report the incident. He also contacted the local military and brought in the most powerful armed forces. Director Yang is a grateful person. Nie Bai's actions not only helped him to gain merit, but also saved his life. He always took Nie Bai with him these days, whether he had something to do or not. As a result, except for the first two days when Nie Bai was really with Chu Shao and others in Qingshi Town, he was busy with official business the rest of the time.

Even his own troops learned the news. From the division commander to the regiment commander, they all called him to ask about the situation. After learning that the bad guys had been caught and only an unknown person named Chen Sanzhu had escaped, they were relieved and gave Nie Bai two more days of leave, asking him to finish everything and come back.

Although Li Yan's expense report wasn't a genuine account book, it was signed by Chen Dazhu himself. It clearly stated the total amount of steel bars they had purchased. That number was a far cry from what Chai Yaozu needed. Chen Dazhu was speechless, and Director Yang, armed with this evidence, was even more elated. He didn't even sleep, and his only daily task was to lead his men to find out where Chen Dazhu had hidden the money.

Chen Dazhu's wife and children were now like rats crossing the street, being chased and beaten by everyone. Not only did they not dare to leave the house, but even they stayed indoors. Even though they didn't leave, people kept coming to their house, searching for them. Undeterred, they kept coming back the next day. After confirming Chen Dazhu's guilt, Director Yang stopped suppressing the news. Everyone knew that Chen Dazhu had embezzled money, and the villagers of Xujiawan were the most outraged. They had heard that they were supposed to receive 30 yuan a month, but Chen Dazhu had embezzled 15 yuan.

The following matters were all matters that Director Yang should handle. Nie Bai followed him for two days, and then it was time to take the train back to the army. Chu Jiujiu and others sent him to the town, where a military vehicle would pick him up, so he didn't need to travel through mountains and rivers to find the train station.

Looking at the children, Nie Bai felt a little embarrassed. "I said I was coming to see you, but this happened, so I didn't get to say a word to you. Don't worry, I'll come again next year. I won't be using my vacation time anyway. Then I'll bring your aunt and my two younger brothers. Your younger sister won't come. She's too young. She'll only be three next year."

Chu Jiujiu smiled at Nie Bai, "It's okay. When we grow up, Chu Shao and I will go to the army to see you. Then you will be able to see your little sister."

Nie Bai laughed and ignored this sentence. He felt that Chu Jiujiu was not serious. At the same time, he felt that even if they grew up, they would still be trapped in the city like other adults. Adults are like this. They have no control over where they are and where their hearts are. Childhood promises are like snowmen made in winter. They look good when they are first made, but it won’t take long for them to melt, disappear, and be forgotten.

Nie Bai boarded the train, and Xiao Xie was reluctant to leave. He had made a pact with Chu Shao that if he was still working as a waiter under Nie Bai next year, he would accompany Nie Bai on another trip, even at his own expense. Waving goodbye to the mighty military vehicle, they returned to the village, and the children resumed their peaceful lives.

Indeed, something big happened in Qingshi Town, but what does this have to do with these children? The sky hasn't fallen, so their lives will remain the same as before.

There was also one thing that was different. On the third day after Nie Bai left, another person came to Qingzhu Village. This time, he was an old acquaintance that everyone knew.

Li Yan.

…

She had left Qingzhu Village in a domineering manner, with a look of relief on her face as if she had finally jumped out of this dire straits. The villagers should have looked down on her and laughed at her, but seeing her miserable appearance now, they really couldn't say anything to mock her.

In just a few months, Li Yan looked like she had aged ten years. She used to never leave the house without washing her hair, but now it was a mess, greasy enough to cook with, yet she hadn't noticed a thing. A week in the town jail had completely terrified her. No matter what she saw, she was like a frightened bird, terrified to death. The team leader had never imagined that the once bright and charming Li Yan would become like this. He asked the villagers to accompany her back to the educated youth camp. After returning to the educated youth camp, Li Yan saw Ma Wenjuan, and they were both stunned when they met.

Before Ma Wenjuan could ask anything, Li Yan burst into tears. She threw down her bag, hugged Ma Wenjuan, and kept crying, as if she wanted to vent all the fear she had felt these days.

From that day on, Li Yan changed. She was no longer a thorn in the side, and she no longer looked down on others. She worked diligently in the village, working herself to death, but she never complained. Ma Wenjuan was very happy to see her change. When they went to town together, Ma Wenjuan invited her to go with them. But Li Yan refused to leave the village.

It was true that she had changed her personality, but at the same time, she no longer dared to leave Qingzhu Village.

Fame, fortune, and money are nothing compared to life. If you want to be a snob, you must be born to be one. Whenever Li Yan leaves the village, she will think of the past days that she can't bear to look back on. She has seen through it all. Qingzhu Village is the safest place. Apart from here, she doesn't want to go anywhere else.

Li Yan kept her word and even divorced Chen Sanzhu without leaving the gate of Qingzhu Village. She asked the team leader to help her. Chen Sanzhu is now a fugitive in Qingshi Town, so the team leader did it for them without much effort.

It is easy to remove such a big cancer, but it is not so easy to clean up the mess it leaves behind.

Chai Yaozu hardly slept or ate anything during this week. Feng Ruyi was worried that he would die. A week later, Chai Yaozu finally took out the remedial drawings.

They wouldn't tear down the dam, only reinforce it in various details, because of the friendship they had built from their previous joint operation. The military district's leaders had said they could provide assistance if needed, and Chai Yaozu carefully calculated that with enough manpower, they could reinforce the dam in just one month.

But the problem is, they have no money.

The money Chen Dazhu embezzled remains untraceable, and he's been sent to the city. As a director-level official, Director Yang couldn't handle Chen Dazhu and had to send him away. Unable to find the embezzled money, and unable to apprehend the missing Chen Sanzhu, Director Yang shamelessly went to his superiors to demand the money, only to be met with glares from them.

You didn't notice the huge problem of corruption, but now you've discovered it and need to clean up your mess, so you come to me for money? I have no money!

Not only do you have no money, you also have to repair this dam properly, otherwise, you will be in trouble together!

Director Yang felt like vomiting blood. It wasn't his fault, but because he was unlucky, he could only find a way to scrape together the money to patch up the hole. Chai Yaozu was in the same boat with him, so naturally he had to chip in as well. To put it nicely, they were atoning for their sins. To put it bluntly, they were saving their own lives.

Chai Yaozu took out all his belongings, and Feng Ruyi borrowed money from all over the place, almost all he could, but it was still a drop in the bucket. They tried their best to scrape together, but they could only get a few thousand yuan, and to build the dam, they needed at least 20,000 yuan.

After Chu Jiujiu heard about this, she discussed it with Chu Shao.

"Why don't we go along too? Aunt Feng is usually very nice to us. If Chief Engineer Chai really goes to the farm, she will be heartbroken."

Chu Shao frowned, "Our family's savings are only over 500 yuan now. Even if we take it all out, it still won't be enough."

Moreover, once the money is taken out, what will they do if something happens in the future and they need money urgently?

Feng Ruyi said it was a loan, but in fact, everyone knew that once the money was lent, don't think about getting it back. Chu Jiujiu thought for a while, and suddenly, she ran to the bedroom, took out the coat that she hadn't worn for a whole year, rummaged inside, and finally, took out a heavy gold bracelet. Holding the bracelet, Chu Jiujiu ran out excitedly.

"This is very valuable, right? Let's give it to Aunt Feng. She has more connections than us, so she must know where to exchange it for money."

Chu Shao: "Isn't this a birthday present from your parents? Would you be willing to give it away?"

Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a moment. She looked at the gold bracelet in her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then replied, "I don't want to give it up... This bracelet is just a useless thing. I can't wear it out, and I can't exchange it for money. It's completely useless. But if I give it to Aunt Feng, she can use it to repair the dam. This will not only help Aunt Feng overcome her difficulties, but also do a good thing for the nearby villagers. It's a good thing."

At the end of the conversation, Chu Jiujiu laughed. After looking at the expression on her face for a while, Chu Shao pursed his lips, took the bracelet and weighed it.

"I don't know how much gold can be sold for now. This is quite heavy. If it were sold at the old price, it should be worth six or seven hundred. I'll go ask someone. Don't just give it to them. If I find a reliable person, maybe I can redeem it later."

Chu Shao stood up and said, "No matter how much money we get back, we will give 800 to Aunt Feng and the others, and keep the rest for emergencies. It's okay to do good deeds, but we can't sacrifice all our family wealth for the sake of doing good deeds."

Chu Jiujiu listened and nodded, "Yes, then, Grandpa, you should go quickly."

Wen Xiuwei went out to work, and they were the only two at home. Chu Shao took the bracelet, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and then quickly walked out of the yard. Chu Jiujiu watched him leave at the door, turned around, looked at the empty house, pursed her lips, and she also walked out.

She went to the vegetable garden to find Han Shengyi. They sat on the edge of the garden. Han Shengyi listened to her repeat what she had just said to Chu Shao. After listening, Han Shengyi said, "But you still can't bear to leave."

Chu Jiujiu turned her head and blinked. "It's not that I can't bear to part with the bracelet. There are plenty of bracelets in the world. What I can't bear to part with is... it's a gift from someone very important to me."

Han Shengyi: "No matter what it is that you are reluctant to part with, if you don't want to give it away, then don't take it. They are short of tens of thousands of yuan, and it can't be filled with just a bracelet like yours."

Chu Jiujiu: "That's what I said, but I'll help as much as I can. Besides, I think it's nice to give the bracelet away. I no longer see the person who gave me the gift. Whenever I see this bracelet, I feel unhappy, so I've kept it in the cabinet and don't dare to take it out. Mr. Chu Shao said that I think too much about the past. If I give the bracelet away, I should think less about it."

After saying this, Chu Jiujiu raised her toes and gently stepped on the ground a few times. She looked at the lush green leaves on the ground and smiled slightly, as if even a leaf could make her feel amused. Han Shengyi looked at her for a while, then retracted his gaze.

After finishing his work in the vegetable garden, Han Shengyi should have gone home, but he told Chu Jiujiu that he was going to the commune to see Secretary Chen to do something. Chu Jiujiu just said "oh" and turned back to go home alone. Han Shengyi watched her figure turn the corner, and then he turned around and went in the other direction.

At the west end of the village, the dam project was completed. Guo Heizi, who was also one of the leaders of the project, was taken away and questioned for several days. However, the town had no evidence of his corruption, and he had been quiet in the project and did not have close contacts with Chen Dazhu, so they released him soon.

These days, Guo Heizi didn't dare to leave his house. He wanted to avoid the limelight and just slept at home. The three siblings of the Guo family were used to their father's absence, and they felt uncomfortable when they saw him come back. Except for Guo Youmian, everyone else ran out to play.

Lying under the window, Guo Heizi was dreaming of eating delicious food. Suddenly, there were several knocks on his door, and then Han Shengyi's voice sounded outside.

"Is anyone there? I'm Han Shengyi. If anyone is there, please open the door."

Hearing the name Han Shengyi, Guo Heizi sat up with a somersault. He looked out the window in surprise and confusion, not understanding how this guy got here.