Chapter 131 The contents of the telegram
Qiao Xingyue stood in front of Lao Dahong with the Xie family, watching the three of them eating steamed buns with cold pickled vegetables.
Qiao Xingyue was certain that the steamed buns and kimchi belonged to their family.
Because when Lao Dahong and her family of three worked in the fields, they usually ate either wild vegetable porridge or corn porridge; they were never seen eating steamed buns. Firstly, the three of them earned few work points and received little grain through cheating and dishonesty, so how could they possibly have steamed buns? Secondly, this cold pickled vegetable dish was clearly prepared by her that morning; even the shapes of the pickled vegetables matched perfectly. She had cut the pickled radish peel diagonally, the pickled cucumbers with decorative cuts, and the pickled cowpeas into neat sections—all exactly the same.
Lao Dahong, her daughter Cuihua, and her equally buck-toothed grandson Xiaoguang were eating the stolen steamed buns and pickled vegetables without the slightest hint of guilt. Instead, they all looked up and glanced at them like stray dogs whose meal had been disturbed.
His eyes were full of arrogant arrogance, and he chewed on a stolen white steamed bun, his cheeks bulging out. Red oil from the cold pickled vegetables dripped down the corners of his mouth, but he didn't bother to wipe it away.
I heard they've made stealing a habit; there's no one in the village who hasn't touched the Zhang family's cucumbers, the Li family's tomatoes, or the Wang family's freshly laid eggs. Being confronted and yelled at is common, but these three—grandparents and grandchildren—are as thick-skinned as old tree bark; a few words of scolding have no effect, and they'll just turn around and steal again.
Lao Dahong simply crossed his legs, sat steadily, picked up a white steamed bun, opened his mouth and took a big bite, deliberately making a "smacking" sound while chewing, chewed it up and swallowed it, and even smacked his lips, as if showing off how delicious the food was.
Qiao Xingyue and the Xie family were furious. They knew that Lao Dahong's family had eaten steamed buns and pickled vegetables stolen from them, but they were helpless because they had no evidence. They stammered and could not say anything.
"What should we do?" Shen Liping gently tugged at Qiao Xingyue's sleeve, lowered her voice, and said angrily, "Their family eats our steamed buns, but we didn't see them stealing them, so we have no evidence."
Qiao Xingyue didn't say anything.
Lao Dahong and his two grandchildren each held a steamed bun in their left hand and another in their right, taking a bite from the left and a bite from the right.
Qiao Xingyue's teeth itched with envy.
They couldn't eat the steamed buns that had been bitten.
Qiao Xingyue strode forward, first knocking the two steamed buns out of Xiao Guang's hands, then knocking the two steamed buns out of Cuihua's hands. When she went to knock the steamed buns out of Lao Dahong's hands, Lao Dahong was on guard, but Qiao Xingyue just grabbed Lao Dahong's wrist and, amidst Lao Dahong's loud shouts, forcefully knocked the steamed buns to the ground.
Even though the white steamed buns fell to the ground and got covered in mud, Cuihua and Xiaoguang still bent down and reached out to pick them up. Qiao Xingyue stepped on Cuihua's hand, not only flattening the steamed buns but also making Cuihua scream.
If the Xie family of eleven can't even get enough steamed buns, then this family of thieves won't be able to get another bite either.
Looking into Lao Dahong's aluminum lunchbox, there were still three white steamed buns left. This family really can eat. The Xie family brought a total of twenty-two steamed buns, and only these three were left.
Is this a pig? It can eat so much.
Qiao Xingyue reacted quickly, grabbing the three steamed buns and glaring sharply at Lao Dahong. "Lao Dahong, this isn't over yet."
Lao Dahong was dumbfounded. She didn't expect Qiao Xingyue to dare to take direct action. She immediately sat on the ground, slapped her thigh, and cried out, "They're stealing our steamed buns! Is there no justice in this world? Everyone, please be the judge! Qiao Xingyue and her gang are stealing our food!"
Soon, villagers and educated youth from near and far flocked to the scene.
Qiao Xingyue kept a clear head, looked at the boys in the family, and calmly instructed, "Zhiyuan, Mingyuan, Chengyuan, Boyuan, you guys go and look in the nearby reeds to see if you can find the cloth we used to wrap steamed buns."
The brothers nodded and looked around, but couldn't find the cloth they used to wrap the steamed buns.
When they returned to Qiao Xingyue, the four brothers all shook their heads.
"Fourth Aunt, we couldn't find it."
Lao Dahong slapped his thigh and cried out, "Everyone, be the judge! Qiao Xingyue's family is like wild dogs. They came right up to us, the three of us, and snatched our food. These are clearly our steamed buns."
"You're talking nonsense!" Sun Xiuxiu hadn't used such vulgar language for many years. Since marrying into the Xie family, she had changed her crude habits from the countryside. But now she was so angry that she cursed, "These steamed buns and pickled vegetables are clearly from my family."
Lao Dahong retorted confidently, "What evidence do you have?"
Qiao Xingyue ignored Lao Dahong and looked at the fresh soil behind him.
The soil everywhere was compacted and hadn't been dug up yet; it was also covered with weeds. The only spot was a patch of fresh, turned soil about three meters behind Lao Dahong.
She glanced at Zhiyuan, pointed to the patch of fresh, muddy ground, and instructed, "Zhiyuan, go and turn over that patch of land and take a look."
Zhiyuan walked over with a hoe, and Lao Dahong quickly got up to stop him, saying, "What are you doing? This piece of land was allocated to my family for digging, you're not allowed to touch it."
Qiao Xingyue snorted coldly, "What, afraid of others digging it up?"
Lao Dahong raised his voice, "Me? What do I have to be afraid of?"
"There's clearly my family's aluminum lunchbox buried here, along with the scraps of floral fabric we used to wrap steamed buns. Zhiyuan, dig!"
"Don't dig! This is wasteland that the brigade leader allocated to my family for reclamation. What right do you have to dig and shovel it like this?" Because he felt guilty, Lao Dahong quickly pulled Zhiyuan back from digging.
Sun Xiuxiu took another hoe and quickly turned over the pile of fresh soil, when she suddenly bumped into something hard.
I stopped hoeing and took a look. A corner of an aluminum lunchbox was sticking out, gleaming brightly in the sunlight.
Sun Xiuxiu quickly squatted down and dug the lunchbox out.
The aluminum lunchboxes were brought from the Jincheng Military Region, and the words "Jincheng Military Region" were engraved on them.
Sun Xiuxiu wiped the mud off the aluminum lunchbox, revealing the lettering, and handed it to everyone to see. "Look, everyone, this is my family's lunchbox, used to hold pickled vegetables. Lao Dahong's family stole our pickled vegetables and steamed buns, and buried our lunchbox in the ground to try and destroy the evidence."
Lao Dahong's face flushed red, and he stammered, unable to speak, "This, this..."
Shen Liping pulled out the piece of cloth that had been buried in the mud, shook off the mud, and handed it to everyone. "This is the cloth my family uses to wrap steamed buns. It was also buried by Lao Jia Hong."
"What makes you think I buried it?" Lao Dahong shouted, his face flushed red.
Among the onlookers, everyone chimed in with their own comments.
"Isn't this the cloth the Xie family uses to wrap steamed buns this morning? I saw them carrying it in their hands this morning."
"I saw it too."
"Lao Dahong's family is used to petty theft. They're so used to stealing that even when they're caught red-handed, they won't admit it. I don't know what's wrong with them, how can they be so shameless?"
Just then, Captain Liu Zhongqiang pushed through the crowd and walked over. After listening to everyone explain the whole story, he saw the evidence in the hands of Xie's two wives and couldn't help but glare at Lao Dahong.
“The day before yesterday, you two stole eggs from the Zhang family’s chicken coop, and you stole again today. Write a 500-word self-criticism tomorrow. It just so happens that the brigade is holding a meeting of commune members tomorrow. You will read your self-criticism aloud at the meeting and make sure your attitude is correct. The eggs you stole from the Zhang family and the steamed buns from the Xie family will also be converted into work points and returned to them.”
"Captain..." Lao Dahong was about to say something when Liu Guangqiang said sharply, "If you're not satisfied, then tomorrow I'll send you to the town's public security brigade and detain you for theft."
Upon hearing that he was to be detained, Lao Dahong, despite his resentment, dared not utter another word, but glared fiercely at Qiao Xingyue.
Liu Guangqiang added, “If you want to have enough to eat, do more work and earn more work points. Don’t think about stealing chickens or dogs. If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too.”
As he spoke, Liu Guangqiang gave a few more words of advice to everyone, emphasizing the importance of diligence, law-abiding behavior, and mutual assistance in the Tuanjie Brigade.
Finally, his gaze fell on Qiao Xingyue's family, and after looking at the plot of land that Qiao Xingyue and her family had been allocated, he couldn't help but praise them to everyone, "Look at how efficiently the Xie family has done their work. They have been allocated the most land, and the grass in their plot is the tallest, but they have cleared the grass completely and turned the soil so that it is loose and soft."
As he spoke, Liu Guangqiang's gaze lingered on Qiao Xingyue. "Dr. Qiao, now that you've finished your work, take a break this afternoon. We can start cultivating new wasteland tomorrow."
With the captain's mediation, this matter was brought to a close.
Liu Guangqiang looked at the three steamed buns left in Qiao Xingyue's hand and said, "Dr. Qiao, these three steamed buns are not enough for all eleven of you. You should go back and get something to eat. This is my permission."
Qiao Xingyue was quite satisfied with the result. She nodded and said, "Thank you, Uncle Liu."
Qiao Xingyue led her family, some carrying hoes, some carrying bamboo baskets, and some carrying sickles, walking together on the country road.
It was midday, and the sun was at its zenith.
When they reached the stream, everyone scooped up the water and washed their faces; it was so refreshing and cool.
Just then, Chen Jiahui's voice came from behind.
"Aunt Lan, Mom, Xingyue, Eldest Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, why are you back?"
The first to look up from the stream was Qiao Xingyue. She wiped the water from her face and looked at Chen Jiahui, saying, "Jiahui, we finished our work ahead of schedule. We'll allocate new wasteland for reclamation tomorrow. You're back from the town market so soon?"
Chen Jiahui approached and took out the boiled eggs. "I'm giving you a little something extra to improve your meals. One egg for each of you, and Xingyue, who is pregnant, will have two eggs."
The Chen and Xie families walked back together like one big family, chatting and laughing.
When they got back, the youngest boy, Boyuan, was the first to open the door. He saw that the old lady and An'an and Ningning were not in the cowshed. Instead, he saw a basket full of eggs on the table in the cowshed, as well as several packages of walnut shortbread, whistle candy, butterfly shortbread, egg pancakes, sugar-coated fried dough, rice, flour, oil, and a huge pile of pork belly. The children's eyes lit up.
Wow, so much delicious food!
Chen Jiahui opened the kraft paper, took out walnut shortbread and whistle candy, and handed them to the four children.
Normally, the four children wouldn't be tempted by these things, because they often ate them at home. But after being sent down to the countryside, they couldn't even get enough to eat, let alone these pastries. Suddenly seeing the walnut shortbread, the children swallowed hard, and the adults following behind them also swallowed hard.
Everyone ate a piece of walnut shortbread, then went to the pot in the backyard and cooked a large pot of white flour dumpling soup. They added a few eggs, stirred them in, sprinkled on some chopped green onions and salt, and each person ladled out a bowl. They sat down at the table and chairs made by Qiao Xingyue and ate with relish.
Qiao Xingyue took a sip of noodle soup and looked up at Chen Jiahui, who was also drinking noodle soup next to her. "Jiahui, besides buying these things today, did you go to the post office to see if Jincheng sent any telegrams?"
The word "telegram" made Chen Jiahui clench her chopsticks tightly, a pang of sadness rising in her heart.
But she curled her lips into a faint smile, "I went, but on the way back, I don't know where the telegram went. But I opened it beforehand and checked it. Songhua said everyone is fine, but the security department hasn't come to a conclusion yet, and they told us to wait a little longer."
Chen Jiahui lied, but Qiao Xingyue saw through it immediately.
But she saw through it all without exposing it.
Anything that makes Chen Jiahui lie is definitely not a good thing.
The situation seemed rather serious, but Qiao Xingyue did not continue asking questions in front of everyone.
In the evening, everyone was busy with their own things. Some were fetching water, some were boiling water for bathing, and some were taking baths in the simple thatched huts. Qiao Xingyue and Chen Jiahui sat in front of the pot boiling water.
Seeing that everyone was gone, Qiao Xingyue lowered her voice and asked, "Jia Hui, what happened in Jincheng?"
"No, no..." Chen Jiahui was saying when Qiao Xingyue, who was handing firewood to the stove, vomited.
Chen Jia Hui quickly patted her back. The telegram said the men from both the Chen and Xie families were going to be sentenced to prison, and it was pretty much confirmed. Chen Jia Hui missed her father, thinking about how he was already so old and yet had to suffer imprisonment, wondering if he would live to see the day they returned to the city. She also thought about how Xie Zhongming wasn't by her side when Xing Yue was pregnant with An An and Ning Ning. Now that she was pregnant with her second child, Xie Zhongming was still not by her side, and he was going to jail. Thinking about how sad everyone would be to hear this news, her heart ached.
Xingyue was clever and saw through her lie at a glance. She couldn't keep up the lie, so she had no choice but to tell Qiao Xingyue the truth.
Qiao Xingyue was silent for a while, her gaze sweeping from near to far across the starry sky. She took a deep breath, and then the light in her eyes gradually returned, becoming incredibly firm. "Jiahui, didn't they just say there might be a possibility of being sentenced to prison, but it's not finalized yet? Who knows, maybe one day we'll see Xie Zhongming and his brothers, my father-in-law, and your father all coming to the Tuanjie Brigade to do labor reform with us. Nothing will happen to us!"
Chen Jiahui did not answer.
She couldn't answer either.
Qiao Xingyue's gaze grew even more resolute. She patted Chen Jiahui's shoulder in return, comforting her, "Don't worry, don't fret about things that aren't settled yet. Look on the bright side, your father, my father-in-law, and the Xie brothers haven't really committed treason, so how could they possibly be sentenced? They definitely won't."
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