Chapter 33
Zhang Guangyi still kept his head down and said nothing, which made the captain so angry that he wanted to hit him.
Qin Sa scolded, "Zhang Guangyi, do you still want to hide it at this juncture? If you hand over all the stolen goods, you can get lenient treatment. If we find them, the situation will be different.
Don't be complacent. If your wife dares to use stolen goods, she will be considered an accomplice and will be arrested."
Zhang Guangyi's expression changed slightly, but he still lowered his head and said nothing.
I look like I'm not going to say anything and you can do whatever you want to me.
The captain was so anxious that he kept spinning in circles: "Zhang Guangyi, Zhang Guangyi, you are so confused!"
He was so angry that he punched Zhang Guangyi several times on the back.
At this moment, the director of women's affairs came over with Meng Danniu.
Meng Daniu's eyes turned red from crying, and she almost fainted after learning about the situation:
"Zhang Guangyi, you have become a thief yourself, and you have already made us mother and son lose face. Do you want to make us three people unable to live?"
Zhang Guangyi no longer remained silent and quickly explained:
"Wife, I don't have any."
"Then what are you doing? Where are the remaining things!"
Zhang Guangyi looked at her belly, turned his eyes away with difficulty, gritted his teeth and said to Qin Sa:
"Comrade Public Security, please arrest me quickly. I admit that I did all this and it has nothing to do with anyone else. I accept the beating and punishment, please don't implicate my family."
"Zhang Guangyi!" Meng Danniu yelled loudly.
Zhang Guangyi turned his head away and said, "Wife, I am sorry for you three. I was possessed by evil spirits. It is all my fault. Please stop talking and let the government punish me."
As he spoke, he ran towards Qin Sa, asking Qin Sa to take him away quickly, as if he didn't want to see his wife.
Meng Daniu suddenly covered her stomach and said, "My stomach hurts so much..."
"Wife, what happened to you? Is it the child?" Zhang Guangyi ran back quickly and asked for help from the captain and others.
"Uncle, aunt, please help me send the girl to the hospital. She is pregnant again and nothing can happen to her."
Meng Daniu looked at him straight in the eye: "Zhang Guangyi, can you please do some good deeds for the baby in your belly?"
Zhang Guangyi hugged Meng Danniu and was speechless for a long time.
Meng Daniu thought of something, "Is it my brother? Did he let you shoulder all this, and the rest is with him?"
"Wife, stop guessing." Zhang Guangyi was so anxious that he pushed Meng Danniu to the director of women's affairs.
Meng Da Niu still looked at him: "Didn't my mother and grandmother also tell me that if something happens, I must go to the front to bear the brunt of the situation?"
"Nothing..."
"Is that so?" Meng Danniu yelled until her voice broke.
Zhang Guangyi denied it, but Meng Danniu understood it.
She ran directly to Qin Sa and said, "Comrade Public Security, this matter must be related to my brother. Those things must be with my brother."
Zhang Guangyi was immediately anxious when he saw this, "Girl, what are you doing?"
Meng Da Niu looked at him with tears in her eyes: "Zhang Guangyi, how can you be so cruel? I just started to live a good life, and now you are pushing me into the fire pit. Do you believe that as soon as you went in, my brother and my grandmother would marry me off, no, they would sell me to an old bachelor who would never marry a ghost?"
Zhang Guangyi was stunned.
"How, how is it possible..."
"How do you think I ended up in the water? It was all my brother's fault, but he wasn't after you. He did this to sell me for a good price, even though he knew I couldn't swim. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be alive."
Zhang Guangyi was stunned and couldn't believe what he heard.
It was true that he had been eyeing Meng Da Nv for a long time, but he also knew his own situation and did not even dare to think about proposing marriage.
Therefore, I would often run to the next brigade to secretly watch Meng Danniu from time to time. I never thought about what I was going to do. I just felt happy when I saw her.
Who knew that something like this would happen that day? He didn't think much about it at the time and just ran over to save the person.
There was indeed more than just him at the scene at that time. There was also an educated youth from the Huangzipo Brigade.
Could it be that Meng Jinming wanted to design this educated youth at that time?
Zhang Guangyi still had some impression of the situation of that educated youth, because that youth's family was well-off, he was neatly dressed without a single patch, he had two pens in his chest pocket, and he wore an expensive Plum watch on his wrist. One could tell at a glance that he came from a good family.
Now that educated youth has returned to the city. It is said that his family used their connections to allow him to train in the countryside for a few years and then transferred him back.
"How, how could this happen? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Over the years, Zhang Guangyi has always felt guilty and always did whatever his wife said.
Although I don't have parents or brothers, I still treat my wife's family as my own.
Because he did have some bad intentions at the time, and he deliberately acted more intimately when rescuing her.
Otherwise, there is no need to sacrifice one's life to save someone, and people will not be encouraged to stand up for what is right in the future.
The Meng family has brought up this matter many times over the years, and he has no way to refute it.
"What can I say?" Meng Danniu smiled bitterly. She also found out about it later by accident.
When she heard her brother complain to her grandmother and mother that Zhang Guangyi was too poor, she thought that if he hadn't been so nosy, she would have followed the educated youth to the city and been arranged to be a worker. There would be no need for her to live such a hard life in the countryside.
For the first time, Meng Danniu faced her family's plots against her.
Her respected grandmother and mother not only did not blame her, but also expressed deep regret.
If it weren't for the captain of Goutoushan who helped Zhang Guangyi to find a wife and promised to pay ten yuan for the bride price, Meng Danniu would not have been married off so easily even if her reputation was ruined.
All this made Meng Danniu re-evaluate her natal family. Are they worth her efforts?
So she began to focus on her own small family.
At first, she felt very wronged when she was forced to marry Zhang Guangyi. After all, with Zhang Guangyi's reputation, which decent girl would be willing to marry him?
There is no one at home, and when I have children in the future, there will be no one to help me.
But only after I got married did I realize that life could be lived this way.
In fact, Meng Danniu has always known that she is not liked by her family, so she has been particularly diligent since she was a child and is busy every day, hoping that her family will see that she is a good person and praise her.
She originally had two younger sisters, but they were drowned when they were born, so she is several years older than Meng Jinming.
People in her family often talk about this, saying that she was lucky to be alive, otherwise she would be like her two younger sisters.
Meng Danniu was deeply moved by this. Country girls start discussing marriage when they are in their teens, and are basically married off at the age of 18, but her family kept her for several years and never mentioned marriage.
She never mentioned it, thinking about doing more for the family so that she would not be unable to take care of it after she got married.
She also wanted to take care of her younger sister for a few more years. Her younger sister didn't want to leave at first, but she felt so sorry for such a small child that she forced her family to let her stay.
She raised her younger sister by herself, and no one else in the family had any involvement with her.
After Meng Danniu married Zhang Guangyi, he treated her family as his own family and was very filial to them, which touched him deeply.
After getting married, Zhang Guangyi no longer did those foolish things and went to work honestly every day.
She soon had a child, and Zhang Guangyi paid special attention to her, wishing he could pick all the stars in the sky for her.
She secretly asked him what would happen if this baby was a girl?
Zhang Guangyi said that boys and girls are the same, they are all his own children, so what can he do? Of course he should spoil them the same.
Meng Danniu dared to say that there were few old men in the village like her husband, who not only worked hard outside, but also did the housework as long as he had time.
He also took care of the child the whole time. During the confinement period, Meng Danniu only had to eat, drink and sleep. She didn't have to take care of the child at all, as Zhang Guangyi was the one who took care of it all.
She had always thought that it was God's will that made her life better and better, but she never expected that something like this would happen again, which brought her to the bottom of her heart.
The couple told each other about their past, leaving Tang Qingqing stunned.
She whispered, "I didn't expect Zhang Guangyi to be so nice to his wife."
"That's it?" Zhai Hongyi said with contempt.
"Isn't that enough?"
Tang Qingqing stared. She had never seen anyone more considerate than Zhang Guangyi.
No matter how powerful Zhao Dahua is in front of her, she dares not say a word in front of her man.
Tang Jianjun is a lazy and arrogant person. Whenever he is wronged outside, he takes it out on his wife and children and never gets involved in family matters.
Uncle Tang Jianguo is in better condition, but he himself is disabled and needs someone to take care of him, so he can't do much.
Tang Qingqing heard about other men from the aunts and sisters-in-law, and they were all complaining.
Basically, it's nothing more than those points. Standing on the side of my mother-in-law, I am the boss at home.
Zhai Hongyi sneered, "If he really cares about his wife and children, he shouldn't do this. He has never thought about what will happen to his wife and children if he goes to jail? Now he wants to hide it and take all the responsibility. He thinks he can't spend the rest of his life in jail."
It was rare to hear such a long list of comments from Zhai Hongyi. Tang Qingqing thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed the case.
"But it seems that he didn't say anything in order to protect his wife's family."
Zhai Hongyi sneered again, and Tang Qingqing looked up at him.
"The man who is not clear-headed deserves his misfortune."
Tang Qingqing felt that his words were too harsh, but Zhang Guangyi was indeed confused in this matter.
Meng Daniu wiped away her tears, grabbed Zhang Guangyi's hand and said:
"Guangyi, we are a family. This is my home. If you are gone, my children and I will be homeless."
Hearing this, Zhang Guangyi couldn't hold back any longer and started crying too.
The captain sighed, turned his head away, and ultimately didn't say anything unpleasant.
有那心軟的，一邊覺得活該，誰讓腦子不清楚犯事，一邊又覺得可憐。
過了一會，張廣義把眼淚一抹，跟秦飒主動交代：
“公安同志，這件事不管起因啥樣，我确實做錯了。那些東西我都沒敢拿回家，我知道我媳婦肯定是不會答應的，我也不想讓孩子知道他有這麽一個爹，所以才藏到了這裏。”
“剩下的東西，我知道孟金明藏在哪裏，我帶你們去找。”
張廣義願意主動交代，這就再好不過了，否則他們還得加派人手去找。
孟金明這麽篤定，肯定是藏在什麽隐秘地方。
那些物品和錢都是能存放時間很長的，可以等風聲過去再拿出來。
追不回全部贓物，也就意味着他們的工作做得不到位。
張廣義扛下所有，這家人窮得叮當響，罰都罰不出啥。
秦飒态度也變得軟和：“早這樣不就好了，好好改造，争取早點回來。”
張廣義低着頭，十分地不好受。
孟大妞态度堅定：“這事是誰幹的就是誰，你要真是那主要搞事的人，我也認了，以後我會監督你好好改造。可你要不是，你就得說清楚，甭管是誰你都不能替他扛責任。”
“媳婦兒……”
“廣義，咱們都是沒父母兄弟緣的人，咱們得認。”孟大妞哽咽道。
張廣義從孟大妞眼眸中看到了決絕，身上的枷鎖也逐漸消失。
秦飒将張廣義帶走前，大隊長拍拍他的肩膀：“有這樣的好媳婦，你小子要惜福啊。”
唐青青一路上興致都不太高，原本以為就是個簡單的盜竊案，沒想到背後還有這樣的一個故事，讓人很是唏噓。
對比兩家态度，唐青青更傾向于是孟金明主導的一切。
而且她也不是憑空瞎猜的，按照屋子裏的腳印分布，出手将值班員砸暈的人，更大概率是孟金明。
當然也不排除張廣義指使孟金明，可依照兩家的調查來看，這種可能性不大。
張廣義特別尊重和喜歡自己的妻子，對待妻子娘家人恐怕也是客客氣氣的。
而且依照兩邊村民的反映，也證實了這一點。
張廣義不僅對妻子好，對妻子娘家那邊也是多有照拂，經常跑過去幫忙做事。
事實也證明了，孟金明确實一直在撒謊。
一開始還信誓旦旦說自己要是小偷，就一頭撞死，可現在剩下的贓物也從孟家附近一個地洞裏挖出來了，也沒見孟金明要去死。
他還在那做戲叫冤枉，把所有責任都推給了張廣義，要不是這一路上将兩人分開，孟金明能一路把張廣義給罵死。
從兩個人的相處模式上看，明顯孟金明是踩在張廣義的頭上的。
不管兩人誰是主犯，肯定都是要被罰的。
他們自作自受，就是苦了孟大妞和孩子們了。
好不容易有安生日子，現在又變成這個樣子。
如果張廣義沒理會妻子娘家人，小兩口自己過着小日子，他們一家人現在肯定開開心心準備過年呢。
等到大年三十的時候，孟大妞說起自己又懷孕的事，那場面得多溫馨。
“怎麽了？”
翟弘毅扯了扯唐青青的帽子。
“人心真複雜啊，有的人可真會做戲啊。”唐青青感嘆道。
翟弘毅笑了起來：“我還以為你早就知道了。”
唐青青一聽就明白了，這不是指她家也一團亂麻呢。
說來也是，唐青青也沒聽過比他們家情況更複雜的了，甚至還牽扯到怪力亂神。
唐青青現在認為唐珍珍還真有可能被換魂了，要不然怎麽變化那麽大？
她都能在墓碑上看到‘天書’了，唐珍珍換了魂也沒啥奇怪的。
“可是看別人還是不一樣的。”
一行人回到公社時，天已經暗了下來。
秦飒讓唐青青和翟弘毅直接去食堂，不需要等她。
唐青青：“飒姐，我要不幫你打兩個饅頭吧？”
秦飒擺擺手：“我要吃的時候自己會去食堂的，你們別管我了，趕緊去吧。今天辛苦你們了，得好好吃一頓。”
說完也不管他們，風風火火地就進去了。
她是負責這個案子的，審訊的時候肯定得到場。
唐青青無奈，只能跟翟弘毅一塊去食堂吃飯。
李大廚看到他們，樂呵呵打招呼：“丫頭，怎麽耷拉着個臉？案子沒破？沒事，不着急，慢慢來。沒破的案子多了去了，你看這裏坐的，身上都有好幾個案子沒破呢。”
正在吃飯的公安們，聽到這話飯都快吃不下了。
“老李，吃飯的時候你就不能說點好聽的，聽你這話，再好的廚藝我吃得都跟嚼蠟似的。”
“李大廚啊，你是不是嫌棄我們吃得多，故意這種時候埋汰我們呢。”
李大廚哈哈笑起來：“沒錯，就是嫌棄你們一個賽一個能吃。”
幾個公安氣得惡狠狠咬了一口白面饅頭。
“我們是絕對不會讓你的奸計得逞的！”
被這麽一打岔，唐青青臉上終于露出了笑容。
“叔，你這次可猜錯了，案子破了。”
“案子破了怎麽還這表情，你看那幾個沒破案的，笑得多開心啊。”
那幾個公安氣憤不已，“老李，夠了啊，我們的忍耐是有限度的。”
“你廚房裏的鹽再多，也不能往我們心口上撒啊！”
李大廚沒理會他們，笑着對唐青青道：
“肯定是背後的故事讓你不舒坦了吧？別在意，看多聽多也就那回事。你看那幾個別看現在嘻嘻哈哈的，以前剛來的時候，辦個案子回來就跟死了……就跟飯菜裏的肉被人偷了還要難過。”
那幾個公安這下沒回怼，也出聲安慰道。
“李大廚今天說了這麽多屁話，就這話還像點樣子。”
“小姑娘，幹這一行得學會想開着點，甭把自己給繃太緊了。”
“不管再遺憾，也總比以後事越犯越大來得好，對吧？”
唐青青這下徹底被這你一言我一語地治愈了，等她看到李大廚給她加了好幾塊又大又肥的紅燒肉，更沒有時間想那些糟心事了。
“哇，叔，食堂發財了！今天肉怎麽這麽多啊？”
“快過年了，可不得吃點好的。明天大年三十，還有更好的等着呢，要不你就別回去了，在這裏過年得了。”
唐青青狠狠地心動了，別怪她沒出息，實在是這裏的夥食太誘人了。
一口紅燒肉咬在嘴裏，滿嘴的鮮香湯汁，還有入口即化的口感。
哎喲喂，啥事都被抛到腦後了。
幸福，真是太幸福了！
翟弘毅看到她臉變得這麽快，不禁笑了起來。
吃完晚飯，翟弘毅把唐青青送回了秦飒的宿舍。
秦飒今天晚上注定要忙碌，上個案子還沒徹底結束，下個案子又找上門了，吃飯都是囫囵吞棗。
她也沒空搭理唐青青，直接甩了鑰匙給她就不管了，跟第一次來的細心照顧，簡直判若兩人。
唐青青也不在意，能有個落腳的地方就不錯了，反正她對這裏也很熟悉。
“你早點回去吧，今天謝謝你了，明兒見。”
唐青青原本不用翟弘毅送她的，宿舍距離公安局又不遠。
可翟弘毅執意要送，說是答應了老劉頭，就不會食言。
“明天早上我過來接你，別亂跑。”
“不用這麽麻煩了吧？”
翟弘毅被安排在公安局的值班室裏住下，那裏啥都有，很多公安平時忙得回不了家，都是在那裏過夜的。
“不麻煩。”翟弘毅态度堅決。
唐青青無法，也就沒再拒絕。
等唐青青打開房門，将裏面的燈打開，又走到走廊跟他揮手，翟弘毅這才頂着風雪離開。
唐青青轉身回屋，屋子裏依然整整齊齊的，只是爐子沒燒起來，屋子裏跟冰窟窿一樣。
沒一會，旁邊屋子有了動靜。
陳嫂子走了進來，跟唐青青打招呼。
“陳嫂子好。”
“爐子沒燒起來吧？屋子裏有沒有煤？你過來拿點火，一會就暖和了。”
屋子雖小，卻也是有爐子的，并且裝了排氣口，不擔心晚上燒煤中毒死了。
“陳嫂子，麻煩您了。”
唐青青也沒客氣，自己燒火比較久，用現成的能快點。
“說的哪裏話，應該的。”
陳嫂子不僅拿來了火，還送給唐青青兩個橘子。
唐青青連忙拒絕，大冬天這橘子很是珍貴，是從南邊那千裏迢迢運過來的。
“拿着吧，今年公安局發的福利，我那還有不少呢。你要是早點來，肯定也有你的份。
你要不明天去問問，看發沒發完，要是沒發完你也領一份。大老遠地跑過來，拿點福利不過分。”
唐青青笑笑，也沒說什麽。
回到屋子裏，她下樓把水打好，将燒水壺放在爐子上，一會還能用熱水刷牙洗臉和泡腳。
屋子慢慢暖和起來，唐青青将一個橘子剝開嘗了嘗。
酸甜的味道，讓唐青青幸福地眯了眯眼。
她還是第一次吃到這種南方的橘子呢，在鄉下地方只能吃到本地的水果，而且能吃到的也不多，因為要賣錢，一般吃的都是自己采摘的野果子。
Tang Qingqing skillfully pulled out the cardboard box from under the bed, took out a comic book, and read it while eating.
She knows quite a few words now, so comic books are easier for her to understand and she finds them more exciting.
Tang Qingqing had a very happy night and was so excited that she was not in a hurry to go back.
If it weren't for her master in the village and the people she cared about, Tang Qingqing would definitely have stayed to celebrate the New Year.
Early the next morning, Tang Qingqing climbed out of bed and washed the sheets and quilt covers as she had done before.
She even had the luxury of washing her hands with hot water, so her hands wouldn't get frozen even in the winter.
This year she didn't have to wash a lot of things in cold water like in previous years, and she didn't get any frostbite on her hands.
In previous years, her hands were as swollen as carrots and often itchy.
My aunt used some folk remedies to rub her, but it was of no use.
Because her hands often get cold, just applying medicine is useless.
This year is different. She no longer compromises and acts like "do whatever you want, don't bother me". No one can force her.
Plus, as long as she remembered to apply medicine every day, there was nothing wrong with her hand.
Although I still have some frostbite, it is much better than before.
My aunt said that this was caused by an injury in the past, so it will happen again this year if I don't keep it cool. As long as I take good care of myself in the future, I won't get frostbite again.
Mrs. Chen saw Tang Qingqing busy early in the morning and liked the little girl very much.
After all, who doesn't like well-behaved and sensible people, especially those who live in other people's homes, are not only picky, but also mess up the house. The contrast is too strong.
Just as Mrs. Chen was about to join Tang Qingqing in rolling the sheets and quilt covers, Zhai Hongyi appeared.
He washed his hands and grabbed the bed sheet with his big hands.
He had long arms and legs and was very strong. Tang Qingqing had just squeezed it for a long time and thought there was not much water left. However, he squeezed it lightly and a lot of water fell out, as if he had not squeezed it before.
Tang Qingqing could only admire his strength.
"I think men are more suitable for doing these housework than women. Why do women do it?"
If it were in the countryside, it would be fine. Men have to do physical work to earn money, and women have to take care of the family.
But if it is a dual-employment situation, one of them should work hard while working, so why should the woman do the housework?
Forget about the other things, but washing and other things that require strength are not what men should do.
Tang Qingqing expressed her doubts.
Zhai Hongyi: "There are people waiting for you, why do you need to take action?"
Tang Qingqing was unhappy when she heard this: "If that woman gets a job and still gets married, isn't that asking for trouble?"
"Not all men are like this."
"But isn't it natural for women to serve men?"
This is what Tang Qingqing often heard in the countryside. Every time the aunts and uncles complained about how busy and hard their work was, Tang Qingqing would ask why they couldn't let men help them. They would always say this.
Zhai Hongyi rolled his eyes and said, "In the past, it was natural for the emperor to rule the country. Look at what's happening now."
"That's true..."
"Little girl, you should open your eyes when you get married. Don't be silly and think that marriage means serving others. Love should be equal, not a master-servant relationship... Hey, why am I telling you this, a little girl?"
Zhai Hongyi felt that he must have gone insane because of the stinky feet of a group of men last night.
Zhai Hongyi really didn't sleep well yesterday. No matter how well-dressed those police officers look when they go out, they are extremely sloppy in private.
Not only do people come into the lounge from time to time, but these big guys just lie down directly when they come back, without even washing their feet.
These people are running around outside all day, you can imagine how it feels...
Then they started snoring, one louder than the other.
Zhai Hongyi swore that if he slept in the Public Security Bureau lounge again, he would be a fool.
Thinking of this, Zhai Hongyi twisted the sheets with more strength.
Tang Qingqing quickly spoke up to stop him: "That's enough, that's enough, if you push any harder the sheets will be torn!"
Zhai Hongyi finally came to his senses and put down the sheet in his hand with regret.
It's cold outside, so we can't leave these out in the sun, otherwise they will freeze directly. They will remain hard no matter how long they are exposed to the sun, and will start dripping when we bring them back home, so we can only hang them next to the stove to dry.
Tang Qingqing said something to Mrs. Chen and left with Zhai Hongyi.
The two met Qin Sa in the cafeteria. She had dark circles under her eyes. Unlike the energetic look she showed when handling a case, she looked listless, like a heavy smoker.
Tang Qingqing originally didn't intend to disturb her, but she walked over and sat down next to them, and told them about the theft of the supply and marketing cooperative.
"They all confessed honestly. It was all the brains of Meng Jinming. He knew Zhang Guangyi was capable, so he used his eldest sister and nephew to threaten and lure him. He originally thought that even if he was caught, he could put the blame on Zhang Guangyi. In this way, he could not only conceal the stolen goods, but also sell his sister to an old bachelor."
Qin Sa said this with a look of contempt.
This matter also involved Meng Jinming's grandmother. Without the old woman's instigation, Zhang Guangyi, who was determined to live a stable life, could not commit any crime.
Zhang Guangyi actually did not give the old lady away. It was Meng Jinming who said that because he wanted to shift the blame to the old lady.
"He is such a filial son and a virtuous grandson. Even though he is a man without responsibilities, he is still spoiled by his family. In the early morning, the old lady and his mother came running over, crying and shouting that their grandson and child were innocent and it was all Zhang Guangyi's fault. When the old lady found out that the matter was exposed, she let her daughter-in-law take the blame."
Tang Qingqing: "What was the reaction of that auntie?"
"What can you do? Just admit it. You have a soft personality and are controlled by your mother-in-law. She is also a spoiled son. At first they wanted to put the blame on Meng Xiaomei, but Meng Xiaomei didn't know anything about it and it had nothing to do with her, so they put the blame on Meng's mother."
Qin Sa became angry as he spoke: "What do you think the Public Security Bureau is?"
"Habits are like killing children." An old policeman nearby heard what they said and couldn't help but interrupt.
"Based on the cases I have handled over the years, those who commit crimes are either badly influenced or misguided since childhood. Most criminals come from families with problems, and a few come from good families but are determined to commit suicide.
Alas, raising a child is not easy. If you don’t think it through, don’t have a child, otherwise you might end up raising a child that is harmful.”