Only then did the village chief sit down in his chair, leaning on his cane, and say, "The reason we've gathered everyone here today is not to register the population."
"It's because a thief came from our village!"
The village chief's words caused an uproar, but the noise subsided quickly as they listened to him continue.
The village chief said, "Last night, the factory gate was pried open. Our village not only lost coal, but also incense powder."
When the villagers heard that losing the charcoal they were about to sell and the incense powder they had spent money on was like having their food taken from their bowls, how could they tolerate it?
Everyone became indignant.
"This is outrageous! These belong to the whole village, and they dare to steal them!"
"Everyone got their share of the money from burning charcoal. Who has such a big appetite that they want to use this shady method to make more money?"
"If I catch him, I'll pin him to the ground and give him a good beating."
Ignoring the commotion below, the village chief continued, "However, we now have some useful clues. If he's willing to turn himself in, since we're all from the same village, we might be lenient with him."
Zhang Cuihua whispered from below, "That sounds nice, but all they've done is fail to catch anyone and don't know who it is. They're trying to lure people into a trap. Who would be that stupid!"
Zhang Cuihua's youngest son tugged at his sleeve and said, "Mom, just say less and listen to what the village chief has to say."
Zhang Cuihua naturally listened to her youngest son the most, and immediately shut her mouth and said nothing more.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have separated from her two sons and lived with her younger son.
Zhang Cuihua believed that her son would eventually become the top scholar in the imperial examination and bring her back a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe!
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