Chapter 75
The two men who jumped into the house were Xu Changhe's nephews. They had followed Xu Changhe since they were little, beating one up today and another up tomorrow. They had done everything except murder and arson. Xu Changhe didn't bring as many people with him today, but only a few skilled ones. He was afraid that prying open the door would wake up the people inside, so they chose to jump out the window. Xu Changhe was old and frail, so he naturally couldn't get through. He told his two nephews to open the door first and let them in, then go and knock Chu Jiujiu and Wen Xiuwei unconscious, steal the people and run away, and don't do anything else.
He said this because he knew his nephew's character, but he overestimated his nephew's self-control.
These two nephews, one is greedy for money and the other is lustful. The greedy one didn't make any other moves because it was too dark and he couldn't see what valuable things were in the room. But the lustful one couldn't control his hands when he thought that the person lying on the bed was Wen Xiuwei, the beautiful woman known to everyone in the whole town.
He thought about it and touched it, then went to open the door. In fact, when he touched it, he already felt that the touch was a little bit wrong, but because it was too dark, he couldn't see anything clearly, and because he was sneaking around and was highly excited, he didn't realize that there was a different person on the bed.
Just after he finished saying that to his companion, the next second, his dirty hand was grabbed by another bigger hand, who grabbed him and pulled him towards him vigorously. At the same time, the other party pushed his body hard. The result of this series of actions was that the gangster's arm was completely dislocated.
Heart-piercing pain came from his joints, and he let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered, which immediately woke up everyone in the house and outside. Nie Bai thought he was screaming too loudly, so he picked up a solid object and hit the man on the head. He fainted after just one hit. After he fainted, Nie Bai realized that he was holding the only natural tree root ornament in the Chu family. This was dug up by Chu Jiujiu from the mountain last year. Chu Shao felt that this tree root had no artistic value at all, but Chu Jiujiu liked it, so they put it at the head of the bed as a simple storage rack.
Not only was the tree root heavy, but it also had roots that had not been cleaned off. The tip was almost as sharp as a knife. Nie Bai happened to poke the gangster's head with the tip of the root. The gangster lay on the ground motionless, with blood slowly flowing down the back of his head.
But no one else noticed. After all, besides the gangster, there was another uninvited guest in the house. Nie Bai dealt with the gangster and was about to catch him. Comrade Xiao Xie and Chu Shao had already woken up. Nie Bai twisted the hands of the people under him and told them, "There are still people outside. Go out and chase them. Don't let them get away!"
When Chu Shao and Comrade Xiao Xie heard this, they both ran away immediately, but Chu Shao ran faster than Comrade Xiao Xie because he was not wearing shoes when he got out of bed, while Comrade Xiao Xie not only wore shoes, but also put on his gun very professionally.
In the barracks, his physical fitness was indeed slightly inferior to everyone else's, but that didn't mean he was an unqualified soldier. A true soldier, no matter what, always maintained the best combat awareness. Anyone who would harm the people was an enemy in their eyes.
Comrade Xiao Xie rushed out to catch the enemy. There were actually only two people outside, one young and one old. The young one was Er Mazi and the old one was Xu Changhe. As soon as they heard the noise coming from inside, they were ready to turn around and run away. Seeing their movements, Comrade Xiao Xie shouted, "Don't move! If you move again, I will shoot!"
Xu Changhe was terrified. He was actually carrying a gun, but he felt guilty. Furthermore, he had never expected the Chu family to have several unfamiliar adult men. He was even more frightened when he heard about guns. He thought nothing of running away, and Er Mazi had the same idea. They ran simultaneously down the deserted path, Er Mazi much faster than Xu Changhe. Seeing Er Mazi disappear, Comrade Xiao Xie steeled his heart and pulled the trigger.
He aimed at Ermazi's leg. With a bang, Chu Shao next to him almost had his ears numbed. Rubbing his ears, Chu Shao looked carefully and really wanted to applaud Comrade Xiao Xie.
It was so accurate! He aimed at the leg and hit the leg. The only regret was that he hit Xu Changhe's leg.
…
The gunshots rang out, startling even the neighbors. Er Mazi stumbled when he heard the gunshots, then ran away at the fastest speed he had ever run, pissing and tumbling. Xu Changhe was left behind, holding his injured leg and screaming.
"It hurts so much! It hurts so much!"
The moment they heard the gunshots, the surrounding neighbors thought that another war was about to break out. They stayed at home for a while, and then heard the person shouting outside sound familiar, so they all came out with their clothes on.
Nie Bai tied up the conscious one with a rope, then kicked him out of the Chu family's house with the first kick, and kicked him out of the Chu family's yard with the second kick. As for the one who was still unconscious, Nie Bai grabbed his neck like a chicken and threw him onto the dirt road outside.
The wound on the back of his head wasn't serious; it bled for a while, then stopped. Nie Bai had experience; a single glance told him he wasn't seriously injured, a concussion at most. So, without any psychological burden, he left him next to Xu Changhe.
One fainted, one hugged his legs and cried for his parents, and the other ran away. The only one left, facing the questioning of everyone in Qingzhu Village, wished he could faint too.
Nie Bai: "Tell me! What's your name? What do you want to do here?"
The villagers nearby said, "I know him! He's Xu Changhe's second nephew. Oh, isn't that Xu Changhe on the ground? You guys haven't made any noise these days. I thought you guys had a change of heart, but it turns out you were just trying to take revenge!"
"Right, right, right, PLA comrade, you don't know, these people all have grudges against the Chu family. Their son tried to bully Chu Jiujiu, but ended up getting burned half to death. Xu Changhe snuck into the village this time, he must be here to retaliate!"
Chu Jiujiu didn't hear such a loud noise. When the gunshots rang out, she frowned unconsciously. It was not until she heard noisy voices outside that she opened her eyes in a daze.
Wen Xiuwei beside her had disappeared. Following the threshold, she saw a figure and fire outside. Chu Jiujiu slowly got out of bed. She came to the main room and saw Wen Xiuwei standing motionless by the window.
"Wen Zhiqing, what happened?"
Wen Xiuwei didn't go out. She stayed in the house to watch the situation outside. When she heard Chu Jiujiu wake up, she turned around and said, "Just now, a few people from Xujiawan came over and tried to break into the house. Now they have been caught by Captain Nie. They are fine now."
Chu Jiujiu was rubbing her eyes. When she heard these words, she was stunned for two seconds, and then she came to her senses instantly.
"Xu Changhe and the others are here again?!"
Wen Xiuwei put her arm around her shoulders and asked her to go to the window to look. "He was shot by Comrade Xiao Xie and is now howling on the ground."
A year ago, if something similar had happened, Chu Jiujiu would have had to stand before everyone, shouldering the burden of their family alongside Chu Shao. But a year later, they were no longer homeless children. They had their own home, their own house, and reliable elders and companions. Chu Shao no longer needed to bear the heavy burden of being the only man in the Chu family. And Chu Jiujiu could be like any other child, nestled in a warm embrace, content to hide in the safest place, and quietly wait for the adults to come home.
Nie Bai was also angry when he read the letter, but not as furious as he was now. He was surrounded by people, and he couldn't bring himself to tell anyone about someone touching his butt. Of course, as a grown man, he wasn't afraid of damaging his innocence. Even if he did, others would just treat it as a joke. But he clearly heard the man referring to "this chick," which indicated that his original target was Wen Zhiqing.
brute!
He has a human face, but the appearance underneath is so disgusting that even demons and monsters would despise him!
At midnight, Nie Bai was awakened by his anger. He kicked each of the three men on the ground, then lashed them out twice on the back with his belt. This was his way of disciplining new recruits. In the army, he would kick and hit them with measured intensity, causing pain without actually injuring them. This was the way things were these days, where beating was considered loving and scolding was considered care. His wasn't even corporal punishment. After all, other instructors were even more ruthless, ordering people to carry ice in the winter.
But now, the men under his command were not new recruits, but beasts who would be easy to be shot, so Nie Bai did not spare any strength at all. Just these few blows were enough to make Xu Changhe suffer.
After a long night of tossing and turning, the team leader, who had arrived in the dead of night to escort them to the militia, hadn't yet sent them away when a villager approached from a distance. He was now a minor leader in the commune and maintained regular contact with the town. He had settled on the outskirts of town and hadn't been seen in Qingzhu Village for a long time. He walked back, holding a large flashlight. Upon seeing the situation, his face was filled with astonishment.
"What's going on?"
After hearing the captain's account of the whole situation, he was even more surprised. According to him, he had heard that his third uncle was ill, so he wanted to come back to see him, but he was too busy with work, so he had no time to come now. Looking at the three people on the ground, he asked the captain not to bother so much and to find some militia to take him directly to the commune and then to the town early tomorrow morning.
His appearance was so timely that no one else was suspicious. However, Nie Bai found his expression a bit strange, a feeling that was hard to describe. Most people's eyes weren't that sharp, but those who had served in the military, having undergone a lot of targeted training, were always more sensitive to subtle expressions and body language.
Of course, a rough guy like Nie Bai doesn't understand what micro-expressions are. It's just that after training, his intuition has become sharper. He can tell whether others are pretending or telling the truth at a glance.
Although he didn't understand what was going on, since he was the real leader here, Nie Bai had no choice but to hand the people over to him. Before returning to the house, he reminded him: "A young man just ran away. He is in cahoots with these people. Don't forget to catch him."
The man was stunned for a moment, not understanding who this person was and how he dared to order him around. Someone around him whispered to him that this was Battalion Commander Nie from outside the area. The man immediately changed his attitude and repeatedly promised that he would definitely capture all the people back.
Nie Bai: “…”
The water in this small village is surprisingly deep. Nie Bai shook his head in his heart, then took Comrade Xiao Xie and Chu Shao back.
As soon as he entered the room, Comrade Xiao Xie's expression fell. "Battalion Commander, I fired a bullet. How many reports do I have to write?"
Nie Bai: "Why are you afraid of writing a report? You're doing this to protect the local people and you're doing something righteous. The higher-ups won't bother you. Don't worry, just write 10,000 words, explain what happened, state your stance, and everything will be fine."
Comrade Xiao Xie: "..."
Ten thousand words!
He knew that coming here was a huge mistake!
…
After comforting his attendant, Nie Bai had to go and comfort the remaining children. He was used to getting along with his own children at home, and thought that the two children of the Chu family were just as easily frightened. However, he had just comforted them, and then they comforted him in return.
Chu Jiujiu: "Uncle Nie, don't worry. Xu Changhe is the only leader of Xujiawan. The people in his village have been holding grudges against him for a long time. Now that he's been arrested, the rest of the people will definitely stop causing trouble."
Chu Shao: "That's right. You were too tired yesterday and didn't sleep much. Go back to sleep. I'll stay here. When it gets light, I'll go to the commune and watch them send Xu Changhe to the town. This time, no matter what, I won't let them release Xu Changhe. If anyone wants to protect him, I'll go find Director Yang with Han Shengyi again."
Wen Xiuwei nodded. "Director Yang and Chen Dazhu are in competition, and Xu Changhe is his lackey. Director Yang would definitely be happy to lock him up."
Nie Bai: “…”
No, you are really children?
How come I'm more proficient than him when it comes to talking about these complicated things!
Not only is he more skilled than him, he is also calmer than him, especially Chu Shao. Looking at his expression, it's like he has the whole world in his mind. Is Chu Shao the adult, or is he the adult?
Nie Bai looked dazed, and Comrade Xiao Xie, who was standing beside him, was relieved. He'd been saying it before, how could these kids living on their own be completely incompetent? Captain Nie and Deputy Director Chu were just being too involved, overthinking things. The kids were actually doing just fine.
Comrade Xiao Xie was the most generous. Since there was still time, he went back to sleep. Of the rest of the group, Chu Shao was no longer sleepy. He kept his word and really planned to wait until dawn to go to the commune. Nie Bai felt embarrassed to leave a teenager here and go to sleep alone, so he had to stay up with them. As for Chu Jiujiu, she was taken back by Wen Xiuwei and tucked back into bed.
Everyone else had left, and only Chu Shao and Nie Bai were left in the main room. The atmosphere was very quiet. Looking at Chu Shao, Nie Bai thought it was good this way. With only the two of them there, they could still chat in private.
Nie Bai opened his mouth and was about to call him, then he saw Chu Shao light the oil lamp in the main room, and then took out a thick book from under the eight-immortals table.
Putting the book under the oil lamp, Chu Shao read it intently, completely ignoring Nie Bai's presence.
Nie Bai: “…”
Okay.
…
The sun was rising earlier and earlier in May. Before, it was still dark around 4:00, but now, a little after 4:00, the sky was as bright as if it had flipped a switch. Chu Shao, Nie Bai, and Xiao Xie walked through the dew to the commune. Wen Xiuwei had made breakfast, but she and Chu Jiujiu didn't eat it. Instead, they brought it to Han's house. After sharing it with Han Shengyi, the three of them went to town together, preparing to reunite with Chu Shao and his group there.
The gunshots were so loud yesterday that Han Shengyi naturally heard them. The few of them hurried to the town, but the supply and marketing cooperatives were closed. They sat on the steps beside the main road, three of them sitting in a row. Logically, this was the only way for the commune to enter the city. If the commune sent Xu Changhe and the others here, they should have been able to see them. But after waiting for a long time, they didn't see a familiar face except passers-by.
Half an hour later, Nie Bai and his group came over and saw Chu Jiujiu and his group from afar. Nie Bai said a few words to Chu Shao, then continued to move forward with Comrade Xiao Xie.
Chu Shao walked towards Chu Jiujiu and the others. Chu Jiujiu was stunned for a second when she saw them separate. She quickly ran over and asked, "What's going on? Where is Uncle Nie going?"
Chu Shao: "Last night at midnight, Xu Changhe and the others were just sent to the commune, and then immediately sent to the town. They didn't even stop at the commune. Uncle Nie said he wanted to ask the town leaders and asked us to wait for him here."
Han Shengyi: "Didn't stop for a moment?"
Hearing his question, Chu Shao paused, "I don't know. Even if they stopped, they didn't stay for long. They sent it to the town in the middle of the night. I don't know why they were so anxious."
Wen Xiuwei asked, "Didn't Xu Changhe get shot in the leg? Did they send him to the hospital?"
Chu Jiujiu was overjoyed after hearing this and said, "That's great. Xu Jie lives on the first floor of the hospital, and Xu Changhe lives on the second floor. A family should be together. It would be even better if they could live on the basement floor."
Wen Xiuwei heard this and couldn't help but poke her head, "Don't say such things, it will bring trouble to yourself. Okay, let's wait here, Chu Shao, you didn't have breakfast, are you hungry? I'll buy you a sesame cake."
Chu Shao: "No need, I'll buy it myself."
After saying that, he quickened his pace and walked away.
Chu Jiujiu had only recently discovered that Wen Xiuwei was a bit superstitious, not to a serious degree. However, she felt a pang of fear when it came to certain beliefs, and she didn't want Chu Jiujiu to say anything about them. Actually, it seemed like everyone had some degree of fear, especially the elderly. Chu Jiujiu was afraid of ghosts, but she didn't believe in them at all. She thought Wen Xiuwei was just worrying about nothing, but she didn't dare say it out loud.
Sitting back on the steps, Chu Jiujiu waited boredly for Nie Bai to come out, while Nie Bai and Comrade Xiao Xie searched for a while before they found the Revolutionary Committee building.
I have to say that this building is really magnificent. Even the army doesn’t have such a tall building. Nie Bai could only see it when he was in the capital.
Nie Bai's letter of introduction was a universal pass in this town; no matter where he went, he was always given a green light. After explaining his purpose, Nie Bai wanted to find the local public security chief, but upon hearing about Nie Bai's arrival, Chen Dazhu took the initiative to invite him to his office.
He said to Nie Bai with a pleasant expression, "We don't have many comrades in our local Public Security Bureau, and I've always been the director. Captain Nie is probably asking about Xu Changhe and the others who broke into Qingzhu Village yesterday. I just heard about it this morning. I don't know if you're familiar with this, but I used to be a villager in Qingzhu Village, but I moved out after I started working in town. I never expected something like this to happen in my own village, and I'm more angry than anyone else. So, I just signed a document to have Xu Changhe and those little hooligans sent to a labor camp."
Nie Bai was surprised, "So fast?"
Chen Dazhu chuckled, "Of course, we all serve the people. They've committed such a crime, so how can we wait? Moreover, this matter is related to Captain Nie. Special cases require special treatment. The evidence is already irrefutable. Sending them sooner or later makes no difference, right?"
Nie Bai frowned. "But yesterday, my orderly shot Xu Changhe in the leg. You didn't treat him and sent him to a labor camp. Do you think the comrades at the farm would treat him?"
Chen Dazhu laughed inwardly. Where did this battalion commander come from? He was too naive. The labor camp also treated his illness, but when he got there, the first thing he would do was get a beating. It was unclear whether Xu Changhe could survive that beating.
"Don't worry, criminals are human beings too, and there will always be comrades to treat them. However, as you saw yesterday, his injuries were so serious. We're in a small town here, so whether he can be cured depends on Xu Changhe himself. What if the wound becomes inflamed, or if he's not in good physical condition, then... it's hard to say, don't you agree?"
When Comrade Xiao Xie heard this, he immediately looked at Nie Bai with a somewhat nervous expression. For him, attacking the enemy was no problem, but he had never thought of killing the enemy. Comrade Xiao Xie did not know the whole story, nor did he know how Xu Changhe and the others planned to retaliate against Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu yesterday. So in his eyes, although Xu Changhe was hateful, he did not deserve the death penalty. However, Chen Dazhu's words implied the same meaning: to leave everything to fate.
If Xu Changhe died because of the worsening of his leg injury, then the person who killed him would be Comrade Xiao Xie himself.
Nie Bai's brow furrowed even further. He didn't like the way Chen Dazhu spoke, and even more so, the content of his insinuations. Chen Dazhu assumed Nie Bai was connected to the Chu family, and so he wished Xu Changhe would die immediately. This way, he could get closer to Nie Bai, and perhaps even get to know more important people through Nie Bai.
But he didn't expect that Nie Bai really wanted Xu Changhe to die immediately, but this did not mean that he could accept Chen Dazhu deliberately letting Xu Changhe go on the road with injuries.
Nie Bai was just wondering what to say when Chen Dazhu stood up and asked curiously, "Captain Nie, what is your relationship with Chu Shao from Qingzhu Village?"
Upon hearing this question, Nie Bai immediately became alert, "Why are you asking this?"
Chen Dazhu smiled and said, "Just asking, Chu Shao's mother is Zhang Fengjuan. I also watched her grow up. If you think about it, Chu Shao should call me uncle. Are you... Zhang Fengjuan's friend?"
Nie Bai looked at him and replied, "I've only met my sister-in-law twice, so we can't be considered friends. I used to be a subordinate of Chu Shao's father. Now he's in the headquarters, and I'm in the front-line troops. We're no longer directly superiors."
The term "Headquarters"—that incredibly intimidating title—appeared again. Chen Dazhu, a military illiterate, immediately equated the word "Headquarters" with "Commander." He was practically mad at himself, but on the surface, he had to maintain the composure of a deputy director.
"Oh, I never thought Juanzi would marry such a powerful person. Juanzi is really something. She didn't even tell anyone after she came back. Hahaha, I understand. Juanzi wants to keep a low profile. As for Captain Nie, I wonder... uh, Chu Shao's father, is he planning to come back as well?"
Nie Bai narrowed his eyes and looked at Comrade Xiao Xie next to him. Comrade Xiao Xie touched his nose and hinted to him, "Battalion Commander, this guy bullies the weak and fears the strong. He is very powerful. It's time for you to be bold and take action."
Nie Bai also realized that Chen Dazhu was a villain who fawned on the powerful. You must never show weakness to such a person. You must show your strong side, otherwise he will bully you at any time.
Nie Bai laughed expressionlessly and said, "He doesn't have time, Deputy Director Chen. You have no idea how busy the army is. From the commander to the ordinary soldiers, we can only take one vacation a year. But when you reach a certain level, your family can accompany you. My wife and children live with me in the barracks, but as you know, my sister-in-law is gone, and our political commissar can't take care of the children himself, so he can only send them to foster care in the countryside here."
After hearing so much nonsense, Chen Dazhu only remembered one word, "Political Commissar? Didn't you say headquarters?"
Nie Bai: "It's the headquarters. But when I was the company commander, Chu Shao's father was the political commissar of our regiment. I got used to calling him that, so I always called him the political commissar later."
Chen Dazhu said "oh" and then laughed, "It seems that you have a good relationship with Comrade Chu."
Nie Bai sneered, "You're talking nonsense. If the relationship wasn't good, he could have asked me to come and look after the children for him. Our political commissar didn't come this time because he reported in advance and planned to use his leave this year to go to the Northwest Military Region. Our political commissar's father, well, you wouldn't even know his name. He used to be the commander of the North China Military Region, but now he's been transferred to the Northwest. Sigh, this is the difficulty of being a middleman. He has elderly parents and young children to take care of, and he lost his wife. That's hard enough, and now someone wants to bully his own children. This is really intolerable!"
After Nie Bai said this, he glanced at Comrade Xiao Xie before Chen Dazhu could react. Comrade Xiao Xie nodded secretly to him, indicating that he was right in saying this. Only then did Nie Bai feel relieved and continued to look at Chen Dazhu with his nose up.
Chen Dazhu was stunned by what he said. A father who was an official in the headquarters, and a grandfather who was a commander. How could Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu have such a powerful background? It didn't make sense. With such a powerful background, how could they still live a hard life in the village?
Chen Dazhu is not a fool, he is not so easy to fool, but as long as he can half believe and half doubt, Nie Bai has achieved his goal. What he wants to do is to boost the morale of the two children and let Chen Dazhu know that their children are not easy to bully.
Xu Changhe had already been sent away, and it was useless for Nie Bai to talk about him anymore, so he turned his fire on Xu Jie who was still in the hospital.
"That little bastard, you still let him stay in the hospital?! He's even worse than his father! Since he's no longer in danger of death and his wounds are almost healed, then quickly deal with him according to the rules. Deputy Director Chen, this is exactly why I came here. It's been a month since it happened. We all thought Xu Jie had been locked up. How come you were so efficient when dealing with Xu Changhe, but so inefficient when dealing with Xu Jie?"
Chen Dazhu's face was covered in cold sweat. He kept saying, "I'll take care of it right away. You don't know, Xu Jie's injuries were too severe. We couldn't move him before. Don't worry, since you said so, I'll do it right away!"
Hearing this, Nie Bai was finally satisfied. He swaggered out of the Revolutionary Committee until there was no one else around. Then Nie Bai grinned and said, "Well, my trick of using the power of the tiger to intimidate others was quite effective, wasn't it?"
Comrade Xiao Xie gave him a thumbs-up: "The battalion commander is the best! Alas, this deputy director is so hypocritical. As soon as he heard that you have a commander in your background, he immediately went to do the work. In my hometown, we call people like this lazy donkeys. They have to be whipped before they will move. If not, the things will just pile up there forever and they won't move."
Walking under the green trees, Nie Bai remained noncommittal. "Who said that? He's not the one putting everything off. Xu Changhe, wasn't he sent to the farm? Even a bullet isn't as fast as him."
Having said this, Nie Bai paused, and Comrade Xiao Xie beside him also noticed something was wrong.
"Battalion Commander, isn't it said that Xu Changhe is Deputy Director Chen's lackey? How come Director Yang hasn't made a move yet, but he broke his own lackey first?"
Nie Bai was also puzzled. Since they were not locals, it was really difficult for them to figure out the reason. After finding the children, several children started to explain to him.
Chu Shao: "It's really a dog-eat-dog situation. You don't know, they usually work together in town because they are both responsible for the dam project. Now that the dam is built and is about to be closed, they must have been unable to reach an agreement, or the negotiations broke down, so Chen Dazhu no longer wants Xu Changhe as a subordinate."
Han Shengyi: "It's also possible that after the dam was completed, Chen Dazhu no longer needed Xu Changhe and planned to get rid of him. The dam was built for such a long time, and Chen Dazhu was the one who was in charge the whole time. Xu Changhe must know a lot of things he shouldn't know."
Wen Xiuwei: "Didn't Xu Changhe finally leave because he listened to what Chen Sanzhu said? Then he stayed quiet for such a long time, without making any moves. Until yesterday, when the dam was just built, he came here. To say this is a coincidence, I don't think it's likely."
Chu Jiujiu: "In the final analysis, these two people are not good people! Uncle Nie, you don't know, the dam here has been under construction for two and a half years, almost three years now. The people in Xujiawan have always thought that they can build dams and are considered workers, so they think they are superior to us. Humph, workers, peasants and soldiers, they are obviously the same!"
Nie Bai stared in amazement as the four children helped him fill in the gaps in his memory. He sighed once again, "When you compare yourself to others, you're no match for them."
They are all children, but why do the ones in their family just eat and play every day, while the ones here can see the essence through the phenomenon!
While sighing, Nie Bai also noticed the problems revealed in what they said.
The dam took three full years to build, which is clearly corruption. Moreover, the purpose of building the dam is to improve people's livelihood, prevent floods and irrigate farmland. It is really immoral for them to make money from it.
Nie Bai felt this was a significant matter, but the problem was that he wasn't from this area, and he didn't know anyone there. Even if he wanted to report this, he didn't know who to report it to. Furthermore, he asked the children and learned that the Qingshi River hadn't flooded much in the past decade. Even when it did, it was only minor, affecting Xiaxi Village, the lowest-lying area. Those floods only affected farmland, but the villagers were otherwise unharmed.
Therefore, Nie Bai thought that since nothing had happened in the past ten years, nothing big would happen in the future. Little did he know that those greedy people had the same mentality of taking chances as him.
They felt that Qingshi Town had good feng shui, and the Qingshi River was a spiritual river. While water and fire were ruthless, the Qingshi River was compassionate and never caused anyone to die. So, taking some money from this place wasn't a big deal, right?
Crisis awareness is a very important thing, but most people don't have it without being reminded. Nie Bai still had a lucky mentality when he just returned, but when he really returned to Qingzhu Village, he remembered the year he just joined the army and the flood fighting in Luanhe River.
At that time, Hebei was hit by a flood and the situation was so serious that personnel had to be temporarily transferred from the capital. He sat on a small boat and worked hard with other comrades to rescue the surviving civilians. He never wanted to see that scene again in his life.
Chu Jiujiu said that the joint construction ceremony would be held in three days, so Nie Bai thought about going to the town again tomorrow and calling Chu Liqiang to see what he thought.
It's true that Nie Bai is a rough guy, but he is not reckless. He has a wife and children at home to support. Of course, he can't rashly bring up the matter to certain people. If his interests are affected, Nie Bai doesn't know whether he can return to the army alive.
Back in Qingzhu Village, Chu Jiujiu asked Nie Bai and Xiao Xie to join them in the mountains that afternoon. Nie Bai also wanted to see what the mountains looked like, so he agreed. However, when they reached the team headquarters, an old woman suddenly came over and asked Chu Jiujiu about things in the town.
"Jiujiu, have Xu Changhe and the others been arrested?"
Grandma Han had been following the development of the incident all morning. After a while, she walked out of the house to take a look around. After finally waiting for Chu Jiujiu and the others to come back, she hurried over to ask. Nie Bai was standing aside. He looked at the old lady, then looked in the direction the old lady came out.
Cowshed.
Nie Bai suddenly stood still, motionless.
Unlike the children, he stayed away from the cowshed. Besides being afraid of getting into trouble, he was also a little prejudiced against the people in the cowshed due to the influence of his environment. He always felt that since they were locked up, it meant that they were not so clean either.
No one is perfect. Nie Bai is protective of his own people and is not so friendly to strangers, especially those who are defined as guilty.
However, he did not interfere with Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu getting close to them. After all, Chu Liqiang had told him long ago that it was a few old people in the cowshed who had been taking care of the two children.
Nie Bai planned to wait for them to finish talking before going back. He was determined to remain silent, but he didn't expect to see a familiar face here.
Seeing the energetic old man walking towards him quickly, Nie Bai was shocked: "Minister Han?!"
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