Chapter 76
Grandpa Han was also stunned when he suddenly heard this long-lost name.
Nie Bai's expression was obviously very excited. He walked quickly to Grandpa Han, his eyes constantly wandering over him.
"How come you are here? It's been so many years, and you are still as strong as before!"
Grandpa Han looked at Nie Bai in confusion. He didn't remember who Nie Bai was at all, but from what he said, he seemed to have met him a long time ago. After a second of silence, Grandpa Han laughed heartily, "I can't do it anymore. I'm getting older every day. You haven't changed much!"
Nie Bai chuckled twice and scratched his head like a big child. "When I first met you, I was still a new recruit. Now I have not only been promoted, but also married. It's a pity that my wife didn't come this time, otherwise I could have let her meet you."
Chu Jiujiu listened for a while and asked curiously, "Uncle Nie, how did you get to know Grandpa Han?"
Nie Bai turned his head and said, "In my second year in the army, Minister Han was going to Shanxi for a meeting. The army selected several strong men to escort Minister Han, and I was one of them."
Good job.
Thanks to Chu Jiujiu, he finally knew who Nie Bai was.
Grandpa Han used to be in a high position and had someone to protect him wherever he went. Not to mention, when he went to Shanxi, Grandpa Han had some impression that among the PLA soldiers who protected him, there was one who was particularly simple and honest. Unlike the others, he did not dare to speak when he saw the leader. Grandpa Han chatted with the other person for a long time on the train. After getting off the train, he even invited the other person to his home as a guest. However, Nie Bai never came later, and gradually, Grandpa Han forgot about this person.
No longer needing to pretend, Grandpa Han relaxed completely. He asked kindly, "You must be Captain Nie who came to the village yesterday. I see you've been transferred to the Southwest Army. That's great, that's great. The Southwest is a great place, too."
Nie Bai continued to laugh. When someone flattered him, according to the rules, he should flatter them back. However, looking at the glaring and huge words "Cowshed" in front of him, Nie Bai really couldn't flatter them. He could only sigh, "It seems that you are not having a good time now."
Grandpa Han was cheerful. "It's not that serious. Let's go home and talk about it."
It was inappropriate to talk while standing outside, so the group came to the Han family's small house. There were more and more people in the house. At first, there were only three members of the Han family. Later, Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu were added, making it five. Later, Wen Xiuwei was added, making it six. Then Nie Bai and Comrade Xiao Xie followed in, and the house suddenly became a house version of Wuling Zhiguang.
You never know how many people can fit in a small room.
…
Five or six people were already crowded enough, but now it had become seven or eight. Soon, Chu Shao couldn't stand it anymore and was the first to leave. Chu Jiujiu listened to what they were saying for a while, but she didn't understand what they were saying, because it was all about things related to the capital, so she ran away too. Comrade Xiao Xie was a big kid, playful and wanted to go out and walk around more. Wen Xiuwei didn't want to listen to others talking about private matters. Besides, it was almost noon, and she had to go back to make lunch.
Before long, only the three members of the Han family and Nie Bai were left in the room. Without outsiders and children, Nie Bai could speak more freely.
As for Han Shengyi, Nie Bai didn't know what was wrong with him. He knew that Han Shengyi was not very old, but he just felt that there was no need to treat him like a child.
"...Many families have suffered, the Chu family being a prime example. Our political commissar, Chu Shao's father, couldn't come in person this time. It's because the old commander is in such poor health. I originally thought that as the director of a garment factory there, his treatment wouldn't be too bad. Who knew that in the Northwest environment, the factory staff would actually let the old commander wash the newly distributed coarse cloth in the winter? Now the old commander's hands and feet are covered in frostbite, and his health is getting worse day by day. The political commissar also won't let me tell Chu Shao, because he thinks it's useless for Chu Shao to hear it, and it will only make him feel bad."
Grandpa Han listened and sighed, "Comparatively, we old couple are much luckier. Shengyi follows us and helps us a lot. And the two children of the Chu family are kind-hearted. If it weren't for these children supporting us, we wouldn't be able to live a normal life."
Nie Bai was transferred in the early 1960s. He didn't know so many things happened in the capital. He always thought that Minister Han was a clean and honest person with good interpersonal relationships. He was not involved in things like military power and should be able to stay out of trouble. He never expected that even he would become like this.
Looking at Han Shengyi standing beside him, Nie Bai wanted to ask how the other members of the Han family were doing, such as Grandpa Han's two sons. However, he didn't dare to ask, for he was afraid that the other party would give an extremely sad answer.
After sitting at the Han family for a while, Grandma Han wanted to keep him here for lunch, but not long after, Chu Jiujiu ran over and told him to go back to eat. Nie Bai took the opportunity to stand up and chatted with Grandpa Han and Grandma Han for a long time before walking out the door.
For lunch, we had cornmeal steamed bread, and the side dishes included Jiangnan stir-fries, pickled beans, twice-cooked pork, and cabbage and tofu soup cooked with lard.
It was a very simple home-cooked dish with a very delicious taste. While eating, Nie Bai kept praising Wen Xiuwei's cooking skills. Chu Jiujiu felt proud to hear that and picked up several pieces of food for Nie Bai with her chopsticks.
After lunch, the group prepared to head up the mountain together. Chu Jiujiu, once at the top, began to run wildly. Wen Xiuwei sometimes couldn't keep up, so Han Shengyi had to chase. They ran at top speed. Comrade Xiao Xie, receiving Nie Bai's "play it safe" instruction, also quickened his pace, following the group ahead. Chu Shao and Nie Bai were the only ones trudging along at a leisurely pace.
It just so happened that Nie Bai had a few words to say to Chu Shao.
The ground beneath his feet was not hard. It was covered with many layers of fallen leaves, and underneath them was moss, forming a natural carpet. Every step Nie Bai took felt soft and soft, as if he were about to fall. He looked at the road and said in a low voice, "Your father couldn't come this time because he really had no choice. If he knew what happened here, he would come to see you no matter what. But you also know that the army has strict discipline and soldiers are not allowed to leave without permission. The only opportunity to go out was given by your father to your grandfather. He didn't know what was happening here at the time, and your grandfather's condition was so bad, so he had no choice but to go see him first."
Chu Shao also lowered his head. He hummed, "I know. I don't blame him. He did the right thing. If it were me, I would also go to see Grandpa first."
Seeing Chu Shao being so understanding, Nie Bai felt less pressured. He grinned, "Don't worry, you're the most important thing to your father. He sends you money every month, and whenever he gets something nice, he thinks of you first. It's just his age. At this age, with elderly parents and young children to take care of, there are always things he can't take care of properly."
Chu Shao raised his head and looked at Nie Bai. "I really don't blame him. As long as he doesn't go to see my grandma, he can go to whoever he wants."
"Hey," Nie Bai feigned anger, "You kid, you still hold a grudge."
After he finished speaking, he laughed out loud. "You think your dad is a rat who can forget about the biggest things as soon as he puts his claws down. You don't have to worry about these things. Your dad will never forget them even more than you."
After Nie Bai finished speaking, feeling relieved, he stopped talking and instead looked at his surroundings with great interest. Chu Shao looked at the people in front of him who had become a few small black dots. Then, he mentioned to Nie Bai, "Uncle Nie, everyone here thinks Jiujiu is my biological sister. Don't let it slip when you tell them."
Nie Bai was surprised, "My real sister? Why do you say that?"
Chu Shao: "The situation was so difficult at the time. If I hadn't said she was my biological sister, the villagers wouldn't have let her live here. Besides, we'd been living in the same house for a while. If others knew we weren't siblings, they would definitely gossip about us."
Nie Bai suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly, "That's the truth. Okay, I get it. Don't worry, I didn't mention the matter of Jiujiu when I was talking to others yesterday or today. I won't let you guys know."
Chu Shao curled his lips at him and said, "Thank you, Uncle Nie. When you go back, please tell my father about this. He doesn't know about it yet."
When it comes to ordinary people and ordinary things, Nie Bai's brain is as if non-existent. He doesn't even need to go over it in his mind, he just agrees directly.
After saying everything they needed to say, the two men began to speed up, trying to catch up with the large group in front.
The things on the mountain are still the same. After living here for almost a year, Chu Jiujiu has reached the highest place, which is the place where Zhou Xiaohe had an affair. She usually hangs around below. In fact, there is the most food below. The higher you go, the narrower the road becomes, and the plants on both sides will also change. If it is winter, you can walk to the top more and maybe pick up some pine cones.
As usual, we pick mushrooms and fruits, and if we come across edible animals, we try to catch them.
They had gone up the mountain today purely to let Nie Bai experience life. Today wasn't a good day for climbing, and since it was already afternoon, there weren't many mushrooms. However, Nie Bai had some luck and came across a hopping mountain rabbit in the woods. Wanting to show off, he went to catch it, and after a long effort, he finally caught the rabbit. But when he picked it up and looked at it, Nie Bai was so angry that he almost fumed.
The rabbit weighed less than a pound and was still a baby rabbit. Seeing this scene, everyone looked at the two girls present. Wen Xiuwei was afraid of rabbits and did not dare to raise one. Chu Jiujiu had stayed in the countryside for a long time. In her eyes, rabbits were not pets, but food.
Once you raise it and develop feelings for it, you can't kill it then. That would be such a waste.
In the end, Nie Bai let the rabbit go. Before leaving, he said a few words to the rabbit, which roughly meant that he hoped it would grow very fat in the future and come back to repay the people who let it go today.
Rabbit: People say no.
…
At four o'clock in the afternoon, everyone descended the mountain with their harvest. While they were there, Chu Jiujiu had mentioned that, aside from a portion of the mushrooms being cooked, the rest would be given to Nie Bai and Comrade Xiao Xie. Arriving at the Chu family's house, Nie Bai felt a sweet sense of distress as he watched them divide up the mushrooms. He wondered how he was going to carry so many home. Then, he saw Wen Xiuwei chopping up an entire basket of mushrooms.
Nie Bai: “…”
It turns out that this is part of the making.
He was a little disappointed and could only look at those red and blue strange-shaped mushrooms. Chu Jiujiu squatted on the ground and used the bamboo sticks that had been sharpened long ago to string all the mushrooms together.
Nie Bai: “…”
You little liars, we agreed to let him take some away!
Fortunately, Nie Bai didn't say anything, otherwise he would have been extremely embarrassed. After a while, he realized that the ones on the ground were to be made into mushroom skewers, to be grilled and eaten tonight, while the ones in the pot were to be made into mushroom sauce, which they would all take away. The meat in the sauce was bought by Chu Shao with the meat coupons he brought yesterday. It was originally intended to be a snack for these children, but in the end, he ate most of it.
Nie Bai felt embarrassed about eating and taking things at the same time. To dispel his concerns, Chu Jiujiu said nonchalantly, "These are nothing. We can make more than 20 yuan selling mushroom sauce once! Now it's not a problem for us to support ourselves!"
Nie Bai's eyes widened once more. He couldn't count how many times he'd been shocked since arriving in Qingzhu Village. Why, why did four children come together to try to make a living, and yet, their lives were more prosperous than those of most adults?
Nie Bai began to doubt his life, and this doubt continued from tonight until tomorrow morning. Even when he called Chu Liqiang, he still couldn't understand it.
Holding the phone, he almost wet Feng Ruyi's receiver.
"Political Commissar, do you know how amazing Chu Shao and the others are? They're not just kids, they're wizards. They're small, but they know a lot. And these kids have started selling their homemade mushroom sauce. They can earn over 20 yuan each time they sell it. My goodness, over 20 yuan! That's an average worker's monthly salary, and they made it in just one day!"
Chu Liqiang's ears hurt from the shock. He held the receiver farther away, rubbed his ears, and then said to him again: "Keep your voice down. It's not a big deal. Why are you so excited?"
Chu Liqiang's tone was quite serious, but in fact, the corners of his mouth were already curled up. Which parent doesn't like to hear others praise their children? They just think that others don't praise them enough or not well enough.
After hearing what Chu Liqiang said, Nie Bai calmed down a little, and then he remembered the real reason for his call.
Speaking of this, Nie Bai's tone also turned serious, "Political Commissar, there is something I need to report to you."
He described what happened when he first arrived, and then he recounted the local situation and the complicated leadership relationships there.
"Political Commissar, even Chu Shao and the others think there's corruption involved in this dam project, but no one in this town has ever brought it up. You know, dams are incredibly important. I'm afraid they've tampered with the dam and are harming the people here. Political Commissar, what do you think I should do?"
Chu Liqiang frowned as he listened. No wonder they could raise scum like Xu Changhe and Xu Jie. It turned out that the upper beam is crooked and the lower beams are crooked.
After a moment of silence, Chu Liqiang said, "Have you mentioned this to anyone else?"
Nie Bai replied: "No, I don't dare to tell anyone casually."
Chu Liqiang: "That's good. Listen to me, don't report it directly. You're an outsider. Even if you report it, the locals won't believe you, and it will put you in danger. I remember Jiujiu often mentioned someone named Aunt Feng in her letters. Her husband seems to be the chief engineer of this dam project. You can see if he knows about it. If he doesn't, tell him about it and see what he plans to do."
Nie Bai was stunned. "He's the chief engineer of the dam project. How could he not know there's a problem with the dam? Political Commissar, this guy must have been involved in the corruption as well!"
Chu Liqiang: "I'm not sure, but I think there shouldn't be. Because last time Jiujiu and the others were in danger, it was this chief engineer who helped. He contacted a director. I forgot his last name, but he wasn't the one in charge of the dam. He wasn't familiar with the person who was actually in charge of the dam, so maybe he really didn't know."
Nie Bai frowned, "But he is the chief engineer, how could he not know about this?"
Chu Liqiang: "You ask me, I don't know either. You try it first. If his way doesn't work, then go to the local military district and speak directly to the highest leader. The mayor might get involved in such a matter, but the military district chief is unlikely to do so, especially in a small place like this where the separation of military and politics is very obvious. However, this is a last resort. Don't expose yourself to others unless it is absolutely necessary."
After hearing this, Nie Bai nodded cautiously.
After hanging up the phone, he felt a mixture of emotions. To be honest, this matter had nothing to do with him. Besides, corruption didn't necessarily lead to serious consequences. With luck, a shoddy project could last for decades.
The problem is that the probability is too high and Nie Bai doesn't dare to gamble.
For something that may or may not happen, Nie Bai is going to offend others, and the final result may very well be a thankless task. He feels that his life is too difficult.
But no matter how many times he complained in his heart, he still had to do what he had to do. He was a soldier, and he couldn't just say nothing when he knew there were hidden dangers here.
Coming out of the place where he was making the call, he saw Chu Jiujiu and the others standing in the corridor. So, Nie Bai walked over and asked Chu Jiujiu, "Jiujiu, do you know an aunt named Feng? Where is she? Can you take me to meet her?"
Chu Jiujiu heard this and blinked, then looked to the other side. Not only her, but Chu Shao also did the same. Nie Bai was puzzled, so he looked over and found that the elder sister who had brought him in to make a phone call was standing there.
Feng Ruyi: "If there is no misunderstanding, I should be that Aunt Feng."
Nie Bai: “…”
I was so busy making a phone call that I didn't even notice the other person's last name. Nie Bai smiled awkwardly, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I was so preoccupied with something that I forgot your last name. Uh, this is your office, right?"
Feng Ruyi looked at him quietly, "If not, you wouldn't have been able to get in just now."
Nie Bai: "...Ahem, well, I have something I want to consult you about. Let's go in and talk."
Feng Ruyi didn't like Captain Nie very much, but she went in with him anyway. Chu Jiujiu took a step forward naturally, but was blocked outside the door by him.
"Go, go, go, the kids should go out and play. Chu Shao, take Jiujiu and sit outside for a while. I'll come back to find you after we finish talking."
With a bang, the door closed in front of her. A second later, Chu Jiujiu turned around with wide eyes and questioned Chu Shao: "I'm ten years old, why am I still considered a child? It's not like I can't understand, why don't you let me listen!"
Chu Shao: "You ask me? Didn't you see that I was also locked out?"
Chu Jiujiu: “…”
Well, let’s go out and see if the old lady selling popsicles has set up her stall.
The two children left silently, and the two people inside were still testing each other.
Nie Bai wanted to find out whether Feng Ruyi's husband was involved in corruption, but Feng Ruyi realized that every question he asked was related to Chai Yaozu, and she became extremely alert.
The two practiced Tai Chi for a long time, and in the end, Nie Bai couldn't ask any more questions. He was not a special soldier. The most scheming thing he had done was when he was a new recruit. In order to play a trick on the guy above him, he removed the iron bar beside his bed and made him fall down while he was sleeping, causing him to be seriously injured.
Playing tricks was really not his strong point, so he simply asked directly whether Chai Yaozu knew about the trick on the dam. When Feng Ruyi heard this question, he was stunned.
"What's going on with the dam?"
Nie Bai almost thought she was pretending, "The dam has been under construction for three years, isn't that a trick?"
Feng Ruyi: "The dam took three years to build because there were too few workers. Plus, most of the people involved in the construction were villagers. They didn't know how to build it, so they made a lot of mistakes in the beginning. That's why it took so long."
Nie Bai: "...Are the people in your town deceived by these words?"
Feng Ruyi looked at him with a look of surprise.
Feng Ruyi had a vague feeling something was amiss, but her husband hadn't said anything, and everyone in town was saying the same thing. It was only when Nie Bai pointed it out that Feng Ruyi finally remembered something was amiss. Nie Bai still wasn't sure if Chai Yaozu was clean, but judging by Feng Ruyi's expression, she seemed pretty clear.
So, Nie Bai told Feng Ruyi about the dangers that would occur if something happened to the dam, and emphasized that if there was any problem with the dam, Chai Yaozu would be the first to bear the blame. Perhaps other bad guys could get away with it, but he, no matter whether he was a good guy or a bad guy, would definitely not be able to escape responsibility.
Feng Ruyi was frightened by him and quickly asked for leave from the director of the post office. She wanted to go find Chai Yaozu. Nie Bai couldn't show up, so he went to Chai Yaozu's house first. Before leaving, he told Chu Shao and Chu Jiujiu to go home by themselves and not wait for him.
After talking with Feng Ruyi, Nie Bai realized that Chai Yaozu might actually be unaware of the situation, which made the situation even more bizarre. He had a feeling this was something serious. His emotions were all visible on his face, and seeing him so serious, Chu Jiujiu didn't dare to say a word. Her first reaction was to follow Chu Shao closely and not cause trouble for these adults.
As a child, she could participate in some things, but there were others she avoided as far as possible. It wasn't just age, scheming, or experience, but more importantly, power—she lacked any of these. Therefore, at times like these, her ability to protect herself was the greatest help she could offer the adults.
Chu Shao took Chu Jiujiu home, and Nie Bai waited at Chai Yaozu's house for about half an hour. Then, Chai Yaozu, with a confused look on his face, was forcibly taken back by Feng Ruyi.
Seeing Nie Bai in his home, Chai Yaozu couldn't help but look at Feng Ruyi, "Who is this? Didn't you say your second aunt was sick? Where is your second aunt?"
Feng Ruyi: "My second aunt was buried four years ago, and you're still involved in arranging the funeral, Chai Yaozu, what are you thinking about every day?"
Chai Yaozu: “…”
Nie Bai: “…”
Very good, it seems that this chief engineer is indeed not a corrupt person.
Sitting in Chai Yaozu's home, Nie Bai told Chai Yaozu all his guesses and doubts, just as Chu Liqiang had told him. But Chai Yaozu didn't quite believe it after listening. "I've been working with the workers on the dam. If they cut corners, I should be able to tell."
Nie Bai: "Excuse me, Mr. Chai, please don't think I'm suspicious of you, but I want to ask, before you participated in this dam project, what other projects did you participate in?"
Chai Yaozu was speechless for a moment. "The dam is the first major project I've taken on. Before that, I was responsible for exchanging experiences and revising blueprints."
Nie Bai asked again: "Do you know the difference in ingredients?"
Chai Yaozu nodded immediately, "Of course, this is a required course for our profession."
Nie Bai: "Okay, you know the difference in materials. Now let me ask you, if 50 kilograms of cement were used on this side and 40 kilograms on the other side, and both sides looked the same height and looked equally good, but the 40-kilogram cement was filled with dirt underneath, would you still be able to tell the difference?"
Chai Yaozu was stunned and stopped talking.
Seeing that he understood, Nie Bai stopped talking. There was one thing he couldn't say in front of Chai Yaozu, but he truly felt that Chai Yaozu's position as chief engineer was a lucky find.
He is just an intellectual with no practical experience. From what he said, we can tell that he used to sit in the office and go on various business trips, and never went to the construction site. Moreover, as a chief engineer, he had to ask others to know the progress of the project. He was derelict in his duty, but he did not think he was derelict in his duty and felt that he was doing a good job.
Part of it was because he was deceived by others, and the other part was that his personality was really bad. He was too idealistic. He didn't care about the workers, his colleagues, or the variables after the project started.
Maybe it was because of this that those people chose him as chief engineer.
Coaxing him is like coaxing a fool, so wouldn't it be easier to get the money?
Chai Yaozu really knew nothing about anything other than the blueprints. When he learned that the dam was likely tampered with, he had no idea what to do. After all, it was about to be closed, and if there was really a problem, the entire dam would have to be demolished and rebuilt.
It was Nie Bai who reminded him not to think about it for now, but to tell Director Yang about it first and let him know. It was better for everyone to discuss it together than for him to worry alone.
Director Yang was not surprised at all when he heard about this. It was obvious that he had known about it for a long time. He also went to Chai Yaozu's house and saw that the person who discovered this was Nie Bai, an outsider. Director Yang couldn't help but sigh.
It's not that he didn't want to report it, nor did he not want to arrest Chen Dazhu and other responsible persons. The problem was that he was new in Qingshi Town, and he went to the accounting office to secretly take a look at the project funds, only to find out that those project funds were directly transferred to their Qingshi Town. What does this mean? It means that Chen Dazhu has someone above him!
Director Yang was worried his arm wouldn't be able to twist his thigh. Besides, he'd been fighting alone before, and he'd hinted to Chai Yaozu countless times, but he hadn't noticed. Director Yang had no choice but to pray nothing would happen to the dam. After all, he was the top leader there, and if something did happen, Chai Yaozu wouldn't be able to escape, and neither would he.
The four people discussed for a long time at Chai Yaozu's house, but in the end no one was able to take charge. Finally, Nie Bai called Chu Liqiang again and told him the new news. The latter thought about it for a long time and provided them with a plan.
There was no point in saying anything else. The first thing to do was to determine what had happened to the dam. This was a task Chai Yaozu could handle. He was an expert and could identify the problem better than anyone else. Furthermore, the project was already completed, so he could use this as an excuse to drive Chen Dazhu's men away. Without anyone else witnessing, Chen Dazhu wouldn't notice him when he took measurements.
The second thing was to find strong evidence of corruption. Without it, nothing could be done. We had to know who had embezzled money and how much, and we had to do it quietly, without alerting anyone, lest they become desperate and destroy the evidence. Because Director Yang was the most familiar with this, and he was the only one with the authority to enter and exit these people, he had to handle it.
The most urgent priority is the dam, followed by Chen Dazhu and his people, and finally Chen Dazhu's connections. They should be dealt with in order of importance. As for the last one, unless absolutely necessary, no one should be touched. They are just small-time local leaders, not powerful enough to try to shake a giant tree with a mantis's might.
As for Nie Bai, he also had things to do. Once Chai Yaozu returned with the survey results, Chu Liqiang would call his old boss and have him contact the local military commander directly. Nie Bai's job was to go to the military district and wait. Arresting someone required armed forces, but Qingshi Town had only a few police officers, all of whom were controlled by Chen Dazhu. In all likelihood, the military would have to be called in.
As expected of someone who had spent over a decade in combat, his command abilities were top-notch. Everyone had their own mission, and they followed Chu Liqiang's instructions. Chai Yaozu drove Chen Dazhu's men away, as Xu Changhe had already been sent to a labor camp. The villagers of Xujiawan simply dispersed without him having to chase them away. Chai Yaozu announced that he would personally arrange the joint closure ceremony, working from day to night. While doing so, he knocked on walls, dug up floor tiles, and used a long stick to measure the depth of the ground.
The more he measured, the worse Chai Yaozu's face looked. However, these were actually trivial matters. After carefully seeing the marks on the dam pillars, Chai Yaozu almost fainted.
He went to Director Yang's house overnight, not caring about being discovered by Chen Dazhu. His face was pale as he said, "Originally, one pillar should use 64 steel bars, but there are only 36 inside. And from the sound, it's not pure steel at all!"
Director Yang didn't know much about this. He frowned and asked, "What consequences will it cause if the steel bars are replaced?"
Chai Yaozu: "With fewer steel bars, the supporting force will be weakened. The Qingshi River water has been pushing on the dam day and night. Originally, there were 64 steel bars, and nothing would happen. But now it's only 32. The dam can't withstand the force of the river water and will be washed away sooner or later!"
Director Yang's eyes widened. He asked, "You mean, when there's a flood, this dam will be useless?"
Chai Yaozu shook his head fearfully. "No, it's not that it's completely useless. Even if there's no flood, under this kind of impact, we might not know when, and perhaps before the water level even rises, the dam will suddenly burst, and all the river water we've blocked will rush out. Then, the nearby villages will all suffer, especially Xiaxi Village. There might not even be a dry place left in their village."
Director Yang took a second to realize what he was talking about.
Director Yang stood up in disbelief and looked at him, "You mean, not only can the dam not release the flood, but it will also create floods of its own?!"
Director Yang was extremely shocked. He knew that there was a problem with the dam, but he didn't know the problem was so serious. When he first took on the position of Director of the Qingshi Town Revolutionary Committee, he was quite happy, but he never realized that this position would be so hot.
They thought that as long as the flood did not come, they would still have a chance to make amends. However, they did not know that even if the flood did not come, they would live under the guillotine all the time. This news was so terrible that Director Yang could not sit still for a second. He wanted to turn the accounting office of the Revolutionary Committee upside down. He would not leave any evidence, especially the evidence that could prove his innocence, to Chen Dazhu!
Late at night, Chu Jiujiu and the others had just fallen asleep when they heard whispers coming from next door. Chu Jiujiu opened her eyes and heard the voices of Nie Bai and Comrade Xiao Xie, as well as the footsteps of Chu Shao.
Nie Bai walked in a hurry, and it seemed that he was going to rush to do something urgent. Chu Jiujiu listened for a while, then turned over.
When she turned over, she found that Wen Xiuwei was not asleep either.
Under the moonlight, Chu Jiujiu asked Wen Xiuwei in a low voice, "The town's art troupe will be performing the day after tomorrow. Wen Zhiqing, do you think this dam can be closed?"
Wen Xiuwei rested her head on her arm. She looked at Chu Jiujiu and curled her lips at her. "If we can close the bridge, it's a good thing for us. If we can't close the bridge, it's also a good thing for us. You have to trust Uncle Nie and the others. They will handle this matter. Go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, you can cook with me and wait for Uncle Nie to come back to eat."
Chu Jiujiu blinked gently, said "oh", closed her eyelids, and soon she fell asleep.
However, the next day, Nie Bai did not come back, and the breakfast she made was finally eaten by Chu Shao.
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