As the village head, Li Baotian naturally knew the principle that cultural relics should be handed over.
However, in this kind of matter, the principle is usually that the authorities won't investigate unless the people complain. As long as the matter doesn't escalate too much, the higher-ups won't get involved.
But now, all we've done is dig up a jar of silver coins, so why has it attracted the whole cultural relics bureau?
Almost instantly, he thought of Tiger's family.
Yesterday's jar contained over a thousand silver dollars, enough for every household in Peach Blossom Valley, except for Tiger's family.
Who else but his family could be reported?
After Li Baotian figured this out, he was so angry that he gritted his teeth.
The cultural relics bureau staff urged, "What are you waiting for? Hand over all the silver dollars right now!"
"You, as the village chief, can't break the law!"
Li Baotian suddenly came to his senses and quickly said, "Yes, yes, don't worry, I'll go and inform everyone right away. You guys go to the brigade headquarters and have a cup of tea first. I'll collect the things right away."
The people from the Cultural Relics Bureau shook their heads and said, "Don't bother notifying everyone individually. Just make a shout over the loudspeaker at the brigade headquarters."
"The informant said that everyone in your village received silver dollars. Don't miss anyone. If you hide them and refuse to hand them over, that's against the law!"
After saying that, he added, "He'll go to jail."
Li Baotian shuddered and dared not have any more ulterior motives. He could only smile apologetically and lead these people to the brigade headquarters.
Then he spoke over the loudspeaker.
"Attention, fellow villagers! The jar of silver dollars that Weidong dug up yesterday belongs to the state!"
"Now that the people from the Cultural Relics Bureau have arrived, everyone should hand over their share of the silver dollars. No one is allowed to keep any for themselves."
"The people are waiting here at the brigade headquarters, they'll be here soon!"
A bespectacled staff member from the cultural relics bureau chimed in, "It's illegal to possess cultural relics privately. Don't do anything foolish."
A few words were broadcast through the loudspeaker throughout the entire Peach Blossom Valley.
The village was immediately in an uproar.
"What's going on? Why do we suddenly have to hand it in?"
"Why are people from the Cultural Relics Bureau here?"
"The things were buried on Weidong's land. Weidong allocated them to us, so they belong to us. Why should we hand them over?"
"If I break the law, will I go to jail?"
"How did the people from the cultural relics bureau know that silver coins were unearthed in our village? I was thinking of exchanging them for money to pay my son's tuition!"
People rushed out of their homes and discussed the matter in small groups.
Li Weidong naturally heard these words as well.
Zhao Xiulian was busy in the kitchen when she rushed out and asked, "Weidong, what's going on?"
Li Weidong looked up at the brigade headquarters and sneered, "Nine times out of ten, it was Hu Zi who was jealous and reported this matter. Now the higher-ups have sent people to arrest him!"
"ah?"
Zhao Xiulian was dumbfounded, then frowned: "What... what was he thinking?!"
Those silver dollars were distributed to everyone in the village, and they could have been sold for money immediately. But now they've been reported and are going to be confiscated.
This is something that could offend the entire village!
Li Weidong sneered: "You're so angry you've lost your mind, what else can you think?"
As he spoke, he walked out, saying, "I'm going to check out the brigade headquarters."
Besides the original Yuan Shikai silver dollar, he had three other silver dollars left, which he would hand over together now.
Li Xiaoli and Zhou Xiaoye have already gone to school, thankfully they weren't home.
Otherwise, given Zhou Xiaoye's personality, Tiger's house might have caught fire again.
Zhao Xiulian quickly replied, "I'll go with you too."
The mother and son headed towards the brigade headquarters.
We encountered many villagers along the way.
Everyone was complaining.
After all, who would be happy to hand over the money they've already earned?
As they talked, no one knew who started it, but everyone began to speculate about why the people from the Cultural Relics Bureau knew about this.
Then I guessed that it was because of Tiger's family's report.
After all, this is not hard to guess; the answer can be found with a little thought.
In an instant, everyone became enraged and started cursing Tiger's family, using incredibly offensive language.
Li Weidong listened and couldn't help but shake his head.
Tiger was so angry that he came up with all sorts of terrible ideas.
Now look what's happened. He's offended the entire village, and his family can forget about having a good life from now on.
After everyone arrived at the brigade headquarters, the people from the cultural relics bureau explained the law to them, and then began to collect the silver dollars.
Village chief Li Baotian set an example by being the first to hand over his share of silver dollars, and the remaining villagers, no matter how unwilling, had to hand them over one by one.
After all, they had already said that they knew the whole village had been given silver dollars and that everyone had to hand them over, or they would go to jail.
Although everyone tacitly hid one or two pieces, most of them were still taken away.
As they walked out of the brigade headquarters, they were all dejected and looked extremely sad.
Tiger watched this scene from a distance and sneered.
"Hmph, they were all so arrogant yesterday!"
He muttered to himself, "Now look what's happened, they've all been taken away, let them be arrogant!"
He had no idea that everyone hated him!
...
After the Lantern Festival, everyone got busy again.
There's so much work to be done in the fields!
In previous years, people were often broke after the Lunar New Year and looked miserable most of the time, but this year is different.
Because they followed Li Weidong to grow mushrooms, everyone not only had a prosperous New Year, but also had a lot of money left in their pockets. They could continue to work with Li Weidong in the future, and their lives were full of hope. Everyone had a smile on their face.
Even the pork business has improved considerably.
After all, spring plowing is a necessity, and people need to have some money in their bellies to work well. With money, they certainly can't skimp on themselves.
The entire Peach Blossom Valley was filled with a festive atmosphere of renewal.
Only Tiger's family became universally disliked.
The fact that he reported the silver dollar incident made the whole village hate his family, and no one greeted the family of three wherever they went.
Even the neighbors who used to be on good terms with Wang Dahua now spit at her and turn away.
The family's life was incredibly difficult.
One day, the family was working in the fields when they suddenly saw a plume of black smoke rising from the direction of their house.
Strangely, if there were a fire, someone would definitely shout, but today there was no sound at all. Only the black smoke grew thicker and thicker, and the fire was obviously getting bigger and bigger.
Wang Dahua's heart pounded: "Huzi, could...it be our house that's on fire?"
Tiger was also a little panicked, but he still tried to remain calm: "Impossible, if our house was really on fire, why didn't anyone shout?"
He kept saying that, but he still led the hoe home.
Before I even got home, I could see the fire from afar.
If it wasn't his house, where else could it be?!
Compared to the time Zhou Xiaoye set fire, this fire was much larger, and the entire house was engulfed in flames.
Tiger dropped the hoe from his hand, his face changing drastically: "Help! Fire!"
"Help! Someone, put out the fire!!!"
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