Chapter 064: Family Compound Follow-up
When the three of them sat on the kang, panting, Jiang Mancheng collapsed on the bed, his legs weak and his whole body powerless. He sighed, "Picking up bargains is really tiring but also fun."
Jiang Nan chuckled twice. She dragged her tired body to her feet and went to get some water. She didn't forget to ask Jiang Mancheng, "Dad, what should we do about Zong Renlong? How do we catch him?"
Jiang Mancheng waved his hand. "We definitely can't just show up without a reason. Let's use the old method. Send an anonymous letter quietly at night. With Zong Fengxian's criminal record, Zong Renlong will definitely be taken seriously, and he won't be able to escape. Once he's caught, we'll send the treasure over in a couple of days. You'll see, this old guy won't be honest. He might give up two of the three treasures and keep one as a backup. If we hand it over, it will only make his crime worse. Hahahaha, I'm really too smart."
Jiang Nan drank some water and agreed: "Hey, I thought the same thing."
She put down her cup and poured water for both her parents before whispering, "Do you want to see the box? I think Grandma and the others won't wake up for a while."
Chen Jinhua refused, "Goodbye, let's wash up first. Xiao Huai, Xiao Tong and the others are going to the oil field to register today, so they'll definitely be up soon. Xiao Nan, why don't you go first? Don't you have to go to work? Your dad and I can take them to register."
Jiang Nan shook her head. "It's okay. Xiao Huai and Xiao Tong know what's going on. They'll definitely be up early." She was a little worried. "But we don't have enough bikes. There are only two, and they're not enough to carry everyone."
Chen Jinhua: "Why not? Let Xiaotong sit in front of me and Xiaohuai sit behind you, no problem."
But it was clear that Jiang Huai and Jiang Tong didn't think so. When they pushed open the door and came out, their eyes were full of excitement. After hearing the proposal from their uncle and aunt, although they were happy, they firmly shook their heads and refused.
Jiang Tong said, "Thank you, auntie. However, we have already agreed with Xiaohan, Xiaoze and the others that everyone who can sign up will go together on the oxcart. You have bicycles, so you can go first. We have a lot of people, and we have dad and uncle with us, so we'll be fine."
Jiang Mancheng asked a few more questions after hearing this. Knowing that they had discussed this matter after hearing the recruitment news yesterday, he nodded and said, "Okay, then be careful on the road. Have you prepared the documents that Secretary Tu mentioned yesterday for registration?"
Seeing the two little guys with big dark circles under their eyes but nodding excitedly, Jiang Mancheng gave them a few more instructions before going to the kitchen.
Jiang Nan's body was young after all, so he had already pulled himself together and gone to the kitchen to heat up some steamed bread. The three of them ate and ate, and as they were leaving, Du Hehua had just woken up. She said a few simple goodbyes, then, panting, hurried to the work area, carrying her bag.
There were already people on the village road. A diligent old man was already carrying a hoe and heading to his private plot. He greeted the three members of the Jiang family when he saw them. However, he obviously knew that the three were in a hurry, so he didn't keep them talking for a long time and quickly went his separate ways.
As they passed the Wei family home at the village entrance, they saw the three brothers, up early in the morning, fighting again. These three brothers were truly a love-hate relationship, fighting in the cesspool and at home. Uh, that juxtaposition seemed a bit awkward. Jiang Nan shook his head. Never mind. The three brothers were now completely at odds, and they'd fight whenever they met.
From the sound of their voices, it seemed they were discussing the house and the land. This house was built by their mother, Lamei, and now it's divided among the three brothers. Now that they've each started their own families and have children, it's become a bit crowded. They used to be able to get by, but ever since the incident with the eldest brother Wei sleeping with the second brother Wei's wife, none of the three brothers want to live together.
Yes, the second and third brothers were afraid that the eldest brother would have an affair with their wives again, and the eldest brother, Wei, was even more afraid that the second and third brothers would have an affair with his wife in revenge. Even though he had cheated on the second brother, he didn't want to be cuckolded himself. So, after cleaning the manure pit yesterday, the three brothers started arguing, each demanding money from the other to build them a house.
After a night of no result, they had another argument over cooking early in the morning, with a flurry of punches and kicks, which made the three members of the Jiang family smile with joy.
Families living nearby in the brigade came over one after another and were so happy to see the scene that they didn't even need any vegetables to go with their meal. They could even eat three steamed buns just to enjoy the excitement.
Jiang Nan clicked his tongue, thinking that Wei Lao Er might be seeking revenge for the "kick in the balls" he had received. This time, he kicked Wei Lao Da quickly, fiercely, and accurately, going straight to the vital points and making him curl up on the ground and howl.
Wei Lao Er knelt and howled, stretching his arms out like a Qiong Yao hero, and roared hysterically to the heavens: "Oh, heaven, oh, earth, you have finally opened your eyes, opened your eyes! I have revenged myself, I have finally taken revenge."
Wei Laosan protected his vital parts and stood as far away from Wei Laoer as he could, with a look of fear on his face.
Jiang Mancheng, as usual, sat in the back seat of Chen Jinhua's car. Seeing this, he patted Chen Jinhua on the back and said, "Let's go. Stop watching. These three brothers have become sworn enemies. They probably won't have the time to bother our family anymore."
Jiang Nan knew her father was right, but she was speechless. Why did this man just kick her there? As a woman, she would be too embarrassed to kick her there during a fight. Well, since others have set an example, she can try it later.
After leaving the village, Jiang Mancheng asked, "Xiao Nan, go see how Wu Dachui and the others are doing. Why didn't you hear any movement from the mill?"
Jiang Nan nodded and said quickly, "Wu Dachui woke up first around three o'clock and carried Old Wu away, leaving Widow Qin behind. Widow Qin was still unconscious at the mill because of a miscarriage, but she seems to be fine and the bleeding has stopped."
Chen Jinhua said with a crow's mouth: "Then maybe we can meet someone on the road."
Sure enough, a two-hour bike ride would take at least four or five hours on foot, not to mention Wu Dachui was carrying someone on his back. Halfway through their bike ride, they saw the Wu father and son stumbling forward. Old Wu had already woken up, with a large bump on his forehead, evidently from a heavy fall.
Seeing Jiang Mancheng's family of three, Wu Dachui snorted heavily and turned his head away, pretending not to see anything. Old Wu groaned and was glared at by Wu Dachui. The next words to be said by Old Wu were stuck in his throat and he didn't say them.
Jiang Mancheng clicked his tongue twice and glanced at Wu Dachui's pants meaningfully, which made Wu Dachui's face turn red as if blood was about to drip out and his eyes looked murderous. Only then did Jiang Mancheng smile triumphantly.
Humph, Wu Dachui is still a little naive if he wants to throw dirty water on Jiang Mancheng.
The bike sped away, but not long after, Old Wu began to complain to his son: "Why are you so stubborn? They have two bikes, and if you don't want to ride, I will. I'm your dad at such an old age, and I must be exhausted from walking such a long distance."
"I'd rather die than beg Jiang Mancheng for help," Wu Dachui said viciously. "Bastard! If he hadn't schemed against me, would I have ended up like this? You better be careful in the future and don't let him scheme against you. He's a sinister villain, and I don't know what he's up to."
Although Old Wu hated the Jiang family, he was even more tired. He muttered, "So what! Taking a car is no big deal. I already had a head injury, and now I'm dizzy and have no strength left."
He sat down on the ground, panting, "No, I won't leave unless you carry me on your back."
Wu Dachui was unwilling to do so. He was very tired, after all. He stopped and said unhappily, "I haven't asked you yet. You went to the toilet, didn't you? How did you fall on your head? If you hadn't been gone for so long and didn't come back, I wouldn't have met a ghost."
Old Wu hesitated. He certainly wouldn't say he was attracted by her beauty. He rolled his eyes and insisted with his neck stiff, "The mountain road is so difficult to walk on. Isn't it normal for me to fall?!"
Feeling somewhat guilty, Old Wu relented and said, "Alright, I know you're an unfilial child. If you don't want to carry me, that's fine. But we need to rest for a while before we go."
Wu Dachui had no choice but to sit down and rest. Old Wu asked about the ghost he had seen last night. Seeing his son's story so convincingly, Old Wu began to believe it a little more. As people who had lived through the old society, Old Wu and Wu Dachui both believed in ghosts deep down. It wasn't just them; many people who lived through that era were like this. They said they didn't believe it, but in fact, they had some belief in it.
The two men discussed in a low voice and felt that they had to burn some paper. Humans could not defeat ghosts. If they could not do what they promised and were haunted by the female ghost again, the Wu family would be in trouble.
I planned to secretly burn some paper here, and over there at the old Qiu family, since they were also from Xihe'an, Mrs. Qiu, Qiu Xiangdong, and Qiu Pan'er stayed home overnight. I had planned to leave this morning, but Tian Jiaguang was a man of many concerns. He had suspected something was amiss with his mother-in-law, Tao Meiyu, who had suddenly become pregnant. He thought he might be thinking of staying in the village for a few days to check on the situation.
This is how he coaxed Qiu Pan'er: "Pan'er, I was originally an educated youth. I can't avoid labor just because I'm married. We've just been married these days, and I can't bear to leave you, so I've been lazy and staying in the city for so many days. But you also know that I'm a person who demands progress. We've been married for so long, and I can't live in the city anymore."
He saw that although Qiu Pan'er was sad, there was no disappointment in her eyes. He knew that his personality was still stable, and he felt very proud. He continued, "I won't go back tomorrow. I have to take the initiative to participate in the labor. I'm sorry for you marrying a peasant like me and having to live apart. Don't worry, I will visit you as soon as I have a holiday, okay? Don't worry, my love for you will not diminish in the slightest because of the distance."
Qiu Paner was so foolish that she believed it.
But she believed it, but Qiu Xiangdong didn't.
When Qiu Xiangdong heard that Tian Jiaguang was staying at the Qiu family home on the west bank of the river during dinner, he immediately became alert. His plan had already been implemented, and he would not tolerate interruption. Qiu Xiangdong remained calm, and at night, when his daughters and daughters were asleep, he secretly placed his eldest niece Qiu Shenger's hairpin in Tian Jiaguang's pocket. This hairpin was specially given to Qiu Shenger for the honey trap. Although it was once used by Qiu Paner, it was still a rare and precious item in the countryside.
When Qiu Pan'er woke up in the morning and was sorting Tian Jiaguang's clothes, she stumbled upon the hair flower. She immediately thought of how that nagging girl, Qiu Sheng'er, had seduced Jiaguang before. If Jiaguang had stayed at home, what would happen over time? It's not that she didn't believe in Jiaguang's love for her, but she was worried about how good he was.
Qiu Pan'er was already three months pregnant, and it was time for her to think a lot. With red eyes, she said to Tian Jiaguang coquettishly, "Jiaguang, will you come back with me? I don't care whether you can get a share of food or not. My salary alone is enough to support you. I just got pregnant and I don't want to be separated from you, okay?"
When Tian Jiaguang discovered the hair flower, he knew it was his father-in-law who had done it. He pretended to be distressed, but in his heart he cursed his father-in-law over and over again. However, he did not dare to stay in Xihe'an. His father-in-law dared to do this, and dared to instigate Qiu Pan'er to divorce him when he was not around. He did not hesitate to speculate about others with the greatest malice.
Tian Jiaguang hugged Qiu Pan'er and coaxed her softly, "Okay, Pan'er, don't cry. I'll be heartbroken if you do this. I don't want to embarrass you. If you marry a gigolo, others will laugh at you."
Qiu Paner quickly raised her head and said solemnly, "Jiaguang, I don't allow you to say that about yourself. You're not a gigolo. You're so outstanding, you'll always shine in the future. And I don't care what others say. It's just that you've been wronged. It must be very uncomfortable for others to say that to you, right?"
Tian Jiaguang looked nonchalant. He said, "If you don't care, why should I care about those gossips? As long as you trust me, I'm not afraid of anything. Okay, pack up your things. I won't live in Xihe'an anymore. Let's go back to the oil field together, okay?"
Qiu Pan'er was touched by the scumbag's trickery. Another person who was deceived by the scumbag was Cheng Meijuan. Cheng's father had always disapproved of their marriage. Just kidding, he wasn't so shameless as to become an in-law with a woman he had slept with before. Fang Nanshan had no choice but to finally make up his mind. The matter was settled, and he didn't believe that Cheng's father would continue to stubbornly disagree.
Fang Nanshan's plan was to trick Cheng Meijuan into going to the mountains to collect local products while a movie was playing. After all, movies were available in the oil fields, so there was no time to miss watching movies. Mountain products were rare, and after such a rare opportunity, he couldn't go back empty-handed. Then, while there were few people around, he'd offer some coaxing, hoping Cheng Meijuan wouldn't take the bait.
However, plans didn't change quickly. Unexpectedly, despite the bustling West Riverbank that day, Cheng Meijuan was nauseated by the sight of a manure pit and kept vomiting. Fang Nanshan was delighted, feeling that God was helping him. He immediately asked with concern, "Meijuan, why don't we find a place to rest? You look so pale and you've vomited again. If you don't rest well, how will your body bear it?"
Cheng Meijuan felt deeply guilty. She said, "Nanshan, it's all my fault for going out to see the excitement for no reason. But this is West River Bank, and we don't know anyone in the village. Where can we go to rest?"
Fang Nanshan looked confident. He said, "Don't worry. Every village has a mill, a cowshed, a dilapidated house, and the like. Let's look for them. You go in there and rest for a while. I'll go find someone to buy some food. I'm going to make sure you have some food. You look pale. Did you vomit all your breakfast?"
Cheng Meijuan's cheeks flushed slightly, and she complimented him, "Nanshan, you know so much and are so kind to me."
Fang Nanshan smiled dotingly: "You are my revolutionary comrade. If I don't treat you well, who should I treat well? Well, let's go look for him. If we meet him, we can exchange things with him first. Otherwise, I am worried about you staying in the house alone."
These words made Cheng Meijuan feel even sweeter.
In this way, the two of them walked back and happened to meet an uncle that Cheng Meijuan knew. Seeing that Cheng Meijuan looked pale, the uncle gave the roujiamo he brought to Cheng Meijuan out of courtesy.
The two of them searched the west bank of the river for a while longer and happened to see the empty little mill. Yes, that little mill. Fang Nanshan's affectionate demeanor, his devotion to her, had completely fooled Cheng Meijuan into thinking she was a fool, and she was now brewing sauce in the mill. That was how Jiang Mancheng and the other two had smelled something wrong in the mill.
Afterwards, Cheng Meijuan was a little apprehensive, but Fang Nanshan's insistence on marrying her instantly made her determined to marry Fang Nanshan. The two of them packed their clothes, watched a movie in the afternoon, and then followed the crowd back to their workstation.
However, after returning home, Cheng Meijuan's determination to marry Fang Nanshan became even stronger, and Cheng's father was unable to stop her. Fang Nanshan had a backup plan. If that didn't work, he would release his mother, Sun Qiaolian, and let her talk to Cheng's father. His daughter was already her son's, so who else could she marry if not his son?
But Jiang Nan didn't know all this yet. She had so much going on yesterday that she hadn't had time to care about her neighbors. So, she just got home, put down her things, washed her face, and hurried off to work.
Today was Monday, and she wasn't like her father, Jiang Mancheng, who had a thick skin and the nerve to ask for leave on Monday. Neither did Chen Jinhua, so of the three of them, only Jiang Mancheng took his time, slowly making his way to the office building, to ask for leave.
The police station was still very busy early in the morning. The matter of the exploration team losing their work certificates had not been fully investigated. Zhou Zhixing and the members of Group 6 reviewed the case in the office as soon as they arrived, discussing what details had been missed.
Lan Qingshan and Shen Mingguang cheerfully interrupted the four people's discussion. Director Shen Mingguang said, "The Anmenzi case has been completed and officially transferred to the court. I'm here to commend Comrade Jiang Nan and Comrade Zhou Zhixing. If they hadn't caught them in the act, we don't know when this cancer could be eradicated. The station has decided to reward them each with ten industrial coupons. We hope they will continue to work hard and contribute to the security of the oil field."
At that time, industrial coupons were almost always issued in line with wages, meaning one industrial coupon was issued for every twenty yuan of wages. For example, Jiang Nan, who earned thirty yuan a month, only had one and a half industrial coupons. Now, he had ten of them at once, and he was overjoyed.
Industrial coupons have many uses. Many daily necessities, such as soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, washbasins, cups, etc., require industrial coupons to buy. When Zhou Zhixing heard about the reward of industrial coupons, even he smiled.
The other two people in Group 6 were even more proud of it. After the two directors left, Zhou Zhixing handed two of the industrial coupons to Jiang Nan and said with a smile, "I remember your flashlight batteries ran out. Here, is it enough?"
Jiang Nan was delighted, but said modestly, "The successful solution to the secret door case is a testament to our abilities. How can I accept your reward?"
Zhou Zhixing thought Comrade Jiang Nan was quite vain and wanted to be praised. He said seriously, "The Secret Door case was entirely thanks to your alertness. If you hadn't suggested going back and making a surprise attack, we wouldn't have caught them red-handed. In fact, the reward should be larger. I just contributed, so the credit still goes to you."
Jiang Nan's heart was filled with joy, so she stopped being polite with Zhou Zhixing. She happily took it and said, "Captain, please don't say that. Hehe, that's enough. Batteries won't cost many industrial coupons. I'll go buy some at noon."
Wen Qiang and Zou Li made faces and made strange noises, but Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were too thick-skinned to blush.
After spending the whole morning reviewing the case and dealing with a trivial dispute, it was soon time to get off work at noon.
They went to the department store to buy batteries before riding back to their family compound. It was rush hour, and people were cooking and chatting in the compound.
Old Lady Sui held her head high, her face beaming with joy. Upon seeing Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, she deliberately said loudly, "Even if I don't reveal the exam questions, my Xiaoqiang will definitely pass. Just wait and see, my grandson will be a leader in the future."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing exchanged a glance and decided to ignore the man. Their lives were going smoothly now, and arguing with everyone would be a real hassle. Just live your own life and let others say whatever they want.
But the two of them didn't take it seriously, but then Old Lady Liu spoke up, her voice shrill and sarcastic: "Come on, everyone knows what kind of character your Xiaoqiang is. It would be a miracle if he could pass the exam."
Mrs. Sui didn't get angry after hearing this. She held her chin high with a look of pride on her face. She said, "What do you know? My Xiaoqiang will definitely pass this exam. If your Gaigai fails, don't cry."
Old Lady Liu spitted, "My Gaigai is a serious high school graduate, unlike your Xiaoqiang who just graduated by idling away his time. Don't try to cause trouble here. I'm not Cao Chuncao. I'm putting up with you for the sake of the safety of the people in the building. If you keep yelling, well, wait, I, Liu Daya, am not going to take it easy."
Old Lady Sui snorted and didn't dare to provoke Old Lady Liu again. This old woman really dared to take action, but she didn't back down. She kept emphasizing that her Xiaoqiang would definitely pass the exam. Old Lady Liu was jealous, which caused other uncles and aunts to start blaming her.
Jiang Nan locked the car, and suddenly something flashed through her mind, but it was too fast and she didn't catch it. She stood there in a daze, forgetting what to do for a moment.
Zhou Zhixing was halfway through his walk when he felt something was wrong. He turned around and asked, "Xiao Nan, what's wrong with you? Why are you daydreaming?"
Jiang Nan came back to his senses, walked over and said, "Nothing, I just felt like I suddenly forgot something. It's okay, let's go."
Zhou Zhixing shrugged. As they left the old man and his wife and went upstairs, he asked, "Do you think there's something wrong with their conversation? Especially Old Lady Sui?"
Jiang Nan suddenly felt an epiphany, and she exclaimed, "Yes, it's Old Lady Sui."
She was overjoyed. This was her idea, she hadn't asked the system. She looked around and whispered, "Come to my house for lunch and let's discuss it. I have a feeling we may have a clue about the work permit case."
Zhou Zhixing smiled and said, "Great minds think alike. Wait, I'll tell grandma and uncle."
Jiang Nan nodded, and the two quickly separated.
Jiang Mancheng had always been the one cooking for the Jiang family, and today, to be lazy, he'd even taken a day off from work, leaving lunch already prepared. Jiang Mancheng took his day off, but then took another nap, waking up around ten o'clock. Now, he was as energetic as ever. To make cooking easier in the future, he bought a pound of meat and made a meat sauce, which would be easy to mix with noodles or rice, or dip in steamed buns.
This sauce was learned from a young eunuch in the imperial kitchen in the previous life. It was not a secret recipe, just a few extra ingredients were added. The aroma spread from ten miles away. Jiang Nan could smell it as soon as he reached the corridor on the fourth floor before he even got home.
At this time, little Liu Geology was squatting on the ground, drooling profusely, and Cheng Gaigai couldn't stop him from drooling. The little guy was still eating steamed buns to savor the smell, and kept shouting, "It smells good, sister, it smells good."
Cheng Dazhu is a chef, but he can't create this flavor. Every time Jiang Mancheng makes meat sauce, he has to test it a little. Seeing Jiang Nan coming, he turned around and walked towards Jiang Nan: "Xiao Nan, your father's cooking skills are really amazing. Did he add cardamom? I can smell it, it's definitely cardamom. And there are also small shrimps, right?"
Jiang Nan raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "Uncle Cheng, you have a really good nose. Nothing can be hidden from you, a great chef."
Cheng Dazhu chuckled twice, feeling proud. Jiang Mancheng was trying to hide it from him. Humph, little brat, he figured it out. He said, "Okay, Xiaonan, go home and have dinner. You're not busy today, are you?"
Jiang Nan: "I'm not busy, Uncle Cheng. See you later."
After closing the door, Jiang Mancheng sneered, "Little guy, you think my Xiaonan is stupid? This secret recipe of mine is priceless. You think you can just take it for free? No way!"
Jiang Nan washed his hands. "Alright, Dad. Zhou Zhixing is coming for lunch. Is there enough noodles?"
Jiang Mancheng was dissatisfied: "He can't bring his own food? It's good enough to give him meat sauce."
Chen Jinhua pushed the door open and nodded at Jiang Mancheng. "Alright, stop the flowery talk. When does Xiaoxing come here without bringing any food? The monthly supply is only so much, and Xiaoxing is not ignorant."
Jiang Nan made a face at Jiang Mancheng, giggled, and washed her face. Soon, Zhou Zhixing came over with a bowl of mixed grain rice and a portion of pickled peppers. "Aunt Chen, Uncle Jiang, these are the peppers my grandma pickled. She asked me to bring them over for you to try."
Jiang Mancheng nodded reservedly, but the corners of his mouth curled up. It was simply because this was one of his favorite pickles.
Almost every family in the building has a specialty dish. Jiang Mancheng, for example, specializes in this meat sauce. Dazhuzi of the Cheng family is a master chef, and nearly every dish he makes is delicious. Sun Qiaolian, despite her many tricks, makes the best steamed buns, soft and fluffy, always wowing everyone right out of the pot. And Cao Chuncao's specialty is pickled chili peppers. It's actually not that difficult; it's just a matter of mixing some ingredients in water to make pickled chili peppers. The secret lies in the water. Jiang Mancheng really loves this dish; he loves spicy food, so his meat sauce is spicy, too.
The four of them quickly sat down to eat together. Jiang Nan then explained why she had invited Zhou Zhixing over. She shared her earlier speculation: "Could someone be selling the exam questions? Otherwise, why is Grandma Sui so sure Xiaoqiang will pass? His son Sui Qiang's grades weren't very good before, so his chances of passing this time aren't very high."
Zhou Zhixing nodded. "I think so too. The exploration team's work permits were lost earlier. They were probably trying to gain trust. They probably wanted to steal Engineer Chen's permit the most, but the old man was alert, so they didn't have the chance. That's why they stole the others'."
Jiang Mancheng: "That's right. Recruiting is a big deal. Parents are willing to spend any amount of money to get their children employed. You'd better change into casual clothes and go around the residential compounds to see who else has said similar things besides Aunt Sui. Then, question them individually, and I think that will be enough."
Jiang Nan happily ate noodles: "Hey, there's finally some progress in the case."
She was so proud of herself because she was the one who solved the case without relying on the system.
The four members of the Jiang family were also very happy, some eating noodles while others eating rice.
After work that afternoon, Zhou Zhixing approached Lan Qingshan and told him about everyone's speculation from noon. Lan Qingshan's face turned grave, and he said, "If that's the case, we need to inform the operations department's leadership. This matter could be serious or minor. If it gets out of hand, the oilfield workers will be very upset. It's best to have a response before it gets out of hand."
Zhou Zhixing nodded, knowing that Lan and Shen would handle the communication with the Operations Office leaders. He didn't say anything more, simply changed into casual clothes, and went to investigate the various neighborhoods with Team 6. Sure enough, they found six more elderly women and men, all of whom had made similar statements, claiming that their grandchildren would definitely pass the exam.
Before leaving get off work, Shen and Lan also brought news that the person who made the test questions in the Operations Department had already gone on a business trip, and was accompanied by three public security officers throughout the trip, so it was impossible for the test questions to be leaked.
This confirmed it was a scam. To prevent further complications, the Lan Division dispatched Teams 3 and 5 to assist Team 6 in visiting the various family housing compounds and bringing individuals to the police station to assist in the investigation. Soon, the police station was occupied by seven elderly men and women, including Aunt Sui, and their families.
It was so noisy, comparable to a duck farm.
When Old Lady Sui was taken to the interrogation room, she screamed even louder. She pointed at Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing and cursed, "Are you using public power to settle personal grudges? Okay, it's a new era now, and the police can still persecute innocent people. Are there still laws? It's just a little quarrel, and you arrested someone. Where are the police station leaders? I'm going to sue Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing for knowingly breaking the law and persecuting me. God, please help me."
Lan Qingshan kept a stern face throughout the whole process. He watched the whole process of Old Lady Sui throwing a tantrum. He said, "If you are still so excited, you can continue to make a scene. But after that, we will still question you. You can't get away with it by crying. Now, make a scene if you want. No one is allowed to interfere."
After saying this, he just looked at Old Lady Sui, as if it would be a huge sin if she didn't make a fuss.
You have to remember, Lan Qingshan had been on the battlefield before. His imposing aura frightened Old Lady Sui to the point of her teeth chattering. She lowered her head, trembling as she asked Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, "Why are you arresting me? I haven't done anything illegal. You can't wrongly accuse me."
Seeing that she was finally willing to calm down and talk properly, Lan Qingshan snorted coldly and turned away.
After the others left, Jiang Nan spoke up, "Grandma Sui, you've seen this too. The police station is not the place for a scene. And let me be clear, we're not arresting you. We're asking you to assist with the investigation. I hope you won't try to hide anything. Tell us everything you know. If you lie or deliberately conceal anything, the police station will hold you accountable."
Seeing that Old Lady Sui seemed frightened, Jiang Nan asked coldly, "When you met Zhou Zhixing and me this afternoon, you kept emphasizing that Sui Qiang would be accepted in this job exam. Why? Can you explain it?"
Hearing the question, Mrs. Sui's eyes were obviously flustered for a moment. She quickly lowered her head to hide her fear and stammered. She said, "I...my Xiaoqiang is a good student, so it's not surprising that he passed the exam. You...you should not make such false accusations."
"Oh." Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow. "What are you accusing me of?"
"No...nothing. My Xiaoqiang will definitely get in based on his own ability. Why are you asking so many questions?" Old Mrs. Sui lowered her head and twirled her fingers, not daring to look Jiang Nan in the eye.
Zhou Zhixing snorted coldly and threatened her, "Do you know that if you get caught cheating on such an important exam, you'll never be able to work as an oil worker again? Are you so sure Sui Qiang won't be caught? You better think it through."
Mrs. Sui heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this. She cheered herself up and said, "What do you mean by cheating? My Xiaoqiang would never cheat in an exam. He's a good student, so he'll definitely get in based on his own abilities."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing exchanged a glance. Jiang Nan smiled and continued, "Oh, Sui Qiang is a good student? As far as I know, Sui Qiang's grades were always at the bottom of the class in high school. If it weren't for his teacher's leniency, he might not have even graduated. I'm not the only one who knows this; almost every family in No. 1 Courtyard knows it. And yet, you dare say he's a good student?"
Old Mrs. Sui was furious. She said, "Even...even so, Xiaoqiang doesn't forget to study after graduation, right? Anyway, Xiaoqiang won't cheat in the exam, so just let me go."
Zhou Zhixing laughed heartily. He said, "Oh, you didn't cheat in the exam room, so you cheated before the exam? Let me guess. You asked Xiaonan before if she knew the exam questions. Did you get the exam questions from somewhere else? Did you buy them? How much did they cost?"
Mrs. Sui panicked. She said anxiously, "Nonsense, I didn't buy the test questions. I don't know what you are talking about. We didn't cheat, we didn't cheat."
At this time, an officer in police uniform pushed the door open and whispered something to Zhou Zhixing. Zhou Zhixing nodded. The officer looked at Old Lady Sui sarcastically, closed the door and went out.
Zhou Zhixing knocked on the table and said, "You know what my colleague just said? He said that all the other people who bought the exam papers have been hired. They spent fifty yuan on one copy, which is really not cheap."
"What, fifty?!" Old Mrs. Sui was excited. She screamed, "Isn't it eighty? Who did they buy it from? That idiot, actually..."
At this point, seeing the two people's playful eyes, Mrs. Sui immediately realized that it was over, she had been tricked. She quickly covered her mouth and shook her head: "No, I didn't buy it, I never bought it."
Zhou Zhixing slammed the table and said coldly, "Confession is treated leniently, resistance is treated severely. Grandma Sui, you have to think carefully. If you don't confess, others will. By then, the people who sold the exam questions will be arrested, and you won't be able to gain any merit. Not only will you not gain any merit, you might even end up in jail! It doesn't matter if you go to jail, but your Xiaoqiang has a grandmother who's in jail. He might not even be able to take the exam. You have to think carefully."
Hearing this, Mrs. Sui's shoulders completely slumped. She said weakly, "I'll tell you everything."
She swallowed hard and continued, "It was my Xiaoqiang. When he was playing outside, he heard someone say they knew the test questions, so he asked around. But it wasn't Xiaoqiang who wanted to buy it. It was my husband and I. We thought that if Xiaoqiang could find out, then maybe others could too. If everyone else bought it, wouldn't we pass the exam if we didn't? So we gritted our teeth, found the person Xiaoqiang mentioned, and bought a test paper."
She emphasized: "It was all my and the old man's idea. It has nothing to do with Xiaoqiang. Don't wrongly accuse our Xiaoqiang."
Jiang Nan scoffed inwardly, feeling that this old lady truly loved her grandson like her life. She asked, "Okay, tell me about the guy selling the exam papers. What does he look like? Where does he live? Who else did you see when you went to buy the exam papers?"
Seeing that Old Lady Sui's eyes were not honest, Jiang Nan said sternly, "Don't try to hide it. We have invited many people here this time. If you don't say it, there will be people who will tell you. Grandma Sui, you don't want to be the last one to speak, right? Then all your credit will be gone."
Only then did Old Lady Sui calm down completely. She was still thinking about telling a lie. After all, who knew how long the sentence would be for that group of people, and whether they would retaliate against her after they were released. When she bought the test papers, she saw three people, each of them tall and strong, and looked scary.
The subsequent questioning went much more quickly, and by around nine o'clock that evening, all seven elderly men and women had confessed. The police station lobby was filled with people, including the elderly men and women's families and leaders from the operations department.
The leader was a very serious-looking woman, about thirty-five years old, with a shaggy haircut. She was wearing a women's Mao suit and a pen tucked into her breast pocket. She emphasized with a serious face, "The person who wrote the questions for this exam has been sent on a business trip out of town since writing them, and won't be back until the exams are over. He'll be accompanied by police officers the entire time, and there will be no leaks. The exam questions you bought are all fake. They're scammers trying to get you out of money."
She glanced at everyone with a cold expression, causing them to lower their heads. She continued, "This recruitment exam is based on fairness and justice. Secretary Tu has already said that there will be absolutely no favoritism or fraud. Everyone should trust the leadership of the Operations Department and not fall into the trap of fraudsters for personal gain. Think about it, everyone: is there such a thing as a free lunch? Do traps fall from the sky? Since ancient times, has anyone who sold exam questions before an exam ever ended up well?"
She emphasized again, "Everyone must reflect on their actions when we return this time. Each employee must write a 3,000-word self-criticism and submit it to the factory office the day after tomorrow. It must be thorough."
Jiang Nan listened and sighed, "This woman is worthy of being a leader. She talked so much that she almost fell asleep." But tonight was destined to be a late night. The old man and the old woman had to go out and handle some paperwork. Team 6, where Zhou Zhixing was, didn't care about that. They had already found out the residence of the person who sold the test questions and were ready to arrest him.
Because it involved a major matter like recruitment, the arrest operation was led by Chief Shen himself. Lan Qingshan, and twelve field police officers from Groups 3, 5 and 6 all participated. Because there were so many people and not enough sidecar motorcycles, everyone rode their own bicycles.
There were four suspects in total, three of whom were strong, well-built men, while the third was a bit frail, wore glasses, and had the air of a cultured person. It was this appearance that helped them deceive the elderly couple, and it seems this person must be the leader of the group. The four lived in the southeast corner of the fiberglass residential complex. According to the elderly couple, they were probably renting the house, as they had never seen them at the site before. However, their work badges were from the exploration team, so the elderly couple thought it was understandable that they had never seen them before, as exploration teams travel a lot.
They surrounded the house's doors and windows, quickly breaking in under the cover of darkness. The four were still sound asleep when they were apprehended. They'd been so lucky recently; they'd never imagined the oilfield folks were so wealthy. Everyone was rushing to buy the fifty-one copies of the exam, and even after raising the price to eighty, the demand didn't drop. They'd already sold forty or fifty copies, making nearly three thousand yuan. The four were so horrified they'd wake up laughing in their dreams. They hadn't expected to wake up before they'd even woken up.
The case was very simple. The four guys didn't even struggle. When they were caught, they honestly confessed to the crime.
But it was also because the four of them were young and inexperienced, otherwise it would not have been so smooth.
They were from the nearby town of Hazelnut, and had overheard about the oilfield recruitment, which sparked their impromptu plan to make a fortune selling exam questions. The four first targeted Chen Wanli, a member of the exploration team, but despite his age, the old man was incredibly cautious, making it impossible for them to get close, so they moved on to others.
It must be heaven's help. The oil field was actually showing a movie on the west bank of the river! Wouldn't it be much easier for them to act when there were more people around?! That time they had asked the middle-aged bald man for water was exactly what they had planned. The woman and child were the sister and nephew of one of them. It just happened to be the night before the movie, so the village was packed, making their move so easy.
The exam papers they later sold were actually stolen from a county high school. Unexpectedly, after seeing their work IDs, everyone bought them without asking any questions! They were also surprised. I never expected that elderly people could be so easily deceived.
At midnight, the entire case was interrogated and everyone at the police station returned home exhausted.
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