Chapter 125 Chapter 125 Conscience

When Meng Yufei got home, the two children were still asleep. She sat on the bed and looked at her daughter's sleeping face. She couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke her daughter's forehead.

If the child lost today was Qinqin, Meng Yufei couldn't imagine how she would feel.

Fortunately, fortunately Qinqin is fine...

After a busy day, Meng Yufei returned to her familiar home. Her eyelids gradually became heavy. She slowly leaned against Xia Qinqin, and the mother and daughter fell asleep head to head.

When I woke up again, it was already evening. The sky outside the window had darkened and a cool breeze was blowing in the air.

Meng Yufei glanced to the side and saw that the bed was empty. She was startled and subconsciously stood up from the bed. She looked around the room but couldn't find the little figure.

She quickly got up from the bed and walked out of the room. She saw her two children sitting side by side on the sofa in the living room reading a book, and her tense mood suddenly relaxed.

"You are reading books, are you hungry?" Meng Yufei asked softly.

Xia Qinqin turned her head and saw Meng Yufei standing there. A brilliant smile instantly appeared on her face. She said cheerfully, "Mom, you're awake. You've been sleeping for a long time."

She pointed at the candy wrapper on the sofa and said, "Brother Yannan and I have already eaten the candy and biscuits."

Meng Yufei walked to the sofa and sat down, hugging her daughter and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that I accidentally slept for so long. When did you wake up?"

Xia Qinqin leaned on her mother's shoulder and said sweetly, "We woke up very early. I saw that my mother was sleeping soundly, so I came to the living room to read. Brother Yannan got up earlier than me and he was already in the living room."

Meng Yufei kissed her daughter's forehead and said, "Are you hungry? Mommy will go to the cafeteria to get some food."

Xia Qinqin hurriedly recorded her voice and said, "I want to go too!"

In the evening, Xia Junshan sent a little warrior to inform that he would not be back for dinner. Meng Yufei guessed that it might be related to what happened today.

How on earth were Zhou Wenqian and the others found by the army today?

…

In the ward, the comatose Zhou Wenqian finally woke up. She opened her eyes and saw the white ceiling. With the corner of her eye she saw the infusion bottle above her head. She was in a trance for a moment.

She wanted to get up, but as soon as she moved, she felt a sharp pain in her head and she couldn't help but groan.

Zhao Zhengliu, who was sitting on the bed with his eyes narrowed, woke up immediately after hearing the sound. He hurried over and whispered, "Qianqian, you're awake! Don't move yet. The doctor said you have a concussion and need to stay in bed for a few days."

Zhou Wenqian turned her eyes and saw Zhao Zhengliu, who looked anxious and happy. Then her previous memories came to her mind. She asked anxiously, "Children, where are the children?"

"They are all fine." Zhao Zhengliu gently pressed her shoulders to prevent her from getting up, and comforted her, "Don't worry, the doctor has checked their bodies. Except for Yang Yongming's sprained foot, the other children only had small cuts from tree branches. They will be fine after a few days of rest. They have been taken home by their parents, and they are all fine."

Hearing him say this, Zhou Wen Qian breathed a sigh of relief and lay down on the hospital bed with peace of mind.

She glanced at the dark night sky outside the window and asked, "What time is it now? Have Director Tian and his family returned?"

Zhao Zhengliu raised his hand and glanced at his watch, then smiled and said, "It was just eight o'clock. Director Tian and his team came back in the afternoon. The division commander sent a boat to pick them up. No one was injured, and everyone is fine."

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed the corner of the quilt and tucked it around her shoulders, saying softly, "Don't worry so much. Your first priority now is to have a good rest. You must be hungry after not eating for such a long time. I'll go to the cafeteria to get you some food."

As he spoke, he stood up and prepared to go out. Zhou Wen Qian suddenly grabbed his hand. Zhao Zhengliu stopped and looked back with a questioning look.

Zhou Wenqian asked, "Are you injured?"

Hearing that she was asking him, Zhao Zhengliu's mouth corners unconsciously raised, and he shook his head and said: "No, not hurt at all."

Zhou Wenqian noticed that there was a large tear on the corner of his clothes. She raised her hand with great effort, pointed at it and asked, "What's going on?"

Zhao Zhengliu paused, lowered his head and looked at the piece of clothing, his expression suddenly depressed, and said in a hoarse voice: "Old Yan... that is my captain Yan. He was injured while saving me, and the clothes were made to stop his bleeding."

Zhou Wenqian then asked: "Is the injury serious?"

Zhao Zhengliu did not hide the truth from her and said, "I was shot in the left knee. The doctor said that if I take good care of myself, I will be able to walk and exercise normally in the future. It's just that..." At this point, he felt his throat dry and sore, and the words were stuck there, so he said bitterly, "It's just that I can't do high-intensity training anymore..."

For a young soldier, the inability to conduct high-intensity training means the end of his military career.

Zhao Zhengliu had been in the army for many years, and he certainly knew how cruel this was to an ambitious soldier. Moreover, this man was not only injured in order to save himself, but also his subordinates.

Looking back on the leaders he had met along the way, he felt deeply that he was a very poor leader.

"Lao Yan told me a few days ago that he really likes the army and hopes to stay in it forever... I, I'm so sorry for him..."

Zhou Wenqian was silent for a while, then suddenly asked, "From the front line to logistics?"

Zhao Zhengliu's eyes lit up, and he said happily, "Yes, I can transfer to logistics! The logistics of the army are good, the training is easy and the physical fitness requirements are not high, and the military rank and treatment are the same, so I don't have to leave the army."

Then he frowned and said, "However, it is difficult to transfer logistics now. It is usually left to old comrades, intellectuals and..."

Zhou Wenqian looked at him and said, "You have a solution, right?"

Zhao Zhengliu understood what she meant and nodded: "Yes, there is a way. I...I will call home tomorrow. I haven't contacted them for a long time."

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhou Wen Qian. This was the first time Zhao Zhengliu mentioned his home since they came to the island.

Zhou Wenqian looked away and looked out the window, and said softly, "Yeah."

…

In the evening, when Xia Junshan finished his work and returned home, it was already late at night. Every household had turned off the lights, and the entire courtyard was dark and quiet.

He washed up quietly and was surprised when he opened the door to find Meng Yufei sitting on the bed.

"Why aren't you asleep yet? Did I wake you up?" Xia Junshan asked in a low voice.

Meng Yufei shook her head: "I slept a little longer this afternoon, and I couldn't sleep at night."

Xia Junshan walked over to her, hugged her gently, touched her hair, and said distressedly: "You've worked hard today. I heard that you led people up the mountain for a long time. You must be exhausted."

"No, we just walked a little further." Meng Yufei looked up and said, "By the way, how did you find Wen Qian today? Did someone inform you about encountering wild boars in the mountains? Or did you just happen to meet Wen Qian and the others during training there?"

Xia Junshan sat down beside the bed and explained to her: "Our people did not find them on the mountain, but on the sea. They were kidnapped."

"Kidnapping?" Meng Yufei's eyes widened in surprise, and then she thought of the path she had taken today, and said, "They must have boarded the boat from the back of the mountain. I went there today and found a lot of footprints. I thought it was very strange at the time."

Xia Junshan nodded. "We received reports from the public a few days ago that a boat often stops behind the mountain. We suspect someone is poaching wild animals."

"Poaching?"

"Yes, that mountain is shared by several nearby production teams. Only in autumn will the production teams organize people to go up the mountain to hunt. It is illegal to go up the mountain to hunt privately at other times."

Meng Yufei immediately said, "We found a trap on the mountain! Moreover, Director Yang of the textile factory was sent to the hospital because he stepped on a trap."

Xia Junshan said, "This should have been placed there by those people. We received a report a few days ago that someone found a large trap on the mountain. Then we connected it to the ship docked on the back of the mountain, and we guessed that someone was poaching."

Hearing him say this, Meng Yufei was a little surprised: "Then why didn't you call the police?"

Xia Junshan said: "They called the police, but because the ship was sailing on the sea, it was inconvenient for the police to inspect it, so they asked us to intercept and inspect it. Who knew that this time we happened to encounter Zhou Wenqian and others who were kidnapped."

Meng Yufei asked again: "If it was just poaching, then why did they kidnap Wen Qian and the children?"

Xia Junshan said: "Zhou Wenqian and his men happened to see them poaching, so they kidnapped them to prevent their whereabouts from being exposed, hoping to sell them off and make some extra money."

"This, isn't this a human trafficker!" Meng Yufei said angrily.

Xia Junshan shrugged and said, "For these people, there is no difference between stealing animals for money and selling people for money."

Meng Yufei was a little scared: "Luckily you found them, otherwise I don't know how many crimes they would have committed."

Xia Junshan said: "We are currently tracking down the upstream and downstream of these people and animals dealers. This time the military and the police are jointly investigating, and none of these people can escape."

Meng Yufei said, "That's good. I hope they have only sold animals before and never sold people."

Xia Junshan said: "The results of the investigation should be out in a few days, and we will know then." - Of course, this result is only for outsiders to see. As for the woman who committed suicide, it is naturally impossible for her to appear.

"Okay, you're tired after a day, go to sleep." Xia Junshan patted Meng Yufei's shoulder and said softly.

"Yeah, okay." Meng Yufei nodded slightly.

—————

A few days later, the army and police jointly issued a report on the kidnapping and the poaching incident that was uncovered, which was even published in newspapers and on the radio.

Mrs. Zhang has been at home with Fangfang these days, making different kinds of delicious food for her every day, and Fangfang's face has become rounder.

Today, Mrs. Zhang went to the supply and marketing cooperative early in the morning and queued up to buy a pound of pork ribs, intending to come back and make soup. She heard from Aunt Liu that pork ribs stewed in soup is the most nourishing food.

As soon as she entered the family compound, she heard a loudspeaker ringing, as if it was talking about kindergarten children being kidnapped. Mrs. Zhang immediately stopped what she was doing, stood where she was and listened carefully to what was being said.

"Recently, three suspects, Wu, Qian, and Zheng, were arrested for poaching and kidnapping women and children in Jingshan.

The investigation found that the three people had poached and sold wild animals in many mountainous areas of Qiongzhou City since six years ago, making a total profit of more than 10,000 yuan.

Six months ago, the three began to abduct children. In just six months, they abducted six boys and made a profit of more than 1,000 yuan. Currently, the police have successfully rescued all the abducted children...

A few days ago, three suspects were reported by the public. The police and the army worked together to successfully capture them all at sea, and rescued the women and children who were kidnapped on the boat...

During this operation, a PLA comrade was unfortunately injured...

We would like to remind the general public that if you encounter any suspicious persons, please report to the police immediately and be more vigilant and pay attention to safety in your daily life."

Mrs. Zhang was listening to the reports on the radio with hatred. These criminals were so despicable that they would not let any human or animal go!

Fortunately, these people were caught. It would be better if they were all shot!

She was thinking as she walked home, and happened to meet Meng Yufei and Xia Qinqin who were going out for work at the door.

Xia Qinqin greeted her politely: "Aunt Zhang, good morning."

Mrs. Zhang was stunned for a moment before she responded. She smiled and touched her head: "Good morning, Qinqin looks so energetic today."

"Aunt Zhang, can Sister Fangfang go to school today?" Xia Qinqin couldn't help but ask.

Mrs. Zhang said, "In two days, let her go to school, and then you can play together."

Xia Qinqin nodded: "Then I will go play with Sister Fangfang after school."

"Okay, Fangfang likes playing with you." Mrs. Zhang smiled, then looked up at Meng Yufei and asked, "Sister, did you hear what was said on the loudspeaker just now?"

Meng Yufei nodded: "I heard that. Those people are both poachers and traffickers of women, girls and children. They are guilty of multiple crimes. This time, the sentence will definitely not be light."

Mrs. Zhang asked, "Really?"

Meng Yufei nodded: "They are trafficking in human beings and poached animals. The amount involved is huge, so they will definitely not be sentenced lightly. Moreover, they also forged the seal of the aquatic company, which has a bad influence. None of these crimes are minor."

Hearing her say this, Mrs. Zhang agreed: "That's right, the impact is too bad."

"But you said they were pretty good. They could sell wild animals for more than 10,000 yuan! My God, I've never seen that much money in my life."

In this era when the average wage per capita is only a few dozen yuan, more than 10,000 yuan is really a huge sum of money.

Meng Yufei pointed at the ribs in Zhang Dasao's hand and said, "It's not easy for people to eat meat these days. They hunt animals and sell them on the black market. As long as they don't have a ticket, many people will buy them even if the price is a bit expensive."

Mrs. Zhang nodded and said, "That's right. During the holidays, you can't buy meat even if you have tickets. If you calculate it this way, a wild boar must weigh at least 300 kilograms. The supply and marketing cooperative sells pork for 80 cents per kilogram, which means it's more than 200 yuan! If we sell ten of them, that would be 2,000 yuan!"

Mrs. Zhang opened her mouth in astonishment and said with her hands, "There are not only wild boars all year round, but also pheasants and rabbits on the mountain... My goodness, I really didn't know until I calculated it. I was shocked when I calculated it. The loudspeaker said they have been doing it for six years. Now I calculate it, I estimate it is more than 10,000 yuan."

Meng Yufei said: "If there is no such huge money temptation, they will not take the risk of breaking the law. The amount that can be investigated so far is roughly this number. As for how much it is, I think only they themselves know best."

Mrs. Zhang sighed: "People still need to have a conscience. It is not good to lose your conscience for money."

Meng Yufei said: "If you break the law without conscience, you will be punished by law."

Mrs. Zhang nodded and said, "Yes, that's what it means, the devil is so high..."

Meng Yufei smiled and said, "The devil is one foot high, but the Tao is ten feet high."

"Yes, yes, the devil is one foot high, but the Tao is ten feet higher. This little devil can't escape from the palm of King Yan's hand." Mrs. Zhang clapped her hands and laughed.

Meng Yufei smiled and nodded, saying, "Sister-in-law, I have to go to work first. We'll talk later."

Mrs. Zhang waved her hand: "Hey, take care."

Xia Qinqin held Meng Yufei's hand and skipped forward. She looked up and asked, "Mom, those bad guys have been arrested, right?"

"Yes, all the bad guys have been arrested." Meng Yufei nodded.

"When will Teacher Zhou come back? I and the kids in my class miss her very much." Xia Qinqin asked with a frown on her face.

"She will be back when she recovers from her injuries. I will take you to the hospital to see Teacher Zhou tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, okay!"

…

In the hospital ward, Zhao Zhengliu frowned as he looked at the person on the bed, and asked in a puzzled tone: "Why don't you want to stay in the logistics department? Don't you like the army very much and want to stay in the army forever?"

Captain Yan, who was sitting on the hospital bed, turned his head away and said, "That was my previous thought. Now I have changed my mind."

"Why? You don't like the army anymore?" Zhao Zhengliu asked.

"No!" Captain Yan replied immediately. After two seconds of silence, he whispered, "It's a burden for me to stay in the army like this. I don't want to be a burden to everyone."

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Zhao Zhengliu immediately scolded, "What kind of burden is that? We're not asking you to go to the front line to kill the enemy! Your leg doctor said that it won't affect your normal walking life, so it's totally fine for you to stay in the logistics department."

As he said that, he walked over and sat on the chair beside the bed, whispering: "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to sweep the floor and cook. I've asked someone to help, and I'll definitely find you a good job..."

"Captain, that's not what I meant." Captain Yan interrupted him and said firmly, "I have only been in the army for a few years and I haven't even graduated from junior high school. I have neither the qualifications nor the ability to stay in the logistics department."

Zhao Zhengliu said anxiously, "What do you mean by qualifications? If I say you can stay, then you can stay."

Captain Yan looked at Zhao Zhengliu and said sternly, "Battalion Commander, I know you are doing this for my own good. I also want to stay in the army. But I know in my heart that my legs are not suitable for staying in the army. If I force myself to stay, I... I will feel guilty."

He made up his mind and said, "If I have to use some tricks to stay here, I would rather go home and farm. At least I am upright. Otherwise, I will never be able to stand up straight in my life."

Zhao Zhengliu opened his mouth to say something, but seeing the determined look in Captain Yan's eyes, he swallowed his words. After a moment of silence, he stood up and said, "You... you should think about it again. Heal your wounds first."

After saying that, he sighed and left the ward.

Xia Junshan was busy sorting documents in his office. In recent years, the army has had increasingly higher requirements for the cultural level of officers. Especially with the continuous promotion of positions, the importance of knowledge has been increasingly felt.

He now spends his free time reading every day. Last time he went to Hai City, he bought several books in the bookstore and brought them back. Meng's father also gave him a few books to read.

He has made up little by little over the years for the cultural knowledge he lacked in his youth.

Bang bang bang!

There was a knock on the door.

Xia Junshan raised his head and saw Zhao Zhengliu standing at the door with a sad face. He raised his eyebrows and said, "Come in, what's going on?"

After Zhao Zhengliu entered the room, he closed the door casually.

"Please sit down." Xia Junshan pointed to the chair in front of him.

After Zhao Zhengliu sat down, he scratched his head irritably and said, "Captain, go and persuade Lao Yan. I said I would help him transfer to logistics, but he is a stubborn person and is unwilling to do so!"

At this point, he clenched his fists and said, "Why is he so stubborn? He is only a company commander now. What good job can he be assigned after retirement? Staying in the army for a few more years, and then retiring after getting a higher rank, is definitely better than what he is doing now..."

Xia Junshan said, "You know what kind of person he is. He is honest and upright. He will not accept any backdoor offers from you. I think he would rather go home and farm than use his connections to stay here."

Zhao Zheng grabbed his hair in a frivolous manner and said helplessly: "Now I feel that if he was a smooth and selfish person, it would be better, and he wouldn't be so hard-working as he is now. Captain, you don't know that because of this matter, I specifically told my family a lot of things to soften the car, and even made a confession report to my parents for half a day..."

Xia Junshan smiled and said, "If Xiao Yan was really a sly and selfish person, he wouldn't have risked his life to save you, and he wouldn't have let you worry about him."

Zhao Zhengliu choked, sighed, and lay back on the chair, smiling: "That's right... Hey, Captain, you have to think of a way for me. He is also a member of your group, you can't just ignore him."

Xia Junshan threw the document in his hand in front of him and said, "If you want to help him, the best way is to get to the bottom of this matter."

Zhao Zhengliu took the document and asked curiously, "What does it mean?"

Xia Junshan said: "The breakthrough point lies in the woman who committed suicide. If we count based on the case information given to the outside world now, Xiao Yan is a hero who arrested the poaching organization and rescued the abducted women and children. At most, he will get a second-class merit. But if we dig deeper into the power behind this woman, the nature of this matter will be different. Then Xiao Yan can also strive for his merits to the higher-ups, at least so that he can have a good treatment after retirement."

Zhao Zhengliu was delighted: "Yes, this is not considered a backdoor." Then he said with a smile: "Captain, you are a leader, your thinking is superior to others."

Xia Junshan pointed at the document in his hand and said with a smile: "You should focus more on this matter first and quickly find out the power behind this woman so that I can quickly apply to the higher-ups."

Zhao Zhengliu's expression became serious, and he said seriously: "Okay. The army has approved two months of leave for Lao Yan. I will definitely investigate the matter thoroughly within a month!"

Xia Junshan smiled and nodded: "I believe you."

Zhao Zhengliu took the documents and left the office full of fighting spirit.