"Don't be impulsive, let's talk this out."
Shen Ying was terrified; he tried to step forward and snatch the child away. Shi Xinzhong, as if possessed, roared:
"Back off! Back off, or he'll die."
Looking at the child in front of him who resembled the man, he understood. What sponsorship? It was clearly Gou Dan's biological father coming to find him. At the very least, he was an undercover agent, his goal being to send him to jail.
"Okay, don't be angry, don't be angry."
As she spoke, Shen tried her best to calm him down, and she also stepped back, worried that the man might actually do something outrageous.
"Daddy, Daddy~"
Dog Egg trembled uncontrollably atop the man's head, trying to awaken his conscience. Shi Xinzhong shouted at him to shut up, a scene that tugged at Shen Ying's heartstrings.
That's his child! He's calling someone else "Dad," and that person wants to kill him.
"Comrade, please calm down. We can talk things out. Don't do something wrong and cause irreversible damage that you'll regret later."
Li Xianxue restrained the restless soldiers and tried to communicate with him properly. However, the man wouldn't listen at all and just kept shouting that he would kill the hostage if he didn't leave.
“Xinzhong, you have to bear the consequences of your mistakes. What you’re doing is not only irresponsible to yourself, but also to your family. You’ve been the only son in several generations. If something happens to you, how can you face your father?”
The village chief, who had a heart condition, took out two nitroglycerin pills from his pocket and tried to remain calm.
"Take the consequences, go to jail? I don't want to. Rather than live a dark and hopeless life in jail, I'd rather die a quick death. But if I die, he won't be able to live either."
Shi Xinzhong glanced at the child above his head and addressed the people in the courtyard.
Seeing that all his persuasion was useless, Bai Chen took a deep breath:
"Your name is Xinzhong, right? You bought the child, didn't you? We're not here to arrest you or lock you up. We're already catching murderers and robbers every day, there's no room for you in jail."
So, put the child down and explain the whole thing to us. Then my good brother will return the money you spent on the child. If you feel you've been cheated, ask him to give you more.
"Live life as you please, or take your money, drink, and retire. Isn't that better?"
I just heard from the villagers that he wasn't good to his child either. He only bought the child to provide for his old age. The reason he wanted to die with his child was probably because he felt it was unfair.
They spent a lot of money to buy the child, but when the child's family came looking for him, they not only refused to offer compensation but also threatened to send him to jail. Everyone felt terrible about it.
"Is everything you're saying true?"
Before the man could speak, Cuixia took his words to heart. If that were true, then they would indeed have gotten a great deal.
After raising the child for three years, I'm starting to feel a bit bored. Might as well take this opportunity to splurge some money.
"Absolutely true."
After receiving confirmation several times, the woman beamed and said to Shi Xinzhong:
"Put him down quickly! This is a rare opportunity, don't miss out! Get your money now!"
How much?
Seeing that he could not be charged with any crime, Shi Xinzhong turned his attention to negotiating the price.
"three hundred."
Shen Ying spoke coldly. "Giving a child three hundred is already more than enough; they've raised them to be this way."
"No, it's a flat price, five hundred. Take it if you want, otherwise I'll take Gou Dan to see the King of Hell."
Shi Xinzhong bargained, even though he had bought it for 100 yuan back then. But after raising it for three years, he couldn't let it go without getting a bargain.
Besides, in his opinion, Shen Ci's family owned an oil shop and was very wealthy. It would be unreasonable for them not to ask for more.
“Okay, then the village chief will be the witness. I’ll give you the money, and you hand the child over to me.”
Worried that the man might change his mind again, Shen readily agreed. It was fortunate that his elder brother had brought the village chief; otherwise, with the man repeatedly trying to renege, there wouldn't have been a single witness.
Sure enough, upon hearing the man's quick agreement, Shi Xinzhong immediately regretted his decision. He should have asked for more, but it wouldn't be good to back out now, since the village chief was watching over things, and he would still need to live in the village and rely on the village chief for help in some matters.
"Bring me paper and pen."
The village chief spoke to the young man behind him. He always had a pen and paper in his pocket, but he never expected to use them this time.
Shen Ying didn't have much money with him, and neither did Bai Chen. Just when they were at a loss, Li Xianxue pulled out fifty ten-yuan bills from his pocket. Because they were withdrawn from the bank, they were brand new.
When Shi Xinzhong and his wife saw the stack of money placed in the village chief's hand, their eyes widened in astonishment. They had never seen so much money in their entire lives; their child had truly made the right choice.
He rudely put Gou Dan down, shoved him next to the man, and reached for the money.
"Daddy, Daddy, don't you want me anymore?"
Although Gou Dan was afraid of men, he had grown up in this family and still had feelings for the couple. He didn't know why his father would abandon him to a stranger, but from the tone of his words, it seemed that his father didn't intend to keep him.
"Shut up, you little bastard. I want money, can you give it to me? And don't call me dad, your real father is this man, not me."
As Shi Xinzhong counted the money, he couldn't help but curse at the child for being so annoying.
"Shut up after you've taken the money. If you dare to speak rudely again, don't blame me for taking your dog's life."
Shen Ying didn't care about Gou Dan's dirty appearance or the fleas jumping around, picked him up, and warned him.
"Alright, alright, take your soldiers and leave now. Acting like this in front of my house, do you really not know who I am, Brother Zhong?"
Shi Xinzhong took the money and felt incredibly smug. He abandoned his usual nonchalant attitude, rolled his eyes, and turned to go inside, ignoring his mother-in-law's bruised and battered face at the gate.
"So, does that mean I'm all done with this? Maybe I should leave too, so as not to delay their family reunion."
The midwife chuckled and said to her nephew.
"Someone, take her to the police station. And tell them there that this Shi Xinzhong not only bought the child, but also tried to harm him."
Li Xianxue ignored her, made arrangements, and then went to talk to Shen Ying. Of course, even though he said he would let Shi Xinzhong and his wife go, the police station would still handle the matter as it was.
"Comrade Shen, let's take you home."
Li Xianxue thoughtfully found a private car for the group and took them to Shenjiazhuang. Shen Ying was busy taking the children back to acknowledge their ancestors and did not refuse.
The car continued forward, with Gou Dan sitting motionless in the man's lap. He didn't understand the adult world, but the fear in his eyes was unmistakable.
He didn't know where he was going next or what would happen.
The car drove into Shenjiazhuang and stopped in front of the two-story building. Shen Ci got out of the car first and took Gou Dan from the car.
"Now that we've delivered it, we'll head back."
Just as Li Xianxue was about to leave, Bai Chen stopped him. He didn't know about Jiang Yu's hospitalization and thought he could get a free meal as usual, so he invited him into the house.
At this moment, Shen Wan, who heard the commotion outside, came out.
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