Punished

"Are you sure... those people will move the goods the evening after tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Zhong Ning nodded at Gu Yu. "My friend said it, so it can't be wrong."

"Good."

Gu Yu nodded. "I'll go back and make arrangements right away. You head to Xinghe Town shortly and compile all the information your friend uncovered into a dossier. On the morning of the day after tomorrow, send someone to deliver it to the police station.

But the report can only be handed to the Public Security Bureau comrade named Zhang Dayong. Don't let it pass through anyone else's hands, understand?"

"Understood."

Zhong Ning was no fool. The moment Gu Yu said it, he understood that Gu Yu was worried there might be informants for those scumbags inside the Public Security Bureau.

"Mm."

Gu Yu responded, then continued, "Once the materials have been delivered, disguise yourselves and have the brothers keep watch at the forks and mountain paths near their hideout.

If the police manage to arrest them smoothly, leave on your own and don't go joining the excitement. But if the criminals try to escape and things get chaotic, you must step forward.

Remember, though, don't all rush in at once. Once everything is over, accept any commendation from the Public Security Bureau if they offer it, but don't be discouraged if they don't. If you leave your names there, it'll make things easier for you in the future if you want to do anything."

"Alright, we'll remember."

Zhong Ning thanked him gratefully. Yu Gu had thought of everything for them.

"Then that's that."

Gu Yu stood to say goodbye. "I'll head back first. You should get moving too."

Gu Yu then left the scrap collection station. Zhong Ning did not delay either. He immediately took a dozen or so brothers to obtain letters of introduction in batches, then they headed to the neighboring town one after another.

Meanwhile, Shen Jianan and his group had also arrived at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative without incident. Perhaps word about the Zhao brothers had not spread yet, because Director Zhang was exceptionally welcoming. After checking the goods and paying them, he even said that once everything sold out, he would personally visit the brigade to place the next order.

Zhao Gang and the other cadres were immediately flattered and repeatedly agreed. Then, under Director Zhang's watchful gaze, they followed Shen Jianan out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative and continued delivering goods to several residential compounds.

When the women saw them arrive, they were all incredibly excited. After receiving their ordered backpacks and paying the remaining balance, they began comparing them with one another in the courtyard.

Shen Jianan and the others were thrilled. They had delivered a total of 310 backpacks and 200 hair accessories on this trip, bringing their gross income to 4,630 yuan.

After deducting the cost of materials and tools, as well as the agricultural tax to be paid to the Commune, they would still have more than 4,200 yuan left. (The tax standard comes from the 1970–1975 period. Please forgive any discrepancies.)

To the people of Chaoyang Production Brigade, this was practically an enormous fortune. Zhao Gang held the bag of money while the companions who had come with him tightly surrounded him, terrified that it might get lost if they were not careful.

Shen Jianan found it amusing but said nothing. He merely turned and told the women, who were still admiring themselves, that the Supply and Marketing Cooperative had received new hair clips. There were only 200 of them, so anyone who wanted one should hurry over before they sold out.

The moment they heard that, everyone perked up. They immediately took their children or called their friends and neighbors, then headed to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, completely abandoning the group.

Shen Jianan smiled knowingly and turned to Zhao Gang and the others. "Once we've bought the fabric scraps, wire, and so on, let's take a detour to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Who knows? Director Zhang might place an order right away."

Everyone suddenly understood and praised him for having a head for business. The young man modestly waved his hand, then said, "Let's hurry. Brother Cheng, Chengcai, Zhao Tian, and I will go buy fabric scraps.

Feng Yi, you and the others go with the brigade leader and find people at nearby factories to buy some iron wire, steel wire, and several sets of secondhand hardware tools.

My next step is to lead everyone in making higher-quality hair accessories and sell them to the city department store. That's the only way we can make more money, understand?"

"Alright, I understand."

Feng Yi was delighted to be entrusted with such an important task, while everyone else was even more excited. Zhao Gang tremblingly took out ten ten-yuan notes and handed them to Shen Jianan, saying with fatherly affection, "Take these. Buy the good fabric scraps. We're not short on money."

"Hahahaha!"

Everyone burst out laughing. Shen Jianan curled his lips and teased, "Got it, got it. We're rich now."

He reached out and accepted the money, told them to meet beneath the large tree at the entrance to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative street, then left the compound with Cheng Hu and the others. Feng Yi's group headed to nearby factories to buy supplies.

Two hours later, both groups met at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Just as Shen Jianan had expected, it was packed inside.

They watched for a while and discovered that nearly every customer coming out had a hair clip in hand. Some were even carrying woven rattan backpacks. The cadres grinned so broadly their gums showed, repeatedly praising Shen Jianan for being capable and helping the brigade so much.

The young man smiled and shook his head. "This is the result of everyone's efforts. If you hadn't listened to advice and worked so hard, it wouldn't have mattered how much I said or did."

"That's not true."

Zhao Hongjun disagreed. "Before you came to the countryside, weren't we just as hardworking?"

He looked around to make sure no one was nearby before lowering his voice. "But our lives never got any better.

We know right from wrong, and we know exactly what you've contributed to the brigade. You don't need to be so modest."

"Exactly!"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"We all know how good you've been to us."

"We'll never forget what you've done for Chaoyang Production Brigade."

Shen Jianan laughed and shook his head. "Alright, alright. No more modesty."

He then jerked his chin ahead. "The crowd's about to thin out. Leave two people to watch the goods. The rest of you come in with me."

"Alright!"

Everyone answered readily. Zhao Tian and Zhao Chengcai volunteered to stay and watch the donkey cart and goods, while the others followed Shen Jianan into the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. The salesclerks inside became excited the moment they saw them, especially Gao Xiaofen.

"Oh! You haven't left yet? That's wonderful! Director Zhang was about to go look for you!"

"What does he want with us?"

Shen Jianan pretended to be confused. "Is there something wrong with the goods?"

"No, no. It's just that we're almost out of stock."

As Gao Xiaofen spoke, she called toward the back, "Director Zhang, Shen is here."

Then, while no one was looking, she slipped Shen Jianan a note. However, Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun, who were standing beside him, still saw it. Their eyelids twitched, and they quickly turned to look elsewhere. Shen Jianan curled his lips but said nothing.

By then, Director Zhang had already rushed out from inside. When he saw Shen Jianan, it was as if he had seen a savior, and he was overwhelmed with excitement.

"Oh, Shen! Captain Zhao! I urgently need another batch of goods. How long will it take you to make them? The fifty bags and two hundred hair clips you just brought are almost sold out."

The moment Zhao Gang heard this, he was about to answer, but Shen Jianan beat him to it. "How many do you need? If it's the same amount as before, we can finish in five or six days if we work overtime."

"Still that many days?"

Director Zhang asked anxiously, "Can't you make them faster?"

The young man looked troubled. "You need them that urgently?"

"Yes! Very urgently."

The moment Director Zhang heard his tone, he knew there was hope. He hurriedly pressed his advantage. "If you can get me five hundred hair accessories and one hundred backpacks within three days, every order after this will be at least that large. I absolutely won't reduce the quantity."

"Alright, it's a deal."

Shen Jianan smiled and nodded. "Just wait. Even if the villagers have to wear out their hands weaving, they'll complete the task you assigned on time."

Director Zhang breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"You're welcome!"

The young man waved his hand, then turned with a smile and winked at his companions. "Then let's hurry up, buy what we need, and head back to tell everyone to work overtime!"

"Alright!"

Everyone readily agreed. They spent over a hundred yuan on several large bags of decorative materials specifically for making hair accessories and backpacks, then left the Supply and Marketing Cooperative together.

When the group returned to the brigade, it happened to be quitting time. But no one had gone home. Instead, everyone had voluntarily gathered at the entrance to the brigade to wait for them.

The moment they saw the donkey cart coming, they rushed forward impatiently. "How did it go? How did it go?"

"We sold them! We sold everything!"

Zhao Gang called out with a smile, patting the small bag tied around his waist. "Go home and eat first. Come to the brigade later to collect your money."

"Oh! That's wonderful!"

Everyone cheered loudly, then quickly dispersed. After exchanging greetings with Zhao Gang and the others, Shen Jianan returned to the Half-Mountain Courtyard with Chen Ming.

Gu Yu had only been home for a short while as well. Seeing that no one else was there, he had started cooking. When the two returned to the courtyard and saw him making corn porridge, they joined him in stir-frying the dishes.

Ever since the courtyard had been renovated, they had built two more stove spaces in the kitchen. They had bought two pots in the village, so cooking was now extremely convenient.

After the three finished dinner, it was not yet dark. Shen Jianan picked up the work-point ledger and went to the brigade with them.

To his surprise, quite a few villagers were already waiting there. Some were counting on their fingers, while others squatted on the ground calculating their own wages.

Shen Jianan understood their feelings very well. After all, this was likely the most they had earned in such a short time since the work-point system had been implemented.

After thinking it over, he had Cheng Guang and Zhao Xiaofeng, who were sitting in the corner, take Little Nini and Xiao Min outside to shout a few times and urge everyone to hurry.

The children were thrilled to be given a task. "Got it, Brother Jianan."

They immediately held hands and ran out of the courtyard, shouting at the top of their lungs, "They're handing out money! They're handing out money! Hurry up, or it'll fly away if you're late—"

Passersby on the road could not help laughing at their childish words, but their steps quickened all the same.

Soon, everyone had arrived. Zhao Gang and the other cadres gave a brief summary, told everyone about the new order, then distributed the money with Shen Jianan.

"Anyone whose name is called, come up to verify and sign. If there are any problems, we'll settle them on the spot. Don't gossip afterward, or I'll have to deal with someone."

As Zhao Gang spoke, he swept his gaze across the crowd. Seeing that no one objected, he opened the work-point ledger Shen Jianan handed him and called out loudly.

"Zhao Ping."

"Here!"

The man excitedly raised his hand and jogged over to stand beside him. Zhao Gang smiled and continued, "You only took part in making backpacks. You made twenty-seven in total, but the style was average, so each can only be counted as eight work points.

Also, two were made wrong and can't be counted, so you can only get twenty yuan."

"Th-that much!?"

Zhao Ping excitedly took the money and waved the ten-yuan notes at Niu Chunhua. "Wife, I got twenty!"

Niu Chunhua smiled and nodded. "Mm! Hurry and bring it over to me."

"Hahahaha..."

Everyone erupted into laughter at the couple. Zhao Ping was not embarrassed at all and obediently offered the money with both hands. Zhao Gang smiled and shook his head before continuing to call the next name.

Before long, more than half of the four thousand yuan had been distributed. What remained, aside from the agricultural tax, the brigade's operating funds, and repayment of the money Shen Jianan had advanced earlier, was the wages for him, Gu Yu, the technical core members, and the brigade cadres.

Zhao Gang and the others, along with Shen Jianan, were paid according to the standard for full-time cadres. But since future orders were uncertain, everyone discussed it and ultimately gave Shen Jianan thirty yuan, while the other cadres each received twenty.

Gu Yu's situation was special. He was not originally supposed to receive anything, but because of Shen Jianan, they turned a blind eye and gave him five yuan as a token gesture.

However, he did not think it was too little. After accepting it, he handed it directly to Shen Jianan. The young man saw nothing strange about it and naturally tucked it into his bag.

Everyone found it somewhat odd, but they did not think too much about it. They simply assumed the two had a close relationship and were living together.

Of the remaining twenty core members, the Cheng family had undoubtedly earned the most. Cheng Hu received more than seventy yuan. Since Xiang Haiyan made hair accessories, which were lower priced, she still earned nearly thirty yuan.

Cheng Guang's backpacks were high quality and stylish, but because he was young and lacked stamina, he could not keep up in quantity. He therefore earned only eighteen yuan.

Even so, it was enough to make everyone jealous. They all clamored to learn the craft from the family of three.

However, aside from the families of Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun, Cheng Hu and his wife ignored everyone else. Cheng Guang was the same and only played with the children from those two families.

Watching from the side, Cheng Qianmin felt both awkward and ashamed. The Cheng Household had ultimately grown distant from Cheng Hu.

After the money was distributed, Zhao Gang told everyone to disperse. The villagers happily thanked them, rose to their feet, and streamed out of the brigade.

As Shen Jianan, Gu Yu, and Chen Ming walked along the village road, listening to everyone's lively discussions, they could not help feeling exhilarated.

With this money, even if this season's harvest failed completely, the villagers would no longer have to fear going hungry.

After returning to the Half-Mountain Courtyard, the three washed up and returned to their respective bedrooms. Only then did Gu Yu tell Shen Jianan about the information he had received and the arrangements he had made.

Hearing this, the young man suddenly remembered how, at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative that day, Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun had seen Gao Xiaofen slip him a note. An idea struck him, and he had Gu Yu take advantage of the darkness to find Cheng Hu and tell him to be ready to go into town at any time to deliver the report materials.

He himself went to find Zhao Hongjun and Zhao Gang. Seeing his gloomy expression, the two felt uneasy and could not understand what he wanted so late at night.

Shen Jianan had no time to beat around the bush. He got straight to the point. "When we went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative today, someone slipped me a note. She said something wasn't right in town. It seemed the police were investigating enemy agents, so we should be careful whenever we go into town lately."

The two immediately thought of Gao Xiaofen, who had slipped him the note that day. Their hearts sank. Could Shen be talking about the Zhao brothers?

Before they could figure it out, Shen Jianan dropped another bombshell. "She also said the higher-ups have ordered a thorough investigation. Anyone connected to these people by family ties must not be spared."

He looked at the two with a stern expression and lowered his voice. "Because... they committed serious crimes."

"Ah? Th-this..."

Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun turned deathly pale. They could not help imagining the Zhao brothers being arrested and Chaoyang Production Brigade being implicated.

Shen Jianan sneered inwardly but showed nothing on his face. "I don't need to tell you how serious this is, Captain. If you don't do something now, the crime of shielding them alone will be enough to ruin everyone."

"W-we understand!"

Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun were utterly panicked. "We'll go make arrangements right now. You should go back and rest!"

"Alright."

Seeing how restless they had become, Shen Jianan finally felt somewhat satisfied. He rose and left the Zhao Household. Not long after he departed, Zhao Gang and the other man took flashlights and went out to gather several cadres for a meeting.

An hour later, they quietly knocked on the doors of every household that Zhao Qiancheng had bullied. Lights throughout Chaoyang Production Brigade remained on almost the entire night.

For their final stop, they went to Cheng Hu's home. Not long afterward, Cheng Hu followed Zhao Gang and Zhao Hongjun to the town Public Security Bureau.

The other cadres silently returned home as though nothing had happened.

It had to be said, Cheng Hu and the others were truly lucky. The moment they arrived, they encountered Zhang Dayong, who had just come on duty. Zhao Gang immediately handed over all forty-nine report letters he had tucked in his bag.

He told Zhang Dayong about the wrongs Zhao Qiancheng had committed over the years, as well as how they had been obstructed while gathering evidence after discovering the problem.

The moment Zhang Dayong heard this, he took it seriously. He immediately arranged for several colleagues to help record statements, while he personally brought the report materials to Bureau Chief Bai Tiancheng.

When Bai Tiancheng saw the thick stack of report letters, his expression immediately darkened. He opened them with Zhang Dayong and began reading them on the spot.

He had not expected the contents to be so shocking. While many of the matters described in the letters were minor disputes, taken together, they formed serious problems.

What was more, the accused were implicated in bribery and corruption, as well as multiple cases of intentional assault and murder.

A mere brigade secretary and textile factory director had dared to act so recklessly just because they had a factory-director father-in-law backing them and a Militia Company captain brother-in-law supporting them. They were truly outrageously bold.

Bai Tiancheng made the decision immediately, ordering Zhang Dayong to form a special investigation team and launch a swift inquiry. "Remember, this must be done secretly so we don't alert them. Tell those villagers to go home and not talk carelessly."

"Understood, Chief. I'll make preparations right away."

After receiving his orders, Zhang Dayong went out with Xiao Li and a group of officers to swiftly begin the investigation. But before they could uncover anything, another even more explosive report letter arrived early the next morning.

It not only described in detail how Zhao Qiancheng and Militia Company Captain Qin Guangtao had conspired to harm Cheng Hu and his father, including the people involved.

It also specifically stated that Qin Guangtao had repeatedly used his position to provide the trafficker Brother Xiong with transportation routes and hiding places for "goods," profiting enormously from it. They would be making a move that night.

Bai Tiancheng and Zhang Dayong were both furious and anxious. While cursing the two men as scum, they mobilized more personnel.

One team was assigned to control everyone involved and secretly bring them back to the Public Security Bureau for questioning. Another team would follow Zhang Dayong to the hideout and arrest the criminals.

At that moment, Liu Zhihe arrived at the Public Security Bureau with his grandson Liu Chen. Bai Tiancheng was quite surprised, but he had always respected this senior, so he hurriedly invited him in and asked what he needed.

Liu Zhihe did not beat around the bush. He said he had an important set of materials concerning the crimes of Lin Xingguo, deputy director of the food factory, and his son Lin Wenjie. They had used their positions over the years to demand favors, abuse their authority for personal gain, embezzle property, neglect their duties, and commit other offenses.

The moment Bai Tiancheng heard this, he knew Lin Xingguo, the Zhao brothers, and Qin Guangtao had committed so many vile deeds that they had provoked someone formidable. Otherwise, they would not have been reported by so many people within just two days.

The other party must have been planning this for a long time. Otherwise, how could they have persuaded someone like Liu Zhihe to help?

"Tiancheng, don't worry. Not a single word in these materials is false. You'll know once you investigate. If you need to question me afterward, just send word."

Bai Tiancheng quickly came back to his senses and agreed before accepting the report letter. Liu Zhihe nodded in satisfaction, then left the Public Security Bureau with his grandson.

Bai Tiancheng, meanwhile, went to a brother unit to ask Li Zhong for help. The operation had grown too large, and with bad apples in the Militia Company, they no longer had enough manpower.

On the other side, Zhang Dayong and his officers quickly followed the leads in the report letter to the traffickers' hideout, deploying around the Suburban Canning Factory Residential Compound.

This factory had moved to a new site years ago, but the residents had not relocated. The place was quiet despite being near the city. With numerous abandoned warehouses and a mountain range nearby, it was indeed an excellent place to hide goods.

Not long after Zhang Dayong and the others arrived, Zhong Ning's people began disguising themselves as nearby residents and young relatives visiting family, lying in wait at every street corner and fork in the road.

What they did not know was that Gu Yu had also quietly arrived at the scene. Using his space, he had figured out where the traffickers were hiding their victims, then concealed himself in the woods near the hideout, waiting for the right moment to strike.

As time passed, the sky gradually darkened. Just as all three groups were beginning to grow impatient, a sound came from the woods where Gu Yu was hiding.

His heart tightened, and he quickly slipped into his space. He saw a group of people sneaking out of the forest. At the same time, both the police and Zhong Ning's group spotted them.

To everyone's surprise, there were actually two people from R Country among them.

Everyone instantly sensed a terrifying, hidden conspiracy and immediately pulled themselves together, responding with calm vigilance.

Before long, Brother Xiong had his men bring out the goods. Zhang Dayong looked at the women and children, tied together in a line and looking dazed and muddled.

Rage instantly surged through him. His eyes turned cold as he raised a hand and signaled his team. Everyone nodded silently, then quietly closed in from all sides.

But unexpectedly, the other side had dogs. The moment Zhang Dayong's group approached, they began barking wildly. Zhang Dayong cursed, raised his gun, and charged forward with his men.

As they shot the wolfdogs, he shouted a warning, "Nobody move! We're the People's Police! You're surrounded!" (Required for the plot; the author never abuses animals.)

"Police? How could there be police!?"

Brother Xiong, the traffickers, and the buyers were frightened out of their wits. They shouted in panic and scattered in every direction.

Zhong Ning and his people had originally intended to wait until the critical moment to act, but after seeing those two people from R Country, their blood was already boiling. They simply could not hold back.

So, when they saw the criminals fleeing in different directions, they did not care whether the police could catch them. They grabbed nearby bricks and sticks and swung them at the criminals, catching them completely off guard. Before they could resist, the pursuing police had already pinned them firmly to the ground.

The two people from R Country were far calmer than their companions and traffickers like Brother Xiong. Amid the chaos, they had already turned and run toward the forest.

But before they could escape successfully, Gu Yu kicked them straight out of the woods. In their panic, they were caught by Zhang Dayong, Xiao Li, and several others.

Zhang Dayong let out a breath of relief. If those two bastards had made it deep into the mountains, they might not have been able to catch them.

"Cuff them all and take them away! Xiao Li, take a team into the mountains and look around. Those bastards came out of the forest to receive the goods, so there must be something going on inside. Otherwise, how could just a dozen of them transport so much goods out of town!?"

"Yes."

Xiao Lin answered, gestured to the team members, and led them into the mountains. Zhang Dayong, meanwhile, took Zhong Ning, the others, and the criminals to the Militia Company to arrest Qin Guangtao.

The arrest operation was completed without incident. Gu Yu finally let out a sigh of relief. He watched the police cars gradually disappear into the distance, then slipped into his space and quickly returned to the brigade.

Meanwhile, Zhang Dayong and his group successfully arrived at the Militia Company. The militia commander, who had been in a meeting, felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the police officers suddenly appear and hurriedly stood to ask what was going on.

Zhang Dayong did not hide anything. In front of everyone in the room, he laid out the evidence of Qin Guangtao conspiring with others to deliberately injure and kill people, as well as abusing his position to repeatedly provide traffickers and people from R Country with transport routes and hiding places for their "goods," making huge profits in the process.

The people from the Militia Company were stunned. They had never imagined Qin Guangtao could be so utterly inhuman. The militia commander was so furious that he turned around and kicked the trembling Qin Guangtao several times.

"Fuck you, Qin Guangtao! As a militia captain, you knowingly broke the law? And you even colluded with people from R Country? Aren't you afraid your Qin ancestors will crawl out of their graves to settle the score with you?"

Qin Guangtao shuddered violently. Clutching his aching stomach, he repeatedly shook his head. "I-I didn't! I've been framed!"

"Hmph! Whether you've been framed isn't for you to decide."

Zhang Dayong waved a hand, his face cold. "Take him away!"

The police officers beside him immediately stepped forward, cuffed him, and dragged him out of the office. Hearing his cries of innocence from afar, everyone looked disdainful, though they were also deeply uneasy, afraid they would be implicated.

Zhang Dayong could see their anxiety, but he did not say much. Whether these people were guilty still required a thorough investigation. He bade everyone farewell, then took his men back to the police station to report.

After a close investigation, the police finally confirmed that Qin Guangtao's collusion with the traffickers was true.

Abusing his position, he had taken two minor lackeys from the brigade and, over several years, repeatedly helped the criminal Brother Xiong find hiding places and evade patrols. He had profited more than twenty thousand yuan in cash, along with important goods worth several thousand yuan, including bicycles, cloth, and supplements.

However, Zhao Qiancheng and his son, as well as Zhao Manjiang, had not participated in this matter and knew nothing about it. But the evidence that Zhao Qiancheng and Qin Guangtao had deliberately harmed Cheng Hu and killed his father was conclusive.

The arrested accomplices confessed without reservation. The two men had no way to deny it, especially after the police found a belt stained with brown blood marks in Qin Guangtao's home.

Although several years had passed, Zhao Qiancheng had not disposed of it at the time and had merely tossed it down a cliff. He never imagined that Qin Guangtao, wanting one more reason to demand benefits from him, would secretly retrieve it and keep it at home.

The bloodstains soaked into it had faded over the years, but anyone with eyes could tell at a glance that something was wrong.

Moreover, when the belt was brought to Chaoyang Production Brigade, most of the villagers unanimously said it had belonged to Zhao Qiancheng, because Zhao Manjiang had brought it back for him from another province while studying away from home.

At the time, most villagers, including Zhao Qiancheng, used hemp rope or cloth strips as belts. Who could afford such a high-end item? So as soon as he got it, he wore it immediately and paraded around the village.

Everyone had been envious, so naturally they remembered it clearly. But before long, no one saw him wearing it again. Some especially curious people went up and asked why he had stopped wearing it.

Not only were they cursed bloody on the spot, but he even asked whether they wanted to steal his belt. Hearing him throw accusations around so recklessly, they did not dare say another word. After hastily apologizing, they kept far away from him.

After that, no one dared ask him about the belt again. But as time passed, the villagers gradually began to piece things together.

Zhao Qiancheng loved showing off so much, yet he had suddenly become low-key during the period when Cheng Hu's father died. Combined with the two strangulation marks on Cheng Hu's father's neck, what else was there not to understand?

But everyone lacked evidence, had little legal awareness, and feared offending him, so no one reported it to the police.

With such conclusive evidence, along with various other crimes, Zhao Qiancheng and Qin Guangtao were ultimately sentenced to execution by firing squad, and all property obtained through their crimes was confiscated.

In addition, during the investigation, the police discovered that four people from Chaoyang Production Brigade had participated in the attack on Cheng Hu: Zhao Dahai, Zhao Zihao, Zhao Jinzhu, and Cheng Haishu of the Cheng Household.

No one was surprised by the first three, since they were thugs. But Cheng Haishu left everyone dumbfounded. In the Cheng Household, he had always been quiet, timid, and afraid of trouble. Moreover, by clan relations, he was Cheng Hu's cousin.

Yet it turned out that he had resented Cheng Hu because Cheng Hu had once been too outstanding, causing his parents to constantly compare the two. Later, Zhao Qiancheng took advantage of this resentment, and on the night Cheng Hu guarded the grain, Cheng Haishu smashed Cheng Hu's kneecap.

When Cheng Hu heard this, his eyes turned red with rage. Before the Cheng clan elders, he swore that he would never again involve himself in any matter concerning the Cheng Household. He then shut the door behind him and ignored those who came to plead with him, leaving Cheng Haishu's parents and grandparents, along with the families of the other accomplices, standing outside his door.

When the four were arrested, their families caused an earth-shaking commotion, clinging to the police cars and refusing to let the police take them away. Zhao Dahai's parents were even more outrageous, using a sickle to injure a young officer.

They were rewarded with a pair of silver bracelets and taken into the police car as well. Also arrested were more than ten brigade members who had followed Zhao Qiancheng in bullying the villagers and stealing public grain over the years.

As for Zhao Manjiang, he had not participated in village affairs, but he had taken part in reselling the stolen public grain. His wife, Lin Manqing, had specifically provided customer sources.

Furthermore, the couple had spent many years in office and committed plenty of extortion and corruption as well. Fortunately, although they had falsely accused Shen Jianan and thus ended up facing criminal charges,

there were no major issues with their identities or backgrounds. They were not enemy agents as everyone had suspected. However, their ideological disloyalty was real, and together with their other crimes, they lost their jobs after being convicted and were sentenced to ten and seven years in prison respectively.

As for Zhao Jianguo, no one knew whether he was lucky or whether Zhao Qiancheng had protected him too well. The crimes committed by both households had little to do with him.

But it was true that he had helped his family falsely accuse Shen Jianan. Combined with the piles of petty accusations in the submitted denunciation letters, he was ultimately sentenced to three years of reform through labor on a farm, effective immediately.

As for his mother, Qin Fengying, the cases she was involved in mostly concerned embezzlement, bribery, and abuse of authority. She was ultimately sentenced to five years in prison.

When Zhao Qiancheng heard that he would be executed by firing squad, his eyes rolled back and he fainted on the spot from fright. But even so, he still had to die.

After the date for his and Qin Guangtao's execution was set, Zhao Gang had no choice but to take his close relatives into the city to bring Old Master Zhao, Old Madam Zhao, and Zhao Xiufen and her brother back, so they could see him off one last time.

Unable to bear the blow, Old Master Zhao failed to catch his breath and died on the spot. Old Madam Zhao was likewise angered into illness and was hurriedly sent to the hospital.

Overnight, the Zhao siblings seemed to have grown up considerably. They begged the villagers to help arrange Zhao Qiancheng and Old Master Zhao's funerals, then separately visited Qin Fengying and Zhao Jianguo to tell them what had happened before packing a few clothes and going to the hospital to care for Old Madam Zhao.

As for Zhao Jianguo, ever since he was arrested, he seemed to have lost his mind. From being repeatedly investigated after being taken out of detention to his final sentencing, he could not understand how merely following his biological father into the city once had led to his family being destroyed and himself being thrown into prison.

Zhao Manjiang and Lin Manqing, meanwhile, found the outcome even harder to accept. On the day they were sentenced, the couple was still raving and insisting they wanted to find Lin Xingguo, only to be fiercely cursed out by the police officers dragged in to work overtime.

"It won't help even if you go looking for the Jade Emperor! Lin Xingguo is going in to serve time himself, and you still want him to save you? Keep dreaming!"

The two were left completely dumbfounded. The police officers had no time to deal with them and directly handed them over to the relevant personnel before leaving.

As for Lin Xingguo and his son, who had been implicated by the false accusation case, their crimes were not as hateful as Qin Guangtao's, but they were still too numerous to list. They were ultimately sentenced to more than ten years in prison, and the entire family lost their jobs.

On the afternoon the father and son were arrested, Liu Zhihe took out all the fine liquor he had collected and celebrated lavishly with his family.