Li Zhenyu went straight to his brother's house after returning to the county and told Li Zhenhong everything he had inquired about.
These days, working at the grain depot is a lucrative job. Of course, it's possible to bribe your way into a position there, but it's inappropriate for Li Zhenhong to be completely unaware of it. Who would be so bold as to arrange for one person to get a job, let alone two? Besides, where did the Xu family get the money? Weren't they supposed to be very poor?
Li Zhenhong pondered for a moment and said, "No matter who arranged it, the Xu family is unfilial to Grandpa Xu, so they can forget about coming to the grain depot. I'll investigate the person who arranged it for them later. This is something we two should keep to ourselves; don't tell anyone else, lest Grandpa Xu's family cause him more trouble."
"I know that, I understand. You just focus on your work, brother. I'll take care of everything for Grandpa Xu, so don't worry."
After the two brothers discussed it, Xu Shengnan and Xu Xiuzhen's jobs were ruined!
Li Zhenhong didn't directly address the issues; instead, he casually made up an excuse to hold a meeting, where he spoke righteously and emphatically, stressing the need to improve employee quality, strictly screen employees before they are hired, and that there should be no idle positions that waste national resources.
This screening process eliminated Xu Shengnan and Xu Xiuzhen, two employees who hadn't even started working yet. The grain depot already had quite a few idle people, and they were in a hurry to find work to avoid being punished. How could they let any more people in?
Besides, there are many people watching the posts at this time, so Xu Xiuzhen's classmate and her father didn't dare to go against the grain and voluntarily canceled their spots.
When Xu Xiuzhen asked again when she would start work, her classmate, feeling embarrassed, wanted to wait a while longer and try again, so she didn't tell her the truth, only saying that it was difficult to arrange and she would have to wait a few more days. The money, of course, wasn't returned either.
Xu Xiuzhen was a little uneasy. She went back and told Xu Shengnan, but Xu Shengnan was very confident. She knew that the classmate's father was a director, so arranging two temporary workers would be easy. Simple, no problem at all.
However, she hadn't even started working in the city yet, while Xu Zifan had gone in first.
She watched from the crowd as Li Zhenyu led his men to help Xu Zifan move. They arrived on three tricycles used for hauling goods, and even dug out the grape trellis to load it onto the truck. Their attitude towards Xu Zifan couldn't have been better.
She felt frustrated. How could this old man be so lucky? He left with nothing and still managed to save a rich man who, like a fool, took him to the city to live out his days. Why didn't she have that kind of luck?
She was feeling unwell when she saw Song Xin dash over to Xu Zifan and even use his uninjured hand to help pack things. It seemed they were very close; what was going on?!
Xu Shengnan's eyes widened instantly, and she rushed over to grab Song Xin, demanding, "What are you doing here?"
Song Xin disgustedly shook her off, "Are you blind? I'm helping Grandpa Xu move, stay away from me, I feel disgusted just looking at you."
His words were quite excessive, yet everyone around him completely agreed. They felt uncomfortable seeing Xu Shengnan, let alone Song Xin, who had been forced to marry her. They were also puzzled by the close relationship between Song Xin and Xu Zifan, as they had never seen Song Xin speak to the Xu family before. How could he be so close to the old man?
Xu Shengnan voiced their unspoken thoughts, "What's going on with you? Don't you know I separated from the old man? What help are you giving me? What's it to you?"
Song Xin sneered, "My relationship with Grandpa Xu is between the two of us. What business is it of yours? Who are you? Does Grandpa Xu even acknowledge you? Grandpa Xu has already severed ties with you. No matter how good Grandpa Xu and I are, it's none of your concern. Stay out of my way and go away."
"You! Song Xin, can't you just say something properly?"
"I can talk to everyone else nicely, but you can't. I feel disgusted just looking at you. Get away!" Song Xin frowned, looking at her like she was an enemy.
Xu Shengnan was trembling with anger after being spoken to like that by her husband in front of so many people. She couldn't win an argument, and she couldn't fight back. What could she do? She took a deep breath, turned to Xu Zifan, and asked coldly, "Did you speak ill of me to Song Xin? Otherwise, why would Song Xin be so good to you and so bad to me? You were the one who wanted to separate from the family and leave with nothing. What does that have to do with me?"
Xu Zifan patted the dust off his trousers and said calmly, "When you encounter problems, look for the cause within yourself. If you blame everything on others, you'll never have a good life."
Li Shengnan couldn't stand the way Song Xin treated Xu Zifan with such respect. Xu Zifan was someone she disliked, so why was Song Xin treating an old man better than she was? She retorted indignantly, "I don't believe you didn't say anything..."
"Believe it or not, get out of here. Grandpa Xu, I'll get you a wolfhound. From now on, if you encounter anyone who doesn't understand human language, just unleash the dog!" Song Xin shoved Xu Shengnan away. He wanted everyone to know how much he hated Xu Shengnan, and that no one would ever think that the two of them could live together again.
Xu Zifan chuckled and agreed, "You're right, it'll save a lot of trouble."
Xu Shengnan was extremely embarrassed and, not wanting to cause any more trouble, quickly ran back to the Xu family home. The crowd, delighted by her defeat, laughed and cheered for a while before congratulating Xu Zifan on his newfound life in the city.
With such a promising role model as Xu Zifan, everyone was highly motivated and wanted to do their best to be good people and do good deeds so that they could have the opportunity to be praised by the commune and gain a good reputation in the future. This would be an honor for the whole family, a glory for a lifetime, and would allow them to choose a better husband or wife.
The atmosphere in all four teams immediately became lively, and everyone's spirits were superb!
All of this was brought by Xu Zifan, so they were naturally very enthusiastic.
Xu Zifan's house didn't have much.
After quickly cleaning up, Xu Zifan returned the small courtyard to Wang Baoguo, saying it could be given to someone in need and didn't need to be kept for him. Then, with everyone watching, he went to the county with Song Xin and Li Zhenyu.
Song Xin was helping with the move and also getting acquainted with the place. He considered Xu Zifan his master, so of course he couldn't lose him. When they arrived at the new place, he carefully checked everything inside and out to make sure there were no dangerous objects and that the furniture was sturdy before he felt comfortable helping Xu Zifan arrange his things.
With the help of several young men, the grape trellis was quickly set up. They also built a chicken coop and a rabbit hutch in a corner of the yard, settled the pheasants and rabbits that Xu Zifan had brought, and cleaned up the place inside and out. That was it for the family to move.
This time, Song Xin cooked and invited the group and Li Zhenhong to have a meal together, which served as a housewarming feast to celebrate Xu Zifan's new home.
At the dinner table, Li Zhenhong asked Xu Zifan, "Uncle Xu, what are your hobbies? Do you like playing chess or something like that?"
Xu Zifan shook his head. "I don't have any other hobbies, I just love eating delicious food. Now that I don't have anything to do, I'm planning to learn how to cook it myself."
"Cooking?" Li Zhenhong, who couldn't cook, immediately offered an idea, "How about I introduce Grandpa Xu to a companion? Someone who cooks well, can make you eat well, take care of your daily life, and have someone to talk to. Wouldn't that be great?"
Xu Zifan hurriedly said seriously, "That won't do. My wife and I have a deep relationship, and we have no plans in that regard at all. Please don't bother. Besides, I'm quite content on my own. Having someone else would only be a hassle, and we'd have to adjust to each other. As I get older, I don't like adjusting to others anymore."
Seeing that he had no interest in him, Li Zhenhong had no choice but to give up. He was also worried that Xu Zifan would be too lonely. Anyway, all the old people he had met liked to be surrounded by their children and grandchildren. He didn't expect Xu Zifan to be an exception, preferring to be alone.
He thought for a moment and then said, "Then I'll find you some good food from now on, any local specialties or something, and bring some back for you whenever someone goes on a business trip."
Xu Zifan raised his glass and said, "Then I'll trouble Director Li. Just bring me some while you're at it, no need to make anything special."
The hot pot dinner was a joyous occasion for both host and guests. After everyone left, Song Xin stayed behind to clean up the house and chatted with Xu Zifan for a while before heading home. He didn't think Xu Zifan would be lonely. After spending so much time together, he felt that Xu Zifan was good at entertaining himself and had a leisurely, carefree air about him. Besides, he would visit his master when he had time, and he wanted to hear his master tell more of those insightful stories.
The fourth team was bustling with activity, while the fifth team's leader convened a meeting to praise Xu Zifan, giving a long speech about his good deeds. After hearing this, the villagers felt even more disgusted with Xu Shengnan. She was clearly Xu Zifan's granddaughter, so why couldn't she learn something good? If she had truly inherited Xu Zifan's talents, wouldn't she now have a chance to bring honor to their fifth team? Even if she didn't do anything special, having the granddaughter of such an outstanding figure in their team was already quite an honor.
Now, things have turned out differently. They don't even want to talk about it anymore. This stark contrast makes them realize for the first time that it would have been better if Xu Shengnan hadn't married into the family. She's just a drag on their team's honor.
Xu Shengnan was once again subjected to strange looks from everyone as she went in and out of the room. She felt like people were pointing fingers at her, which infuriated her. She felt that Xu Zifan was her nemesis; every time she suffered a loss or felt resentful, it was somehow related to Xu Zifan. Even Song Xin was connected to Xu Zifan, which was truly inexplicable.
She originally planned to get married and settle down before dealing with Xu Zifan, but now, before she even has a job, Xu Zifan has actually come to the city!
She doesn't even know where Xu Zifan lives now, how is she supposed to get revenge for her past life?! It's infuriating!
Xu Shengnan didn't want to wait any longer. She went to the grain depot herself to find Xu Xiuzhen's male classmate. Wasn't that man interested in her? Seeing that she was personally urging him, shouldn't he hurry up and arrange something for him?
The man had taken a liking to her. Even after hearing from Xu Xiuzhen that she was married, he couldn't help but feel a fondness for her, and he spoke to her more softly.
However, Xu Shengnan couldn't avoid the topic of dormitory assignments when she asked him questions, and no matter how he answered, it seemed off.
Seeing him stammering nervously, Xu Shengnan sensed something was wrong and questioned him, "What exactly happened? Is it so difficult to arrange? Didn't you say the other day that it was simple, as long as you had the money, everything would be fine? Is it not possible now? Give me a straight answer, stop keeping me hanging like this."
The man wiped his face and said shamefully, "Comrade Shengnan, please wait a little longer and be patient. The checks are strict lately, but it will be fine in a while."
Xu Shengnan questioned him a couple more times. The men always made her wait without giving her a specific reason. Just as she was about to continue asking, Li Zhenhong came out from around the corner and asked with a stern face, "What are you saying? Tell me too."
The man immediately turned pale with fright and stammered, "Chief, he didn't...he didn't say anything..."
Xu Shengnan's eyes widened. The bureau chief? How did the bureau chief hear her?
Li Zhenhong stared coldly at them. He had been on his way out to run some errands when he saw a pretty young woman looking for someone and talking in a secluded spot. Remembering the results of his investigation over the past two days, he quietly went over to eavesdrop, only to overhear the key points. This brat was incredibly audacious, actually planning to send more people to the grain depot later! Who did he think he was?!
Li Zhenhong didn't give them a chance to explain. He immediately ordered the guards to detain the two men, then summoned all the grain depot cadres to a meeting to publicly announce the investigation results, publicly criticize the father and son by name, and then called the police to arrest them.
Xu Shengnan was stunned when she was detained. She frantically begged the guards to release her, pleaded with the man to find a way to help her, and even tried to bribe him with money. But the bureau chief had given the order, so who dared to release her? In the end, she got so angry that she cursed and pointed at the guard's nose, shouting, "You're violating my human rights! I can sue you and make you regret it!"
But the guards ignored her completely.
They resolutely refused to release him. Soon after, the police arrived and arrested the father and son who had taken money to do the job, as well as Xu Shengnan. Two other police officers, acting on a tip from Li Zhenhong, went to the fourth team to arrest Xu Xiuzhen.
Xu Shengnan turned pale with fright when she saw the police. She tried her best to remain calm but her panic was still evident. The police knew from her appearance that she must have done something wrong. They spoke very harshly, as if they were scolding her. Xu Shengnan was so frightened that she didn't dare to say a word and obediently let them take her to the police station.
"Tell me honestly, what mistake did you make!"
Xu Shengnan was being interrogated in a small room, and she was immediately taken aback! She whispered, "No, officer, it's all a misunderstanding, really a misunderstanding. I was just going to see a friend, and I don't know why I was detained."
The policeman slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "Lying and obstructing official business is a serious crime. Confess and you'll be treated leniently; resist and you'll be punished severely. Quickly and honestly confess what mistakes you've made! Do you think we won't find out if you don't confess? If we do, your crime will be compounded. Confess now!"
Xu Shengnan trembled again in fright, her voice shaking, "No, I really didn't, I didn't commit a crime..."
The police officer interrogating her squinted and stared at her intently. She was so frightened; she must have been very guilty. It seemed she had made a serious mistake. Director Li had personally investigated the bribery for the job, and it was already a done deal. The only question was whether she had committed any other crimes.
The policeman's mind raced, and he slammed his fist on the table. "Tell me honestly, where did you get your money?!"
Xu Shengnan's face turned deathly pale instantly. "I...I...I gathered herbs to sell..."
This guilty conscience proved there was definitely something wrong with the money. The policeman sternly demanded, "Where were the herbs collected? When and what herbs were collected? How much? Where and to whom were they sold? How many times were they sold? How much did each type cost? How much did they cost in total?"
Xu Shengnan made up a story with trepidation, but she had never actually sold them before and knew nothing about medicinal herbs, so how would she know the specific prices? She had only made up two sentences when the police sensed something was wrong, but they didn't interrupt her. Instead, they wrote everything down one by one.
As soon as Xu Shengnan finished speaking, the police immediately rearranged the questions and asked them again in a different order. Xu Shengnan had made up her answers in a panic; how could she possibly remember them clearly? She answered five out of seven questions incorrectly. The police rearranged the questions again and asked them once more; this time, she didn't answer a single one correctly.
Xu Shengnan was almost in tears. The police were certain of one thing: there was definitely something wrong with Xu Shengnan's money. They had to take this seriously; this was definitely not an ordinary case of embezzlement and bribery!