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墨書 Inktalez
It is often said that "the economy drives civilization," and this statement holds true. Over the past two years, life has been improving significantly. In every village, not only have hand-pulled tractors multiplied, but even small four-wheelers are no longer a rarity.
As life has become better, the petty quarrels that used to arise over trivial matters have decreased. However, while the economy fosters civilization, it has also given rise to crime.
My father and Second Uncle can no longer find work plowing fields, but they still deliver bricks and tiles to the township's brick factory. Over the year, they have earned several thousand yuan. Coupled with the harvest from ten acres of crops, they feel quite satisfied with their overall income. This year, they built a new house, and there are no pressing worries at home; life feels quite enjoyable.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Hu Ruoyun's family, Second Aunt's family, and my aunt's family gathered at Grandma's and Grandfather's home. Uncle and Aunt-in-law warmly welcomed everyone as they chatted about the year's harvest, children's studies, and various anecdotes from their lives.
Third Aunt mentioned that the Poultry Equipment Trading Market next to Ma Jia Village along National Highway 106 is now bustling with activity. The market not only trades chicken troughs, chicken coops, and duck cages but has also developed into a hub for plastic machinery, tools, and raw materials.
Over 70% of the farmers in Town have signed vegetable planting contracts with the Town Government to supply vegetables to the Four Complete Food Factory, earning much more than traditional grain farming. As their scale increases, so does their influence; buyers from nearby cities like Anqiu, Xin Yuan, and Kai Cheng come to purchase vegetables. Consequently, a large Agricultural Trade Market has spontaneously formed across from the Poultry Equipment Trading Market where farmers who haven't signed contracts can also sell their produce.
Many families in Ma Jia Zhuang near National Highway 106 have taken advantage of their location. Those with empty yards can turn them into paid parking lots. A little renovation on a house can transform it into a guesthouse or inn, and storefronts along the street are easily rented out for shops or restaurants.
The town's Post Office has also relocated here, along with branches of the Credit Union and Agricultural Bank. Many shops from the old market area have moved to this new location.
While this is generally a good development, where there are good people, there are also bad ones. Since the second half of this year, security in that area has deteriorated sharply. There have been reports of local merchants being extorted and illicit activities disguised as bathhouses. Even criminal gangs from outside have been operating here for an extended period.
Due to its geographical advantages, one family in Ma Jia Zhuang with five brothers surnamed Ding saw an opportunity as crowds flocked to the nearby markets. They called themselves the "Ding Family Five Tigers" and recruited a group of drinking buddies and gambling friends—people who were generally disliked by others—to form an unofficial "Management Committee" for the Agricultural Trade Market without any departmental authorization.
Their so-called management was nothing more than extortion: charging farmers fees to sell their vegetables and imposing even higher fees on large trucks coming in to collect produce. Those who dared refuse faced threats of violence—real violence.
They sometimes even engaged in malicious "hit-and-run" schemes against vehicles from outside to extort money. This group armed themselves with rubber clubs and stun guns, operating in teams of four with brazen confidence! Eventually, they even began openly collecting "protection fees" from nearby street vendors.
Hu Ruoyun asked Third Aunt: "Has anyone reported this to the police or is it that they don't care?"
Third Aunt replied: "I heard that our Gaoqiao Town's police chief went out of town for training; it seems he’ll be gone for over six months. Now there's just a deputy chief acting as an instructor handling things. I don’t know much else; anyway, I haven’t heard of anyone taking action."
"This is unacceptable!" Hu Ruoyun could no longer sit idly by.
On a smaller scale, if issues in Gaoqiao Town and Ma Jia Zhuang escalate further, Mao Na’s uncle Zhang Maokui will bear responsibility. On a larger scale, it could have severe negative repercussions for Annan County; if things go badly enough, Mao Na’s father could also be implicated.
If news spreads among outside vegetable vendors or merchants about these issues, it would severely damage the business environment throughout Annan County.
This situation cannot be delayed; decisive action must be taken before things worsen.
Hu Ruoyun asked Uncle: "Which family in our village has a phone?"
Uncle said in confusion, "The phone in the village is installed at the Village Chief's house. Who would go there to make a call for five yuan... Who do you want to call?"
Hu Ruoyun replied, "Uncle, take me there. I want to call Mao Na's dad."
The uncle and nephew arrived at the Village Chief's house, which was two alleys away. There were guests inside, and upon seeing Hu Ruoyun and his uncle enter, the Village Chief greeted them, "What’s up, Shunqiang? Got something to discuss?"
Hu Ruoyun's uncle handed him a cigarette. "Village Chief, my nephew wants to make a call..."
The Village Chief's wife chimed in sharply, "Five yuan; hand it over!"
The Village Chief casually asked, "Where are you calling? It’s not a long-distance call, is it?"
The Village Chief's second son was clearly drunk and muttered curses under his breath, "During the New Year, making calls like this..."
Hu Ruoyun ignored him and stopped Uncle from reaching for his wallet. He pulled out a five-yuan note from his pocket and handed it to the Village Chief's wife. "It’s not long-distance; just calling the county."
Not entirely reassured, the Village Chief's wife followed Hu Ruoyun and his uncle to the phone and watched as Hu Ruoyun dialed.
The call connected, and Zhang Xiuzhen answered, "Hello, who are you looking for?"
Hu Ruoyun quickly said, "Auntie, it's Xiao Hu. Is Uncle Mao home?"
Zhang Xiuzhen detected something unusual in Hu Ruoyun's tone. "He took someone to the broadcasting station and police station to visit those on duty. Is there an emergency?"
Hu Ruoyun didn’t answer directly. "Auntie, has Mao Na's uncle gone out of town for training recently?"
"Yes," Zhang Xiuzhen replied. "There’s a short training course in Jinan City for eight months specifically for people at his level... Your uncle should be back later. Do you want me to pass on a message?"
Hu Ruoyun said, "No need; I can’t explain everything in just a few words. I’ll go see him directly tomorrow in Annan."
After hanging up the phone, they left the Village Chief's house. Hu Ruoyun’s uncle remarked, "That family is no good; they often bully us during collective meetings. We don’t have much contact with them anyway. Just look at how sharp-tongued they are, making money off the village phone for themselves; their second son thinks he’s something special just because his dad is the Village Chief..."
As they returned home and hadn’t even sat down yet, someone shouted from outside, "Shunqiang! Shunqiang! Are you home?"
Everyone looked towards the door and saw the Village Chief and his wife rushing in anxiously. Before anyone could ask what was wrong, the Village Chief patted his chest and gasped for breath. "Quick! The phone called back... My second son had a bit too much to drink and answered it rudely, cursing and asking who it was and where the call came from! They said it was from the county chief’s family and told your nephew to hurry up and take the call..."
The call was from Mao Weiguo. Hu Ruoyun briefly explained what he had learned, and Mao Weiguo quickly grasped its significance: "Great! Xiao Hu, I understand the situation now. I’ll call Mao Na’s uncle and Wang Zhiguo right away... By the way, you don’t need to come over tomorrow; Mao Na said she’ll visit your parents instead."
After finishing the call, Hu Ruoyun noticed that the Village Chief and his wife were standing nearby without daring to breathe too loudly. The son who had cursed at Mao Weiguo looked particularly pale with fear.
Just as Uncle and Hu Ruoyun returned home again, the Village Chief couple left their daughter-in-law in the yard and followed them inside. The Village Chief's wife shoved five yuan into Hu Ruoyun's hand. "The phone belongs to public property; how can we charge money? My second son needs a good talking-to; I’ll deal with him when we get home!"
The Village Chief also brought over a bottle of liquor and casually sat down at the dining table. He poured a drink for Grandfather first: "It’s been years since we’ve had a drink together; today we must celebrate... What’s your relationship with the county chief again?"
Grandfather beamed with pride. "That’s my nephew’s father-in-law!"
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