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墨書 Inktalez
They say, "Economy drives civilization," and this statement couldn't be truer. Life has been getting better over the past two years; in every village, not only have hand-pulled tractors multiplied, but even small four-wheelers are no longer a rarity.
With improved living conditions, the petty quarrels that used to arise over trivial matters have diminished. However, while the economy promotes civilization, it has also given rise to crime.
My father and Second Uncle can no longer find work plowing fields, but they are still delivering bricks and tiles to the Township Brick Factory. Over the year, they have earned several thousand yuan, and with the harvest from their ten acres of crops, they feel quite satisfied with their overall income. This year, they just built a new house, and there are no 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 and Grandfather's house. 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 in Gaoqiao Town is bustling with activity. In addition to trading chicken troughs, chicken coops, and duck cages, a hub for plastic machinery, tools, and raw materials has formed around it.
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. Their income is significantly higher than traditional grain farming. As the scale of operations increased, so did their influence; nearby cities like Anqiu, Xin Yuan, and Kai Cheng have sent buyers to purchase vegetables. This interaction led to the spontaneous formation of a large Agricultural Trade Market across from the Poultry Equipment Trading Market, allowing farmers who did not sign contracts with Town to sell their produce through this market.
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 simple renovation of a house can transform it into a guesthouse or inn, while storefronts along the street are easily rented out for shops or restaurants.
The town's Post Office has also moved here, along with branches of the Credit Union and Agricultural Bank. Many shops from the old town market have relocated as well.
While this is generally a good thing, where there are good people, there are also bad ones.
Since the second half of this year, the security situation in that area has deteriorated sharply. There have been reports of local merchants being extorted and others engaging in illicit activities under the guise of 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 has five brothers with the surname Ding. A few years ago, they were poor and unproductive; only the eldest brother went south to "marry" a woman from outside. After a few years of indulgence in food and gambling by the eldest brother—who even beat his wife after drinking too much—she left him with two children. The Ding brothers then decided to abandon all pretense.
With two markets attracting crowds right outside their doorsteps, the Ding brothers saw an opportunity. They called themselves "Ding Family Five Tigers" and recruited a group of drinking buddies and gambling companions—people who were generally disliked—to form an unofficial "Ma Jia Zhuang Agricultural Trade Market Management Committee." Without any official authorization, they began managing the agricultural market.
In reality, they weren't managing anything; they were just collecting fees. Farmers had to pay to sell their vegetables at the market; even large trucks coming in from outside had to pay fees... Anyone who dared refuse faced threats of violence—not just threats but actual physical assaults.
Sometimes they would even engage in malicious "bumping" against vehicles from outside to extort money.
This group bought rubber clubs and electric shock devices; they operated in groups of four and were quite brazen! Eventually, they even started openly collecting "protection fees" from nearby street vendors!
Hu Ruoyun asked Third Aunt: "Has anyone reported this to the police or is it that the police don't care?"
Third Aunt replied: "I heard our Gaoqiao Town's police chief went out of town for training—it seems like it will be more than half a year now. Currently, it's being managed by a deputy chief who is also serving as an instructor; I don't know much about it. Anyway, I haven't heard anyone taking charge."
Mayor Mao—after your father-in-law left—I've heard that the new town mayor is just here for personal gain; he won't last more than a year or two before moving on to become Secretary somewhere else."
This is unacceptable! Hu Ruoyun couldn't sit still any longer.
On one hand, if things escalate in Gaoqiao Town's Ma Jia Zhuang area, Mao Na's uncle Zhang Maokui would be held accountable; on another hand, it could bring significant negative impacts to Annan County as well. If things go wrong enough for Mao Na's father to get implicated...
If news spreads about drivers and merchants from outside being extorted here, it would severely damage Annan County's business environment.
This situation cannot be delayed; decisive action must be taken before things worsen.
Hu Ruoyun asked Uncle: "Who 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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