Chapter 49

Another Day of Turning Against Each Other

The man mistook Xu Jianguo’s anger for guilt and spoke recklessly: “You two work at the same factory. It’s convenient for you to mess around. Comrade police, I want to report that they are having an affair!”

Xu Laotai saw that a small path was cleared and pulled Xu Jiajia over. She overheard the man’s words and immediately rushed forward, punching him: “You heartless bastard, do you have any proof?”

Xu Jiajia added from behind, “If you don’t have evidence, it’s slander. So many people heard it, they are all witnesses. A lawsuit is guaranteed.”

Xu Jianguo, seeing them, was a bit surprised. “Mom, daughter, how did you end up here?”

Xu Laotai shot him a glance. “You have no guts, getting slandered and not fighting back.”

Xu Jianguo looked innocent. “…”

Did they give him a chance to fight back?

Xu Jiajia looked at Liu Kui, enunciating clearly, “Falsely fabricating and spreading fictional facts to damage someone’s reputation is a serious offense. For severe cases of slander, one could face up to three years of imprisonment, right?”

Liu Kui was stunned.

“She knows the law,” he thought.

Is a high school student teaching these things?

“Yes, that’s a crime. But few people know that it can lead to jail time. Because of this, many people think spreading rumors costs nothing and just say whatever comes to mind.”

Xu Jiajia coldly stared at the man. “Then let’s go after him.”

The man, hearing about jail time, turned pale with fear. “I didn’t mean to say it, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s my fault.”

Seeing the man trembling, Xu Jianguo smirked, “Had I known this would happen, why didn’t I stop you earlier? People like you, who don’t value life, should experience what it’s like to be behind bars.”

After the dead woman’s mother-in-law and her husband were taken away by Liu Kui’s two colleagues, he instructed the woman’s family to take the body back.

The dead woman’s mother nearly screamed in disbelief: “She’s a worthless married woman, and you want me to take her body back? No, no way.”

Liu Kui replied with a blank expression: “Do you still want your job?”

The dead woman’s mother: “…”

Her family tried to leave but were blocked by Liu Kui. “You brought the body here; now take it back.”

Reluctantly, they had to carry the body back.

The troublemakers finally left.

Those who were just watching didn’t want to leave, still showing expressions of satisfaction.

“Having such a terrible in-law family, her fate is truly pitiful.”

“Ah, she closed her eyes and didn’t need to worry about anything. But her daughter, such a young child, is neglected. How is she supposed to live?”

“I think her job should go to her daughter. No one else deserves it.”

“…”

The leaders overheard the discussions and thought the idea wasn’t bad.

Her husband is unreliable; if she had left it to him, he might have given it to his new wife.

With the involvement of the leaders and the police, the whole drama ended with a sigh.

…

On the way home, Xu Jianguo learned that Xu Jiajia and her mother went to the city. He slammed on the brakes and almost threw Xu Laotai off the handlebars.

Xu Laotai was startled and panicked: “Bastard, how do you ride a bike?”

Xu Jianguo looked at her with resentment: “Mom, you two went to the city without telling me. Am I still a member of this family? Is my ten yuan a gift?”

Xu Laotai slapped him on the head: “You, someone with a job, are always thinking about playing, not even thinking about giving the job to someone who needs it more!”

Xu Jianguo felt more wronged. He had only gone to the farthest place, the town, and just wanted to see the city. Was that really so wrong?

“Mom, can you stop hitting my head? You’ve made me stupid!”

Xu Laotai snorted coldly: “I didn’t hit you, and it’s not like you’re very smart!”

This hit a nerve. Xu Jianguo: “…”

Xu Jiajia, hearing their conversation, smiled and said, “One day when we have time off, the three generations of us should go.”

Xu Jianguo excitedly agreed, “Good—”

At the same time, Xu Laotai spoke up, “No.”

Xu Jianguo looked dissatisfied: “Why not? Are you afraid I’ll see the big world and stop being filial to you?”

Xu Laotai: “…”

This idiot!

“It’s too expensive. Your five yuan isn’t enough.”

Xu Jianguo was confused: “Mom, the bus fare is just a few cents, and my five yuan is ten times that. It’s definitely enough!”

Xu Laotai didn’t want to argue further and passed the question to Xu Jiajia: “Ask your daughter how much she spent today.”

Xu Jianguo asked, “How much did you spend?”

Xu Jiajia silently calculated, “More than forty.”

Upon hearing the number, Xu Jianguo instinctively clutched his pockets. With only five yuan, it wasn’t nearly enough. “Forget it, I’m too poor, I can’t afford it.”

Xu Jiajia: “…”

Xu Laotai glanced at him: “Now you understand why I didn’t want to go?”

Xu Jianguo fell silent for a moment, then felt it wasn’t right. He was him, his daughter was her own person. They shouldn’t be confused: “Mom, I’m careful with money. I just want to visit the city, and I’ll take food with me. The round trip will only cost one yuan.”

Xu Laotai almost choked on her own spit. So all her words were nonsense? “Jiajia spends money recklessly. If she goes, she’ll spend a lot more.”

Xu Jianguo finally understood. It was his daughter who scared the old lady. “Mom, money is meant to be spent. You’re frugal, but you shouldn’t expect young people to follow your example.”

“You need to have a better mindset and stop worrying about everything,” Xu Jiajia said with a comforting tone.

“Grandma, don’t think too much. Relax and live to 120,” she added, trying to cheer up.

Xu Laotai sighed in response: “…”

Back at home, Xu Laotai took out her new blue jacket and asked, “Old friend, how do you like this jacket?”

Liu Laotai, who lived next door, knew exactly how many clothes Xu Laotai had, and with her deliberate showing off, it was easy to guess who bought it.

Still, Liu Laotai played along and asked, “Did Jiajia buy this for you?”

Xu Laotai grinned, her eyes forming crescent moons: “Yes, this jacket cost eight yuan. I couldn’t bring myself to buy it, but young people don’t mind spending.”

Liu Laotai was shocked: “So expensive!”

After the shock, she expressed deep envy: “Jiajia is really filial. She just buys an eight-yuan jacket without hesitation. Why don’t I have such a good granddaughter?”

Xu Laotai proudly patted the jacket: “Of course. My granddaughter, Li Lanhua’s granddaughter, is something special!”

Xu Laotai’s full name was Li Lanhua. After marrying, no one called her by her name, instead referring to her as “Second Mrs. Xu,” because her husband was second in line among his siblings. As she aged, people started calling her “Xu Aunt” and after turning 55, she became “Xu Laotai.”

Liu Laotai’s gaze shifted to Xu Laotai’s new clothes, and she sighed deeply: “Only Jiajia has the ability to earn money. People like us can’t afford clothes like this. Sigh… I should have listened to you and encouraged the younger generation to study more.”

Xu Laotai, seeing Liu Laotai wallowing in regret, suddenly remarked, “It wasn’t that you didn’t send them, it’s that no one in your family had the chance to study. Your eldest grandson nearly drove the school into the ground after attending for ten years.”

Liu Laotai’s brewing emotions vanished instantly. She glared at Xu Laotai with annoyance: “You really know how to ruin the mood.”

Xu Laotai retorted, “You have to face reality.”

Liu Laotai: “…”

Another day of wanting to turn things sour.

…

There was a phoenix tree next to the threshing ground.

Every evening, many villagers would come here with bowls in hand to chat.

“Having workers at home really gives you confidence, Xu Aunt, you didn’t come to work again today.”

“Xu Jianguo gets forty yuan a month, plus he gets grain. If I had those conditions, I wouldn’t work either.”

“Sigh, it’s really enviable!”

When Xu Laotai arrived, they were talking about her. Hearing the conversation, she smiled even more happily: “Today, Jiajia took me to the city. She bought me this jacket, and we even had a meal at a state-owned restaurant.”

All eyes turned to her.

Perhaps because of her good mood or the recent good food, Xu Laotai’s face looked much smoother.

She looked quite energetic in the blue jacket.

The smile on her face bloomed like a wild chrysanthemum, adding a touch of color to her life.

“Oh, this jacket is really beautiful, must be expensive, right?” Li Matchmaker asked with a glint of envy in her eyes.

Xu Laotai responded, “Eight yuan.”

Everyone gasped.

“My goodness, Xu’s granddaughter is really generous!”

“Too expensive, why didn’t you stop her from buying it?”

“How do you know I didn’t try to stop her?” Xu Laotai glanced at the person who spoke, paused, then continued, “Sometimes, when a granddaughter is too filial, it’s a lot of pressure on us.”

Her blatant bragging made everyone’s teeth itch with frustration.

Wang Daniu thought of how much Xu Jiajia earned every month, while Xu Xiaoyao only received five yuan, and felt bitter, but she didn’t dare show any dissatisfaction.

She feared that Xu Xiaoyao might lose her job to someone else and end up with nothing.

…

Liu Kui was very capable.

He closed the case from yesterday in just two days.

During the investigation, there was an unexpected discovery.

It turned out that the deceased woman’s husband’s lover was a spy.

If it weren’t for Xu Jiajia’s report, the town would have had a major hidden bomb, and no one knew what danger it might bring.

Liu Kui credited the success of the case to Xu Jiajia and went to the deputy chief: “Deputy Chief, Xu Jiajia has made another contribution. What do you plan to reward her with?”

The deputy chief was also considering this and, after a moment, looked up at Liu Kui and said, “Give her a Unity Award and a certificate of appreciation.”

Liu Kui laughed sarcastically: “Deputy Chief, are you treating her like a beggar?”

The deputy chief frowned: “What do you mean by that? Ten yuan is not a small amount; it can buy a lot!”

Liu Kui calmly stated, “When it’s reported, the reward will definitely be more than this.”

This wasn’t the first time Xu Jiajia had made a contribution.

Both times she helped had her name attached, and it was bound to attract attention from higher-ups.

The deputy chief looked at him without batting an eye: “Didn’t you say the report would take too long and they’d have to wait a long time? What’s this, changing your mind now?”

Liu Kui replied calmly, “You’re offering too little.”

Deputy Chief: “…”

He wanted to hit someone!

…

At the Provincial Public Security Bureau.

The chief stared at two reports in his hand for a long time before instructing his assistant to call the Shanping Town Police Department.

A young police officer at the station answered the call: “Hello, this is the Shanping Town Police Department.”