Once everyone had arrived, the meeting room became as noisy as a vegetable market, with a very high level of shouting.

The police officers standing guard in the room had shouted several times, and this time, the noise settled for a while but soon erupted again.

It was the Xie family against the Liu family, and the two men were not very good at arguing.

Yang Meifeng and Liu Qin could hardly win the argument, their throats hoarse from yelling.

Yang Meifeng: “Who led your son astray? It’s clearly your son who led my little Yong down the wrong path.”

“Our little Yong only learned to go bad because of your Zhao Hu! Everyone knows that your Zhao Hu is the worst little thug on Changhu Street!”

Zhao’s mother: “My Xiao Hu led your son astray? Your son, Liu Yong, doesn’t need anyone to lead him astray. With a father who’s almost a thug himself, and a mother like you—who steals toilet paper from public restrooms and takes other people’s used sanitary pads—he’s just a naturally bad seed.”

Liu Jianping’s face turned as dark as liver, and he pursed his lips without saying a word.

“None of that is true! If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll tear your mouth off!” Yang Meifeng shouted, pointing at Zhao’s mother.

Zhao’s mother sneered, “Not true? When your husband was arrested, his pants were halfway down, and many people at the factory saw the big black mole on his butt. Still not true?”

Lin Jianshe, whose face had swollen into a pig’s head, looked at his father-in-law beside him.

Wasn’t Qin Qin saying he was wronged?

Why does it sound like it actually happened?

And the part about his mother-in-law stealing toilet paper and taking used sanitary pads?

That’s just disgusting.

Li Shuping and Lin Xiaoyu were sipping tea and listening with interest.

It would have been perfect if they had a handful of sunflower seeds.

“Alright, enough shouting!” When Xiao Zhao saw Captain Gu enter with a thermos, he quickly stopped them.

Unable to respond, Yang Meifeng sat down, holding her breath.

Captain Gu sat down in the main seat, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the suspects with an overwhelming sense of pressure.

The people who had been shouting moments ago all lowered their heads, avoiding his gaze.

“After our questioning, Liu Yong, Zhao Hu, Chen Liu, Zhou Hao, and Peng Yang have all confessed to the crimes of extortion, robbery, vandalism, and intentional injury that they committed yesterday.”

“And they’ve actively implicated each other for several previous burglaries, with each person having committed at least ten burglaries.”

The five families remained silent, their faces hard to read.

They all knew what their children had been doing and what they had brought home.

Just last month, Zhao Hu had brought a radio home, claiming it was a gift from a friend.

Zhao’s mother knew it was suspicious but didn’t ask too many questions and even bragged about it to the neighbors.

Lin Jianshe thought: Ten burglaries? His brother-in-law is a habitual thief?

This…

Lin Jianshe didn’t know how to react; with his face swollen, making expressions was painful.

“They’re going to prison, and there’s no way they’re getting out of it. As for how many years, once we’ve organized all their crimes, we’ll submit them to the court, and the court will decide the sentence.”

Hearing this, three of the families began to cry.

Not only would their family lose face, but their children’s future would be ruined.

“My Yangyang is still a child, can’t we let him go?” Peng Yang’s mother wiped her tears.

Captain Gu: “As far as I know, your son Peng Yang is already 20 years old. He’s an adult.”

“We’ve called you here today to discuss compensation for Comrade Li Shuping.”

Zhao’s mother: “My son is going to prison, and now we need to pay compensation?”

What kind of reasoning is this?

Captain Gu: “Your children’s actions have caused economic losses and bodily harm to Comrade Li Shuping. Compensation is definitely required.”

“If you don’t compensate, the court will certainly consider the amount when sentencing, which may add a couple of years to their sentence.”

Everyone didn’t want to pay, but they didn’t want their children to spend more years in prison.

Two more years in prison would mean they’d be even older when they got out. It would make it harder for them to find a partner or a job.

If the children found out that their families didn’t want to pay and caused them to spend more time in prison, they’d resent them forever.

“How much do we have to pay?” Chen’s father asked softly.

Captain Gu pulled out a list from yesterday’s registration and said, “The initial economic loss due to the damage and theft of items is 600 yuan.”

“Gasp!” Several people gasped.

Lin Jianshe: “Mom, your stuff on the stall isn’t worth 600.”

“Who’s your mom? Call me Aunt Li!” Li Shuping rolled her eyes.

They had severed ties, yet she was still calling her “mom.”

She had no manners at all.

Lin Jianshe: “…”

Liu Qin glared at Li Shuping angrily, “The things on your stall aren’t even worth 600 yuan! You’re clearly just trying to scam us.”

“Scam you?” Li Shuping sneered. “Let me ask you, how much does a tricycle cost?”

Liu Qin: “…”

She had no idea, since she didn’t sell tricycles.

“A tricycle from a state-owned shop costs at least 100 yuan. I’ve reported 100 yuan; I didn’t make up the price.”

Lin Jianshe and Liu Qin hadn’t even looked closely at the dumpling stall, so they had no idea whether Li Shuping was selling new or old tricycles.

“I sell each fine porcelain bowl for 80 cents. They smashed 100 of them. The large enamel basin, which costs 5 yuan each, was smashed three. And the round baskets that cost 2 yuan each…”

Li Shuping calculated one by one.

“…And on the stall, there were dumplings and dough worth 20 yuan. All together, it adds up to 600 yuan. I didn’t make up the price.”

Captain Gu crossed his fingers, “We’ve also verified the market price for these items. It’s not higher than the market price.”

It wasn’t higher than the market price, but whether the items were worth that amount wasn’t for them to investigate.

“600 yuan, the Liu family should definitely pay the most,” Zhao’s mother pointed at Yang Meifeng.

“Why should my family pay the most?” Yang Meifeng protested.

“Because it was your son Liu Yong who led them.”

“Quiet.” Captain Gu knocked on the table.

The two glaring at each other had no choice but to stop and sit quietly.

Captain Gu: “Liu Yong is the mastermind, so his responsibility is certainly greater.”

Zhao’s mother: “See? I told you the Liu family should pay the most.”

“600 yuan is just the initial economic loss. We also have medical expenses. I looked at the list, and the medical expenses are 16 yuan,” Captain Gu said, looking at the list Xiao Zhao had brought back yesterday.

“You’ve only got this little injury, and the medical fees are 16 yuan?” Liu Qin shouted.

Li Shuping spread her hands. “These are the medicine the doctor prescribed after examining me based on the symptoms after the beating. What can I do?”

“Don’t worry. The amount you’ll pay definitely won’t just be this. There are also mental damage compensation and lost work fees that haven’t been calculated yet.”

“What’s mental damage compensation?” Peng Yang’s mother asked.

Li Shuping: “Your son extorted me, smashed my stall, and hurt me. It caused me tremendous mental distress. I’ve been having nightmares, and I’m scared when I see young men with bad attitudes.”

“So, you must compensate me for my mental distress. Don’t worry, I’m not asking for too much, just 50 yuan.”

“Is this reasonable?” Zhao’s mother looked at Captain Gu.

The latter nodded, pondering, “Theoretically, it is reasonable.”

But legally, there weren’t any specific regulations yet.

Zhou’s father: “That adds up to 696 yuan!”

“Don’t forget the lost work fees.” Li Shuping reminded them. “I make at least 10 yuan a day selling dumplings.”

10 yuan a day?

At least!

Everyone, including Yang Meifeng, was stunned, even Captain Gu and the other police officers in the room.

Lin Jianshe was even more shocked as he stared at his mother.

She makes this much from a dumpling stall every day?