Lin Hongying wanted to scare him a little, so she half-truthfully, half-falsely said, “Jinbao, if you don’t confess, I’ll hand you over to the army right away and let the soldiers interrogate you with guns in hand. You know how strict they are-by then, they might starve you for three whole days and nights while they torture you!”

“You’ve committed theft, and last time, you broke into my home to rob me. That’s at least two weeks in solitary confinement! Maybe even forced labor reform until you sincerely admit your mistakes!”

“Who knows—your mom might even lose her job because of you!”

Hearing this, Han Weidong made a show of grabbing Jinbao’s shoulders. “Jinbao, come with me quietly!”

Zhou Jinbao tried to resist, but his struggles were useless against absolute strength. Finally, terrified, he shouted, “I don’t want to go to prison! I don’t want labor reform!”

“I was wrong, I was wrong!”

“I didn’t eat the goose—I’ll give it back to you, okay?”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he desperately pleaded with Shao Qingfeng and Han Weidong.

But after begging for a long time, neither of them responded.

Tears welled up in his eyes, and thinking he was really going to be locked up or sent to labor reform, he burst into loud sobs.

Once his emotions settled, Lin Hongying spoke calmly, “Everyone makes mistakes, but what’s rare is the willingness to correct them and learn from them! This time, going through reform and suffering a bit will teach you a deeper lesson.”

She paused, then added, “However—you should thank your father. Because of him, we’re willing to give you a chance to reform!”

“Jinbao, we all hope you’ll grow into an honest, brave, upright, and kind man—just like your father!”

Widow Zhou’s tears suddenly fell as she silently choked back sobs.

Lin Hongying looked at the three Zhou children and said earnestly, “Your father was a true, undisputed hero. As his children, you should inherit his noble qualities and lofty ideals, not tarnish his reputation!”

“Jinbao, first, you must personally return the goose to Aunt Zhou and ask for her forgiveness, making up for her loss.”

Lin Hongying glanced around at the gathered family members. “Second, you must apologize to everyone here. Because of your mistake, they’ve all been standing in the freezing snow, suffering the cold!”

“You must use real actions to make up for your wrongdoing. Do you accept this?”

Zhou Jinbao wiped his tears and nodded, then ran to the back mountain to retrieve the goose.

He truly understood his mistake now.

Though Li Sanya was unhappy that her once-lively goose was now frozen stiff, at least it had been returned. She pursed her lips and reluctantly accepted this unfortunate outcome.

“You froze Granny Li’s goose to death. As punishment, you’ll help Granny Li with two weeks of unpaid labor. Do you accept this?”

Jinbao nodded tearfully.

Li Sanya finally felt somewhat appeased.

“Yinbao and Yinhua, you two are also involved. By condoning or participating in Jinbao’s crime, you’re accomplices. Everyone here suffered in the cold because of your theft. Starting now, you’ll join Jinbao in cleaning the building for two weeks. Do you accept this punishment?”

Yinbao nodded.

Yinhua, however, clearly disagreed and muttered, “I didn’t even take part!”

Lin Hongying nodded approvingly. “Right! And for that, I’ll reward you—for choosing to refuse rather than follow the crowd. You’ve made great progress compared to before. Later, come to my house, and I’ll give you your reward. But one thing doesn’t cancel out the other—”

“You clearly knew your brothers were up to no good, yet you didn’t stop them, nor did you speak the truth earlier. Choosing silence was wrong, and you must accept punishment for that.”

Zhou Yinhua listened and, though reluctantly, accepted it.

She hadn’t expected such a fleeting mistake to be caught by Lin Hongying.

But hearing about a reward, a glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes.

“One last thing—and the most important!” Lin Hongying said seriously, “You must swear an oath in front of all of us: From now on, you will never steal or commit petty crimes again, and you’ll accept everyone’s supervision.”

“If you break this oath, next time, you’ll face military discipline—solitary confinement or labor reform, with no leniency for being young. Every adult here today is your witness! Do you accept this?”

Widow Zhou, her eyes red, protested, “Isn’t… isn’t this too harsh?”

The crowd fell into stunned silence.

With such a clueless mother, no wonder the children turned out spoiled. Was Lin Hongying’s final demand really a punishment? No—it was saving them, correcting their character!

Lin Hongying felt a mix of emotions, but she wasn’t surprised at all.

If a child has problems, they are often the least “sick” one in the family.

She didn’t respond to Widow Zhou. Instead, she looked at the two younger children and asked sternly, “Do you accept the last condition?”

Zhou Yinhua said firmly, “I accept!”

Zhou Jinbao wiped his tears. “I accept!”

Zhou Yinbao stammered in a small voice, “I… I accept too!”

Zhou Jinbao took a deep breath and said, “I swear I’ll never steal again. If I break this promise, punish me by military rules…”

The other two followed suit, repeating the same vow.

After settling the matter with the Zhou children, Lin Hongying turned to Li Sanya and said bluntly, “Now, it’s your turn—your issue with me and with Xiue.”

“Aunt Li, you wronged me without evidence and even hit your daughter-in-law. That’s unacceptable!” Her gaze fell on Yang Xiue.

Yang Xiue’s face flushed crimson, and she lowered her head deeply, as if trying to bury it in her chest.

She… was just like the original Lin Hongying from the past.

Lin Hongying’s voice softened with patience. “In this matter, Xiue suffered the most harm. Xiue, if you have any grievances, I’ll report this to the authorities and let them handle it.”

Domestic violence was something only the victim could confront first—only then could others step in to help.

[Li Sanya’s Resentment +500]

Even though Lin Hongying had helped her recover the goose, that didn’t mean she could meddle in her family affairs! Was she wrong for hitting her daughter-in-law?

Li Sanya exploded in rage. “You heartless wretch! Who gave you the right to interfere in my family matters?”

After a long silence, Yang Xiue finally mumbled, “It’s… it’s fine.”

Lin Hongying felt a pang of disappointment.

She turned back to Li Sanya, crossing her arms calmly. “Fine, I won’t interfere in your family affairs.”

“But the matter of you falsely accusing me—that, I can address. Compensate me with five yuan, and we’ll consider this settled. Otherwise, I’ll report this to the leadership and let them judge who’s in the wrong.”

Li Sanya spewed a stream of curses at Lin Hongying. “You think you can twist the truth with just your words? You rotten—%^##$%…”

[Li Sanya’s Resentment +1000]

Lin Hongying nodded with a faint smile. “Why wouldn’t I? I’m now a state cadre. My reputation and image cannot be slandered at will. I tolerated you before, but you’ve repeatedly crossed the line. I’ve had enough.”

“Not only did you falsely accuse me this time, but you’ve also spread rumors about me in the compound before, damaging my marriage and causing me immense distress. To put it seriously, this could count as sabotaging a military marriage.”

Li Sanya spat in disdain. “State cadre? Just based on your empty words? Ridiculous!”

Lin Hongying casually pulled out her work ID from her bag—freshly issued just days ago, still warm with the imprint of the “Harbin Branch of the State Farm Administration” and her title: Agricultural Technical Instructor.

Li Sanya’s face went pale.

Lin Hongying wasn’t just some ignorant country bumpkin!

Was this ID fake? But no one dared forge an official seal—doing so would land them in prison…

The crowd scrutinized Lin Hongying’s work ID, their expressions shifting from amusement to shock. When had the State Farms ever had such a young technical instructor?

Their eyes darted between the ID and Lin Hongying’s youthful face.

Their breathing grew heavy—it was as if they no longer recognized her.

The State Farms were a newly established central government department in recent years, employing the largest number of demobilized soldiers. Countless veterans had traded their uniforms for farming tools, and even the highest-ranking leaders in the State Farms were decorated military generals who had once been legendary heroes.

Many family members now worked in the State Farms because it provided abundant job opportunities.

They knew exactly how valuable Lin Hongying’s work ID was.

This was a golden rice bowl—something even a college-educated “golden phoenix” might not easily obtain!

Those familiar with the system quickly matched the job title to its corresponding salary. Technical Instructor—Level 21 salary, 63 yuan a month!

One person working could feed the whole family!

The crowd’s gazes turned envious, burning with admiration.