Chapter 38: Three Years

Liu Hongying was completely dumbfounded. She had intended to use the same trick again, hoping to win sympathy and, if possible, get this Comrade Ma, but she didn’t expect to face such a disaster.

Liu Hongying wasn’t very courageous. As soon as she arrived at the police station, she confessed her intentions.

“Just to find a man to marry? I don’t believe it. Are you an accomplice of the murderer, are you trying to give him a heads-up?”

“I really don’t know anything about any murderer.” Liu Hongying anxiously defended herself.

She had heard the aunties in the courtyard gossiping a few days ago about a man who got into a fight in the alley and was stabbed, with blood all over the ground.

And then that was it. After all, it had nothing to do with her.

“I didn’t know you were there on official business, if I had known, I wouldn’t have tried to get close to you. I’ve explained everything clearly, let me go back.”

“Let you go back? First, your suspicion hasn’t been cleared. Second, you’re going to blackmail me, are you just going to let it go?” The scar on Ma Pingchuan’s forehead twitched in anger.

The statement was recorded. He was also thoroughly ridiculed by his colleagues, and he couldn’t hold his head up for at least a week.

Ma Pingchuan was diligent and responsible. That night, he went to Liu’s house to inquire about Liu Hongying’s situation.

Hearing that she was arrested, Lin Xiangnan almost choked on her water, but she still objectively stated, “She might really have nothing to do with this case, she just has her eyes on you.”

“Eyes on me? I’ve only met her a few times!” Ma Pingchuan was shocked.

“You don’t know. She’s been having a hard time at home recently, her dad wants to force her to marry a divorced man who beats his wife. You’re single, you look good, and you have a good job. It’s normal for her to see you as a lifeline.”

Following Liu Laohei’s arrangements was destined to be a tragedy. It couldn’t be worse, it’s better to take a gamble.

Lin Xiangnan didn’t think Liu Hongying’s idea was wrong, but her method was wrong. She kept targeting her, a sheep, and trying to fleece her, that was too much.

“This isn’t the first time she’s done this. Last time, she even hugged my blind date. They didn’t get married, but she got a hundred yuan in compensation.” Lin Xiangnan said a little embarrassed, “You’re probably being implicated by me. She tasted the sweetness once, and she wants to get a second bite out of you.”

Ma Pingchuan crossed his arms, defending his innocence, “I didn’t hug her. Many of my colleagues can testify for me, I pinned her to the ground. Don’t spread rumors, you’ll ruin my reputation.”

After working at the police station for a long time, he had seen men lusting after women, and he had also seen women defrauding men and running away with their money.

After going to Zhao’s house to understand the situation and getting the guarantee letter Liu Hongying wrote when she received the money, Liu Hongying’s blackmailing was confirmed and she was directly sentenced to three years.

When this result came out, not only the gossiping crowd in the courtyard, but even Lin Xiangnan was shocked.

“Did she hit a brick wall?” Lin Xiangnan couldn’t believe it, “I thought she would be released after being reprimanded.”

“That’s a hundred yuan! It would take us a year to save that much money. Liu Hongying can blackmail a hundred yuan by hugging a man, if she goes all out, how rich would she be?” Hu Meili shook her head, disapproving, “She’s also bold. A few years ago, I don’t know how many “broken shoes” were taken to the streets for public shaming, how long has it been, she’s already forgotten all about it.”

Hu Meili’s remarks were also agreed upon by the other aunties in the courtyard, and they started to play armchair quarterback.

“I told you she would fall for this, look, she did.”

“Hongying was sent to labor camp, will Liu’s family return the hundred yuan to Zhao’s family?”

“Of course they will. What? Does Liu Laohei want to be an accomplice by refusing to pay?”

The current atmosphere is good, there is no reason for the punishment to be so severe.

Especially in terms of relationships between men and women, the price for making a small mistake is not something a single person can bear.

Liu Hongying just tried her hand at it, and she directly fell into the pit.

She fell in, Liu Laohei and the others, let alone trying to save her, immediately took a stand and distanced themselves from Liu Hongying to avoid being implicated.

Of course, he also returned the 100 yuan he swallowed to Zhao’s family, but their family is now short of money, so they can only write an IOU first.

The family had originally hoped to pay off their debts by marrying off their daughter, but who knew they would lose another hundred yuan. Now Liu Laohei’s face was really black, he hadn’t smiled for days.

But the people in the courtyard, either they were oblivious or they were doing it on purpose, they would always try to comfort Liu Laohei.

“Children are debts. Hongying has learned her lesson this time, she’ll be more sensible when she comes out.”

“You shouldn’t have pushed her too hard, children have their own blessings, you’re so old, don’t worry about them anymore.”

“Actually, your family doesn’t owe much money, just pay it back slowly, don’t be too hard on yourselves. You only have Hongshan by your side now, and he’s so obedient, don’t let him suffer from poor health at such a young age, eating cornbread every meal is really not good.”

Liu Laohei didn’t have Hu Meili’s sharp tongue, these words made him feel suffocated and he couldn’t refute them, he just listened silently.

Didn’t he know these truths? He had also eaten enough cornmeal, otherwise, he wouldn’t have forced Liu Hongying to get married.

But he had to pay back the money. The creditors had reminded him, their child was getting married this year, if he dared not to pay back this money, he would ruin their big day, and they would definitely tear their faces off and go to his child’s work unit to make a scene.

Seeing that everyone was sincerely trying to persuade him, Liu Laohei wiped his face and tentatively asked, “Why don’t you lend me a hundred to tide me over?”

“Oh, my family is large, we spend everything we earn every month, where would I have any spare money?”

“My family is still in debt.”

When it came to borrowing money, the group of people didn’t bother anymore, they ran away as fast as they could.

Everyone’s reaction made Liu Laohei furious, but it also opened his mind. His family was in debt, but he could move money from one place to another.

He counted his relatives and friends, those who could lend him money, he had already borrowed from them when he bought a job for Liu Hongshan. They were all his former creditors, they wouldn’t lend him money again in the short term.

The only one left, who was relatively close and had money, was Hu Meili.

Although Liu Laohei felt embarrassed, he still opened his mouth to Hu Meili, “Just for the sake of our past friendship, lend me some money to tide me over.”

“You’re kidding, right? I owe two or three hundred yuan to outsiders for building that house, where would I find money to lend you?”

Now Hu Meili didn’t dare to make fun of Liu Laohei anymore. She didn’t dare to appear in front of him at all. As soon as the new house was built, before they started decorating, she quickly took Lin Xiangnan and hid away.

The newly built house is a two-story building, the stairs and toilet are shared, but Hu Meili built a separate kitchen, which cost her an extra few dozen yuan. The whole house cost over sixteen hundred yuan, and their family spent four hundred and three.

The four rooms belonging to their family are on the right side, two upstairs and two downstairs. The several uncles’ families have the same layout, two rooms upstairs and two downstairs, the location is decided by lottery, which is fair.

After working so hard for so long, they finally have their own rooms, Lin Xiangnan’s mood immediately brightened.

The four families pooled their money to build the house, but the decoration is their own business.

Lin Xiangnan didn’t care how Hu Meili did it, she only claimed her room on the second floor.

After securing her territory, the first thing Lin Xiangnan did was to install lock plates on the inside and outside of the door.