Chapter 9: County Recognition

Seeing that it was getting late, Lin Chaoyang handed the child over to the police officers and was about to leave.

The officers quickly took down his name and address, explaining that they might need him as a witness later.

Lin Chaoyang didn’t think much of it and provided his real information before leaving.

By the time he walked out of the police station, the sun was already beginning to set.

Lin Chaoyang quickened his pace, intending to make it home before dark.

However, he hadn’t brought much with him that day, just about a bowl’s worth of cornmeal.

When it came to begging for food, it wasn’t realistic to expect to gather a lot every day.

Because he didn’t have his own home and his family relied on him for food, it wasn’t until after dark that the Lin family started cooking.

That evening, they made a simple dish of wild vegetable porridge with a bit of cornmeal. It was much more filling than regular rice porridge.

After being locked up for a few days, Lin Chaoyu was finally released and, not daring to cause trouble anymore, obediently ate his portion.

“Starting tomorrow, Xia and Yu need to go back to work. Every bit of work they do counts.”

Lin Chaoyang had been injured recently and could do some housework at home, but Lin Chaoxia and Lin Chaoyu couldn’t just sit idle.

The two siblings, now much more subdued, didn’t dare to object to their brother’s words and nodded in agreement.

Lin Chaoyang himself didn’t plan to visit the county again anytime soon. He needed to start working to earn work points.

The family’s work points had to be enough to appear decent on the surface; otherwise, others might start questioning them.

The excuse of begging for food could be used occasionally, but going every day would not be practical.

Lin Chaoyang planned to go to the county every three or four days, so it wouldn’t draw too much attention.

After working for two quiet days, news spread through the village in the afternoon: someone was driving a car toward the village entrance!

This was big news! People heard it faster than the car could arrive, and soon Lin Chaoyang knew about it too.

However, he wasn’t too interested and continued with his work.

Not long after, a large group of people came toward the fields.

The village leader’s loud voice could be heard from afar. “Yangzi! Stop working! The big leaders are here to see you!”

Lin Chaoyang was stunned for a moment, realizing that the only person in the field with the name “Yangzi” was him.

But he was confused—why would the big leaders come to see him?

He was just an ordinary person; what connection could he have with such important people?

As the group approached, Lin Chaoyang climbed up to the ridge, wiping his hands off, though the mud hadn’t quite come off yet.

When the group reached him, Lin Chaoyang saw that the leader was a middle-aged man in a well-fitted Zhongshan suit.

The suit was neat, and there was a pen hanging from his chest, giving him the appearance of an important official.

Behind him was another older man, also exuding leadership qualities.

Lin Chaoyang was even more bewildered. Why would such high-ranking officials come looking for him?

“Yangzi, this is Director Chang from the county Public Security Bureau, and this is Vice Secretary Zheng from the county’s coal mine. They’re here to thank you!”

Before Lin Chaoyang could respond, Director Chang spoke with a smile.

“Comrade Lin Chaoyang, thank you for your courageous act. You helped us catch the trafficker and even uncovered a human trafficking ring!”

When the crowd heard this, it became clear that Lin Chaoyang had done a great deed and would be officially recognized by the county!

Lin Chaoyang never expected that the trafficker was connected to a human trafficking ring, making his actions all the more virtuous!

Before he could say anything, the older man behind stepped forward and gave him a deep bow.

It felt a bit uncomfortable for Lin Chaoyang to be bowed to by someone so much older than him, and he quickly stepped aside.

“Comrade Lin Chaoyang, on behalf of our entire family, I deeply thank you for saving our child’s life!”

The man’s voice quivered with emotion as he continued, “If it weren’t for you, my little Fei would have been lost!”

At that moment, Lin Chaoyang realized that the child he had saved was actually Vice Secretary Zheng’s son.

The family cherished the child like a treasure, but one moment of carelessness led the boy to slip out of the house.

It was just that one time, and the child encountered the trafficker.

If Lin Chaoyang hadn’t spotted them in time, the child would have been abducted.

“Vice Secretary Zheng, it was the right thing to do. I believe anyone who encounters a trafficker kidnapping a child wouldn’t just stand by.”

Although Lin Chaoyang said this modestly, Vice Secretary Zheng was still deeply grateful, treating Lin Chaoyang as if he were a great benefactor.

To show his thanks, Vice Secretary Zheng even pulled out a job offer for the coal mine.

Lin Chaoyang was stunned. Was he really offering him a job at the coal mine as a thank you?

“Comrade Lin Chaoyang, this is your official job offer from the Fuyuan County Coal Mine. I’d like to congratulate you on joining the Fuyuan County Coal Mine family!”

Such a heavy gift was something Lin Chaoyang couldn’t accept. He quickly waved his hands to decline.

“Vice Secretary Zheng, I only did what any ordinary person should do. I can’t accept such a great reward.”

A job at the coal mine was highly coveted, and Lin Chaoyang knew that accepting it just because he saved the Vice Secretary’s son would definitely cause trouble in the future.

At that moment, Director Chang laughed and spoke up.

“This reward has been unanimously decided by the county after discussions.”

Lin Chaoyang was surprised to hear that this reward was coming from the county directly, not just because of Vice Secretary Zheng.

“If you didn’t do such a great deed by helping us crack down on human trafficking, the county leadership wouldn’t have known about your family’s difficulties. That’s why they’ve arranged a job for you.”

“Since the child you saved is Vice Secretary Zheng’s, the arrangement for your job was made with the coal mine.”

Lin Chaoyang hadn’t fully processed this when the village leader began clapping.

“That’s fantastic, Yangzi! You’re officially a working city person now! Don’t forget to thank the leaders!”

At this point, it would have been foolish for Lin Chaoyang to continue refusing.

He quickly bowed in gratitude to the leaders for their reward, complimenting the county’s efforts, and everyone was happy to hear it.

Before they left, Director Chang handed him a certificate that read “Child Trafficking Hero” in bold characters.

Lin Chaoyang felt uneasy. Such a prestigious title, he didn’t think he deserved it.

After the leaders left, the village leader leaned in close to Lin Chaoyang and whispered.

“The leaders also bought you something, but I didn’t let them make a fuss about it. It’s been placed at the village office. When night falls, I’ll bring it over to you.”

The village leader, who had seen it all, knew that while a job at the coal mine might attract envy, something more tangible could cause real trouble.

Lin Chaoyang didn’t have a proper guardian at home, and if people got ideas, it could lead to big problems.

So, the village leader decided to keep the gift at the office to prevent anyone from knowing about it and would bring it to Lin Chaoyang’s home quietly after dark.

Lin Chaoyang was deeply grateful to the village leader. He had thought ahead, knowing that otherwise, his family might attract unwanted attention.