Chapter 202: Reporting to the Police

The village secretary said, “We’ll cover the cost from the brigade funds for now, and later, the responsible party will pay.”

Luo Qiao, looking exhausted, said, “That’s best. Thank you, Secretary.”

Luo Qiao was taken back to the village health station. Since the captain and the secretary weren’t there, they couldn’t get an introduction letter, so they had to wait.

While the women’s leader was applying medicine to Luo Qiao, she couldn’t bear to look at the severe scratches on Luo Qiao’s tender skin. Ding Caifeng, the accountant’s wife who was helping, also gasped in shock.

The cow was quickly brought back. The secretary tried several times to approach, but Lu Yichen stopped him. Upon returning to the village, Lu Yichen sent a man who had a grudge against the secretary’s family to the commune police station to report the incident.

Zhang Qiaoyan’s actions had already spread. The secretary approached Lu Yichen and said, “Do you really have to go this far?”

Lu Yichen replied, “I’m a retired soldier. Even though I’m retired, my integrity remains. Don’t forget that you’re the secretary of Qingshan Village and a village committee. Just because it’s your daughter, you want to bend the law?”

With a stern face, Lu Yichen’s words made Zhang Dezhen break out in a cold sweat, fearing that his position was truly at risk.

It didn’t take long for the police to arrive. It was the same two officers as before. They asked about the details of the incident, began collecting evidence, and sent someone to find Zhang Qiaoyan.

Unfortunately, after searching the village, they couldn’t find Zhang Qiaoyan. The villagers said she had fled.

Doctor Gao helped by extracting a large nail from the cow’s buttock, which served as evidence. They also found three identical nails in Zhang Qiaoyan’s room at the secretary’s house.

They also interviewed villagers who were picking plums on the slope that day, and they confirmed seeing Zhang Qiaoyan’s actions. Lu Yichen directly stated that he saw her nail the cow’s buttock.

The secretary turned to look at Lu Yichen and asked, “If you saw her take out the nail, why didn’t you stop her?”

Lu Yichen calmly replied, “I did see her take out the nail from her pocket, but at that time she was just playing with it. Your daughter, Zhang Qiaoyan, usually seems normal, and she’s a high school student. Who could have thought she would do such a thing?

So I assumed she was just playing with it and continued cutting locust shoots. Later, when I looked up to wipe the sweat off my forehead, I accidentally saw her actions. I immediately shouted and ran down, but the cow had already started charging toward Comrade Luo Qiao.”

A woman stood up and said, “Secretary, Zhang Qiaoyan is truly your daughter. Earlier on the slope, she was questioning Luo Qiao about why she ran, saying it was Luo Qiao’s fault for scaring the cow and demanding that Luo Qiao pay for it. You father and daughter are really something.”

As soon as these words were spoken, various mocking and disdainful voices came, making Zhang Dezhen’s old face flush with shame.

The captain had no choice but to mobilize the people in the village to search for Zhang Qiaoyan. The police officer said to the secretary, “Secretary Zhang, considering that we have known each other for so many years, I’m giving you some face. Have your daughter turn herself in within two hours, and it will count as voluntary surrender.

Your daughter is still young, but as her parents and guardians, you also bear responsibility for this matter.”

At this moment, Luo Qiao walked in and said, “Captain, Secretary, can you give me the introduction letter now? Fortunately, my injuries aren’t too serious. If they were, I might have died by now. I may be an orphan, but my life still matters.”

The captain suddenly realized what he had forgotten: without an introduction letter, they couldn’t go to the city, and the official seal was still locked in the brigade headquarters.