Chapter 854: Who reported it?

Ye Fu and Ye Mu had been staying at his house the whole time, never leaving, wanting to wait for him to see if he could come back today.

From dawn until dark, they felt very disappointed, but they still thought about sitting for a while longer, just in case they missed him and didn't see him when he returned.

They didn't expect that they would really wait until he came back; Dongzi had actually returned.

Everyone stood at the doorway watching him being surrounded by the children, and they all let out a huge sigh of relief.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..."

"It's good that you're fine."

Ye Fu and Ye Mu said one after another.

Because the old lady had been in the room chanting scriptures, praying to the Bodhisattva to protect him.

After hearing the commotion, she came out a step late, leaning on her cane, trembling slightly as she squeezed to the front of them, wiping away tears as she said.

"Amitabha, you've finally returned. It's good that you're back. Bodhisattva bless you, you scared me to death."

"I'm fine. I told you when I left that I was fine. It was just being reported for speculation and profiteering, but that has nothing to do with me. What does it have to do with me? A simple inquiry would show that I was wronged, that someone reported me falsely. Coming back was just a matter of time."

"That's what you say, but we were still worried. If the charge of speculation and profiteering were confirmed, you'd have to go to jail, and it could be even more serious. How could that not make people worry?"

Lin Xiuqing had been worried for most of the day. Seeing him return, her brows relaxed, and there was a smile on her face.

After Ye Xiaoxi saw him, she kept twisting her body, pouncing over and wanting him to hold her. He also took the child in stride and kissed her cheek.

She hugged his neck tightly, calling out softly and sweetly, "Daddy..."

Both Ye Da's family and Ye Er's family were relieved, and they all repeated there: "It's good that you're back..."

Neighbors on both sides also gathered around, saying a few words of concern.

"You're back..."

"I said it had nothing to do with you. Once they asked clearly, they would definitely let you go."

"That was quite fast. It's good that you're fine. Your whole family was worried sick."

"Everyone said you would definitely be fine... It's good that you're back safe and sound..."

Ye Yaodong thanked the neighbors on both sides, indicated that he was perfectly fine, and then followed his own family into the house first.

Lin Xiuqing felt that she suddenly had energy all over her body, and she also felt that her stomach was a bit hungry. She asked: "You haven't eaten yet, right? I'll cook some noodles. Everyone didn't eat tonight either, they were all worried sick."

"Did you call Chen Juzhang?" He asked the question he had been wondering about the whole way back.

How could it be such a coincidence? Not long after he was taken to the Border Defense Station, Chen Juzhang's call came immediately, and he even specifically said he believed him.

Someone must have notified him. Thinking of the slip of paper with a string of numbers that Chen Juzhang had given him before, telling him to call if he had any trouble, he had also asked Aqing to keep it.

He thought it must have been Aqing who thought of it, so she called Chen Juzhang to ask him to fish him out.

"Yes, I called Chen Juzhang this afternoon..."

Seeing that they had something to say, Ye Mu hurriedly snatched the job of tending the fire and cooking noodles. "I'll cook, I'll cook, you guys talk..."

Lin Xiuqing didn't decline either. She handed the fire tongs to Ye Mu, walked to the table herself, and asked curiously: "Was it Chen Juzhang who called the Border Defense Station to let them release you?"

"Pretty much..."

He talked about the time when Zhang Suozhang came over while he was giving his statement, and he also downplayed it to them, saying that even without calling Chen Juzhang, the Border Defense Station would have released him after asking, there wasn't much difference.

"Then that was a wasted call, and we troubled others to call the Border Defense Station for nothing..."

Seeing that she was a bit conflicted, Ye Yaodong comforted her, "Actually, it wasn't a wasted call. At least when you called, there was a place to pin your hopes, so you weren't as worried, and it increased your certainty, so you could feel more at ease yourself."

"Besides, for them, it was just a matter of a phone call, so it wasn't a trouble. Who knows, this call might even increase the connection between us."

"I'll see when I go to the county town next time, and then I'll visit again to thank them properly. Wouldn't that give us another chance to have some back-and-forth?"

"That's quite good. Only with back-and-forth can things last long. Otherwise, I wouldn't have an excuse to visit, and running over for no reason would be abrupt."

Lin Xiuqing was also relieved. "That's good. I thought the call was wasted."

Ye Fu also nodded. "We should thank them properly. Regardless of whether they helped or not, at least they took it to heart."

"And tomorrow, you should also make another trip to the Border Defense Station, buy some things to send them, and maintain the relationship. Looking at the way you were talking this afternoon, you were quite familiar. You can't go wrong with more gifts."

"I'll see. Isn't Ah Guang going to set sail tonight..."

The old lady grabbed his hand. "Let your father go in your place. Today's ordeal scared everyone. You should just rest at home tomorrow and don't go out to sea."

"Besides, Ah Guang said it would take two or three, three or four days. That's too long. You just don't go for now, go next time."

Since a situation just happened, it's better to stay at home and be well-behaved for a few days. Going out to sea is quite risky after all.

Ye Fu also echoed, "Right, tomorrow I'll just go with Ah Guang's boat. You just stay at home and rest for a day, and by the way, receive the goods at the pier. Also, help him receive the goods for Ah Guang's family too."

Ye Yaodong frowned, a bit unwilling. He felt that the afternoon's events had no impact on him, and he wasn't injured, just his state of mind was affected a little, but going out to sea wasn't him driving the boat anyway.

Ye Mu also said: "Listen to your father, you just rest at home for a day. Anyway, they aren't short of manpower, go next time."

"Show your face in the village tomorrow, who knows, you might be able to piss off the person who reported you. You were just taken away this afternoon, and you came back before dark, directly making their hopes fall through."

Aqing and his elder brother and second brother also persuaded him one after another to let him rest at home for a day. After all, he suffered for no reason, and there's no rush to go out to sea at this moment.

"It just so happens that the big boat will return at dawn, and we can use this as an excuse to send rice cakes to the Border Defense Station. This really needs you to go. By the way, you can buy some cigarettes, alcohol, or canned goods and biscuits, and add a little extra."

"Others can't do this job. The timing for tomorrow is also just right. Sending it to their door won't be too abrupt, and it's a legitimate way to share in the good fortune."

Ye Mu hurriedly echoed, "Right, I'll have more rice cakes left over tomorrow, and I'll keep a basket for you to send when you wake up."

He thought about it and it made sense. Only he could go to send things to the Border Defense Station; others couldn't do it. He had to reluctantly agree.

Forget it, he'd better save his great luck for his big boat. He wouldn't join the fun on Ah Guang's boat for now.

Floating on the sea for a few days is quite boring anyway. When they come back in a few days, he'll be able to know the harvest.

Once the conversation came to a pause, Ye Yaodong remembered the bag of maltose he had bought and brought back in his pocket, and hurriedly took it out to distribute to the children.

They had been standing obediently in the corner listening to the adults talk since they entered the house. They also knew that their third uncle had gone on this trip, and the family was worried sick. Everyone had things to say, so they couldn't make noise.

Now that there was maltose to eat, they were all extremely happy, and the atmosphere in the room instantly became lively again.

Ye Xiaoxi held her piece of maltose, her eyes squinting with laughter. It just so happened that she only had the 6 front teeth, so she could only keep licking it, and her hands were covered in saliva.

But the adults had no time to worry about her. They were all starting to guess who had reported him.

Ye Yaodong was also very puzzled. He had offended quite a few people, but if he really had to guess, he could only guess at the people he had offended recently.

After all, the timing was just right, which made him have to think more.

"Do you think it was the old Wang family who reported it?" Lin Xiuqing asked thoughtfully.

"I guess so, but who knows, after all, we just... just had a conflict."

He almost said he had just beaten up all the men in their family, but fortunately, he held back quickly.

"Then it could also be Haozi. You don't care about his medical expenses later. For the next few months, they won't be able to earn money either."

"How could he report it with his legs and feet being inconvenient? His mother-in-law and his mother just had a fight, and his wife is looking at their family with disdain. He can't order his wife around either."

"Then it could also be that he let his wife secretly write a report letter to report it."

"That's possible."

"Then in that case, it must be the old Wang family who did the bad thing," Ye Mu slapped her thigh hard and said angrily, "It's them who have black hearts and rotten intestines. Not a single good thing in that whole family."

"And reporting, report his old mother. They really think it's the years before, where a random report letter could make people half-dead. Too wicked, really too wicked."

"We should have beaten their whole family until they couldn't get out of bed. A bunch of black-hearted people, not acting like humans but like ghosts..."

"Doesn't it hurt, Mom? I see you slapping your thigh from time to time every day."

Just now, his mother's hard slap, with a 'slap' sound, he felt the pain himself. She was so ruthless to herself too.

"I'm angry."

"Your mother is also used to slapping it. Where would it still hurt? It's probably calloused by now." Ye Fu relaxed and also made a rare bit of dark humor.

However, he was met with an eye-roll from Ye Mu. "Eat more, talk less, hurry over and help serve the noodles. Who are you waiting for to serve you while sitting there?"

Ye Fu immediately stood up and went over to help.

Lin Xiuqing thought for a while and said: "I think the family of Xu Laifu with the broken hand is also a bit possible. After all, our family has had conflicts with them."

"Last year, because of the real and fake ambergris, we even went to their house to fight. Who knows, they might have been holding a grudge and wanted to find dirt on us. I heard you are going to set sail again tomorrow, and they are even more jealous."

"It's all possible. I've offended many people, and there are other villages too. That Ah Qiu in the neighboring village, it's just that everyone says he's a bit crazy. I heard they invited a shaman over, and he seems to have gotten better."

"Or it could be someone else in the village who is jealous..."

"Then there's no guessing. If we guess like this, people from ten miles and eight villages could all be possible."

"I don't know whose eyes we offended, being so wicked."

Ye Mu urged them, "Eat first. What's the use of just guessing? Hurry up and eat. I'll go to Ah Guang's house later and tell them you're back."

"Hmm, tell them by the way. I'll go in Dongzi's place tonight."

"Got it." ===== CHAPTER 855 =====