Chapter 40: Yi Zhonghai, your matter has been exposed

"Uh... she went to sweep the streets," Qin Huairu said very awkwardly.

Qin's father and mother looked at each other when they heard this. Qin's mother asked about Jia Zhangshi's recent situation, which was a greeting between relatives or a polite greeting on the surface, but in reality, it was to find out information, but she ended up hearing this.

"This... she's still working at a time like this? This is too dedicated. In our village, when this kind of thing happens, people don't work, and they won't be deducted from the labor union," Qin's mother asked, puzzled.

Qin's mother thought sweeping the streets was Jia Zhangshi's job.

Qin Huairu was even more awkward. Could she say that Jia Zhangshi was punished by the Street Office for breaking the law and discipline? Qin Huairu didn't know yet that Jia Zhangshi had already been locked up in the police station.

"Then have you notified everyone in your husband's family? When will they come, and how many people will come?" Qin's mother asked again without changing her expression.

Qin's mother was still finding out information. If many people from the Jia family came, then the Qin family had to evaluate their combat power. If it didn't work, they would have to call people from the Qin Family Village. Qin's father had already discussed with the village that they could call the militia into the city if necessary.

Of course, this required paying a price, and the price was taking out a portion of the money to buy high-priced grain.

In short, survival is the most important thing.

"The Jia family might not come anymore. Ever since my father-in-law passed away, my mother-in-law has broken contact with the Jia Family Village..." Qin Huairu explained.

Qin's father and mother looked at each other again and breathed a sigh of relief.

They felt that this wave was stable. Qin's mother had already planned it. As long as the leader gave the money to Qin Huairu, Qin's mother would ask for it in the name of helping to keep it. If she couldn't get it, she would grab it.

Mother and daughter are one family. How can things between mother and daughter be called grabbing?

Qin's mother gave a wink to the fierce women in the village, and those fierce women immediately surrounded Qin Huairu. It looked like they were asking about her well-being, but in reality, they had already placed Qin Huairu under house arrest.

At this time, Qin Huairu hadn't recovered from the pain of losing her husband, her thoughts were very chaotic, and she didn't notice anything unusual, just thinking that her mother was afraid she would be bullied in the Jia family, so she brought the famous fierce women in the village to support her.

Qin Huairu was even a little moved.

At this time, Director Wang of the Street Office came to the Siheyuan. Yi Zhonghai saw this and hurriedly greeted her. Director Wang didn't pay attention to Yi Zhonghai at all and came straight to Qin Huairu.

"Qin Huairu, I came to convey the policies from above. The above requires everything to be simplified. How should Jia Dongxu be buried? Should he be transported back to the Jia Family Village for burial, or cremated and buried in the Shijingshan Cemetery?"

"If it's cremation, there is a subsidy from above. Not only are the expenses waived, but there is also a subsidy of fifteen yuan, twenty catties of coarse grain coupons, two catties of fine grain coupons, and four taels of meat coupons," Director Wang said.

Director Wang obviously had done her homework and knew that the Jia family had broken contact with their hometown. It was almost impossible to transport Jia Dongxu back to his hometown for burial.

Saying there were two choices was actually only one choice: cremation.

"This... I have to discuss it with my mother-in-law. I can't make the decision," Qin Huairu said.

Obviously, Qin Huairu hadn't clearly realized her status in the family and still thought it was the same as before.

"There's no way to discuss it. Your mother-in-law, Jia Zhangshi, deliberately caused trouble while sweeping the streets. Not only did she scold passersby, but she also took the lead in hitting people and used the Soul Summoning Technique to promote feudal superstition. She has already been detained by the police station."

"Besides, have you forgotten what happened last night? Have you forgotten what we leaders said last night? From now on, you are in charge of the whole Jia family. You are Jia Dongxu's wife. From a legal perspective, you are the person closest to Jia Dongxu."

"You make the decision on this matter! Qin Huairu, the leaders of the Rolling Mill are still waiting, give me an answer quickly," Director Wang said in a deep voice.

Cremation was a new policy introduced from above, currently in the trial stage. Director Wang also wanted to open up the situation by starting with Qin Huairu, point by point, and area by area.

"Qin Huairu, what is there to think about? Of course, it's burial. Burial is our tradition. We pay attention to falling leaves returning to their roots and being buried in the earth."

"I am Jia Dongxu's master. Master is master, one day as a master, a lifetime as a father. Your mother-in-law is not here, so I will make the decision for Jia Dongxu's affairs. Let's choose burial," Yi Zhonghai said without thinking, habitually making decisions for others.

Director Wang looked at Yi Zhonghai coldly and said in a deep voice: "The Jia family is not dead yet, how can it be your turn to make decisions on this kind of thing? Yi Zhonghai, who gave you the power to make decisions for this one and that one? Are you trying to run a one-man show in the Siheyuan again?"

"It seems the education you received last night wasn't enough. Yi Zhonghai, don't recover from your injuries at home anymore. Starting tomorrow, go to the Street Office to study for eight hours every day," Director Wang's face was gloomy, as if it were about to rain.

Director Wang hated Yi Zhonghai to the core. This Yi Zhonghai was a typical case of remembering the eating but not the beating, daring to play this trick in front of her.

If it weren't for the fact that District Leader Director Zheng had already built the 95th Siheyuan into a pilot point and reported it to the upper levels, needing Yi Zhonghai to cooperate with the experiment, Director Wang would have removed Yi Zhonghai from his position last night.

Yi Zhonghai was annoyed and patted his head. Yi Zhonghai was the most traditional person. Once he heard that Qin Huairu had to choose between burial and cremation, especially when there was a subsidy for cremation, Yi Zhonghai became anxious, fearing that Qin Huairu would choose cremation.

Being anxious, he forgot that Director Wang was still here and subconsciously played the old trick.

Habits are very difficult to change.

Although Yi Zhonghai was annoyed, he didn't regret it. In Yi Zhonghai's view, he hadn't done anything wrong. Yi Zhonghai was just about to open his mouth to refute when Qin's mother stood out and spoke before Yi Zhonghai.

"Respected leader, I am Qin Huairu's mother. We are all country people and don't understand the rules and policies of your city. Can you explain the things inside and the policies from above to us in detail?"

"By the way, you said that many leaders came to the Siheyuan last night and talked about some policies. Can you tell us all about them? Although we are country people, we understand the principle of 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do.' We understand even more that the policies from above must be resolutely supported," Qin's mother said.

Qin's mother didn't want to hear any policies at all. If she had to choose, if she hesitated for even one more second, it would be a disrespect to the subsidy.

Qin's mother was clearly finding out about what happened last night, as well as the relevant laws and the attitude of the relevant leaders in the case of Qin Huairu's husband's death, preparing for the money grabbing that would follow.

If the official support was there, then Qin's mother would naturally take it openly; if the official support wasn't there, she would have to use some underhanded means.

As soon as Qin's mother said this, Yi Zhonghai instinctively felt something was wrong, as if the Qin family had come with bad intentions.

Director Wang obviously heard the subtext of Qin's mother's words, so she told the story of what happened last night in detail without any politeness, and focused on explaining the relevant laws in Qin Huairu's situation.

Qin's mother felt relieved when she heard it. Subsequently, Qin's mother asked: "May I ask, respected leader, who are you?"

"I am the Director of the Jiaodaokou Street Office. In terms of rank, it is equivalent to your township head," Director Wang said.

Qin's mother felt completely relieved when she heard this.

"Huairu, what are you still hesitating about? Although we are from the countryside and don't understand many things, we must know how to be grateful. Without the above, where would our good days come from? We must fully support the policies from above," Qin's mother said firmly.

Director Wang expressed her satisfaction. This matter was settled.

Yi Zhonghai wanted to stop it and insisted that Jia Dongxu must be buried, but Yi Zhonghai racked his brains and couldn't think of any rebuttal.

Even if he thought of it, he didn't dare to say it, not only because Director Wang was standing on the side, but also because Qin's mother wasn't alone; she brought many people from the Qin Family Village.

These people wouldn't follow the rules of the Siheyuan. If they got anxious, it was normal for them to take action directly. Yi Zhonghai didn't want to be beaten again.

Just as Yi Zhonghai was preparing to invite the Deaf Old Lady to come out, a burst of footsteps came from the front courtyard.

Everyone looked up and saw Factory Director Yang bringing a large group of people to the Siheyuan. In this group, there were not only labor union leaders, Women's Federation leaders, workshop directors, but also the Security Section Chief and a team of his subordinates.

"Yi Zhonghai, your matter has been exposed. Come with us," Factory Director Yang said sternly.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 41 =====