1983, Northeast China

Chapter 55 Don't Delay Land Allocation

"Damn it, Master Meng hasn't given us a definite answer, but Liu Dachuan is definitely being left hanging. Chen Shi, don't you think the people in this commune have no conscience? They clearly caught an outsider, so why are we waiting and waiting without any results?"

As Li Cheng emerged from Pihuo Hutong, he continued muttering to himself, his lips turning purple from the cold, and he would sniffle after each word.

"Stop cursing." Chen Shi walked away absentmindedly, lost in thought. "Once you're done cursing, things will go back to normal."

Li Chenggang wanted to retort, but seeing Chen Shi's expression, he didn't say anything more.

"Look at the wind direction." Chen Shi pointed to the smoke from the chimneys in the distance that were being blown askew by the wind. "The wind is moving north, so it'll get colder. Let's go to the mountains again when we have time."

Li Cheng was stunned for a moment, not understanding why Chen Shi's brain circuits were jumping around so much.

"Just now, did Lao Nian imply that someone in the forest farm was exchanging public property for money?"

Chen Shi glanced at him.

Li Cheng is usually quick-witted, but when it comes to important matters, he can actually use his brain.

"He's in business just like Master Meng. It's already quite generous of him to say a few more words. You have to figure out the meaning behind his words yourself, and don't take it personally."

The storefront and regular customers are there for you to keep; you can't just leave whenever you want.

Asking further questions will only push people into more trouble.

"Shizi, when I went to the south, although I didn't have enough to eat, it was really nice there. Actually, outside of Kaoshantun, the county is pretty good, it's just that our place is not good..."

"I know," Chen Shi replied. Of course he knew. He was very clear about what the major regions of the country were like at this time.

"What I mean is... how about we go and give it a try?" Li Cheng thought for a moment and then said it.

"That's for the future. Right now, we can't even stand on our own two feet in the village. What are we going to use to go out and make a living? Are we going to leave our godmother and my sister in the village? Kaoshan Village can support us. Trust me."

Just as I reached the entrance to the village, a hunched figure was swaying in the snow; it was Zhao Defa.

Chen Shi greeted him, but he didn't reply. Instead, he turned to the side, pulled Chen Shi to the side of the road, and whispered something in Chen Shi's ear.

"Shizi, people from the commune have arrived and are in the brigade's house now."

Chen Shi stopped and waited to hear what was to come.

"Officer Liu and Gu Cheng are both here." Zhao Defa looked into Chen Shi's eyes. "They said that as long as you keep your mouth shut and the human trafficking case isn't investigated any further, the land in Laonangou will be allocated to our side without any problems. But if you still want to pursue it, the land allocation might have to be put on hold."

Although Zhao Defa spoke softly, the three of them were not far apart, and Zhao Defa did not intend to avoid Li Cheng. Therefore, Li Cheng heard everything clearly.

Li Cheng stared wide-eyed, about to open his mouth.

Chen Shi reached out and precisely placed his hand on Li Cheng's shoulder. The pressure wasn't great, but it felt heavy.

"What do you mean by 'slow down'?" Chen Shi asked.

"In other words, if you don't agree, the commune can suppress the whole village's land distribution." Zhao Defa sighed and exhaled a puff of white smoke. "You have to understand, it's the end of the year now, everyone is eyeing the land, and if anyone delays everyone's meals, they'll be talked about behind their backs."

Chen Shi didn't speak. Looking into Zhao Defa's cloudy eyes, he knew that Zhao Defa had waited here specifically to deliver a message to him.

He was implying to Chen Shi that he shouldn't confront the commune head-on at this critical juncture, because doing so would draw all the resentment of the entire village onto the Chen family.

"I understand." Chen Shi nodded. Under these circumstances, he had no choice but to agree. He was considering what benefits the commune and the public security bureau could offer in order to achieve their goal.

Seeing that Chen Shi had agreed, Zhao Defa breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that the kid would do something reckless, so he came here specifically to block them.

Now that Chen Shi had agreed, he even walked with a lighter step.

Officer Liu was wearing a black Zhongshan suit, the collar buttoned up tightly. He sat behind the table, toying with a pen in his hand, his eyes appearing somewhat sinister under the light.

Gu Cheng, standing nearby, leaned against the wall, holding an unlit cigarette in his hand.

When these two are together, their personalities actually complement each other.

"Chen Shi, right?"

Officer Liu spoke in a gentle tone, with a habitually businesslike air about him.

He smiled, but his gaze remained fixed on the pen. "Regarding the previous 'incident,' the commune has been following up. The current progress is that several key clues have matched up, and some people have been 'taken care of.'"

He deliberately paused on the word "appropriate," without mentioning who or how many people were arrested.

"As for that outsider who ran away..." Officer Liu raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone becoming drawn out, "You know, cross-regional cooperation involves complicated procedures and many ups and downs. Under the current circumstances, the commune believes that it's unnecessary to muddy the waters for the sake of an uncertain person."

Chen Shi didn't speak, he just stood quietly at the door.

"And, most importantly," Officer Liu leaned forward slightly, as if he were truly sharing good news with Chen Shi, "we can guarantee that Ya Ya is safe."

"We've caught several people who escaped, what guarantees do you have?" Li Cheng said.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ya Ya's uncle, you go ahead and say it."

Zhao Defa explained the situation of Wang Ershen and Chen Shi's family becoming godparents, and Officer Liu nodded in understanding.

"Those human traffickers confessed that they had planned to do it one last time, and regardless of whether it succeeded or not, they would retire from this business and never do it again."

"Heh..." Chen Shi couldn't help but wonder if the person in front of him was a fool, or if he was treating others like fools.

Li Cheng, who was even more indulgent, couldn't hold back and was almost about to point his finger at Gu Cheng and yell, "How can a grown man say such things? If we could believe what human traffickers say, what would we need you for? 'Retiring from the trade,' is that how your teachers taught you to use that phrase?"

Chen Shi waited silently until Li Cheng finished cursing, and then, after he had said everything he wanted to say, he patted Li Cheng's shoulder, signaling him to stop talking.

"Young man, why are you in such a hurry? From our grassroots perspective, as long as the child is safe, that's the best outcome. As for Han Changgui's incident, it was an accident, and Tian Guizhi hasn't produced anything definitive to confirm it. Under these circumstances, if we can let this matter pass 'quietly,' it's better for everyone."

He didn't say "case closed," but instead used the word "quiet."

Chen Shi stared into Officer Liu's eyes but didn't reply.

Seeing this, Officer Liu smiled shrewdly at him.

"Shizi, you're a smart kid. Your sister has to raise her child, eat noodles, and wear a coat. And right now, it's a crucial time for land distribution in Kaoshantun. If someone insists on bringing up some 'old grievances' at this moment, and the commune follows the rules and procedures to investigate things... it will not only affect your lives, but it will also be bad for the team and the commune."

He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips, his tone becoming polite, yet like a venomous snake burrowing into Chen Shi's heart.

"During the investigation, the land allocation process will have to be 'temporarily suspended.' Tell me, if the entire village has no land to cultivate and no food to eat at the end of the year because of this, what will they think of you? Won't they feel that you are sacrificing the entire village's food for your family's justice?"