Courtyard houses: Those who are capable are rewarded, and many children bring many blessings.

This time, Yu Haitang listened, tearfully grabbing Niu Dazhuang's arm: "Old Niu, Xiao Guo is your own son, you have to take care of him!"

Qin Xueru came out from the inner room: "Haitang, don't panic. Tell the head of the household what you know, and we'll all think of a solution."

Niu Dazhuang, his face grim, said irritably, "I told you a long time ago, but you wouldn't listen..."

"Alright, now is not the time to complain. Let Haitang tell you what happened!" Qin Xueru first held Niu Dazhuang down.

Yu Haitang wiped away her tears: "I don't know either. I guess she got into a fight and stabbed someone."

"How many have been hospitalized?"

Yu Haitang shook her head.

"Sigh! Do you know where you've been taken?"

"I know that," he said, taking a piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to Niu Dazhuang.

Niu Dazhuang looked at it and said, "Let's go and find out what's going on."

After Yu Haitang and the others left, Qin Xueru quickly held a meeting with her sisters and children at home. She recounted Niu Chengguo's situation and told her sisters to keep a close eye on their children, whether sons or daughters.

Niu Dazhuang and Yu Haitang went to the Nancheng District Police Station. At that time, funeral arrangements were not as formal as they used to be.

I used some connections and met Niu Chengguo right there at the institute...

Next, Niu Dazhuang and Yu Haitang got busy. First, they went to the hospital to visit the person who had been stabbed. Fortunately, no one was killed...

Tempted by Niu Dazhuang's money, the other party decided not to pursue the matter further, and the injured party also received compensation.

There are no plaintiffs; if the people don't sue, the government won't investigate.

Niu Chengguo was released after spending more than a month in the artillery bureau.

Niu Dazhuang was really angry this time. Niu Chengguo had just called out "Dad" when he was thrown to the ground with a back throw.

Not satisfied with just knocking him down, he pulled out his belt and whipped his face and buttocks more than a dozen times, not caring where they were.

Niu Chengguo screamed in agony as he was whipped, rolling around on the ground.

Niu Chengguo's screams alerted the police officers.

"Old Niu, that's enough!"

Yu Haitang quickly hugged Niu Dazhuang's waist: "Dazhuang, Dazhuang, it's alright, it's alright, Xiaoguo knows he was wrong... Xiaoguo, quickly beg your dad for forgiveness..."

"Dad, Dad, I was wrong, I'll never do it again..." She hadn't gotten much of a beating inside, but she never expected to get such a severe beating from her dad as soon as she came out. This was a real beating...

"Old Niu, I'm not trying to be mean, but if you'd done this a few times earlier, this wouldn't have happened!"

"Director Chen, you're right. A sapling won't grow straight if it's not pruned, and a child won't learn a lesson if he's not disciplined. Get back here right now, you conspicuous thing."

When the family of three arrived home, Yu Li rushed over. She saw that Niu Chengguo's face was covered in bruises and red marks. Looking at his clothes, she saw they were all torn.

"Did your dad hit you?" Yu Li asked with concern.

"Call Cheng Jun over. I know that kid's been avoiding me," Niu Dazhuang said with a stern face.

Niu Dazhuang sat in the main room with a gloomy face. Not five minutes later, Niu Chengjun followed Yu Li into the room.

"Yu Li, Haitang, both of you go out. I have something to ask Xiaojun."

"We're not going out."

Seeing that Niu Dazhuang's face remained gloomy, Yu Li and her sister worried that he would beat them again.

"Yu Haitang, you've forgotten the pain once the wound has healed, haven't you? Get out of here!" Niu Dazhuang was truly enraged.

Yu Li tugged at her, and the two sisters stood at the door.

"Sung-guk, close the door."

"Dad, Dad, I know I was wrong." Niu Chengguo knelt down with a thud.

"Your matter is over. Now keep an eye on the door."

Niu Chengguo quickly stood up, closed the door, and leaned against it.

Niu Chengjun, lacking any sense of individual heroism, quickly knelt down as well; "Dad, Dad, I know I was wrong too."

Niu Dazhuang had already pulled off his belt. He pulled it off one step at a time and asked a question.

"What did you do wrong?"

These two brothers always got into fights with outsiders, and this time was no exception. However, Chengjun was more shrewd; sensing things were going badly, he ran away early on...

When it comes to educating children, Yu Li is a bit better than Yu Haitang. Although she also felt sorry for her and paced anxiously outside the door, she didn't force her way in.

Niu Chengjun was also hit with a belt more than a dozen times.

"Want to join the underworld? Want to fight? Fine, I'll get the paperwork done for you two brothers right now, and you can go to Hong Kong Island to join a gang. If you get hacked to death in the street, I'll collect your bodies..."

Niu Dazhuang sent the two to Hong Kong Island because he was worried they might get into trouble again. Those two lads already have a reputation for being influential outside.

He has a lot of bad friends; you can't cut off contact with the outside world just by beating him up.

A month later, Yu Li and Yu Haitang saw the person off on a plane to Hong Kong Island.

Actually, Niu Dazhuang had his own plans. If they went to Hong Kong, even if someone died, he was confident he could protect the two boys, but that wouldn't be possible in mainland China. Of course, he couldn't tell them this.

From 1983 to January 1987, over a period of three years and fifty months, 177.2 million people were arrested and 174.7 million were sentenced.

2.4 people were executed.

There are still 32.1 people undergoing re-education through labor.

The principle of the crackdown is to apply the law severely and swiftly, with the authority to adjudicate death sentences delegated to lower levels. Those who could be sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve are directly sentenced to death; those with sentences of three to five years are immediately put on hold – it's that strict!

In the late autumn of 1983, a wave of individual business ventures fully unfolded.

Niu Dazhuang also began to take action. (Yanjing Mayor's Office)

"Dazhuang, I can't get you the special approval you want," Bai Hongjun said with a wry smile.

"You don't need to tell me, just pass on a message for me."

"Isn't a joint venture better? Why insist on a wholly-owned subsidiary?"

"It looks good now, but who knows what will happen in the future? I want the joint venture to develop according to my wishes. Is that feasible?"

"As long as your suggestion is reasonable, we'll discuss it at the meeting!"

"That's settled then. Time is money. Joint ventures are discussed and debated endlessly, and even if they're approved, it takes at least two or three months to implement them. Wholly owned subsidiaries are different. I tell them what to do, and they have to do it!"

"What other tricks can you pull off with a hotel?"

"How the hotel is managed is irrelevant. I'm not the first person to ask for special approval; there's a precedent in Pengcheng!"

"Why didn't you invest in the Swan Hotel in Pengcheng?"

"They've already taken a stake? With so many people involved, it's pointless."

"Your appetite is truly enormous! I'll pass this message on to you, but whether you'll actually get to see it, I can't guarantee."

"I understand. There's something else I want to tell you."

"You usually don't come, but when you do, there's always a lot of trouble. Go ahead and tell me."

"The Beijing-Tianjin National Highway has been repaired, but the report for the Beijing-Shenyang National Highway has been submitted for more than three months, and there has been no follow-up. If it can't be approved soon, I'll send your sister to Pengcheng."

"I know about that. Is there anything else?"

"That's all, you can go ahead with your work!"

Niu Dazhuang hadn't even had a sip of water when Su Chengyan arrived, beaming with joy.

He walked in and stretched out his hand: "Here, give me the money."

"What kind of money?"

"You haven't forgotten about the money for the taxi, have you?"

"You've been to Tianjin?"