The Little Life of a Big Landlord

Chapter 87 Judgment

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"Walk……"

Zhang Lanhua naturally understood that Zheng Dabao was calling them dog shit, but since he hadn't named them, she couldn't take the insult lying down. She snorted coldly and led her people to push past the Zheng family.

Many of the people Zhang Lanhua brought were her maternal relatives. These guys were all troublemakers. When they squeezed into the Zheng family's group, they even provocatively bumped into the Zheng family members with their shoulders a few times. However, the Zheng family members were all farmers and very strong, so they actually hurt them.

"Thank you, Uncle Dabao, thank you everyone..." Yang Ming greeted them.

"Oh, we're late. Xiao Yang didn't suffer any losses, did he..." Zheng Dabao said.

"What loss could he possibly suffer? He even managed to get three people bitten," Aunt Liu laughed.

"Make it clear! It wasn't me who bit it, it was our dog..." Yang Ming said.

"Hahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter.

"Okay, okay, I misspoke..." Aunt Liu smiled and rolled her eyes at Yang Ming.

"Hehe, thank you all for your help. Come on in, my wife just made some roasted chestnuts, everyone come and have a taste..." Yang Ming warmly greeted everyone.

"We definitely have to try Qingqing's cooking," Zheng Dabao said with a smile.

Although a lot of roasted chestnuts were roasted, each person only had a handful before they were all gone. The Zheng family members weren't idle either; they grabbed a handful of chestnuts, called out to each other, and then carried their hoes and spades and left one after another. Only Zheng Dabao, Zheng Laoshi, and Zheng Feng stayed behind.

"Tell me in detail what exactly happened..." Zheng Dabao said, looking at Yang Ming.

So Yang Ming recounted what had just happened in detail, and Liu Sao added to it if there were any omissions or inaccuracies.

"You mean Zhang Lanhua threatened you to drop the lawsuit?" Zheng Dabao frowned.

"I don't think things are that simple," Yang Ming frowned. "What's the use of me withdrawing the charges? The key is that along with the evidence of Wang Quangen and that Deputy Township Head Wang's fraud, there's also evidence of their previous embezzlement and bribery. Even if we really withdraw the charges, the procuratorate will still file a public prosecution, or the discipline inspection commission will intervene in the investigation."

"Besides, don't you think that most of the people who came today are Zhang Lanhua's family members?" Aunt Liu interjected.

"You two mean that Zhang Lanhua is trying to scam some money out of her..." Zheng Dabao raised an eyebrow.

"That's very likely. Zhang Lanhua threatened me, telling us to be careful when we go out in the future. I tested her by saying, 'Let's see if you make us suffer first, or if we kill Wang Quangen in prison first.' Her reaction was very normal, so I think she doesn't care about Wang Quangen at all. As for Wang Dafang, she cares even less," Yang Ming said.

"..." Zheng Dabao pondered for a while, then nodded. "That makes sense. Maybe Zhang Lanhua is just looking for a way out for herself. Given the amount of money Wang Quangen swindled, whether his assets will be confiscated or not is unknown, but he will definitely be sentenced to more than ten years in prison. If he comes out again, he will be at least sixty or seventy years old. Can Zhang Lanhua wait for him for ten years?"

"So we think Zhang Lanhua definitely plans to divorce Wang Quangen after he goes to prison, and then remarry with the money," said Aunt Liu.

"This bastard is a real piece of work..." Zheng Laoshi muttered.

"What's wrong with that? As the old saying goes, 'Husbands and wives are like birds in the same forest; when disaster strikes, they fly away separately.' It's normal..." Zheng Feng said.

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. We'll deal with whatever comes our way. We'll just wait for the court to announce the verdict. I'll have Qingqing arrange some food and drinks later, and we'll have a drink together," Yang Ming said with a smile.

"Oh dear!..." Upon hearing Yang Ming mention Wei Qingqing, Aunt Liu slapped her thigh and remembered Wei Qingqing, whom she had tied up in the mill. She rushed out to free Wei Qingqing.

"What's going on?" Zheng Dabao was dumbfounded.

"Who knows? This Liu Sao is so impulsive..." Yang Ming was also a little confused.

Before long, Wei Qingqing walked into the courtyard, sobbing. Aunt Liu followed closely behind, apologizing profusely, but no matter how eloquently Aunt Liu spoke, Wei Qingqing simply ignored her.

Hearing Wei Qingqing's cries, the four of them were startled and rushed out of the house.

"What's wrong?" Yang Ming rushed over and asked with concern.

Wei Qingqing threw herself into Yang Ming's arms, hugged his waist, and burst into tears.

"Hehe, it was quite chaotic just now. I was afraid Qingqing would run around and get hurt, so... so I tied her up in the mill," Aunt Liu said with an embarrassed smile.

"Look at the mess you've made..." Zheng Dabao glared at Liu Sao, who lowered her head sheepishly.

"It's alright, it's alright..." Yang Ming comforted Wei Qingqing.

"I'll never talk to you again, kidnapper..." Wei Qingqing cried.

"Yes, yes, I'm a kidnapper. Go ahead and sue me. Let the police arrest me. Remember, in about a month, bring Bao'er to visit me in prison..." Aunt Liu said with a smile.

"Wah..." At this moment, Xiao Bao'er's crying came over. It turned out that the little guy had come home from school and was watching TV at his godfather's house when he heard his mother talking about going to jail. He couldn't help but cry. The little guy ran to his mother's side crying and hugged her leg: "Mom, I don't want you to go to jail..."

"You..." Zheng Dabao was at a loss for words, this was really a mess.

Zheng Laoshi and Zheng Feng exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying like that?" At this moment, Lao Huang and Lao Liu, who had gone into the mountains to catch birds, walked into the yard together.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying like this? What's wrong? Why are you crying like this?..." A budgie perched on Old Liu's shoulder, repeating the same words over and over again.

"Hehe, you two had a good haul, didn't you?" Zheng Dabao greeted the two with a smile.

"Not bad, not bad... caught three." Old Huang chuckled, bending down beside Xiao Bao'er. "Little girl, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"Mommy is going to prison, and Bao'er can only see Mommy once a month," Bao'er sobbed.

"Huh?" Old Huang's mouth dropped open. "What's going on?"

"Don't listen to her nonsense. I was just joking with Qingqing, and she overheard..." Aunt Liu explained with a smile, squatting down to hug her daughter. "Baby, whether Mommy goes to jail or not depends on your godmother's word. Hurry up and say a good word for Mommy to her godmother..."

"Mommy, please don't let my mommy go to jail. Bao'er can't live without mommy..." Little Bao'er immediately ran to Wei Qingqing's side, hugged her leg, looked up at her with her little face, and pleaded pitifully.

"Okay, okay, Mom won't let her go to jail, but you have to spank her, otherwise Mom won't forgive her..." Wei Qingqing said, choking back tears.

Little Bao turned his head pitifully to look at his mother, "Mommy, Bao'er is weak, it won't hurt when I hit someone..."

Snapped……

Little Bao did slap his mother's bottom, and it sounded quite loud. Aunt Liu blushed bright red, especially since there were quite a few men present.

"Haha," Zheng Dabao chuckled, tugging at Zheng Laoshi and Zheng Feng, "Let's go inside. Yang Ming just said he'd treat us to dinner. Brother Huang, Brother Liu, come along too..."

"Hooray, there's a place to freeload a meal..." Old Liu cheered and was the first to rush into the house.

Several old men went into the house, leaving only Yang Ming, Wei Qingqing, Aunt Liu, and Xiao Bao'er in the courtyard. Aunt Liu's coquettish voice could be heard: "Yang Ming, get out of my way... Wei Qingqing, you're trying to incite us, mother and daughter, to fight each other. I'll fight you to the death."

"You bullied me first. Who told you to tie me up?" Wei Qingqing retorted without backing down.

"Mommy, Mommy, please stop hitting me..." Little Bao'er pleaded.

"Bao'er, let them go crazy, let's go inside..." Yang Ming pulled Xiao Bao'er into the house.

A large table was set out for dinner. Wei Qingqing, Aunt Liu, Xiao Bao'er, and Liu Nannan sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), eating their own food and drinking their fragrant milk. Wei Qingqing and Aunt Liu were still in a bad mood and would glare at each other from time to time. Liu Nannan and Xiao Bao'er were quite helpless. How old are they? Why are they still fighting?

Six men sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), clinking glasses and slurping their drinks.

"Xiao Yang, I heard you've run into a lawsuit. What happened?" Grandpa Huang asked, taking a sip of his drink and a bite of food.

"It's nothing serious, it's just..." So, Yang Ming recounted the whole story of Wang Quangen's fraud.

"You handled this matter quite well..." Old Liu said.

If only Yang Ming sued Wang Quangen, it would give the impression that Yang Ming was challenging the entire Wang family village alone, and he would easily be isolated. But with the Zheng family involved, it's different; it becomes a matter between the Zheng and Wang families.

Zheng Laoshi and Zheng Feng weren't stupid; they naturally understood this principle. They exchanged a glance, both seeing the same word in each other's eyes: "Brilliant!"

"I don't know when the trial will start; it's been seven days already..." Yang Ming said.

"Hmph, this case is complicated, involving state officials. The Discipline Inspection Commission will definitely get involved, but the impact will have to be minimized. Maybe we won't even be qualified to appear in court," Zheng Dabao said.

"It's good that they don't go to court. As long as these two embezzlers and fraudsters are convicted, we'll have achieved our goal," Zheng Laoshi said.

"Yes, that's what I meant too..." Zheng Feng said.

"We'll see how it goes. We've filed a complaint against Wang Quangen, so it shouldn't be something the higher-ups will handle discreetly," Yang Ming said.

"Who cares? Let's just drink. Anyway, that Wang guy is definitely going to be out of a job this time. I just wonder who will take over as village chief," Zheng Dabao said.

"Brother Bao, I think you should take on the role..." Zheng Laoshi said.

"Yes, Brother Bao, we all respect you for being the village chief as well," Zheng Feng added.

"I can't do it anymore... These days, village and town cadres are all getting younger. I'm getting old, and I'll have to step down after one more term. It's time to train a new successor." Zheng Dabao said, but his gaze was fixed on Yang Ming. He preferred Yang Ming. He knew that Yang Ming's family was wealthy, and if he became the village chief, he would definitely lead Zhengjia Village to a well-off life.

"Uncle Da Bao, don't look at me like that, I'm not going to be the village chief..." Yang Ming waved his hands repeatedly, "But I can recommend someone to you..."

"Oh?" Zheng Dabao asked curiously, "Tell me, who is that person?"

"The person I'm recommending is Aunt Liu..."

"Xiao Fen?" The three men from Zhengjia Village all looked surprised and turned to look at Liu Sao, making her blush.

"That's right, I think Aunt Liu is a good fit. Her education level is neither too high nor too low, so she's perfect for being a village official," Yang Ming said.

"Xiao Fen graduated from junior high school, which is much better than me who only graduated from primary school. From what you're saying, it seems like I'm in a difficult position to be a village official?" Zheng Dabao said with a smile.

"Hehe, Uncle Da Bao is joking," Yang Ming laughed, looking at Aunt Liu, "Aunt Liu, why don't you hurry up and thank Uncle Da Bao? With Uncle Da Bao's support, you're guaranteed to be the village chief."

"Hahaha, you little rascal, when did I say that?" Zheng Dabao laughed heartily.

"I think Xiaofen is a good candidate to be the village chief. Everyone in Zhengjia Village knows that Xiaofen is a capable person!" Zheng Feng said.

"This time, the Zheng family is united in our stance: we absolutely cannot let that Wang fellow get away with this again," Zheng Laoshi said.

"Thank you, Uncle Dabao; thank you, Uncle Feng; thank you, Uncle Laoshi." Aunt Liu glared at Yang Ming and thanked the three of them.

"Don't thank me yet," Zheng Dabao waved his hand. "You can be the village chief, but I'm going to set a target for you. Within two years, the per capita income of our village must reach the standard of a moderately prosperous society. How about that?" Zheng Dabao was talking to Aunt Liu, but his eyes were on Yang Ming.

"Alright, Uncle Dabao, aren't you just putting me, the recommender, down? If Sister Liu really encounters difficulties, we certainly won't stand idly by. We will definitely make sure Sister Liu has a viable path to wealth. Of course, the promotion of a new thing will inevitably encounter resistance, and Uncle Dabao will have to work hard to change the villagers' mindset." Yang Ming stated.

"No problem. As the Party Secretary, my job is to focus on ideological education. How to lead everyone to a better life is the village chief's responsibility," Zheng Dabao said.

"Alright! We two old men wish Zhengjia Village a united and prosperous future!" Old Huang and Old Liu raised their glasses.

"Unity leads to prosperity and a well-off life..." Zheng Dabao, Zheng Feng, Zheng Laoshi, and Yang Ming also raised their glasses together.

"I...I also say, let's unite to get rich and achieve a well-off life..." Xiao Bao'er also picked up her milk.

"Hahahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter.

The next day, just as dawn broke and the little rooster had finished its crowing in its hoarse voice, Zheng Dabao hurriedly arrived at Yang Ming's house.

"Uncle Da Bao, what's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?" Yang Ming came out of the house, buttoning his collar as he asked curiously.

"The lawyer just informed us that Wang Quangen and Deputy Township Head Wang were sentenced last night. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment and deprived of their political rights for life," Zheng Dabao said.

"That's a pretty harsh sentence..." Yang Ming frowned.

"Our city is currently conducting anti-corruption education for cadres, and these two people have run into trouble and been made examples of others," Zheng Dabao said.

"What about the contract payment? Is it possible to get it back?" Yang Ming asked.

"It's gone now, it's already been used for road construction. However, the county has tacitly approved the contracting of mountain land. As long as there's no interference from higher authorities, the county allows you to use it, but you can't damage the green vegetation on the mountain. Besides, where isn't there a case of mountain dwellers encroaching on public mountains? As long as no one makes a big deal out of it or deliberately messes with you, there shouldn't be any problems..." Zheng Dabao said.

"That's good..." Yang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Zheng Feng and Zheng Laoshi didn't suffer any losses, that was fine. These two were just helping him out. If it weren't for his involvement, Wang Quangen would never have tricked them.

"However, you also have to pay for Wang Dafang's medical expenses since your dog bit him. After all, this is a matter of each person being punished equally," Zheng Dabao said.

Wang Quangen's contracting out of Gongshan was illegal, and Wang Dafang knew this. Therefore, Wang Dafang entered the mountain land contracted by Yang Ming without any restraint. Meanwhile, Yang Ming secretly signed a contract with the province without making a fuss or informing anyone in time. He believed that the mountain land belonged to him.

Therefore, both men felt they were in the right and had both made mistakes. The court ruled that Wang Dafang was at fault first, with malicious intent, but was ultimately the victim. Yang Ming, on the other hand, failed to promptly inform everyone about the land contract, leading to the tragedy. However, since the villagers all knew Yang Ming had contracted the land, this "prompt notification" was flawed. Simply telling everyone, "I've contracted it," could be considered timely notification, but it was essentially the same as not telling them at all. Everyone would assume he contracted it with the village, but in reality, a contract only counts as a formal contract if it's signed with the province. Generally, "contracting" refers to signing a contract with the province, but the villagers would assume it was with the village. It sounds convoluted, but that's the gist of it. Therefore, the court ultimately ruled that Yang Ming should compensate Wang Dafang for medical expenses, and that was the end of the ruling.

"I can accept that. I wonder how much the medical expenses are?" Yang Ming asked.

"Not much. Wang Dafang was bitten 25 times all over his body. The total cost for blood transfusions, wound stitches, anti-inflammatory drugs, serum, rabies vaccine, and hospitalization was no more than 50,000 yuan," Zheng Dabao said.

"Alright, how about fifty thousand? If it's too little, just ask me for more. If it's too much, please treat Uncle Feng and Uncle Laoshi to a meal and thank them for their help," Yang Ming said.

"Alright, alright, I won't argue with you. Let me tell you, hurry up and give your sister-in-law Liu some advice. Next week, we're electing the acting village chief. You need to come up with a decent plan to get rich so she can win votes," Zheng Dabao said.

"No problem, I've got it covered..." Yang Ming patted his chest and assured him, then saw Zheng Dabao off.

With one major problem gone, Yang Ming felt indescribably relieved. He stretched his arms and legs, expanded his chest muscles, and did some warm-up exercises in the yard.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Yang Ming's eyes narrowed as he was drawn to a row of seedlings along the edge of the fence.

"What kind of seedling is this?" Yang Ming squatted down to take a closer look.

The round leaves, covered with a light dew, are warm and moist. Although they are green, they are not the bluish-green of leaves, but a green similar to that of fine jade. If you look closely, you can even see the veins inside the leaves.

Just as Yang Ming was wondering what was going on, Wangcai and his wife came over, first digging a hole in the ground with their paws, then squatting over the hole and defecating. Green round beans fell into the hole with a clatter. After they finished, Wangcai and his wife filled the hole with soil to cover up the traces of their excrement, and then the couple waddled into the east wing.

"This..." Yang Ming had clearly seen that the color of the couple's excrement was exactly the same as that of the leaves.

"Yaya, what's going on?" If you don't understand something, ask Yaya...

"The gray rat's stomach can secrete a special liquid that has the effect of optimizing seeds," Ya Ya explained simply.

"Optimize seeds? How does the level of seed optimization compare to the farm space?" Yang Ming asked.

"Of course, they can't be compared, but they're not far apart. Farm Space optimizes the genes of seeds, while Gray Spirit Rats eliminate impurities in seeds, leaving only the essence. In other words, seeds optimized by Farm Space can ensure the integrity of the seeds, but seeds digested by Gray Spirit Rats will mutate, and the plants that grow will only have a single advantage," Ya Ya said.

"A single advantage? Give me a few examples..." Yang Ming said.

"For example, persimmons. Persimmon seeds are not present in every persimmon. Only occasionally will one or two persimmons contain one or two seeds, and whether they will germinate is uncertain. However, after being digested by the Gray Spirit Rat, there is a 90% chance that these seeds will germinate. Moreover, the persimmons that grow afterward will be much larger. However, these plants are unlikely to grow into large trees and are more likely to become vines," Ya Ya explained simply.

"Grown into a vine? Just a persimmon? What if it were an apple?" Yang Ming was shocked. This persimmon tree should at least be considered a tree, so how did it become a vine after rolling around in the belly of the gray spirit rat?

"All fruit trees have a high chance of mutating into vines, because the most prominent advantage of fruit trees is their fruit; what the plant looks like is completely unimportant," Ya Ya said.

"What if it's a tree that produces timber?" Yang Ming asked.

"If it's a tree that produces timber, then the focus is on the growth of the main trunk, and there will be far fewer branches," Ya Ya said.

"So that's how it is, highlighting the plant's original advantages, right?" Yang Ming said.

"Master is absolutely right, that's exactly it." Ya Ya nodded.

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(End of this chapter)