Lin Shiheng just happened to be standing at the door, as if he was waiting for her.

Waiting until Widow Zhang has finished saying her threats, although wearing shabby clothes, the increasingly handsome young man looked around, as if to see whether anyone was paying attention to them.

Widow Zhang thought he was feeling guilty and looked even smugger. “No need to look anymore, there’s no one paying attention to us here. And you don’t have to worry. I don’t want a lot, only half. As long as you give me half, only you, me, and the heavens will know about this matter. There won’t be a third person.”

“There really isn’t anyone?”

Lin Shiheng nodded and walked up to Widow Zhang, gazing at her calmly for a moment. As her stiff face was gradually relaxing, Lin Shiheng slowly smiled.

“If there’s no one… Then I’m relieved.”

Relieved? Relieved about what?

Before Widow Zhang could react, the person in front stretched out his hand, a great force struck her, and her whole person was directly thrown out.

Accompanied by the pain, Widow Zhang covered her leg and reflexively cried out.

“Lin Shiheng, aren’t you afraid I’ll report you? Then you’ll get executed!”

The young man standing by the door took a step back into the yard and slammed the door shut.

Widow Zhang: “……”

***

She didn’t come back to her senses for quite some time and kept the same posture on the ground all the while. Until an old man carrying a box on his back passed by, who asked kindly, “Did you fall? Need me to help you up?”

Only then did Widow Zhang react, “It’s Lin…”

The Lin family front door abruptly opened. The young man, whose hands were holding some vegetable leaves, appearing as if he was just picking vegetables, came out with a face full of doubt. Seeing this scene, wearing a face of obvious surprise, he hurriedly ran to Widow Zhang to help the person up. “How did you fall in front of my door? Hurry and get up. Aiyo… you’re really heavy, it really takes some effort to help you up.”

Widow Zhang looked at the innocent and surprised face in front of her, her lips trembling with anger.

This person had just picked her up with one hand and threw her far away, now he’s pretending he wasn’t strong enough to help her?

Her brain, which originally just thought about cheating him some money, was now filled with anger.

She had only one notion left.

Report Lin Shiheng and have him executed!

Immediately!

“Great! Lin Shiheng, you just wait!”

The surprise on Lin Shiheng’s face grew more evident as he watched Widow Zhang shake off his hand and limp away. Looking at her back and then down at his hand, then finally turned his head to look at the old man, who was passing by, again.

“What was wrong? Did I hurt her when I was helping her up?”

The old man also knew a little about Widow Zhang’s disdain for her daughter-in-law. Thinking about the fact that Lin Shiheng was also her daughter-in-law’s nephew, he already had a notion in mind.

He freed up one hand to stroke his long beard. He spoke in an exceptionally kind tone to the ex-prodigal son before him. “Don’t worry about her, that woman is being small-minded and is just irritated with you.”

“Okay, hurry home and get back to work. I’m leaving too, my family is waiting for me to eat lunch together.”

“En, you walk slowly. This box looks quite heavy, do you want me to help you carry it?”

The old man smiled and shook his hand. “No, no. Something that I carry every day, how would I still need you to help me?”

He continued walking, thinking at the same time, it seems Lin Shiheng, this boy, has really changed.

How polite.

***

Lin Shiheng, who was just praised for his courtesy, was later arrested by the police that afternoon.

Widow Zhang, appearing exuberant, stood behind the three public security officers and watched as they did indeed found a large stack of bills in the Lin home.

“Do you see now? I’ve said it already, he must have either stolen this money or have robbed it. This boy was a gangster since he was young. Either way, he definitely didn’t earn it properly. Public Security Comrade, you guys hurry up, arrest him, and shoot him!”

Lin Shiheng also didn’t look at her and spoke to the three officers, “I earned this money from selling watermelon juice and by helping sell cakes in the city. The source is legitimate. If you don’t believe me, you can ask the bakery owner in town.”

The public security officers looked at each other. As there was a situation in the city where a large group of colleagues was blocked by villagers from seizing a framed group earlier in the morning, they held an emergency meeting: when arresting, the situation must be verified before they could be taken away, so as not to cause another false arrest. Embarrassing yourself was a small matter, however, mistaking a good person for a bad one and taking them away was a matter that can ruin someone’s life.

Moreover, they also had a very good impression of this young man who was fully cooperating with the investigation.

“Give us the cake shop address, we will have a colleague verify it. We will also have to bother you today to let us stay here for the night.”

“Okay, no problem. I will definitely cooperate with you.”

Widow Zhang looked at this scene where it seemed as if everyone in front of her were one happy family and was somewhat stunned. “Wait a minute, aren’t you guys taking him to the police station?”

One of the policemen patiently explained, “After all, we haven’t finished investigating yet. We can’t just take people to the station. The city is also too far away. We will let a comrade drive a police car to the city to verify. If what you reported was true, the arrest will then be implemented.”

“What do you still need to verify? Just think about it and you’ll know! Such a large sum of money, how could he have earned it? And even earned it from selling watermelon juice? How much does a watermelon even cost?”

“This kid has never been a good thing since he was a child; if you don’t arrest him tonight, he’s going to run away.”

Lin Shiheng helplessly sighed, “Aunt, I know you don’t like me, but do you really need to treat me like this? Just because you couldn’t make this money, it doesn’t mean that I can’t.”

On hearing this, one of the officers raised his eyebrows and asked, “What is your relationship?”

“She’s my aunt’s mother-in-law. She usually looks down on my aunt, so similarly, she also doesn’t like me. But I thought it was all a family matter, I didn’t think she would look down on me to the point of calling for you guys.”

Lin Shiheng’s face looked very bitter and appeared to be absolutely puzzled by Widow Zhang’s behavior.

Another one with private animosity?

The three public security officers exchanged glances. The group in the county that morning, it was specifically because the next county’s gangsters had a personal vendetta against them that it caused everyone to make a wasted trip.

If it’s still the same this time, then their county public security bureau would definitely be a laughing stock.

The officers had been called out twice today; if both were false news, did they still have any prestige?

At the thought of this, one of the public security officers sternly said, “Madam, we will send someone to the city to verify the information. If the information is verified to be correct, we will arrest the person. However, if the verification fails and it is found that you fabricated the report due to personal grudges, you will be guilty of false accusation. The sentence will be a minimum of three years in jail.”

Widow Zhang, who was still urging the police to directly take the person away, became stunned. “Why? Why would I be sentenced if I only reported it? I didn’t even steal anything.”

Seeing her expression, the public security officer’s heart was even more certain that she was randomly fabricating. His eyebrows wrinkled deeply, “Reporting false information that leads to wasting a dispatch of the department is illegal. Of course, there will be a sentence.”

Widow Zhang was originally very sure that Lin Shiheng’s money wasn’t obtained legally, but she still panicked when she heard about the sentencing. When she finally looked up again and clearly saw the smile in Lin Shiheng’s eyes, her heart was even more uncertain.

It couldn’t be that he really did earn that money, right?

She didn’t want to believe it but… What if it was true?

Then won’t she, the reporter, be sentenced?

Widow Zhang’s brain became a jumbled mess, leaving only one notion.

She must make sure that Lin Shiheng’s crime would definitely be verified.

A streak of light flashed through her mind and she suddenly clapped her hands. “Public Security Comrades, there’s more! Lin Shiheng also stole chickens! Stealing chickens is also stealing. This one is absolutely true. I dare to guarantee it. If you don’t believe me, you can go to the chicken owner’s house and ask.”

If it’s stealing chickens…

Although small, it was indeed stealing.

In the end, the three public security officers still took Lin Shiheng and Widow Zhang to the old Lin house. Seeing the officers in uniform bringing Lin Shiheng, the surrounding villager, regardless of whether it was due to curiosity or worriedness, also followed along.

***

After knocking on the door of the old Lin family, Old Lady Lin was shocked as soon as she opened the door and saw the situation. After hearing what Widow Zhang said, she was stunned again.

“Old Lady Lin, theft is actually punishable by imprisonment.”

No one knew better than Widow Zhang about how much Old Lady Lin disliked this grandson, she quickly said, “Who knows, it might also be an execution. You have to tell the truth.”

Lin Shiheng, who had been silent for a long time, with reddish eyes, looked at his grandmother in front of him, and whispered, “Grandma, you gave me those three chickens. Can you help me testify?”

When had Old Lady Lin ever seen Lin Shiheng, the grandson, go soft on her?

Her expression immediately brightened.

Tch, so what if he was so arrogant before, didn’t he still fall into her hands now?

She didn’t notice the surprised look in the eyes of the police when they heard Lin Shiheng calling her grandma. She straightened her posture, patted her chest, and announced, “He stole those three chickens, I did not give them willingly!”

“You have to hurry and take him away!”

The police didn’t listen to her but turned around and asked Lin Shiheng, “She is your grandmother?”

“Yes, biological.”

The young man who had looked so helpless when he was reported by Widow Zhang was now filled with hidden sorrow, even his eyes were red.

He lowered his head and held out his hands. “Public Security Comrade, when she gave me the chickens before, no one saw it. No one can help me to testify, please take me away.”

Old Lady Lin’s expression became even more arrogant. “Yes! Take him away and shoot him!”

She has been eyeing the Lins’ big house and field for a long time. When Lin Shiheng dies, won’t his mother then be at her mercy?

The three officers looked at the handsome young man with an increasingly sad expression, then looked at Old Lady Lin, who seemed like she was about to laugh aloud. They hesitated and didn’t move.

Old Lady Lin saw this and became anxious. “What are you still doing? He already said he didn’t have witnesses. Isn’t that an admission? Hurry up and take the person away.”

The onlookers were already upset, and she still added fuel to the fire. Aunt Wu, who had gotten a few pheasant feathers from Lin Shiheng before, was already so angry that she stepped out.

“Have you no shame saying these words?! You clearly gave him those chickens. At that time, when you took him to your house to drink chicken soup, it was as if it just wouldn’t do if he didn’t go. And we even thought you had changed for the better, turns out you were waiting for this!”

“Let me tell you, you will be struck by lightning if you do unjust things such as framing people.”

Old Lady Lin, feeling attacked by her words, became angry herself and held her waist out and scolded, “I did give him chicken soup but he forced me to give it to him, and the two chickens were snatched by him … Aiyo my chickens ah… I worked so hard to raise them, but they ended up just being snatched away.”

“Bah, who doesn’t know that you are stingy, what you don’t want to give couldn’t have been given out. Shiheng was also thrown out like garbage by you at an early age. It was already so difficult for him to grow up and have success, yet you’re still planning to plot against him. What a great child ah… Just before, he hunted a pheasant and wanted to give it to you, saying that his grandma treated him well, so he also wanted to treat his grandma well. Do you have a conscience? You could even falsely accuse your own grandson. I hope that after you die, they’ll take you to hell to peel off your skin and pull out your tongue!”

“You thing! I’ll kill you! He would still say he’s treating me well because of those three chickens?! That he snatched from me?!”

Seeing the two women cursing at each other, the three public security officers quickly took control of the situation. “Don’t curse! First, don’t curse, then speak clearly, we will investigate it one by one.”

“I will testify!”

Granny Wan came out with her crutches, a pair of eyes scowling at Old Lady Lin, “I will testify, those chickens were given to him by her.”

“At that time, I saw very clearly, this old woman dragged another’s child to her own home as if he just had to go. Shiheng also met me on the way back with the chicken she gave, saying the chickens were from his grandmother.”

“Right! I will also testify.”

“Me too!”

“Shiheng is really a good child, moreover, he is great at hunting. He can hunt many rabbits and pheasants from the mountain every day. Today, he also shot down two rabbits and a pheasant. If he wanted to eat chicken, he could have hunted himself. Why would he have to rob her?”

“Precisely! The kid is so generous. After hunting rabbits, he would also share them with us, the neighbors. How could he steal chickens?”

A group of people noisily testified one after another. Old Lady Lin’s eyes darkened with anger. But, before she got the chance to scold back while holding her waist, the three officers at the side with blackened faces had already announced that they would continue their investigation.

“The theft of chickens has been considered investigated clearly. You two will be arrested on suspicion of false accusations. Please cooperate with the investigation.”

The raging Old Lady Lin suddenly froze. “What do you mean I’m under arrest?”

Aren’t you catching Lin Shiheng?

Why did it change to arresting her?

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