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墨書 Inktalez
It is often said that "the economy drives civilization," and this statement holds true. Over the past two years, life has improved significantly; in every village, not only have hand-pulled tractors multiplied, but even small four-wheelers are no longer a rarity.
With better living conditions, the petty quarrels that used to arise over trivial matters have decreased. However, as the economy flourished, it also gave rise to crime.
My father and Second Uncle could no longer find work plowing fields, but they continued to deliver bricks and tiles to the Township Brick Factory. By the end of the year, they had earned several thousand yuan. Coupled with the harvest from their ten acres of farmland, they felt quite satisfied with their overall income. This year, they had just built a new house, and there were no pressing worries at home; life felt quite enjoyable.
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Hu Ruoyun's family, Second Aunt's family, and my aunt's family gathered at Grandma's and Grandfather's door. Uncle and Aunt-in-law greeted each other warmly, discussing the year's harvest, children's studies, and sharing amusing anecdotes about neighbors.
Third Aunt mentioned that the Poultry Equipment Trading Market next to Ma Jia Village along National Highway 106 in Gaoqiao Town was bustling with activity. In addition to trading chicken feeders, cages for chickens and ducks, a hub for plastic machinery, tools, and raw materials had formed around it.
Over 70% of the farmers in Town had signed vegetable planting contracts with the Town Government to supply vegetables to the Four Complete Food Factory, yielding much higher income than traditional grain farming. As production scaled up, its influence grew; nearby cities like Anqiu, Xin Yuan, and Kai Cheng sent buyers to purchase vegetables. Consequently, a large Agricultural Trade Market spontaneously formed across from the Poultry Equipment Trading Market, allowing farmers who hadn't signed contracts with Town to sell their produce through this market.
Many families in Ma Jia Zhuang adjacent to National Highway 106 took advantage of their prime location; those with empty yards turned them into paid parking lots. A simple renovation of a house could transform it into a guesthouse or inn, while street-facing shops easily rented out as stores or restaurants.
The Post Office also relocated here, and both the credit union and Agricultural Bank established branches in this area. Many shops from the old town market moved here as well.
While this was generally a positive development, where there are good people, there are also bad ones. Since the second half of this year, public security in that area has deteriorated sharply. There have been reports of local merchants being extorted and illicit activities disguised as bathing services. Some criminal gangs from outside have even established a long-term presence here.
Due to its geographical advantages, one family in Ma Jia Zhuang had five brothers named Ding. A few years ago, they were poor and engaged in unproductive activities until the eldest brother went south and "married" a woman from outside. After a few years of indulgence in food and gambling by the eldest brother—who even beat his wife after drinking too much—the woman left him with two children. The Ding brothers then decided to abandon all restraint.
With the influx of people drawn by the two nearby markets, the Ding brothers saw an opportunity. They dubbed themselves "Ding Family Five Tigers," recruiting a group of drinking buddies and gambling companions—people despised by others—and formed an unofficial "Ma Jia Zhuang Agricultural Trade Market Management Committee." Without any official authorization, they began to impose fees on farmers selling their produce at the market and charged even more for large trucks coming in to collect vegetables. Those who dared refuse faced violent threats—sometimes even physical assaults.
They would also maliciously "bump" into vehicles from out of town to extort money. This group armed themselves with rubber batons and electric shock devices; four would team up together and act brazenly! Eventually, they even began openly collecting "protection fees" from nearby street vendors.
Hu Ruoyun asked Third Aunt: "Isn't anyone reporting this to the police? Or does the police not care?"
Third Aunt replied: "I heard our Gaoqiao Town's police chief went out of town for training; it seems he won't be back for over six months. Now it's just an acting deputy chief who's also serving as an instructor managing things. I don't know much more than that; I haven't heard anyone taking action."
Mayor Mao—after your father-in-law left—I've heard that the new town head is just looking for personal gain; he won't last more than a year or two before moving on to become Secretary somewhere else."
This was unacceptable! Hu Ruoyun felt restless.
On one hand, if issues in Gaoqiao Town's Ma Jia Zhuang escalated further, Mao Na's uncle Zhang Maokui would be held accountable; on another hand, it could have severe negative repercussions for Annan County as well—potentially implicating Mao Na's father too.
If news about extortion spread among vegetable traders from outside towns, it would seriously damage Annan County's business environment.
This situation couldn't be delayed; decisive action must be taken before things worsened.
Hu Ruoyun asked Uncle: "Which family in our village has a phone?"
Uncle said in confusion, "The phone in the village is installed at the Village Chief's house. Who would go there to make a call for five yuan... Who do you want to call?"
Hu Ruoyun replied, "Uncle, take me there. I want to call Mao Na's dad."
The uncle and nephew arrived at the Village Chief's house, which was two alleys away. There were guests inside, and upon seeing Hu Ruoyun and his uncle enter, the Village Chief greeted them, "What’s up, Shunqiang? Got something to discuss?"
Hu Ruoyun's uncle handed him a cigarette. "Village Chief, my nephew wants to make a call..."
The Village Chief's wife chimed in sharply, "Five yuan; hand it over!"
The Village Chief casually asked, "Where are you calling? It’s not a long-distance call, is it?"
The Village Chief's second son was clearly drunk and muttered curses under his breath, "During the New Year, making calls like this..."
Hu Ruoyun ignored him and stopped Uncle from reaching for his wallet. He pulled out a five-yuan note from his pocket and handed it to the Village Chief's wife. "It’s not long-distance; just calling the county."
Not entirely reassured, the Village Chief's wife followed Hu Ruoyun and his uncle to the phone and watched as Hu Ruoyun dialed.
The call connected, and Zhang Xiuzhen answered, "Hello, who are you looking for?"
Hu Ruoyun quickly said, "Auntie, it's Xiao Hu. Is Uncle Mao home?"
Zhang Xiuzhen detected something unusual in Hu Ruoyun's tone. "He took someone to the broadcasting station and police station to visit those on duty. Is there an emergency?"
Hu Ruoyun didn’t answer directly. "Auntie, has Mao Na's uncle gone out of town for training recently?"
"Yes," Zhang Xiuzhen replied. "There’s a short training course in Jinan City for eight months specifically for people at his level... Your uncle should be back later. Do you want me to pass on a message?"
Hu Ruoyun said, "No need; I can’t explain everything in just a few words. I’ll go see him directly tomorrow in Annan."
After hanging up the phone, they left the Village Chief's house. Hu Ruoyun’s uncle remarked, "That family is no good; they often bully us during collective meetings. We don’t have much contact with them anyway. Just look at how sharp-tongued they are, making money off the village phone for themselves; their second son thinks he’s something special just because his dad is the Village Chief..."
As they returned home and hadn’t even sat down yet, someone shouted from outside, "Shunqiang! Shunqiang! Are you home?"
Everyone looked towards the door and saw the Village Chief and his wife rushing in anxiously. Before anyone could ask what was wrong, the Village Chief patted his chest and gasped for breath. "Quick! The phone called back... My second son had a bit too much to drink and answered it rudely, cursing and asking who it was and where the call came from! They said it was from the county chief’s family and told your nephew to hurry up and take the call..."
The call was from Mao Weiguo. Hu Ruoyun briefly explained what he had learned, and Mao Weiguo quickly grasped its significance: "Great! Xiao Hu, I understand the situation now. I’ll call Mao Na’s uncle and Wang Zhiguo right away... By the way, you don’t need to come over tomorrow; Mao Na said she’ll visit your parents instead."
After finishing the call, Hu Ruoyun noticed that the Village Chief and his wife were standing nearby without daring to breathe too loudly. The son who had cursed at Mao Weiguo looked particularly pale with fear.
Just as Uncle and Hu Ruoyun returned home again, the Village Chief couple left their daughter-in-law in the yard and followed them inside. The Village Chief's wife shoved five yuan into Hu Ruoyun's hand. "The phone belongs to public property; how can we charge money? My second son needs a good talking-to; I’ll deal with him when we get home!"
The Village Chief also brought over a bottle of liquor and casually sat down at the dining table. He poured a drink for Grandfather first: "It’s been years since we’ve had a drink together; today we must celebrate... What’s your relationship with the county chief again?"
Grandfather beamed with pride. "That’s my nephew’s father-in-law!"
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