"Mm-hmm." Li Min nodded vigorously, "The grain I borrowed was all coarse grains, and also salt and matches."
"We'll buy them back, your elder brother also borrowed quite a bit. We'll return them to the people we borrowed from, and then buy winter clothes and shoes. Your hundred yuan is likely to be almost spent by your sister-in-law."
Tian Jing deliberately said these things in front of everyone to prevent anyone from coveting the hundred yuan that was about to be received. It also provided a source of funds for the large-scale procurement tomorrow.
"Spend it," Li Min said indifferently. "These are all justice that my sister-in-law has helped me reclaim. It's only right to spend it on the family."
What was this small amount of money? As long as her sister-in-law helped her break off the engagement, the words just spoken by her sister-in-law had already hinted at it.
Heh heh, she understood. The key to breaking off the engagement wasn't her, but the Tian family and Huang Sulian's fault.
Everyone wanted to give the aunt and niece a good beating. They hadn't even received the hundred yuan, and they were already planning to spend it all.
However, thinking of the dilapidated house at the end of the village, coupled with Li Mu's sickly body, and the three somewhat tilted adobe thatched cottages with only two adobe kang beds and a few pieces of furniture, it seemed like there were indeed many things to buy.
The villagers who had originally planned to dump the kudzu roots at Accountant Li's house turned to look at the captain upon hearing the exorbitant compensation Tian Jing demanded.
Captain Ou rubbed his chin. Alright, since Accountant Li was already being difficult for Tian Jing, he wouldn't make things harder for him.
Instead, he turned to Huang Sulian, who was standing at the periphery, "Comrade Huang Sulian, these kudzu roots were originally intended for your family. Now, your father-in-law is busy going to get money for compensation and doesn't have time to deal with this matter."
"I'll ask the accountant's eldest daughter-in-law, can I let the villagers dig them themselves and keep what they dig?"
Captain Ou's words caused the villagers gathered at the entrance of Accountant Li's courtyard to turn around excitedly. The drama was unfolding one after another?
Huang Sulian's face turned pale. She was finished. After her mother-in-law paid this money, she would definitely settle the score with her.
She knew that Li Fu had died saving her father-in-law, and she also knew that her mother-in-law was unwilling to part with the compensation.
But for so many years, Li Min had always been borrowing things, and her mother-in-law's opinion of her grew increasingly negative.
She also felt that Li Min was going too far, always asking for favors based on this indebtedness. But they forgot that Li Min would always return the favors after the grain distribution in the autumn harvest each year.
Her mind was in a muddle, leading her to believe Zhang Fangcao's instigation and go trouble Li Min.
It could only be said that she had calculated everything, but missed the calculation of Li Zhengguo's new daughter-in-law, who, on her first day in the village, intended to sue the entire village.
Captain Ou's words jolted her back to reality, "Captain, you, you don't need to ask me."
"Who else should I ask if not you? If you disagree, and I'm accused of colluding with the villagers to embezzle collective property, where will I find justice?"
"Quickly give me a clear answer. There are still a lot of kudzu roots at the foot of the mountain. How about we pile them up in front of your door?"
"No, no," Huang Sulian repeatedly waved her hands, "Don't pile them here. I, I was targeting Li Min. Whoever digs them keeps them. They are useless things from the mountain, like firewood. Villagers can pick them up as they please."
"Oh~" Captain Ou let out a meaningful "oh," and then smiled, "Zhengguo's words were not wrong. Sometimes, if things aren't said openly, people can pretend to be confused for years and actually become confused. She's truly someone who can twist right and wrong."
Huang Sulian lowered her head, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
Captain Ou didn't let her off easily, "From now on, if anyone has anything, come and ask this Comrade Huang for instructions."
"Especially regarding chopping wood and digging wild vegetables on the mountain. You can only do it if she agrees. If she disagrees, absolutely don't do it, lest you be targeted."
"Yes, we'll listen to the captain. From now on, we'll often come to ask Comrade Huang for instructions. Otherwise, just like today, something that should have been completed long ago was delayed. The sky is about to get dark."
"Yeah, it delayed our time. I wonder if we can ask for some compensation?"
"That's right, that's right. We've gone around in circles, carried them back and forth, and are exhausted. Are we not as noble as them, to be manipulated by a few words? Who told her she has a powerful family?"
"What's the use of being powerful? Didn't Zhengguo say it? They were elected by us villagers to do practical things for us. If she brags about her nobility in front of me again, we'll remove her next year. She only knows a few characters, and Li Zhengguo knows even more characters and has more experience from the army."
"Yes, yes, that's a good idea. Li Zhengguo is literate, so he should be good as an accountant. And his young wife has done practical things for us, more capable than some officials."
"Then when we elect next year, can we not follow the commune's nominations?"
Huang Sulian was about to collapse. She had not only caused her in-laws to lose money, but she might also cause her father-in-law to be removed from office?
Although Tian Jing listened to the diverted conversation with great interest, she had to say something when it came to the election.
"Everyone, please don't say that. The commune's nominations are based on an assessment of the candidate's abilities. If everyone were to nominate themselves, those who want their family members to be officials would definitely nominate their own relatives."
"If that were the case, wouldn't it be a mess? Therefore, this suggestion of yours is inappropriate. It will only cause trouble for the commune and make them think that the villagers of Kushan are being unreasonable."
After Tian Jing said this, the people who had spoken earlier understood.
"So, there's a reason why the commune nominates candidates first?"
"Alas, we just don't know enough."
"Yes, we are far from the commune, and even farther from the county town. We can only see Kushan and Kuhe. As a result, we dug up some things to feed pigs at the foot of Kushan and brought them back for people to eat. Some people are even greedy. Hmph, hasn't Zhengguo finished eating the wild boar meat he hunted? And now they're bullying Li Min. Their conscience has been eaten by dogs."
"That's right. Forget it, let's not talk about it. Let's continue carrying. We'll be scolded when we get home today. It's a pity we don't have as good a life as them. Let's go."
Those carrying the kudzu roots hurried away. The sky was getting dark, so they could only make two trips. They would go home and call their family to help carry. Li Guangping, holding the wooden box, walked out first. "Let's go, let's go to Doctor Yang's place."
Tian Jing pulled Li Min along.
The onlookers looked at the sky. Some gave up on following, while others were not resigned to not seeing if Accountant Li would really pay Li Min one hundred yuan.
When Li Zhengguo heard the conversation between Tian Jing and his paternal uncle, he knew what Tiantian intended to do.
He hurried to coordinate his story with Doctor Yang. Doctor Yang should not think that he was only helping him today, and then give him a diagnosis of infertility, or the matter would be exposed.
Li Zhengguo quickly explained the cause and effect of the matter to Doctor Yang.
Doctor Yang became even more interested in his new daughter-in-law. "Alright, I've got it. Today, we'll only talk about disfigurement, right? As for the scar removal cream, I do have it, but how much do you intend to ask me for?"
Li Zhengguo glanced at him, "Even if you have it, you must say you don't. After Minmin breaks off the engagement, I'll secretly come to buy it. To outsiders, I'll just say I bought it in the county town."
"Alright, alright," Doctor Yang pushed him, "Hurry up and leave my place."