Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Serious Offense, Summon the Parents

This definitely amounts to a huge sum. Robbery in broad daylight at a department store also definitely counts as a serious situation… These three people are in big trouble this time, it’s absolutely more than just a few days of petty detention.

The key point is, the attitude of these three admitting their guilt is just too good. As soon as they walked in, they confessed everything, each eager to go first, afraid that they might not cleanly reveal all their wrongdoings, even volunteering information about stealing cables and parts from a factory years ago.

Of course, this also includes several incidents of retaliation and injury. Although these people haven’t committed murder, they did leave two people disabled. One young man in his twenties had his ribs broken and lung injured by them, making him unable to do heavy physical labor for life.

For Ling Chengyan, it was simple. After making a brief record, she was escorted out the door by a police officer she knew.

“This time, we have to thank Comrade Ling Chengyan again for helping us a great deal.”

Ling Chengyan smiled faintly: “Don’t say that, I am just unlucky to encounter a robbery when going out. But, speaking of it, daring to rob openly in a busy area, it’s important to handle such matters strictly.”

The policeman looked slightly embarrassed, nodding repeatedly: “Of course, of course, we will intensify our efforts, striving to ensure the safety of the people’s lives and property.”

Ling Chengyan nodded and said goodbye.

She understood the hardships and difficulties of the police. With land contracts being assigned to households, rural areas began to have surplus labor, leading more rural surplus laborers to enter cities for odd jobs.

Furthermore, with educated youths returning to cities, and batch after batch of young students graduating, but not enough factory jobs available, this resulted in a large number of unemployed people. With more idle people in society, the number of destabilizing factors increased, naturally leading to more public order issues and even criminal cases.

Upon returning home, Ling Chengyan didn’t mention anything about the incident outside and cheerfully announced that she had ordered a refrigerator, which would arrive in a few days.

The boys were still a bit confused, but Xiaoxing was the first to jump up, raising her hands and cheering, “We can have popsicles now!”

Little Yu also smiled, touching the little girl’s braids: “Be careful not to get a stomachache.”

The boys also joined the cheer, each one shouting louder than the last.

Hongbing tilted his head, smiling as he asked his fourth aunt, “Fourth Aunt, is this one of the Four Modernizations?”

Ling Chengyan smiled and looked up at Wang Liansheng. Wang Liansheng reached out to pick up Hongbing, then invited the other kids along: “Come, let me tell you about the Four Modernizations…”

The refrigerator at Ling Chengyan’s house arrived in early April, before the weather truly warmed up. Watching the kids make popsicles with sugar and milk, Lin Chengyan forbade them from eating more, telling them to wait until the hot days of summer.

However, not being able to eat frozen popsicles, the kids found a new trick, secretly putting their water bottles into the fridge’s cool room, so they could have a bottle of cold boiled water the next day. Adding a little sugar made it even better.

Thanks to this chilled boiled water, the youngest ones became very popular at school, and then, sugar was no longer in short supply. If you wanted a cold drink, just bring sugar, a little for each, and it could be used several times.

As a result, within a few days, Wang Liansheng got called to the school by teachers. The kids were conducting business in class, exchanging water for sugar, and a few students got stomachaches after drinking the cold water.

That day, when Ling Chengyan returned home after driving, she saw a lineup of kids standing stooped under the courtyard wall. Even the big yellow dog obediently queued at the end, panting with its tongue out.

Ling Chengyan glanced at them, said nothing, and went into the house. After washing, she learned the cause from Little Yu and Hongling’s mouths.

She took a freshly-harvested cucumber and munched on it slowly as she approached the group from behind, scrutinizing each one carefully.

Xiaoxing looked up, softly calling, “Mom…”

“Your dad is angry. It’s no use asking me,” Ling Chengyan said with a smiling face, putting her hands behind her back as she entered the kitchen.

After dinner, the kids went to night school or did their homework, while Ling Chengyan and Wang Liansheng went out to visit the homes of the “affected” classmates as given by the teacher’s addresses.

The classmates’ parents were quite reasonable during their visits and apologies. Wang Liansheng unexpectedly met his classmate He Jingnian, whom he hadn’t seen for years, and discovered that He Danian’s child, He Xiao, was in the same class as Xiaoxing.

He Danian worked at the area machinery factory and had been promoted to office director, holding some authority. They lived in a newly completed two-room apartment with a private bathroom and kitchen, which was considered a nice home in Huicheng.

He Danian was quite proud, taking Wang Liansheng to see the kitchen and bathroom: “No more running outside at night, and no fear of rainy weather.”

Wang Liansheng nodded: “Indeed, much more convenient.”

Meanwhile, Ling Chengyan took a few more glances at the He’s television, which was a rare twelve-inch color TV. He Danian’s son, He Xiao, was sitting in front of it watching TV with his siblings.

He Danian’s wife also worked at the machinery factory as their physician. She had permed hair and wore a collared short-sleeved floral dress, looking quite youthful.

Though not keen on socializing, Ling Chengyan could still engage. She smiled at He Danian’s wife: “If I saw you on the street, no one would believe you’re a mother of three. You look so young.”

No woman dislikes being complimented on her youth and beauty, and He Danian’s wife couldn’t hide her joy, lightly touching her curls: “You don’t look your age either; if you dressed up, you’d outshine me.”

Ling Chengyan smiled but didn’t reply. By then, Wang Liansheng had completed his tour and was ready to leave, smiling as he said, “Shall we go back?”

The couple bid farewell, and once outside, Wang Liansheng couldn’t help but sigh: “Back then, both He Danian and I were rural students, dark and skinny, barely filling our bellies on cornbread. We often helped out in the kitchen just for an extra bite, who would have thought we’d come this far…”

Ling Chengyan laughed: “He’s now called He Jingnian. Don’t get it wrong.”

“Alright, He Jingnian.” Wang Liansheng laughed, shaking his head.

He Jingnian was able to join the area machinery factory thanks to his father-in-law’s connections. He had just hinted that Wang Liansheng was wasting his life in a low-key office and suggested he could help if a job transfer was desired.

By the time they finished visiting and returned home, it was already past nine in the evening.

The children, upon seeing them enter, quickly adjusted their posture, looking all obedient and well-behaved.

Ling Chengyan walked over to check their homework and, seeing it was all done, urged them to wash up and go to bed.

Once the kids were out, Wang Liansheng went to touch the TV, chuckled and said: “It’s hot.”

Ling Chengyan glanced over, and the two shared a knowing smile. This group of mischievous little mischief-makers still need some discipline!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep