Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 264 Visiting Zhao Family Village

If Li Weiguo hadn't been lucky enough to have crucial evidence destroyed by divine intervention, his fate would likely have been exactly as the Song family predicted—a death without a proper burial.

The person who could devise such a plan, and even make a greedy and treacherous person like Zhou Xia so determined to betray them, must be incredibly terrifying.

That's why Li Weiguo was so eager to find out who was behind the scenes.

Get rid of him, I must get rid of him myself!
Li Weiguo was no fool; he knew that since the other party dared to use such underhanded tactics, they must have a deep-seated hatred for him.

In this situation, only the blood of one side can possibly end this hatred.

Faced with Li Weiguo's offer of recruitment, Song Jianguo smiled dismissively and said:
"Li Weiguo, I don't care to follow the same path as you."

"If our Song family didn't even have this much cohesion, how could we have survived until now?"

"Want to know who devised the plan? Haha, I'm not telling you."

"Even if you win this time, what difference will it make? You'll still be living in constant fear."

"Perhaps next time, you will be in a situation of utter ruin."

Seeing that Song Jianguo refused to reveal Wang Chengpeng's identity, Li Weiguo could only rage helplessly. He appeared arrogant, but he was actually hiding his fear in his heart.

Fortunately, Wang Chengpeng was kind enough to decide to help him so that he would never have to live in fear again.

The next moment, a police officer pushed open the door and entered, reporting to Song Jianguo:

"Director Song, things have taken a turn for the better."

"Director Song found the remaining four gold nuggets somewhere, and they contain irrefutable evidence that is enough to convict everyone in this chain."

"Okay, okay. Okay!"

After saying "good" three times in a row, Song Jianguo stood up and said to Li Weiguo beside him:
"Truly, the net of Heaven is vast, its meshes are wide, yet nothing escapes it."

"It seems even the heavens couldn't bear to see the evil deeds you committed, and we've found the most crucial evidence."

"Director Li, cherish your last moments, because the crimes you've committed are enough to warrant being executed ten times over."

Only those who laugh last laugh last. Under Wang Chengpeng's protection, in this contest between the Li and Song families, the Song family ultimately had the last laugh.

Li Weiguo, however, looked completely incredulous and exclaimed, "I don't believe it! You're definitely lying to me!"

No matter how impotently furious he became, he couldn't change the established facts. This time, the Li family, led by him, was finally doomed. It can be said that those who do many evil deeds will surely perish.

……

The downfall of the Li family caused a great sensation in Shanghe City, especially the countless crimes they committed, which were enough to make anyone's scalp crawl.

Fortunately, the Li family received the punishment they deserved, which can be considered as a just punishment.

As for Zhou Xia?

Because he voluntarily surrendered himself, was only an accomplice, and showed a good attitude in admitting his mistakes, he was only sentenced to three and a half years.

Although it was a long time, compared to the Li family who were shot, his fate was much better.

Especially after the family fell apart, the remaining members of the Li family lived in extreme misery, with Li Dan being the worst off.

She had enjoyed the benefits that Li Weiguo's illegal activities brought her, so naturally she should also enjoy the harms that Li Weiguo's illegal activities brought her.

Fortunately, her grandparents weren't too badly affected, so she at least had a place to stay.

I just don't know if she will still be so innocent and naive in the future.

However, none of this had much to do with Wang Chengpeng, who had already embarked on his journey to Zhao Family Village.

This is Zhao Yuju's family home, and Wang Chengpeng's intuition tells him that Awei, whom he is looking for, is here.

The name that a woman will still call out on her deathbed is either that of an enemy or a lover.

The name Awei is clearly a rather affectionate nickname, so there is a very high probability that it refers to a lover.

A hint of amusement flashed in Wang Chengpeng's eyes as he looked at the man Zhao Yuju kept mentioning; things seemed to be getting more and more interesting.

Many things that seemed illogical suddenly became reasonable.

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng pedaled his bicycle a little faster.

Zhao Village and Wang Village are quite far apart. Even Wang Chengpeng rode for two or three hours to get there. It's just a mystery how Zhao Yuju ended up marrying so far away.

The conditions in Zhao Village are far inferior to those in Wang Village, and a brand-new old-fashioned bicycle is undoubtedly the most eye-catching thing here.

That's why Wang Chengpeng was stopped by the village intelligence team at the village entrance before he even had a chance to enter the village.

An older woman, around fifty or sixty years old, blocked Wang Chengpeng's path, smiling and saying:
"This young comrade looks quite handsome, but he's a complete stranger. May I ask what brings you to our village?"

Villagers are always wary of strangers, so it's normal to ask them a few questions.

If we let strangers in, and they do something like stealing, they'll be the ones who suffer.
If it weren't for the fact that Wang Chengpeng was handsome and riding a bicycle, which made him seem like a petty thief, the old woman wouldn't have been so kind to him.

He casually grabbed a handful of candy from his pocket and handed it over, saying with a smile:
“Auntie, my surname is Wang, and I live in Wangjia Village over there. I came to Zhaojia Village to look for my relatives.”

Are you here to find your relatives?

The old woman gave Wang Chengpeng a wary look, completely ignoring the candy he offered. She said:

"Wangjia Village? We haven't heard of anyone marrying into your village in recent years. Don't try to fool us."

With a helpless smile, Wang Chengpeng said:

"That's not recent, it happened a long time ago."

“My grandmother’s name is Zhao Yuju. She married into our Wangjia Village from here, but we haven’t had any contact for a long time.”

“I didn’t think much of it when I was young, but now that I’m older, I miss them terribly, which is why I was sent here to look for my relatives.”

The old woman took the candy from Wang Chengpeng and took a look. She found that it was not a cheap street vendor's product, but a high-end candy that was only available at the supply and marketing cooperative. She immediately beamed with joy.

Don't be fooled by the small amount of candy; it can cost quite a bit of money to buy.

If you just give it to the kids in your family, it will definitely make them happy for a long time.

After accepting the candy from Wang Chengpeng, the old lady's attitude towards him improved considerably, and she said with a smile:

"Zhao Yuju? That name does ring a bell."

“You’ve come to the right person. I know the situation of most people in the village and can answer some of the questions.”

"But since she's from your grandmother's generation, it must be quite a long time ago. I'll have to think about it carefully."

"Young comrade, since your grandmother is from our village, you don't need to be so polite. Just come to my Aunt Zhao."

It was at this moment that the others chimed in, saying, "That's right, young comrade, Aunt Zhao is the village's gossip queen. If you need anything, just ask her."

Wang Chengpeng's eyes lit up. He thought to himself, "This is truly a case of meeting a benefactor on my journey. I've only just arrived at Zhao Family Village and I've already met someone who can help me solve this problem. It seems doing good deeds really does bring blessings. Doesn't this perfectly reflect the good deed I just did for the people?"

Thinking this, Wang Chengpeng smiled and handed out some candy to the onlookers, especially grabbing a large handful from Aunt Zhao's pocket before saying with a smile:
"No wonder I heard magpies chirping when I went out today. It means I'll meet a helpful person when I go out."

Scratching his head, Wang Chengpeng said, "I'm really not familiar with Zhao Family Village. I'll have to trouble Aunt Zhao for a favor. If you can find my grandma's house, I'll be very grateful!"

Seeing her pockets stuffed full of candy, Aunt Zhao beamed with joy and said:

"Okay, I'll take care of this."

"It's lunchtime now, and I feel a bit embarrassed that I received so much candy from you, Xiao Wang."

“My family is poor and we don’t have much to eat, just some coarse flour buns. If you don’t mind, why don’t you come home with me and have lunch together?”

"My mom happens to be home, so she can ask her for you later."

Aunt Zhao was a clever woman. On the surface, she seemed to be thanking Wang Chengpeng for sharing the candy with her, but in reality, she was eyeing the benefits Wang Chengpeng had mentioned.

Wang Chengpeng was clearly not a poor man, and given his generous nature, the benefits he mentioned were certainly not a lie.

There are many people and eyes at the village entrance. It's just a matter of finding someone. If someone else snatches it away, I won't get any of the benefits.

After a moment's thought, Wang Chengpeng understood Aunt Zhao's idea. However, he didn't care about giving her any benefits; all he cared about was whether he could get the job done.
Besides, he was a little hungry, so he didn't refuse Aunt Zhao's suggestion, saying:

"I felt an instant connection with Aunt Zhao the moment I saw her, and since she shares the same surname as my grandmother, we might even be related from several generations ago."

"Since that's the case, I won't stand on ceremony with my own people and will shamelessly go to Aunt Zhao's house for a meal."

At this point, Wang Chengpeng pointed to his spacious back seat and said:

"Aunt Zhao, if you're not afraid of gossip, then let me drive you home."

Almost without hesitation, Aunt Zhao got on Wang Chengpeng's bicycle, but sat a little distance away from him.

Fortunately, Wang Chengpeng's bicycle was quite large, so he could sit comfortably.

Sitting on the old-fashioned bicycle, Aunt Zhao smiled broadly and said:

"Who would gossip about an old woman like me?"

"Xiao Wang, I'm not trying to be rude, but your bicycle is really nice. It must have cost you a lot of money."

"It's just that my family isn't well-off, otherwise I would have bought a second-hand bicycle for transportation."

"Just follow my instructions. My home isn't far, I'll be there soon."

"I felt an instant connection with you, Xiao Wang. Maybe we really are family."

Finally, Aunt Zhao murmured, "Zhao Yuju? That name sounds familiar."

Aunt Zhao wasn't lying; her house was indeed very close to the village entrance. Before long, Wang Chengpeng arrived at a typical farmhouse courtyard.

The main structure of the house, built of mud, looks very old, and there are strings of corn hanging on the eaves, obviously intended to be dried and made into coarse grain noodles.

As soon as he arrived home, Aunt Zhao warmly invited Wang Chengpeng to sit down, saying:
"Xiao Wang, please sit down for a while. I'll go to the kitchen and take care of something."

"I didn't expect you to come today; I wasn't prepared at all."

As soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Zhao rushed to the kitchen without waiting for Wang Chengpeng's consent.

Her family was extremely poor and had nothing that Wang Chengpeng would covet, but she was very generous.

In addition, most people in this era are simple and honest, so they naturally trust Wang Chengpeng very much.

However, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall, so Wang Chengpeng dared not be alone in the room. Carrying an extra bag of meat and a bag of flour from his bicycle basket, he hurriedly followed Aunt Zhao into the kitchen.

The kitchen was simple; it was cramped enough for two people to stand in. Aunt Zhao immediately noticed Wang Chengpeng, who had followed her, and said:

"Oh my, Xiao Wang, what brings you here?"

"Go home and rest. I'll be fine in the kitchen."

With a slight smile, Wang Chengpeng said, "We're all family, how could I possibly eat for free at Aunt Zhao's house?"

"I have some flour and meat here, consider it a gift for Aunt Zhao when she comes to visit."

After saying that, Wang Chengpeng placed the items directly on the table.

Seeing the high-quality flour and pork that Wang Chengpeng had put down, Aunt Zhao's eyes lit up, but she returned the items, saying:
"Xiao Wang, you can be polite to anyone but not to your Aunt Zhao."

"You should keep this for when you visit relatives, don't waste it on me."

"Besides, I can't accept something for nothing. How could I possibly take something so good from you?"

Looking sincerely at Aunt Zhao, Wang Chengpeng said, "Aunt Zhao, aren't you just becoming distant with me?"

“They used to say we were family, but now they’re separating us so clearly.”

"Don't worry, I've prepared extra things; there's enough for visiting relatives."

"Besides, Aunt Zhao, if you don't help me find my relatives, I really can't continue my family visit, can I?"

"So please don't be shy, just accept these little things as a small token of my gratitude for your selfless help."

After saying that, Wang Chengpeng picked up the pork and started rinsing it with water without waiting for Aunt Zhao to refuse.

It's summer now, and rinsed pork is hard to preserve; it's practically impossible to bring it back.

Seeing this, Aunt Zhao wanted to say something more, but in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

He just patted his head inwardly and blamed himself:

"You brain-dead idiot, hurry up and think about who Zhao Yuju really is!"

"What a wonderful young Wang! How can we let him go home empty-handed? I must help him find his relative."

But when Aunt Zhao looked up, she was surprised to find that Wang Chengpeng had already picked up a kitchen knife, and instinctively exclaimed:
"Xiao Wang, put down the cleaver, I'll take care of it."

However, Wang Chengpeng didn't give Aunt Zhao a chance to take back the cleaver at all, and started chopping the pork with it.

His knife work is divine!
With the "thump-thump" of the cleaver striking the cutting board, large chunks of pork were instantly transformed into thin slices in Wang Chengpeng's hands.

What appeared to be a thick piece of pork was sliced ​​into pieces in less than a minute by Wang Chengpeng's incredible knife skills.

After doing all this, Wang Chengpeng looked at Aunt Zhao somewhat embarrassed and said:

"Aunt Zhao, please move aside, I'm here to stir-fry some sliced ​​meat."

"I just like to eat some meat, so please consider this as satisfying my needs and let me cook next time."

Aunt Zhao opened her mouth, hesitated, and finally wisely shut her mouth, giving up the main position in the kitchen.

(End of this chapter)