Chapter 25: Second Watch

Chapter 25: Second Watch

Early in the morning, the people of Yangliu Brigade heard an unbelievable story. Shen Hong, Shen Lihui, and Shen Minbing from the Shen family had gone to steal bricks from Shen Laoqi's house in the middle of the night, only to be caught by vigilant commune members on their way.

What made it bizarre wasn't just that they were stealing bricks, but that they were using baskets to carry them.

It was said that when they were caught, they were so exhausted, drenched in sweat, that they collapsed on the ground. The noise from their fall was so loud that it woke up nearby commune members, leading to their capture.

Even more bizarre was that when someone called them stupid after they were caught red-handed, they completely lost it.

Especially Shen Hong, who reportedly almost got into a fight with the person who called them stupid, shouting things like "We were ambushed, not stupid! You're the stupid one, your whole family is stupid!" If it weren't for the many men present, they might not have been able to restrain him.

Even more bizarre was that while they admitted to stealing the bricks—after all, they were caught red-handed and couldn't deny it—they stubbornly refused to admit that the commune members had caught them. They insisted that someone had ambushed them from behind and demanded that Zhou Mancang, who had been called over, help them find this "backstabber."

Not only Zhou Mancang and those at the scene, but even those who heard about it the next day thought there must be something wrong with these three from the Shen family.

Even if someone had indeed ambushed them, that person wouldn't be a backstabber but a hero who stepped in at the right moment.

As for their reason for stealing bricks from their own uncle's house, it was equally bizarre. They claimed that Shen Laoqi's family had made their fathers work for free without providing meals, and they wanted to teach Shen Laoqi a lesson.

However, while that was their explanation, most people believed they probably just wanted to sell the bricks for money.

It was said that their original plan was to store the bricks in Shen Laoda's cellar, which was why they were carrying the bricks toward the village.

Thinking about it, they probably intended to store the bricks in the cellar for a while and then sell them once the heat died down.

Not many people in the area had cellars, and Shen Laoda's cellar under the woodshed was not widely known. Even if people knew about it, they might not have connected it to the missing bricks from Shen Laoqi's house.

Calling them stupid might be unfair, as they seemed to have thought things through, but their actions were far from smart.

However, since it was the middle of the night, Zhou Mancang didn't call their parents or grandparents but instead locked them in an empty room at the brigade headquarters, planning to deal with them in the morning.

It was said that when they were asked to carry the bricks back, they couldn't manage it for long and had to rely on the help of curious commune members to carry the bricks back.

If you don't have the skills, don't take on the task. People who can't even carry a load properly are bound to get caught halfway through their theft.

In any case, the whole incident was filled with "it was said" stories, and soon these bizarre tales were exaggerated and spread far and wide.

The first and second branches of the Shen family didn't notice their sons were missing until the next morning when they called them for breakfast. Only then did they hear about the events of the previous night, and both families were sent into a frenzy.

So, while Shen Moer was finishing breakfast and preparing to start work, the first and second branches of the Shen family arrived in full force, including Tian Fang, who hadn't been seen much recently.

"Lao Qi, they're your own nephews' sons. Kids don't understand the consequences. They just wanted to take a few bricks to build a chicken coop or doghouse. It's not worth making a big deal out of it. Their fathers are still helping build your house, aren't they?" Shen Shengli said with a dark expression, his tone matter-of-fact. "Last night, you should have just dropped it. How could you let the brigade leader lock them up?"

Shen Hong was the eldest grandson of the Shen family and usually listened to his grandfather. This time, he had acted out of a desire to stand up for his father. Shen Shengli didn't think his grandson had done anything wrong; in fact, he thought his grandson wasn't the type to let others walk all over him.

Shen Yongjun also chimed in: "My Minbing isn't the type to be petty. The root of this issue is that his father worked for your family without being fed. We're not nitpicking about this. Even though you didn't provide meals, my Jianye and Jianshe still came to work, didn't they? But the kids felt bad seeing this, so they acted impulsively. At the end of the day, it was a show of filial respect. As their uncle, you can't hold this against them, can you?"

Well, with their explanations, Shen Hong and the others' midnight theft from their uncle's house was transformed into a case of kids not knowing any better—or even a show of filial respect!

Not only were Shen Moer and Shen Shaoyuan stunned, unable to believe that anyone could be so shameless and self-righteous, but even Chen Zhuangzhuang and the others, who had come to start work, were dumbfounded.

Fu Mingze and Zheng Jiamin were also there. Zheng Jiamin, being mischievous, couldn't help but mutter, "So, should the brigade hold a meeting to commend them?"

Chen Zhuangzhuang and the others burst out laughing.

"We're handling family matters here. What business is it of you educated youths to chatter on like this?" Shen Jianping's wife immediately snapped. Shen Hong was her most cherished son, and they were in a hurry to resolve this. These people were not only watching but also making sarcastic remarks. She wasn't afraid of offending rootless educated youths.

Shen Shaoyuan glanced at her and said calmly, "The elders are speaking. What are you going on about?"

He paused and said, "Although you have such thick skin and are trying to twist the truth, no matter how eloquently you speak, stealing is stealing. The evidence is clear, and there's no denying it. Moreover, it was the brigade that detained them. If you want them back, go talk to the brigade leader (a local official). Arguing with me won't get you anywhere."

"Oh, by the way, the brigade leader sent Zhou Peijun on a bicycle early this morning to call the public security officers. They should be here any minute now," Shen Shaoyuan added, glancing toward the commune.

Upon hearing that the public security officers were being called, the members of the Shen family's first and second branches turned pale. Shen Shengli panicked, "Why involve the public security? This is a family matter!"

Shen Yongjun also grew anxious, "Lao Qi, they're your own grandnephews!"

Just then, someone nearby remarked, "Hey, is that the public security?"

Sure enough, several bicycles were seen riding down the village road. Apart from Zhou Peijun from their brigade, there were three public security officers wearing military green tops and dark blue pants in the 1966-style uniform.

"Oh, my Minbing!" Tian Fang burst into tears. "Lao Qi, how can you be so heartless? Even if I've offended you, Minbing is just a child. How could you take it out on him? It's just a few bricks, and you're sending him to jail? How can you be so cruel?"

Well, she and Shen Yongjun were really two of a kind. With just a few words, Shen Minbing was portrayed as the victim of revenge.

The public security officers, led by Zhou Peijun, went straight into the brigade office. It was then that everyone noticed that Brigade Leader Zhou ManCang and Militia Leader Zhou Qingguo had already been waiting in the brigade office.

The members of the Shen family's first and second branches no longer had time to argue with Shen Shaoyuan and immediately rushed to the brigade office.

The public security officers worked efficiently and quickly understood the situation. They then brought out Shen Hong and the other two, who had been detained all night and looked somewhat listless, preparing to take them back to the commune for further investigation.

"Officers, my grandnephews took a few bricks from their uncle's house. It's not a big deal, right? How can you just arrest them like that?"

"They're just kids and don't know any better. We'll discipline them properly later. There's no need, really no need to take them to the commune."

A group of people blocked the three public security officers.

Shen Hong and the other two immediately started struggling.

"Dad, Grandpa, we were just joking with Uncle Qi. We wanted to hide the bricks to make him worry. We didn't mean to steal!"

"That's right, we were just joking with Uncle Qi. Besides, we're his grandnephews. Even if he gave us a few bricks, it wouldn't be too much. Why involve the public security?"

"Grandma, Mom, save me! Please save me! I don't want to go to the police station. I don't want to go to jail. Please save me! Waaaaaah..."

The three public security officers immediately stopped them, "Cut it out!"

The older officer among them spoke sternly, "No matter whose property was stolen, theft is theft. It's a criminal act, and it can't be resolved with just family discipline. Of course, we'll need to conduct an investigation before we can determine the nature of the case. Rest assured, we won't tolerate crime, nor will we wrong the innocent. Now, please step aside and don't interfere with our work. If you obstruct us, you'll have to come with us to the commune police station."

Being public security officers, their stern expressions and sharp gazes were like swords, making it hard for anyone to meet their eyes.

The members of the Shen family exchanged uneasy glances. Despite their earlier bravado at Shen Shaoyuan's house, Shen Shengli and Shen Yongjun were now trembling inside upon seeing the public security officers. The officers' stern looks nearly made their legs give way. If they were like this, the others were even more intimidated, so they didn't dare to block the way any longer and silently stepped aside.

The public security officers quickly took the suspects away.

"Lao Qi, since you're being so heartless, don't blame us for not showing any mercy either. With the kids taken away, Jianping and the others won't be in the mood to keep working on your house," Shen Shengli said with a grim expression after the public security officers left.

It seemed they were ready to abandon the project altogether.