Of course, the first thing to do is to keep this kind of thing within a certain range as much as possible and prevent the news from spreading.
Thus, Shuanghe Village in Huaxiang Township, Cixian County, Fuhe City, a normally obscure little village, suddenly received some uninvited guests—people that ordinary people would never normally have access to. They came to the home of Chen Chaojiang and Liu Bin to discuss compensation issues and matters of confidentiality…
On this day, Xu Zhengyang returned from the capital.
It's certain that even he, the protagonist who orchestrated all these events behind the scenes, didn't expect things to develop so quickly. Although he knew a turning point was inevitable, because no one could withstand the punishment and threat of the power of the spirits.
Xu Zhengyang was unaware that some people had already visited Chen Chaojiang and Liu Bin's home. After all, he wasn't so idle as to spend his days carrying the county register and going door to door to watch other people bickering.
At this moment, he was standing in front of the large table in the main room, picking out things he had bought from the bags and packages for his parents:
"Mom, try this outfit on and see how it looks. It cost over two hundred yuan."
"Dad, I bought you two bottles of Moutai. Hmm, they cost over three hundred yuan a bottle."
"Mom and Dad, I think we should tear down the house and rebuild it in the next few days. If we do it quickly, we can move into the new house this winter..."
...
When Xu Zhengyang was rushing back to Fuhe City from Beijing, he suddenly realized that he hadn't bought anything for his parents on his trip back from Beijing, which was really inexcusable.
So instead of having Li Chengzong take him directly back to his village, he went to Fuhe City.
After browsing around the New Century Shopping Mall in Fuhe City and buying a bunch of things, it was getting dark, so Xu Zhengyang took a taxi back to the village.
Xu Neng and Yuan Suqin were naturally overjoyed. While browsing through the things their son had bought, they discussed where they would temporarily live if they were to rebuild the house, which construction team they should hire, and what kind of house they should rebuild it into…
Rebuilding a house in the countryside is a big deal, but also a very troublesome one. There are a lot of details and things to consider, and it can be quite exhausting.
So while his parents were discussing these matters, Xu Zhengyang was also considering it. He suddenly thought, why not simply apply for a new plot of land from the village, a... bigger plot of land, and build a new house directly? Wouldn't that be great? The plot of land should be big, as big as the house Han Dashan lives in now. Don't build a multi-story building, build a single-story house, like a courtyard house, just like Zhao Laoguang's house, quiet and elegant, that would be nice too.
Yes, it seems that there is a shortage of housing plots in the village now, and according to relevant regulations, their family does not meet the standards for housing plot approval.
However... that's not a problem.
In Han Dashan's words, "A problem that can be solved with money is not a problem."
Why does Han Dashan's family have such a large plot of land to build houses and such a big yard? It's because they're rich!
Nobody in the village would object to this, because they're rich. You can't be envious of them.
When Xu Zhengyang shared his idea with his parents, he immediately received his mother's strong support. So, even the usually conservative Xu Neng could only express his support. Besides, he was tempted too! Having been poor for most of his life, and now struggling to find money to send his daughter to school and rebuild his house for his son's wedding, his son suddenly became successful, incredibly successful! He was now enjoying respect and envy in the village that he had never experienced before, bringing him considerable pride. His back, bent by the weight of life, straightened considerably. How happy was the honest and simple Xu Neng inside? It's hard to say…
That's good, then we won't have to worry about where to stay for a few months after the house is demolished.
Okay, it's settled then!
Based on current "market prices," it would cost about 10,000 yuan to get approval for one plot of land for housing, no big deal! Let's get approval for three plots at once... hmm, that's a bit difficult. Would 50,000 yuan be enough? More than enough!
We have plenty of money at home right now!
Compared to other rural areas where the average level of prosperity has not yet reached a moderately prosperous level, Xu Zhengyang's family's current economic situation and level of wealth are definitely among the top five.
So the family of three decided to go to the village secretary, Zhou Qingguo, after dinner to discuss the house site.
Unexpectedly, right after dinner, before the dishes and utensils on the table had even been cleared away, Han Dashan and his wife arrived at their door with two middle-aged women.
who?
Shen Qun's wife and Guo Haigang's wife.
Two middle-aged women, each carrying a bulging plastic bag, entered with fawning smiles and a hint of unease. They greeted the Xu family politely as Han Dashan and his wife introduced them. In particular, their gazes towards Xu Zhengyang were filled with both fear and respect.
Xu Neng and Yuan Suqin were completely baffled, not understanding what was going on. It was all so strange; they didn't even know each other, so why were they suddenly coming to visit with gifts?
But since they were all guests, and the guests were sincere and friendly, they could only politely offer them seats and water, despite their confusion.
Xu Zhengyang naturally guessed their purpose in coming. He thought to himself that the news of his return had been known so quickly because he had probably met Han Dashan's wife at the alley entrance when he returned to the village this evening and greeted her, and then Han Dashan's wife had quickly informed the two families.
After some polite small talk about everyday matters, Han Dashan's wife finally spoke up and told the truth: "Zhengyang, you know, people from all around here can run into each other just by going out the door, and you have to greet each other when you do, right?"
"Yes, yes." Xu Zhengyang nodded with a smile.
"Sigh, it's better to resolve a feud than to let it fester. It's been almost two years since the incident, and both families are still filled with remorse. They really shouldn't have harmed Chaojiang and Liubin back then... Children don't know any better, they just fight and make a fuss. Adults shouldn't have gotten angry with the children, and they shouldn't have taken sides. Speaking of which, those two kids went to jail, but look at them now!" Han Dashan's wife sighed.
Shen Qun's wife and Guo Haigang's wife sobbed and repeatedly confessed their sins.
“Zhengyang,” Han Dashan spoke, “To be honest, there are some things that are really not appropriate for your uncle to say, but this time I’m going to swallow my pride and beg you for mercy. Please give me some face and talk to the local earth god. Both families know they were wrong. Now Hai Gang and Shen Qun are both in jail. If things continue to escalate, isn’t that going too far? As the saying goes, one shouldn’t let one’s family and children suffer the consequences…”
Xu Zhengyang nodded slightly, his expression calm.
Now that things have come to them, there's no need to pretend they don't know anything. It would be pretentious to continue acting like they don't know anything. Besides, looking at their pitiful state, Xu Zhengyang felt a pang of pity and regret. Had he really gone too far?
"Let's not waste any more time on nonsense." Han Dashan handed a cigarette to Xu Neng and Xu Zhengyang each, and said, "Later, both of them should go to Chaojiang and Liu Bin's houses to apologize and make amends... Zhengyang, can you just shut up for a bit?"
"Hmm." Xu Zhengyang nodded and smiled, "I'll let the local earth god know later. You see, I didn't know about this before, and if I had, I wouldn't have felt so bad!"
“That’s right, that’s right…” Han Dashan nodded repeatedly.
Shen Qun's wife and Guo Haigang's wife immediately burst into tears, expressing their deepest gratitude.
They simply couldn't take it anymore! Just a few days ago, they were only having nightmares, with the local earth god warning them in their dreams, and they didn't really believe it then... But these past two days, they've been experiencing terrifying nightmares in the middle of the night! The house is in complete chaos, who can stand it?
After seeing them off, Xu Zhengyang looked at the doubt and a hint of fear and worry in his parents' eyes, and couldn't help but smile wryly and say, "Dad, Mom, why don't you go to Zhou Zhishu's house later? Get the land for the house as soon as possible so we can start rebuilding..."
"Yes, yes, hurry up! Once the house is finished, if we can find a suitable wife for my son this year, we can get him a wife." Yuan Suqin was constantly thinking about finding a wife for her son, so she immediately urged Xu Neng to go outside, also reminding him to buy some snacks, cigarettes, and alcohol at the convenience store later...
Xu Zhengyang returned to his bedroom, smoking and muttering to himself, "Luckily it was just a ghost possession. If it had happened to you guys, damn it, your whole family would probably have committed suicide..." At this point, Xu Zhengyang suddenly stopped talking and frowned as he pondered.
It seems... this won't work!
Whether it's the TV dramas I've watched, the legends I've heard, or the descriptions in the books I've recently read, they all seem to vaguely mention one thing: gods are beings transcending the world, trying their best not to interfere in the affairs of mortals. The human world naturally has its own rules, and the existence of gods merely serves to intimidate people, not to directly intervene.
If every injustice in the world were intervened by divine power...
The world would probably descend into chaos.
Xu Zhengyang couldn't quite figure out how things would fall into chaos, but he had a vague feeling that doing this seemed rather inappropriate.
But there's no other way, which is frustrating.
So… Xu Zhengyang muttered to himself, “There has to be a limit!”
Volume Two, Chapter 62: A Murder Case Covered Up by a Traffic Accident
In his final conversation with Li Bingjie on the Great Wall, Xu Zhengyang said, "Now that the shop is open, the area I'm in charge of has expanded, and I'll be very busy from now on."
Indeed, before leaving the capital, he arranged for ghosts to cause trouble at Shen Qun and Guo Haigang's homes, and also arranged for ghosts to go to the detention center to cause trouble for Guo Haigang and his son and Shen Qun, forcing them to confess their crimes in fear and reveal some inside stories of what happened back then.
Thus, the case of Chen Chaojiang and Liu Bin's malicious assault can be brought to light again.
The matter is now basically settled. Although it is still uncertain when Chen Chaojiang and Liu Bin will be released from prison, it is certain that their sentences will be reduced.
On the evening of their return from Beijing, after Shen Qun and Guo Haigang's wife left gifts, their parents went to the village secretary Zhou Qingguo's house to discuss the housing land issue. Xu Zhengyang then called Zhong Zhijun to inquire about relevant information. Based on information Zhong Zhijun had gathered from his classmate, and their speculations, they felt that the two might be released with some compensation to appease them and prevent the matter from escalating.
Then Xu Zhengyang no longer needs to worry about this matter. He can't possibly use ghosts again to threaten the relevant personnel to release the two immediately, can he?
That would be utterly ridiculous!
As for the family's desire to build a new house and acquire a large plot of land, things went surprisingly smoothly. After Xu Zhengyang's parents brought cigarettes and alcohol to the village secretary Zhou Qingguo's home and explained their purpose, Zhou Qingguo pretended to be in a difficult position before actually raising the issue of money.
What pleased Xu Neng and his wife was that Zhou Qingguo didn't ask for an exorbitant price. He seemed somewhat wary of Xu Zhengyang's recent fame and influence, so after careful consideration, he decided to approve three plots of land in the east of the village for their family. As for the price… Zhou Qingguo said, “We're all neighbors, and we have a good relationship, so I can't just bring up money for everything, right? But if I don't pay a little, it won't be easy for me to get the land use certificate. Right now, one plot costs 10,000 yuan, and if a family gets three plots, it'll be even harder, at least 50,000 yuan. Let's not talk about that… Give me 30,000 yuan, and I'll put in the effort to get it done for you! After all, we have a good relationship.”
Xu Neng and Yuan Suqin readily agreed, deeply grateful.
Actually, the couple knows perfectly well what's so good about the relationship between our family and the village secretary's family. It's probably because our Zhengyang has a good relationship with Zhongshan, the director of Huaxiang Police Station, and Wufeng, the director of Futou Town Police Station.
Of course, these things cannot be said openly.
The approval of the land for housing construction cannot be obtained in a short time, so Xu Zhengyang was not in a hurry.
As for the newly opened antique shop in Fuhe City, Xu Zhengyang was not in the mood to pay attention to it or worry about it for the time being. He had never planned to make a lot of money from the antique shop. He only cared about selling his antiques. Moreover, the antique shop was being managed by Yao Chushun. As an outsider, he would not know how to get involved, so he might as well leave it alone.
The most important thing on Xu Zhengyang's mind was the matter of Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao.
He had wondered before what terrible things this couple had done to deserve becoming ghosts whose lifespans hadn't ended. And why did they both die together? According to the county records, it was extremely rare for someone to die before their lifespan was over. The deaths of Cheng Jinchang and his wife were definitely strange!
Speaking of which, what exactly constitutes "not yet having reached the end of one's lifespan"? What constitutes "having reached the end of one's lifespan"? What are the criteria for judgment? Xu Zhengyang didn't understand at all, but he did know one thing: the distinction between "not yet having reached the end of one's lifespan" and "having reached the end of one's lifespan" is definitely not determined by age.
Of course, Xu Zhengyang did not summon the two ghosts to recount their deaths.
As the local deity of nine towns and ten villages, and the chief administrator of the entire Cixian County, Xu Zhengyang could easily find out the details of the matter through the county records if he wanted to know. Why bother asking the two of them? Besides... seeing is believing, and Xu Zhengyang didn't think those two ghosts would tell the truth if they were really pretending to be pitiful.
Although the two devils helped me a lot, it was all business, and there was no room for negotiation.
Thus, a major murder case that could very well have been deliberately covered up was clearly revealed in Xu Zhengyang's case...
Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao are a couple from Chengjia Village, Jiangwu Town, Cixian County. They are both 31 years old this year. They have parents who are over 50 years old and a daughter who is only 6 years old.
Cheng Jinchang's family is well-off. He owns a combine harvester, and after harvesting wheat each year, he unloads the harvester and then uses it to till and sow seeds for others. After the busy farming season, Cheng Jinchang doesn't rest either; he drives long-distance freight trucks, and his family's annual income is easily around 70,000 to 80,000 yuan.
Yes, this is an enviable happy family.
Cheng Jinchang usually drives for a truck owner in his village named Hao Peng. The two of them drive a Dongfeng box truck, specializing in freight transport between the south and Beijing.
However, half a month ago, Cheng Jinchang suddenly resigned.
The reason was that, by chance, he discovered that Hao Peng was actually transporting drugs, and not only transporting drugs, but it seemed that Hao Peng was also involved in drug trafficking.
Cheng Jinchang was scared; he dared not get involved in such a thing. So he frankly told Hao Peng, "We've had a good relationship these past few years, don't worry, I won't tell anyone about this, but I can't drive for you anymore." Hao Peng didn't say anything else at the time, readily agreed, settled his wages, and even gave Cheng Jinchang an extra 10,000 yuan as hush money.
The kind and honest Cheng Jinchang thought the matter was over.
A week later, Cheng Jinchang was driving his motorcycle with his wife on their way home from visiting relatives in the county town when they encountered a sudden and unexpected disaster.
As he was driving his motorcycle and turning left from the national highway toward the road leading to the village, a Jiefang brand mini-truck suddenly came from behind and struck him, killing him instantly.
The driver of the small truck was Zhu Fenjin, 33 years old, from Shenzhuang Township, Cixian County. On that day, he was driving the small truck carrying furniture he had just bought. When he passed the intersection of Chengjia Village, Cheng Jinchang's motorcycle suddenly turned left, and Zhu Fenjin was unable to brake in time, which led to the accident.
On the surface, this appears to be a traffic accident.
Because there were no obvious signs at the intersection, Cheng Jinchang was driving his motorcycle and turned left to cross the road, while the small truck was driving normally...
The traffic accident department ultimately determined that both parties were at fault, and the specific compensation would be subject to negotiation between the two parties.
...
In fact, Zhu Fenjin was a member of Hao Peng's drug trafficking gang, and the car accident was entirely pre-arranged by them.
It was absolutely flawless. Even Cheng Jinchang and his wife, who died and became ghosts, still don't know that they were murdered.
However, none of this could be hidden from Xu Zhengyang, the local official in Cixian County who held the powerful artifact, the County Records.
After learning the truth, Xu Zhengyang almost couldn't resist summoning the ghosts of Cheng Jinchang and his wife, telling them the truth, and then instructing them to possess Hao Peng and Zhu Fenjin, controlling them to rush onto the railway and crash into the train.
Damn it!
If it weren't for the divine office of the Chief Clerk, if it weren't for the divine artifact, the County Recorder, if it weren't for... a chance encounter that led him to the ghosts of Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao, and to learn that they were people whose lifespans hadn't ended, thus prompting him to investigate why they had died before their lifespans were over...