Chapter 50: Anyone Who Dares Scare My Sister Again Will Get Fined

“Just look at Comrade Zhang Yang’s face! And Zhao Dong, Gao Wen, Gao Wu, as well as Comrade Zhang Simao—every one of them is covered in injuries!”

“There are wounds everywhere!”

“How did they get these? These were sustained while capturing the wolves!”

“They risked their lives and worked tirelessly, earning wolf meat to share with everyone!”

“If you’re not grateful to these brave warriors who charge into battle, and yet you cause a ruckus and disturb their families’ rest—it will chill the hearts of these fighters!”

“If this were the revolutionary era, you’d be a traitor among the people!”

“If you make another sound, I, Zhang Haiquan, speaking for the commune, will confiscate all the meat from your household!”

Qian Chunfen immediately covered her mouth.

The children nearby imitated her, covering their dirty little hands over their mouths.

After this stern and escalated reprimand, Qian Chunfen did not dare utter another word.

Only Wang Zhaodi stared venomously at Zhang Yang.

Zhang Yang understood what she wanted to say.

He couldn't allow the Wang family to spread rumors accusing Zhang Haiquan of favoritism toward Zhangjiatun.

So, he clarified the personal grudges between the two families at once:

“I promised to compensate your Wang family eighty-eight yuan, but we agreed on a one-month period!”

“There’s still more than half a month left before the deadline. If you cause trouble again, I won’t be able to pay that much!”

“Moreover, the more you cause trouble, the more you scare my sister, so the medical expenses will fall on you!”

“If you can’t afford it, I’ll deduct it from the eighty-eight yuan!”

“Just keep causing trouble then! There’s only so much money. If it’s all spent, then it’s better to separate cleanly and get a divorce—no one will take advantage of the other!”

Zhao Dong pulled a face beside him, deliberately stretching his cheeks sideways to mock Wang Zhaodi as a fatso.

This time, Wang Zhaodi was truly about to be infuriated beyond endurance.

“You—!”

Qian Chunfen quickly covered her mouth again. “Come on, come on! Let’s get the meat first, then we’ll talk!”

Finally, the Wang family temporarily withdrew.

The villagers gathered around, asking about Zhang Simao’s condition.

“I’m fine!” Zhang Simao smiled cheerfully.

But Zhang Yang’s face was serious as he took out the handwritten hospital medical record from his basket and handed it to Zhang Haiquan.

“How can he be fine? He was beaten into a concussion by people from Wulipu.”

Zhang Haiquan frowned deeply as he held the medical record.

He read the diagnosis with a troubled heart.

Then he looked at the hospitalization and treatment fees written on the bill—his worries grew heavier.

“The money...”

Zhang Yang, showing great responsibility, said, “With the few yuan you gave me, Captain, plus what I brought myself, it’s enough.”

Zhang Haiquan breathed a sigh of relief.

Indeed.

This was the People’s Hospital of Zhenhai City.

They wouldn’t have been allowed to leave without paying.

Still, seeing Zhang Simao unharmed eased a great concern for him.

Zhang Haiquan told Zhang Simao to hurry home and reunite with his family, then he pushed Zhang Yang into the small courtyard, closed the door, and spoke privately.

“You were told to lead the militia squad, and I understand you want to choose your team!”

“But after leading the new squad on two mountain patrols, three people got injured. This matter has drawn the commune’s serious attention!”

“The commune held a meeting and decided to strengthen the management of the mountain patrol squads!”

Zhang Yang humbly accepted the criticism. “Just tell me how you want to punish me. I’ll accept anything.”

Zhang Haiquan waved his hand.

“It’s not punishment, and not aimed at you personally.”

“The commune’s decision is to overlook past issues.”

“From now on, any prey caught by any militia squad weighing over twenty jin belongs to public property and must be shared with everyone.”

“Of course, the mountain patrol squad won’t work for nothing!”

“Members of the patrol squad will receive double the meat.”

“As for prey under twenty jin, you can distribute it among yourselves.”

This verdict was fairly reasonable.

Zhang Yang had no objections.

Zhang Haiquan glanced at Zhao Dong and the other two.

Zhao Dong said, “If Yangzi has no objections, then neither do I!”

Gao Wen and Gao Wu nodded: “What Yangzi thinks, we brothers think the same!”

The wolf-snatching incident was thus settled.

Before leaving, Zhang Haiquan looked once more at the four with bruised faces and pointed at them.

“Don’t think I don’t know your little tricks!”

“The people from Wulipu said everything, including that they couldn’t beat you!”

“In front of others, I gave you face and didn’t expose how you got these injuries.”

“From now on, cut out those crooked ideas!”

Zhang Yang grinned awkwardly, “Thank you, Captain!”

Zhang Haiquan breathed a long sigh and left.

After he left, the Gao brothers hurried to claim the wolf meat issued by the commune and temporarily parted ways with the Zhang family.

Zhao Dong, knowing Zhang Yang had something to say to his sister, used the excuse of collecting the meat to leave for a while.

---

Zhang Yang called Zhang Yan to the woodshed, closed the door, and showed her the money on his person.

“Yangzi! Where did you get so much money?!”

Zhang Yang smiled, “No stealing or robbing, just earned it honestly. Sister, you don’t need to worry anymore. If the Wang family causes trouble again, we can pay them to get you divorced from that scoundrel.”

Zhang Yan covered her face with both hands, tears streaming down through her fingers.

“Yangzi, it’s me who’s wrong...”

“Sister, we’re siblings, one family! Don’t say such things. Protecting family is what I should do!”

Zhang Yang patted Zhang Yan’s back soothingly, “I also bought a lot of good things this time.”

He took out hair ties, chocolates, cloth, and a bag of brown sugar from the basket and showed them to Zhang Yan.

“Sister, just focus on recovering. Yaya is still little. As your brother, I can’t do much, so you have to work hard.”

Zhang Yan sobbed uncontrollably.

With these conditions at home, how could he be powerless?

She truly must have accumulated great blessings in a previous life to have such a wonderful brother!

...

The weather was fine. After taking a nap, Zhang Yang and Zhao Dong tidied up the woodshed.

Zhao Dong refused to go home, insisting on staying and squeezing in with Zhang Yang.

“My place is too empty. Let’s wait until it gets warmer!”

Zhang Yang understood what this boy was thinking.

It was all because of what Zhang Haiquan said today.

The Zhang family had only one male adult.

Zhao Dong surely thought that if he stayed, there would be one more person, one more helper.

Zhang Yang felt touched; all his unspoken thoughts turned into boundless energy.

They cleaned the woodshed thoroughly, freeing up a small kang bed. The two of them could easily squeeze in to sleep.

Zhang Yang planned to make a wooden cage for the rabbit with the injured leg.

These days, all the little ones had been sleeping together under one quilt—Zhang Wen and Zhang Fei—and Li Huifang kept teasing them.

“Soon enough, if they get attached, they won’t want to eat it, right?”

Zhang Wen immediately replied, “No need to eat this rabbit! We have roe deer meat, wild boar meat, and now wolf meat. Why eat rabbit?”

Zhao Dong teased her, “The flavors are different. We still have to eat it!”

Zhang Wen chased him in mock anger.

The courtyard was lively when Lin Qiushui’s voice sounded outside the door.

“Auntie, someone sent over some crispy cakes from my home. I specially brought some for you to try!”