wavenovel Chapter 7 Some people are just bad
Chapter 7 Some people are just bad
Lin Chen and Tang Yuwei, after a bumpy and dawdling journey, finally arrived at Rose Village around three o'clock.
With Tang Yuwei as a burden, I really couldn't show off my driving skills. If I increased the accelerator and speed even slightly, she would cry out that she couldn't stand the cramps and could only brake frequently at high speed.
At the entrance to Yueji Village, a strong, pungent stench of dead fish assaulted Tang Yuwei's nostrils, forcing her to quickly cover her nose. Lin Chen frowned, deftly parked the car, and carefully walked to the shore.
Although the pond water was dark, it was still relatively clear. On the surface, you could see some dead fish with their white bellies up, and several water birds were happily eating them.
Lin Chen stood there for a long, long time, and saw the dead fish and the crooked-eyed villager.
"It's been so long... Could it be kidney deficiency, incomplete urination? There's no sound of water." Tang Yuwei secretly glanced at Lin Chen's tall but sluggish back from a distance, and thought to herself with a wicked sense of amusement.
She thought Lin Chen was urinating.
After a long while, Lin Chen walked back slowly, his face expressionless. He didn't start the car immediately, but instead took out a crumpled water bill from his pocket and handed it to Tang Yuwei.
"When we get to Tang Dazui's house, you can ask for the money." He really couldn't bring himself to ask.
Tang Yuwei looked at the bill with suspicion and saw 3223 yuan. She replied in surprise, "Wow, that's a lot of money! They're rich!"
Lin Chen: "Their family is in the aquaculture business. See that big pond? They contracted it out to raise fish, so they use a lot of water."
Tang Yuwei was a little surprised; this was one of their major clients.
Lin Chen said with a hint of regret, "I heard that their fish were fat and big and they were ready to sell them, but I don't know what happened. Three days ago, after changing a batch of water, the fish started dying the next day. More and more died every day, and half of them died."
Lin Chen had already heard about this.
Tang Yuwei gasped, "My God!" She instantly sympathized, her face falling. "That's terrible! A complete loss! No wonder they refused to pay the water bill. If it were me, I definitely would too..."
"It's tragic as it may be," Lin Chen interrupted her, his tone flat, "but one thing at a time. The wronged should have their culprits, and the debtors should be held accountable. Their losses shouldn't be made the scapegoat by our company."
When we arrived at Tang Dazui's house, most of the plaster on the walls of the mud-brick house had fallen off, giving it a dilapidated look.
Tang Yuwei looked at Lin Chen's cold, businesslike profile, bit her lower lip in a conflicted manner, and said in a soft, cotton-like voice, "Class monitor~ you should do it. I, such a kind and lovely fairy, just can't do something like taking advantage of someone's misfortune or kicking them when they're down!"
Lin Chen glanced at her, didn't reply, just casually stuffed the bill into his pocket, and went straight up to knock on the door.
There was no movement inside. Lin Chen called out "Tang Dazui" and pushed open the door to go in.
The empty room was filled with a musty smell, mixed with a faint medicinal odor, making one feel desolate and suffocated.
The door to the inner room was ajar. Lin Chen peeked over and saw a person lying on the bed, covered by a thin blanket, with only a head of gray hair showing, like a messy pile of straw.
"Tang Dazui, Tang Dazui!" Lin Chen called out quickly, his voice tinged with barely perceptible tension. The person on the bed finally stirred, slowly sitting up, their movements as sluggish as a rusty machine, their voice weak and feeble: "Hmm..."
Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief and walked over quickly. He touched Tang Dazui's arm and found it was burning hot. Tang Dazui had a big mouth, so everyone in the village called him "Big Mouth." His wife was lame, and his son had been taking medicine since he was a child. Their lives were more bitter than bitter herbs.
In the past, when Lin Chen went to the countryside to pump water meters, he would bring them medicine from the town.
A few years ago, Tang Dazui finally found a way out by contracting the village's pond and came to Lin Chen to do business.
According to regulations, fish farming is considered a commercial activity and requires a commercial water permit, which costs 50 cents more per ton than household water. For Tang Dazui, that's a considerable burden.
Knowing his family's difficulties, Lin Chen secretly registered him for household water service through the system, saving him a lot of money.
From then on, every time Tang Dazui went to the market in town, he would bring Lin Chen a fresh fish. Lin Chen never kept it for himself; he would bring it to the company to improve everyone's meals.
"Squad Leader Lin, you're here..." Tang Dazui struggled to get out of bed, but his hands trembled violently, like fallen leaves in the autumn wind.
"Lie down properly."
"You're here to collect the water bill, right?" Lin Chen didn't mention the water bill, but he brought it up anyway.
"Big Mouth, where are your wife and son?"
"My son's illness has relapsed, and my wife took him to the hospital..." Tang Dazui sighed. "The fish are dying every day, and I've gotten sick too."
"You have a high fever, why don't you go to the hospital?"
Tang Dazui waved his hand, "No need, no need, I'll be fine after a good night's sleep, I'm used to it."
Lin Chen suddenly remembered something and ran outside. Tang Yuwei wondered what he was going to do, and in the blink of an eye, she saw him come back with a bag of medicine from the back of the motorcycle.
Tang Yuwei watched him skillfully pour hot water and then feed Tang Dazui medicine. She couldn't believe it. "Class monitor, who exactly are you?"
This was Lin Chen's old habit; he would always bring medicine with him when he went to the countryside, and give it to whoever needed it. Otherwise, he wouldn't have gained so much popularity among the people.
After taking the medicine, Tang Dazui felt a little better. He sat up straight, looked at Lin Chen, and said with a look of guilt in his eyes, "Lin, I know you're here to collect the water fee, but look at my fishpond... I really don't have any money left."
Lin Chen nodded and asked, "Have you found out the cause of the fish deaths?"
"It must be a water problem," Tang Dazui said, frowning.
"Who told you that?" Lin Chen asked back.
"The fish died right after I changed the water that night. My neighbor, who has a crooked eye, said that the water temperature was very low. The fish couldn't stand the sudden change in temperature, and their bellies burst open. I really regret changing the water."
There's even this saying?!
"Big Mouth, I don't think it's necessarily a problem with the water; it's a problem with the people." Lin Chen's tone turned cold.
Tang Dazui was stunned for a moment: "The problem is with people? That's impossible. I have no grudges against anyone in the village."
"I just checked your pond. There are obvious footprints in the grass on the east side, and there's white powder on the bank." Lin Chen's voice was a little heavy. "I'm not a professional, but I suggest you call the police to investigate, especially your neighbors. They should find something."
Lin Chen almost blurted out "crooked eye".
When they were at the pond, Lin Chen saw Waiyan acting suspiciously on the bank. He ran away as soon as he saw Lin Chen.
This kind of thing is all too common in rural areas.
It doesn't necessarily have to be a huge grudge. Some people just can't stand to see others doing well. When they see you having a smooth life, they feel uncomfortable and always want to cause you some trouble, even if they don't get any benefit from it themselves.
Like weeds in the field, they can't stand seeing crops grow taller than them.
"Could someone really be trying to harm me?" Tang Dazui sat there, speechless for a long time. His gray hair hung down, obscuring the light in his eyes, revealing only his trembling hand.