Spring scenery in the fields

Chapter 139 The officer asks

After hearing what he said, Ji Wenhe immediately remembered: "Yes, yes, yes, we also call it cockscomb oil. I like to eat this part. After being braised in oil, it is especially crispy and fragrant. It tastes better than other parts."

"We'll buy some back next time." Shen Rongshan looked at her lovingly, "Lard is good for your health. If you like it, when we run out of oil at home, buy some cockscomb oil too."

She smiled back, "Okay."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw someone wearing a straw raincoat coming up, and he looked over and said, "Brother Shen, it seems to be Uncle Ping."

He was wearing a bamboo hat and had his head lowered, so only his chin could be seen. His figure was very similar to Shen Ping.

Shen Rongshan stopped and turned to look: "It's Uncle Ping."

When the person approached, he asked, "Uncle Ping, why are you here? Is there something wrong?"

Shen Ping seldom came to their house, and he would go to Aunt Lan's house to buy noodles.

Ji Wenhe brought out a small stool: "Uncle Ping, please sit down."

"Hey." He took off his raincoat and put it on a pile of trees nearby. "Rongshan, Shen Hubiao is in trouble."

The four people beside him all looked up at him.

Shen Yuanshan asked, "What happened?"

Seeing that his face looked very serious, it seemed that the crime he committed this time was not simple.

Shen Rongshan and Ji Wenhe thought about the smuggling of salt. Could it be that it was exposed?

Sure enough, the next words confirmed their thoughts.

"I heard that Shen Hubiao was smuggling salt outside, which is why he suddenly became so rich."

"Smuggling salt?" Shen Wenshan couldn't believe what he heard. "Smuggling salt is a serious crime, punishable by death. How dare he do it?"

Shen Ping shook his head: "Who knows what he was thinking? He knew it was a capital crime, but he still dared to follow that group of people. He simply didn't want to live."

Shen Rongshan frowned, looked at Ji Wenhe, and asked, "Uncle Ping, how do you know he sells illegal salt?"

Neither of them told this matter to anyone, and Shen Dadong was even less likely to tell the head of the village. Once the head of the village knew about it, they would be driven out of the village.

"I just came back from the village head's house. His grandson-in-law came home and told me that the government has sent people to arrest him, and he is one of them."

"It seems that one of them said that he was a gambler who lost all the money he earned in town. Somehow, someone tricked him into selling illegal salt, and that's how he suddenly became rich."

Why choose a gambler when there are so many people to look for? Are they really not afraid of being in trouble by him?

Ji Wenhe said, "Uncle Ping, does Uncle Dong know about this?"

"I guess he doesn't know yet. The village head asked me to tell the villagers to prevent his father from informing them and causing him to run away."

...Then why don't you tell us?

He is also a person who cannot keep secrets.

Shen Ping looked up at the four people and said, "Don't tell anyone. I came to tell you to make you happy. After all, there is a grudge between you two."

The four nodded.

After talking for a while, he said goodbye and left.

"I haven't seen him enter the village in the past few days. Did he hear the news and run away a long time ago?"

Shen Yuanshan thought he must have run away or hidden in someone's house.

Shen Rongshan fed the chickens, scooped water to wash his hands, and told the two: "Don't go to the village and talk nonsense. Just pretend you don't know."

"Got it, big brother."

They are not stupid.

……

After lunch the next day, the rain stopped for a while, and Ji Wenhe was teaching Shen Rongshan how to make silk lace in the yard.

"Sister-in-law, Brother Rongshan."

Shen Suya walked up the stairs carefully and shouted at them from a distance.

"You all came to my house. The government officials are here to question you."

Several people looked at each other, realizing that the government officials wanted to ask about Shen Hubiao.

Shen Rongshan replied: "Go back and tell the officer, we will be there soon."

"Hey, hurry up, don't keep the officer waiting for too long."

He nodded, then looked at the twins: "Answer whatever I ask you. You should pretend you don't know what Uncle Ping said yesterday."

They responded, locked the door, and walked down the mountain.

Ji Wenhe was protected by him as he went down the mountain: "Brother Shen, will Shen Hubiao's incident affect us or the villagers?"

"No, we are not the ones selling the smuggled salt, and you should pretend that you don't know about it. Don't be afraid, I am here."

She is not afraid, because it is not her doing.

I’m just worried that the government will accuse them of crimes they don’t really deserve.

Four people came to Lan Qiuhua's house one after another. There were three officials in total, one of whom was Shen Liuyun's husband, and the village head also came.

Inside Shen Anguo's house, Shen Zhong stood next to his grandson-in-law, watching the four people enter the house with a serious expression.

"Rongshan, they are the officials sent by the government to investigate Shen Hubiao."

They nodded one by one, with a look of confusion and puzzlement on their faces.

Shen Yuanshan asked innocently: "Village head, why did Shen Hubiao call us here? We haven't seen him for a long time."

The grandson-in-law of the village head said in a deep voice: "Shen Hubiao and several others were smuggling salt, and now we have caught one of them."

Everyone was surprised and incredulous again.

He continued, "I heard from the villagers that your family has a grudge against Shen Hubiao."

Lan Qiuhua stood behind them and rolled her eyes, taking advantage of the fact that they couldn't see.

I didn't hear it from the villagers, it was clearly said by the head of the village.

Before asking other families in the village, they went straight to their house and asked Xiaoya to call the people down to ask.

Shen Rongshan looked back at him calmly, his eyes had to be shone, his momentum was even stronger than his: "Yes, there is a grudge, but what does his smuggling of salt have to do with our grudge?"

Ji Wenhe kept nodding in his heart. It couldn't be that they instigated him to sell contraband salt.

Why investigate them first when there are so many other people to investigate?

The grandson-in-law of the village head frowned slightly and said, "Your name is Shen Rongshan. I heard that you have been to the battlefield."

"Yes."

The two looked at each other calmly, and no one around dared to interrupt.

Shen Zhong introduced with a smile: "Rongshan, my grandson-in-law has this kind of temper. He has no doubts about your intentions. He must be serious when handling cases for the government."

He clasped his fists and saluted: "I am Li Tianba, working in the government. If I have offended you just now, please don't take it to heart. I will handle it impartially."

Shen Rongshan returned the greeting and said, "It's alright, please feel free to ask us anything you want to ask. We will tell you everything we know."

Li Tianba nodded: "You two have a grudge against each other, have you ever secretly followed him and wanted to take revenge?"

Shen Yuanshan was about to explain when he was stopped by him.

"Who you follow has nothing to do with the government, and we won't get involved. I just want to ask if there is anyone you found him interacting with too much during the tracking process."

"Or if you find any evidence that he is smuggling salt, report it to the government, and the government will give you a reward. Of course, you have to be reliable."

"No." Shen Wenshan shook his head, feeling a little angry.