Chapter 45: Shamelessly Showing Up Uninvited

Lin Junsheng stood in his simple yet cozy courtyard.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled patches of light upon his face and adding a touch of warmth to his slightly weary expression.

It felt like the sole remaining luxury for a dying man.

In his heart, he secretly rejoiced that he had successfully weathered this sudden storm.

Just then, the elderly village chief stepped into the courtyard with a steady pace.

Walking straight up to Lin Junsheng, the old chief said in a deep voice, "Junsheng, I just came back from town and brought some news for you. The town mayor has been arrested. Although he didn't get the death penalty, he's basically finished—he'll be spending the rest of his days behind bars."

Hearing this, Lin Junsheng felt a great burden lift from his mind.

What he had feared most was a resilient enemy refusing to stay down.

As long as the man was locked away in prison, there was nothing to fear.

He had anticipated that the mayor might fall, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly.

Sighing, Lin Junsheng asked, "And what about his nephew?"

The old chief shook his head, his tone growing heavier. "Sentenced to death. That scoundrel committed countless sins and got what he deserved."

Upon hearing this, Lin Junsheng could not help but sigh with emotion.

Recalling the arrogant and despotic demeanor of that rascal, and considering their ultimate fates, he could not help but marvel at the impermanence of the world and the reality that the law ultimately spares no evildoer.

He muttered to himself, "This can be considered cutting the trouble off at the root."

The old chief looked at Lin Junsheng, a trace of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"Junsheng, although this matter has passed, you must remember to always be upright and proper in your conduct and actions, and never take crooked paths. Only by doing so can you firmly establish yourself in this world."

If Lin Junsheng were to tell the old chief about the ways of later generations,

he wondered if the old chief would still speak of living an upright and proper life.

Some of the news stories from future times were so bizarre that even novelists would not dare write them, yet they actually happened.

Much like the line from the classic tea house play:

"If you have money, you should eat, drink, gamble, and raise hell, but for goodness' sake, never do a good deed!"

Of course, that was just talk. In life, one should neither let others take advantage of them nor take advantage of others.

The notion that suffering losses or enduring hardships is a blessing—such ideas were best ignored.

Had ordinary people not suffered enough losses and hardships already?

Yet he had never seen any karmic blessings come from it.

Lin Junsheng nodded.

Though this storm had given him a false alarm, it had also given him a deeper understanding of human nature.

Next time, he would still need to be on guard and avoid being used as a pawn by others.

Suffering a loss once was quite enough.

There were plenty of people smarter than oneself, and at the time, Lin Junsheng had even been quite pleased with his own cleverness.

Little did he know that he would still fall into that reporter's trap.

Come to think of it, it was a case of each taking what they needed.

After finishing his words, the old chief left the small courtyard.

Lin Junsheng remained lying on his bamboo rocking chair, relishing the moment.

After all, with his current state of mind, nothing else held any flavor.

Just as Lin Junsheng started humming a tune, the old chief returned unexpectedly.

"Junsheng, your sister in the county town called. She said it's urgent and told you to hurry over to the commune to take the call."

Hearing this, Lin Junsheng's heart tightened instantly, terrified that something terrible might have happened at his aunt's household.

He rushed anxiously to the commune, grabbed the telephone, and immediately heard Liu Siyao's anxious voice from the other end.

"Junsheng, are you alright? I saw in the newspaper that something happened over your way, and I've been worried sick."

A warm feeling welled up in Lin Junsheng's heart as he smiled and said, "Sis, you saw the paper too, huh? Don't worry, I'm fine. That reporter was no good and tried to set me up, but he didn't succeed."

Hearing this, Liu Siyao let out a sigh of relief. "As long as you're safe, that's what matters. Didn't that mayor and that hoodlum give you a hard time?"

Lin Junsheng explained, "Both the mayor and that scoundrel have been arrested."

"What? They were arrested that fast?" Liu Siyao exclaimed in surprise.

I suppose this was a case of handling special matters with special urgency.

Whether there was a crackdown or not depended entirely on the political winds blowing from above.

"Yes, they were arrested just like that," Lin Junsheng sighed. "I suspect they're planning a major reshuffle this time. The speed of it all is quite breathtaking."

Liu Siyao fell silent for a moment before asking softly, "Is there going to be another severe crackdown?"

Lin Junsheng nodded. Although they were separated by a telephone line, Liu Siyao seemed to sense his helplessness. "They're probably using the crackdown to consolidate power, but let's not discuss such matters. Sis, how have you been lately?"

Liu Siyao smiled. "I'm doing well. By the way, are you coming to the county town? I'll treat you to a meal."

Lin Junsheng wanted to refuse, given how busy things were in the village lately.

Mostly because there were ways to make money right there in the village—checking on the cattle, the pigs, and the rabbits every few days...

Doing that could earn him some extra pocket money.

Besides, July was just around the corner, and the judging for Shanghai Literature would likely take place soon.

As for the Harvest literature awards, those would probably require a bit more waiting.

However, as long as the results came out before the end of August, he would be able to pay off his debts.

"I'm not going."

Sensing his thoughts, Liu Siyao laughed. "Liu Jingjing is coming too, you know."

Hearing this, Lin Junsheng immediately changed his tune. "I'm going! Of course I'm going! Sis, you really understand me."

Liu Siyao burst into bright laughter on the other end of the line. "You little rascal, forgetting righteousness for the sake of beauty. Men will be men, right?"

Lin Junsheng chuckled softly without denying it.

"When is it?"

"I'll let you know once Jingjing and I confirm the date."

"Aren't you just setting a trap for me?"

...

Days passed like flowing water, and the appointed day for Lin Junsheng and his cousin Liu Siyao arrived quietly.

Visiting his aunt's place meant staying for a couple of days at least.

He could spend some time visiting the aunt who cared so much for him.

If relatives did not interact with one another, the bonds between them would naturally fade with the passing years.

Young people in later generations were mostly afraid of such trouble,

which was why family ties became diluted, leaving behind neither disturbance nor intersection.

When parents introduced all the aunts and uncles to you, you would forget them within a few months.

Let alone years—even after a decade or more,

you wouldn't recognize each other if you crossed paths on the street.

Lin Junsheng had once experienced such awkwardness himself.

It was at a friend's son's wedding, where the bride and groom, after a long-distance romance spanning many years, finally mustered the courage to introduce each other to their respective families.

When the parents met, they exchanged polite pleasantries.

No one expected that until the wedding day itself, when a group of elders was invited to partake in the grand feast, it would be discovered that the two families were actually distantly related cousins.

At that moment, everyone laughed, but they were also filled with profound emotion.

Just as Lin Junsheng was lost in his memories, a familiar voice suddenly shattered the tranquility of the house.

"Junsheng, are you home?"

The voice carried a hint of urgency.

Stepping out from the inner room, Lin Junsheng immediately spotted Wang Guifen standing outside the door.

A ripple of mixed feelings stirred within his heart.

How could this person possibly have the nerve to come to his house?

Last time in the village, she hadn't held back at all when speaking ill of his family, hurling curses so viciously that they were utterly unbearable.

Yet, at this moment, Wang Guifen looked like a completely different person, her face plastered with a smile while carrying large and small bags of gifts in her hands.

Goodness knows what she was up to now.

Standing in the doorway with a displeased expression, Lin Junsheng asked,

"What are you here for?"