"This time it's losing piglets, will the whole pigsty be wiped out next time?"
Hu Si'er, Lin Da Zhong, and the others were so ashamed by the scolding from the young girl that they couldn't even lift their heads.
"Forget it, Li Fei. No one wanted this to happen," Chen Man Tuan said in a low voice, trying to placate her.
"Forget it? Did we still pay them their wages? We provide food and lodging, and now they've gotten lazy. Seven people, and not a single one noticed a thief. Does that make any sense?"
Hu Si'er explained, "Third sister, it snowed a little last night, and everyone really didn't hear anything."
Since the pigs were already gone, there was no point in saying more. Chen Li Fei said with a stern face, "The money lost will be deducted from your wages. If you don't learn your lesson, next time it will be double."
Hu Si'er and Lin Da Zhong looked up in shock.
Seven piglets, over a hundred yuan. Divided among everyone, that was over twenty yuan each, a significant sum, almost a month's salary.
"Why should we pay for this? We didn't invite the thief. Third sister, we've all been working well, you can't blame all of this on us. Aren't you forcing us to leave?" one person retorted indignantly.
"Yes, we all live in the same village. How much do we earn a month? If you deduct our wages, we won't do it anymore."
"You!"
Chen Li Fei hadn't expected such a strong reaction to the wage deduction. But she believed that the pigs were lost because everyone had been negligent, and without a penalty, they wouldn't learn.
Chen Man Tuan, seeing the stalemate, quickly said, "Li Fei, this penalty is indeed a bit too heavy. Everyone usually works well. Let's just let it go this time. They'll definitely be more careful next time."
Hu Si'er also chimed in, "Yes, third sister. Actually, after this incident, we feel no less upset than you. However, we're not trying to shirk responsibility. It's true that we weren't careful enough."
Lin Da Zhong said indignantly, "It must be because the New Year is approaching, and this damn thief has set their sights on the mountain. Third sister, please calm down. After this, everyone will have learned their lesson. Starting today, I'll arrange for people to be on night watch. Such a thing will never happen again."
Everyone didn't actually want to leave. The mountain provided food, lodging, and wages. They couldn't find better work. So they all expressed their commitment: "We all have a responsibility for the lost pigs. We promise not to make the same mistake again. Please don't deduct our wages."
Seeing everyone say this, Chen Li Fei's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.
After all, they usually got along well, and she didn't want to create a rift. If everyone was pushed away, she wouldn't be able to explain to her sister.
After the initial anger subsided, Chen Li Fei's temper also calmed down a bit. She said in a softer tone, "Fourth Uncle, this is not a small matter. Go to the township police station. We must catch the pig thief."
"Yes, I'll go now," Hu Si'er replied and turned to go down the mountain to report the crime.
Chen Man Tuan sighed, "Every year towards the end of the year, many families in the village lose things. Big钟, you guys be more careful during this period. Li Shu will be back in a few days. You know her temperament, be sure not to let any more incidents happen."
Although the third sister had a fiery personality, she was still young and sometimes acted too impulsively. If Li Shu were here today and decided to impose a penalty, no amount of intimidation would work. She might even directly say, "Take it or leave it!"
Upon hearing Chen Li Shu's name, Lin Da Zhong, as an elder, became more serious.
...
After Chen Bao Zhu and Liu Xiao Bao successfully stole and sold the pigs, they pocketed the money and headed straight to Xiao Xi Guan Village.
As luck would have it, before long, the money in their hands increased from over a hundred yuan to over two hundred yuan.
Seeing their good luck, everyone else withdrew from the game after playing for a short while.
"What a letdown. These sons of bitches, seeing my good luck, they all ran off. It's such a shame. If we had played a little longer, maybe we could have won back all the money we lost," Chen Bao Zhu cursed with great unwillingness.
Liu Xiao Bao was also unwilling. After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "Brother Zhu, while our luck is good, why don't we try another place? We have over two hundred now. If we push a little, maybe tomorrow we can pay back Old Liu Zhu's money."
The two agreed and, without returning home, headed to another card game.
It was still some time before the spring festival rush for train tickets became intense, so Gu Xing Dong easily bought four tickets for the same sleeper car.
"I have something to tell you."
Chen Li Shu, busy packing things to take home, heard Gu Xing Dong's voice and continued her work without stopping, "Go ahead."
Gu Xing Dong: "Lin Qi has a girlfriend."
Chen Li Shu's ears perked up, and she immediately became interested. She turned and asked, "He hasn't mentioned it? Is it in the neighboring province this time? I remember he's a year younger than me. He'll be twenty-three this year. It's about time for him to find a girlfriend. I was actually planning to introduce someone to him, but I didn't expect him to be so quick."
Gu Xing Dong raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Who were you going to introduce?"
"Zhang Li, who is now a store manager in town. I don't know if you remember her. I think she's a good match in all aspects. It's just a pity that Lin Qi is a bit shy. They worked together before, and there wasn't much progress."
Lin Qi is shy?
Gu Xing Dong found it amusing. Did his little wife have some misunderstanding?
He had seen Lin Qi act decisively when he went to the processing plant, and besides, he had successfully pursued that girl Li Yuan. He didn't see any shyness at all.
Chen Li Shu pressed on, "You still haven't said what his girlfriend is like. What's her job? What does she look like?"
"An accountant."
Chen Li Shu nodded, "An accountant is good. That's a decent job."
"As for her looks," Gu Xing Dong looked up, deliberately teasing her, "I'd say she looks about forty to fifty percent like you."
"She looks like me? Then she must be quite pretty."
"..."
"Haven't you thought about other possibilities? What if you know this person too?" Gu Xing Dong was puzzled. Wasn't his hint obvious enough?
Chen Li Shu blinked, "I know her too?"
An accountant, and looks like her...
Chen Li Shu's eyes suddenly widened, "It can't be what I'm thinking, can it?"
Gu Xing Dong gave her a noncommittal look, "It is what you're thinking."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Chen Li Shu throw down what she was holding and head towards the door, saying as she walked, "This darn girl! She kept such big news a secret, even hiding it from her big sister like me!"
Seeing her displeased expression, Gu Xing Dong quickly followed her downstairs, "Talk it out properly. Maybe second sister was too embarrassed to say anything. Don't get angry. Think about the children. Their food depends entirely on you."
"Don't worry, I know what's important. I just want to ask about the situation," and perhaps say a few words.