Chapter 142: No Longer Reliable, Self-Rescue

Chapter 142: Chapter 142: No Longer Reliable, Self-Rescue

’Maybe this is actually a good idea!’

"That’s right! Since those people are eager to make a move, we’ll just throw the county into chaos. Then no one will dare to act rashly. At the same time, the report from above will come down, which will be perfect timing for the current situation in Nianqiao Village." Hua Yusen nodded, then suddenly swept Zhao Nuanyue into his arms. "This is great, just great! Thank you for reminding me there was such a good solution."

Zhao Nuanyue was dumbfounded. She had just been thinking out loud, and she never expected Hua Yusen to actually adopt her idea.

’Isn’t this a bit too rash for such an important matter?’

"I was just... just talking. You... you should be more cautious!" Zhao Nuanyue asked worriedly. "I was only thinking aloud just now, I didn’t think it through carefully. You can’t be so impulsive!"

Seeing Zhao Nuanyue’s anxious expression, Hua Yusen found it amusing. He reached out and tweaked her nose, then said, "Little Nuanyue, don’t forget the saying: ’The speaker may be casual, but the listener pays close attention.’ You might have just been talking, but I wasn’t just casually listening. I found inspiration and insight in your words. I’m being very serious."

"Oh, good." Hearing Hua Yusen say this, Zhao Nuanyue finally relaxed. She had been afraid he was being rash. The fate of all of Nianqiao Village, as well as those few old folks, was at stake; they couldn’t be careless. "You’re so capable, I trust you. By the way, if I stay in the village, what can I do to help you?"

Hua Yusen tilted his head and kissed Zhao Nuanyue’s forehead. His warm breath ghosted over her skin as he said, "You do have a mission, actually. Keep an eye on Liu Lanhua and Wang Cuihua’s movements. And if you get the chance, have Yang Guanghui go check on Wang Dadan and Li Siming. See if he can find out what they’re planning."

Hearing this, Zhao Nuanyue froze for a moment. She then sent her Divine Sense out through the water, directing it straight to the shack where Wang Dadan and Li Siming were being held.

Liu Lanhua was a mess of tears and snot. She choked out, "I was waiting for Zheng Delin to finally show up, hoping he could get you out. But he was surrounded by the villagers before he even made it into the village! Those young men hadn’t even started dealing with the support team when that little demon Zhao Nuanyue jumped into the river, claiming they harassed her. Everyone was driven out of the village in disgrace."

As soon as he heard this, Wang Dadan plopped right down on the ground in disbelief.

"No... that’s impossible, right?" Wang Dadan was skeptical, his eyes filled with disbelief. "My cousin-in-law is a famous figure in the county! Everywhere he goes, people are complimenting him and sucking up to him. How could he have been driven away so easily?"

"You can’t really blame Zheng Delin. The truth is, our village is under the control of Miao Dahai and his people now. All the villagers listen to them. When Zheng Delin tried to criticize Miao Dahai, the villagers got upset and surrounded him," Liu Lanhua explained. "Even if Zheng Delin wanted to reprimand him, he was mobbed by the villagers. He couldn’t do anything against such a crowd. Then that little bitch Zhao Nuanyue jumped into the river, claiming they’d harassed her and ruined her reputation. The young men didn’t dare cause any more trouble and just left in disgrace."

Wang Dadan and Li Siming listened, looked at each other, and were speechless for a long time.

They had waited for days, only to get this result. Dejected, they sat on the ground.

"Husband, Brother Dadan, what should we do?" Liu Lanhua asked anxiously. "It’s not a solution for you to be locked up in here forever. We have to figure out a way to get you out as soon as possible."

Li Siming mulled it over for a moment, thinking carefully. Then he said slowly, "You’re right. We can’t stay locked up. It’s too passive. We don’t know what’s going on, and we can’t get messages to your cousin-in-law."

Wang Dadan frowned and shot back, "That may be true, but do we really have to give in to Miao Dahai?"

The very thought of it made Wang Dadan’s chest tighten with frustration.

Hearing this, Liu Lanhua said, "Brother Dadan, you can’t be so stubborn. We can admit we were wrong on the surface so the village will let you out. As for what we’re really thinking... who’s to know!"

"Yes!" Li Siming’s eyes lit up. He thought his wife’s words made a lot of sense. "We’ll put on one face in public and another in private. Let’s just get out first. If we refuse to admit we’re wrong, Miao Dahai will use our ’improper thinking’ as an excuse to keep us locked up. If that happens, not only will we lose our wages and affect our future, but more importantly, we won’t be able to keep track of what’s happening in the village."

Wang Dadan frowned. In his heart, he had to admit that Li Siming was right. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. The thought of yielding to that bastard Miao Dahai made him feel incredibly wronged.

Seeing Wang Dadan remain silent, Li Siming and Liu Lanhua exchanged a look. Liu Lanhua then continued to persuade him, "Brother Dadan, as the saying goes, ’a great man knows when to yield and when to stand firm,’ and ’where there’s life, there’s hope.’ Our temporary submission is for the sake of making a comeback later. If we keep stubbornly opposing Miao Dahai, he’ll never let us off the hook. You’re locked up, you don’t know what’s going on in the village, and you can’t even secretly contact anyone. Over time, Miao Dahai will have all of Nianqiao Village in his pocket. Then we’ll never be able to turn the tables. That would be the most dangerous and pathetic outcome."

"That’s right, Dadan. Don’t be so obstinate. We have to know when to bend," Li Siming added, chiming in. Being locked up in this shack indefinitely was no good.

Although he felt aggrieved, Wang Dadan no longer counted on his cousin-in-law to save him. He had to save himself. So, Wang Dadan nodded and said, "Since it’s come to this, I guess this is our only option. Even my cousin-in-law can’t do anything about Miao Dahai, so we have to rely on ourselves."

Hearing Wang Dadan finally relent, Li Siming nodded. "Good, good. Lanhua, bring me paper and a pen tomorrow. I’m going to write a self-criticism report. I hope I can get out as soon as possible."

"Okay, I’ll bring them to you first thing in the morning," Liu Lanhua said in a low voice. "Alright, I should be getting back."

Liu Lanhua left the shack and headed back to the village.

Zhao Nuanyue’s Divine Sense had overheard their entire conversation. She couldn’t help but admire how cunning Liu Lanhua was, able to read the situation so clearly.

Seeing that Wang Dadan and Li Siming were about to be released, Zhao Nuanyue decided to come up with a plan—to dig a pit for Liu Lanhua, Li Siming, and Wang Dadan and let them jump right in.

’But how should she dig this pit?’

Suddenly, a plan formed in Zhao Nuanyue’s mind. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to give Liu Lanhua something to think about.

So, Zhao Nuanyue deliberately slowed her pace, allowing Liu Lanhua to see them and follow.