novelraw Chapter 141
Chapter 141
"Since you've already decided, I won't say more. But if there are any problems later, you must tell me." Only after confirming Song Nianchu wasn't joking did Mu Shi'an say firmly.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Song Nianchu smiled at him.
"..."
The news that the village was to take in refugees soon spread throughout the whole community, and everyone's reaction was similar to Wu Zhenggui's.
They felt that as soon as their lives had gotten a little better, someone was bullying them like this. They were practically ready to form a group to go and demand an explanation from the brigade leader.
In the end, it was Song Nianchu who stepped forward to placate them, and everyone gradually calmed down.
Song Nianchu breathed a slight sigh of relief.
If they had really gone as a group to see the brigade leader, he might have seized the opportunity to assign the next hundred people to their village as well.
If that happened, the village would truly be overwhelmed.
However, before Song Nianchu could relax, Meng Yingying found her.
"Ah-Chu."
"What's wrong? Is there a problem with the workshop?" Song Nianchu looked at her questioningly.
Meng Yingying was now the team leader of the ingredients department, responsible for the washing and preparation of food materials.
Aunt Wu and Hua were the team leaders of the two cooking groups respectively.
All three of them were among the first to join the workshop, so no one had any objections to this arrangement.
With the three of them managing the workshop, Song Nianchu's workload had lightened considerably.
"Is the village really going to... accept those refugees?" Meng Yingying asked nervously.
"This is the brigade's arrangement. Those people will arrive tomorrow morning." Song Nianchu nodded.
Hearing this, Meng Yingying's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but Song Nianchu waited for a long time without hearing her continue.
"Is something the matter?" Seeing Meng Yingying looking so hesitant, Song Nianchu watched her with concern.
Meng Yingying opened her mouth, the words on the tip of her tongue, but then stopped.
"Yingying, if you have something to say, you can speak directly." Song Nianchu felt Meng Yingying's behavior was very unusual.
Before, she had always stayed on the fringes of the group, never initiating conversations or wanting to expose herself to others.
But after what happened with Third Wu, it seemed she had completely opened up and began slowly integrating into the collective.
Even when Song Nianchu asked her to be a team leader, she was only surprised for a moment before immediately agreeing.
Recently, she had been doing an excellent job as team leader, and the members of her group respected her, as her abilities were truly undeniable.
But now, her demeanor made Song Nianchu feel as if she had reverted to the old Meng Yingying.
Under Song Nianchu's unwavering gaze, Meng Yingying gritted her teeth and finally made a decision.
"Ah-Chu, can we find a place with no one around?"
Song Nianchu looked at her for a moment, then nodded, leading her to the seaside.
At this time, everyone was working, and no one had gone out to sea. The fishing boats were simply moored by the shore.
Song Nianchu led Meng Yingying onto a fishing boat. The sea breeze brushed past, carrying a faint, briny scent in the air.
"It's quiet here, and there's no one else. If you have something to say, you can tell me directly." Song Nianchu looked at Meng Yingying beside her.
Meng Yingying stared at the vast blue sea before her, remembering how she had once rushed forward recklessly, and how Mu Shi'an and Song Nianchu had saved her.
Later, when she was prepared to perish together with Third Wu, it was Song Nianchu who helped her deal with the aftermath.
She even helped her leave Third Wu's household, promoted her to team leader, making sure Third Wu's family didn't dare cause her trouble.
Her new life was almost entirely given to her by Song Nianchu. She didn't have strong feelings for others in the village, but she was grateful to Song Nianchu. Therefore, she couldn't remain indifferent, even if what she was about to say might expose her greatest secret.
"Can you ask the village chief not to accept those refugees?" Meng Yingying took a deep breath, looking at Song Nianchu with utmost seriousness.
"Can you give me a reason?" Song Nianchu knew Meng Yingying wouldn't make such a suggestion without cause.
"Because... accepting them could potentially destroy the entire Qinghe Fishing Village." Meng Yingying's eyes were exceptionally firm as she said this.
Song Nianchu frowned. "Why do you say that? Are you worried we can't accommodate so many people?"
"No, that's not it." Meng Yingying shook her head.
"Then what is it?" Song Nianchu pressed.
Meng Yingying clenched her fists tighter at her sides, meeting Song Nianchu's gaze as she spoke word by word.
"Because among this group of refugees is an extremely cruel... criminal gang."
"Criminal gang?" Song Nianchu was taken aback.
"Yes." Having gotten the hardest part out, the rest of Meng Yingying's words flowed more smoothly.
"They are vicious and ruthless. They've committed many atrocities along their journey fleeing hardship. Once they come to Qinghe Fishing Village, they definitely won't restrain themselves. They might even commit major crimes."
In her previous life, there had been a similar situation. However, back then, Qinghe Fishing Village didn't accept so many people; they were only assigned five individuals. Those five happened to be part of a gang. After arriving in the village, they felt the villagers treated them poorly—they weren't given houses or allocated grain—and they grew resentful.
At first, they only engaged in petty theft. When caught, they felt no shame, instead shamelessly saying they were hungry and couldn't just wait to die.
Later, they became dissatisfied with mere petty theft and began trafficking people.
They kidnapped several village children. At first, everyone thought it was just an accident, but later even women went missing. Only then did people gradually sense something was wrong.
The village chief reported it to the county police, who launched an investigation. Piecing things together, they finally discovered it was those five individuals working together from inside and out, treating the village's children and women like goods to be sold.
But it was already too late. Most of the kidnapped children had already been sold off, scattered to the far corners of the country, impossible to retrieve.
The criminals even argued that they were helping those people, claiming staying in the village would only lead to starvation, and being sold offered a chance at survival.
The villagers hated them to the core, practically wishing they could skin them alive.
The police decided to arrest them, but they escaped during the arrest process. They even returned to Qinghe Fishing Village and, under cover of night, slaughtered several families.
It was only because someone escaped and cried for help that other villagers were alerted and managed to subdue them together.
Those five were eventually executed. But the village had lost over a dozen children, five or six women, and three families were completely wiped out.
The case caused a nationwide sensation at the time. Qinghe Fishing Village took many years to recover from the blow, which is why even after the country opened up later, their area never really developed.
Having lived this life once before, she wanted to change this tragedy, but her strength was too meager. No one would listen to her words, and she was acutely aware that her own abilities were no match for those five seasoned villains.
But she believed Song Nianchu could do it.