154, Spring of the Second-Rate

The mayor of the town of Qijiang is surnamed Niu. He is indeed the most powerful person in this town.

The underground casino where Yan Chu is now is opened by the brother-in-law of Mayor Niu. Everyone in the town gives him face. Even though there are slogans of arresting gambling and prostitution everywhere, this underground casino is still open. The police station in the town also gives the mayor face and dare not interfere with this underground casino.

It’s not that no one wants to complain, but the county party secretary is the mayor’s uncle. The whole county is in collusion. It is the world of the Niu family. If you go up, it’s the city. How many people have never left the village since they grew up, let alone the provinces and cities that are very unfamiliar to everyone.

These days are different from the past. Transportation and communication are not developed. If people hadn’t died in the last life, and the death was so tragic, this underground casino opened by the Niu family might not have been finished.

Even though so many people were arrested in the previous life, the Niu family was still at large. They just pushed Mayor Niu's brother-in-law to take the blame and took it all. The boss behind the casino still lived a comfortable life without any retribution.

The reason why Yan Chu occupied this body but did nothing was also because of this. Before there was no definite evidence to completely shut down this casino, it was better not to alert the snake.

This underground casino was not big, but because it was hidden in a hollowed-out basement, the air in the room was not good. Many people were smoking inside, which made Yan Chu, who didn't like smoking, a little uncomfortable.

But these discomforts were only psychological. The original body was an old smoker. When he smelled the smoke, his body was like alive, his throat was itchy, and he was a little eager to move.

He was also an old acquaintance of this casino. Many people greeted him when they saw him. Some well-informed people actually knew about the division of the Yan family the night before, and asked him where the money came from to go to the casino since the family was divided.

It was only when Yan Chu took out his loose banknotes from his pocket that everyone stopped teasing him about money.

There were still many tricks in the underground casino. You could choose to play cards or mahjong with a partner, or you could play poker or twenty-four points to make money quickly. Da Huangya liked to play mahjong. There happened to be a table with three people missing one, so he separated from Yan Chu. Yan Chu took the loose banknotes in his hand and placed bets on this table and that table. He had some losses and some wins. Because of the strong liquidity and the large number of people in the casino, no one noticed whether he was losing or winning for a while.

"Big, big, big, big."

At the table for gambling dice, a bunch of people were waiting for the dealer to open the cover. There were more people betting on big, but unfortunately the number that came out was small, and Yan Chu happened to be betting on small. He made a lot of money this time, roughly estimated to be dozens of dollars.

"You are lucky today, kid?"

In the past, the original body always lost a lot of money, but never won such a big number.

"Hey, I just lost a lot, and now I just happened to make up for it." Yan Chu had a bitter face, but his eyes were still happy. Others did not doubt him, just thought he had just lost a lot at another table.

"Besides, I lost all my family fortune to marry my wife here before. I came here today just to try my luck. If I can win some, it means that I still have the luck to win money. If I lose again, it means that I am really not destined to get rich, and I will never gamble again."

Yan Chu's voice was not small, and the people around, including the casino, heard it. Several people watching the scene exchanged glances with each other. Yan Chu secretly saw this scene.

No matter which casino it is, the means are definitely not clean, otherwise how can he make a fortune? There are probably many cheaters here. Yan Chu's ears are more sensitive than ordinary people, plus his demonic mathematical talent, counting cards and listening to dice sounds, he is proficient in everything, but he doesn't like gambling himself. Occasionally going to foreign casinos to play a circle is just to relieve boredom. If you win too much, it will be boring.

He didn't plan to win too much money in this casino, he just wanted to get back the money he lost here, which was also the capital for his business.

He was confident that he could win so much money, but he was afraid that the casino people would use some tricks. What he said just now was just to make the casino people feel that the money he won would be returned sooner or later. In order to retain him as a long-term customer, they would relax on him today and stop using those tricks.

The dealers in several stalls all thought so. Yan Chu won one and lost three. The money in his hand came and went. Sometimes he played twenty-four points, sometimes he played dice. Those dealers were not just staring at him. It felt that he seemed to win some money in his position, but he couldn't calculate how much he won. In addition, there was a point of coming and going. Subconsciously, it seemed that Yan Chu didn't win much, and no one really took him seriously.

Little did they know that every time Yan Chu won a similar amount of money, he would quietly put part of the whole bills into his pocket, change a table, and the money in his hand was only twenty or thirty again, which gave others the illusion that he won very little money.

In fact, after a few hours, he had already won back most of the money that his original body had lost over the years.

These days, there are no cameras or computers. When the casino reconciles accounts at night, who can remember how much each gambler has won or lost, so Yan Chu is not worried at all about being in trouble for winning too much money at once.

"Brother Yan, I'm lucky today, I'll treat you to a meal at the state-owned restaurant."

When Yan Chu was about to stop playing, everyone at the mahjong table was also preparing to go home. Old Huangya was lucky today and won more than 20 yuan, which is equivalent to half a month's salary of an ordinary worker today. The other three The person who lost money had a sad face, and he probably didn’t know how to explain it to his family. Not all families are so rich these days, and they don’t feel bad if they lose a few yuan or more.

Yan Chu has no sympathy for these gamblers at all. Even though they are all regretful now, after waiting for a while, they are still the ones who come to the casino to gamble again when their hands are itchy.

When Old Huangya saw that Yan Chu was leaving, he quickly handed over today's card money. This was also the rule. The person who won the most money would be responsible for handing over the card money.

Having won a big sum today, Old Huang Ya was in a very good mood. Thinking that he could not let go of his children, he simply decided to take Yan Chu to a state-owned restaurant to open a meat restaurant and inquire about the other party along the way to see if he could bring him home. The two little nephews were kidnapped.

Yan Chu happened to have the intention of getting in touch with this old Huangya, so he didn't refuse, with a look on his face as if he had taken advantage of him, and agreed to the other party's request without any hesitation.

"Two bowls of rice, one fried cabbage with dipping sauce, and one pork stewed vermicelli."

Old Huangya looked at the menu of the state-owned restaurant and was so generous that he ordered two dishes. Among them, fried cabbage had the word "fried" in it, which actually meant blanched cabbage. It was the cheapest dish on the menu.

"Brother Yan, you can order whatever you want to eat. Don't be polite to me."

Old Huangya thought that Yan Chu was usually a very honorable person, and even if he was asked to order, he would probably be embarrassed to order too much. At most, he would only have one more meat dish, so he felt safe to open his mouth to show his generosity.

"Brother, if you say that, I won't be polite. You still feel sorry for me, my brother. Yesterday, my sister-in-law had a dark heart and tried to separate my parents. From last night to now, I have only had two sesame seeds in my stomach. My brain has just been ripped open, and it’s time for it to be replenished.”

Yan Chu looked touched. While thanking him one after another, he also complained about the current situation at home. He looked at the menu and went to the ordering window without hesitation to name several more dishes.

"Half roast duck, fried meat in sauce, pheasant and mushroom soup, two cages of white flour steamed buns."

When Yan Chu told me the name of a dish, Old Huangya's face turned a little greener. The person who was originally yellow and thin now looked even uglier.

"Brother, we can't eat that much just for the two of us."

Old Huangya saw that Yan Chu seemed to be nodding down, so he quickly stopped him. Looking at the prices of the food on the menu, his legs were shaking a little. The money was enough for him to come to the restaurant for several meals alone.

Especially the two cages of white flour steamed buns, a total of twelve, plus the two bowls of rice originally ordered, the pig could eat so much, if it weren't for the fact that Yan Chu had just remembered that he and his eldest brother had separated. He sounded very dissatisfied with his sister-in-law. The topic was very useful for him to persuade him later, so he was reluctant to spend more than ten yuan to treat this unknown thing in front of him.

"If you can't finish it, I'll pack it up and take it back."

Yan Chu said this confidently, "Brother, you are so kind to me. Don't worry, when I become rich one day, I will definitely not forget you."

Old Huangya was almost pissed off at the shamelessness of this second-rate man. How could he possibly be successful one day with the person in front of him?

In the past, Old Huangya felt that he was already quite shameless. After all, not everyone could be unconscionable and become a human trafficker, but now it seemed that he was not as thick-skinned as the one in front of him.

In the end, the dishes ordered by Yan Chu were served. Now you can order dishes in state-owned restaurants without food stamps or meat stamps, but the corresponding price will be higher. This meal cost Lao Huangya a full two dollars. Thirteen yuan, mainly for half a roast duck and a bowl of pheasant and mushroom soup. They are both real meat, so the price is naturally high.

The table is full of food. Most people don’t have this kind of food even during the Chinese New Year. Many people eating in the restaurant are looking at the food on their table, watching the pheasant soup with a layer of chicken fat floating on it. saliva.

Because what he wanted to say was relatively private, Old Huang Ya just changed the table and sat in the corner, and now he lost those envious glances.

Perhaps because he was sore about the money, Old Huangya's appetite was not as good as Yan Chu's, and Yan Chu was really hungry at this time. In addition, the food cooked by the master chef of this state-owned restaurant did taste pretty good. After one meal , he ate four white-flour steamed buns, a bowl of rice, and half a small chicken. He also ate a lot of other dishes, which made his belly full.

Looking at the other person who looked like he hadn't eaten good food in hundreds of years, a trace of contempt flashed in Old Huangya's eyes. In their line of work, money comes in very quickly, although I feel sorry for the money spent on today's meal. But I have to say that Old Huang Ya really never lacked food and drink.

He was a little more sure of what he was going to say next, and Old Huangya no longer cared much about Yan Chu's behavior of packing up the rest of the food without saying hello to him after eating.

"Brother Yan, how was your luck at the casino this afternoon?"

Old Huang Ya was separated from Yan Chu in the afternoon. He thought that Yan Chu's expression was not good when he just left the casino, and he thought that he lost money again today.

"Don't mention it, this is the only money left."

Yan Chu took out a handful of loose money, all of which were 5 cents and 10 cents, which added up to only one or two yuan.

"I don't know where to find the money for tomorrow. Brother, tell me if my sister-in-law is bad or not, can't she just use some of my parents' money? To put it bluntly, even if they die, the money will be half of mine. What’s wrong with me spending money early? I had a hunch that I would definitely make a fortune tomorrow. Now I’m fine, but it’s all ruined by this stupid bitch.”

Yan Chu spoke angrily and seemed to be very dissatisfied with this sister-in-law.

"Speaking of which, I have a way to make a fortune. Brother Yan, do you dare to be interested?"

The angrier he got, the happier Old Huang Ya was. Coupled with his observation of Yan Chu these days, he finally decided to take the bait.

"What's a way to get rich?" Upon hearing his words, Yan Chu's eyes suddenly lit up.

"My cousin's neighbor's third nephew gave birth to three girls, but he couldn't give birth to a son. Now that he is older, he is tempted to raise a boy at home, one who is under four or five years old. How can the child remember that his family is rich and is willing to give the child's parents a sufficient subsidy. "

Old Huangya gestured with his fingers, and Yan Chu's eyes widened: "How much? One, one, one, ten thousand?"

He looked like he had never seen the world, and his eyes almost popped out of his head.

"puff--"

This second-rate guy really dared to think that Old Huang Ya was drinking tea to digest food and almost spit out a mouthful of water.

"One thousand." How many people can afford ten thousand yuan these days? The traffickers take such a big risk and can resell a child for only two or three thousand yuan. If the child looks good, the price can be higher. One point, ten thousand yuan, this person is probably going crazy after gaining or losing.

"It's only a thousand. It's not much money."

Yan Chu muttered something in a low voice, and Old Huang Ya was so angry that he vomited a mouthful of blood into his heart.

"I want you to think about it. There are only three daughters in that family. The future property will not be given to the children. Brother Yan, I remember that you have two nephews in your family, right? Your eldest brother and sister-in-law's conditions are so poor. If you give them away If their sons go to enjoy the blessing, they must be grateful to you in their hearts."

Old Huang Ya did not lose his temper with this fool, and concentrated on encouraging him to abduct his nephew: "Besides, with a thousand yuan, you can go to the casino to make money, and then you will make a big fortune. Who will Will I still look down on you?”

He also persuaded the original body in this way in the last life. At that time, the original body still had a little bit of conscience and did not agree directly. It was not until he lost a lot of money that he was persuaded by Old Huangya and abducted his eldest nephew.

Now that Yan Chu is here, of course there is no need to hesitate.

"The conditions of your cousin's neighbor's third nephew are really very good? What if you lied to me? No, I have to see it with my own eyes before I can rest assured. After all, he is also my nephew."

Yan Chu looked moved, but because of his slight conscience, he showed some hesitation.

"How can that be done? They just want to adopt a child who has completely severed ties with his parents. If you get to know him, they will be worried about you going back on your word and looking for him."

Old Huangya shook his head, disagreeing no matter what.

Later, seeing that Yan Chu was really stubborn, he found a compromise.

"Let's do this. When I let him come to the county town, you can take a peek at him to see if he has any money at home. Just look at his clothes, watch, and bicycle. I treat you so well, how can I coax you?"

Old Huang Ya's statement was reluctantly agreed by Yan Chu. The two agreed to meet in the county town tomorrow morning. If they like it then, one will give money and the other will give money. Both sides will pay for the money and goods. In the future, neither party will want it. entangled with each other.

Old Huangya and his accomplices have already used this method to buy several children in nearby remote countryside. Some of them were not purchased but secretly abducted.

They don't have much time to stay in this county and must leave as soon as possible.

******

The next day, Yan Chu followed Old Huangya and secretly met the third nephew of his cousin's neighbor in the county town. He was dressed like a dog, and the most important thing was that he looked honest. It was not Old Huangya's fault. Yes, and the two of them had actually been talking and laughing together for quite a while. Walking on the road on weekdays, Yan Chu would never associate such an honest and honest middle-aged man with a human trafficker.

The few people separated in the county town. Lao Huangya and the man went to raise money on the pretext of raising money. Yan Chu went home to take care of the children on the pretext of going home. In fact, he secretly followed the two people until he saw them in a remote small town. He stopped in the courtyard and observed the small courtyard for a long time before leaving.

There are three parties in Linhai County. Among them, Secretary Niu, the secretary of the county party committee, is the most powerful. The county magistrate and the director of the Public Security Bureau share a small share of the pie.

Zhao Deshun, the director of the Public Security Bureau, is a very ambitious man. He has never been willing to accept that he, the dignified director of the public security bureau, is overshadowed by a secretary who started his career as a rebel and has no job.

In addition, Zhao Deshun does have some ambitions to make decisions for the people, and he doesn't get along very well with Secretary Niu, who condones his relatives' violations of laws and disciplines. Unfortunately, Secretary Niu is the most powerful in the county. If he makes trouble, he may not be able to bring it down. Down the opponent.

When the time comes, he will randomly bring out a few scapegoats, and he, the director who complained, will most likely be blamed by his municipal party secretary.

Zhao Deshun also has selfish motives, so the three parties have always been in peace with each other, and no one has crossed the line.

Yan Chu came here to give him more leverage. Being able to eliminate a den of human traffickers and rescue more than a dozen abducted children was already a great political achievement for Zhao Deshun.

Nowadays, all parts of the country are cracking down. Zhao Deshun has made such a contribution. If it works well, maybe this official title can still be used.

After Yan Chu finished his complaint, he returned to Xiaoshi Village without any psychological burden. He knew that even if Zhao Deshun suspected him, he would definitely send someone to check the den. If he didn't have this ability, he would never be the director of the Public Security Bureau.

As for what would happen to Lao Huangya and his people, Yan Chu could guess a little.

Now that the crackdown is severe, even gambling may be sentenced to death, let alone human traffickers, who would not be shot several times.

Sometimes when I think about it, the law at this time makes people feel a lot more relieved. Although there are many things that people criticize, human traffickers deserve to die, and I believe no one will think it is a bad ending.

******

"Yan Chu, where is Yan Chu, are the people from the Public Security Bureau looking for him?"

Xiaoshi Village seems particularly noisy today, all because of the police car that suddenly appeared in the village.

Hearing this passage without a beginning or an end, the villagers all thought that this second-rate guy finally got into trouble, and the police came to arrest him.

Everyone felt that this day would come sooner or later, but when it really came, they were all from the same village, and suddenly they felt a little bit uncomfortable, wondering if he would be shot.

"What arrest? The police came to give a banner."

Some villagers on the scene helped to explain, and the other villagers were confused.

Were they dreaming, or were the police stupid enough to give a banner to that second-rate guy?

Yan Chu was dragged from his home to the brigade headquarters. From the police, everyone learned that Yan Chu had reported a group of human traffickers and helped the police rescue many abducted children. Many of the children were abducted from nearby cities, and the parents who lost their children were crazy.

Everyone couldn't believe it. Could this second-rate guy do good things?

"What do you mean? Although I, Yan Chu, like to eat and drink for free and like to cheat food from children, I will not sell my own nephew even if I have no conscience. If the trafficker comes to me, I can bear it."

Yan Chu justified his previous bad behavior, as if eating and drinking for free was not a bad thing.

But the villagers were more familiar and friendly with him. Even if he did good things, everyone felt that, yes, he was still that second-rate guy.

Although he still looked like a scoundrel, the villagers had changed their views on him a lot. They felt that he was not a bad person to the core. At least he did not sell his own nephew for money.

*****

Late at night, Jiang Dani was cleaning the chicken bones on the table at home.

Because she was grateful for her brother-in-law's righteousness, she killed the hen that laid eggs at home and stewed a pot of fragrant chicken soup. The whole family enjoyed it together. This was also the first time Yan Chu came to eat at home after the separation, and it was at Jiang Dani's strong request.

Just cleaning the chicken bones, Jiang Dani suddenly slapped her head.

What's going on? Yan Chu shouldn't have sold her son. Why is he grateful just because he didn't sell her? It doesn't make sense.

Looking at the bones on the table, Jiang Dani's heart was trembling with pain.

Sure enough, people may not remember the good things they have done all their lives, but people who have done bad things all their lives are grateful for a good thing they have done.

Jiang Dani felt that her brother-in-law was really bad. He actually had the audacity to eat her chicken. She even said a lot of words of thanks to him. Thinking about what happened that night, Jiang Dani wanted to slap herself to death. How stupid she was.

However, after today, when the villagers mentioned Yan Chu again, they still called him a second-rate guy. However, when they talked about his past achievements, they would not forget to sigh and conclude.

This second-rate guy was not bad to the end. At least he didn't sell his nephew for money. This incident seemed to have become a turning point for the villagers to change their views on him.