"Pah! I thought they were going to hold us for a long time, but we got released after just two days."

"Brother Zhao, the others are still locked up. They say they have to wait for the trial. What do we do now?"

"It seems like we’ll be tried too. If it weren’t for my high blood pressure, I’d probably still be locked up."

"Brother, you’ve been to prison before. Take charge and make a plan."

"..."

「Back in the village.」

After seeing their families, the elderly villagers gathered in Zhao Dezhu’s courtyard to discuss their next move. Everyone’s expression was ugly. Their earlier arrogance and composure were gone. Clearly, this time the law enforcement officers were serious. They had even hired a medical assessment institution to evaluate their health and kept all those in good condition locked up. The reason they were released was mainly due to their various health issues. Take Zhao Dezhu, for example. He was diagnosed with cancer and, being over eighty years old, was not detained.

In the courtyard, Zhao Dezhu looked at the crowd, frowning. "About this matter... A few years back, when I was imprisoned, I remember we had to hire a lawyer and attend a court hearing. Then they’d decide if a crime had been committed."

In front of everyone, he recounted his personal experience from a few years ago. At that time, he had hired a lawyer. Unfortunately, the evidence in his case was solid, and the lawyer only managed to reduce his sentence somewhat. In the end, he was sentenced to one year of fixed-term imprisonment and placed in the aging and disabled ward.

In that ward, because of his old age and lack of any violations, he was released after just nine months. Truth be told, life on the inside was quite pleasant. He had people to take care of him. They woke him up each day and helped with watering plants, boiling water, sweeping, and such. It was like living in his own courtyard back in the countryside—not much difference. And it saved him a significant amount of living expenses.

"Having said that, it’s better not to go to prison if you can avoid it."

Hearing this, the other elderly villagers showed troubled expressions. Prison life sounded comfortable, but it didn’t sound right.

"Right, Brother Zhao, do you think if we hired a top-notch lawyer, we could avoid jail time?"

"Yeah, we didn’t really do much after all. That girl at the police station is definitely bluffing us."

"I think so too. It’s just a few melons; we could just pay them off."

"And that Hu Wenning! She’s so disgusting. For a couple of melons, she just won’t let go of us."

"..."

The elderly villagers huddled together. As they talked, the topic again shifted to Hu Wenning. This time, at the police station entrance, Zhou Suo had been ready to compromise, asking them to reconcile, but she refused to give in. She insisted on taking them to court! If it hadn’t been for her, the other elders in their village wouldn’t have ended up detained.

Moreover, during their detention, the police kept pressuring them to pay fines and compensation. A rough estimate showed that fines and compensation would cost each person at least a thousand yuan! Those who had taken more melons would have to pay several thousand. For them, this was undoubtedly a huge amount of money! Luckily, they had been adamant about their lack of funds and refused to pay anything. In the end, the police station had no other strategy and even threatened them, saying that if they refused to pay the fines, they would incur a late payment fee. For each day of delay, an additional five percent of the total fine amount would be charged. So, if they owed a fine of 1,000 yuan today and didn’t pay, two days later, they would owe 1,050 yuan. Interest on interest.

"These police are definitely trying to scare us. Just ignore them."

"I’ve got an idea now. This Hu Wenning is a real piece of work. Let’s find a chance tonight and just ruin her melon field."

"That large plot of land... tonight, we each take a pair of scissors and directly snip the pumpkin seedlings off."

"Just for a few of her pumpkins, she’s so ruthless! She deserves a lesson!"

"..."

The more they thought about it, the angrier they became. Unmoved by the threat of fines and compensation, their resentment against Hu Wenning grew. This whole incident... If it weren’t for Hu Wenning and her companion, they would not have fallen into such a predicament. Out of the blue, they were saddled with these so-called fines and now faced the risk of a lawsuit.

The suggestion to cut the pumpkin seedlings quickly received everyone’s agreement. The pumpkins were only in their first growth cycle; more would grow later. They had initially acted with good intentions, just taking a couple of melons, but Hu Wenning had been so ruthless. They couldn’t be blamed now. To eradicate the problem completely was the only way to teach Hu Wenning a lesson.

"Alright, that’s what we’ll do!" Zhao Dezhu took a drag from his cigarette and finally made the decision. He had been holding back his anger all along, just waiting for a chance to vent it. And the police station... clearly wasn’t the outlet for it. So, he turned his target towards Hu Wenning.

"Okay, everyone scatter. We’ll gather again tonight to cut down the seedlings in shifts."

In the end, Zhao Dezhu waved his hand and ended this "meeting." After setting a time, everyone dispersed.

「...」

「Six hours later.」

That night, in Zhao Dezhu’s home, the other old men arrived one after another, carrying scissors and knives. But after just a few short hours, their mood had changed dramatically, appearing very somber. This was because, from talking with their families, they learned that the surrounding villages were now calling their Zhaojia Village "Stealing melon village."

For those with the surname Zhao...