Hua Bao was indeed very happy today. In the morning, she and Jiang Qingqing wandered around buying food, necessities, and toys. In the afternoon, she could watch TV at home.
TV was so much fun, even more fun than the little yellow chicken.
She didn't want to go back to the village anymore; she just wanted to watch TV here every day.
"Liu Nian, who is this?" Jiang Qingqing walked up and looked at the man behind Zhang Liu Nian.
"Oh, this is Director Ma, Comrade Ma." Zhang Liu Nian, holding Hua Bao, introduced them to each other. "Comrade Ma, this is my revolutionary partner, Comrade Jiang."
This was Jiang Qingqing's first time meeting the director, and she felt a bit awkward. "Hello, Comrade Ma."
"Comrade Jiang is truly exceptional. Comrade Liu Nian, you are very fortunate." Ma Quan Cai meant what he said. Jiang Qingqing was outstandingly beautiful, and just looking at her made people feel good.
He envied Zhang Liu Nian for marrying such a gentle and beautiful wife.
"Hahaha, indeed, it is my fortune. Comrade Ma, please come and sit." Zhang Liu Nian glanced at his shyly retreating wife, laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased, and invited him to sit, initiating a conversation.
"Please don't be a stranger, Comrade Liu Nian, for my uninvited visit."
"Not at all, Comrade Ma. Your visit truly brightens my humble abode."
"Comrade Liu Nian, you're very eloquent. Without further ado, I've come today firstly to pay my respects, and secondly to discuss the Qian family matters. They have already been investigated."
As for his position, it had also been temporarily shelved due to the Qian family's affairs. He didn't know if there would be any further issues.
"Oh, the Qian family has been investigated. Have they all been apprehended?" Zhang Liu Nian smiled with relief. With the Qian family's downfall, he wondered if Qian Fei could still cause trouble.
"Except for Qian Fei and Qian Xue Li, everyone else has gone for tea.
You certainly wouldn't guess that not only did they smuggle goods, but they also exploited their positions to profit from them."
Ma Quan Cai had also not expected the Qian family to be so audacious. By leveraging their official capacities, they had become a malignant tumor in Nan Cheng, distributing high-value or hard-to-obtain goods to those who had accepted bribes.
Through this method, the Qian family had embezzled a staggering sum of over three million yuan.
"Is that so? Then the Qian family truly won't be able to get out of this or recover." Zhang Liu Nian raised an eyebrow, unsurprised by this development.
"They're lucky they weren't sent away with a bullet."
"Without Qian Qiang, can you secure your position?" Zhang Liu Nian's question was somewhat abrupt, but thankfully Ma Quan Cai now considered Zhang Liu Nian as one of his own and didn't mind his directness.
"There's been no news yet, and the situation moving forward is unclear. However, I fear this hurdle won't be easy to overcome, because the person who called me last time was from the Tang family."
Ma Quan Cai had been very anxious lately, unsure of his future.
Although the Qian family had been brought down, he couldn't guarantee there wouldn't be another Qian family.
Moreover, the person who had called him last time wasn't from the Qian family, but from the Tang family.
He had no leverage over the Tang family. This time, he sought out Zhang Liu Nian precisely to ask if he had any dirt on the Tang family.
"With the Qian family having just fallen, the Tang family might not dare to step forward too boldly." Zhang Liu Nian thought that perhaps no one would dare to associate with the Qian family or reveal themselves now; they would certainly lie low for a while.
Ma Quan Cai dared not harbor any侥幸 (jiǎo xìng -侥幸) of luck. "Perhaps! But if I could get some inside information on the Tang family, I wouldn't be so worried."
Zhang Liu Nian saw the deep meaning in his eyes and understood he was asking about leverage over the Tang family.
Unfortunately, regarding this Tang family, even until his death, he had never heard any news of their downfall or negative reports.
Therefore, he couldn't help him this time. "The Tang family is a dominant force in Nan Cheng. Their situation is even harder to investigate than the Qian family's. I haven't had any breakthroughs yet."
Ma Quan Cai sighed in disappointment. "Alas, my position may truly be precarious."
"Let's investigate together and share information. Perhaps we'll find something." Zhang Liu Nian also wished to bring down the Tang family, but unlike the Qian family, who only held a mid-tier position, the Tang family was a force that caused tremors in Nan Cheng with every move. Taking them down wouldn't be easy.
"That's the only way."
After their conversation, Zhang Liu Nian wanted to invite Ma Quan Cai for a meal, but he declined, insisting on leaving.
Zhang Liu Nian reluctantly saw him off. Downstairs, he encountered Zhao Zhi Jie who was moving.
"Uncle Zhao, didn't we agree I'd help you move?" Zhang Liu Nian took Zhao Zhi Jie's large package and carried it to the apartment next door.
"I don't have much. You've already helped me furnish the place. It's just clothes and such; you don't need to bother." Zhao Zhi Jie was very satisfied with his new home, not only having Zhang Liu Nian as a neighbor but also Hua Bao, the little girl, to keep him company.
"Let's go. We'll have a good meal when we get back." Zhang Liu Nian pulled Zhao Zhi Jie along, helping him carry things. After moving, the four of them happily had a dinner together.
After dinner, Zhao Zhi Jie didn't leave. Instead, he held Hua Bao and played games with her while watching TV, quite enjoying himself.
In contrast to the joy on this side, the only two Qian family members in Nan Cheng who were not implicated stood in confusion outside the police station. These two were Qian Fei and Qian Xue Li.
They watched the pedestrians coming and going from the police station, feeling anxious and panicked, completely at a loss, not knowing what to do.
"Damn it, why did this happen? What should we do now?" Qian Fei angrily struck a tree branch beside him. None of his former friends were willing to come forward and help their Qian family. Their family seemed to have suddenly become the target of public criticism.
"I don't know." Qian Xue Li, somewhat dazed, clutched the pocket of her blouse. Inside was a recently obtained medical report.
Three hours earlier, she had been discussing her marriage with Li Qi with her parents when suddenly a group of people barged in, took everyone away without a word, and sealed up their house.
"Ungrateful wretches! They used to call me brother, but the moment they heard the Qian family was in trouble, they ran faster than anyone.
And that Brother Tang, I wanted to see him, but he wouldn't even agree. Are they that afraid of being implicated by our Qian family?"
Qian Fei resented Brother Tang more than ever. Clearly, the Tang family held a significant position in Nan Cheng. If they were willing to help, their family would easily escape this predicament. But when he went to the Tang family, he couldn't even get through the door. It was utterly humiliating.
"Let's go. We should find a place to stay for the night, and tomorrow we'll go to Datang County to ask Uncle Li for help," Qian Xue Li could only think of Li Qi's family now.
The Li family and she had just verbally agreed to an engagement, not yet formally engaged. But with the Qian family's downfall, Qian Xue Li could only turn to Li Kuaishou for help, hoping he could assist their Qian family.
"Aunt, are you sure you want to tell Uncle Li and the others about our family's affairs? What if he suddenly goes back on his word and doesn't let you be with Li Qi?" If their Qian family hadn't suddenly collapsed, Qian Fei wouldn't have looked down on a Li family. But thinking about everything that had just happened, he had given up all his resentment.
In this current situation, anyone, whether connected to his Qian family or not, would not shelter them, uncle and niece.