sbdcsierra Chapter 246 Chicken Feathers!
Chapter 246 Chicken Feathers!
"Li Yuanchao?!"
Zhang Haiyang clenched his fist.
"Damn it, I thought he'd learned his lesson in the army, but a leopard can't change its spots. Yuemin, what are you planning to do? Should I try to contact my dad's connections in the military region?"
"Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Don't rush, go back and see what's going on."
Back in the dormitory, Man Tun wasn't there, but Li Yuanchao and his two henchmen were. The three of them were playing cards together. When they saw him come in, they all glanced at him and spoke sarcastically.
"Ugh, some people are just a mixed bag. They look honest and upright, but they do all sorts of petty theft and other despicable things. They're disgusting... I'll beat you to a pulp."
Zhong Yuemin didn't waste any words; he went over and kicked the stool away, causing the person to fall to the ground.
The other person scrambled to his feet, his face flushed, and demanded, "Zhong Yuemin, what are you doing?!"
His hands clenched tightly, his eyes blazing with fury, yet he dared not advance, knowing he was no match for him.
"Sorry, I accidentally kicked it," Zhong Yuemin sneered.
"Keep your mouth shut, Heaven is watching what you do, or you'll get struck by lightning. Li Yuanchao, I've noticed you haven't learned your lesson at all. Now all you want to do is eat that hot shit, huh?"
Li Yuanchao slammed the cards in his hand onto the bed, "Zhong Yuemin, what do you mean? Don't bite like a mad dog."
"You know what I mean. If you want to deal with me, do it openly. You only like to use dirty and despicable methods. Isn't that disgusting?"
Walk away.
"What the hell!"
The henchman was furious. "Yuanchao, this Zhong Yuemin is too arrogant. He's like a mad dog."
"It's good to be a mad dog. It would be best if he went up against the company commander and deputy director Yu, and got expelled along with that idiot Wu Mantun. That way, we can have some peace and quiet."
Zhong Yuemin went to the company headquarters. The company commander, political instructor, and squad leader Wang Tiezhu were all in the office.
"The Leap People are back!"
Company Commander Li Ming greeted them, explaining that the team had brought honor to their Third Company in last month's competition, which made him, as the company commander, proud. He added that Zhong Yuemin, that "troublemaker," had been relatively peaceful these past few months, not causing him any trouble, so his attitude towards people had improved considerably, becoming much more enthusiastic.
Zhong Yuemin nodded to the three of them.
"Company commander, political instructor, squad leader, you're all here. I've come to ask about Mantun."
“I knew you’d ask that,” Instructor Xu Jian said, pointing to a spot on the side.
"Sit down first. The three of us are discussing how to solve the problem of the full storage. You're quick-witted and resourceful, so maybe you have a solution."
Zhong Yuemin sat to one side.
"Instructor, I've heard some things about Mantun. Do you believe he would steal a chicken? Even if he did, it's just one chicken. He's only in solitary confinement now, and a reprimand is enough. It's not like he should be expelled. You should also know about Mantun's family situation. It wasn't easy for him to join the army. Everyone says the army is a great melting pot that can train people, but we can't eliminate people because of some unfounded mistake. We have to give people a chance to reform."
Li Ming noticed that the person was speaking with anger.
"Yuemin, don't take your anger out on us. This isn't as simple as you think. This chicken isn't an ordinary chicken."
"What, is it going to lay golden eggs? It's just Deputy Director Yu's chicken, what's so special about it?"
"Yuemin, this chicken was brought back from the hometown by Deputy Director Yu's wife. It's nothing special."
Li Mingdao:
"It's Mantun's attitude of admitting his mistake that's so bad. He doesn't admit that he stole the chicken, nor does he apologize or admit his mistake. This makes Deputy Director Yu very dissatisfied. The chicken is a small matter, but the attitude is the problem. Do you understand what I mean?"
The instructor, Tiezhu, and I have all tried to persuade him these past few days, but Mantun just won't listen.
It's strange, but Mantun is usually more compliant and easy to talk to than anyone else. Yet, he's being stubborn about this.
"Why should he admit to doing it if he didn't? He's being unfairly blamed. Would you be willing to take the blame for something?"
"Leap People!"
Wang Tiezhu said:
“We know that Mantun wouldn’t steal chickens, but we found chicken bones under his pillow, and on the day of the incident, someone saw him go to the kitchen of the company canteen to get some oil and salt. When asked what happened, he stammered and didn’t say anything. How can others believe that he didn’t steal chickens?”
We figured that rather than letting things remain deadlocked, it would be better to admit it, apologize sincerely to Deputy Director Yu, accept the disciplinary action, and that would be the end of it.”
Zhong Yuemin understood. "Company Commander, can I go check on Mantun?"
"The time since I was released from confinement isn't enough, so in principle it's not possible..." He paused.
"Alright, go and try to persuade him, but don't let it take too long."
Half an hour later, I saw Mantun in the solitary confinement cell. It was cramped and dimly lit, only about four or five square meters in size, with three walls and an iron door. There was a bed and nothing else. Being locked up in this cell was a real test of one's mental fortitude.
"Yuemin, what brings you here?"
Wu Mantun's eyes were red, and his face was haggard. He looked several years older in just a few days.
Zhong Yuemin sat on one side of the bed, patted it, looked around, and said in a teasing tone.
"Mantun, you really know how to enjoy life. A single room, no need for morning exercises, and someone to serve you food and drinks every day. This is so comfortable. I'd even like to stay in this solitary confinement cell myself."
Wu Mantun had a bitter face.
"Yuemin, stop teasing me. Am I going to get fired?"
"Yeah, more or less. The company commander sent me over to try and talk you out."
"I can't just retire like this. My younger siblings are all counting on me to support them. I can't retire!"
"Then just tell the truth. What's there to hesitate about? Is someone threatening you?"
"This...that..."
"Stop with the 'this' and 'that'! You're about to be fired, why are you still covering for someone else? Just tell me!"
"Well, I just went to the company canteen to get some oil, salt, and seasonings for Zhang Qiang from the first squad. I don't know much else. As for why the chicken bones ended up under my pillow, I have even less of a clue."
"Zhang Qiang? So you suspect he did it?"
"It should be him!"
"What, did you discover something?"
"The day after Deputy Director Yu's chicken was stolen, I was cleaning several dormitories in the company. When I went to Zhang Qiang's dormitory, I found a book on his bed. I was thinking of putting it aside, but when I picked it up, I found a chicken feather stuck in it. It was a very bright and beautiful color. I recognized it at a glance. It was the big rooster that had gone missing from Deputy Director Yu's house."
"Aren't all chicken feathers the same? Can you tell which one belongs to Deputy Director Yu?"
“The one at Deputy Director Yu’s house is really different. I’ve never seen one like that before when I lived in the countryside.”
"So, Deputy Director Yu's wife must also be able to recognize this chicken feather?"
"Definitely. Deputy Director Yu's wife cherishes those chickens very much and feeds them carefully. She will definitely be able to recognize them."
"Okay, I get it!"