bookrandom Chapter 437 Persuading Everyone to Turn Themselves in to the Government
Chapter 437 Persuading Everyone to Turn Themselves in to the Government
He said, "Xiao Tang is smart. She not only knows how to do business, but she has also dealt with many merchants and has a wide network of connections. Huo Qi is literate and knowledgeable. You two should be in charge of doing business. Hu Zi and I will not get involved. We will mainly lead the brothers to solve the problem of food and manage the medicinal fields."
"Brother, I only know how to read books, I'm not cut out for business. You and Xiaotang should take charge."
“Just do it. Why are you dawdling like this? Even if you’re talented, you can’t do it. I’m only a few drops of ink in my belly, so I can’t do it either.”
The bearded man chuckled foolishly, glad that he was illiterate and didn't have to rack his brains to do business; he could just work on the mountain with his older brother.
Huo Qi smiled and agreed, "Since you're so kind to me, and I happen to be thinking of doing business with Xiao Tang, then I won't stand on ceremony."
Despite his poor family background, he had always studied hard since childhood. Now that he was free from disgrace and exonerated, he had long given up the idea of taking the imperial examinations. With the opportunity to do business, he seemed to have suddenly found something worthwhile.
He must seize this opportunity!
Scarface said with a hearty laugh, "There's no need for formalities between brothers like us."
Having spent so many years on the mountain, Scarface naturally understood Huo Qi's temperament: good-natured, kind, helpful, never causing trouble, and trustworthy.
With the matter resolved, the group was overjoyed and bought more than ten jars of wine to return to Lingyun Mountain.
When everyone learned that Huo Qi had been exonerated and that his elder brother and Hu Zi were no longer wanted, they were filled with envy, but also began to have their own ideas.
Someone said, "Brother, wouldn't it be wonderful if our brothers could also clear their names and become ordinary citizens, able to travel freely between counties?"
"Who can argue with that? It's all my fault for being young and naive and making some mistakes. If it were now, I would never do those things even if you killed me."
"It's too late to say all this now. We're already very fortunate to have food, drink, and medicinal herbs to grow on this mountain."
Scarface and Lin Xiaotang exchanged a glance, nodded to each other silently, and then Scarface spoke.
"Actually, it's not like everyone is completely without a chance. As long as everyone is determined and sincerely repents, there is still hope to become an ordinary citizen again."
What?
If you sincerely repent, you still have a chance to become an ordinary citizen again.
Qu Xiao, who was usually taciturn, asked, "Brother, did I hear you right? Are you serious about what you're saying?"
Scarface nodded in affirmation.
"Brothers, you heard me right. We all have our share of crimes, some serious, some less serious. But if we keep running away, we'll be fugitives for life, destined to be bandits."
If we bravely face the situation and surrender to the authorities, and if they grant us leniency, we can accept the punishment and atone for our sins as soon as possible, returning to being ordinary citizens.
Everyone sighed in dismay after hearing this, and some people in the crowd expressed their dissatisfaction.
"Tch, I thought it was some brilliant idea, but it turns out it's just to have the brothers surrender to the authorities. The authorities have been after us for years, and they're just worried about not being able to catch us. Surrendering to the authorities is just sending us to our deaths, isn't it?"
"That's right. Even if we turn ourselves in to the authorities, hoping they'll be lenient with us, the county magistrate there isn't someone to mess with. If they torture us, we'll all lose our lives in jail."
"That's right, that's right. We have plenty to eat and drink on this mountain, and we can even grow medicinal herbs to exchange for money. We live like gods, so why would we want to walk into a trap and suffer like that?"
"Hey, has our boss lost his mind? He actually came up with this way to get us brothers off the hook. Is the government a place for humans to go? If we brothers go in there, we'll be lucky to escape with our lives. It's better not to get rid of this crime!"
"That's right, if you want to turn yourselves in, then you can turn yourselves in. I'm not going."
Someone muttered in dissatisfaction, "Our leader didn't even go to the government to turn himself in, so why did the government remove the arrest warrants for him and Hu Zi, but make us turn ourselves in? They have such a good method, but our leader and Hu Zi are hiding things, and they're making us go to our deaths. Isn't this setting us up for failure?"
"Yeah, brother, you have a great idea, why don't you tell the rest of us?"
"Brother, please tell us how you managed to avoid turning yourself in and get the authorities to stop arresting you, so that the other brothers can learn from you."
"..."
"..."
Scarface was surprised that not only did everyone dare not turn themselves in to the authorities for fear of imprisonment and punishment, but they also thought he had a good way to hide his secrets. He was so angry that his chest heaved and he immediately became furious.
“You all committed crimes and are wanted by the authorities, yet you want to clear your names without paying any price? Is there such an easy thing in this world?”
Someone muttered, "Since neither you nor Hu Zi went to the authorities to turn yourselves in, how come the authorities removed your and Hu Zi's arrest warrants?"
The bearded man was so angry he was practically fuming. He rolled his eyes and said, "Don't the brothers here know why my brother and I have wanted posters?"
When we kidnapped the young master of the Xue family, we didn't get any money and the hostage escaped. In the end, my brother and I didn't cause any real harm to the Xue family. The Xiao Tang family had business dealings with the Xue family, and the Xue family asked the government to withdraw the arrest warrant because of Xiao Tang. This was also something my brother and I did behind closed doors.
If you have a better way to get those who have been persecuted by you to willingly reconcile with you and stop suing you, without resorting to coercion or bribery, you can resolve that yourself.
The bearded man, who was usually not good with words, was so angry today that he said a lot, and his words were quite insightful.
The crowd fell silent for a moment, then began to murmur again.
Someone said, "Actually, the brothers are living a pretty carefree life on this mountain. There's no need to turn ourselves in to the authorities for the sake of status and reputation. If the authorities arrest us and sentence us to death, wouldn't we be finished immediately?"
“What you said makes sense, but it’s not entirely true. Those who commit serious crimes may be sentenced to death, but those who commit minor crimes are unlikely to be sentenced to death.”
"I...I...I stole a cow from a fellow villager and sold it. I gambled away all the money and couldn't pay back the cow, so the government convicted me of theft. If I turn myself in to the government, confess my crime, and pay back the money, wouldn't I be able to clear my name quickly?"
Uncle Liang said, "Your crime is minor. If you turn yourself in and turn over a new leaf, you can start a new life sooner."
Someone laughed and said, "Tie Shun'er, if you can quit gambling, wash your hands of it, and honestly grow medicinal herbs, you can earn enough money to go back to the village, build a house, and get married."
"Hahaha……"
The more everyone talked, the happier Tie Shun'er felt, as if his good days were just around the corner.
So he stepped forward first, "Brother, I am willing to turn myself in to the authorities, but I can only pay back the money for the cattle and the people after the medicinal herbs in the herb field are harvested and sold, and I have some money in my hands."