Chapter 220: Dispute
But it had to be said that Old Turtle’s proposal was tempting.
But there was still one problem here.
Just like the space superpower she once had.
Lost as soon as it was said to be lost.
There were countless good things in the space.
Now there was not a single one left.
Lu Qiaoge no longer thought about this matter; actually, as long as she had a house, all problems would be solved.
Lu Qiaoge divided the fish and shrimp in the iron bucket into two parts.
She put them in another small iron bucket and then placed it on the handlebars.
Just as she was about to leave, Meng Xia called out to Lu Qiaoge and said to her, “Earlier, the one from your work unit named Shao Le went to resolve the dispute at Grandma Sun’s house. After resolving it, he even came to see you. Knowing you weren’t home, he didn’t enter the door and left.”
Lu Qiaoge casually asked, “What dispute was there at Grandma Sun’s house?”
Meng Xia said, “I just found out too. Your Grandma Sun’s neighbor, the one named Zhang Zhuliang, he’s a fitter in Workshop Two. Yesterday he killed the big black dog at your Grandma Sun’s house, saying the big black dog bit his daughter.
Your Grandma Sun doesn’t admit it, saying it’s impossible. Her family’s big black dog is obedient and well-behaved; how could it bite someone? So she reported it to the neighborhood committee, saying the neighborhood committee mediated and made Zhang Zhuliang compensate Grandma Sun three yuan. That settled the matter.”
Lu Qiaoge frowned slightly.
Don’t think that just because Grandma Sun’s family also lives in this bungalow area.
But her family occupies two households.
And it’s tidied up very neatly and beautifully, no less than the buildings where cadres live.
Her courtyard is three times the size of the Lu Family’s courtyard.
Not only does she have a small vegetable garden, but Sun Laoda also keeps a big black dog.
The Sun Family is similar to Old Xu’s family; the family members are either cadres or workers. Grandma Sun retired early on sick leave, her salary isn’t high but it’s paid every month, and she can also make paper boxes to earn pocket money.
There’s only one little grandson in kindergarten at home who doesn’t work.
Zhang Zhuliang’s family… Lu Qiaoge knew about it too.
His father has a stroke and is paralyzed in bed, his mother, in later terms, should have Alzheimer’s disease.
She now doesn’t even remember her husband, her son, daughter-in-law, and two granddaughters.
Zhang Zhuliang’s father and mother are not workers, so naturally no retirement salary.
Only Zhang Zhuliang and his wife go to work at home.
Lu Qiaoge knows Zhang Zhuliang; this man always frowns, not yet forty years old, but his back is already hunched.
Those without sick people at home don’t know that having two such patients can wear even good people to death.
Meng Xia sighed there and said, “Although the Zhang family is really having difficulties. But he really killed that big black dog in front of your Grandma Sun, and someone saw it; at that time, your Grandma Sun was so scared she nearly fainted.
But the big black dog biting his daughter was seen by no one. Speaking of which, it’s pitiful too; that child was bitten quite badly, with wounds on her arms and legs.
But that doesn’t help; no one saw it and no evidence, so Zhang Zhuliang killed someone else’s dog. Your Grandma Sun must be angry.
She said that Zhang Zhuliang’s daughter must have been bitten by some other family’s dog, then pinned it on her family. Isn’t it just because her family conditions are good and they want to scam some money?
She said she didn’t ask for much, three yuan, just to seek justice for her family’s big black dog; that dog was raised from a pup and they had feelings for it.”
This, Lu Qiaoge could understand.
A dog raised from a pup killed right in front of you, you definitely can’t let it go easily.
So it escalated to the neighborhood committee.
Shao Le came to mediate, perhaps asking if they could pay next month’s salary.
Didn’t know if the mediation worked out.
Lu Qiaoge temporarily didn’t call her little animals; if it was the big black dog that bit, can animals testify?
If it was some other family’s dog that bit, evidence is still needed.
Meng Xia said, “The Zhang family is also really struggling; by rights I should go see them, but your Grandma Sun has always been good to our family. When we had no money or grain, it was her who lent to me. If I go see that girl, your Grandma Sun definitely won’t be happy. Sigh, I don’t know what to do.”
Lu Qiaoge: “I’ll go. I’ll bring two cans for Yaya.”
Lu Qiaoge went through the hutong behind the house; past the hutong is the main road.
The hutong road isn’t easy to ride on; even with strength and speed it’s useless, full of potholes, the bicycle just bounces around. Only a ghost could ride steadily on it.
Lu Qiaoge had to push it all the way to the hutong of the Sun Family and Zhang Family.
Before she even got close, she heard Sun Laoda shouting, “You Zhang, have you gone mad poor? Scamming to my house. I tell you, compensate me three yuan right now, and you have to apologize to my family’s dog, say you wronged it. Woo woo woo, my big black, you died so miserably…”
A lot of people had already gathered around watching the excitement.
But not just watching; some were also persuading.
“Little Zhang, although it’s just a dog, it was raised from a pup with feelings. You just killed it like that; at least you should apologize to the owner.”
“It’s just a dog; compensate the money and be done. Apologize? What, kowtow three times at the grave too?”
“Old Liu, aren’t you stirring things up? Is that what I meant? Look at Sun Laoda crying.”
Someone said quietly, “Sun Laoda is really something; no matter the feelings, crying like that? Just raise another one, right?”
“I just don’t like cats and dogs and such; I don’t get how there can be feelings. Really don’t understand.”
“Yeah, everyone forgot the dog-killing campaign of ’73? You can’t keep dogs. It’s loyal to its owner, but to others it’s a wild beast that bites whenever. I think our military factory should organize a dog-killing campaign.”
“I think that’s fine; it’s only been a few years, and there are so many dogs in the bungalow area again, and the dog owners don’t even tie them up. Can’t they just bite whoever they want?”
“Sun Laoda, stop crying; we’re all from the same work unit, no need to make it this big.”
Someone else shouted, “My dog will have pups next month; I’ll give you two then. Raise them however you want. Really, is this worth it?”
Anyway, all sorts of things were said.
Lu Qiaoge parked the bicycle by the roadside.
She put the two cans in the net bag, picked it up and stood by the road, but what she was looking at was Zhang Zhuliang’s house.
Zhang Zhuliang and his wife were both in the courtyard.
The Zhang Family and Sun Family are separated by a fence wall over a meter high.
The bungalows now don’t have high walls or big compounds; even the Lu Family’s left and right neighbors have walls over a meter high.
One push with the hands and you can jump over.
The neighborhood committee’s handling wasn’t wrong; no evidence but killed the dog, compensate the other side three yuan. To many people, it still seemed very fair.
It was also a warning; in the future, for such matters, don’t just act rashly.
It’s just three yuan; which worker family at the military factory can’t come up with three yuan?
The Lu Family had difficulties too, but to take out three yuan, they could manage; if really none, borrow and repay next month’s salary.
So the silent Zhang Family had few people speaking up for them.
Even no one asked how the child who was bitten was doing.
But this was actually normal too.
Kids now are all free-range; bitten by a dog is just bitten, and few people go get rabies shots.
And rabies vaccine isn’t widespread now either.
