Power and Wealth

Dong Xuebing lazed in bed despite smelling the fragrance of sausages and toast.

Luan Xiaoping entered Dong Xuebing’s room and pushed him. “Breakfast is ready. Wake up.”

“Let me sleep a while more. I am not working today.”

“Didn’t you say you have to work on your Subdistrict’s nursing homes?”

“The Subdistrict’s staff are doing the work. I only need to check on them later.”

“Then you should also get up. Hurry up, or breakfast is cold.”

Dong Xuebing was more hardworking when he was living alone. He would wake up early to prepare breakfast and clean up. But when his mother is around, he has someone to depend on and becomes lazy. He lazed for a while more and got up unwillingly to wash up. He saw the breakfast on the table and started eating.

Luan Xiaoping ate fast and took out that copy of Fen Zhou Daily. “This nursing home is too much. I am so angry with them.”

Dong Xuebing chewed on the sausage. “They have a problem with their attitude.”

“Aren’t you a Subdistrict Office Director? Can’t you do anything?”

“That is in Ping An Subdistrict and is not under my jurisdiction.”

“That family’s mother had gone missing from the nursing home. How come no one is doing anything?”

Dong Xuebing finished his breakfast and wiped his mouth. “Don’t worry, Mum. I have made arrangements. It depends on her on whether if she can get justice.”

Dong Xuebing suddenly rang.

It’s Zhou Yanru calling from her office. “Director, am I disturbing you?”

Dong Xuebing laughed. “No. I just had breakfast and am about to go to work. What is it?”

“I passed by a Ping An Subdistrict’s nursing home on my way to work this morning, and there seems to be someone quarreling. The Ping An Subdistrict’s Leaders are all there.”

“Eh? What happened?”

“I think they have some disputes, and I am not sure what happened.”

“Ok.”

Zhou Yanru is gloating. The Central Government’s inspection team had just arrived, and the nursing home had problems. This is what Guang Ming Subdistrict Office staff wished for.

After hanging up, Dong Xuebing no longer feels sleepy. He had asked Guo Panwei to impersonate Nan Qi reporter to call that family, and this is the outcome. He bid goodbye to Luan Xiaoping and left with his bag. He is not driving today as he doesn’t want to stand out. He took a taxi and entered Ping An Subdistrict within a few minutes. He told the driver to turn and stop outside a small garden in front of a neighborhood.

Mei Zhuang Neighborhood.

Su Lao Nursing Home.

Dong Xuebing aligned and saw a crowd gathering at the entrance of Su Lao Nursing Home. He could see Chu Qinghua and a few Ping An Subdistrict Leaders. A middle-aged woman is yelling, and the inspection team members are there too.

“Six months! It’s been six months, and my mother is still missing!”

“I understand how you feel, but this incident is….”

“What do you understand?! It’s not your mother who is missing! Of course, you are not anxious!”

“How can you scold us?”

“I am scolding you all! If you all had done your work properly, how can my mother go missing?! The Subdistrict Office pretended nothing had happened and refused to help us! You all are just abusing your authority and shirking responsibility when something happens! You all are a bunch of parasites!”

“You all are parasites!”

“Please calm down!”

“How am I supposed to calm down?! My mother is missing!”

Su Xiaochun yelled at the Subdistrict Leaders and the people in charge of the nursing home. A middle-aged man and two middle-aged women are beside her, and they should be her relatives. They are also scolding the nursing home’s staff!

“Bring back my Aunt!”

“How can you all be nominated as role model unit?! *Spit!”

“Everyone be our judge! How can this nursing home be nominated for the Respect and Care for the elderly role model unit?! Bullshit!”

Mei Zhuang neighborhood was formerly a farming village and was under the villagers’ committee. But it was integrated into the Township and fell under a neighborhood committee. That’s why Su Xiaochun and her family are bold and unreasonable. They dare to spew all sorts of vulgarities at the nursing home’s staff.

The residents heard about this incident six months ago, and most of them are on Su Xiaochun’s side. They started criticizing the staff.

“This is too much!”

“That’s right. How can they brush this incident off with just 10,000 RMB compensation?”

“Do they think a person’s life is only worth 10,000 RMB?! Did they think lives are so worthless?!”

It was chaotic as the crowd started to join Su Xiaochun in scolding the staff. The scolding went on for a few minutes, and Su Xiaochun rolled up her sleeves. She was about to raise her fist at Ping An Subdistrict’s Leaders and staff. Dong Xuebing did not expect her and her family to be so fierce, but he did not go over to stop her. He found a bench under a tree and sat on it to watch the show. He crossed his legs and smoked a cigarette. He smiled when he saw Chu Qinghua’s grim expression. You like to use dirty tricks behind my back. Fine. I shall do the same to you! Dong Xuebing felt his political wisdom had increased recently. If he encounters such people in the past, he will use his fists. But now, he has started to use his brains and knows how to scheme others.

Chu Qinghua’s lungs almost exploded due to his anger. Why is this family creating trouble when the inspection team is here? The nomination is not reported in the papers, and this scenario is what he was worried.

All Ping An Subdistrict Office staff are looking terrible. None of them had expected this to happen on this important day. They had just been nominated for the National Respect and Care for the elderly’s model unit. This dispute happens when the Central Government inspection team is around. This is a disgrace!

Chu Qinghua finally stepped in when he saw his staff could not persuade the woman to stop. “Comrade, calm down and let’s talk inside!”

Su Xiaochun shouted. “Just say it here and let everyone be the judge!”

Chu Qinghua is looking terrible. “Are you trying to settle this problem, or are you trying to cause trouble? We will go inside and settle your problem! Don’t worry. Our Subdistrict Office will give you and your family an explanation!”

“Don’t worry?!” Su Xiaochun scolded. “Don’t worry, my ass! The Subdistrict Office and the nursing home are together in this! It is also your Subdistrict Office who refused to compensate us! We will settle it here!” She continued yelling and noticed a few people beside Chu Qinghua not saying anything. She shouted. “Are you all the Central Government’s Leaders?! You all must help my family get justice!”

Chu Qinghua’s face changed. How come this woman knows the Central Government’s Leaders are here? This incident is not as simple as it seems! Someone might have planned this! Damn!

The inspection team consists of seven people.

The team leader, Cheng Yandong, looked at Su Xiaochu and replied in a soft tone. “I don’t know what happened. Can you explain your mother’s incident to us in detail?”

Su Xiaochun is overjoyed. “Sure. About six months ago, my mother….”

Chu Qinghua’s heart skipped a beat when he saw the inspection team members taking notes and asking Su Xiaochun about the incident.

Cheng Yandong listened attentively to Su Xiaochun. He nodded and frowned. This is not his first time taking part in the inspection team for the National Respect and Care for the elderly’s model unit. He knows some nursing homes or seniors’ activity centers have problems, and disputes cannot be prevented. But he felt that problems must be settled quickly by the relevant departments. Su Xiaochun’s mother had gone missing for six months, and it was not settled. Furthermore, people had come to the nursing home to create trouble during his inspection. This is the biggest problem! Ping An Subdistrict Office had not done their job well!

One minute….

Five minutes….

Ten minutes….

Su Xiaochun finally finished explaining what happened to the inspection team.

But the nursing home’s person in charge is unhappy. Su Xiaochun is biased and described their nursing home as a criminal den. He was also upset after getting cursed and swear by her and her family. He glared him Su Xiaochun.

“Are you telling the truth?! Ah?! We have stated everything in the contract, and you signed it! Your mother has dementia, and our nursing home is not responsible if anything happens to her! This is written in the contract, and don’t accuse us of any wrongdoings!”

Su Xiaochun flared up again. “You all only know how to collect money from us and push the blame to us when something happens!” The person in charge shouted. “You are unreasonable!”

The person in charge’s attitude caused Su Xiaochun and her family to explode with anger. This guy was the one who refused any compensation and got the security to kick them out!

Su Xiaochun pounced forward. “Bastard! I will kill you now!”

Su Xiaochun swung her arm and scratched the person in charge’s face!

The person in charge blocked Su Xiaochun frantically. “Stop! What are you trying to do?!”

Su Xiaochun’s family also rushed forward!

“He is the culprit!”

“Beat him up!”

“You let you all help us take care of my mother, and you lost her! Return my mother now!”

Su Xiaochun and her relatives surrounded the person in charge and started beating him up!