Zhang Debiao's nephew, Zhang Ershun, watched with his own eyes as the police rushed into Zhang Debiao's large compound. Not long after, the gunmen were escorted out of the courtyard with their hands raised high. At the same time, the large flag on the wall of the Zhang family compound was pulled up by the police and thrown down from the watchtower.

Seeing that the Zhang family compound had actually been "looted" [raided] by government troops, Zhang Ershun was burning with anxiety, but he dared not look any longer. He ran straight out of the village along a secluded path.

There were police guarding the village entrance, but this couldn't stop a local like Zhang Ershun. He took a detour, avoided the entrance, and entered the fields. The sorghum and corn outside the village were planted in continuous stretches, the stalks already grown tall. Diving in, he was surrounded by green crop stalks. Not only could people outside not see inside, but Zhang Ershun also couldn't see what it looked like outside at all.

Running along the ridges between fields, he burst out of the crops, and a small path appeared before his eyes.

Seeing no one around, Zhang Ershun didn't dare slow down and ran straight for the main road along the path.

The reason Zhang Ershun wasn't caught wasn't that he was clever, but because after He Rui's men arrived at Zhangjiatun, Zhang Ershun had been sent to deliver a letter to the Zhang family members in Changchun. Zhang Debiao wanted the Zhang family members serving as officials in Changchun to send someone back to the village so he could bleed a little less money. But just before leaving the village, Zhang Ershun saw movement inside, turned back, and thus witnessed the scene of the Zhang family being breached.

The Zhang family had someone serving as an officer in the Changchun garrison. Now Zhang Ershun's mission was no longer to deliver a letter, but to try and bring back reinforcements.

Reaching the main road, Zhang Ershun ran north. After running for a few *li*, he couldn't run anymore. Seeing two peddlers pushing a small cart heading toward Zhangjiatun, Zhang Ershun slowed down to meet them, wanting to buy something to eat.

The peddlers stopped the cart, pulled back the cloth covering it, and warmly attended to Zhang Ershun. Zhang Ershun didn't want to cause complications; he pointed at a few food items and took out money to buy them. One of the peddlers saw that Zhang Ershun didn't bargain and asked with a smile, "This brother, you wouldn't happen to be from Master Zhang Debiao's family, right?"

Zhang Ershun froze. Just as he felt something was wrong, the other peddler had already made his move. He grabbed Zhang Ershun's arm, pulled and twisted, subduing him. The two then tied Zhang Ershun up with rope.

Zhang Ershun thought he had met highwaymen and hurriedly shouted, "Two heroes, money is easy to talk about. Let me go, and I'll give you all the money."

The peddlers seemed not to hear. They calmly covered the small cart with the cloth and didn't search Zhang Ershun for money.

Zhang Ershun was greatly surprised, not knowing whose hands he had fallen into.

Suddenly, Zhang Ershun understood a little and shouted hurriedly, "Brothers, our family has someone serving as an official in Changchun. Let me go, and you brothers will have riches and honor in the future. With your Governor He doing this, Changchun will know sooner or later. Whatever Governor He gives you, our Zhang family will double it."

"Can Governor He let everyone in the village live a good life? Can your Zhang family do that?" a peddler replied disdainfully.

Zhang Ershun couldn't figure out what the other party meant by this and didn't know how to answer for a moment. He thought hard for a while before squeezing out a sentence: "I don't know what Governor He said, but officials are the best at lying. Brother, only money in hand counts!"

Hearing this, the peddler's face changed color. "Governor He lying to us? Zhang Debiao trafficking humans—is that true? Zhang Debiao colluding with bandits to rob and kill—is that true?"

Zhang Ershun wanted to quibble but couldn't speak for a moment. Murder and robbery weren't Zhang Ershun's responsibility; he just knew such things happened. But Zhang Ershun had participated in trafficking women. One of the abducted women was quite pretty. Although Zhang Ershun didn't actually do anything, he had groped and taken advantage of her while dragging her away. Insulted like this, the woman cursed Zhang Ershun angrily while resisting, and Zhang Ershun had knocked her down with a slap.

Seeing the anger of He Rui's subordinates, Zhang Ershun dared not say anything more. Then he heard the sound of horse hooves approaching from a distance.

A cavalry squad stopped in front of the three. The officer on horseback asked, "Is this one who escaped?"

The peddler stood at attention and saluted. "Report to Regimental Commander Cheng. He should be one who escaped."

The person on the horse was Cheng Ruofan. He was responsible for road control in this operation. Siping had an area of over ten thousand square kilometers. Although there were not many roads, the troops only numbered 500. To effectively control information and not let any fish slip through the net, Cheng Ruofan and the regimental headquarters had racked their brains.

Although a fish that slipped through the net was caught, Cheng Ruofan didn't relax in the slightest. He ordered someone to take Zhang Ershun back to the village, then turned his horse around to head back with his mobile cavalry. The troops had now set up roadblocks, and several disguised squads and cavalry squads were patrolling back and forth on the roads. Five local tyrant and evil gentry families had been marked; Zhang Debiao was just one of them.

***

The next morning, the masses of Zhangjiatun were gathered to participate in the public trial of Zhang Debiao.

On the wide threshing ground outside the gate of the Zhang family compound, Zhang Debiao and other prisoners were dragged onto the public trial stage, bound securely. Cultural instructors from the army publicly announced the crimes of Zhang Debiao and the others.

Things like usury were not the standard for defining local tyrants and evil gentry. If they struck based on that standard, probably all the landlords and rich peasants in Siping would have to be dealt with.

The standard for definition was limited to generally recognized major crimes like murder and human trafficking. Hearing the trial officer recount Zhang Debiao's crimes one by one, the indifferent expressions of the masses finally showed some changes.

Chen Deli, leader of the Zhangjiatun Work Team, knew that the change in the masses was brought about by this extension of justice. Presiding over such a public trial, Chen Deli also felt very satisfied in his heart.

After the prosecutor finished stating Zhang Debiao's crimes, he asked if Zhang Debiao pleaded guilty. Zhang Debiao naturally flatly denied his crimes.

When Zhang Debiao finished speaking, a few people in the crowd hissed. Although the few people didn't come out to identify him, they were obviously insiders.

Seeing the situation was unfavorable, Zhang Debiao swore oaths and curses, saying that Sun Er, nicknamed Sun Qitian, was a habitual bandit who deserved a thousand cuts. As a gentleman with status, he had never even met Sun Er, let alone colluded with him to murder and rob.

When Zhang Debiao finished, the trial personnel signaled. Police brought several people onto the stage from a corner of the field; their heads were covered with gunny sacks, and they were tied up firmly. The hood of one person was removed, and Zhang Debiao's face was filled with shock.

This person was actually Sun Er.

Sun Er seemed to have the boldness of a broken pot smashing itself [someone with nothing left to lose]. He laughed loudly. "Master Zhang, you say now that I deserve a thousand cuts, but that's not what you said when you asked me to do things these past two years. If you had said this earlier and we had parted ways, a few fewer lives might have been harmed."

The villagers had all heard of the bandit nickname Sun Qitian (Sun Er), but this was their first time seeing Sun Er in person. Hearing Sun Er speak like this, and looking at Zhang Debiao's extremely wretched appearance at this moment, a burst of low laughter came from the crowd.

The public trial continued until the afternoon. Although Zhang Debiao denied everything, there were many witnesses. Not only Sun Er, but the victimized Chamber of Commerce in the city also sent people to testify. When a few injured merchants testified, they even unbuttoned their clothes to reveal the scars on their bodies.

Seeing this, the villagers basically knew that Zhang Debiao logically deserved the death penalty. But the villagers were also very clear about Zhang Debiao's background. He Rui was indeed the Governor of Siping, but the Zhang family also had people serving as officials in Changchun. Did he really dare to kill him?

At this time, the cultural instructor responsible for trying the case stood up and shouted to the villagers: "Zhang Debiao committed crimes of murder, hiring hitmen for murder, and human trafficking. The Zhang family..."

The Zhang family's crimes were numerous; it took a while to finish reading them. The villagers were all waiting to hear how they would be dealt with, getting a bit impatient.

The cultural instructor's mouth was dry from reading. He picked up a bowl, drank a mouthful of water, and then continued to read the verdict. "Zhang Debiao, death penalty. To be executed after autumn. Upon investigation, all personnel of the Zhang family were more or less involved in Zhang Debiao's various crimes. Therefore, all will be taken away and sent to the labor camp for reform. The Zhang family's property is confiscated and handed over to the future Village Committee for disposal."

The villagers couldn't figure out what those terms meant. That night, everyone discussed it spiritedly.

Early the next morning, villagers who got up relatively early discovered the police had set off.

Zhang Debiao's family members were led out of the Zhang family compound, bound with ropes. The men begged, and the women wailed.

This commotion startled the entire village. Doors opened, courtyard gates opened. Villagers watched from both sides of the road as the entire Zhang family was caught in one net and taken away.

Some were astonished, some were joyful, some were uneasy.

The villagers watched Zhang Debiao's family leave Zhangjiatun under police escort, disappearing at the end of the road.

In the morning, the villagers were gathered again.

Chen Deli continued to preach the land policy. Just as he finished, a villager asked, "Officer, I am a tenant farmer; can I get land too?"