Once Wang Daliang and his wife burst into tears, Liu Guilan and Mu Xueqing—who had been fuming with rage just moments ago—instantly lost their overbearing demeanor.
Mainly, it is the human condition to fear empathy; as the saying goes, "Do not advise others to be kind until you have experienced their suffering."
If Liu Guilan and Mu Xueqing were put in Yao Ping's position, they certainly wouldn't be able to stand it either, and they would undoubtedly do everything in their power to seek justice.
Everyone is the same; who could stand by and watch their closest loved ones suffer and endure hardship while also being treated unfairly and humiliated?
After another few minutes of heavy silence, Liu Guilan looked at Wang Daliang and his wife with a face full of helplessness, then turned to Wang An with deep concern
"Xiao An, about this matter—if you go, you can't let them trap you in that coal mine so you can't get out, right? Can you come back in one piece?"
Mu Xueqing also spoke with worry
"If it's not feasible, don't try to be a hero. This whole big family is counting on you. If something happens to you, what will the rest of us do? What about Xingfu and Kuaile? They're still so small."
It is said that "with a virtuous wife at home, a husband meets no disaster," and at this moment, Mu Xueqing's behavior was a textbook example of a virtuous wife.
No matter what impulsive or life-threatening thing Wang An intended to do, as long as Mu Xueqing could persuade him or make him think of his family during his impulse, her words were profoundly meaningful.
At this point, Wang Dazhu also spoke up
"Anyway, you've got to think this through. Don't just act blindly. We can't afford to 'steal a chicken only to lose the rice'—don't make a bad situation worse."
Wang An smiled and said
"It's not that big a deal. I'll go to the county to ask my eldest sister, and then I'll ask Brother Wu and the others. I need to figure out what's going on with that coal mine first. If I just barge in there with Lao Wu acting all tough, they'll definitely bury me alive in that mine."
After saying this, Wang An turned back to Wang Daliang and his wife
"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, I need to make this clear to you in advance. I don't know if I can help you vent this anger, and I don't know if I can help you get that money back.
If the money isn't recovered, then you'll have to swallow this bitterness whether you can or not. When that time comes, don't pull this kind of act with me again. It's useless; I won't have any other tricks."
Pausing for a moment, Wang An spoke bluntly
"Besides, Xueqing is right. I have a big family of my own. I can't let my own family's life go to waste just to support your messy business. Damn, you guys are something else—you've actually tried to pin this on me."
"I mean, as an uncle and aunt, is it appropriate to act like this? Do I owe you? Wasn't everyone born from a father and mother? Do you have any human decency left?"
Although Wang An understood Wang Daliang and his wife's desire to seek justice for their daughter and son-in-law, he found this behavior—which resembled "moral kidnapping" or "using family ties to force a hand"—extremely repulsive.
Before Wang Daliang and Yao Ping could say anything in their embarrassment, Wang An said to the couple with a smile
"Alright, you two shut up. You've got all the cunning in the world, and you're using it specifically to screw over your nephew."
This remark, which seemed like a joke but was actually pointed, made Wang Daliang and his wife even more embarrassed.
Turning away, Wang An said to Wang Li
"Lao Wu, go call Xiao Zhong over. Let's go."
Three minutes later, under the worried gazes of the crowd, the three of them drove toward the county.
Wang An felt that while Zhang Shuya might be tough enough to handle this, he probably needed Wu Dong to step in.
The main issue was that the people at the Public Security Bureau were all locals.
And that coal mine was filled with all sorts of thugs—people who truly valued money over their own lives. If there were any retaliatory actions in the future, no one would be able to withstand them.
Therefore, under Wang An's direction, Wang Li drove the car straight to the government compound.
After giving the guard, Grandpa Cao, a cigarette, Grandpa Cao actually picked up the phone and dialed out.
Previously, the guards only had a crank phone, but now it had been replaced with a rotary phone.
It had to be said that this thing looked much more pleasing to the eye than the crank phone.
Most importantly, this kind of phone was connected directly to the exchange; one could dial different numbers to complete a call without needing a manual operator to transfer it.
Grandpa Cao held the receiver, fiddled with the rotary dial, and then spoke into the phone
"Xiao Wu, come on out for a bit. That little brother of yours is here to see you again."
With that, Grandpa Cao hung up the receiver.
Wang An made small talk
"Grandpa, this phone is great. No more crank. When was it changed?"
The old man smiled slightly and said
"Only a few days ago. I'm still not quite used to it."
After a few more meaningless exchanges, Wang An saw Wu Dong walking out of the compound.
After the group got into the car and exchanged brief pleasantries, Wang An got straight to the point
"Brother Wu, there's this matter. My second uncle's son-in-law, Shi Qinghe, was working at that coal mine in Shima Village, Qing'an Township, and he was seriously injured by a falling piece of coal. The mine is refusing to pay medical expenses on the grounds of 'violating operating procedures.' With my temper, I can't stand this, so I've come to you to help me vent."
Hearing this, Wu Dong laughed and said
"I knew that if you came looking for me, it definitely wouldn't be for anything good."
Wang An said righteously
"It can't always be for good things. I just can't swallow this bitterness."
Wu Dong nodded, thought for a moment, and then said somewhat solemnly
"Behind that coal mine is a big shot from the city. Furthermore, the people here in our county aren't exactly clean. Lately, because of the explosions and injuries at that mine, quite a few people who came to cause a scene have been arrested. By the way, it was your eldest sister who sent people to handle those arrests."
An open-pit coal mine has extremely low excavation costs; it's a business where you can make money with your eyes closed. The fact that it was contracted out so haphazardly was, in itself, a major red flag.
Hearing Wu Dong's words, Wang An immediately realized he had brought trouble to Wu Dong. It was obvious that too many people were involved in this mine—it spanned every level of influence.
Sucking in his teeth, Wang An braced himself and continued
"The main thing is that my brother-in-law will likely be disabled for the rest of his life, and this damn mine won't pay a single cent. I'm just too damn pissed off."
Wu Dong laughed and asked
"So, you mean as long as we can get the medical fees and compensation for your brother-in-law, that'll be enough?"
Wang An nodded and said with a smile
"Yep. Money is the most practical thing. Talking about anything else is useless."