Mo Yan had not expected Zhao Dafu to come forward and openly confess to embezzlement, revealing every detail of the events from start to finish.
What surprised Mo Yan even more was that Zhao Dafu's embezzlement was actually out of reluctance, forced upon by the tenants of Chen Family Village, and that the duration of his embezzlement was not as long as she had suspected.
This affair dates back ten years. A decade ago, a moderate drought struck the area around Jing City. Although it wasn't severe enough to cause starvation, the crops significantly underproduced, some even failing entirely. At that time, the Court issued tax relief so that the disaster-stricken citizens could still get by.
