She swallowed, eyeing Qin Mu, who was even younger than she was. She found herself somewhat unable to call him that.

"What's the matter? So grown up, and you can't even address someone properly?" Song Tiancheng immediately showed displeasure, his face stern as he spoke. "Old Zhang's son, who's older than you, happily calls him 'Uncle Qin' all the time."

"Just say 'Uncle Qin.' It's for your own good; you have nothing to lose."

After being scolded like this, Miao Cuizhu's face turned bright red, but she still mustered the courage to call out, "Uncle Qin."

Qin Mu quickly stopped her. He was actually opposed to suddenly gaining a niece in her forties for no clear reason. He couldn't even count how many people had called him 'Uncle' by now.

"Xiao Qin, you really have to help me. He's my only son, and he truly hasn't broken the law. He must have been framed," Song Tiancheng pleaded, looking at Qin Mu, his expression somewhat urgent.

"The Jincheng District Procuratorate said that the trial will start in six days. Once he's sentenced, it will be too late..."

Qin Mu took a deep breath. "Old Song, don't panic yet," he said in a deep voice. "First, tell me the whole story clearly."

He could see Old Song was very flustered right now. After talking for so long, he had only mentioned his son's arrest. As for the reason behind the incident, nothing had been made clear.

Song Tiancheng gave a wry smile. "Let Cuizhu explain the details," he sighed, pointing at Miao Cuizhu.

Following this, Miao Cuizhu stepped forward nervously and recounted the details of the matter.

It turned out that Song Tiancheng's son, Song Yun, had opened a farmhouse-style eatery in the countryside. Its main attractions were its rustic charm and the scenic countryside views. Every day, many people traveled from the city to the countryside for meals and gatherings. Although the business wasn't booming, it wasn't bad either.

However, a few days ago, some customers, while dining, noticed the dozen or so parrots Song Yun was raising in the yard. They took a liking to a few of the brightly-feathered parrots and offered a handsome sum to buy them.

Initially, Song Yun refused. But the customer persisted, expressing their deep fondness, and the price they offered was quite reasonable, so Song Yun sold the parrots to them.

He had thought that would be the end of this minor episode. But unexpectedly, the very next day, Song Yun was reported. The police arrived, investigated the situation, and took Song Yun away directly. He was detained in the detention center. Then, the Jincheng District Procuratorate prepared the files and evidence, issued an official indictment, and the court filed the case. The trial was scheduled for six days later.

"This... here are the summons and a copy of the indictment," Miao Cuizhu said, swallowing nervously as she took out a document and handed it to Qin Mu.

Qin Mu frowned and took the summons. On it, the plaintiff was listed as the Jincheng District Procuratorate, and the defendant was Song Yun. The charges were illegal business operations and the illegal hunting and killing of precious, endangered wild animals. The prosecution requested a twelve-year fixed-term imprisonment and a fine of 60,000 yuan.

"Twelve years? Is there some mistake?"

"This is insane, isn't it? Even without a business license, it shouldn't warrant a twelve-year sentence, right?"

"That second charge... I feel like something's not right. Old Song, could it be your son hunted these parrots?"

"What in the world is going on here?"

"..."

Zhang Qingyuan and the others also gathered around. Seeing the prosecution's request on the summons, their eyes widened in disbelief. Twelve years! For intentional homicide with lighter circumstances, the sentence was only three to seven years of fixed-term imprisonment. Robbing a bank while armed with a lethal weapon started at ten years!

And Old Song's son... Talk about a bolt from the blue! Suddenly reported, and he landed a twelve-year prison sentence! Simply outrageous!

"Yes, when we first received the summons, we couldn't believe it either. We kept asking the people at the Jincheng District Procuratorate and the court, but they insisted it was standard procedure and there were no issues," Miao Cuizhu said with a bitter smile, her face etched with worry. Her husband had been arrested and was now detained in the detention center. She was already so frightened that she was beside herself, completely unsure what to do.

"Xiao Qin, look... what is really going on with this case?" Song Tiancheng asked, his brow furrowed, looking nervously at Qin Mu.

Zhang Qingyuan and the others also looked towards Qin Mu, their faces a picture of bewilderment. Selling two parrots leading directly to twelve years—this was utterly absurd. Even more ridiculous than some of the things Qin Mu had dealt with before!

"I suspect the problem lies with the parrots," Qin Mu said, taking a deep breath and pointing to the two charges on the summons.

"The first charge is illegal business operations. This refers to operating without a license for merchandising monopolized goods or items with trade restrictions. Such restrictions involve needing import and export permits, certificates of origin, or other business licenses and approval documents prescribed by laws and administrative regulations. It also covers engaging in other illegal business activities that disrupt market order, which is considered a serious offense."

"In this respect, when determining the sentence, a very important standard is the severity of the offense. And in the relevant judicial interpretations, there is a specific explanation of what constitutes a 'serious offense.' Selling general goods without a business license doesn't constitute a crime. But selling endangered wild animals directly constitutes a serious offense, violating this criminal law."

"But... my son just sold a few parrots. Are parrots considered endangered wild animals?" Song Tiancheng asked after hearing the explanation, his face full of confusion and disbelief. In his established way of thinking...

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