An Unexpected Encounter

Zhao Gang and the others were discussing how to deal with Zhao Qiancheng when they heard that Qin Fengying and Jiang Hongmei had stirred up another mess. They nearly went mad with rage and hurried to the Zhao Household with the villagers who had brought the news.

By the time they arrived, the door had already been forced open. Qin Fengying was pinned down off to one side, unable to move, while Jiang Hongmei clutched her face, crying and howling as she rolled all over the ground.

On closer inspection, blood was seeping through Jiang Hongmei's fingers. Zhao Gang's eyelid twitched, and he hurriedly told Bai Qiulian and Li Shuqin to take her to the clinic.

The two were unwilling, but Jiang Hongmei was still a cadre's family member, and they had to set an example. They could only nod in agreement. "Have Huang Qimei go with us. Isn't she Jiang Hongmei's good sister?"

As Li Shuqin bent down to help Jiang Hongmei up, she said, "Qiulian and I have plenty to do, and we both have children at home. We can't stay at the clinic watching over her all the time."

Zhao Gang thought that made sense. He looked around, but when he did not spot the person in question, he could not help frowning. "Educated Youth Huang didn't come to the brigade today?"

"No. She said her stomach hurt."

Wang Hongbo, the educated youth group leader, answered from behind him, "I was just about to tell you, but I had only just arrived at the brigade..."

"Fine, I got it."

Zhao Gang impatiently waved him off, then swept his gaze over the female educated youths. Lu Xiaoyue and the others immediately tensed up, then turned and ran out of the Zhao Household's courtyard.

"..." Just how terrible was Jiang Hongmei's popularity!?

Helpless, Zhao Gang could only tell Li Shuqin and Bai Qiulian to take her for treatment first. "Play it by ear."

The two understood at once. They hurriedly dragged Jiang Hongmei up and supported her out of the Zhao Household. Only then did Zhao Gang have the attention to spare for Qin Fengying, who had caused the trouble. He berated her angrily, "Are you crazy or stupid? You dared to deliberately injure someone? Did you ever think about who would look after your children if you got locked up?"

At the mention of children, he suddenly remembered that Zhao Xiufen had not gone to work today either, so he asked, "Where's your Xiufen? Why isn't she here?"

"She... she went to the city."

Qin Fengying was trembling all over. By now, she had gradually regained her senses and realized what a foolish thing she had done.

The moment Zhao Gang heard that, his nerves tightened. "Where did she get a letter of introduction?"

He then turned to Zhao Hongjun and the others. "Did you issue one for her?"

"What authority would we have to do that? Besides, we don't even have the key."

"The official seal is locked in the brigade office."

The cadres all shook their heads in denial.

Zhao Gang's expression instantly darkened. "Qin Fengying, I'm done dealing with your family's mess."

"Don't, Captain!"

Qin Fengying panicked at once and struggled to step forward and beg him. "I-I had no choice..."

"Don't give me that."

Zhao Gang cut her off loudly, his face cold as he shouted, "A child might not know better and lose their sense of proportion, but you're a cadre at your age, and you actually knowingly broke the law? Educated Youth Shen was right. You and Zhao Qiancheng are the shame of Chaoyang Production Brigade."

After saying that, he refused to listen to any more of her excuses. He beckoned over two women and had them tie Qin Fengying up and temporarily lock her in the brigade office.

Once Jiang Hongmei had seen the doctor, they would see what she had to say. Did she want to report it to the police or settle it privately? After all, Zhao Jianguo stood between the two of them, and Zhao Gang could not decide for either family.

As for those two children, all he could say was that they should pray for their own luck! If they were not found, they could count themselves fortunate. But if the Public Order Team discovered them and took them in, he would not be going to fetch them back.

Qin Fengying had planted this cause herself, so she ought to bear its consequences herself. He would no longer turn a blind eye and shield Zhao Qiancheng's family.

With matters here temporarily settled, Shen Jianan and Gu Yu had already begun an earnest discussion with Cheng Hu, who had come to them of his own accord.

"I know you want to deal with Zhao Qiancheng. I hate him too—I wish he were dead. So if there's anything you need help with, just say the word. As long as I can do it, I won't refuse."

Cheng Hu clenched his fists, his eyes bloodshot. "He killed my father, and my leg too. I may not have any witnesses, but I know it was him."

The two did not waste words and went straight to the point. "Tell us how you and your father were harmed.

"I'll write it down in plain language, then you can copy it yourself. After a few days, once the person I've asked has news, take it to the Public Security Bureau and file a report."

"Right."

Shen Jianan glanced at Gu Yu and nodded in agreement. "Today, I made some harsh remarks at the brigade office. For their own interests, the villagers will definitely do something. Once you take the lead, the others will absolutely follow. By then, even if Zhao Qiancheng had mouths all over his body, he still wouldn't be able to explain himself."

"Alright. I'll listen to you."

Cheng Hu nodded excitedly, then told the two of them in detail about what had happened all those years ago. When Gu Yu and Shen Jianan saw him weeping like a child as he reached the painful parts, they felt miserable too.

Zhao Qiancheng truly had a black heart. Those years had also been rather chaotic, and the Cheng Household branch had been frightened into submission. Their hearts were divided, while Cheng Hu was isolated and helpless, allowing Zhao Qiancheng to exploit loopholes again and again. If it were now, and he dared do such things, it would be a wonder if he did not get skinned alive.

"That's what happened. If there's anything else you want to ask, just ask. I'll tell you everything I know."

The two came back to themselves and both shook their heads. Gu Yu took out paper and a pen and sat off to one side. "Wait a moment. I'll finish writing it soon."

"Alright."

Cheng Hu uneasily scratched at his trouser leg, forcing a faint smile onto his face. Shen Jianan pitied him and got up to pour him a bowl of water.

"Brother Gu definitely won't finish anytime soon. If you can't sit still, help me with some work first."

He smiled and joked, "You can even earn a little pocket money while you wait for him."

"Alright."

Cheng Hu was amused into smiling, and his mood relaxed considerably. He got up and went with Shen Jianan to work by the sewing machine. Gu Yu looked up at them once, then continued bending over the desk to write the report letter.

Time flashed by. Two hours later, he finally set down his pen, then stood and shook out his aching arms as he called to them with a smile, "Done. Come take a look."

The two hurriedly set down their work and walked quickly over. Gu Yu spread the denunciation letter flat on the table and tapped the paper with his finger.

"It's all written in Brother Cheng's voice. Read it carefully over the next couple of days and try to memorize what's in it, so nothing goes wrong when you report the case."

"Mm, okay."

Cheng Hu nodded, his eyes already glued to the denunciation letter. The two no longer disturbed him and stepped away to the side.

Gu Yu took the chance to whisper a few words in Shen Jianan's ear. Then, with a basket on his back, he silently left the small courtyard.

Meanwhile, Shen Jianan sat at the table and began writing. He had received his manuscript payment two or three days ago, but he had yet to write the latter half of Hot-Blooded Struggle in the Seventies or the wuxia novel he had been thinking about for so long. Since he had time now, he needed to finish them quickly so he could mail them off when he went to town in a few days.

At the same time, after Zhao Xiufen and her younger brother boarded the bus to the city, they remembered that they had not obtained letters of introduction. The two immediately grew nervous.

They had been dressed neatly and were not very old, so as long as they said nothing, no one would have thought there was anything wrong with them.

Who would have thought that, because they felt too guilty, they kept looking around in every direction and cowering nervously? Instead, they successfully drew the Public Order Team's attention and were stopped on the spot.

"Where are you two going? Let us see your letters of introduction."

The moment they heard that, both of them went numb. Their faces visibly turned pale, while Zhao Jiaming was so frightened that he began crying, babbling incoherently that he wanted to find his grandparents.

The Public Order Team did not care whom they wanted to find. Without a letter of introduction, even the Jade Emperor would be useless. In the end, because the siblings could not produce one, they were taken to the Public Order Team.

The amusing part was that it had originally only been a routine inquiry. If there had been no serious problem, they would merely have received a reprimand, and the team could have called Red Flag Commune and asked them to pass word to the brigade cadres to come collect them.

But whether they were too scared or wanted to win sympathy so the Public Order Team would release them sooner, the two muddleheadedly spilled a great deal about their father, older brother, uncle, and aunt being wrongly arrested and taken to the Public Security Bureau.

Having no other choice, they had thought of going to the city hospital to find their grandparents and ask people from the village for help. The Public Order Team members felt sympathetic when they heard this and thought the siblings rather pitiful.

As for the educated youth named Shen Jianan, although they found the name somewhat familiar, they still formed a bad impression of someone they had never met.

They immediately called Red Flag Commune, intending to put in a good word for the siblings and support them. Yet when Lei Zhensheng heard what they said, his face flushed crimson with anger. Without caring whether the other side held higher authority than he did, he began cursing into the phone.

"Are you people so full that you've got nothing better to do? Would comrades at the Public Security Bureau just casually frame people?

"Their parents tried to scheme against someone and failed, then turned around and falsely accused two educated youths. Afterward, the Public Security Bureau comrades found that their thinking was impure and their conduct improper.

"These two children are something else. They haven't learned anything useful, but they've learned to lie ten times over! Since you love meddling so much, let them stay at the Public Order Team for a few extra days and clear their heads!"

After saying that, he did not give them any chance to explain and slammed the phone down with a bang.

The Public Order Team members were all stunned. By the time they came back to their senses, there was nothing but a piercing busy tone on the other end. They were furious and felt that Lei Zhensheng had been far too rude.

At the same time, they came to resent Zhao Xiufen and her brother, feeling that the pair had lied through their teeth and caused the Public Order Team to lose face. They took their anger out on the siblings.

Still, they did not do anything excessive. They merely locked them up at the Public Order Team under the lofty name of making them reflect properly.

Lei Zhensheng did not take things too far either. After calming down in his office for a while, he rode his bicycle to Chaoyang Production Brigade himself and told Zhao Gang about it.

Zhao Gang was equally furious. "Since they love running to the city so much, and the Public Order Team is so warmhearted, let them stay there a few more days."

"Alright."

Lei Zhensheng nodded, then asked him, "What are you planning to do about Zhao Qiancheng's family?"

Zhao Gang glanced at him, then at Zhao Hongjun and the others. Sitting upright behind the desk, he frowned and sighed.

"We'll handle it according to the rules. Whatever the Public Security Bureau and the government say, that's what we'll do. The sins their family has committed are due to be repaid."

Lei Zhensheng nodded at that, and at last there was a trace of a smile in his eyes. These cadres were not completely muddleheaded after all. He simply said, "As long as you know what you're doing."

He then rose to take his leave and departed Chaoyang Production Brigade. At that moment, they still did not know that Qin Guangtao had already found Zhao Manjiang's father-in-law, Lin Xingguo, and told him that his family members had been arrested and taken to the Public Security Bureau.

But because he did not know the whole story or how matters had developed afterward, he only told Lin Xingguo that the four members of the Zhao Household had tried to scheme against Shen Jianan and Gu Yu so they would marry Zhao Household girls. In the end, Zhao Xiaojun had run away from home, and they had falsely accused Shen Jianan of forcing a marriage, resulting in their arrest by the Public Security Bureau.

Lin Xingguo flew into a rage on the spot. He had never expected that the Zhao brothers and his own daughter, who usually seemed clever enough, would speak so thoughtlessly when it mattered.

And that Public Security officer, Zhang Dayong, was meddling far too much. As for Shen Jianan, he simply did not know what was good for him. It was only a small matter, and it had not even succeeded. An apology should have settled it. Yet they had turned it into a formal case investigation—wasn't that a slap in his face?

"I'll handle this. After you go back, tell Qiancheng's wife and children to stay home properly these days and not go around talking nonsense.

"Once I find someone to put in a word and go through the motions, Qiancheng and Jianguo can return home in a few days. As for that Public Security officer and educated youth who harmed them... Hmph! I won't let them have an easy time."

His face abruptly darkened, while Qin Guangtao was overjoyed.

With Lin Xingguo's assurance, he no longer needed to beg people everywhere. He stood to bid the man farewell, then left the Lin Household, intending to ride home.

But he had not expected that things would go so smoothly that he became overly excited and rode too fast, nearly crashing into Zhong Ning, who had just emerged from around a corner.

Fortunately, Zhong Ning's friend reacted quickly and yanked him aside. Otherwise, the bicycle wheel would have slammed right into his leg.

Qin Guangtao broke out in a cold sweat on the spot. He hurriedly braked and apologized. After all, the people living around the Food Factory Compound were either wealthy or influential, with connections of one sort or another. Offending even one of them would leave him unable to bear the consequences.

"It's fine. You didn't hit anyone, so just go."

Zhong Ning smiled and waved him off. This man clearly was not a Food Factory employee, so he must have come to visit relatives. Why make things difficult for him?

But his friend Liu Chen was not so easygoing. He stubbornly held Qin Guangtao back and gave him a thorough scolding. Why? Because Qin Guangtao had ridden out from the courtyard of Lin Xingguo's home up ahead. In other words, he was Lin Xingguo's relative.

That old bastard and Liu Chen's grandfather, Liu Zhihe, were sworn enemies. Back then, Lin Xingguo had merely been a lowly Food Factory employee. Liu Zhihe had promoted him to deputy factory director.

Yet not only had that bastard failed to repay kindness with gratitude, he had instead sabotaged Liu Zhihe while he was ill. In the end, a batch of goods from the Food Factory had developed problems. Fortunately, Liu Zhihe discovered it in time and remedied the situation, preventing a major disaster.

Even so, he had been severely criticized and disciplined by the higher-ups. And that was not the end of it. A few years later, when Liu Chen's mother had just become pregnant with her second child, her immediate superior—Lin Xingguo's son, Lin Xiangdong—had made trouble for her at work, nearly causing her to miscarry.

From then on, the two families had been at odds. Whether it was the two men themselves or their children and grandchildren, whenever they met on the road, even from three meters apart they would hurl veiled insults and roll their eyes at each other.

So how could Liu Chen pass up such a chance to make trouble for the Lin Household? Qin Guangtao did not understand what was going on. Though he was furious inside, he did not dare say much and could only apologize over and over.

In the end, the commotion between the three grew so loud that it drew out both Lin Xingguo and Liu Zhihe. The moment the two old men met, they immediately went at each other.

Liu Zhihe cursed Lin Xingguo for being shameless and black-hearted, saying even his relative had no eyes, riding a broken bicycle around the compound like he owned the place and not fearing he might hit someone else's child.

Lin Xingguo, meanwhile, cursed him as an old bastard who still had not climbed into his coffin despite his age. He also cursed Liu Chen for having no upbringing and picking on country people whenever he saw them.

Qin Guangtao, "..."

Why did it feel like, no matter how the two cursed each other, they were both cursing him? Yet he did not dare say anything and could only keep apologizing. No one paid him any attention.

Later, the commotion grew louder and louder, attracting a large crowd of onlookers. Seeing that the Liu and Lin families were fighting again, everyone hurried forward to persuade them to stop. Only then did the two old men call off their banners and beat their drums.

"Old bastard."

Lin Xingguo panted as he muttered the curse, then waved to Qin Guangtao. "Guangtao, head back first. I'll have someone send you word in a few days."

He and Liu Zhihe glared at each other once more, then both turned away and returned to their own small courtyards. As for Zhong Ning, upon hearing the name "Guangtao," his heart began beating like a drum. Once the onlookers had dispersed, he quickly put on a smile and asked, "Brother, are you Captain Qin from the Militia Company?"

"Yes."

Qin Guangtao nodded. Then, remembering what had just happened, he assumed Zhong Ning meant to cause trouble. His face fell at once, and he asked warily, "What do you want?"

"Please don't misunderstand."

Zhong Ning smiled and waved his hand. "I asked because I know Wang Qiang from the Militia Company. We drank together before, and he said you usually take good care of him. When I heard that man call your name just now, I asked casually."

"Oh!"

Qin Guangtao nodded. There really was someone named Wang Qiang in the Militia Company, and the man worked under him, so he relaxed somewhat.

Still, Zhong Ning had caused him to suffer just now, so he did not want to engage with him much. He merely gave a lukewarm "Yes," then rode away from the compound without looking back.

Liu Chen glared at the departing figure, then turned to his friend. "What mischief are you plotting now?"

Zhong Ning shook his head with a laugh, then adopted a serious expression and replied, "It's not mischief. It's punishing evil and promoting good."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "Maybe it can even help your family bring someone down."

He lifted his chin toward the Lin Household courtyard. Liu Chen's eyes immediately lit up, and he repeatedly said, "Alright. If there's anything you need, just give the word."

Zhong Ning raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I just finish talking to Li Hao before coming to find you?"

The moment Liu Chen heard that, he dragged Zhong Ning toward his home. "Then what are we waiting for? Get inside."