Chapter 9

"He helped us out a lot before."

"Shanhu, do you trust me?" Gu Jinshui asked.

Shanhu nodded, of course.

He was five or six years younger than Gu Jinshui. Though tall and sturdy, he had been through plenty of hardship. His parents had died young, and his heartless older brother had taken over the family home. Once his brother married, neither he nor his wife could stand feeding Shanhu, so they threw him out.

If Gu Jinshui hadn't taken Shanhu in back then, who knew where he would have ended up?

"If you trust me, do as I say." Gu Jinshui narrowed his eyes. "Listen. Here's what you'll do in a minute..."

Not far away.

Zhang Dabiao watched Gu Jinshui and Shanhu carry their things into the Compound Courtyard. Delighted, he slapped his thigh. "Good!"

"You've got a knack for this, kid!"

"Cousin, you flatter me." Sun Yaozu beamed. "If you hadn't given me a chance, I'd be nowhere today."

Sun Yaozu's praise nearly went to Zhang Dabiao's head.

But Zhang Dabiao hadn't forgotten what mattered.

Sun Yaozu was a schemer. He was the one who had suggested going undercover with Gu Jinshui in the first place.

"Enough. Hurry up and call the police."

Sun Yaozu answered and ran to a phone booth to report it.

At dusk.

Every household was busy making dinner. It was still early in the year, so people were eating fairly well.

Guo Qiang, the Compound Courtyard's Courtyard Chief, was eating Pork Stewed with Pickled Cabbage when he heard someone outside say, "Oh! Why are the police here?"

Guo Qiang's sons immediately came out with their bowls to see what was happening. Several officers strode in.

Guo Qiang hurried out to meet them. "What brings you here, officers?"

The officers exchanged glances. One asked, "And you are?"

"I'm the Courtyard Chief here," Guo Qiang said quickly. "Has someone in our courtyard done something wrong?"

"We received a report that a man named Gu Jinshui in this courtyard stole steel from the Steel Factory. Is that true?"

"Oh, Gu Jinshui? That boy loafs around all day. I knew this would happen sooner or later," Widow An from the front courtyard said through gritted teeth.

"That's not fair. Gu Jinshui may be a bit of a layabout, but he doesn't seem the type. Officers, could there be some misunderstanding?" Old Sun said.

The officer looked around at everyone. "We can't draw any conclusions yet. We'll have to search for evidence."

"Come to think of it, didn't Gu Jinshui carry a sack of something home just now?"

Huang Xirong spoke as though the thought had only just occurred to her.

"A sack of what?" the officer asked.

"I couldn't say. It looked awfully heavy, though. If you're going to search, you'd better get to it."

The officers looked at Guo Qiang.

"They live in the back courtyard," Guo Qiang said. "I'll show you the way."

The officers nodded. The neighbors followed to watch the excitement. Zhang Dabiao wasn't about to miss seeing Gu Jinshui brought low, so he pushed into the crowd and went along.

In the back courtyard.

Gu Yousi was drinking milk when she heard the commotion outside. Her heart sank, and she grew frantic.

Gu Jinshui was still taking his time over his Noodles with Bean Sauce. When Guo Qiang and the others came in, he even took another bite of chilled radish salad.

"Gu Jinshui, you've been caught, and you still have the nerve to eat!"

Huang Xirong looked at the dishes on the Gu family's table, her eyes nearly red with envy.

Her family had had a miserable New Year. Lin Lianhua's wages had gone toward compensating Bai Xiaoyan, leaving the family to live on Song Jianshe's and Song Mei's pay. Both were tightfisted. Even their New Year dumplings had contained only a few specks of minced meat.

"Bullshit!" He Chunlian slapped the table, stood, and pointed at Huang Xirong. "What are you talking about? My son hasn't done a thing wrong. Caught doing what? I'd say your son's the one who's in trouble!"

"Why, you—"

Huang Xirong reeled with anger.

Her eyes darted toward the officers. "Ask them. If your Jinshui hadn't done something crooked, why would the police be here?"

The officer frowned. Though displeased, he stepped forward. "Are you Comrade Gu Jinshui?"

"That's me." Gu Jinshui nodded and set down his bowl and chopsticks.

"Someone reported that you stole materials from the Steel Factory and that they're in your home. We need to search it. Any objections?"

The officers had braced themselves for Gu Jinshui to resist.

But.

To their surprise, Gu Jinshui said, "I know I'm innocent, but I also know you officers have a job to do. Go ahead and search."

"Fine words. Don't deny everything when they find it!" Huang Xirong said sarcastically.

"Mom." Song Jianshe pushed up his glasses. "Don't say that. We're neighbors. There's no need to hurt people's feelings."

"Hurt their feelings? If someone did it, they shouldn't be afraid to admit it."

Huang Xirong curled her lip.

"Huang Xirong has a point. If there's a thief in our Compound, it'll be a disgrace to all of us."

"And stealing from the Steel Factory? That's stealing from the state!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

"Officers, please search," Gu Jinshui said. "It'll clear my name. You heard them. Someone made a baseless report, and now my reputation's ruined."

Grief spread across Gu Jinshui's face.

Anyone who didn't know better might have thought he was genuinely upset.

The officer nodded. "Don't worry. We won't wrong an innocent man. If we find nothing, we'll make that clear."

"Thank you." Gu Jinshui looked deeply moved and gestured for them to proceed. "Please, search."

The officers split up to search the home.

The Gu family's place was large, but it only had three main rooms. One was the sitting room; the rooms on either side were spacious. The kitchen was a shed built outside. They were better off than most of their neighbors, but there was still only so much space. After searching carefully several times, the officers came back out.

"Well, officers?" Huang Xirong hurried over.

Song Mei, who had just gotten off work, stood behind her mother, gazing at the officers with eager eyes.

The officers spread their hands. "We found nothing."

"That's impossible!"

The words burst out of Song Mei, disbelief plain on her face.

"Why is it impossible?" Gu Jinshui looked at Song Mei. "Do you know whether I'm innocent better than the officers do?"

The Eleventh Day of Being Overheard

Song Mei didn't dare answer that.

"Well, didn't everyone say they saw you carry in a Fertilizer Sack just now?" she said vaguely.

Gu Jinshui laughed.

He dragged a sack out of the kitchen. It was heavy and landed with a thud. "Is this the one?"

"That's the sack!" Widow An nodded emphatically.

Gu Jinshui scoffed, crouched to open it, and tipped it over. Dirt-covered sweet potatoes rolled across the ground.

"Oh! Why is it full of sweet potatoes?"

Widow An stared, her mouth falling open.

The Song family looked baffled. Song Jianshe turned to Song Mei. "What's going on?"

I don't know, Song Mei answered with a look.

She glanced instinctively at Zhang Dabiao, but he looked even more shocked than they did.

"Officers, does this prove I'm innocent?"

Gu Jinshui stood, looking a little helpless. "Buying sweet potatoes isn't a crime, is it? How did that become stealing state property?"

The officer looked embarrassed. "There's been a misunderstanding. Comrade Gu is indeed innocent."

"You all heard that, didn't you?" Gu Jinshui looked around. "If I hear anyone spreading rumors about me, I'll ask the officers to set things straight."

Everyone whose gaze met his looked awkward and quickly glanced away.

Gu Jinshui's lips curved. Then he turned back. "Officers, there is something I'd like to report."

"What is it?"

The officer paused in surprise.

Gu Jinshui raised a hand and pointed toward the Song family. "I got up last night and saw someone from their household sneaking home with a sack of something. I suspect they're the ones who really stole the steel!"

"Bullshit!" Huang Xirong exploded, pointing at Gu Jinshui. "Our family's clean! We're not like yours, with not one decent person under your roof!"

Gu Jinshui gave a disdainful laugh.

"Auntie Huang, you can't decide for yourselves whether you're innocent, can you?"

Song Jianshe frowned and adjusted his glasses. "Gu Jinshui, are you trying to get back at us by making false accusations?"

"I wouldn't say that." Gu Jinshui waved his hands and looked at the officers. "Since you're already here, why not search and settle the matter?"

He Chunlian, who had said little until now, spoke up. "That's right. A search would be best. If the Song family has nothing to hide, they won't mind."

The crowd thought that made sense.

The Courtyard Chief clasped his hands behind his back. "Officers, please look into it. If there's nothing there, you can clear the whole Compound's name."

The officers had wanted to avoid more trouble, but with everyone saying the same thing, it would look wrong not to search.

They were already here anyway. They might as well do it.

"Please cooperate," an officer said to Song Jianshe.

Song Jianshe's face went ashen, but he nodded. After giving Gu Jinshui a hard stare, he led everyone out.

The crowd followed to watch.

The Gu Family Members went along too. Gu Yinxing had no idea what was happening, but the smile that had stayed on her older brother's face told her someone was in for trouble.

The Song family's East Wing Room was no small place either. It had three rooms.

But the moment everyone stepped inside, the stench hit them so hard they nearly threw up.

"Good grief, what's that smell in here?" Widow An covered her nose with her sleeve, her voice full of disgust.

Huang Xirong glared at her. "What smell? A few of my grandson's diapers haven't been washed yet, that's all. Babies' mess is clean enough!"

Everyone felt like gagging.

Anyone who claimed a baby's mess was clean had clearly never cared for one. Anyone who had knew the stink was enough to count as a biohazard.

And the smell in the room surely came from more than a few diapers. Washing them in the dead of winter meant freezing hands, while heating water took coal. The Song family had probably let the filthy things pile up for days.

"What's in that sack?"

Someone suddenly pointed to a sack beside the heated bed in the main room.

The officers looked over. One strode across, opened the sack, peered inside, then lifted and shook it. Metal clanged within.

Everyone in the room froze and turned toward Song Jianshe's family.

"That—that sack isn't ours." Song Jianshe hurried over. "Officers, we've never seen it before!"

The officers exchanged glances. The one holding the sack looked at him. "It's in your home, and you say you've never seen it?"

"We really haven't!" Sweat broke out all over Song Jianshe's face despite the winter cold. He looked at Gu Jinshui, saw his mischievous grin, and a thought flashed through his mind.

"It was him! He planted it to frame me!"

"Yes, Gu Jinshui must have done it." Song Mei caught on just as quickly. "Officers, ask around. Our family has always had a good reputation. Gu Jinshui's the one who's always up to no good!"

"Song Mei." He Chunlian's face darkened. "You're responsible for what you say. If you claim my Jinshui's up to no good, tell me what bad things he's done. Give me a single example and I'll accept it. If you can't, shut your mouth!"

"Your Jinshui's always causing trouble! So what?" Huang Xirong shouted, spittle flying. "He loafs around all day like a Street Hoodlum. Who would respect him?"

"Jinshui has a few minor faults,"

Liang Ying said evenly, "but that's better than keeping quiet while stealing from the Steel Factory. Officers, I doubt this was their first time, was it?"

The officer nodded. "The Steel Factory said things have been stolen several times, but they could never catch the thief. We'll take these items back"