Time: 2010-11-2112:02:41 Words: 19057
thirty-fourth
"Oh, oh, oh!" The rooster of the villagers next to the township government raised its head and let out a high-pitched cry. Immediately after, the rooster of the surrounding villages also began to crow one after another. The sound of the dawn echoed loudly over the quiet fields.
The kerosene lamp in the west wing of the township government was still lit. The small blue-rimmed porcelain bowl on the desk was filled with cigarette ash and cigarette butts. The cigarette butt that had been forgotten to extinguish was still smoking. Zhang Haitao didn't sleep the whole night. He was busy sorting out the investigation materials about the death of Gong Laifa's township head. He lit another cigarette and put it in his mouth. He picked up the thermos bottle and filled the porcelain teacup with water.
Zhang Haitao had been here for two days to investigate. He was busy during the day and stayed up late at night. It was tough enough. He was in the province for a public security meeting. Three days ago, Zhu Leqing rushed to Hangzhou to find him, saying that the county had decided to arrest Luo Yuzhen on charges of wildly pleading injustice for the counter-revolution. The county wanted Zhu Leqing to handle the case again. He knew that the bureau chief was suspicious of Hua Shiliang's case. He had read the relevant files and felt that something was amiss. Some people in the county even requested to arrest Hua Shijie, but it was Mayor Wang Fuxing who insisted on it and came to report to the bureau chief for instructions. Zhang Haitao thought that although the national campaign to suppress the counter-revolution had entered a climax, he could not blindly attack the controversial people. He felt that the situation was serious. Anyway, the meeting was about to end, so he asked for leave and returned to D City with Zhu Leqing.
Zhang Haitao passed by the entrance of the Nature photography studio and was dragged in for dinner by Xia Xinfa. He did not stand on ceremony and pulled Zhu Leqing into the photo studio. Xia Xinfa was put in a difficult position. He wanted to tell Zhang Haitao what Gong Laifa's family member, Zhou Xuemei, said to him during dinner, but seeing that Zhu Leqing was there, he didn't say much. Xia Xinfa wanted to propose a toast, but Zhang Haitao said that he had something to do today and would come back another day to have a few drinks. Zhang Haitao had just put down his bowl when he let Xia Xinfa go to the studio. Xia Xinfa told Zhang Haitao everything that Zhou Xuemei had said about Gong Laifa dying from typhoid fever and not from a good doctor. This was the best clue to break through the case. Zhang Haitao complained that his senior brother should not have said it so late. Xia Xinfa said that he had already looked for you a few times, but he couldn't find you. They were either in meetings or on business trips. I'm about to suffocate to death. Junior Brother, oh Junior Brother, it's not that I'm trying to cover up for Luo Yuzhen. She's a good person. It's tragic enough that her husband died. Please let her go. His senior brother had clearly begged him, and Zhang Haitao had also said clearly that whether he would let go or not depended on Hua Shiliang's case. If he was really wronged, not only would he let go, but he would also have to apologize to Luo Yuzhen.
Zhang Haitao returned to the station and carefully read the investigation reports of the two investigation teams on Hua Shiliang's medical case. After discussing with Zhu Leqing for a while, they all felt that the investigation team's conclusion of "intentional medical death" lacked evidence and was too far-fetched. He decided to investigate Gong Laifa's family first, then carefully follow the clues to find out the truth and distinguish between right and wrong. Recently, there were many cases and he was busy with work. Zhang Haitao left Zhu Leqing in the bureau to handle the case and let him personally investigate.
Zhang Haitao had just walked into his room when he saw Wang Fuxing sitting there smoking and drinking. He had heard that the bureau chief had returned, so he had taken some time off to rush over. Zhang Haitao understood that Wang Fuxing was a busy man and would not visit him for no reason. He handed her a cigarette and asked what was going on. Mayor Wang smiled but didn't say anything. Zhang Haitao reacted and asked his son to bring his homework downstairs to the dining room. After Jianmin left, Wang Fuxing said that he had come to discuss the matter between Hua Shijie and the Hua family. He said that Hua Shijie had only told the story of the Daoguang period that was talked about in D City, and that he had performed well in the study class. However, Jia Jinshi proposed to arrest Hua Shijie to the county magistrate. Even if Hua Shiliang is really a counter-revolutionary, we can't implicate him. Today, I'm here to hear your opinion. Isn't this a right-wing move? Zhang Haitao immediately expressed his opinion,"You did the right thing!" If County Head Zhou wants to bring this up again, just say that I, Zhang Haitao, said this: "We won't implicate anyone! He didn't agree to arrest Hua Shijie! Wang Fuxing always thought of himself as a person who fumbled for experience in practice. When he encountered new things and new problems, he would consult the old revolutionary when Zhang Haitao was around. If he was not around, he would act boldly based on his own intuition and ask Zhang Haitao to evaluate him afterwards. Now that he heard Zhang Haitao supporting him, he felt at ease. If the county head brought up this matter again, not only would he not push the blame onto Zhang Haitao, he would also pat his chest and say,"I just want to uphold the party's principles and not implicate others!" When Wang Fuxing mentioned Hua Shiliang's case, he said that Lu Chunhua from the Yue opera troupe told him that the wife of the township head, Gong Laifa, did not admit that it was Hua Shiliang's doctor who killed Gong Laifa. She clearly died of typhoid fever. You're the chief police officer. Why don't you investigate it? Zhang Haitao said that we were thinking the same thing and that we would set off tomorrow morning. Finally, Wang Fuxing told Zhang Haitao that there was an architect named Meng Miaoquan. He was very knowledgeable. The old society was oppressive, and he had been trapped in the countryside. Now, he had entered the city to start his old business. The architect was indeed skilled. The theater he designed and built was about to be completed, and even the architects in Hangzhou praised it for saving labor and materials, beautiful and practical. Three days ago, Meng Miaoquan told him that Hua Shiliang's case was not just a case of injustice, but that this case showed that people like Jia Jinshi had a serious problem with their bureaucratism. Jia Jinshi and the others insisted on the wrong tendency, which damaged the glorious image of the party. As a revolutionary cadre, he must adhere to the party's principles and fight resolutely against this kind of bureaucratism. Wang Fuxing had an excellent memory, and he repeated in detail Meng Miaoquan's conversation with this argument. Wang Fuxing also shared his thoughts. He said that although Meng Miaoquan was currently a non-party person, as a member of the people, he could see that the bureaucratism of individual party members had a negative impact on our cause. He suggested that we should fight against the bureaucratism, which was worthy of our attention. So today, I personally request you to conduct a detailed investigation of Hua Shiliang's case. Chief Zhang, do you think I'm a little right-leaning? Zhang Haitao also felt that Meng Miaoquan's suggestion was in line with the spirit of the party's Rectification. As for Meng Miaoquan's purpose of mentioning this, it was just to reverse the verdict for the Hua family. If Hua Shiliang was indeed wronged, then Meng Miaoquan's suggestion was correct, because the root cause of this unjust case was the bureaucratism of Jia Jinshi and the others, so it should be raised to such a high level of principle to deal with the matter behind this case. If Hua Shiliang was not wronged, Meng Miaoquan's statement was also inaccurate. Zhang Haitao only smiled at Wang Fuxing and said,"The key is to see if Hua Shiliang's case is innocent. Before this case is cleared up, you'd better not talk to others about your attitude towards Meng Miaoquan.”They talked about other things for a while. When it was already past eleven o'clock, Wang Fuxing took his leave. Zhang Haitao went downstairs and went to the dining room. When he saw his son leaning on the dining table and sleeping soundly, he carried his son upstairs with heartache. He carefully placed his son on the bed, gently took off his clothes and put down the mosquito net.
Zhang Haitao arrived at the government office of Shidu township, where Gong Laifa was located, at around nine o'clock the next morning. He discussed the investigation with the township head, Qian Shailian. The township head arranged for the public security officers to accompany him to Gong Laifa. Unexpectedly, Gong Laifa's widow, Zhou Xuemei, saw that the police chief had personally come to investigate the cause of her husband's death. She remembered the words of Comrade Zhao from the county a few days ago and panicked. She insisted that it was a good doctor who killed her husband. The county's counter-revolution was correct. Zhang Haitao didn't believe that his timid senior brother would lie about such a serious matter, so he said to Zhou Xuemei," Didn't you tell the people who came to take photos?" However, Zhou Xuemei denied it. Zhang Haitao saw her flustered expression and guessed that something was wrong. He no longer asked and walked out of Gong Laifa's house with the police officers.
After lunch, Zhang Haitao and the security officers went to visit every house in the village. The neighbor reported that when Gong Laifa first fell ill, he had asked Zhu Shaomei, an old Chinese doctor in a small town three miles away, to feel his pulse and prescribe a prescription. After taking a few patches of Chinese medicine, his condition worsened, so he was sent to the city to ask Doctor Hua to treat him. Doctor Hua had been here a few times and seemed to have recovered a little, but for some reason, he had been beaten again.
It was almost dark. Zhang Haitao and the security officers did not have time to eat dinner. They rushed to Zhu Shaomei's house to inquire. The old Chinese doctor saw that it was the police who came to ask, and he was frightened. He denied that he had treated Gong Laifa. Zhang Haitao didn't force him. He asked the security officer to call the neighbors who reported the situation over for a confrontation. In front of the witness, the old Chinese doctor could only admit that he had explained Gong Lai's illness and his diagnosis and prescription clearly, and concluded that Gong Lai was undoubtedly suffering from typhoid fever. Zhang Haitao asked Zhu Shaomei to write down the situation. Then, he went to the Chinese medicine shop in this small town to check on the few prescription papers that Zhu Shaomei had prescribed at that time.
When Zhang Haitao returned to the township government, it was already late at night. He did not sleep after dinner. He took out the prescription and materials written by the old Chinese doctor and carefully read them. He even compared them with the medical records written by Hua Shiliang. Although Chinese medicine and Western medicine each had their own prescriptions, the observation and diagnosis of the disease were almost the same. This meant that the illness Gong Lai had suffered from was indeed typhoid fever. It proved that Hua Shiliang had not misdiagnosed the patient. But why did Gong Laifa's widow insist that it was the good doctor who died? According to Luo Yuzhen's complaint, not only did the Hua family confiscate the medical expenses, but they also borrowed money from Zhou Xuemei to send Gong Lai to Hangzhou. Then why wasn't Zhou Xuemei grateful at all? Xia Xinfa wouldn't lie, so why did Zhou Xuemei change her mind? Even though he had bitten her to death, why did he look so pained and panicked? -- There might be someone behind this!
"Opposite neighbor is a mirror, next door neighbor is a pole.”Zhang Haitao visited Zhou Xuemei's neighbors. Who did Zhou Xuemei have dealings with? The neighbors all said that Zhou Xuemei was a loyal and honest person. She had always been diligent and thrifty at home. After the man died, he didn't even return to his mother's house. During the day, he worked in the fields and took care of his children when he returned home. Usually, he would not gossip or make trouble in front of others. However, the village chief's daughter remembered that a cadre had come by and said that he was here to sympathize with the cadre's family. He sat at Zhou Xuemei's house for two to three hours before returning to the city.
Zhang Haitao went to look for Zhou Xuemei. She admitted that a self-proclaimed county cadre, Comrade Zhao, had come to express his condolences. He even said that he was a good friend of Gong Laifa's former township head. After giving him some money, he left without even eating. He didn't say anything. Zhang Haitao didn't believe it and didn't ask further. He only said,""I heard that Hua Shiliang treats you well.”Zhou Xuemei lowered her head with a look of panic and shame. She then said,"Think about it carefully. I live in the township government. You can come and find me at any time.”He left Gong Lai to make a fortune.
Zhang Haitao returned to the township government and talked to the township head Qian Shailian about the county's cadre surnamed Zhao. The township head said that he knew all the county officials. Usually, he would come to the village for a visit. Besides, there were only two Zhaos in the county who were very close to him. He had the same thought as Zhang Haitao. There must be something wrong with this Zhao guy. Zhou Xuemei would be even more nervous if he went there right after he had just arrived. It was better to let her think about it again. Honest people would always tell the truth in the end.
After dinner, Zhou Xuemei took the initiative to look for Zhang Haitao. Before she could speak, she was trembling in panic. Zhang Haitao poured her a glass of water. She felt very embarrassed. Her lips moved, but she couldn't say the word " thank you ". Her face was full of depression and panic. Zhang Haitao chatted with her for a while. Seeing that she had relaxed, he asked her,"Is there something you need?"
Zhou Xuemei suddenly said,"Chief Zhang, I've let Doctor Hua and Teacher Mother Hua down!……”She sobbed.
Zhang Haitao comforted her. After a while, she said that her husband had indeed died of typhoid fever. When she was sick, she asked Zhu Shaomei to treat her. Her condition only worsened. She was afraid that something bad would happen, so she sent her to the county town. Please ask Hua Shiliang for treatment. Doctor Hua saw that her illness was critical and advised her to send her to Hangzhou. Her husband and wife were worried that they did not have the money, so they begged Dr. Hua to treat them. After using Doctor Hua's medicine, she was gradually getting better. That day, she went to the fields to work. Her husband was hungry and ate a bowl of cold rice. His illness relapsed again. Doctor Hua said that he was helpless. He lent her money and asked her to send him to Hangzhou as soon as possible. He even personally escorted her. Unfortunately, he died on the way. She had indeed told Master Xia about this before. That time, when Comrade Zhao came to express his condolences, he also mentioned Doctor Hua's matter. I also told Comrade Zhao what was said above. After he heard it, he repeatedly blamed me for not telling the county in time. The case had long been decided. Besides, if it was not a good doctor who died, it would be equivalent to sheltering a counter-revolutionary and would be sentenced. From now on, no matter who asks you, you can only insist that it was a good doctor who died. Otherwise, if you go against the county, no one can save you. I'm the only one left at home with my two children. My daughter is only eight years old and my son is only five years old. If I go to jail, what will happen to these two children? I could only harden my heart. But thinking about it carefully, Doctor Hua's family treated us too well. Up until now, they have not even returned a single cent of the medical expenses and the money they borrowed. Why did I have to bite Doctor Hua and make them suffer? People couldn't do things that went against their conscience. The more they thought about it, the more regretful they became. A child has a child's life. He can't come and confess to you because he harmed his benefactor for his own child. She knelt down and begged,"Chief Zhang, if I don't tell the truth, I won't be able to live with my conscience. If I tell the truth, I'll harm the poor child. I've been a clean person all my life and have never harmed anyone. He could do whatever he wanted. I only hope that you can look at Gong Laifa's face and take care of these two poor children. They were not guilty. After all, they were Gong Laifa's flesh and blood. Don't let him die in peace. Chief Zhang, please take care of the child!”He kowtowed repeatedly.
"Get up!" Zhang Haitao helped her up and said,"You didn't do anything wrong! You told the truth and helped us clear the air. We still have to thank you. In the future, don't be fooled by others. You have to tell the truth at all times.”
Zhang Haitao read his statement to Zhou Xuemei and asked,"Is there any difference?"
"It's like this," Zhou Xuemei said."I'm telling the truth.”
Zhang Haitao asked Zhou Xuemei to put her fingerprint on the statement. Gu Ahtu from the kitchen brought supper. salted vegetables, braised steamed taro. He wanted Zhou Xuemei to sit down and eat with him. By the time he sent her off, it was already past one in the middle of the night. He then sat down to sort out the investigation materials for the past two days…
The roosters were still crowing from far and near, and the sky was already beginning to brighten. Zhang Haitao put the investigation materials neatly into his faded military backpack. He blew out the kerosene lamp. He hung his backpack on his shoulder and left the room. All the other comrades were still asleep. Only Gu Ahtu, who was cooking, was smoking and drinking tea in the kitchen. Most of the old farmers here had the habit of getting up early in the night and holding lanterns to go to the small tea shop in the town to have morning tea. When Gu Ahtu woke up and saw that Zhang Haitao was still working, he boiled some water and made some congee. He didn't rush to the tea shop. When Zhang Haitao walked into the kitchen, Gu Ahtu had already prepared a bowl of hot water for him to wash his face. When he was done brushing his teeth and washing his face, a bowl of hot rice porridge and green peppers with pickled vegetables was already on the table.
When Zhang Haitao sat down to eat the congee, Gu Ahtu also sat down on the bench opposite the dining table. He picked up a slender bamboo pipe and sizzled as he smoked. "Chief Zhang, I have something to ask you.”
Zhang Haitao looked at the old man in his sixties with a smile. He thought to himself," I've been here for two days. Every time I eat, he always greets me enthusiastically, but I've never heard him say a word." The township head said that he was a lonely old man who couldn't get a fart out of three shots. If anyone made him angry, he wouldn't make a fuss. He would lock the kitchen door, take the long pipe, sit on the stone threshold at the door, and smoke for a long time. He wouldn't cook for you, nor would he let you enter the kitchen to cook. If you wanted to make him laugh, he would dig out his heart and lungs for you to eat. Seeing that he had opened his mouth, Zhang Haitao must have something important to say, so he said,"Old man, I can also be said to be your son. If you want to beat or scold me, it's up to you. What else can't you say?”
Gu Atu was amused. He thought that the bureau chief was kind and magnanimous, so he said,"Chief, I want to ask you, are you going to vindicate Doctor Hua in the city this time?”
Zhang Haitao said,"This depends on the truth of the matter. If it's an injustice, it has to be settled. If it's not, it can't be settled." The Great Party pays attention to seeking truth from facts."
Gu Ahtu sizzled as he smoked a pipe. He thought for a moment and said,"I think this case is unjust!" He knocked the pipe on the ground, put in an old cigarette, lit it up, and took a puff."I've never asked for a doctor or taken any medicine in my life. I've never dated Dr. Hua. When that township head Gong was sick, I often went to his house and only saw Doctor Hua a few times. He was a good person and treated his illness seriously. He didn't seem like a ruthless person. He should blame himself for the death of township head Gong, and how could he eat cold rice overnight when he was ill with typhoid fever? -- Yesterday, I heard you guys talking about that person with the surname Zhao. Zhou Xuemei really can't figure it out, but I know that this person's surname isn't Zhao, but Hu Deyuan. He asked me for directions that day. He might not recognize me, but I do. Even if they were burned to ashes, I would still be able to recognize them. He had been a curator in the old society. At that time, when I was cooking at the restaurant, he would eat a bowl of noodles with shredded pork and spinach as supper every day. He didn't have to pay for it. The lady boss only wanted him to tell a good story. In fact, he had already hooked up with the lady boss. It was said that he was smarter than the boss in that matter. At that time, I suspected that Hu Deyuan was here to seduce Zhou Xuemei, so I quietly went to Xuemei's pig shed to eavesdrop. Don't think that I'm old, but I'm not deaf or blind. When I heard that she wanted Xuemei to insist that it was Dr. Hua, I was so angry that my stomach swelled. He didn't cook dinner when he came back, so everyone went hungry. The township head asked me why? [I wanted to say it, but I didn't. Since it's something the government has decided, I'm telling the heavens if I say it!] But I've been holding this in for so long that it's killing me. When I saw you coming, I paid attention to you. Only then did he see the truth. It was too late last night, so I wanted you to rest a little longer. He had been busy for two days. It was hard enough. Since you're leaving today, I have to say it. If Hu Deyuan wanted Xuemei to do this, Doctor Hua must have been wronged. If I say something wrong, you can punish me."
Zhang Haitao thought that Hu Deyuan was from the Culture and Health Department and the leader of the second investigation team. He changed his name to visit Xuemei. His purpose was obvious. He really wanted to cover it up. Now, it could be concluded that Hua Shiliang's case was innocent. He said to Gu Atu,"Not only will I not punish you, but I will also reward you."”
The red sun had risen, and the autumn fields were golden. The green leaves of the Chinese tallow trees had been dyed red and sprinkled with dew, making them look even more red and moist in the sun.
The morning in the village was a beautiful morning song. The crowing of chickens and ducks, the chirping of cows and sheep, and the chirping of birds. There was a clear river outside the township government office. It was not very wide. On the river, there were more than ten small boats with no roof. There were already many people standing on the shore. It was noisy, laughing, and fighting to get off the boat. Some of the boats had already sailed away, some were untying their chains, and some were still anxiously waiting for people. They were all busy going into D City to buy things and sell agricultural products.
Gu Atu took the oar and insisted on sending Zhang Haitao back to the city. Zhang Haitao felt bad and tried to persuade him, but he couldn't persuade Gu Atu. The head of the township advised Zhang Haitao,"Let him send it, otherwise, no one can eat in these two days." That was his temper. Sometimes I'm afraid of him too." Gu Ahtu narrowed his eyes and smiled. He had an oar, but no boat. He was not in a hurry and was biting the long bamboo pipe. He led Zhang Haitao to the river port slowly. As soon as they arrived at the river port, people shouted,"Ah Tu Bo, board our ship!" "Which ship has fewer people?" he asked unhurriedly.”He saw a woman in her fifties waving at him. He walked over and said to the woman,"Ah Xian, why did you enter the city alone again?”"He's acting up again," Ah Xian said. I'll go sell some eggs and make some medicine for him.”She saw someone following behind Ah Tu." He's-"”Ah Tu said," It's our Chief Zhang. It's fine. Get on the boat!"”
Zhang Haitao got on the boat and wanted to take the oar from Ah Xian's hand. Ah Tu refused and pushed Zhang Haitao to sit in the middle cabin. When Ah Xian sat firmly at the bow, Ah Tu pushed the boat open with the oar and jumped lightly to the stern before sitting down steadily. The boat swayed slightly. Ah Xian complained with a smile,"You're already so old, yet you're still showing off!"”
Ah Tu slowly paddled the oars, allowing the boats behind him to catch up to him. Zhang Haitao was anxious. At this speed, they must have arrived at the city for lunch, but he was too embarrassed to say it. Not long after, the boat turned out of the small river and entered the wide Qingxi River. Zhang Haitao saw Ah Tu take off the pipe he was biting and insert it into his waist. Then, he rowed the oar in his hand into the water. The boat suddenly increased in weight, and the boat sailed forward. He saw that the boats in front of him were thrown behind him one by one. The people rowing the boats in the village were all young people. They were unwilling to give up and also rowed desperately. A boat race began. The people in the boat shouted,"Come on!”"Hurry!" Ah Tu didn't paddle much, but the oars were strong. No one caught up. Some ships had already fallen far behind. Ah Tu was neither flustered nor spoke. He just smiled with narrowed eyes, feeling proud of himself. Zhang Haitao finally understood. No wonder he had asked Ah Tu to get off the boat just now.
Once they reached D City, Zhang Haitao asked Tu to go to the police station to rest. Ah Tu didn't stand on ceremony. He said to Ah Xian,"You don't have to sell eggs either. Why don't we go to Director Zhang's house as guests?"?-- What are you hesitating for? Let's go. Sit for a while and we'll go home.”
Ah Tu and Ah Xian sat in Zhang Haitao's dormitory for less than a cigarette's time. They put down the eggs and were about to leave. Zhang Haitao knew that Ah Xian was going to sell them to change the dressing, so she had to pay. Tu was so angry that he wanted to smash an egg. Zhang Haitao couldn't bear to see Ah Tu get angry, so he accepted it. He could only lie to Ah Xian and say that she would let me see the prescription. Perhaps I would have the unused prescription in my office and save him the trouble of going to the pharmacy. These two honest people believed it and gave the prescription to Zhang Haitao. He took the prescription downstairs and quickly sent someone to the pharmacy to make it. Zhang Haitao took the medicine and went upstairs. He stopped when he heard Ah Xian sobbing.
Ah Tu said," What's the rush? I've already prepared the money for you. Sit down."”
Ah Xian said,"I don't want it. You can spend it yourself." In this life, I've also dragged you down.”
"Don't say that. Don't people live for love?”
"But you don't even dare to touch me. It's been thirty years, and I've caused you so much trouble.”
"I have you in my heart, and you have me in your heart. Isn't that good? I don't want to do those sneaky things. Don't cry. I'll accompany you to a restaurant later and have a drink. Bring him some good food too, okay? Smile at me.”
The two of them did not speak again. Zhang Haitao deliberately stepped on the floor and walked into the room to put the medicine in the basket. He sent them out of the door. He looked at Ah Tu, who was walking far away, with deep respect and love. He remembered the honest old farmer's observation and evaluation of Hua Shiliang and his concern for Hua Shiliang's unjust case. He realized that whether Hua Shiliang was rehabilitated or not would not only affect the hearts of the people in D Town, but would also affect the surrounding villages. Tu's report made the injustice clear. But it also made him realize the difficulty of rehabilitation. There was indeed a wrong tendency within the county government. Some of the leaders at the top had a bureaucratism style, and a few people at the bottom even violated the law. He was about to face a serious battle. As a great party member, he must uphold the party's principles. As a public security officer, he must enforce the law impartially.
Zhang Haitao called Zhu Leqing to his office and showed him the materials he had investigated. After exchanging their opinions, they decided that Hua Shiliang's case was an unjust case. Zhang Haitao wanted Zhu Leqing to investigate the situation of the two investigation team leaders first; He believed that this unjust case was caused by these two retained personnel. He wanted to find out if there were any other people behind them and find out their political motives. Hua Shiliang was a good man who was highly respected in D City. Would these two people use the government to frame good people and cause extremely bad political influence? Zhang Haitao was discussing with Zhu Leqing when Tu Zhongguo knocked on the door. Zhang Haitao invited him to sit down and personally poured him a glass of water, saying,""Little Tu, you're a rare guest. What's the matter?”
Tu Zhongguo glanced at Zhu Leqing with dissatisfaction and said,""Chief Zhang, the county asked you to arrest Hua Shijie immediately, but you didn't do anything. County Head Zhou asked me to come back."
"What crime did Hua Shijie commit?" Zhang Haitao asked.”
Tu Zhongguo said,"Hua Shijie used the incident during the Daoguang period to satirize reality and cry injustice for his second brother. He's too arrogant."”
Zhang Haitao asked Zhu Leqing,"Has the county notified us?"”
Zhu Leqing said yes, but Mayor Wang objected. Secondly, we don't dare to carry it out without Director Zhang's approval.
Tu Zhongguo said,"Bureau Chief Zhang, I think Comrade Wang Fuxing is too right-wing. You-"
Zhang Haitao was disgusted when he heard that. He said,"This is not because Wang Fuxing is too right-wing. The problem is that the charges cannot be established.”
Tu Zhongguo was so angry that he almost jumped up. He restrained himself and said,"Chief Zhang, the Hua family is too rampant. This was not an ordinary problem, so the county decided to deal with it strictly. County Head Zhou asked me to come.”
"You can go back! I'm going to ask County Head Zhou." Zhang Haitao stood up.
Tu Zhongguo was furious, but he didn't dare to act rashly, so he could only leave unhappily. He thought to himself, I'll see how long you right-wing ideologies will be rampant!
Zhang Haitao stepped into the town hall, wanting to hear Wang Fuxing's opinion before going to see County Head Zhou. Secretary He Guoliang told Zhang Haitao,""Wang Fuxing was summoned by the county for a meeting all morning. When he returned, his face was filled with anger. After dinner, she went back without saying a word. It seemed to be because of Hua Shijie. Some people in the county thought that Mayor Wang was right-leaning. I think Mayor Wang did the right thing. If I were to participate in such a meeting, I would definitely stand on Mayor Wang's side and argue with those people. At most, I would go home and farm!”
Zhang Haitao held He Guoliang's arm and smiled.""No wonder the mayor trusted you so much.”
Zhang Haitao walked into the meeting room of the county government and saw more than ten people sitting there. They were all officials at the bureau level or above. The atmosphere was tense. Most of the comrades only smoked and listened to Wang Fuxing's speech. County Head Zhou's expression was also very cold and unhappy. When he saw Zhang Haitao enter, he smiled slightly and gestured for him to sit down on the empty seat. Zhang Haitao only smiled back at the pairs of eyes that were looking at him. He sat down in the empty seat next to Sun Guoping, the head of the organization department. He took the cigarette that Sun Guoping handed him and listened quietly.
Wang Fuxing continued,"…I don't think I've made a mistake of turning right. I didn't violate the principle of 'eliminating all rebels'. You can do whatever you want to me, but I'll still say this. As long as I'm the mayor, I won't agree to your arrest of Hua Shijie.”He was very excited, as if he had forgotten everything. There was no fear on his face, but a calm smile. He lit another cigarette, winked at Zhang Haitao with his right eye, and continued smoking.
It was as if the autumn wind had blown into the conference room. It was cold and lonely.
Jia Jinshi saw that no one spoke, and the air in the meeting was about to freeze. He took a puff of his cigarette and said,"Our help to Comrade Wang Fuxing can be said to be sincere. Benevolence and righteousness are exhausted. Regrettably, Wang Fuxing still did not jump out of the wrong circle. I would like to remind Comrade Wang Fuxing that today is not a question of whether you agree to arrest Hua Shijie, but whether you are willing to implement the party's resolution to resolutely eliminate the counter-revolution. You are no longer protecting Hua Shijie, but supporting the wrong view of appeasing counter-revolutions. You have a serious right-wing mindset. You must reflect on your mistakes seriously and do a thorough examination of the organization. Comrade Wang Fuxing, a single misstep has caused eternal regret. We can't slide any further!”
Sun Guoping was also a cadre with more than 20 years of revolutionary experience. He had always been very harmonious with Zhang Haitao. Wang Fuxing had already told Zhang Haitao the contents of today's meeting. After Jia Jinshi finished speaking, he wrote these words in his notebook: "I still don't agree with Jia's opinion!”Zhang Haitao smiled after reading it.
Zhang Haitao also wrote in his notebook,"”He smiled at Sun Guoping.
Wang Fuxing was not afraid. He threw a contemptuous smile at Jia Jinshi and said,"I didn't slide down! I am only surprised by Chief Jia's advice. Since you have already seen that arresting Hua Shijie will have a negative social impact on society, I suggest once again that before there is sufficient evidence, don't easily turn your own people into enemies. Section Chief Jia once worked in the enemy's territory, so he has a deeper understanding of how important it is to win over a person who sympathizes with the revolution and how much hardship it takes. I'm not wrong about Hua Shijie's problem. There's no need to check!”
County Head Zhou was very dissatisfied and said,"What you mean is that we were wrong." Comrade Wang Fuxing, you are too stubborn!”He looked at the people who knew. "Can we tolerate such a stubborn right-wing ideology?”
Silence.
Jia Jinshi continued,"I think we must take Comrade Wang Fuxing's wrong views seriously, otherwise it will seriously affect the work of eliminating counter-rebels in our county."”
"Yes!" County Chief Fu An Yuangeng, who was in charge of rural work, said unhurriedly," We can't fall behind the masses. We must do a good job in eliminating counter-revolutionary activities. I suggest that the organization deal with Comrade Wang Fuxing's mistakes seriously!”
County Head Zhou turned to Zhang Haitao and said," Chief Zhang, your police department doesn't seem to be very active in arresting Hua Shijie. I hope you can go back and investigate. What exactly is going on?"”
Zhang Haitao only wanted to exchange opinions with County Head Zhou. He did not want to bring up the matter of Hua Shiliang's unjust case at the meeting, lest the county magistrate was put in a difficult position. He only smiled slightly and did not give a direct answer.
County Head Zhou usually had a good talk with Zhang Haitao, thinking that he was steady and did not easily express his stance. Seeing that he didn't say anything, she guessed that he was deep in thought, so she didn't ask further.
County Chief An Fu was dissatisfied." Director Zhang, eliminating counter-rebels should be your responsibility. You can't be influenced by some comrades." We have to catch those who should be caught immediately!"
Jia Jinshi saw that Zhang Haitao was still acting as if nothing had happened, so he said,"I'm always amazed. There were a few comrades among us who had an ambiguous attitude and seemed to be secretly supporting the wrong views.”
Zhang Haitao saw that Jia Jinshi had a hidden meaning in his words. He looked at him and smiled, saying,"Section Chief Jia, can you tell us in detail who you are referring to by 'individual comrades'? Since it was a criticism at the meeting, it should be made clear.”
Jia Jinshi hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said,"Then let me be clear. Your police department is not willing to arrest Hua Shijie because you support the right-wing view.”
Zhang Haitao smiled and said,"If you say so, then arresting Hua Shijie is not supporting the right wing." Let me tell you clearly, it is my opinion not to arrest Hua Shijie.”
County Head Zhou was deeply surprised and said,"Director Zhang, you--?"!”
"County Head Zhou, there's something I need to report to you." Now that Jia Jinshi has named our police station, I will repeat myself. There is insufficient evidence to arrest Hua Shijie, and there is no reason to do so. It's easy to catch someone, but difficult to let them go!"
County Head An Fu said,"Hua Shiliang deliberately killed our comrade. Don't you hate him?" Aren't you angry that Hua Shijie is complaining about his counter-revolutionary brother?”
Zhang Haitao said,"It's really as you said. Of course, I hate it and I'm angry."”
Jia Jinshi said," After the second investigation, it has been fully proven that Hua Shiliang deliberately killed our comrade. Could it be that Director Zhang still has objections?”
"There are some doubts, so we need to verify them again.”
County Head Zhou had always believed in Jia Jinshi's work. He was a little worried for Zhang Haitao, thinking that he was influenced by Wang Fuxing. In fact, County Head Zhou did not want these two comrades to fall because of Hua Shiliang's ironclad case, so he said,"Chief Zhang, you have always been a steady person. You should trust the two investigation teams.”
Zhang Haitao only smiled. He still wanted to exchange opinions with County Head Zhou after the meeting. He felt that County Head Zhou had trusted Jia Jinshi too much.
Jia Jinshi's heart felt weak, he really wanted to hear Zhang Haitao's objection, to decide whether to advance or retreat. "Since Chief Zhang has objections, please speak clearly at the meeting.”
"Didn't I say it clearly? There's a need to verify it again!" Zhang Haitao said.”
Jia Jinshi didn't dare to be rude, pretending to be calm and said,"Chief Zhang, I don't object to you re-verifying it. If you have a good reason, I will actively support it. County Head Zhou said that you were steady in handling matters, and it was true. Since you denied the results of the two investigation teams and wanted to re-investigate, you should have given your reasons.”
"I don't think that's necessary," said Zhang Haitao.”
Jia Jinshi said,"County Head Zhou, since he doesn't have a good reason, I don't agree with rashly denying the results of our two investigations.”
County Head Zhou also felt that Zhang Haitao had taken a risky move. He smiled and persuaded,""Chief Zhang, I think this matter should be serious.”
Sun Guoping thought that Zhang Haitao would not shoot without thinking, so he said,"I think Comrade Zhang Haitao has the right to re-verify. He did not explain the reason here out of necessary prudence. I hope that some comrades will not exceed their own scope. I support Comrade Zhang Haitao's opinion."
County Head An Fu initially suspected that he was the one who had sent the news of the good doctor's death to Gong Lai. Since the case had been settled, he did not want to repeat it again, afraid that it would affect his prestige in the future. He said,"Chief Zhang, we are very busy with our work. Why waste time on an ironclad case that has already been decided? It might be a thankless task.'”
Most of the other comrades were leaning towards the two county heads, and only a portion of them were leaning towards Zhang Haitao, so a fierce debate broke out. County Head Zhou saw Zhang Haitao's firm attitude and realized that there might be some discrepancy in the case, so he first looked for Zhang Haitao for a private conversation. They decided to end the meeting for the time being and continue tomorrow. They specially asked Zhang Haitao to stay. After everyone else left the meeting room, County Head Zhou handed Zhang Haitao a cigarette and asked him why he suspected Hua Shiliang's case. Zhang Haitao then told him his thoughts and the situation he had investigated in Lion City Village.
County Head Zhou was shocked." So there's something wrong with the two investigation teams sent by Jia Jinshi?" he asked. -- Jia Jinshi would not intentionally cause this unjust case. We should believe that he is a good comrade. Chief Zhang, how do you think we should handle this?”
Zhang Haitao made five suggestions: " First, immediately stop criticizing Comrade Wang Fuxing and praise him for his courage to stick to his principles. 2. The police station will conduct a review of the main members of the investigation team; 3. Release Luo Yuzhen and Song Jingzhong immediately and let Hua Shijie go home. If the case is indeed wrong, apologize to them and appease them. 4. The person who caused the unjust case shall be dealt with differently according to the seriousness of the case. 5. Jia Jinshi's serious bureaucratism and unwarranted attack on Comrade Wang Fuxing will be severely dealt with.
County Head Zhou hesitated. He couldn't bear to deal with Jia Jinshi, and it would affect him and An Yuangeng. This resolution was proposed by the two of them. It was necessary to appease Luo Yuzhen and the others. He couldn't admit his mistake. This would affect the prestige of the government. He had no choice but to persuade Zhang Haitao not to investigate the case in detail and change it quietly. He would let Luo Yuzhen and the others go first as a form of consolation. Hua Shiliang was already dead, and the case could be delayed until later.
Zhang Haitao also advised County Head Zhou to correct his mistakes. Only by biting the pain in his fingers could he gain the people's understanding. If the case was not corrected in time, Luo Yuzhen would not let it go. Delaying was not a solution. The more he delayed, the more passive he would be. Besides, we have already found out that it is an unjust case. If we don't investigate it carefully, it will be a serious dereliction of duty.
County Head Zhou could only use his personal feelings to ask Zhang Haitao to compromise, because the final outcome of the matter would still fall on him, the county head.
Zhang Haitao sympathized with the respected County Head Zhou. In order to protect and rescue his comrades, he broke into the Japanese devil's den three times and risked his life; In the prison of the Cowardly Party, under severe torture, he did not betray a single comrade and still persisted in his struggle in prison. After liberation, he worked tirelessly. Ever since Zhang Haitao was transferred to D City, he had always been enthusiastic and proactive in his work. This time, he had overly believed Jia Jinshi and the others 'reports. The fact that he could take the initiative to ask Jia Jinshi to send out a second investigation team showed that he was still cautious. The problem lay with Jia Jinshi, and it was reported that the arrest of Luo Yuzhen and the others was due to Jia Jinshi's instigation. Zhang Haitao really didn't want to make things difficult for County Head Zhou. After thinking about it for a while, he suggested to County Head Zhou that this case must be investigated. If it was really an unjust case, it had to be handled according to the higher-ups! Zhang Haitao would be the one to apologize to Luo Yuzhen and the others. After all, these people were arrested by the police. If the police chief came forward, he could convince them. As for Jia Jinshi's problem, it was up to the organization to decide. Even if it was to educate him, he, Zhang Haitao, had no objections.
County Head Zhou was also touched. However, he couldn't bear to let Zhang Haitao take responsibility for him. Before the liberation, it was Jia Jinshi who supported him to successfully complete the task of bringing his fellow prisoners out of prison. It was this Jia Jinshi's flattery that made him think that only Jia Jinshi was his right-hand man in his work. He could only persuade Zhang Haitao to do as he said.
The two of them tried to persuade each other, but neither of them could give in. They pulled the seesaw until it was dark, but neither of them could convince the other. County Head Zhou always felt that Zhang Haitao was too serious and lacked humanity. She was a little angry, but she hardened her heart and said,"If you really want to investigate, then go ahead. It's indeed an unjust case. You can do whatever you want! What if we can't find out that it's an unjust case?"
Zhang Haitao said,"You can punish me however you want. I have no complaints."
"Alright then! I don't plan to be the county head!" County Head Zhou said and walked out of the meeting room angrily. He was going to look for Jia Jinshi, who was not a fool who would let others beat him. He should let Jia Jinshi know about this situation so that he could be prepared to deal with the situation. He was willing to fall under the enemy's gun and be a hero, but he was unwilling to fall under his comrades and leave a bad reputation for life.
Zhang Haitao felt regretful that a veteran cadre who had been revolutionary for nearly 30 years would be stubborn for his own face and violate the principles of the government to protect a person who flattered him everywhere. He felt sorry for County Head Zhou. He was also sensitive to the meaning of County Head Zhou's last few words and realized that he had to speed up the investigation, otherwise it would make the case more complicated. A dog would jump over a wall in desperation.
When Zhang Haitao returned to the police station, he didn't go upstairs to eat. Instead, he went straight to his office. He had just sat down when Zhu Leqing came over. He asked Zhu Leqing if he had checked the historical files of Hu Deyuan and Fang Zhaorong in the afternoon. Zhu Leqing said that he had investigated and found no special relationship between them and the enemy. Although Fang Zhaorong had relied on the cowardly County Head Jin to become the head of the hospital, it was because of his wife's relationship with the county head's wife. That woman had died on the eve of liberation. Zhang Haitao concluded from the handwriting of the two investigation team reports that the two investigation reports were from the hands of Hu Deyuan. He wanted Zhu Leqing to immediately send a message to Hu Deyuan. Zhu Leqing felt that it was inappropriate. After Zhang Haitao explained the reason, he hurriedly went to find Hu Deyuan.
Zhang Haitao called Wang Fuxing, but He Guoliang answered the phone and said that the mayor had not come back for dinner. He asked He Guoliang to go out and look for the mayor. As soon as he hung up the phone, Zhang Jianmin came in with food. He saw that his father's office light was on, but he did not go upstairs to eat. He thought that his father was busy with work, so he sent the food down. Zhang Haitao looked at his sensible son with a smile. He picked up the rice bowl and ate quickly. He caressed his son's chubby face lovingly and said,"Son, you're about to become a girl. Why don't you go get a haircut?”"Dad, your hair is longer than mine," retorted Jianmin.”The father and son looked at each other and laughed heartily.
Zhang Jianmin suddenly remembered and said,"Dad, Uncle Xia came to look for you. He said that if you are free, you should go to his place."”Her father nodded and went upstairs.
Zhang Haitao thought that Xia Xinfa wouldn't have come here if he didn't know about the Hua Family's matters. He must have found something new. Thinking of how his infatuated senior brother was secretly worried about Luo Yuzhen, he couldn't help but laugh. He wanted to see his senior brother before Zhu Leqing arrived, so he wrote a note: "Xiao Zhu, I'm going out for a while. I'll be back before nine o'clock. Please wait for me.”She had just walked out of the office when she saw Zhu Leqing come back alone. Zhu Leqing said that he heard from Hu Deyuan's neighbors that Jia Jinshi had gone to Hu Deyuan's residence in the evening. Not long after Jia Jinshi left, Hu Deyuan left in a hurry and never returned.
Zhang Haitao agreed with Zhu Leqing's analysis. There were two possibilities for Hu Deyuan's departure to be related to Jia Jinshi. One was that Hu Deyuan deliberately went on a business trip to avoid it, and the other was that he went to find Zhou Xuemei. This further exposed Jia Jinshi's tricks in this unjust case, and also showed that County Head Zhou had already told Jia Jinshi about the situation. He felt sorry for County Head Zhou for taking such a step that he shouldn't have. Zhang Haitao wanted Zhu Leqing to immediately send people to track down Hu Deyuan. He had to chase him down before dawn. He would personally go to Lion City Village.
Wang Fuxing came with a flushed face. He had drunk too much and was a little tipsy. He sat on the stool and lit his cigarette. He smiled bitterly and said,"You, are looking for me? What is it?"
Zhang Haitao was both pitiful and angry. He made a cup of strong tea for her. She said,"Why are you still drinking like this at a time like this?”
Wang Fuxing pointed at his chest and said,"I'm about to suffocate to death. I'm so angry!"”
Zhang Haitao said in a reprimanding tone,"Is this something you should say?"
"What shouldn't I say? Do you think Old Zhou supports your mother? He only believed in Jia Jinshi! I'm not afraid of them. I'm just angry. I'm angry that they're unreasonable and use their power to suppress others. They clearly wet their pants and insisted that others stink! Do you think I'm drunk? I'm not drunk! I'm very clear-headed! You suspect that the Hua family's case is different, but I'm now sure that the Hua family's case is unjust!”
"What evidence do you have?"
"Evidence? Based on their reaction to your speech. County Head Zhou has always agreed with your words. What about today? As cold as ice!"
"You can't judge right from wrong based on your feelings."
"Why did County Head Zhou keep you? To persuade you, I suppose, to go with them, to criticize me. -- I thought you wouldn't go with them, so I came to find me. What do you want to say to me? Tell me, I'm not drunk. The car won't move if the wheels don't turn. I'll listen to you."
"I came to you to persuade you to calm down and help me solve the case, but you drank so much! I really want to slap you a few times to wake you up.”
Wang Fuxing smiled and said," It's true. I didn't want to drink at first. When I came out of the meeting, I met Zhuge Chang. He asked me to go to his house and report something to me." Once she reached his house, she asked him to stay for a drink. I was feeling depressed, so I drank a few more cups. Do you know what Zhuge Chang told me?”He was so thirsty that he could hardly move his tongue, so he drank the cold tea. "You should arrest Weng Zitang immediately! Zhuge Chang reflected that Weng Zitang was still badmouthing Luo Yuzhen and making up stories that the government would severely punish Luo Yuzhen and others. Weng Zitang had even had tea parties with Hu Deyuan from the Culture and Health Department at the Ancestral Hall several times. From Weng Zitang, he would definitely be able to learn some things about Hu Deyuan's case in the Hua Family.”
Zhang Haitao believed that this was also a clue to solve the case. Ah Liu of Joy Pavilion had also told him many times about Weng Zitang's actions in the Hua family's case. However, there was no need to immediately arrest Weng Zitang. Hu Deyuan would not easily tell Weng Zitang the inside story. The urgent matter at hand was to immediately go to Lion City Village. He told Wang Fuxing his speculation. Wang Fuxing stood up and said,"Yes! Let's go, I'll accompany you." He dragged Zhang Haitao to Huimin's house and asked the siblings to get off the fishing boat immediately.
Shen Huimin felt strange. This was the first time the mayor and the police chief had taken his boat to the countryside, and they were in such a hurry. He asked,"Mayor Wang, what's the matter?”
"No need to ask," Wang Fuxing said."You'll know when you come back. You just need to paddle as fast as you can! If you're too slow, I'll scratch your nose when you come back. -- Huilian, Uncle Wang has treated you badly today. Come back and I'll reward you!"
The siblings knew that it was an urgent matter, so they rowed with all their might. The boat sped forward like an arrow, and in less than half an hour, it stopped at the river port in front of the township government.
Zhang Haitao saw that the gate of the township government was half-open and only Gu Ahtu was sitting on the stone threshold, smoking. He didn't know who he was angry with, so he went up to him and said,"Ah Earth Count, it's already so late, and you're still sitting here. Be careful not to catch a cold.”
Seeing that it was Zhang Haitao, Gu Ahtu was overjoyed. He jumped up and grabbed him, saying,""Catch a cold? I'm about to catch fire! I'm in a hurry to find you. Hurry up and go to Zhou Xuemei's house!”
"What happened?" Zhang Haitao asked.”
Gu Ahtu said that an hour ago, Hu Deyuan brought someone to the township head. After a long chat with him after closing the office door, the township head followed them to Zhou Xuemei's house. He wanted to follow them quietly, but there was no one in the village. The township head wanted him to watch over them and also wanted him to prepare dinner for the guests. "You want me to cook for them? Dream on! It doesn't look like anything good. Chief Zhang, go quickly! Xuemei is an honest person and can't be frightened at all. Hurry up and go. When you come back, I'll guarantee you a good snack!”
Zhang Haitao and the other three rushed to Zhou Xuemei's house. They saw Zhou Xuemei kneeling on the ground crying and saying,"…I beg you, don't make me say anything outrageous. I can do whatever you want, but please take care of my two poor children! --”
When Qian Shailian saw Zhang Haitao come in, he felt a little awkward and quickly said to Zhou Xuemei,""We didn't force you to do anything. Why are you kneeling and crying?”
Hu Deyuan was so frightened that he wished he could turn into a local traveler and burrow into the ground to escape.
Although Tu Zhongguo was surprised, he was not nervous. He smiled and said to Zhou Xuemei,"We're just investigating. We didn't hit or scold you. Why are you doing this? If you're right, then you're right. If you're not, then you're not.”
Zhou Xuemei saw that Zhang Haitao had also come and thought that he was really here to catch her. She quickly stood up and walked to him. She knelt down and begged,"Chief Zhang, I only ask you to take care of my two children for Gong Laifa's sake! I can do whatever you want. I can't wait to follow you.”
"You didn't do anything wrong. Get up!" Zhang Haitao quickly helped Zhou Xuemei up." Don't misunderstand. I'm not here to catch you."”
Wang Fuxing couldn't help but reprimand Tu Zhongguo."Can you treat the widow of a revolutionary cadre like this? Is there any party discipline or law?!"
"What's wrong with us?" Tu Zhongguo asked with a stern expression. Ask her if she hit or scolded him. Didn't she kneel, cry, and beg for mercy whenever she saw someone? Zhou Xuemei, did you do something wrong? Why are you so nervous and flustered?”
Zhang Haitao glared at Tu Zhongguo and said," Who did something wrong? Let me ask you. It's so late. What are you doing here?"”
"County Head Zhou asked me to verify it.”Tu Zhongguo pointed at Hu Deyuan as he spoke." Is his investigation true?”
"I heard this woman begging you not to let her say anything that's immoral. What does that mean?" Wang Fuxing asked.”
"Ask her what we want her to say," Tu Zhongguo said.”
Zhou Xuemei was afraid and thought that it was better to avoid trouble, so she said,"They didn't say anything. They really didn't say anything.”
"Zhou Xuemei is an honest person. She panicked when she was asked."-- Bureau Chief Zhang, Mayor Wang, let's go back to the township government. Let Zhou Xuemei think calmly and come back tomorrow to investigate!”
Tu Zhongguo had already said what he wanted to say, so it was unnecessary to stand there any longer. He said to Zhou Xuemei,"Comrade Zhou Xuemei, don't be nervous. Think about it calmly. If you have any grievances, feel free to tell us.”
While Tu Zhongguo was speaking, Wang Fuxing wanted Hui Lian to stay behind to protect Zhou Xuemei and to appease her. This was a matter that concerned the Hua Family.
When Hui Lian saw Hu Deyuan, she had already guessed that this trip was related to the Hua family. After hearing Wang Fuxing's words, she understood what was going on and nodded repeatedly.
Tu Zhongguo, Hu Deyuan, Zhang Haitao, Wang Fuxing, and Shen Huimin all followed Qian Shailian back to the township government. When the township head saw that Ah Tu had only cooked a pot of sweet potatoes, he was annoyed and said to Ah Tu,"Where's the food I asked you to cook?"
Gu Ahtu didn't say anything. He picked up the pipe and sat on the stone threshold to smoke again.
Qian Shailian was even angrier." If you don't want to do it, then go back. Without the butcher, there's really no pork to eat!"”
Gu Atu smiled and continued smoking.
While everyone was eating sweet potatoes, Zhang Haitao asked Gu Ahtu to go to Zhou Xuemei's house and advised her to take the two children to the city for a few days. Gu Ahtu got up and left happily. When everyone finished eating their sweet potatoes, Gu Ahtu came back and quietly told Zhang Haitao that Zhou Xuemei and her family had already disembarked from the fishing boat.
Wang Fuxing told Shen Huimin to return to the city immediately and told Zhou Xuemei and her family to stay in Huimin's house. Shen Huimin got off the boat.
Zhang Haitao and Wang Fuxing analyzed Tu Zhongguo in detail. Although he was usually arrogant and extreme, and it was inevitable for young people to be arrogant, he was serious and active in his work. This time, it was also because the truth of the Hua family's case was unknown that he had extreme emotions. As long as he was properly enlightened, he would be able to understand.
Zhang Haitao invited Tu Zhongguo out of the township head's office and enlightened him in detail with a discussion attitude. Tu Zhongguo was also a smart person. County Head Zhou wanted him to come here with Hu Deyuan because he was already sensitive to the discrepancy in the Hua family's case. He had been painstakingly nurtured by County Head Zhou. When the county head was facing a difficult situation, he could only repay the county head with his heart and help County Head Zhou make up for the loophole. After all, young people also had a sense of justice. Zhang Haitao also repeatedly said that County Head Zhou had no intention of falling into this trap. He slowly changed his mind and told Zhang Haitao about the fact that County Head Zhou had asked him to work for Zhou Xuemei and denied what she had said to Zhang Haitao. In the end, he said,"Chief Zhang, County Head Zhou is indeed a good leader. This time, it was out of helplessness. Moreover, he had warned me repeatedly when I came here. I could only patiently persuade him and not force him. If Zhou Xuemei doesn't agree to retract her confession, then hurry back to the county. He would be ready to check if he had committed a bureaucratism and wait for punishment. Bureau Chief Zhang, just say that I came here by impersonating County Head Zhou. It has nothing to do with County Head Zhou. I'll do the inspection. I'm willing to accept whatever you want to do. Please don't blame it on County Head Zhou. He had fought for the revolution for thirty years, and it was hard enough. Although I've only been with him for a year, to be honest, he's hardworking, hardworking, and selfless. To be honest, Mayor Zhou has always admired you and Mayor Wang. Although he looked very serious on the surface, he said that as long as you silently admit your mistakes, it would be fine. He did not want to punish you. County Head Zhou is indeed a good person!" He could not help but shed tears of pity and sympathy.
" Don't worry, Little Tu," Zhang Hai Tao said." I'm not going to fight with County Head Zhou." I just don't have the heart to let a good person be wronged. What you did today was wrong. It was so good that it did not cause any losses. You've also come to know him. He wouldn't pursue the matter anymore. When you go back and see County Head Zhou, tell him that we hope that he will stop here and not get involved again.”
Zhang Haitao also had a conversation with Qian Shailian. Although the township head was promoted by County Head Zhou, he did not dare to be strong in front of right and wrong. Out of his feelings for County Head Zhou, he only pleaded for County Head Zhou. Like Tu Zhongguo, he also pushed the responsibility of tonight onto himself.
Wang Fuxing and the others wanted Zhang Haitao to interrogate Hu Deyuan immediately. Zhang Haitao said that Zhu Leqing and the others were still pursuing Hu Deyuan and should return to the city immediately before dealing with it.
Qian Shailian quickly arranged the boats. Gu Atu took the initiative to shake the boat. The head of the township could not ask for more. He patted Ah Tu's back and said with a smile,"Ah Earth Count, your sweet potato meal is reasonable. Come back, I want to reward you heavily.”Tu whispered into her ear,"No wonder Auntie Narcissus was so happy to see you."”
Tu laughed happily.
The crisp sound of the oars followed by the hearty laughter gently and quickly swayed into the Qingxi River.
By the time Zhang Haitao finished interrogating Hu Deyuan, it was already dawn. He had not slept for two nights and was really too tired. He dragged his tired body into his own building. Seeing that Jianmin wasn't around, he probably went to the cafeteria for breakfast. She fell onto the bed with her clothes on. Just as she closed her eyes, she heard the sound of the stairs. In a while, Jianmin and Zhu Leqing came in with breakfast. He got out of bed again and ordered Zhu Leqing to send a message about Fang Zhaorong while eating fried dough sticks and soy milk.
Although Zhu Leqing did not sleep for the whole night, he was still a young man after all. He was in high spirits. After eating breakfast, he felt refreshed. He saw the director's sleepy expression and didn't want to disturb him any further. He hurried downstairs with Jianmin, who was going to school.
Zhang Haitao lit another cigarette out of habit. He wanted to rest after smoking, but after taking a few puffs, he heard someone talking downstairs.
"Xiao Zhu, is Bureau Chief Zhang here?"
" Yo, it's Secretary Fu!..." Zhu Leqing suddenly lowered his voice.
From the familiar voice and Zhu Leqing's address, Zhang Haitao concluded that it was the secretary of the district, Fu Dacheng. He was Secretary Dai's right-hand man and a busy man. He would not come down easily. There must be some important business that could not be neglected. Zhang Haitao quickly opened the window and shouted,""Secretary Fu, please come up!"
Fu Dacheng walked to the garden in front of the window and looked up at Zhang Haitao, who was leaning against the window.""Chief Zhang, don't be busy. Sleep for a while and rest. I still have to go somewhere else.”
"Don't be in a hurry to leave!" As Zhang Haitao spoke, he hurriedly went downstairs and caught up with Fu Dacheng, who had already left the garden with Zhu Leqing. They shook hands affectionately. "How can you leave just like that? Go upstairs."
"You haven't slept all night," Fu Dacheng said. I'll come to your place for lunch later, okay?”
"No!" Zhang Haitao pulled Fu Dacheng into the garden and said,""Lunch is on me, and I have to drink morning tea too. A Jiangnan genius like you has forgotten the proverb,'It's better to stay up all night than to save a cup of tea in the morning'. Xiao Zhu, do me a favor and bring me two hot water bottles.”He urged Fu Dacheng to go upstairs.
Zhang Haitao took out a packet of tea leaves from the lime vat and said,""Consider yourself lucky. This is the Yuhang Jingshan Cloud Mist Tea that my senior brother gave me. He couldn't bear to drink it and kept it. Good tea treats distinguished guests. Let me share your glory and drink a cup.”
When Fu Dacheng was young, he had read Lu Yu's Tea Classic. Not only did he love drinking tea, but he was also familiar with the three flavors. He saw Zhang Haitao take out three porcelain tea cups with lids. "Chief Zhang, so you're particular about tea tasting. This tea cup is really good!"”
When Zhang Haitao saw Zhu Leqing come over to make tea, he turned around and said,""I don't care about these things. This tea cup was also a gift from my senior brother. I didn't want it back then. Senior Brother said that if there was good tea, there must be good water and tea set. He forcefully brought me this tea set and tea leaves. I know you like to drink tea, so I used it all today. If you like it, take it with you. I don't like it as a burden.”
Fu Dacheng smiled." I'll drink and take. I'll take all the benefits." You're trying to lure me to come here more next time.”He picked up the teacup that Zhu Leqing had brought over, opened the lid of the teacup, and blew gently on the teacup. He drank some tea and savored it carefully." The water of Qingxi River is really good! -- Bureau Chief Zhang, do you still remember the poem 'Tea' that I once told you about?”
"I remember!" Zhang Haitao thought for a while and started reciting it." The earthen pot is boiling spring snow, and the light fragrance produces ancient porcelain. After the clear window parting milk, cold night guests come. Wash your teeth and wash away the wine, pour the poems of the people in your heart. Woodcutter green and lonely crane, taste is very suitable.”
"Good memory!" Fu Dacheng praised. Drink it quickly. Such good tea can even break one's sleep. Lu Fangweng said,"The sleeping devil has retreated far more than three rooms. Uncle Huan knows that he has lost." You haven't slept for a night. After drinking tea, your spirits are lifted. You don't feel tired and don't want to sleep.”
They chatted about drinking tea for a while before Fu Dacheng said,""Chief Zhang, you know I didn't dare to disturb you.”
"I also guessed that you came for work. What's the matter?”
Fu Dacheng reported Hua Binghuan to the local authorities. Secretary Dai attached great importance to this case and specially sent six people, two of whom were doctors, to form a special investigation team. Fu Dacheng was the team leader and came to D City to investigate."We arrived at around ten o'clock last night. It was too late, so we spent the night at Qingxi Hotel. I like to wake up early. The other comrades are still sleeping, so I came over first. I heard that you have also arrested Hua Binghuan's mother. I want to hear your opinion first."
Zhang Haitao told them everything they knew about Hua Shiliang's unjust case in detail.
Fu Dacheng said,"In that case, you can basically be sure that this case is innocent." How about this, we'll cooperate with you to investigate further. Your opinion is correct. County Head Zhou is biased towards Jia Jinshi. I'll talk to County Head Zhou in the morning. I believe he will come to his senses and cooperate with you to clean up the case.”
Zhu Leqing led the other five members of the regional investigation team over. He carefully studied the investigation plan in the conference room and immediately began to take action.
Zhang Haitao accompanied everyone for lunch and did not rest. He went to Shen Huimin's house with Wang Fuxing and brought Zhou Xuemei to the police station. Let the regional investigation team ask. After Shen Huilian's persuasion, Zhou Xuemei understood everything and no longer panicked. Out of the reproach of her conscience, she hoped that the Hua family would be able to clear their name as soon as possible, so she told Gong Laifa in detail about his illness, symptoms, and the process of seeking medical treatment. The two doctors from the district concluded that Gong Laifa had indeed died of typhoid fever. Hua Shiliang didn't make a mistake. If Gong Laifa hadn't paid attention to his care, there was a possibility that he would have gotten better. Hua Shiliang's medical skills were brilliant, let alone " deliberately killing " Gong Laifa.
Now that the case was clear, the next step was to find out who caused this injustice. Actually, this was very obvious.
Fu Dacheng had already persuaded County Head Zhou and personally accompanied him to the police station. Zhang Haitao and Wang Fuxing had always respected County Head Zhou, but after he apologized to them, they felt embarrassed.
Zhang Haitao sincerely said to County Head Zhou,""Actually, you should be criticizing me because I've long felt that there was something wrong with the case. I was just busy with other work and didn't seriously review Hua Shiliang's case. It's my fault for not doing my job.”
County Head Zhou felt even more ashamed. He smiled and interrupted Zhang Haitao, saying,""Don't say that. Without you, wouldn't things have gotten out of hand?”
After some discussion, they first arrested Hu Deyuan and Weng Zitang and summoned Fang Zhaorong. Luo Yuzhen and Song Jingzhong were released, and the apology and appeasement work would be done when the case was over and the public hearing was held.
After a busy day, it was already past eleven o'clock when Zhang Haitao returned to his room. His son Jianmin was already sound asleep. On the table were two bottles of Shaoxing rice wine, a large plate of river crabs, and a piece of white paper. On the paper were written: “
Father:
You've worked hard.
The river crabs were sent by Uncle Xia and Shujuan. They said they were to comfort you. Uncle Xia knew that you were very busy and didn't let me call you. He sat for a while and left. Uncle Xia said that today is your birthday and even sent a chicken and a plate of steamed buns. I was afraid that it would get cold, so I stewed it in the pot for you. It's almost eleven o'clock. I'm tired and want to sleep. I can't toast you with a birthday wine. Forgive me, good father!
Son Jianmin
Zhang Haitao was very excited. This good senior brother had been separated for more than ten years, but he still remembered his junior brother's birthday! Zhang Haitao had never celebrated his own birthday. Ever since he met his senior brother, his senior brother had always thought of celebrating his birthday. He guessed that his senior brother had come yesterday to invite him to celebrate his birthday. He didn't go today, so he came to his door and wanted to have a drink with him to celebrate his birthday. That was why he had brought Shujuan along. Seeing that he was busy, she couldn't bear to disturb him and left. Good senior brother!
Zhang Haitao also wanted to drink a few cups to relieve his fatigue. Thinking that her son had waited for so long but did not eat the crab, she felt pity for him and went to wake Jianmin up."Son, I'll allow you to sleep in during tomorrow's worship. Wake up, get up, and eat crab with Daddy.”
The father and son started drinking. Zhang Jianmin's alcohol tolerance was also quite good. Usually, his father was strict and did not allow him to drink casually. He could only drink one or two glasses during festivals. He was also used to it, he could drink it or not. Even if he drank it, he would only drink five to six percent. On New Year's Eve the year before last, he had drunk eight points and offended his father's messenger. His father had taken off his pants and beaten him up. He had even knelt in front of his mother's portrait for more than an hour. His father's colleague persuaded him to apologize to the reporter before the matter was settled.
Zhang Haitao felt especially sorry for his son today. He said,"Son, I've treated you badly too. I often let you stay at home alone." Today, drink to your heart's content." He took out a bottle of liquor from the cupboard." You drink the red one, and Daddy drinks the white one.”
"Dad, can I make a suggestion?”
Zhang Haitao laughed out loud and said," You have to be democratic at home. Sure, sure."”
"Then let's have half white and half red.”
"You brat, after all the fuss, it turns out that reducing the quantity is to increase the quality. Alright, alright. Daddy will give you an abstinence order today.”He wanted to pick a bigger crab for his son. She picked it up and picked it up, but it was all the same. She could only randomly pick one and put it next to her son's vinegar dish." Son, do you know what Lu Xun said about eating crabs?”
"Lu Xun said,'The first person to eat crabs is very admirable. Who would dare to eat it if not a warrior?'-- Dad, why must you put some ginger foam in the vinegar when eating crabs?”
"Crab meat is cold in nature and easily hurts the spleen and stomach. Secretary Fu once recited the poem Xue Baochai wrote at the crab banquet in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'. Among them, there was the phrase 'sexual defense and cold must be ginger' which probably meant this.”He picked up a crab, peeled off its shell, removed its legs and claws, leaving only its sternum. After removing the meat, he placed the sternum on the table and asked,"What does this look like? Look carefully."
Jianmin looked at it and smiled.”
Zhang Haitao nodded and said," This is what Aunt Dangui told me. In the past, when the concubines in the palace were bored, they would pick the ribs of crabs for fun. There was also a poem called 'Smiling and watching butterflies fly all over the platform'. Dad wasn't as lucky as you were. He didn't study since he was young and only relied on listening to a few sentences here and there to accumulate some knowledge. Can it be considered as' learning everywhere you pay attention to'?”
The father and son raised their glasses and drank happily. They actually drank all the red wine and white wine. After eating the crab, they chewed on two steamed buns each. They fell into Jianmin's bed and fell asleep comfortably. Hu hu lu lu, sweet snoring.
A bright moon hung in the night sky. It illuminated the clear river, the lush mountains on both sides, and D City. A pitiful autumn night.
Zhang Haitao fell asleep. He saw his late wife walk into the door of a good scholar's house. She suddenly turned around and smiled…
In this quiet autumn night, people had their own dreams. Some were sweet and happy, some were bitter and sad, some were strange and scary, some were funny and funny, and some were bitter and sweet...
It was a beautiful night, a night full of dreams.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]