Zhou Cheng and his companions were staying in the most expensive suite at the guesthouse, and their introduction letter was from a major work unit in the capital.
When Kang Wei explained the situation to the guesthouse staff, they were shocked. There were no surveillance cameras in those days, so no one knew how Zhang Erlai had gotten inside. The amount involved exceeded 5,000 yuan, and the police quickly pinned Zhang Erlai to the ground, treating it as a major theft case.
It was Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei’s second visit to the Anqing County police station.
The officers recognized them immediately—weren’t these the two comrades who had acted bravely to stop wrongdoing a few days earlier?
Zhang Erlai kept protesting his innocence. Kang Wei scratched his head and said,
“Sorry, officer. When we got back and saw this guy stealing public funds, we hit him a little too hard.”
Zhang Erlai’s injuries were far more than “a little”—it looked as if they had nearly beaten him to death. Still, the police trusted men who had demonstrated public courage. After verifying Zhang Erlai’s personal information, the officers felt the situation was almost too convenient.
He was already someone they wanted to arrest. The “Strike Hard” campaign had quotas to meet—better to catch habitual troublemakers than wrong honest people.
“Petty theft, immoral conduct—someone even reported him for improper relationships with several married women—and now he’s stealing public funds!”
“Add hooliganism to theft—he’s not getting out of this one!”
Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei were satisfied with the outcome. Zhang Erlai shouted that they were framing him out of personal revenge, but after the two men left the station, the female officer who had previously met Xia Xiaolan approached the chief.
“Chief Liang, do you think something about this case is strange?”
Chief Liang looked serious.
“Comrade Xiaoping, we cannot let criminals go free. A woman’s reputation is not easily protected. Zhang Erlai is indeed a repeat offender. Under the ‘Strike Hard’ standards, he’s exactly the type who must be arrested. There’s no need to investigate the other details.”
Zhang Erlai’s story was inconsistent—one moment he claimed Zhou Cheng and Kang Wei had brought a suitcase of money to frame him; the next he insisted they were carrying guns. But their introduction letter was from an impeccable capital-based work unit, and they were traveling to Shanghai to purchase supplies. Carrying a large amount of cash was perfectly reasonable.
There were suspicious elements—but by coincidence, Zhang Erlai said it all started because of “Xia Xiaolan.” Chief Liang quietly watched him.
“He’s already admitted it. That makes the case even more solid.”
Zhang Erlai dared not say another word.
If he claimed he had an affair with Xia Xiaolan, that would only add another charge.
---
Xia Xiaolan had no idea that Zhou Cheng had just eliminated a major enemy for her.
Zhang Erlai was one of the people responsible for driving the original “Xia Xiaolan” to suicide—at least as far as Zhou Cheng had been able to discover. As for how much her cousin Xia Ziyu and future brother-in-law were involved, Zhou Cheng still didn’t know. But he already had no liking whatsoever for Xia Ziyu, the university student everyone praised.
---
Xia Xiaolan rode her bicycle home, glowing with energy.
The Liu family had finished harvesting all their rice paddies. With the sunny weather, another couple of days of drying would be enough before the grain could be stored. After finishing their own harvest, Liu Yong and Li Fengmei needed to return the labor they owed to other villagers who had helped them. Drying the rice fell to Liu Fen.
Each village had its own drying ground. In the morning, every household spread out drying mats and poured newly harvested rice from bamboo baskets onto them, spreading the grains thin and evenly to dry out the moisture.
Every hour or two, people had to turn the rice under the blazing sun. The drying ground was always crowded.
The people of Qijing Village were not without curiosity. It was rare enough for a married daughter to return to her parents’ home overnight—let alone stay for days during the busy farming season instead of working at her husband’s home. Liu Fen had stayed with Xia Xiaolan at her parents’ house for several days, and Xia Dajun had not come even once. People wondered if the couple had quarreled beyond repair.
Liu Fen had always endured beatings without resistance—yet now she dared to act like this. She must finally have someone supporting her.
Still, the villagers were kinder than those from Dahe Village. Liu Yong was not someone easily bullied, and Liu Fen was one of their own. Besides, Xia Xiaolan’s small trading business was thriving—eggs, eels, and more. Who in the village didn’t sell something to her?
She set clear prices and never pretended she wasn’t making a profit—but everyone knew she earned it through hard work.
And she was thoughtful. If anyone needed something brought back from the county, she would handle it reliably. Why did children everywhere catch eels to sell to her? Besides the 0.8-yuan purchase price, she always carried treats—candy or a handful of melon seeds. The village children adored her.
If anyone said Sister Xia was bad, the children would cry and protest.
“Your Xiaolan is capable!”
“She runs around collecting eggs all day, going between village and county two or three times. She must earn quite a bit.”
“Jealous? Even your son couldn’t handle that hardship.”
“When a child is sensible, a mother’s suffering finally pays off…”
Liu Fen smiled at their words.
There was some envy, but little malice. For the first time in a long while, Liu Fen felt hopeful about life. She still worked at the Liu household, but she no longer felt exhausted. When the whole family pulled together, life improved steadily—completely different from living with the Xia family.
There, her sisters-in-law looked down on her, her mother-in-law disliked her, and her husband blamed her. She could only endure and try to please everyone. But in this world, stepping back once only invited others to push twice—until you were forced into a corner and trampled into the dirt.
Villagers weren’t simply flattering Liu Fen. After only a few days back home, her complexion had improved. Her skin was still dark from years of labor, but the worry had faded from her face. Beneath the sun-darkened skin was now a healthy glow.
Looking closely, Liu Fen’s features were quite beautiful. Though Xia Xiaolan inherited the Xia family’s height, her looks resembled the Liu family more.
With a lighter heart and better meals—luxurious by rural standards in 1983—Liu Fen’s cheeks had already filled out slightly.
*Ring-ring.*
The sound of a bicycle bell—Xia Xiaolan was back.
Her voice was as sweet as honey as she greeted everyone at the drying ground before turning to Liu Fen.
“Mom, I’ll go home and start the rice cooking, then come help you.”
Seeing Xia Xiaolan’s delicate skin, Liu Fen couldn’t bear to let her suffer in the sun.
“Your uncle and the others will finish soon. Just cook at home and watch Tao Tao.”
Today was Tao Tao’s first day at the village primary school. Rural areas had no kindergarten—children started directly in first grade. At six years old, Tao Tao was considered fortunate; some children stayed home until ten, helping with chores and farm work. Schooling wasn’t standardized, and not everyone finished primary school. Some dropped out after elementary school, others after middle school. In rural areas in 1983, any family with a high school student was considered educated.
Someone like Xia Xiaolan, who had attended middle school, was already respectable.
One could imagine how precious Xia Ziyu was after being admitted to university in 1983—leaping out of rural life into an urban household registration, destined to become a state cadre after graduation.
Tao Tao showed off his new schoolbag all day. His classmates gathered around to touch it during breaks.
Ten yuan for a schoolbag?
For the people of Qijing Village, that was extremely expensive—enough to pay two terms of tuition.
“Sister Xiaolan, I missed you so much!”
Like a small firecracker, Tao Tao rushed forward and hugged her leg tightly. Xia Xiaolan bought him candy and his schoolbag; he felt happier than ever before. In his heart, Xia Xiaolan was now the person closest to him—even ahead of his parents.