"My poor grandson! How wretchedly you died!"
"Waaah, waaah!"
A chorus of weeping and accusations rose and fell. Li Youqing instinctively took a step back, wanting to flee, but Xiao Zhao, standing behind him, gave him a shove, pushing him directly into the war zone.
When the comrades from the Women's Federation saw Li Youqing arrive, they looked as if they had seen a savior. They had been trying to reason with the old couple for ages, but the elderly pair wouldn't listen to a word, repeating only one sentence over and over: "Give us back our grandson."
The two old people were nearly two hundred years old combined, and with a crowd of young, inexperienced girls around, the federation workers were terrified that if something went wrong, a death would occur right there in the factory. They had tried persuading, detaining, and coaxing, but nothing worked. They were at their wit's end when the protagonist finally appeared, allowing them to finally let out a sigh of relief.
The director of the Women's Federation said sternly to Li Youqing, "Old Li, deal with your family matters quickly. Don't let this interfere with the factory's production; it’s a huge waste of time. Get it handled immediately. It’s almost time to clock out, and we don't want people coming and going and ruining the factory's reputation." With that, she left with the rest of the Women's Federation staff.
With no choice, Li Youqing had to bite the bullet.
When Old Man Lin saw the Women's Federation comrades about to leave, he grew frantic. "The Machinery Factory is shielding its employees and doing nothing! Give me back my grandson! Since the factory won't uphold justice for me, I won't value this old life of mine anymore. I'll go join my grandson!"
Before anyone realized it, he charged toward the factory gate, aiming to smash his head against the wall. Had Xiao Zhao not been watching him like a hawk and tackled the old man in time, he likely would have been bleeding on the spot.
The Women's Federation comrades were terrified, especially the director who had been about to walk away; she broke out in a cold sweat. If a death occurred, a reprimand would be the least of her worries—she could lose her job entirely. She was due to retire at the end of the year, and if she lost her position at the very last moment, she wouldn't be able to show her face anywhere.
At that moment, the director despised Li Youqing to her core. She rushed over to hold the old man, comforting him in fear that he might do something else drastic.
"Sir, we aren't leaving! We aren't! We never said we wouldn't uphold justice for you. We just thought this was a private family matter and it wasn't our place to intervene. But since you insist on our involvement, we cannot refuse." She then grabbed Li Youqing and pulled him over. "Old Li, speak up! How do you intend to handle this?"
Li Youqing stammered, "Director, I! This! I..."
"Don't 'you' me," the director snapped. "The aggrieved party has come to your doorstep. Since this is your family's doing, you must own it. A young life was lost! This is a matter of life and death; you can't just talk your way out of it as if nothing happened!"
Old Man Lin wailed, "Oh! My poor eldest grandson! He went to his uncle's house just fine, but who would have thought his uncle had a man-eating wife? She killed him just because of a disagreement. Waaah! My grandson is so pathetic. And even now, not a single apology! Director, you tell me, are we being unreasonable? We just want justice! This morning, Li Youqing even went to the hospital to try to bribe my daughter-in-law into sweeping this under the rug. She refused, and he became enraged, threatening and cursing her the whole time. You tell me—we are two old people with one foot in the grave; how could we possibly win a fight against them? If you don't stand up for us, we truly have nowhere else to turn."
He gave his wife a signal, and they all began to cry in unison. The miserable sound was enough to break anyone's heart.
The Women's Federation director hadn't realized Li Youqing was bold enough to go and threaten the victim's family; it was simply outrageous. Such scum was a disgrace to their factory. Her expression hardened, and she said sternly, "Sir, don't worry! We will follow up on this case properly. Look, it's almost time to clock out. Shall we go to the office to discuss this? It's not appropriate to talk about such things here with people coming and going."
Old Man Lin agreed. Whether Li Youqing liked it or not, he was dragged along. The spectators who tried to follow were shooed away by the Women's Federation comrades.
Once in the office, the director said, "Both of you, state your positions. How do you intend to resolve this? Li Youqing, you go first."
Li Youqing said, "I am willing to pay one thousand yuan, plus my sister's medical and nutritional expenses."
Old Mrs. Lin spat, "Pah! Li Youqing, is that all my grandson is worth? Are you trying to send away a beggar? And the doctor said my daughter-in-law will never be able to conceive again. You’ve effectively dug up the roots of my Lin family! Whose 'roots' are only worth this much? Who will provide for my son in his old age? You? Bah! You shameless, worthless wretch. Everyone knows what you're thinking. A thousand isn't what it used to be. With the price of food and daily necessities rising every year, one thousand won't cover anything. It'll be gone just for my daughter-in-law's recovery."
Old Man Lin remained silent but nodded in agreement with his wife.
The director thought about it and realized she was right. After major surgery and the loss of fertility, plus the damage to her health, the family had effectively lost a source of future support. One thousand was indeed too little.
Old Mrs. Lin continued, "And my daughter-in-law's health is ruined. Medical bills and medicine will be a daily routine now. With an invalid in the family, our expenses will rise while our income drops. Do you expect two old people to go out and work to support them?"
It was all just a list of demands. These old vultures—who didn't know how to cry poor?
Li Youqing said, "Then how much do you want? My family doesn't have much money. Even that thousand was saved through extreme frugality. You know my second son just passed away, and the funeral expenses cost a fortune. There really isn't any extra money." He covered his face and pretended to weep, putting on a full performance.
Old Mrs. Lin scoffed, "Pah! Do you think I don't know? Someone else paid for your second son's funeral! They gave your family plenty of good things; the whole neighborhood saw it. What's the meaning of this? You’ve eaten it all and now you want to deny it? Heh! Who do you think the other party is? Once they find out, you'll be in deep trouble. How dare you try to smear them here!"
Li Youqing's heart skipped a beat. He had been so focused on crying poverty that he'd forgotten that point. This old hag was quick on her feet.
The Women's Federation director said, "Old Li! That amount is indeed not enough. The woman just had surgery and needs to recover, and as the elderly couple said, they have lost a labor force. This amount won't do. Why don't you add a bit more?"
Before Li Youqing could decide on an amount, the door was knocked. A comrade from the federation walked over and whispered something in the director's ear. Then, Li Youqing watched in shock as the director's expression changed drastically. She hurried out of the room.
A moment later, the director pushed someone into the office. When Li Youqing saw who it was, his face drained of all color.
"Director, sorry to bother you! May I have a private word with my brother?"
The director nodded immediately and very considerately ushered the others out. "Yes, yes, of course."