Considering He Lili was such a disruptive element, Qiao Qingqing only made one round of gathering before heading back. At the time, she was unaware that the new educated youths had signed a joint petition to file a formal complaint against the Brigade Leader.
The following morning, representatives arrived from the commune. Upon learning the nature of the situation, Zhou Aiguo was furious. He brought out the work-point ledgers and presented them to the investigators.
"Look for yourselves. These ledgers weren't kept by me alone; the deputy brigade leader kept them, too. The gap between the veteran and new educated youths recorded here is not minor. If I were favoring the veterans, would the deputy brigade leader be favoring them as well? Go ahead and ask the rest of the brigade—see what they have to say!"
Chapter 113