The iron gate of the Nanluoguxiang Police Station closed behind Su Changshun, cutting off the solemn and tense atmosphere inside.
Su Changshun and Shazhu walked out, closely followed by two police officers in crisp dark-blue uniforms.
The older one was in his early forties, with a square face and eyes as sharp as an eagle's; his surname was Wang. The younger one was under thirty, brisk in his movements, and his surname was Zhang.
Officer Wang looked at Shazhu—who was striding forward with an aura of pure fury—and then glanced at Su Changshun, who appeared calm on the surface but had a sharp gleam in his eyes. Officer Wang asked, "Comrade He Yuzhu, Comrade Su Changshun. We are going to bring in Yi Zhonghai now. Do you think we should go straight to the Rolling Mill to apprehend him, or head to his home?"
This was standard procedure for the police station, but they still had to consider the on-site situation and the impact it would make.
Upon hearing this, Shazhu glared, his eyes wide, and roared without a second thought: "Go straight to the factory! Let all the fellow workers see what a hypocrite he—"
Before he finished speaking, his arm was fiercely pinched by Su Changshun standing beside him! "Hiss—!" Wincing in pain, Shazhu turned his head with a glare.
A penetrating, forced smile hung on Su Changshun's face as he said to the two police officers, "Comrade Wang, Comrade Zhang, in my opinion, going to his home is the most appropriate choice."
His tone was unhurried, carrying the air of a calculated analysis. "This Yi Zhonghai, our courtyard liaison, is a man who cares deeply about his standing and values his reputation above all else. Just imagine—if he were dragged out of the bustling workshop by the two of you, wearing that oil-stained work uniform from the Rolling Mill, wouldn't that completely shatter his authority and his carefully maintained facade of always putting the big picture first? He simply couldn't stomach that kind of public humiliation."
Su Changshun paused, the mocking smile at the corners of his mouth deepening. "He must have anticipated that the police would come looking for him, and he’s certain we’re reporting him. Right now, he's probably sitting in that armchair of his at home, making himself look respectable, waiting for us while plotting how to use his usual routine of neighborhood harmony and aggrieved misunderstandings to put on a pitiful performance of supreme injustice right in front of us ignorant neighbors! He needs an audience, and he needs his dignity. His home is the stage he has set aside for himself."
Hearing this, Officer Wang showed a trace of surprise on his square, upright face, which quickly gave way to a knowing look of someone who understood without being told.
Beside him, Officer Zhang couldn't help but chuckle, clicking his tongue twice as he looked at Su Changshun. "Well! Kid, I wouldn't have guessed it given your age, but you've got a sharp eye for people! And a very clear mind!" His words carried a fair bit of admiration.
Su Changshun hurriedly chuckled, striking just the right note of modesty. "You flatter me, Comrade Wang, Comrade Zhang, you two are the ones with discerning eyes. It's just that I've lived in the same courtyard with this moral model for so many years, watching him put on airs and preach from up high every single day, so I've naturally figured out a trick or two. As for the man himself, he believes his own facade of righteousness far too much."
Officer Wang nodded, his gaze returning to the sternness unique to his work. "Alright! Then we go to his house! Lead the way! Keep your emotions in check, Comrade He Yuzhu!" He deliberately glanced at Shazhu with a warning look.
Shazhu had calmed down a bit by now. Although the rage that made him want to tear Yi Zhonghai apart was still churning in his chest, he knew the police were right—making a scene in public, especially in front of the police, would only make him look like he was in the wrong.
Biting his back teeth, he muttered in a muffled voice, "Got it!" Then, picking up his pace, he headed straight for the Middle Courtyard of the Yi Family at 95 Nanluoguxiang!
The group passed through the familiar yet unusually charged alleyways and quickly returned to the entrance of the Quadrangle Courtyard. Entering through the ornamental flower gate, they bypassed the screen wall and headed straight for the Middle Courtyard.
***
In the Quadrangle Courtyard, the sunlight was pleasant. Quilts and clothes belonging to various households were hung out to dry on the clotheslines. A few housewives were originally gathered together picking vegetables, or scrubbing clothes vigorously on washboards. In the corner of the courtyard, Liu Guangfu, the third son of the Liu Family, was squatting and playing with stones.
When Shazhu and Su Changshun, accompanied by two police officers in imposing uniforms, rushed into the compound with murderous momentum and a clear objective, the entire courtyard seemed as if someone had pressed the pause button.
"Oh dear—" Mrs. Jia was the first to see them and let out an involuntary shriek, hurriedly covering her mouth with her hand!
"Police officers?!" The other aunties were also so startled that they stopped what they were doing; the sound of the washboards and conversations vanished instantly.
Liu Guangfu was so frightened that he fell flat on his backside, only to be frantically dragged behind her by his mother, Li Shi.
Everyone's gazes followed the figures of the police, locking firmly onto that room which usually represented "authority" and "upholding justice"—the home of Yi Zhonghai.
And right as the shocked and fearful gazes of the crowd converged, the two doors of Yi Zhonghai's house slowly creaked open.
It was as if to confirm Su Changshun's assertion that he was "waiting at home."
Sure enough, Yi Zhonghai came out properly attired: his old-fashioned gray work clothes were washed white and pressed to a crisp, the collar buttoned up with absolute precision. The expression on his face was a complex mix of grief, indignation, helplessness, and gravity.
Beside him, Chen Guihua looked grief-stricken with red, swollen eyes. She clutched a washed-out handkerchief, her eyes darting about, not daring to look at Shazhu and the police at the door at all.
Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath, feigning composure as he met everyone's gazes. Finally, his eyes landed on the two police officers, and he spoke in a low voice laden with immense grievance yet striving for utmost restraint, making it sound as though he were the victim.
"Police officers! You've... finally come? Ah! Such a misfortune for the family! How... how did this misunderstanding ever escalate to this point? Did you receive a false accusation? I, Yi Zhonghai, have spent over a decade in this courtyard—"
"Yi Zhonghai!" Without waiting for him to finish, Officer Wang directly displayed the summons stamped with a red seal, his voice cold and majestic like an iron hammer shattering Yi Zhonghai's meticulously prepared lines.
"Please come back to the police station with us for an investigation! Regarding the embezzlement of the remittance sent by He Daging, and the break-in at Comrade Su Changshun's home last night, your cooperation is required to provide an explanation!"
"What? A break-in?"
"Embezzling He Daging's remittance?"
The murmurings in the courtyard exploded into an uproar! The expressions on everyone's faces shifted instantly from terror to absolute shock and disbelief!
The performative mask of grief and injustice on Yi Zhonghai's face froze for a fraction of a second; a flicker of genuine panic flashed across the depths of his eyes before he quickly calmed himself.
Meanwhile, behind the crowd, Su Changshun crossed his arms, the corners of his mouth curving even higher, almost breaking into a grin: Well, well, this rehearsed script of yours—did it crack and go off-key just two lines into the opening?
***
"Police officers! I understand the procedures of your work!" Yi Zhonghai's voice still struggled to maintain its composure, even carrying a hint of the heartbreak of an elder misunderstood by a younger generation.
He turned toward his wife and urged briskly, "Guihua! Quick! Bring... bring that thing out! Show it to the police officers!"
Chen Guihua was already terrified out of her wits. Hearing this, her hands trembled as she fumbled into her bosom, pulled out a neatly folded, yellowish piece of paper, and handed it trembling to Yi Zhonghai.
Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath, as if grasping at his final straw, and solemnly unfolded the slip of paper with both hands to display it to the two police officers. His voice suddenly rose, driven by an eager urgency to wash away his humiliation: "Take a look, you two! This is the authorization letter written in person by Comrade He Daging when he left the capital back then! In black and white, perfectly clear! Please look!"
With gazes like torches, the two police officers immediately stepped closer to examine it carefully.
Officer Wang took the piece of paper, which clearly had some years on it. The text read: "Neighbor Yi Zhonghai of 95 Nanluoguxiang Compound is entrusted to collect and custody the living expenses remitted by me. When my son He Yuzhu reaches adulthood, becomes sensible and steady, and possesses the capability to manage family finances, Comrade Yi Zhonghai shall hand them over on my behalf, ensuring that the living expenses can truly be used for the necessities of his and Yushui's living and studying. Written by: He Daging. Month X, 1951."
The courtyard erupted once more!
"There's an authorization letter too?"
" entrusted management? Was there really such a thing?"
"Well... this He Daging too; entrusting First Uncle to look after things makes sense, doesn't it?"
"So First Uncle really didn't swallow the money? He was just keeping it safe for Zhuzi?"
The momentum of the crowd's discussion shifted instantly.
Mrs. Jia acted as if she had been injected with chicken blood, pointing straight at Su Changshun as if wanting to curse him out, but when the police officers' cold gazes swept over her, she forcefully swallowed it back and only dared to mutter in a low voice, "I said First Uncle wasn't that kind of person! It's just some petty villain stirring up trouble with false accusations!"
Seeing the reactions of the police and the neighbors, Yi Zhonghai felt somewhat reassured, and his look of sorrowful helplessness grew even more vivid. "Comrades, look at this! He Daging entrusted it to my care because he was worried that Zhuzi was young, hot-headed, couldn't hold onto money, and would squander it or get scammed! When he left, Zhuzi was only sixteen, and Yushui was only six! What did little children know? I was merely fulfilling a trust entrusted by someone else! The money is all here! Right at home! I haven't touched a single cent of it! Zhuzi is twenty now, and he's even the head chef in the factory kitchen, a sensible young man. I was originally planning to find an opportunity, along with this authorization letter, to explain everything clearly to him and hand over every single coin without a shortage! Why... why would I, a model worker in the factory, want to do something that violates my conscience? What could I possibly hope to gain?!"
The more he spoke, the more emotional he became, and even his eye rims turned red. "I know that regarding yesterday's incident with the Su boy's door being pried open, and today's affair, Zhuzi must have a misunderstanding about me, thinking that I... sigh! Let the neighbors judge, am I that kind of person? Do I covet the He family's meager money? How have I treated Zhuzi and his sister? My wife Guihua! When she saw Yushui shivering in the heavy rain, she altered her own newly bought cotton shoes for Yushui to wear! How could the meager wages Zhuzi made as an apprentice be enough to support a family? Wasn't it me cutting rations from my own mouth and stuffing cornbread and steamed buns into Zhuzi's hands so the two siblings could survive? Zhuzi has a reckless temper; when he acted up and fought in the past, wasn't it me, an elder, who went out time and again to apologize to others, clean up his messes, and teach him how to be a person? I... I am truly wronged to death!"
This passionate performance, paired with the highly deceptive authorization letter, almost instantly turned the tables.
Many neighbors who were out of the loop, or who already held a sense of awe toward Yi Zhonghai's "authority," nodded one after another. Their gazes toward Shazhu even carried a hint of blame, as they felt he was making a mountain out of a molehill and wronging a good man.