Chapter 10

A short, plump police officer in his forties, with the rank of Deputy Chief Inspector on his shoulder, walked to the front of the convoy and tapped on the window of the first truck. He asked in a local dialect, with a lisp, "Fellow villagers, where are you all going?"

"To the county town, to welcome someone," Tao Lelin, sitting in the passenger seat of the first vehicle, rolled down the window and replied with a serious face.

"Welcome someone..." The Deputy Chief Inspector was taken aback, then realized these Miao villagers were going to retrieve a deceased person. His already uneasy heart skipped a beat: "The county is about to host the third 'Mountain Mist International Tourism Festival.' With so many people standing on the trucks entering the city, it might not look good."

"If it doesn't look good, the town will send us buses, right? Officer, let me tell you the truth, we are going to welcome the father of this boy, Zhang Daowu, whose surname is Zhang, from Guawo Village."

"If we don't welcome him today, the people going to the county town tomorrow might not be these same people."

The Deputy Chief Inspector was Song Xinghe, the chief of the Damu Police Station, originally from the county town. He didn't know how influential "Zhang from Guawo Village" was, but from Tao Lelin's tone and the unfriendly gazes of the hundreds of Miao villagers, he understood that this was not something he, a minor official, could stop. Even if he could, the cost would be too high.

"Well, our fellow villagers, please be mindful of the impact," Song Xinghe thought for a moment, then resignedly ordered his subordinates to move the police car to the side of the road, saying with a forced smile.

"Of course, I'm also a cadre," Tao Lelin nodded, rolled up the window, and the convoy continued on its way.

Watching the convoy drive away, Song Xinghe immediately took out his phone and called the deputy director of the county public security bureau in charge of public security: "Director Liang, this is Song Xinghe from Damu. I have something to report..."

The police station chief reported to the deputy director of the public security bureau;

The deputy director of the public security bureau reported to the director;

Then the director of the public security bureau, who also served as the county party secretary for political and legal affairs, reported to the county party secretary and then called the county magistrate. Under the personal supervision of the party secretary and the county magistrate, the details of the incident were quickly clarified.

By the time the convoy from Guawo Village arrived at the entrance of the county central hospital, the county party secretary in charge of stability, Guo Guoxing, was already waiting there, accompanied by the head of the traffic police detachment, Man Changsheng, the chairman of Jindao Taxi Company, He Daolin, and the general manager of Huashou Insurance Company, Xu Fanmao.

Such an event would be almost unimaginable in the inland counties of China, but in the ethnic minority regions, especially in the rugged Miao areas of western Sichuan, it had become quite common in recent years. Some officials working there even missed the days before the internet.

Although Tao Lelin knew that the people waiting at the hospital entrance might include county leaders, he showed no reaction when he and Zhang Lisheng got off the truck. Instead, Guo Guoxing took the initiative to walk over and asked with concern, "Are you Tao Lelin from Guawo Village and Zhang Lisheng?"

"I am Tao Lelin, and you are?"

"I am Guo Guoxing, the county party secretary in charge of stability."

"So you are Secretary Guo. Oh, my mind is a bit slow. I often see you on the county news. You look much younger in person."

"Old, old, ever since I took charge of stability, I haven't been eating or sleeping well, so I'm old. Comrade Lelin, you seem like a straightforward person. Let's be frank. I am also from Miao, and I respect the customs of our Miao people. However, this is a special time, and the third 'Mountain Mist International Tourism Festival' is about to open. The Party respects the traditional customs of all ethnic minorities, but economic development is also a major concern, closely related to the interests of ordinary people..."

"I understand, Secretary Guo, I understand. But if the matter isn't resolved, I can't ask the villagers to go back. I, I..."

Seeing Tao Lelin's troubled expression, Guo Guoxing smiled and said, "Don't worry, Old Tao. I won't make it difficult for you. Manager Xu, bring the insurance compensation. Manager He, is the condolence money from Jindao Company ready?"

Hearing the county party secretary's call, Xu Fanmao quickly stepped forward with a smile, took out a transfer check from his suit pocket, and said, "Secretary Guo, the insurance compensation is 500,000 yuan. This is a transfer check, payable on presentation, and it is the maximum compensation for a taxi in the county."

Guo Guoxing nodded and looked at He Daolin, who had run over.

"We have prepared 150,000 yuan as condolence money. Although it's not much, it's a gesture from Jindao Company," He Daolin said with a bitter smile, taking out a thick envelope from his handbag.

In this traffic accident that led to Zhang Daowu's death, the deceased was partially at fault for crossing the road illegally. The family could have expected around 300,000 to 400,000 yuan in insurance compensation. However, now the insurance company was paying the full amount, and He Daolin had to pay an additional 150,000 yuan as "condolence money." He was certainly pained by this, but he knew he had to pay it to avoid a so-called "ethnic conflict" that could shut down his company.

After showing sufficient sincerity, Guo Guoxing, instead of looking at Tao Lelin, looked at the thin, young Zhang Lisheng and said with a heavy heart, "Zhang Lisheng, I am very sorry for your loss. We have ordered the responsible parties to provide the maximum compensation. If you have any other reasonable requests, you can make them."

As the county party secretary and also the director of the tourism development zone, Guo Guoxing was a significant figure in the county. In major cities like Beijing or Shanghai, such a level of official might not be significant, but in the county, he was a person whose actions could cause a stir.

Moreover, Guo Guoxing himself was from the Miao community, so as long as he stood on the right side of reason, he wouldn't fear any troublemakers.

To his surprise, the young boy did not react as expected, crying or bargaining. Instead, he kept his head down and said softly, "Uncle, I'm here to bring my father's remains home. He was hit by a car while climbing a barrier, and it's not anyone else's fault. Whatever compensation is given, I will accept it. I just want to bring my father's remains home..."

There are few saints or vicious criminals in the world; most are ordinary people with a mix of good and bad. Ordinary people's emotions are easily influenced by their surroundings, and the difference between insincerity and sincerity can be just a thought.

Hearing Zhang Lisheng's words and seeing the young, thin boy who called him "uncle" and had lost his father, Guo Guoxing, who should have felt relieved by the resolution of the incident, suddenly felt a pang of sadness, thinking of his own son of a similar age.

"Don't say that, my boy. You still have a life ahead of you. More compensation will help you through high school, college, and even graduate school. After you graduate, you can have a good future and contribute to the country, which will also bring peace to your father's soul," he said, taking the check and cash from Xu Fanmao and He Daolin and handing them to Zhang Lisheng.

Although his words were still clichés, his tone was much more sincere.

After saying this, seeing that Zhang Lisheng still kept his head down, Guo Guoxing sighed, searched his pockets, and took out a few hundred yuan, handing it to the boy, saying, "I'm just a salaried worker. This isn't much, but you can use it to buy school supplies and study hard."

"Secretary Guo, this, this is not right..." Tao Lelin stammered.

"Old Tao, this is for the child. Don't say anything. The child has lost his father and is very pitiful," Guo Guoxing said, his eyes slowly welling up with tears. "If you have any difficulties in the future, bring him to the county party committee to see me..."

"Click, click, click..." At this moment, a series of camera shutter sounds suddenly rang out. It turned out that Guo Guoxing's secretary had taken out a camera and captured this touching moment.

Guo Guoxing was momentarily taken aback and instinctively wanted to stop it, but then he thought better of it and instead patted Zhang Lisheng's head, his face showing a mix of kindness and sorrow.

The camera shutters clicked again...

What could have been a disruptive event turned into a touching drama of the county party leadership caring for the future of a Miao orphan.

With Guo Guoxing's attention, the county central hospital not only waived the emergency fees for Zhang Daowu but also arranged for a special funeral vehicle from the county crematorium, equipped with an ice coffin and a small generator, to transport his body back to Guawo Village.

The entire process of bringing Zhang Daowu's remains back went smoothly, but by the time they returned to the mountain village, it was already past two in the afternoon.

The first to get out of the convoy was Zhang Lisheng. He stood on the stone path, staring blankly as the young and strong villagers carried his father's body, along with the ice coffin. He thought for a moment, then handed the paper bag containing the 150,000 yuan condolence money to Tao Lelin, saying, "Uncle Lelin, I don't know anything. Please take care of my father's funeral. Use this money."

"There's no need for so much money," Tao Lelin was startled and took out three stacks of hundred-yuan bills, saying, "Three thousand is enough. Do you think the villagers will overcharge you like they would a stranger? Besides, the city supermarkets have everything you need. Keep the extra money. After the funeral, I'll take you to the city to deposit it."

"Okay." Hearing Tao Lelin's words, Zhang Lisheng didn't refuse further, took back the 120,000 yuan, and silently accompanied the ice coffin carrying Zhang Daowu back to his family's ancient home.