Chapter 32

"Xu Ge, don't misunderstand, my sister isn't a bad person."

Xu Junran was pondering the matters of Wude County when Yuan Xiaoyue suddenly spoke in a low voice.

Slightly taken aback, Xu Junran glanced at Yuan Xiaoyue and noticed that her face was a bit flushed, as if she was somewhat embarrassed to talk about it.

Furrowing his brows, Xu Junran quickly understood what was going on.

When he was reborn, it was several decades after the reform and opening up, a time when restaurants were common on the streets, and it was perfectly normal for women to be out in public. But this was the 1980s. Even just men and women holding hands on the street would be criticized for poor conduct, let alone a woman opening a small restaurant in such a place. Lin Yuzheng, among Yuan Xiaoyue's relatives, was probably one of the less favored.

"It's fine, I understand," Xu Junran smiled and said lightly.

Yuan Xiaoyue looked at Xu Junran and, seeing that he seemed sincere, said in a low voice, "My cousin had a tough life from a young age. Her father passed away early, and she had two younger brothers. When she was a child, she was betrothed to a family in the same village. Unfortunately, her husband drowned while fishing in the river when he was just a teenager. Later, her in-laws died one after another, and she became a widow before marriage. The villagers all said she had a life that brought bad luck to her husband, a white tiger fate. She had no choice but to move to the county and, with my father's help, opened this small restaurant."

"Oh?" Yuan Xiaoyue's words made Xu Junran pause. He hadn't expected such a beautiful woman to have such a tragic past. Indeed, beauty often comes with a thin fate.

However, he was even more curious about how Yuan Xiaoyue's father could help Lin Yuzheng open a restaurant.

"Your father is?" Xu Junran asked, voicing his inner doubt.

Yuan Xiaoyue laughed, like a mischievous child, "My father is the factory manager of the beer factory. He said that if land can be contracted to individuals, then the canteen can be too. So he contracted the beer factory's canteen to my sister, allowing her to open the restaurant."

Xu Junran nodded. Yuan Xiaoyue's father was a smart man, able to think of such a way to help his unfortunate relative. He was a decent person.

Then he remembered that in a few years, in his previous life, Yuan Xiaoyue's father would be accused of embezzling state assets due to the poor management of the beer factory. One of the charges was that he had transferred state assets to his relatives.

So, Lin Yuzheng was one of those relatives who disappeared?

Lin Yuzheng, Lin Yuzheng?

Wait!

Lin Yuzheng!

Xu Junran suddenly remembered what his adoptive father had told him about the incident that led to the imprisonment of Qin Guotong and his son, and the execution of Qin Shouzheng.

During the nationwide crackdown in the next two years, a major criminal case occurred in Wude County. A journalist from the Beijing Youth Daily was severely beaten in Wude County, and it was rumored that a restaurant owner was also involved. The perpetrators were Qin Shouzheng and his gang.

The incident shocked the provincial committee. The journalist had come to Wude County for an interview and was dining at a restaurant when he encountered Qin Shouzheng and his gang harassing a woman. The journalist spoke up for justice, but Qin Shouzheng, used to his arrogance, not only didn't stop but continued to humiliate the woman in front of the journalist. The woman, unable to bear the humiliation, committed suicide on the spot, and the journalist was severely beaten and hospitalized. Fortunately, a nurse at the Wude County Hospital, with a strong sense of justice, managed to contact the journalist's family using the phone number on his press credentials, which led to the incident being exposed.

A journalist from Beijing severely beaten! A heinous case of sexual assault!

At such a sensitive time, these two incidents immediately put the Jiangnan Provincial Committee in the spotlight. It was said that a high-ranking leader in Beijing slammed the table and personally called the top official of the Jiangnan Provincial Committee, asking, "What does Jiangnan belong to now? Is it capitalist?"

No matter when such a question was asked, it always meant a storm was coming, especially during the crackdown.

The top official of the provincial committee, who had been scolded by the Beijing leadership, was naturally unhappy, but he wouldn't vent his anger on his superiors. Instead, the leaders of Quanzhou City became his punching bag.

The main leaders of the Quanzhou City Committee and Municipal Government were severely reprimanded, and the Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, responsible for social security, was transferred from his position.

Wude County underwent a major reshuffle. Li Dongyuan, who was studying at the Provincial Party School, escaped the purge. The County Public Security Bureau Chief, Cheng Hongda, who was temporarily in charge of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee, was demoted. The County Party Secretary, Yang Weitian, received an administrative reprimand and was required to write a self-criticism. The newly appointed County Governor, Qin Guotong, was dismissed and handed over to the judicial authorities for handling.

Even after many years, whenever Xu Junran recalled that period, he could always see a hint of sadness in his adoptive father's eyes.

He never expected to meet one of the parties involved today.

"How old is Sister Lin?" Xu Junran asked Yuan Xiaoyue in a low voice.

To his surprise, Yuan Xiaoyue gave him a glare and said in a low voice, "Don't you know that a woman's age is a secret?"

Xu Junran was taken aback, "Where did you hear that?"

If someone had said that to him ten years later, he wouldn't have found it strange, but in this era, hearing it from Yuan Xiaoyue was quite surprising.

Sticking out her tongue, Yuan Xiaoyue made an extremely cute expression and said, "My sister said it."

Xu Junran felt helpless. It seemed that Lin Yuzheng was quite a bold person. She wouldn't have been able to open a restaurant if she were too introverted.

"My sister is 27 this year," Yuan Xiaoyue suddenly said in a low voice, seeing that Xu Junran wasn't speaking.

Xu Junran nodded, not having expected that.

As they were talking, the door opened, and Tu Wenying and a young woman walked in. Seeing Yuan Xiaoyue and Xu Junran, he smiled and said, "You two are quite quick."

Xu Junran smiled, "It's because Brother Tu is too slow."

After saying that, he greeted the woman with a smile, "This must be Sister Feng. Brother Tu mentioned you yesterday. It's a pleasure to meet you today; you are truly a beauty. I'm Xu Junran."

"Hello, Secretary Xu. I'm Feng Yuan," Feng Yuan, with her almond-shaped eyes, smiled at Xu Junran.

Xu Junran waved his hands, "Don't be so formal. I'm just a staff member of the County Party Committee Office. Sister Feng, you're too polite."

He wasn't a naive newcomer to the political arena. Xu Junran knew that even if he had prior knowledge of certain matters, he shouldn't show it until everything was settled. News in the political arena always spread quickly, and by the time he knew about the appointment, it had probably already spread throughout the County Party Committee compound. At this moment, what he needed to do was to observe and wait.

Sometimes, no reaction at all is the best reaction.