Chapter 8

Liu Xiaohui looked at Qin Mingliang with some difficulty, as it was Sunday today, and they had originally planned to visit Qin Mingliang's home in the afternoon. During the passionate period of their relationship, it was rare to have a quiet place to be alone together.

But if she were to part ways with Lu Zheng, who she had just reunited with after a long time, Liu Xiaohui really couldn't bear it, feeling that there were still many things she wanted to say.

Qin Mingliang said to Lu Zheng with a slight apology, "Zhengzi, I'm really sorry, but in a while, Xiaohui and I will go back to the residential area of No. 1 High School; my home is there."

Lu Zheng's spirits lifted even more upon hearing this, and he laughed, "That's fine, let's go together. I'll visit your home too."

Qin Mingliang stared at him with wide eyes, momentarily speechless, thinking to himself that this guy must be crazy, definitely a bit off. But since he was a grown man and had spoken, he couldn't just ignore him and say he wouldn't bring him along.

Liu Xiaohui was also somewhat surprised but then thought that perhaps Lu Zheng felt the same way as she did. Recalling the friendship of following Lu Zheng around when they were young, Liu Xiaohui felt a warm feeling in her heart and said to Qin Mingliang, "Xiaoliang, Brother Zhengzi is like my own brother. Let's go together; I still have a lot to talk about with Brother Zhengzi."

Even though Qin Mingliang was unwilling, he had no choice but to compromise. He was seething inside as he led Lu Zheng and Liu Xiaohui, who were chatting and laughing, towards the residential building, cursing this blind and annoying young man in his heart, wondering what kind of situation this was.

Qin Mingliang's home was a two-bedroom apartment, quite spacious, and it was clear that it belonged to a family of scholars. There was a bookshelf taller than a person by the living room window, filled with various books.

Lu Zheng and Liu Xiaohui chatted, but they didn't ignore Qin Mingliang. Occasionally, Lu Zheng would chat with Qin Mingliang, asking about the housing benefits for teachers in the No. 1 High School residential area, whether any single teachers had been allocated housing, and if any female teachers had attended training programs last year, especially those whose spouses lived alone for long periods.

Qin Mingliang was seething inside but had to respond intermittently. Especially when he saw Liu Xiaohui and Lu Zheng chatting more and more enthusiastically, repeatedly talking about things from their childhood, a strong sense of jealousy welled up in his chest. He couldn't sit still anymore and said, "I'll go buy a pack of cigarettes," and quickly left.

Liu Xiaohui didn't notice and asked, "Brother Zhengzi, isn't it hard to run a business now?" She believed Lu Zheng when he said he ran a business.

Lu Zheng's smile faded, and he said to Liu Xiaohui earnestly, "Xiaoliang is a good person; you should treat him well." No one is a saint; everyone has their flaws. Although Qin Mingliang was a bit impatient, it also showed that he wasn't too calculating. And his behavior today was quite gentlemanly.

Liu Xiaohui felt a sweet sensation in her heart upon hearing this, as her boyfriend had been recognized, and she nodded gently.

A few minutes later, Qin Mingliang returned, followed by a middle-aged man with glasses, who looked refined and was clearly a handsome man in his youth. Liu Xiaohui stood up hurriedly upon seeing the middle-aged man, greeting him somewhat awkwardly, "Uncle Zhang."

Qin Mingliang looked somewhat smug and said to Lu Zheng, "This is Principal Zhang from No. 1 High School; he lives right next door to us."

Liu Xiaohui was a young literary enthusiast, and Principal Zhang was the honorary chairman of the county literary association, a well-known poet in the county who had published his poems in provincial newspapers multiple times. Therefore, Liu Xiaohui often wrote small poems and asked him for guidance.

Seeing that Lu Zheng and Liu Xiaohui were chatting well, Qin Mingliang decided to invite "Uncle Zhang" over. Since he couldn't be alone with Xiaohui, he might as well make Xiaohui, his childhood friend, a third wheel like himself.

Sure enough, when Principal Zhang arrived, Liu Xiaohui's topic shifted to poetry, and Lu Zheng found it hard to join in the conversation. Most of the time, he could only sit and drink tea, glancing at Qin Mingliang's smug expression, which made him chuckle, finding this young man quite amusing.

Principal Zhang was very talkative and began reciting a poem with great emotion: "He glanced at her, and she smiled back; life suddenly awakened!" His recitation was so moving that it drew people into the poetic realm. After reciting, Principal Zhang gave Liu Xiaohui some advice: "See, the most touching sentences are often the simplest. Too many ornate words lose that feeling." Liu Xiaohui nodded in agreement.

However, when Principal Zhang recited the poem, Lu Zheng felt as if he had been struck by lightning, looking at him in disbelief.

In the home of the third victim, among her belongings, there was a piece of white paper filled with the poem that Principal Zhang was now reciting. This was not the internet age, and not every literary enthusiast would know Browning, especially in this small county. Moreover, the poem Principal Zhang recited was not from the main body of a long poem but from the preface.

One by one, doubts flooded Lu Zheng's mind. He suddenly remembered that, apart from the third victim being a literary enthusiast, a young artist who enjoyed painting and writing, the families of the first and second victims had also mentioned that they enjoyed reading novels. However, no one had considered these as clues or connected them together.

...

When Lu Zheng left Qin Mingliang's home, he had a general understanding of Principal Zhang's life. He was a widower, and his children were all living elsewhere. Lu Zheng didn't ask too many questions to avoid alarming him. Now, in addition to the boiler operator at the ice cream factory, Mr. Wang, there was another suspect.

Although there was no concrete evidence, having some leads was better than being completely in the dark.

When Lu Zheng said goodbye, Qin Mingliang looked quite smug, clearly thinking that Lu Zheng had left because no one was paying attention to him and found it boring. However, when Liu Xiaohui repeatedly asked for Lu Zheng's address and said they should gather when the "Red Movement" people had time, Qin Mingliang felt somewhat annoyed.

Lu Zheng went directly to the urban police station to find Hou Jianjun and asked him to help dig up information on Principal Zhang from No. 1 High School.

Hou Jianjun looked at Lu Zheng in disbelief for a long time but reluctantly agreed.

Two days later, when Li Weijun was quickly sent to the prosecutor's office for review and prosecution, the files on Mr. Wang and Principal Zhang were secretly delivered to Lu Zheng's desk.

Mr. Wang's file was detailed, but Principal Zhang's was quite brief, containing only information known to neighbors. This was understandable because, after the restoration of the college entrance examination, No. 1 High School maintained the highest college admission rate in the city, making Guangning's education system very prominent. The first high school was a provincial key school, and the principal was a deputy county-level official. Although Hou Jianjun had agreed to dig up information, he couldn't secretly investigate him; at most, he could gather what everyone already knew.

Both Mr. Wang and Principal Zhang were widowers. The difference was that Mr. Wang's wife had died of illness, while Principal Zhang's wife had committed suicide during the chaotic years after being persecuted. Because she left no suicide note, Principal Zhang, who was also frequently persecuted, was implicated. The Revolutionary Committee accused him of murdering his wife, but just as a public trial was about to begin, the political situation in Beijing changed, and Principal Zhang narrowly escaped.

Reading through the files, Lu Zheng found it difficult to determine whether either of them was the murderer or who was more likely to be the culprit.

Then, Lu Zheng's gaze fell on the part of Principal Zhang's file that mentioned his wrongful accusation of murdering his wife during the later chaotic years, and he fell into deep thought.

...

The sun in May was already scorching, and after a rain, the asphalt road was steaming, making the small city feel like it was in a steamer. The weather this year was unusually hot.

Lu Zheng stood in front of the No. 3 residential area of the fertilizer factory, brushing off the dirt from his clothes, feeling quite unlucky. He had just been unlucky, dodging a child riding a bicycle in the neighborhood and brushing against the mud on the wall. His clean white的确良 (dakelang) shirt and black pants were now stained.

Turning to look at the gate of the residential area, Lu Zheng felt a complex mix of emotions. His adoptive parents lived here. Thinking about how bad Lu Guobin had been to him and how good Aunt Cuifang had been, Lu Zheng didn't know what to feel.

He had originally planned to visit them after the case was closed, but now he had to change his plans.

In the past two days, Lu Zheng had visited the members of the "special task force" that had handled Principal Zhang's case. At that time, the public security, procuratorate, and court systems had been dismantled, and the "special task force" members were composed of active rebels from these systems. Now, most of these people had been labeled as "three types of people" and were either imprisoned or marginalized, and no one was willing to talk about the past.

Lu Zheng reviewed the files of these people and found that the leader of the "special task force" had been transferred to work elsewhere, while the deputy leader, Xia Tianxing, was a member of the county bureau's party committee at the time and had been expelled from the police system. However, he was still in Guangning.

After Hou Jianjun dug up information, it was found that Xia Tianxing now lived with his son in the No. 3 residential area of the fertilizer factory. Coincidentally, Lu Zheng's adoptive parents also lived in the No. 3 residential area.

After some consideration, Lu Zheng decided to visit his adoptive parents under the pretext of a family visit to get closer to Xia Tianxing and inquire about the case from the past. Lu Zheng didn't necessarily suspect Principal Zhang of being the murderer, but the information provided by Hou Jianjun was limited. Gathering information from another angle would help him better understand Principal Zhang. In those crazy years, people's true natures were more likely to be revealed, and the "special task force" members might provide insights into the lesser-known aspects of Principal Zhang's life.

The gate of the residential area was open, and the No. 3 residential area housed three families: the Lus, the Xias, and the Zhus.

Lu Zheng stepped into the courtyard, which was quite spacious. A locust tree stood in the middle, in full bloom with white flowers like pea pods hanging from the green branches, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

Under the locust tree, a woman in her fifties, slightly plump, was washing dishes at the faucet. Hearing footsteps, she looked up, paused for a moment, and then stood up abruptly, her mouth twitching as she stared at Lu Zheng in disbelief.

Lu Zheng took a few steps forward, his voice slightly trembling, "Aunt Cuifang..." He had thought he wouldn't be emotional, but the moment he faced her, his throat tightened, and he almost shed tears.

Ma Cuifang suddenly let out a cry and rushed to hug Lu Zheng, sobbing uncontrollably, her words incoherent, her tears and snot streaming down her face, soaking Lu Zheng's shoulder.

Lu Zheng gently patted her back. Aunt Cuifang hadn't changed; she was still a simple rural woman, but her sincerity and genuine affection were unmistakable.

"Zhengzi, tell me, where have you been all these years?" Ma Cuifang asked after her tears subsided, still holding onto Lu Zheng tightly. She was afraid he would leave again without a word, even though he wasn't her biological child, she had always treated him like a son. However, her position in the family was low, and she had no say, just like Lu Zheng, who was often mistreated.

For the rest of the afternoon, the two of them chatted in the room, catching up on the years apart, just like they did when Lu Zheng was a child, and the warmth of family filled their hearts.

Lu Zheng didn't want to reveal too much about his current situation, only saying he had been back in Guangning for half a year and was doing some small business, which made Ma Cuifang sigh, feeling that this child's life was too hard and that she had let down her sworn sister.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud voice, "Ma Cuifang, why didn't you go to work this afternoon?"

Lu Zheng and Ma Cuifang, who were immersed in the warmth of the moment, noticed that Lu Guobin had returned.

Lu Zheng observed that Lu Guobin looked more spirited than a few years ago, with a ruddy complexion, indicating that his work and life were going well. In contrast, Aunt Cuifang looked much older.

Lu Guobin also saw Lu Zheng and quickly recognized him but ignored him, scolding Ma Cuifang, "Tell me, is it easy to get this job? It's just taking care of children, such an easy job, and you have to make me lose face?"

Lu Guobin had arranged for Ma Cuifang to work at the kindergarten in the factory. As his career progressed, he became more authoritative at home, treating Ma Cuifang like a servant.

Ma Cuifang knew she was in the wrong; she had been too excited to see her long-lost child and had forgotten to take leave, so she didn't blame her husband for being angry.

Although Lu Zheng felt that Lu Guobin was being excessive, this was their family matter, a lifestyle they had been accustomed to for many years. Even if he were their biological son, he wouldn't have interfered, let alone as an outsider.

Lu Guobin glanced at Lu Zheng's blue work jacket and grunted, recognizing it as his own work uniform.

Seeing that Lu Zheng's clothes were dirty, Ma Cuifang found some of Lu Guobin's clothes for him to change into, afraid that Lu Guobin would fly into a rage when he got home. However, Lu Guobin didn't have many decent clothes, as he was old-fashioned and didn't care much about his appearance.

Noticing Lu Guobin's bad mood, Ma Cuifang pulled him aside and suggested, "Since the child is back, why don't we make a good meal for dinner? I'll buy some meat?"

Lu Guobin frowned and said, "We'll eat whatever we have."

Ma Cuifang couldn't persuade him but felt sorry for Lu Zheng. After some thought, she decided to make egg pancakes, using plenty of eggs, as Lu Guobin didn't know how many eggs they had left.

Outside the courtyard, the sound of bicycle bells and greetings indicated that it was time for people to return from work.

When Lu Xiaoping, the fourth daughter of the Lu family, returned, she greeted Lu Zheng coldly. The Lu siblings had always looked down on Lu Zheng.

The Lu family had six children, four girls and two boys. Apart from the second son, who was studying at a university in another city, the other siblings had gradually found jobs, some with permanent positions and others with temporary ones. For example, the eldest son had a permanent job in a neighboring county, while the fourth daughter, Lu Xiaoping, was a temporary worker at the flour mill in the city.

When setting the table, Lu Zheng suggested eating in the courtyard because it was too hot inside. He hoped to strike up a conversation with the Xia family, especially with Mr. Xia Tianxing.

Lu Guobin didn't object and said, "Let's invite the Xia family and the Zhou couple to join us." In the residential areas of factories and other units, most families were like one big family, and when one family had a good meal, they would invite their neighbors to share.

The courtyard soon became lively. The Zhou couple, both working at the fertilizer factory, had a child around four or five years old who was running around, adding to the fun.

Lu Zheng finally met Xia Tianxing. Although Mr. Xia was only in his early fifties, his hair was snow-white, and he was quiet and reserved, in stark contrast to Lu Guobin's domineering personality.

Xia Tianxing's son was not at home. His daughter-in-law, Zhang Guohua, was the accountant at the fertilizer factory, a prominent figure in the factory, and a strong-willed person who was not very polite to Mr. Xia. This was because Zhang Guohua had hoped to benefit from her father-in-law's status when she married into the Xia family, but soon after the wedding, Mr. Xia was labeled as one of the "three types of people" and was marginalized. She harbored some resentment towards her father-in-law.

The Zhou couple, Zhou Dawei and Liu Shuna, both factory workers, respected Lu Guobin as an elder.

Two low tables were combined, and Mr. Xia sat far from Lu Guobin's main seat on a small stool. Lu Zheng sat next to him.

The Zhou couple didn't know Lu Zheng's relationship with the Lu family and only heard Ma Cuifang say he was a long-lost nephew. Zhou Dawei even brought out a bottle of "Fenjiu" from his home, saying it was a gift from his cousin. In an era when people usually drank cheap liquor, this was a high-end item. Even Lu Zheng wondered if this bottle of Fenjiu was as genuine as the thousand-yuan-per-bottle Maotai in the future.

Seeing Lu Zheng sit in the corner, Zhou Dawei smiled and called out, "Zhengzi, you're the guest of honor today. Come over and sit with Uncle Lu."

Lu Xiaoping pouted and said, "What guest of honor?" She was the youngest and most favored daughter, with a delicate appearance and a spoiled nature.

Ma Cuifang frowned and said, "This child!" Lu Guobin nodded and said, "He can sit there." For years, he had never looked favorably upon Lu Zheng, and the memory of Lu Zheng's quiet, steady gaze when he was beaten as a teenager still made him uncomfortable.

Zhou Dawei was taken aback and didn't say anything more, realizing that the family dynamics were complex.

Lu Zheng didn't mind and, as the table became lively with eating and chatting, raised his glass to toast with Xia Tianxing. Xia Tianxing hesitated for a moment, then clinked glasses with Lu Zheng and drank silently.

Lu Zheng didn't speak much, only occasionally clinking glasses with Xia Tianxing and drinking quietly. Xia Tianxing became curious about Lu Zheng and looked at him with a hint of sympathy, sighing softly, perhaps thinking of his own past and present.

Lu Xiaoping chattered about her work at the factory, complaining that it was tiring and that she didn't want to continue. Lu Guobin was in a difficult position. As a deputy workshop director, his abilities were limited, and his position was mainly due to his long service and the importance of his role, which provided a better salary and living conditions than those in administrative or public institutions. However, solving his youngest daughter's long-term temporary worker status was not an easy task.

As they were talking, Lu Xiaoping suddenly screamed, "Susu!" and quickly ran to the gate, startling Lu Zheng.

Lu Zheng turned to see a beautiful girl in a black uniform skirt walk into the courtyard. Her black hair was tied up with a pretty hair clip, and her skin was as smooth and white as congealed milk, making her look like a perfectly edited photo, stunningly beautiful.

Lu Xiaoping accompanied the beautiful girl warmly, and it was clear from her smile that she was trying to flatter her, a rare expression on her usually sharp and unkind face.

The beautiful girl, named Susu, smiled gracefully and greeted everyone at the table politely: "Uncle, Aunt" to Lu Guobin and Ma Cuifang, and "Uncle, Aunt, Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law" to Xia Tianxing, his daughter-in-law Zhang Guohua, Zhou Dawei, and Liu Shuna.

It was clear that this beautiful girl, in terms of her appearance and behavior, lived in a different world from the people in the courtyard. Everyone at the table stood up early, as if welcoming a princess, and even Lu Guobin had a smile on his face.

When the beautiful girl's gaze fell on Lu Zheng, she paused slightly. Ma Cuifang laughed