Chapter 81 - 70: Detention

After dinner, Mr. Lin took Mr. Zhang and a few officials to the kang (a traditional heated bed platform) and sat down. Over there, the two sisters-in-law tidied up, and the two brothers along with Xiao Zhou and others cleared away the large table and left with their people. Zhang Guoqing returned to the west wing bedroom and discussed with Zhou Jiao about the visitors and their thoughts. After the couple agreed, he took some treasured tea leaves to the main room, brewed the tea, and placed it on the small kang table in front of everyone. Li Aiguo watched him finish his work and invited him to sit down. He looked at the old man, who also nodded, so he sat down to listen to what they had to say. Seated in the room were Mr. Lin, Mr. Zhang, Lin Lishan, Zhang Guoqing, and five members of the leadership team. Everyone knew it was time to discuss serious matters, so Mr. Lin and his daughter also spoke up, and everyone was waiting. Li Aiguo and the others exchanged uneasy glances, wondering if the old man would get angry after they told him the details of the matter? It was Li Aiguo who cleared his throat, straightened his attitude, and said, "Mr. Lin, now I represent the leadership team to apologize to you all for mismanaging some staff and village officials, which caused harm to Comrade Zhou Jiao. After today’s incident occurred, upon hearing the news, Township Chief Zhang Zhifeng immediately detained Zhou Xue and began investigating the course of events. Comrade Li Dawei from the township police station led people to inquire with the people and collect evidence. The results confirmed that the situation described by Comrade Zhou Jiao indeed existed. Before Comrade Zhou Jiao turned 10 years old, the recipient of the parcels was the old comrade Zhou Jianren, so it couldn’t be determined whether the items were Zhou Jiao’s personal belongings. After Zhou Jiao turned 12, that is, after 1949, the recipient’s name on the parcels was changed to Comrade Zhou Jiao, and all signatures for receiving them belonged to Zhou Jiao’s uncle Zhou Xiaocun. From 1949 to present, for six years, a total of 119 parcels were mailed to Zhou Jiao from various places, including 113 military parcels and 6 civilian parcels. The money involved is incalculable. If further investigation is required, you must provide strong evidence. However, the detained person Zhou Xue has already confessed that some belongings of the Zhou Family and Huang Family, and the two sisters-in-law’s families, as well as part of the Wang Family’s items, all belong to Comrade Zhou Jiao. In this case, Zhou Family Village production team leader Zhou Xiaoshan and Zhou Xiaocun’s wife Huang Zhaodi conspired to deliberately conceal the truth from Comrade Zhou Jiao and have confirmed wrongful possession of other people’s property. Production team leader Zhou Xiaoshan received a large number of items and has been detained. Based on Huang Zhaodi’s testimony, the evidence has been returned. Huang Zhaodi also confessed and is detained. Her husband, Zhou Xiaocun, claimed in his testimony that he was unaware of the details and only collected parcels from the village with the written authorization, then handed them over to his father Zhou Jianren and his wife Huang Zhaodi, without knowing their final destiny. However, because Zhou Xiaocun is currently under suspicion of concealing information from Zhou Jiao without her consent and arbitrarily claiming others’ property, he is also detained. The Huang Family returned most of the evidence based on the testimony of the villagers and Zhou Xue, and Huang Damao has also been detained. Zhou Xue’s husband’s family, the Wang family, had Wang Shifu removed from his position as production team leader due to embezzlement of village finances, and the Wang family voluntarily returned Zhou Xue’s personal belongings. The postal administration staff’s laxity in management is being dealt with currently. Apart from the Zhou Family, most of the illegally possessed items have been confiscated based on public reports and are all currently placed in the township government courtyard, and this is the progress of the case so far. Old comrade Zhou Jianren from the Zhou family went to the township office several times, insisting on hearing Comrade Zhou Jiao’s opinion before processing the case. We came this time to hear Comrade Zhou Jiao’s requests and suggestions, and to let her reclaim those things from the township courtyard." Lin Xinsheng laughed mockingly, saying, "No need to further investigate the monetary amounts involved. Besides the parcels, we’ve agreed on a significant monthly support payment over the years. How much of that was spent on Zhou Jiao? We don’t care about money and items; you don’t even know half of the internal stories, because Jiao Jiao constantly emphasizes not airing family grievances. I would like to ask Zhou Jianren why he insists on forcing our Jiao Jiao to express her opinion? What face does he have to go to the township office to request her opinions? Time and again, he found excuses to prevent me from bringing Jiao Jiao back, assuring me she was the only one from his second house that he couldn’t bear to part with. So why did he turn a blind eye to the mistreatment by those from the first house to my Jiao Jiao? Saying nonsense like being in harmony with brothers and sisters, while being bullied to your doorstep. Watching his eldest daughter’s plans for Jiao Jiao to marry into the Huang family, why didn’t he stop it? This dead old man even deceived me in a letter last year, claiming that when Jiao Jiao graduates junior high the following year, he would respect her opinion to return to Beijing with us, but she had already graduated last summer. No wonder the old thing hides away, daring not to face me. Fortunately, Jiao Jiao has Zhang Guoqing, who grew up with her since she was young, to rely on. Otherwise, if his daughter-in-law’s calculation succeeded, I would have no qualms about taking them down with my gun." Zhang Guoqing quickly served tea to Grandpa Lin, who was getting more agitated, advising him to calm down. It wouldn’t be good for him to get upset after drinking alcohol. "Xiao Wu, don’t bother, Grandpa’s fine. Comrades, there’s no need to discuss this matter with Zhou Jiao. My Jiao Jiao hasn’t been well during her postpartum period, and with her docile nature, if it weren’t for Zhou Xue bringing so many people to curse at the door this time, she would have just endured it again. She always said how hard it was for her grandma to raise her in that family. Look here, besides me, she didn’t seek anyone; she has classmates and girlfriends, but over these years, she never mentioned them." Zhao Dashan said, "Indeed, I haven’t heard anything from my daughter Yuanyuan either, and you know her, she talks nonstop. Jiao Jiao kept quiet for her grandma’s sake. Many times, she just quietly observed and hardly spoke, remaining calm." "Regarding this case, Xiao Wu, explain your thoughts to the uncles, and as for Old Man Zhou, just let him find me and say I said it. Recall all these years of letters before asking Jiao Jiao’s opinion, or I’ll have someone send the letters and see if he can still face the world," Mr. Lin firmly decided. Zhang Guoqing blinked at the old man, mouthing "Dad," understanding the consideration for his father-in-law, and Mr. Lin slightly nodded. Zhang Guoqing pondered for a moment and then scratched his head with a smile, "Uncles, we’ve troubled you with this matter, and as juniors, we surely heed your guidance on how to handle it. For me, I’ll be straightforward with a few points. Firstly, handle the village officials according to proper procedure, but let’s not pursue the postal staff, who operated according to protocol. Secondly, regarding the confiscated items in the township courtyard, could you kindly handle their disposal and donate them to the lonely elderly in the township? We won’t interfere, and Jiao Jiao and I won’t reclaim those things. Lastly, regarding the first house of the Zhou Family, please first detain her uncle and aunt. As for the items and money received by the Zhou Family, hold off on actions. By the end of this month, someone will accompany me to discuss how to handle it with you. Who that person is, I cannot say now, but you will know in the future." Li Aiguo and the others nodded, as this was the best course for now. Although they didn’t know who the person was, keeping them detained until that time was also good, allowing the issue to settle over the month.