“This…” Chai Jiting lowered his head and tapped the ledger lightly with his knuckles. “It not only has their names, but also how much they took, how many years they took it, and what they exchanged it for—I remember clearly which time they signed their names on whose kang (heated brick bed).
Du Jianshan stared at the ledger, but didn't put down the steel fork in his hand: "You suddenly turned around, did you have a change of heart?"
Chai Jiting remained calm and composed, placing the account book on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and glancing up at him: "They've already torn my conscience to shreds. If I don't surrender, I'm going to die anyway; if I surrender, I might at least save my life."
"Do you know what you're saying?" He San Kui's eyes were gloomy. "Even if a single word of what you said is false, you're courting death."
“But everything I said is true.” Chai Jiting chuckled softly. “The pen in Dongling was exchanged for yellow paper. I saw Peng Shilong sign the four characters ‘sixty catties of dried daylily’ with my own eyes, right in Old Wei’s kitchen. He drank half a pot of wine, and his hand trembled as he wrote ‘yellow flower abalone’ instead. He even added a character later. It’s hilarious.”
Du Jianshan's face darkened: "What about Huang Wendou?"
“That old fox Huang Wendou is the most cunning,” Chai Jiting sneered. “He doesn’t buy goods in kind, he buys information. He knows better than anyone which forest has what kind of wild animals, or which land has been smuggled. He has a relative at the post office who helps him intercept mail, so those letters reporting back to the town never leave the town.”
"Can you produce any evidence?" He San Kui asked coldly.
“I can produce it.” Chai Jiting reached out and pulled out an oil paper envelope. “There are two copies here. One is a letter of complaint written by Li Guoyan and sent to the county agricultural machinery station, saying that someone in our forest area is smuggling yams to the black market. The other is a letter written by Tong Laoliu to his son, saying ‘Someone over there wants the goods,’ accompanied by Huang Wendou’s code word—I followed him for half a year before I figured it out.”
Du Jianshan finally put away the steel fork, walked over, took the ledger and envelope from his hand, and flipped through a few pages, his brows furrowing more and more.
"It says on the document, 'Liang Zaiguo: Five ounces of dried deer tendons for a bottle of Western medicine,' and 'Township Supply and Marketing Cooperative: Borrowing vouchers for conversion, year-end reimbursement'... Did you keep all these records?"
“I’m their accountant,” Chai Jiting grinned. “But I’m not one of their people. I used to study medicine, but I was forced into this line of work. Now that they’ve all climbed up the ladder, they want to get rid of me, but I won’t let them.”
A silence fell over the room.
"Why should you believe me?" Chai Jiting's eyes reddened, and his voice became hoarse. "I'm covered in mud, and I've already stepped into a pit of fire. But what about them? They stand on the stage every day shouting slogans, but behind the scenes they drink the strongest liquor, eat the fattest meat, and even steal the salt from ordinary people!"
Du Jianshan closed the ledger, his tone calm but deep: "You have to cooperate with us and take us to the location where these people met, to find evidence."
Chai Jiting nodded: "Okay, I know there's an old medicine cellar in Dongling, where they store their goods. That's the first stop."
"You dare to play tricks—"
"I don't have the guts," he said with a wry smile. "This time I'm truly at my wit's end."
He San Kui was still worried: "If we go to some ambush site, the three of us are not to be trifled with."
Chai Jiting raised his hands: "I just returned to town from Dongling the day before yesterday, and came back to seek refuge with you. I didn't dare to take the main road along the way, but instead took detours around small hills and waded through ditches, and my feet were all blistered—I was afraid they would intercept me."
“If you really want to overturn the case, you’ll have to pay with your life.” Du Jianshan looked at him and suddenly asked, “Is Huang Wendou still in town?”
“Here.” Chai Jiting nodded. “He’s in the backyard of the forest management station tonight. Someone brought him chicken wine, saying it was dried blue crabs caught from the south slope. He’s going to host a private banquet. The time is between the end of Xu and the beginning of Hai.”
"Can you sneak in?"
“They can’t get in, but they can guard the outside.” Chai Jiting grinned. “They changed the windows a long time ago, so you can see their shadows from the outside. They love to show off their drinking, and when they drink a lot, they talk loudly.”
Du Jianshan pondered for a moment: "You'll come with me tonight."
He Sankui glared: "You're bringing him along? Aren't you afraid he'll turn around and bite you?"
“I’m afraid,” Du Jianshan said, “but I’m even more afraid that he’ll die out there and the thread will break.”
With a "whoosh," Chai Jiting pulled a small piece of paper tube from his pocket. "I don't have a knife on me. This pipe is for self-defense. There's some pepper ash and copper wire nails inside. It's not lethal. You can take it."
He San Kui took it, shook it, and it rattled. It was indeed a "dog deterrent" made from an old chimney.
"We need to act quickly tonight." Du Jianshan turned to He Sankui and said, "You contact Lao Duan and have him take two men to guard the back gate of the forest station. He and I will keep watch from the front."
"Okay." He Sankui nodded. "Should we notify the county?"
"No rush." Du Jianshan's eyes turned cold. "Let's fish them out first, catch as many as we can. We'll hand them over once we've gathered all the evidence."
"Take photos?" Chai Jiting was taken aback. "You guys also... take pictures?"
“I’m talking about ‘recording,’ what does it matter what method you use?” Du Jianshan deliberately spoke vaguely, “You just need to keep your mouth shut.”
“I can keep you in check.” Chai Jiting composed himself and slowly stood up straight. “I’ll go with you tonight. No matter how cold it is up ahead, I’ll take it.”
"Okay." Du Jianshan patted him on the shoulder. "You still have a chance."
Night fell heavily, and the town was deserted. In the abandoned courtyard behind the forestry station, a few rays of yellow light faintly shone through the window.
Du Jianshan and Chai Jiting crouched down and hid behind a haystack on the opposite low slope, while He Sankui quietly crept along the wall to the side gate and poked half his body out.
"It's starting," Chai Jiting said softly.
Suddenly, a wine glass shattered on the floor, followed by a loud male voice:
"Come on, let's have a drink—this time, thanks to Director Liang, Dongling's money was finally approved!"
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