Faced with this woman who spoke fluently and showed no fear whatsoever, Song Shutian felt that although her methods were not sophisticated, she definitely had counter-surveillance capabilities. He would never have believed it without training.
“An Hong, would we come looking for you for no reason? I hope you can seriously consider your problems and honestly confess.”
An Hong shrugged. "Me? A fine young intellectual. I haven't made any mistakes. What do I have to explain?"
Zheng Dalei slammed his fist on the table in anger. "An Hong, you need to straighten out your attitude. Being glib and glib won't do you any good."
An Hong said calmly, "I didn't do anything wrong. What, are you feeling guilty? I said the same thing even if I slammed my fist on the table. You can't force a confession out of me, can you?"
Song Shutian smiled faintly, "An Hong, there are some things you can't deny even if you want to."
"I'm asking you, why are you dating Feng Biao in such a secretive way? I heard he even writes you letters, and through unofficial channels at that. Can you tell me about that?"
An Hong curled her lips and said, "Feng Biao just loves to do this kind of thing, and there's nothing I can do about it. He's the one who arranges for the letters to be delivered to me. They're so cheesy that I destroyed them as soon as I finished reading them, afraid that people would laugh at me. Is there a problem with that?"
"If you want to see it, wait until Feng Biao writes again, and I'll show it to you. It's no big deal, why did you have to come all the way here to ask me?"
Zhang Dalei pressed further, "You mean to say that the people who delivered the letters and the people who picked them up for you were all arranged by Feng Biao?"
An Hong said innocently, "You can't say that. Sometimes, I feel that he should write a letter, but there's still no news. I'll ask someone to check on him and see what's wrong. What happened to Feng Biao?"
Let me tell you, Feng Biao and I are just friends who are a step away from being boyfriend and girlfriend. Whatever happens to him has nothing to do with me.
Zhang Dalei snorted, "You've managed to distance yourself quite a bit, but I wonder what Feng Biao would think if he heard these words."
"By the way, could you tell me about the little mute boy?"
An Hong had a bad feeling. If the little mute and the others could find out, did that mean the other side also knew about the message being passed between them?
However, she still tried to remain calm and said, "I've helped that child a few times. He's quite pitiful. I heard that Feng Biao asked him to help us deliver messages. What happened? Did something happen to the little mute?"
Song Shutian continued, "So what did Feng Biao write in the last letter you received?"
An Hong shrugged and curled her lip. "Don't even mention it. The dew got all wet, and the writing was so blurry that you couldn't make out anything. In a fit of anger, I threw it into the latrine. Now you can't see it even if you want to. You'll just have to wait for next time."
Song Shutian wanted to smile wryly. He had underestimated this woman. There weren't many people who could talk so eloquently in front of them without changing their expression, especially women.
When women meet them, they are usually either shy, nervous, or afraid, but An Hong in front of them doesn't exhibit any of these traits.
"An Hong, should I call the little mute boy over so you can have a chat?"
An Hong smiled and said, "He's a mute, how can he talk to me? Comrades, you must be joking."
Song Shutian chuckled. "So what if she's mute? Are you going to discriminate against her? Don't underestimate her just because she can't speak. She can write."
This one sentence stunned An Hong. Wasn't it said that this mute person couldn't write and had never been to school? How come he can write now?
"No need for that. It's too much trouble to take care of a child late at night. You can just tell me what you need."
Zhang Dalei sighed and shook his head. "An Hong, you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin. Are you really going to force Jiang Qiao to come out and face you?"
Upon hearing Jiang Qiao's name, even An Hong, who was usually very calm, couldn't help but shiver. To cover up her feelings, she quickly explained, "Then there's no need. I've already heard of Jiang Qiao's reputation. She even managed to take down Feng Lan. Since you're all here, why bother others?"
However, I've said everything I needed to say. If there's anything I don't know, I genuinely don't know. If you want to know, you'll have to ask the people involved.
Song Shutian waved to the door, "Go, bring the little mute over here."
When An Hong saw the little mute boy walk in, her eyes widened. She had no idea what this child could write.
"Young comrade, don't be afraid. Just answer whatever I ask. Did this woman ask you to deliver a message?"
The little mute boy looked at An Hong and nodded. Zhang Dalei continued to ask, "Then how do you know if the other party has sent you a letter, and when are you going to pick it up?"
The little mute boy asked for a piece of paper and a pen, and expressed his meaning in pinyin. Zhang Dalei took out his pen and translated it directly into Chinese characters.
"You mean, if someone in that courtyard wants to send a message, there will be a piece of toilet paper pressed against the wall of the outhouse?"
The little mute nodded, then continued writing: "This older sister gave me money, and promised to cure my muteness if I did things for her."
After Zhang Dalei finished translating, he handed the paper to An Hong and said, “Look how weak and feeble your excuses are. Do you really think that just because the child can’t speak, you can fool everyone?”
An Hong, what else do you have to say? Confess honestly, which member of the work group is your accomplice?
Even so, An Hong looked up again, still stubbornly refusing to admit defeat. "If he says so, then so be it. I can say no. Ask him if he has any evidence that I instructed him to do it."
There's no evidence whatsoever; you're just spouting nonsense. You believe whatever he says. I could even say that this little mute is acting under orders to frame me.
I want to report this issue to your leaders. You've framed me, a female educated youth sent to the countryside. I don't know what your purpose is.
Song Shutian was both amused and exasperated, then sighed, "Now I finally understand what the saying 'the thief cries 'stop thief!' means. An Hong, you've given us the most realistic example of this."
Do you really think we guys can't do anything to you?
"Fine, keep being stubborn. Let Jiang Qiao come over. I don't believe you'll still maintain this attitude once you see her."
An Hong snorted coldly, "I didn't do it, and that's that. It's no use who comes. I advise you to give up these unrealistic ideas. I'm an honest and law-abiding person. Do you think I'll lie to you just because you scare me? My teachers and parents didn't teach me that."
"Yeah?"
Hearing a woman's voice from outside, An Hong trembled again. It would be a lie to say she wasn't afraid. She was confident in dealing with Song Shutian and his male comrades; these men wouldn't dare to do anything to her.
However, she was genuinely afraid of the woman outside. Jiang Qiao had a notorious reputation, and even though she had never met him in person, she had heard countless stories about him.
Before she came, her superiors repeatedly told her to avoid Jiang Qiao if she encountered him. Now, she had no choice but to go, as he was right in front of her.
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