Chapter 104 Fact Determination
“Look, it says ‘unmarried’ here, but Zhang Xiulan moved into the Wang family’s house five years ago. Everyone in the village knows that.”
The next day at noon, Lin Xiaoyuan ran back excitedly.
"Found him! His registration form says 'unmarried,' but the certificate issued by the village clearly states 'married'!"
She placed her bag on the table, panting, and pulled a piece of paper from a hidden compartment.
She pulled out a yellowed photocopy with obvious marks on it.
The word "married" was crossed out.
The word "unmarried" was handwritten next to it, and the handwriting was clearly different from the rest of the text.
The photocopy still bears the official seal of the township government from that year in the lower right corner, and the date is clearly visible.
After carefully reading the report, Qiao Wanyin immediately began writing a letter of complaint.
She spread out a sheet of paper and first wrote down "A Report on Wang Erdan's Concealment of His Marital History" as the title.
At this moment, Sister Wang returned, followed by several other villagers.
They were dressed simply, their feet were covered in mud, and they looked somewhat reserved.
Sister Wang wiped the sweat from her forehead and stood at the door, saying, "Wanyin, this is the Wang family's old neighbor."
She glanced back at the people behind her and continued speaking.
“They are all willing to testify that Zhang Xiulan was a daughter-in-law in the Wang family for a full ten years!”
An elderly woman with a full head of white hair wiped away her tears and said, "Xiulan has suffered so much."
She leaned on her canes, her voice trembling slightly.
“She gets up in the middle of the night to boil water in winter, and works in the fields under the scorching sun in summer. What can the Wang family do without her? But in the end, she doesn’t even have a proper title.”
"I want you to speak the facts, without letting your emotions get in the way!"
Three days later.
When Qiao Wanyin accompanied Zhang Xiulan and the two children in.
They discovered that Wang Erdan and Wang Fang were already sitting opposite them.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat somber.
Zhang Xiulan gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her eyes revealing a hint of unease.
The two children timidly hid behind their mother, occasionally glancing up at their surroundings.
Qiao Wanyin gently patted Zhang Xiulan's shoulder, signaling her to relax.
Sitting next to her was a serious-looking middle-aged man, who was none other than Wang Fang's father, Vice Minister Lin.
He sat upright in his seat, his back straight, with his hands on his knees.
Wang Fang leaned against her father, a hint of arrogance on her face.
Wang Erdan lowered his head, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the seam of his pants.
He stood up, looked around to make sure everyone was seated.
He surveyed the room and said in a calm tone, "Today's meeting is about being realistic and clarifying the issues."
He paused, then added, "No one may disrupt the order of the meeting, and all statements must be based on evidence."
Qiao Wanyin spoke first, clearly pointing out Wang Erdan's three questions.
As she spoke, she would take out a document from her folder and place it on the table one by one.
The first document is a fake single status certificate that Wang Erdan submitted when applying for marriage.
The second document is a statement of marital status issued by the village committee where Zhang Xiulan lives.
The third document is a photocopy of the two children's household registration booklet, which clearly lists Wang Erdan as the father.
After she finished speaking, she pushed the materials one by one to the center of the conference table.
For each point made, provide corresponding evidence.
After she finished speaking, several family members sitting next to her nodded in agreement.
Political Commissar Shi picked up the materials and carefully read through them, his expression gradually becoming serious.
When it was Wang Erdan's turn to explain, he stammered and couldn't say a word properly.
He tried to defend himself, but his arguments were always contradictory and illogical.
He was sweating more and more on his forehead, and in the end he could only lower his head.
Wang Fang suddenly stood up and shouted shrilly, "That country woman is not worthy of being my husband's wife! Everyone has approved our marriage, what right do you have to interfere?!"
After she finished speaking, she put her hands on her hips and looked directly at Zhang Xiulan.
These words immediately angered the female family members present.
The atmosphere in the entire venue instantly became tense and confrontational.
A female cadre with half-gray hair suddenly stood up and slammed her hand on the table.
"What era are we living in? How can there still be people whose minds are full of outdated ideas?"
She pointed at Wang Fang and said in a loud voice, "You keep saying that the organization approved it, but the organization is based on real information!"
She then turned to the political commissar, her tone firm: "This situation must be dealt with seriously!"
"Zhang Xiulan has single-handedly supported the family for so many years, taking care of the elderly and raising the children. In what way is she unworthy?"
She pointed at Zhang Xiulan and continued, "She never asked the organization for a single penny, never caused a single trouble, and yet she was just abandoned like this?"
A chorus of agreement rang out in the room, with many people nodding in approval.
At this moment, the little girl Zhao Di shrank back and whispered, "I...I don't want new clothes, and I don't crave delicious food. I just want to study."
She looked up at her father, her voice trembling, "Dad, why don't you want me and my sister anymore?"
She stared at Wang Erdan, her eyes filled with expectation and confusion.
The room suddenly fell silent, and even breathing became a cautious affair.
The moment the question was uttered, everyone in the room tensed up.
An elderly family member took off his glasses and wiped his eyes with his sleeve.
A young female soldier turned her face away, her shoulders trembling slightly.
The political commissar closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, his gaze even more resolute.
They argued for a full three hours.
Under the pressure of irrefutable evidence and public opinion, Wang Erdan finally lowered his head and admitted his mistake.
He admitted to falsifying documents and to neglecting his family for a long time.
After he finished speaking, he seemed to have all his strength drained away and slowly sat back down in his chair.
Seeing that the situation was not good, Vice Minister Lin turned pale and left.
He didn't look at anyone, and walked straight to the door, his back view appearing stiff and cold.
He had to give half of his monthly salary to Zhang Xiulan.
He also covered all the tuition fees for his other two children until they reached adulthood.
On payday each month, he would promptly transfer the money to Zhang Xiulan's account.
He has two children, one in elementary school and the other just starting junior high. He covers all the costs of their books, uniforms, and extracurricular tutoring.
Sometimes when the child is sick and hospitalized, he has to cover the medical expenses.
He never delayed, nor did he ever ask Zhang Xiulan about the specific purpose.
This result finally put Zhang Xiulan at ease.
She was initially worried that her life would be difficult after the divorce.
Sending two children to school is an even heavier burden.
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