Chapter 48 Those people suddenly stopped talking. …
Zhou Xian and the others looked aggressive and not someone to be trifled with, which frightened people instead.
Especially when Director Li was standing at the door shouting for Yang Lianwen to come out, the woman paused, then quickly ran into the house to call out the people at home, and soon two people came out of the house.
There was an old man and an old lady. The old lady looked like a powerful person. She glanced them up and down and obviously did not take them seriously.
"Who are you? What do you want to do in my house? I tell you, I'm not afraid of you. My eldest son is a worker, and my second son died for the commune. You dare to cause trouble? Don't you see where this place is?"
Zhou Xian was not scared by the old lady's series of questions. "You still know that your second son sacrificed his life for the construction of socialism? Old lady, we came here this time because we received a report that someone abused Comrade Yang Liansheng's daughter."
When Old Lady Yang heard this, she paused for a moment and asked tentatively, "Are you officials?"
As she spoke, Old Lady Yang looked at them all again and finally recognized Li Lingling. They had met this Officer Li several times before. She had mediated conflicts among the women in their team, but it was of no use. After she left, they continued to do what they were supposed to do.
The Women's Federation of the commune was just like that. Although they had arrested people before, Old Lady Yang still didn't take Li Lingling to heart. In her mind, as long as the dead second brother was brought up, even cadres would have to be polite to her.
"We are the secretaries of the Women's Federation of the commune. We received a report of someone abusing orphans and came here to understand the situation. Old lady, who is this person and what is his relationship with your family?" Secretary Li asked, glancing at the woman who had just cursed very harshly in the yard.
"She's my eldest daughter-in-law." Old Mrs. Yang also took a look and then spoke.
Although she thought that Director Li was just so-so, in front of him, Old Lady Yang was not as tough as she was at the beginning. After all, she was an official and she knew to give people face.
He even took a few steps forward and asked, "What do you mean by abusing orphans? Comrades, is there any misunderstanding? We are good people, how could we do such a thing? I think someone is jealous of my family and reported it to me."
As she spoke, Old Lady Yang looked at Yang Hongmei kindly and waved at her, "Come, come here quickly, come to grandma."
The old lady had a fierce look on her face, but suddenly she showed such a kind attitude. Not to mention Yang Hongmei, even Director Li felt uneasy.
Naturally, Yang Hongmei didn't dare to go there. After two lifetimes, how could she not know that her grandmother was not a kind old lady?
It was only because there were several staff members around her at the moment, otherwise they would not have treated her well.
Zhou Xian softened her tone and said, "Auntie, we have received reports from the public. If the situation is true, then this matter is serious. Where is your comrade Yang Lianwen? Call him out. We need to find him in person to understand the situation."
"Yes, yes, it's my duty. I'm not the kind of person who breaks the law, so how could I do such a thing? Comrade, you must investigate this thoroughly and don't wrongly accuse us good people. Old man, you are a dead man, why don't you go and call the third brother back." Old Mrs. Yang turned her head and shouted to the eldest brother's wife.
Although the eldest son's wife Zhang Xiaohuan was not convinced and felt that the third son was the one who caused the trouble and why her mother-in-law was taking her anger out on her, she had to call the third son and his wife back first.
Zhou Xian nodded, looking very satisfied with Old Lady Yang's attitude. She let go of Yang Hongmei's hand, stepped forward to hold the old lady's hand, patted her hand and said softly, "Auntie, I know that your second son sacrificed his life for the construction of socialism. Our commune has kept this in mind. Don't worry, we will investigate it thoroughly. We will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor will we let a bad person go."
Seeing Zhou Xian like this, Old Lady Yang also wiped away her tears, looking like she had suffered a great injustice, "Comrade, you must investigate it carefully. My family has been poor peasants for eight generations, and we can't do such things. The person who reported it has simply lost his conscience."
"I understand, Auntie. I was just too angry when I heard the people's report. Please understand our painstaking efforts."
"I understand. I understand everything."
Zhou Xian nodded to the old lady and looked around, "Is everyone else at home?"
Old Lady Yang also looked around and said, "My eldest son has gone to work in the factory of the commune. He only comes back during holidays. The others are all at home."
"Why don't you see your children at home?"
"The kids are at school and not home right now."
Zhou Xian nodded again, his tone becoming softer, "How many children in your family go to school?"
Old Lady Yang was still on guard at first, but now she felt that the female officer from the commune was very friendly, and everyone in the team knew the questions she asked, so she gradually relaxed her mind, "Five, three from the eldest family, and two from the third family."
"Boy or girl?"
"Three boys and two girls."
Zhou Xian looked at Old Lady Yang and asked calmly, "Other children are going to school, why doesn't Hongmei go to school?"
"What kind of knowledge did that dead girl get? She is not worthy of it." After saying this, Old Lady Yang suddenly came back to her senses and smiled awkwardly at Zhou Xian.
Perhaps it was because her tone was too gentle, or perhaps it was because she was an official, Old Lady Yang relaxed her guard for a moment and spoke the truth directly.
She looked at the female cadre in front of her with some trepidation, thinking that she looked so young and must have never experienced anything, so she had to think of a way to trick her.
But Zhou Xian just let go of her hand, as if not caring about her words, and looked away, "Auntie, which room does this family live in?"
Old Mrs. Yang glanced at Zhou Xian in confusion, and seeing that she looked normal, she thought she didn't care. She felt relieved and introduced her to where her family lived.
When the leader of the Yanghua Brigade heard that the commune Women's Federation's secretary had gone to the Yang family, he hurried over with the Women's Federation director of the brigade.
The Women's Federation made quite a big fuss last time. I heard that they arrested the person without saying a word, paraded him through the streets and then sent him to labor camp.
It is hard to say whether the members were frightened or not, but the brigade cadres were definitely frightened. They paid extra attention to the management of the brigade during this period. After all, the Women's Federation brought militia with them at that time.
They also said that if such a situation occurs, their Women's Federation will definitely intervene and will never let off those who persecute women and children.
The militia in the commune is under the jurisdiction of the secretary. How could the Women's Federation do this without the secretary's consent?
They just thought that Secretary He was warning them, the brigade cadres.
Not long after that, unexpectedly, someone from the Women's Federation of the commune came again, and went straight to Old Yang's house.
Captain Wu Guoxing had a bad feeling in his heart, but when he thought about it, it was not right. After all, the sacrifice of the second son of the Yang family made the higher-ups pay special attention to the Yang family, and he did not do anything to the Yang family.
Maybe he was just overthinking it.
When Wu Guoxing arrived, he saw Old Lady Yang chatting happily with Zhou Xian, and he felt relieved immediately.
I hope you're not here to cause trouble.
It’s just that the comrades from the Women’s Federation are too young. I know Secretary Li, but I have never seen Secretary Zhou before.
Seeing the captain coming, Zhou Xian took out a homemade notebook from his bag.
"Captain Wu, you've come at the right time. I just happen to have a few questions for you."
Seeing Zhou Xian being so polite, Wu Guoxing nodded in agreement, "Comrade, go ahead and say what you want."
"I see that the two houses of the Yang family are quite new. How long have they been built?"
"It will be built after the compensation money from the second son of the Yang family is paid."
To build a house, one had to go to the brigade to get a certificate. The Yang family built a brick and tile house, and without a certificate from the brigade, they couldn't even get the bricks back.
Captain Wu didn't remember the exact time, but he was sure that the Yang family filed the application after Yang Laoer received the compensation.
Zhou Xian nodded and wrote it down in his notebook.
"Then do you know who lives in these two houses?"
"Yes, the eldest and third sons of the Yang family."
Zhou Xian took note of it again and did not ask any more questions.
"Hongmei, come here and take us to see where you live." Zhou Xian waved to Yang Hongmei.
Yang Hongmei ran over immediately and took Zhou Xian to where she lived.
It was not the two brick houses, nor was it the main hall where the old man and old woman of the Yang family lived, but the place next to the kitchen where firewood was stored, built with a piece of wooden board.
When Wu Guoxing followed over, his face turned black.
As if Zhou Xian didn't notice Captain Wu's expression, he asked Yang Hongmei directly, "Hongmei, do you live here alone?"
Yang Hongmei nodded obediently, "I used to live with Sister Hongyan and the others, but later our family built a new house, and Sister Hongyan and the others thought I was dirty and didn't let me live with them."
"Captain, who is this Hongyan?"
"She's the daughter of Lian Wu's family." Captain Wu said embarrassedly.
He was not stupid. He knew that with this comrade from the Women's Federation coming, there was no way this matter could be resolved peacefully.
"Well, comrade, how about we go to the brigade headquarters and talk?"
"No need, Captain Wu. Since we have received reports from the public, we also want to resolve the matter quickly. After all, if we delay, our superiors will be unhappy." Zhou Xian's face turned cold.
When Captain Wu heard that someone had reported the Yang family, he frowned. Although he was not familiar with Zhou Xian, he still knew the two militiamen behind him.
They brought the militia directly to the door. I guess Secretary He approved of this. Looking at the expressions of the Yang family, I'm afraid they don't know the seriousness of this matter.
Zhou Xian didn't say much, and looked at the Yang family again, with a look of disappointment on his face, "I didn't expect that the people's report was actually true. You really disappoint me."
Old Lady Yang immediately became anxious, "Leader, please listen to me..."
"What? I originally thought you favored boys over girls, but your other granddaughters are all in school, so why isn't your granddaughter Hongmei in school?"
Before Old Lady Yang could answer, Zhang Xiaohuan, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Yang family, came back with the third son and his wife. Upon hearing this, she directly retorted, "My daughter goes to school because my family can afford it. The money didn't come from the wind. It was earned by my husband with great effort. Why should I use the money to support that damn girl's schooling?"
"Then where does your man work so hard to earn money?" Zhou Xian asked back.
Zhang Xiaohuan was about to speak, but paused again.
That job was the compensation the commune gave to the Yang family after the second son died.
She didn't say anything, but Zhou Xian wanted to say something. "You said your husband makes money. Then I want to ask Comrade Yang Lianwen, you don't have a job, so where do you get the money to support your two children in school? Don't tell me you earned it yourself. Look through your brigade's account book and you'll know how much money your family makes throughout the year."
Li Chunliu, the third daughter-in-law of the Yang family, heard what her eldest sister-in-law said on the way back. She didn't say anything herself, but just poked her husband with her elbow.
However, the members who were watching the fun saw the grass still stuck to the backs of the two people and immediately laughed, "Could this couple have gone into the woods again?"
"How shameless! Doing that in broad daylight, in the woods."
Li Chunliu was not shy about the whispers of the people around him, but glared back at them, "What does it have to do with you? Mind your own business."
Zhou Xian ignored their little actions and said, "The same goes for this house. Building a brick house is not cheap. Where did you three families get so much money?"
After a series of questions, Li Chunliu immediately became unconvinced, "Being an official is so great, I have to supervise the people when they build houses."
At this moment, Old Mrs. Yang also reacted. Her son died, and the compensation money was for her as a mother. It was hers, and she could give it to whoever she wanted.
"I gave it to them. That money was earned by my second son's life. It was the compensation given to me by the commune. I can give it to whoever I want."
"Hongmei is the daughter of Comrade Yang Liansheng, and you haven't given her a penny?" Li Lingling couldn't help but ask.
"She is a money-loser, she has no parents. It's good enough to give her food to eat, but she still wants money. I think she is dreaming. I am the one who manages this family. She has to do whatever I tell her to do, otherwise get out of here." Old Mrs. Yang stopped pretending.
The second son died and was given the title of martyr. She is the martyr's biological mother, so what's wrong with using his money?
Zhou Xian sneered, "Captain Wu, it seems that you guys in Yanghua Brigade don't take what our Women's Federation did last time seriously. Listen to what they are saying. Haven't you taught them that Comrade Chairman said that women hold up half the sky? They are all money-losing goods. As the captain, you can actually tolerate this old lady with a feudal mind spreading reactionary ideas here."
After this big accusation was put on him, Wu Guoxing was really panicked.
Old Lady Yang didn't understand anything else, but she understood the word "reactionary".
The propaganda team has publicized this before, especially not long ago, when the Women's Federation arrested people and paraded them through the streets.
They said that those people persecuted female comrades and had serious reactionary ideas, and they had to go to the farm for education, and they would only be released after they had been reformed.
Now saying that she is reactionary does not mean sending her to labor camp.
Old Lady Yang was also panicking. It turned out that the female officer was deliberately trying to trick her. "You are talking nonsense. My second son is a martyr, and I am his biological mother."
"If the superiors knew that the pension he gave to Comrade Yang Liansheng was spent on his two brothers, and that his brothers' children were sent to school, while the martyr's daughter had to sleep in the woodshed, what would they do?"
Old man Yang, who had been silent the whole time, saw that something was not right and stood up, "Comrade, the compensation money for the second son was long ago spent by Hongmei. Everyone knows that I am old and confused and remembered it wrongly."
At this time, someone spoke up for Old Man Yang, "Yes, Hongmei is a spendthrift. She spent all the money she wanted."
"Such a spendthrift girl, it's a good thing that the Yang family still gives her a bite to eat. If it were me, I would have kicked her out long ago."
Zhou Xian looked at those people, "You said Hongmei spent all her father's compensation money. Did you see her spend it with your own eyes, or did you believe the Yang family members who said she spent it?"
Those people stopped talking immediately.
As he spoke, Zhou Xian looked at Wu Guoxing, "Captain Wu, did you see it too?"
Wu Guoxing was sweating when Zhou Xian asked him this. This was spread by the Yang family themselves. In fact, not many people in the team believed it. The members had some idea of the truth, but no one would help Yang Hongmei, who had no parents.
When Yang Liansheng got into trouble, the leader immediately expressed his condolences to his parents, wife and children, and gave compensation to the two elders of the Yang family.
Originally, the job was to be given to Yang Liansheng's wife, but the Yang family said it was not easy for a woman to raise a child. The Yang family was not happy about it and forced her to give the job to her eldest uncle.
In order to prevent his daughter-in-law from taking his job, he gave her family 50 yuan and asked them to take her back and remarry.
Living in the same brigade, how could they not know what happened?
The leader didn't ask any questions, and he, as the team leader, turned a blind eye and let the matter go.
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