After arriving at the teahouse, Cui Zhiyuan ordered a pot of tea that He Huaimin liked, and also ordered a table of noodles and desserts that he had not tasted in many years.
After the waiter brought the tea and snacks, He Huaimin asked first, "Zhiyuan, have you never contacted your family in all these years? You don't know anything about your family's affairs?"
"I left after a quarrel with my parents and eldest brother. It wasn't just a quarrel over trivial family matters."
"I won't talk about the family scandal. I wasn't angry at the time. I was truly disappointed and heartbroken with them. I told them I was severing ties with them. I took away my personal belongings and a thousand yuan, and left everything else to them as a form of support."
"After I settled in Country M, I only corresponded with my younger sister Cui Lanzhi for the first few years. I sent her money five or six times during that time, simply to help her with her daily life."
"But I didn't expect that this action would harm her."
"Ten years ago, I received a letter from her that she sent through someone else. The letter simply said that the situation in China had changed and asked me not to contact her or ask about her affairs. This was the best way to protect her."
"It was four months later that I received her letter. Later, my classmates received accurate information from China. I was certain at that time that it was my overseas background that was holding them back."
"At the time, I thought I was dragging down the entire Cui family, not just my younger sister. My career overseas wasn't going well at the time, and I was exhausted. Thinking about the uncertain situation back home, I stopped trying to investigate my family's affairs."
"It wasn't until two years ago when my parents asked a classmate or relative to deliver a letter that I learned about my older brother and his family. However, they didn't mention my younger sister in their letter. Later, my classmate secretly contacted my family and helped me find out a little bit. I then learned that my younger sister had completely broken off relations with her family ten years ago, and that it was all because of the money I sent her."
"I still don't know the exact details of what happened, nor do I know where they are living now. I went to the Revolutionary Committee yesterday to check, and I had wanted to go over today to inquire about the situation."
He Huaimin, noticing he hadn't contacted his family in years, sighed and told him, "Your sister broke up with your parents because of the money you mailed back. Your sister didn't take it, but gave it all to your parents. When the Special Period began, someone used your overseas background to report the Cui family. To protect themselves, your parents and brothers ruthlessly pushed your sister out to take the blame."
"Your money was meant to be remitted to your sister, but your sister gave it to your parents in cash. Your sister was unable to defend herself and was deeply hurt by her family, so she ended up taking the blame."
"To avoid implicating her husband and children, she divorced her husband and gave her two children to her ex-husband to raise. Later, she was arrested and denounced, her dignity insulted, and then she was sent to a remote farm in northeast China for five years of forced labor."
"After returning from five years of labor reform, I was still under surveillance and spent another four or five years sweeping the streets. I lived a very poor and miserable life."
"Her ex-husband was also a piece of shit. She divorced him in time and didn't burden her in-laws, but he didn't take good care of the children. He just married someone younger and didn't like your sister's children."
"After your sister returned from labor reform, she took the two children with her and raised them on her meager income. It wasn't until the end of the Special Period two years ago that life began to improve for the three of them."
He Huaimin paused at this point, then continued, noticing Cui Zhiyuan's sullen expression. "Your parents made her take the blame back then. Afterwards, they took the money you sent back, clung to Zhang Zhongqiao's leg, and sent your eldest brother, your younger brother, and your other brother-in-law all to the then-popular Revolutionary Committee."
"You know your eldest brother well. He's a man of opportunistic and flattering ways. During those ten years, he was incredibly successful, and the Cui family's status also rose rapidly."
"Until August or September of 1976..."
Seeing that he had stopped talking at this point, Cui Zhiyuan hurriedly asked, "Huaimin, just tell me."
"I remember it was around August or September, I forgot the exact date, the Gong family suddenly returned to Kyoto, and your ex-wife Gong Wantang and her eldest brother suddenly showed up at the Cui family."
When Cui Zhiyuan heard Gong Wantang's name, his expression changed noticeably, and his voice became less calm than before. "What are they doing at the Cui family?"
"Zhiyuan, did you know Gong Wantang is still alive?" He Huaimin was slightly surprised.
"My parents wrote to me again half a year ago." Cui Zhiyuan told him the truth.
Cui Siwei, who was sitting nearby, was shocked at this moment and interrupted: "Dad, didn't you say before that your ex-wife in China passed away?"
"When their house caught fire, both the public and the police concluded that their entire family had perished in the flames. I also thought she..."
Seeing his face filled with pain and guilt when he mentioned Gong Wantang, He Huaimin sighed, patted him on the shoulder, and continued, "The brother and sister ran to the Cui family to ask for Gong Wantang's dowry."
"What dowry?"
Cui Zhiyuan narrowed his eyes. "When we divorced, Wan Tang took all of her dowry back to the Gong family. She didn't take a single cent of the extra compensation I gave her."
"I heard it was a house, the dowry given to her by Gong's parents."
"When the fire broke out at the Gong family, it was speculated that it was not an accident. We outside the family do not know the specific cause of the fire."
"The Gong family hasn't returned to Kyoto in the past twenty years. All their properties were taken over by the state, and their private houses and shops were occupied by outsiders. Your eldest brother and his wife took possession of her dowry."
"The brother and sister came to our house to ask for it back. I heard that your mother and sister-in-law refused to admit it and even said that they bought it with their own money. Their shameless attitude angered Gong Wantang, and she went to the police station to file a complaint."
"Your eldest brother thought he had climbed to the top of the Revolutionary Committee and could use his power to exert pressure. However, he underestimated the connections and capabilities of the Gong family. Within a week of the confrontation, all sorts of evidence against your eldest brother, younger brother, brother-in-law, and nephew was submitted to the higher-ups."
"In fact, the higher-ups were about to take action against that group at that time. They had already chopped off several of their leaders before the Cui family. The Gong family was able to produce evidence at that critical moment, and everyone guessed that someone was helping them."
"Your eldest brother and his companions were quickly apprehended. The higher-ups acted very quickly. They were also detained in solitary confinement for questioning."
"Your eldest brother knew the situation was hopeless, so to protect himself he revealed everything he knew and proactively provided a lot of useful evidence. That's how he saved his life and received a life sentence."
"My younger brother was in charge of the Cui family's case. I've seen the criminal files from him. Your eldest brother, younger brother, brother-in-law, and eldest nephew were all arrested. They didn't do anything wrong."
"Let me be frank. Your eldest brother and his son are extremely greedy. All they care about is money and power. Given their personalities, they'll definitely fall in the future if they don't fall this time."
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