Chapter 98: “counterattack”
Whoa!
A pair of eyes sharp as knives fell on Liu Chunhong.
The middle-aged man stepped forward, neither fast nor slow, approaching her with a suffocating pressure that made one’s heart race in fear.
At the same time, the curtain of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative fluttered, and an elderly person with a dark, weathered face and weary expression appeared silently.
Sensing the off atmosphere in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, he wanted to slip out quietly, but remembering something, he didn’t move, shrinking silently into the corner as a background figure.
“Evidence?”
The man’s eyes were too cold, making Liu Chunhong’s heart tremble as she instinctively stepped back.
Once the arrow is shot, there’s no turning back.
She clenched her fist, steadying her pounding heart, turned around, opened her own cabinet, and took out a notebook from inside.
“This is the account book I made, with everything recorded clearly. Lin Zhao falsely reported the number of eggs villagers brought in, classifying top-grade eggs as second-grade, pocketing the difference, harming the interests of the masses, and filling her own pocket.”
“Team Leader, vermin like this must be eradicated.”
Liu Chunhong raised her right arm high, looking righteous and stern.
Lin Zhao almost laughed.
She hadn’t expected someone to be this stupid.
The one who did it was herself.
What a thick skull.
Liu Chunhong really couldn’t wait to beat herself to death.
Unfortunately, she also had an account book.
Not only an account book, but also a witness.
Lin Zhao glanced at the old man shrunk in the corner, her lips curving slightly, becoming even more composed.
She didn’t rush to speak.
Let the storm come more fiercely!
Director Jiang secretly glanced at Lin Zhao, noticing the smile that flashed at her lips, inexplicably feeling completely relieved, his expression easing as he watched leisurely.
Li Fen saw Liu Chunhong take out the notebook, her face darkening slightly, and whispered to Lin Zhao: “The one who reported you must be Liu Chunhong. Look, she came prepared.”
“I used to think this person wasn’t worth deep friendship, but I didn’t expect her to be so vicious, even reporting colleagues she sees every day. This person is terrifying!”
Wang Ju nodded vigorously.
Someone from her compound had been taken away… and still hadn’t been released.
She really didn’t know what mindset those people had.
Lin Zhao was silent.
The human heart is scarier than ghosts.
It had just begun.
There would be more in the future.
Li Fen saw Lin Zhao not speaking and thought she was in a bad mood.
Of course, who wouldn’t be in a bad mood after being reported?
“Zhaozhao, no one believes what she says. Everything needs evidence. You were framed by a villain. The investigation team will look into it clearly. Even if they can’t, it can be reported upward. Don’t be afraid. If you really get taken away, I’ll rush to Fengshou Brigade to tell your man right away. He’s a soldier defending the home and country, part of the military system, so there will always be a place where reason can be heard.”
Li Fen comforted Lin Zhao, speaking loudly enough for the entire investigation team to hear.
She didn’t care who these people were; they had to act according to the law and not wrong good people.
The investigation team’s faces looked unpleasant.
At the same time, they all glanced at Li Fen. What did she take them for? Ferocious beasts? They would look at evidence too!
The middle-aged man ignored her and quickly flipped through the notebook in his hand.
It was obvious.
The quantities and prices didn’t match.
He walked to Lin Zhao and handed her the notebook. “What do you have to say about what’s recorded here?”
Lin Zhao took it, her fingers flipping quickly, skimming through rapidly, just as she had expected.
Nothing more than dates, months, actual eggs received, money paid out; as the egg receiver, she deliberately classified first-grade eggs as second-grade and took kickbacks in between.
“Conveniently, I also have accounts.” Lin Zhao said.
Her gaze swept over Liu Chunhong, her eyes suddenly turning cold.
“I not only have accounts, but also a witness.”
As she spoke, she turned back to her counter and took out her own record book.
Good thing she had been cautious.
Going to work, it was too easy to get the blame shifted onto you!
“The leader can take a look.” Lin Zhao handed over the record book and said: “I haven’t been working long, so the record book isn’t thick, but it clearly records how many things sold each day and how much money collected.”
“As for this one here…” Her finger lightly tapped the so-called account book provided by Liu Chunhong, sneering, “I don’t recognize it.”
At this point, Liu Chunhong grew tense; she hadn’t known Lin Zhao had this trick up her sleeve.
Before she could speak, Wang Ju, standing beside Lin Zhao supporting her, muttered, “That… Comrade Liu’s account book is forged, right?”
“Why forge it…?”
“I think, either deliberately framing someone, or you did it yourself?”
Li Fen gave her an approving look and said loudly: “I see it’s recorded quite meticulously. Normal people couldn’t think of that. Comrade Liu, you wouldn’t have actually done it, would you?”
She wasn’t blind; she knew Liu Chunhong had done many shady things in secret these past years. But she was an old employee, and the accountant who kept the books was in cahoots with Liu Chunhong. She tightly controlled the egg receiving work, so there was no way to catch her.
It was only after newcomers came to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative that there was a breakthrough.
Eradicating vermin is everyone’s responsibility.
Today, she had to beat her down!
Liu Chunhong’s eyes turned red. “You’re talking nonsense!”
“Whether I’m talking nonsense, you know full well!” Li Fen raised her head, her eyes fixed on her.
“I’m also an old employee of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Since I came, you’ve been in charge of receiving eggs and other agricultural and sideline products. No one else could interfere, not even if they offered to help—you guarded against it.”
“I don’t believe there’s no trickery in this.”
“I’ve long felt you had ghosts in your heart, full of malice…”
Liu Chunhong was furious, shoving her shoulder hard, sharp words bursting from her lips.
“Who has ghosts in their belly? Who has a belly full of malice? Just flapping your lips and splashing dirty water on people without evidence—don’t spout nonsense.”
Li Fen put her hands on her hips, her voice even louder. “Do you have evidence? What evidence do you have for reporting Comrade Lin? Just that account book you secretly made? Who knows if you made it up!”
“You casually report colleagues—you’re really scary, really sinister.”
She forcefully pulled the topic back.
“I didn’t make anything up; there’s even the accountant’s signature on it.” Of course Liu Chunhong wouldn’t admit it.
Li Fen exposed her. “Who doesn’t know the accountant is your own nephew!”
Lin Zhao: “…”
How come she, the person involved, seemed to be sidelined?!
The investigation team watched the two arguing, looking pensive.
Truth sometimes comes out through quarreling.
The leading middle-aged man finished looking at Lin Zhao’s accounts, had a clear idea in mind, and suddenly said, “Where’s the accountant? Call him over!”
Judging cases relies on evidence.
Director Jiang gave Li Fen a hand signal. Li Fen nodded back, smiled amiably at Liu Chunhong, and went out to call someone.
Don’t think she had no colleague love. When she first came, Liu Chunhong, relying on arriving early with strong connections, assigned her own work to her. The director at the time protected Liu Chunhong, and she did a lot of work outside her duties until that director was transferred away, and she finally got fully into her job.
Adults, who doesn’t hold grudges? Seeing the person who bullied you suffer, one itched to step on them a couple times.
Repaying evil with good—that stupid thing, Li Fen wouldn’t do.
Liu Chunhong clenched her hands into fists.
It had been so long since the incident; everything was fine. No need to scare herself.
Accountant Liu came in from the back hall, saw several unfamiliar faces, even Director Jiang was there, and the tense atmosphere made his hands and feet chill.
His steps paused slightly, his heart panicking a bit. He subtly looked toward his close aunt, hoping to get a hint from Liu Chunhong’s face, but unexpectedly… Lin Zhao stepped forward, just blocking his view.
She smiled, revealing white teeth.
“Everyone’s here, so no need to try giving eye signals.”
Accountant Liu’s face darkened.
No wonder his aunt cursed Comrade Lin all day; she was really subtly vicious.
“No, you’re overthinking.” Accountant Liu forced a smile.
Ignoring Lin Zhao, he looked at Director Jiang. “Director, you called me.”
Director Jiang ignored him and pointed to the one who seemed the toughest.
Accountant Liu gritted his teeth inwardly and faced that person directly.
“You’re looking for me?”
No sooner had he spoken than a notebook was handed to him.
“Take a look.” He said.
Accountant Liu lowered his head and flipped through it.
He didn’t know what had happened here before; Li Fen wouldn’t kindly remind him.
He thought his aunt had proceeded according to plan.
So he said: “The data in the account book is correct; indeed someone took kickbacks.”
Li Fen sneered and suddenly interjected: “The one who took kickbacks is Liu Chunhong, and you…”
Her hand almost pointed right at Accountant Liu’s nose tip. “You’re the accomplice!”
Lin Zhao leisurely took a sip of water, as if the reported person wasn’t her.
She even nodded in agreement. “Indeed, at least several years!”
Accountant Liu’s face turned ghastly pale, cold sweat beading on his forehead. “Nonsense! We didn’t…”
“Whether or not…” Lin Zhao lightly interrupted him. “Let the investigation team’s comrades check, and we’ll know. Don’t worry; we’ll all wait for the results together.”
She said it so lightly.
For someone with a clear conscience, naturally no rush, but for Accountant Liu—
He had ghosts in his heart.
His hands hidden in his sleeves were trembling.
Liu Chunhong saw her nephew falter and inwardly cursed him for being useless.
They hadn’t left any evidence; what was there to fear?
She forced composure and said sarcastically: “Comrade Lin really has a sharp tongue, biting whoever she sees.”
Lin Zhao’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Not as good as Comrade Liu.”
The investigation team leader saw it couldn’t be clarified quickly, frowned impatiently, and suddenly slammed the table. “Take them all away! Release after investigation.”
Lin Zhao’s face turned cold. “I’m not going.”
She stared straight at the middle-aged man. “No evidence and you lock people up? Is that your way of working?”
The surroundings suddenly went quiet.
Everyone held their breath.
This, this this…
She actually dared to refuse the investigation team?!
Crazy!
The man narrowed his eyes, his voice cold and deep: “You say you didn’t commit a crime, so you didn’t?”
“We received a report letter about you. Until further evidence proves you didn’t, you’ll go in first and stay there.”
That was their style.
No matter who was reported, same treatment.
Lin Zhao thought, you have no evidence proving… I committed a crime either.
Knowing arguing wouldn’t solve it, she changed tack: “What if I have a witness?”
“If you have a witness, that’s different.” The middle-aged man said gravely. “As long as we verify you’re telling the truth.”
He believed their work style… was still quite humane.
“Good.” Lin Zhao agreed.
She raised her eyes to look at the old man by the door.
The elderly person who came to sell eggs had heard the whole thing and understood the cause and effect of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative incident.
That salesperson who often hit and scolded them common folk had been reported by letter; that polite salesperson girl was accused of taking kickbacks.
This old man dared to swear the Lin salesperson was a good girl who didn’t take their kickbacks!
Rather, that Liu salesperson—
Not only short-weighing before, but also downgrading their good eggs on purpose, deliberately lowering prices so they suffered in silence.
The elderly person walked forward shakily, his voice suddenly rising.
“I’m the witness! Comrade Lin didn’t deduct our money!”
“Since she started receiving eggs, we’ve been able to exchange for several more mao each time. She’s a good comrade!”
He took out a tattered notebook, meeting the investigators’ gazes.
“My son has records, starting from the first time we came to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to exchange eggs for money!”
“Look here…”
The elderly person’s rough fingers flipped open the yellowed account book.
Every page was densely recorded with:
“Winter solstice eve the year before last, 20 top-grade eggs, Comrade Liu received as second-grade.”
“Qingming last year, 30 top-grade eggs, Comrade Liu said stained with chicken droppings, received as second-grade.”
…
The yellowed pages still bore the red handprints pressed back then.
“For several years before, it was Comrade Liu receiving. She had no standards; if in a good mood, she’d give a fair price, if not, all calculated at the lowest grade…”
The elderly person shed bitter tears.
“Leaders, countryside folk have it hard. No quick ways to make money, only exchanging eggs. Old farmers work hard raising chickens, reluctant to eat even one egg, all sent to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, only to be cheated.”
A young investigator asked: “Didn’t you think of reporting to higher-ups?”
“Where to report?” The elderly person wiped tears, his helpless look heartbreaking. “The first time deliberately downgraded, my son wanted to find the leader, made a fuss half a day without seeing the leader’s shadow, and was still…”
He pointed at Liu Chunhong. Clearly an honest countryside old man, thinking of the injustices, his eyes reddened from being forced.
“Beaten and cursed by this female comrade. Her words were really harsh. So what if countryside folk? Countryside folk don’t steal or rob, live honestly by their own stamina, what right did she have to say that about my son!”
It made his son unwilling to come to the county again, not even loving to talk!
“Leaders, look closely. My son recorded this for years. Every time our family came to sell, he noted it down. Not one fake entry.”
“Comrade Lin is a good comrade. After she came…” The elderly person’s voice choked. “We could finally sell eggs at true price!”
Witnessing this, Accountant Liu’s face was ashen, his whole body shaking.
“It’s over, it’s over…” he muttered.
Economic crimes weren’t minor; it’d cost jobs, sent to the farm.
His legs went soft, collapsing straight to the ground.
Liu Chunhong hadn’t expected the honest countryside folk to keep accounts either. Her face pale, eyes red with fear.
Suddenly lunging up, ferociously pouncing toward the account book.
“Fake! All fake!” she shrieked.
Lin Zhao had anticipated she wouldn’t give up easily, her toe hooking lightly.
Bang!
Liu Chunhong fell heavily to the ground, face full of despair.
The investigation team leader closed the account book, saying coldly: “Take them away!”
As soon as he spoke.
Investigation team members stepped forward.
Liu Chunhong was grabbed under the arms by two uniformed young men and dragged out.
She suddenly struggled like a mad beast, hair disheveled, eyes red, roaring at Lin Zhao: “Lin Zhao, I won’t let you go!”
One young man holding her found her noisy, pulled a cloth from his pocket, and stuffed it in her mouth.
His tone full of irritation. “Yell yell yell, so noisy! Hate you criminals who don’t self-reflect most.”
The other laughed: “Hey, this one knows self-reflection.”
The complaining young man looked over and saw Accountant Liu’s head drooping, whole body limp like boneless, clearly passed out.
“Coward!”
…
The investigation team left, and the frozen air in the Supply and Marketing Cooperative finally circulated.
Director Jiang brushed the cuffs of his Zhongshan suit, expression as usual.
He had been parachuted in later; finances had always been managed by the deputy director in charge.
Now two in a row caught, that deputy director probably couldn’t escape implication.
“Comrade Lin, you were frightened.” Director Jiang’s voice steady. “Just right, there’s a batch of defective products; take an extra share.”
Frightened or whatever, Lin Zhao felt none.
If not done, then not done.
Even if the old man selling eggs hadn’t come, she could clear herself. Not just one family kept records; just a matter of time.
“Good, thank you, Director.”
Finally got the defective products—great, could fulfill the promise to the brigade folks!
At present, Lin Zhao cared more about another matter.
“Director, once investigated clearly, can the money embezzled by the Liu family be recovered?”
Director Jiang shook his head. “Not sure.”
Li Fen was only curious about one thing. “Director, our Supply and Marketing Cooperative suddenly loses a salesperson and an accountant—will we recruit people?”
Director Jiang didn’t confirm or deny.
He turned and left.
“Zhaozhao, what did the director mean? Recruit or not?” Li Fen looked at Lin Zhao.
“Not clear.” Lin Zhao guessed they would, but didn’t know how.
She returned to her counter, greeting the elderly person who testified for her.
“Old man, thank you just now.”
The elderly person waved hurriedly. “Thanks for what? I said the truth. You’re a good girl; shouldn’t be reported.”
Moreover.
If Comrade Lin were taken away, their eggs wouldn’t sell for good prices again—no way!
Even for the villagers, he had to stand up.
Lin Zhao smiled lightly, quickly inspecting the eggs.
The elderly person brought 40 eggs today, total 4 yuan.
She handed over the money; the elderly person’s smile was simple and satisfied.
“Thank you, thank you.” Like the previous two times, he thanked repeatedly.
Lin Zhao weighed two jin of peach crisps from Li Fen’s counter and put them in the elderly person’s bamboo basket for eggs.
“Gift of gratitude.” She said briefly.
The peach crisps in the bamboo basket emitted a tempting fragrance; the elderly person’s skinny hand trembled sharply, nearly dropping the basket.
He stammered: “This, this won’t do… Supply and Marketing Cooperative things are precious…”
Lin Zhao said softly: “If you hadn’t appeared in time, I might not have gone home today. This is the gift of gratitude; take it.”
Li Fen grabbed a handful of fruit candy, the candy wrappers rustling.
“Take it!” She stuffed it into the bamboo basket without argument. “This candy is my gift of gratitude to you. Comrade Lin is my family’s savior; helping her is helping me.”
Seeing him about to say more, she added: “Comrade Lin doesn’t like back-and-forth; take it and go back quickly.”
The elderly person swallowed his words.
“Thank you, thank you all.”
Thanked several more times, picked up the bamboo basket and left.
After exiting the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, he looked back at the sign above, unconsciously straightening his back.
So this is what it feels like to be treated as a person.
…
Song Yunjin was strolling in the staff dormitory when he heard the news “someone taken away from Supply and Marketing Cooperative.”
When “Lin Zhao” drifted into his ears, his face changed slightly.
In an instant, he had rushed out of the staff dormitory.
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