Chapter 25 Not Kindness, but Investment

The carriage trudged laboriously through the snow, finally arriving at the educated youth settlement. Old Zhao was just about to step off when he heard a burst of laughter and chatter coming from inside the house.

"It’s freezing out, yet they seem to be having quite a lively time," Old Zhao murmured, frowning.

Li Xiangyang helped his mother and sister off the carriage. He looked at the ajar door of the settlement, his gaze icy.

Inside, the laughter and chatter cut off abruptly.

Wang Ming was sitting by the stove, drinking to keep warm. When he saw Old Zhao leading people in, his hand shook, and he nearly dropped his bottle.

"Is... is Comrade Wang Ming here?" Old Zhao’s voice was not loud, but it caused the atmosphere in the room to freeze instantly.

"I... I am!" Wang Ming stood up, the smell of alcohol still clinging to him.

"Come with us to the Law Enforcement Bureau," Old Zhao said, signaling for Li Hao to step forward.

Su Yan stood up at that moment. "Comrade Old Zhao, is there some sort of misunderstanding?"

"A misunderstanding?" Old Zhao gave a cold laugh and pulled Li Xiangyang’s hunter’s license from his coat. "Take a look at this. What is this?"

"This..." Wang Ming’s face turned deathly pale.

"Malicious reporting and framing others—these are no small matters," Old Zhao said, emphasizing every word.

The other educated youths present averted their eyes, terrified of being drawn into the fray.

"I... I didn't know he had a license..." Wang Ming stammered.

"Does not knowing justify making reckless reports?" Old Zhao raised his voice. "On a day this cold, you made this family run all the way here for nothing. Fortunately, the matter was cleared up, but what if it hadn't been? How do you propose we handle this?"

The supervisor arrived after hearing the commotion, and his expression darkened when he saw the scene.

"Comrade Old Zhao, this is a failure on our part," the supervisor said, turning to look at Li Xiangyang’s family. "Comrade Li Xiangyang, I am truly sorry."

Li Xiangyang waved his hand. "No need for formalities, Comrade Supervisor. We farmers believe in seeking truth from facts. Since it was a misunderstanding, it is good that it has been cleared up."

The words were flawless, yet they made Wang Ming and Su Yan’s expressions even uglier.

"Wang Ming, apologize to Comrade Li Xiangyang at once!" the supervisor commanded sharply.

Wang Ming gritted his teeth, and after a long moment, he squeezed out: "I'm sorry..."

"Young Wang, write a self-criticism and come back with me," Old Zhao said, stepping to Wang Ming’s side.

"This..." Wang Ming looked at the supervisor, hoping for assistance.

The supervisor, however, kept a stern face. "Go on. We will deal with this as it should be dealt with."

Watching Wang Ming being led away, Su Yan wanted to say something, but the supervisor silenced her with a glare.

Li Xiangyang supported his mother as they walked out. Passing by Su Yan, he said without looking back, "Comrade Su Yan, I hope you remember today's lesson."

The remark was neither heavy nor light, yet it left Su Yan feeling as though she were sitting on pins and needles. She suddenly realized that the Li Xiangyang before her was no longer the foolish boy she could manipulate at will.

Outside the settlement, the snow continued to fall.

"Xiangyang, get in the carriage. I’ll take you home," Old Zhao offered warmly.

Li Xiangyang shook his head. "No need, Comrade Old Zhao. We can walk this short distance. You should take Comrade Wang Ming back first."

Watching Li Xiangyang support his mother and hold his sister’s hand as they walked further into the snow, Old Zhao felt thoughtful.

This young man was no simple person. To maintain such restraint at a time like this—neither arrogant nor servile, and never losing his composure—that kind of stability could not be faked.

Walking through the snow, Li Xiangyang listened to the footsteps of his sister and mother behind him, already calculating his next move. Wang Ming was just the beginning.

Back home, as Li Xiangyang helped his mother and sister remove their snow-dampened coats, he thought about how to deal with Wang Ming. To strike at Wang Ming, a report letter had to be precise. However, Li Xiangyang was completely in the dark about such things. As a farmer, inquiring about the inner workings of law enforcement departments was clearly inappropriate.

Unaccountably, the image of Wang Jingyun surfaced in his mind. The man he had met at Old Zhou’s tannery that day had an aura of scholarly refinement in every movement. That kind of temperament was not something an ordinary person possessed. He was surely a remarkable figure. It seemed that to take the next step, he would need to pay him a visit and ask for advice.

"Mother, I want to head into town tomorrow," Li Xiangyang said while adding firewood to the stove.

"In this heavy snow? You want to go into town again?" his mother asked, concerned.

"Yes. Do you remember those ten yuan I lent out? I have something to ask that person. He is a man of extraordinary character and must be very knowledgeable. Plus, his daughter is ill. I’ll bring him some game to help her recover."

His mother sighed. "You are just too kind, aren't you?"

"It’s not kindness; it’s an investment," Li Xiangyang said with a mysterious smile.

The next morning, Li Xiangyang headed into town with a few mountain turtledoves. His first stop was Old Zhou’s tannery.

"Brother Li!" Old Zhou greeted him warmly. "In this weather, why have you come?"

"Brother Zhou, I want to ask about someone," Li Xiangyang said, getting straight to the point. "The man who borrowed money from you that day."

Old Zhou’s expression turned peculiar. "You mean Wang Jingyun? He lives at the base of the West City Wall. He used to be the head of the county's education department."

Li Xiangyang’s heart stirred—he was indeed no ordinary person.

"And now...?"

"Sigh..." Old Zhou sighed and lowered his voice. "His wife is a doctor. Something happened a few years ago, and he was implicated. But the man is capable; don’t worry about him not being able to pay you back."

"Why are you asking about him?" Old Zhou asked curiously.

"I lent him ten yuan that day, so I wanted to go check on him."

Old Zhou was stunned. "To collect the debt?"

"Of course not! Isn’t his daughter ill? I’m going to see how they are."

"You child..." Old Zhou shook his head. "Well, that’s good. He is a man who values loyalty; he will remember this kindness of yours."

Having obtained the address from Old Zhou, Li Xiangyang headed toward the West City Wall. The area was part of the old city, filled with aging courtyard houses. He soon found Wang Jingyun’s home.

"Excuse me, is Mr. Wang at home?" Li Xiangyang called out from outside the gate.

"Coming," an elderly voice replied from the courtyard. A moment later, a thin, middle-aged man opened the door.

Seeing Li Xiangyang, Wang Jingyun was visibly startled. "It’s you?"

"Mr. Wang, please forgive this unannounced visit," Li Xiangyang said respectfully.

"Please, come in," Wang Jingyun said, quickly stepping aside.

Once inside the courtyard, Li Xiangyang noticed that although the house was dilapidated, it was kept spotlessly clean. There were several wooden shelves in the yard, neatly lined with books.

"Father, who is here?" a weak voice called out from the east wing.

"Xiaoying, stay lying down," Wang Jingyun said quickly. "It is a friend of your father’s."

Li Xiangyang handed over the turtledoves. "Mr. Wang, I heard your daughter is unwell. I caught some game; perhaps it will help her regain her strength."

Wang Jingyun looked at the birds, his eyes suddenly reddening. "You child..."

"Mr. Wang, you are too kind," Li Xiangyang smiled. "I haven't come purely out of goodness; I have a matter I would like to ask your advice on."

"Advice?" Wang Jingyun asked, surprised. "What do you need advice on?"

Li Xiangyang’s expression turned serious. "I want to know, if one discovers that someone is concealing contraband, how should one report it?"

Wang Jingyun’s gaze sharpened as he scrutinized Li Xiangyang. "That is no simple matter."

"I know," Li Xiangyang nodded. "That is why I am asking for your guidance, Mr. Wang."

Wang Jingyun pondered for a moment. "Come inside and we shall talk."

He led Li Xiangyang into his study and closed the door. "Have you discovered something significant?"

Li Xiangyang smiled but remained silent.

"Do you know who I am?" Wang Jingyun asked again.

"I know a little."

Wang Jingyun nodded. "Then you should also know that in such matters, a report alone is not enough."

"Evidence is needed."

"Exactly, and concrete evidence at that," Wang Jingyun said, taking out pen and paper. "Tell me, what exactly is going on?"

Li Xiangyang took a deep breath and began slowly. "Wang Ming, he is an educated youth in our village..."