The arrest ended smoothly with inside help, but there was still trouble.
A Red Guard asked Xiao Li, “Police uncle, what crime did Brother Xu commit that you have to arrest him?”
The Ma brothers quickly said, “He’s a scoundrel. He bullied my sister.”
Unlike ordinary civilians, most Red Guards were boys at an age where they couldn’t distinguish right from wrong.
They admired people like Xu Dagang, and their views on male-female relationships differed from adults.
One Red Guard said, “Maybe your sister’s the cheap one. So what if she went after him? Does that mean he’s a scoundrel?”
The kids pointed at the police, “We are the masters here. Explain clearly before you leave.”
Now that the Red Guards were the biggest force around, the police couldn’t leave without an explanation.
This was exactly the result Xu Dagang wanted; he was trying to stir up the kids.
But he looked up and met Chen Mianmian’s pointed finger.
She said, “You’re obviously a landlord’s brat!”
She shot words like pearls, “Tell me, can you eat Yushu Pi?”
Xu Dagang was held down firmly but quickly replied, “No, what you can eat is Huaihua Jieti.”
Chen Mianmian retorted faster, “It’s obviously bitter, but you said it…”
Xu Dagang cut in, “So what if it’s bitter? When people are starving, they’ll eat poison if they have to.”
Chen Mianmian stepped forward, finger on his nose, “You’re lying! The bark is clearly sweet.”
Xu Dagang gritted his teeth, “It’s bitter! Bark is definitely bitter.”
He instinctively thought Chen Mianmian was trying to deceive him, so he deliberately contradicted her, believing he was correct.
She leaned closer, “Bullshit! Yushu Pi is sweet.”
Xu Dagang bared his teeth, “I’ve tasted it. I’m sure it’s bitter.”
He smugly said, “Chen Mianmian, if you think bark is sweet, then your family must be the landlords.”
He expected her to deny it, to argue, or to slander him, but Chen Mianmian simply shrugged, “I’m done asking.”
Outside the wall, Zhao Lingcheng was also baffled.
He didn’t understand why Chen Mianmian stopped arguing.
The Red Guards all gawked in disbelief.
But Xiao Liu grabbed Xu Dagang and said, “You’re not from Quancheng.”
Xiao Li added, “You’re a migrant, from Henan, right? What’s your social status there?”
Another police officer said, “Definitely not poor. The famine in Henan was worse than ours, yet these brothers are living well. They must be from a well-off family!”
The Red Guards were stunned but the police explained, “There are elm trees everywhere in Quancheng, planted for famine times. You have to ferment the bark after peeling it, then mix it with Qiaokang and Guanyin Soil. It tastes sweet. Some people can’t resist and eat too much, which can cause death by bloating. He didn’t know any of this.”
They added, “If you read history, you’ll know that Henan only ate pine and locust bark in 1942, the year when old Jiang’s flooding happened.”
In 1942, Henan starved many to death.
Calculations showed Xu Dagang was born right then.
The Red Guards looked at Xu Dagang and began to understand—he really could be a landlord’s brat.
And having escaped from the famine-stricken Henan, he must have been a big landlord.
The Ma brothers finally had their grievances aired, “He slept with my sister when she was pregnant. He’s a filthy scoundrel!”
Wu Jingjing added, “Landlord’s brat! How dare he look down on our militia? Beat him to death!”
She was just mouthing off, but the Red Guards really started attacking.
A group of kids rushed forward with fists and kicks, cursing as they hit him, “Stinky landlord! How dare you cheat us!”
They shouted while fighting, “Landlord’s brat! Taste the iron fists of your peasant grandpa, you big bully!”
The Ma brothers blustered, “Damn it, damn it!”
Talk about shooting yourself in the foot—
Xu Dagang was doing just that.
He brought the Red Guards along to guard against the police, but now they wanted to call the cops on him.
He yelled, “Police comrades! I want to report a case! Save me! Help!”
Wu Jingjing was enjoying the show but was pulled out of the courtyard by Chen Mianmian.
Wu Jingjing sighed, but Chen Mianmian shook her hand, signaling her to keep quiet.
Two police officers, Xiao Liu and Xiao Li, came out and were chatting with Zhao Lingcheng.
Xiao Li hopped on Zhao Lingcheng’s motorcycle, while Xiao Liu rode a bicycle.
Chen Mianmian waited until they finished chatting, then took two packs of cigarettes from her bag and gave one to each police officer, smiling, “Thanks for coming again. When you come back tonight, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
Xiao Li waved off the offer, “Sister-in-law, Colonel Zhao already gave us cigarettes.”
Xiao Liu pulled out a pack, “Look, these are different—also Red Peony.”
Though Zhao Lingcheng had authority to detain, the case was handled by the police.
He had to give them some token of appreciation.
Because he always acted high and mighty, Chen Mianmian thought he wouldn’t, so she brought the cigarettes herself.
Even though he had already given some, Chen Mianmian insisted, “Take these for the road.”
One rode the motorcycle, the other the bike, and they left.
The other two police officers finally managed to haul the bloodied Xu Dagang back to the police station.
But the Red Guards still hadn’t vented their anger and chased after him, still beating him.
Chen Mianmian called out to them as they passed, trying to stay friendly, “Comrades, if you want to learn how to catch Xiaxia, come find me.
I’m also great at pickling Yushu Pi—if you want some, just ask.”
They were just kids, simple and innocent.
The kids waved, “Sister, after we finish beating the landlord, we’ll come find you.”
A boy said, “If you teach me how to catch Xiaxia, I’ll be your own little brother.”
Watching them leave, Zhao Lingcheng checked his watch, “Let’s eat, then go to the Civil Affairs Section.”
Wu Jingjing whispered, “Mianmian, where did those two police officers go? What were they doing?”
She added, “Xu Dagang almost ran away just now, your man must have blocked him, right?”
Chen Mianmian hadn’t expected Xu Dagang to be even fiercer than Xu Cigang.
That shot to his hand was fired by Zhao Lingcheng—right on target, shattering his right hand.
Then Zhao Lingcheng shot again as Xu Dagang was climbing the wall.
The police force at that time was rather mediocre, but the military men, no matter their role, had good quality.
When Xu Dagang was captured, the militia on the scene didn’t dare make a sound, but surely they would report it upward.
His confidants would notify Xu Xiaomei and Xu Cigang.
Zhao Lingcheng handed the motorcycle to Xiao Li to take to the Labor Reform Farm, where Xu Cigang was, to arrest him.
Xiao Liu was to stake out Xu Xiaomei’s hometown.
She had no charges, so couldn’t be arrested, but could be watched.
If all three brothers were arrested, and Xu Xiaomei was smart, she would remain calm and observe.
But if she lost control and tried to move the stolen goods, then their hiding places would be exposed.
Chen Mianmian couldn’t tell Wu Jingjing this, so she shook her head, “I don’t know either.”
She pulled Zhao Lingcheng aside and asked, “How dare you shoot? You’ll get punished, right?”
Zhao Lingcheng had to write a report after firing.
To avoid punishment, there was only one way—to find the stolen goods.
But not wanting to pressure Chen Mianmian, he said only, “We can’t provoke the Red Guards.”
Revolution was a double-edged sword; many hidden enemies and outdated mindsets meant revolution was necessary.
But the Red Guards were too extreme.
The base’s attitude was always: don’t welcome, don’t provoke.
Of course, if the revolutionary situation remained as it was—somewhat excessive but not too much—Chen Mianmian felt it best not to provoke the Red Guards.
But it was only 1965.
From history, everything was just beginning.
In the decade ahead, professionals like Zhao Lingcheng wouldn’t be beaten or whipped and could keep working.
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