Jiang Ling’s attention was drawn to the young girl.
She must be Liang Qiqiao.
September’s heat still lingered. While other girls wore short sleeves and skirts, Liang Qiqiao was dressed in long sleeves and pants. The top button of her floral shirt was tightly fastened, and her black trousers covered her feet completely.
Even with such a conservative and plain outfit, her beauty still bloomed like a flower. Liang Qiqiao had a full chest, shapely hips, a slender waist, and long legs—her figure curvy and striking. Though only a third-year high school student, she exuded a distinct feminine charm.
If this were 2025, a girl with such a stunning figure would be full of confidence, eager to show off her allure. But this was 1993, when standards of beauty were more reserved, and with no parents to protect her, Liang Qiqiao often felt troubled by her overly full chest and hips.
Hearing Zhao Yanhong say she was “big-chested and big-hipped” and had a “bad reputation,” Liang Qiqiao felt both embarrassed and angry. Her face flushed crimson, and she wished she could dig a hole and disappear. She had a gentle temperament and had never cursed at anyone before, nor did she know how to express her anger. All she could do was pull her brother’s arm, wanting to get away from these people who looked down on her as soon as possible.
Wei Changfeng couldn’t stand it and spoke bluntly: “Zhao Yanhong, you’re a woman too. Why are you being so mean? Please watch your words!”
Qian Jianshe didn’t want to complicate matters. He glared at Zhao Yanhong: “Hurry up and apologize!”
Zhao Yanhong forced a smile: “Yes, yes, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I don’t have much education, so I speak a bit roughly. Don’t take offense, okay?”
The apology was clearly insincere, but since she admitted her fault, Wei Changfeng let it go. He turned to Liang Qiqiao and said gently, “It’s good you’re here. Your brother got into a conflict with a classmate. The other parent has apologized and compensated you two hundred yuan, and also promised that if Liang Jiushan gets into No. 1 High School next year, they’ll help with tuition reduction and offer some living support. If you agree, just sign the mediation agreement.”
“Okay.” Liang Qiqiao nodded obediently, her hand trembling as she took the pen from Wei Changfeng, ready to sign the mediation agreement.
Her parents had died early. The neighborhood committee originally wanted to send the siblings to the Welfare Institute, but she didn’t want to leave her familiar environment and was afraid they’d be separated, so she refused their suggestion and used her parents’ compensation fund to manage the household. Although the compensation from the car accident was six thousand yuan, money ran out quickly. Everything cost money—rice, oil, salt. She saved wherever she could, yet life still felt hard.
Compared to classmates from dual-income Textile Factory families, Liang Qiqiao always felt inferior and could only study hard. She’d already made up her mind: Xiang Province Normal College guaranteed job placement and didn’t charge tuition. When she went to college, her brother would be in his first year of high school and could board at school. If he got into college later and she found a job, the siblings would finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
She had once thought six thousand yuan was a lot, but in these three years, prices had soared, and Textile Factory workers’ wages had gone from a few dozen to three or four hundred yuan. Now, there was little money left. High school tuition and living expenses weighed on her like a mountain, making it hard to breathe.
In front of her, Qian Darong’s family of three stood in a row. Zhao Yanhong clung to her son’s shoulder like a mother hen protecting her chick, making Liang Qiqiao’s chest tighten and her eyes sting.
If only Mom and Dad were still here, who would dare bully the siblings?
But she had neither the strength nor the means to fight Qian Darong’s family. Qian Jianshe managed the Textile Factory’s logistics—if they offended him, the Factory could take back the apartment assigned to her parents. Would the siblings end up homeless? Besides, the compensation terms he offered were so tempting…
“Jie!” Liang Jiushan grabbed Liang Qiqiao’s hand holding the pen, his eyes full of struggle.
Liang Qiqiao sighed and comforted her brother softly, “Jiushan, just bear with it a little longer. Once we get into college and leave here, they won’t be able to bully you anymore.”
Wei Changfeng also tried to persuade Liang Jiushan: “Listen to your sister. You’re still a student now, so just focus on your studies.”
Wei Changfeng understood that the siblings had been wronged, but as a police officer at the Jinwu Road Police Station, he’d seen too many such cases and knew how full of helplessness life could be.
The siblings’ parents had worked at the Textile Factory. Now, they lived in the Textile Factory Dormitory and attended the Textile Factory Workers’ Middle School. If Qian Darong were dealt with harshly, Zhao Yanhong and Qian Jianshe would surely make things difficult for the siblings, putting them in even greater trouble.
The light in Liang Jiushan’s eyes gradually dimmed, and his head drooped. He let go of his sister’s hand, but bit his lower lip so hard it bled.
It seemed that all the conflicts had been resolved.
But Jiang Ling knew, the tragedy started from this very day.
Qian Darong never truly realized his mistake. He not only intensified his bullying of Liang Jiushan, but on a rainy night in November, he raped Liang Qiqiao. Afterwards, Qian’s family did just as they did today—one played the good guy, one the bad—paying ten thousand yuan in compensation and forcing Liang Qiqiao to sign a letter of forgiveness.
Later, Qian’s family sent Qian Darong to study in the Provincial Capital, but pinned all the blame on Liang Qiqiao, saying she seduced Qian Darong and gave up her innocence for money. Gossip spread, and unable to bear the slander, Liang Qiqiao slit her wrists, her life ending at the most beautiful age of eighteen.
Just as Liang Qiqiao was about to sign, Jiang Ling reached out and took the mediation agreement, placing it gently on the table.
She pressed her palm onto the agreement, her gaze gentle yet firm: “Liang Qiqiao, wait before you sign.”
Liang Qiqiao was stunned, looking at the female police officer not much older than herself. She stammered, “What… what else do you want us to do?”
Zhao Yanhong jumped up. “What’s wrong with you, policewoman? Aren’t you wasting everyone’s time? They need to go to school, we need to go to work, who has time to sit around at the police station with you!”
Jiang Ling looked at Wei Changfeng. “Old Wei, let me handle this case.”
Wei Changfeng opened his mouth, as if to say something, but when he met Jiang Ling’s bright, determined eyes, he said nothing, only nodded and gave a soft “Mm.” Having once been young himself, Wei Changfeng couldn’t bear to refuse a newcomer who volunteered. At worst, if something went wrong, he could guide her from the side.
At that moment, a commotion came from outside the police station.
Two police officers escorted a middle-aged man with a brutish face inside. The man was handcuffed, grinning menacingly, and cursing non-stop in a harsh, aggressive voice.
“Behave yourself!” One young officer scolded, then said to Wei Changfeng, “Old Wei, this guy just committed a robbery on the street and knocked down an old lady.”
Robbery? That was a criminal case.
Wei Changfeng’s expression turned serious. He tossed a line to Jiang Ling: “Xiao Jiang, I’ll leave this to you.” Then he hurried off to join the case-handling team to deal with the robbery.
With several officers gone, the police hall suddenly quieted down.
Jiang Ling’s gaze swept over Qian Darong’s family of three. She lifted her palm and picked up the mediation agreement. “You’ve already signed this kind of mediation agreement twice before, haven’t you?”
Jiang Ling had a great memory. She clearly remembered that Liang Jiushan’s lawyer had presented three signed mediation agreements in court, all detailing police reports, inquiry records, and the terms reached by both parties. These agreements proved Qian Darong’s long-term bullying of Liang Jiushan and provided strong support for the second trial’s life sentence.
Qian Darong replied carelessly, “Yeah, so what?”
Jiang Ling stared coldly at him. “Every time, you promise in the agreement not to bully Liang Jiushan again, don’t you?”
Qian Darong avoided Jiang Ling’s gaze, feeling guilty.
Jiang Ling turned to Qian Jianshe. “Your son has been bullying his classmate for a long time, refusing to change his ways, and the circumstances are serious. According to Public Security Administration Punishment Regulations, Article 19, he could be detained or fined. Since he’s under sixteen, we mainly focus on education for now. But clearly, both the police station and you as parents have failed with this gentle, mediation-based approach.”
Qian Jianshe forced a smile. “Kids fight sometimes. How big a deal can it be? When they grow up, they’ll understand.”
Jiang Ling waved her hand. “This isn’t just kids fooling around. Liang Jiushan has called the police three times, and his injuries already count as minor injury. Qian Darong’s actions are illegal.”
Zhao Yanhong snapped impatiently, “What bullying? Don’t make it sound so ugly! Didn’t your police investigate? Several classmates said Liang Jiushan started it, and his injuries were self-inflicted. It has nothing to do with my Darong.”
Jiang Ling shot back, “If it has nothing to do with him, why did you agree to apologize and compensate?”
Zhao Yanhong pursed her lips, about to speak, but Qian Jianshe stopped her. He smiled and explained, “Liang Jiushan’s parents worked at our Textile Factory, but both died in a car accident. We felt sorry for the siblings, so we agreed to mediate and pay for his treatment. After all, it’s better to have one less problem than one more, right, Officer Jiang?”
Qian Jianshe could tell Jiang Ling was different from Wei Changfeng—she was young and took things seriously.
He didn’t want to offend the grassroots police, so he deliberately mentioned “one less problem than one more” to hint that Jiang Ling shouldn’t push too hard.
Jiang Ling picked up her notebook from the service desk and said to Qian Jianshe, “Let’s go to the interrogation room.”
Hearing the words “interrogation room,” Qian Jianshe put on a fawning smile. “It’s just a minor case, can’t we handle it here? Why change places?”
Jiang Ling glanced at him, said nothing, and walked ahead.
After a few steps, she stopped and looked at the on-duty officer, Li Zhenliang. “Could you help? Join me?” Whether it was an interrogation or an inquiry, there should always be two officers present to follow procedure.
Li Zhenliang looked around. Now, in the police hall, only he and Jiang Ling were left as officers. He hesitated for a moment, then stood up. “You go first, I’ll find someone to cover the desk and join you right away.”
He had been taking notes earlier and was already annoyed. The Qian family of three bullying two orphans—shameless! But since the siblings agreed to mediation, he couldn’t say much. Now that the newcomer Jiang Ling wanted to stand up for Liang Jiushan, he was more than willing to help.
Jiang Ling nodded and kept walking, warmth flickering in her eyes.
Li Zhenliang had been a police officer for ten years and had a strong sense of justice. He had even privately helped out the Liang siblings before—a good man. Asking him to join the mediation was definitely the right call.
Seeing Jiang Ling leave, Qian Jianshe had no choice but to hurry after her, urging Zhao Yanhong and Qian Darong, “Let’s go, let’s go.”
A new hope rose in Liang Jiushan’s heart. He tugged at his dazed sister. “Come on!”