How did Jiang Ling know all of this?
Of course, she saw it in Liang Jiushan’s file.
She should thank the female lawyer, Jiang Chunlai, who helped Liang Jiushan with his lawsuit. Jiang Chunlai was meticulous, leaving no stone unturned to find any evidence that might help Liang Jiushan avoid the death penalty.
She led her team to investigate at the Textile Factory for a whole month and unearthed an old document. It clearly stated that the Factory gave the Liang siblings an annual subsidy of two hundred yuan, yet Liang Jiushan claimed he never received a cent. So where did the money go? Someone must have embezzled it. After thorough investigation, it was finally confirmed that the Factory’s finance department did allocate the money to the labor union, but it was embezzled by the union committee member, Zhao Yanhong.
Now that Jiang Ling had said it outright, Zhao Yanhong’s heart skipped a beat, and she shot a pleading look at Qian Jianshe.
This policewoman is really something. How could she even know about my embezzling the difficult assistance fund? If they really pursue this, even if I don’t end up in jail, I’ll definitely be fired by the Factory. What should I do?
Liang Qiqiao bit her lip, shaking with anger. The two siblings had struggled so much these past years, pinching every penny, while these well-fed Factory officials actually had the nerve to steal their lifeline money?
As expected of a Textile Factory leader, Qian Jianshe quickly recovered from his embarrassment and looked at Liang Qiqiao. “Liang Qiqiao, when your parents died, I gave you two hundred yuan on behalf of the Factory. Later on, we also helped you out with quite a bit of money. What more could you want? That two hundred yuan was meant as a difficult assistance fund, but your parents got six thousand yuan in compensation from the car accident, so you weren’t really in hardship. That’s why we gave the subsidy to other workers who were in even more difficulty.”
Liang Qiqiao was no match for an old fox like Qian Jianshe. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say, her eyes just reddened as she looked at Jiang Ling.
Li Zhenliang couldn’t stand it and mocked from the side, “Two kids with no income, how much does it cost to eat, drink, dress, live, and go to school? Does Factory Director Qian really not know? Since ’88, prices have gone up every year, and wages keep rising too. By now, your regular factory workers are earning three or four hundred a month. That six thousand yuan from ’87 lasted them six years—how much do you think they could possibly have left? If this isn’t hardship, what is?”
Qian Jianshe could only laugh awkwardly, “Alright, alright, I’ve lost touch with the workers, and this was mishandled. Here’s what we’ll do… The Factory will definitely give you the difficult assistance fund you deserve. When we get back, I’ll talk to the finance department and let you know when to come collect it, Liang Qiqiao.”
Jiang Ling, however, cut him off. “Six years, a total of twelve hundred yuan—where did this money really go?”
Jiang Ling turned her gaze to Liang Qiqiao. “Here’s what we’ll do, Liang Qiqiao, you file a report. We’ll send it up to the economic investigation unit and have the Public Security Bureau come investigate.”
Qian Jianshe never expected the fire to burn him directly. His face turned white as he waved his hands frantically in front of his chest, “No, no, no, don’t file a report. I’ll pay the money myself first, and when we get back, I promise to conduct a thorough investigation.”
How could he dare let the police come poking around? The money had been embezzled by his own wife, and he’d given a little to the labor union chairman as well. If this really became official business, no one would come out clean. Besides, he’d been deputy director for years—his own record was far from spotless. If the police started digging, not only would he lose his job, he might end up in prison.
Before Jiang Ling could say anything, Qian Jianshe hurriedly opened his black briefcase, took out twelve hundred yuan, and placed it on the interrogation table.
Even with a decent salary, it still hurt to hand over twelve hundred yuan in one go. He gritted his teeth and kicked his son, Qian Darong, “You useless brat! You just had to cause trouble for me!”
If it hadn’t been for Qian Darong’s mess, the police would never have cared about the Factory’s difficult assistance fund. Only now did Qian Jianshe realize he needed to discipline his son, or else one day he’d get dragged down with him and have no one to complain to.
Qian Darong’s shin was kicked by his father, and he howled in pain. Spoiled and pampered all his life, he’d never been hit before—he never imagined his father would beat him in public, and he felt utterly wronged.
Qian Jianshe’s eyes were cold. Seeing Qian Darong’s fear, he could only tug at his mother’s sleeve and complain, “Mom, Mom, Dad hit me!”
With the embezzlement exposed by Jiang Ling, Zhao Yanhong was feeling guilty and had no time for her son’s complaints. She replied impatiently, “Alright, stop fussing.”
Losing his backup, Qian Darong quickly quieted down, his eyes darting around like a thief, feeling anxious and uneasy.
Sure enough, only when they feel pain do they learn restraint.
Jiang Ling wasn’t about to let things go. She glanced at Zhao Yanhong, “Embezzling the difficult assistance fund—is this the fine tradition of the Textile Factory Labor Union?”
Zhao Yanhong nervously looked up, “No! I didn’t embezzle anything. I just… was a little late handing it out, that’s all. Isn’t it all paid up now?”
Jiang Ling shot a look at the stunned Liang Qiqiao. Liang Qiqiao finally stepped forward and took the money in her hands.
Jiang Ling asked her, “Do you want to file a report?”
Liang Qiqiao opened her mouth, looked at her brother, and closed it again.
She knew Jiang Ling was standing up for her and her brother, but she couldn’t decide whether to report the Textile Factory Labor Union for embezzlement. She was afraid that if she really offended the Qian family, Qian Jianshe would come down hard on them. After all, they still lived in the Textile Factory Dormitory.
Zhao Yanhong’s heart was pounding.
They absolutely couldn’t let this be reported. She was in charge of distributing supplies and condolence payments for the labor union, and with a deputy factory director for a husband, she often pulled little tricks like this. The labor union chairman would just turn a blind eye. But if Liang Qiqiao reported it, and the authorities started digging, it would be a huge problem.
After two breaths, Zhao Yanhong couldn’t hold back any longer. She stepped forward and grabbed Liang Qiqiao’s hand, plastering on a smile, “Girl, Qiqiao, let’s talk this over, okay? I promise I’ll discipline Qian Darong and keep him away from Liang Jiushan. I apologize for the late payment of the difficult assistance fund. It was our labor union’s mistake. Here, I’m willing to compensate, compensate…”
Zhao Yanhong pulled out five hundred yuan. “Five hundred yuan, how about it? If you think that’s not enough, I’ll give you my watch too.” As she spoke, Zhao Yanhong unfastened the women’s watch from her left wrist and tried to force it onto Liang Qiqiao’s hand.
Liang Qiqiao shrank back awkwardly. Jiang Ling turned to Li Zhenliang, “Write it down: back pay of twelve hundred yuan for the difficult assistance fund, compensation of five hundred yuan, and a second-hand watch.”
“Got it!” Li Zhenliang happily jotted it all down in his notebook.
Jiang Ling hinted, “You’ve written down all the previous conversation too, right?”
Li Zhenliang replied with a cheerful squint, “Wrote it all down. Including the Textile Factory withholding Liang Qiqiao and Liang Jiushan’s difficult assistance fund, Qian Jianshe’s voluntary payment and promise to investigate when he returns to the Factory—it’s all there.”
Qian Jianshe’s mouth twitched. These two police officers were clearly siding with the Liang siblings. Luckily, it was just a twelve-hundred-yuan discrepancy. The amount wasn’t huge. Once he got back to the Factory and spoke to a few key people, it would all blow over. No matter who came to check, it would just be chalked up as a work mistake, not embezzlement.
Jiang Ling knew that the twelve hundred yuan had been withheld for years, and the paperwork would be hard to track. Plus, in 1993, the threshold for opening an embezzlement case was two thousand yuan. Reporting it now wouldn’t achieve much, so she relented and let Liang Qiqiao accept the compensation.
Liang Qiqiao, honest by nature, held the money and the watch, looking bewildered. But Liang Jiushan was quick-witted, bowing repeatedly to Jiang Ling and Li Zhenliang, “Thank you, thank you both.”
Jiang Ling waved her hand and pulled out a new mediation agreement. “Alright, let’s begin mediation.”
Zhao Yanhong’s eyes widened, “What? There’s still mediation? We’ve already compensated seventeen hundred yuan and a watch, and Liang Qiqiao has accepted it all. Isn’t that the end of it?”
Jiang Ling’s gaze was sharp as a blade. “The twelve hundred yuan difficult assistance fund was rightfully theirs. The five hundred is a late fee and interest. As for the second-hand watch, that’s your apology for your work mistake. None of these are related to the main case.”
“This…” Zhao Yanhong was truly at her wit’s end with this young policewoman.
Who knows what’s up with the weather—it’s already September, but it’s still so hot that she’s sweating all over. The small Interrogation Room was stifling, with not a hint of a breeze. Zhao Yanhong’s mouth was parched, and she just wanted to get this mediation over with. But Jiang Ling was in no hurry, moving slowly and methodically, with a new trick every time, never giving Qian Jianshe, the deputy factory director, any face.
There were three chairs in the Interrogation Room: Jiang Ling and Li Zhenliang sat on the north side, Qian Jianshe on the south, and Zhao Yanhong could only stand. She croaked, “Um, could we have some water?”
Jiang Ling said nothing.
Li Zhenliang patted his notebook and snapped, “Water? Wait till we’re done with the mediation.”
Seeing the police refuse her request outright, Zhao Yanhong turned away in frustration to look at Qian Jianshe, hoping he’d say a few words for her.
Qian Jianshe’s back was already drenched with sweat, and the few swats he’d given his son had sapped what little strength he had left. He had no energy to care about Zhao Yanhong. He wiped the sweat from his bald head and sighed as he sat, “Fine, let’s get on with the mediation.”
Only now did the couple feel a little regret.
Regret that they hadn’t disciplined Qian Darong sooner.
The more they thought about it, the angrier they got, and their gazes toward Qian Darong grew harsher.
All this trouble was his fault! Their son was hopeless, always dragging them down—infuriating!
Qian Jianshe decided that once they got home, he’d lock his son up and give him a good beating.
Zhao Yanhong was also steeling herself to teach her son a lesson.
Liang Jiushan’s eyes shone brightly as he looked at Jiang Ling.
Qian Darong claimed his father was powerful, that everyone in the Textile Factory had to listen to him, but that wasn’t true at all! Officer Jiang from the police station wasn’t afraid of Qian Jianshe.
Liang Qiqiao’s hunched back slowly straightened, as if a warm and steady strength was flowing into her.
With seventeen hundred yuan in hand, she no longer had to worry about tuition and living expenses. The future looked bright to Liang Qiqiao.
Although their parents were gone, they still had the support of the police. That was a wonderful thing.