Chapter 10 Chapter Four

In the courtyard of the guest house, there is a brick road sandwiched by cypress walls in the middle, and rows of green brick bungalows on both sides. Lin Hong was walking on the road between the cypress walls.The pointing and whispering of the crowd on the side of the road just now flashed before my eyes, Fu Honghua's plump purple face, Xiao Li's scornful eyes... Her face was as calm as water, but her heart trembled one after another.That's the price you pay for being a "person in the spotlight."Why did she get involved in this political vortex?Politics is not for a scarred person like her to participate in.She was not interested in the smuggling of the children of "high-ranking cadres" and the malpractice of county leaders.This is society.But why did she suddenly feel righteous indignation?

It was a rainy and snowy night. There was a timid knock on the door. "Who is it? Please come in." Lin Hong stood up from the table in the single dormitory. The door was slowly pushed open.With a gust of cold air, an old farmer with a dark and wrinkled face stood at the door. "Come in, uncle." Lin Hong recognized him, the man who came was the father of her student Li Shitou. The old man came in, with muddy feet.He frantically took out two crumpled pieces of paper from his pocket and spread them out on the table: "Ms. Lin, please write me a certificate." "Sit down first." Lin Hong said politely.

His son, Li Shitou, was beaten dozens of times by the son of the county grain bureau chief. He was so angry that he broke a piece of glass in the bureau chief's house with a stone, and was detained. He was not released for three months. I can't stand up anymore. "Ms. Lin, I can only beg you..." The old man was shivering, his wet clothes sticking to his body.When Lin Hong handed him a cup of hot water, he thanked him in embarrassment, and spilled the water all over the floor with trembling hands: "Mr. Lin, can you write for me?" This is a loyal and kind father. Lin Hong's son is the best student in Lin Hong's class, and Lin Hong likes him very much.

"Uncle, sit down and I'll write for you." Lin Hong said. The old man took the written certificate and left with a thousand thanks.When the old man put the certificate in his arms, he was cautious, as if his son's fate depended on it.He probably won't know that such a petition often doesn't solve any problems. Whether it was because of sympathy for the weak, or because of hatred for the powerful bully, Lin Hong wrote a letter to the provincial newspaper after returning to the house, exposing the matter of Gu Rong and others covering up their children's smuggling crimes.The son of the Food Bureau Chief who bullied her students was also with Gu Rong's son...

Xiao Zhou followed from behind. "This Gu Xiaoli is really outrageous, because she is the child of a high-ranking official." He said angrily. "What's so outrageous?" Lin Hong said with a hint of sarcasm, "It is also a kind of wisdom to be good at using one's own privilege." "That's not smart." Lin Hong sneered kindly, "Then you don't understand." "Relying on the fact that I am the secretary of the provincial party committee and my uncle is the county magistrate..." "What are you talking about in the past?" Lin Hong interrupted Xiao Zhou, with a calm expression on his face.

"I really don't know how you can be so reserved. There are no men like you." "Maybe they haven't been angry enough yet." Who has experienced so much torture and abuse like her in her twenties?Without "cultivation", she would not be able to live now.She didn't want to look back on what happened just now.Patience is largely about being able to "unlearn the past" and "distract attention."Pain is doubled in chewing. "Has it been discussed so early?" Lin Hong asked. "Yes, everyone is very energetic." Xiao Zhou replied.

It was just past six o'clock in the morning, and there were crowds of squatting and sitting people in front of the rows of houses on both sides of the guest house's courtyard road.They are using the time before breakfast to hold group meetings.Two old monks in yellow cassocks walked along the cypress wall facing each other. They looked up at Lin Hong, and then walked past with lowered eyebrows. "Why are there still monks?" Lin Hong asked. "To discuss the development of Foshan and Jinguang Temple tourist areas, Secretary Li invited them here." Xiao Zhou replied.

The group of people here seemed to be farmers and rural cadres, discussing the closure of mountains and afforestation, chattering.A long-faced rural cadre with a notebook stood up from the smoke. "Okay, then let's add this suggestion. This is the thirty-fourth suggestion of our group. Do you agree?" He spread his hands and scanned the crowd and asked. "Agreed!" The crowd replied excitedly in unison. "Let me make an addition," an old man wearing brand-new blue cloth shoes and a white turban knocked on his pipe and said, "Is it right to go up the mountain to collect herbs?" "Didn't I just say that?" Everyone said together.The old man smiled happily: "Then I won't mention it." Everyone burst into laughter.

Here a circle of people is more enthusiastic, applauding continuously.Standing in the crowd was a chunky Hong Kong businessman, his face flushed red, and he waved his hands repeatedly to tell everyone not to applaud: "I'm visiting relatives in my hometown this time, and I was invited to attend this meeting. One hundred thousand yuan, I donate my hometown to build roads free of charge, as a token of my heart. Don’t applaud, everyone is responsible for supporting the construction of your hometown..." His speech was still interrupted by applause. "This person is the chairman of Hong Kong Dongxing Co., Ltd., and his hometown is Maoerling, Guling County. He suggested that the county build a road to develop wild resources in the West Mountain and develop tourism, and Secretary Li invited him to the meeting. "Xiao Zhou introduced Lin Hong as he walked.

"This meeting is going very well." Lin Hong said casually. As they walked past the crowds on both sides, they heard people talking about bridges, mountain closures, responsibility system, family planning, brick kilns, development of Beishan coal mines, road construction, schools, boilers, fertilizers , breeding, raising rabbits, beekeeping, professional contracting, difficulty in selling pigs, inability to sell peanuts, problems with the food bureau, building the Jinguang Temple in Foshan, someone was wronged, which cadre bullied someone, letters and visits, let Secretary Li come to judge, the county Who is a bureaucrat here... There are all kinds of things, and there are all kinds of surprises.

It seems that the new secretary of the county party committee has indeed stirred up the situation.For a moment, a thought flashed through Lin Hong's mind: If the new secretary of the county party committee can really get rid of a group of bureaucrats like Gu Rong, it would be great.She frowned slightly.Don't you have no enthusiasm for politics? Why do you have such an impulse?She took a quick look at herself, and a faint sense of self-sarcasm floated in her heart. It seems that when it comes to personal interests, no one can be indifferent to politics. Here a large circle of people is sitting in the open space in front of the terrace, arguing fiercely.Xiao Zhou and Lin Hong stood still, this is the group that Lin Hong wanted to come to.The old principal of Chencun Middle School, an old lady with white hair like silver, was sitting quietly among the crowd. This is a central group of the conference, and the group is very large, with one or two hundred people.People who put forward opinions and suggestions on the overall work of the Guling County Party Committee are gathered here, and more than half of them are cadres from the county Party committee, county government and grassroots.The debate in this group was obviously sharp. The person who was speaking was Zhuang Wenyi, the director of the County Science and Technology Commission. He stood there and waved his hand vigorously: "Are we going to have a lively three-day meeting? Enthusiastic. Are you sincere in your comments to the county committee? Enthusiastic? Enthusiastic. The lights are still brightly lit in the middle of the night, and the Lantern Festival has never been so lively; this is not true, we sat together to discuss at five or six o'clock. Are there many suggestions? There are now more than 4,000. Are there many opinions? It is twice as many as suggestions, more than 8,000 pieces. Even the problem that the county letter and visitor reception station did not open on time." He paused, helped the quilt sweat from the bridge of his nose The glasses slid up and down, and continued to talk: "Now, the contradictions between the top and bottom have been exposed. The key depends on the attitude of the county standing committee. Whether it will change or not, whether it will act or not..." "You are also a member of the county party committee." Someone interrupted him with a smile.It was Feng Yaozu, the leader of this group and a member of the Standing Committee of the County Party Committee. He had a slightly swollen round face, a thick neck, thinning hair, and was somewhat bald. Standing behind the cypress tree, Lin Hong felt sick in her heart. Of course she knew this Feng Yaozu, he was Fu Honghua's husband. "What is the use of me as a member of the county party committee?" Zhuang Wenyi asked sharply, "The key lies in the main persons in charge. Don't just say that everyone is responsible. Isn't everyone in the county responsible? Everything has a key point, you Are you saying that the key now is not the county standing committee?" "Ah... Generally speaking, it's like this." Feng Yaozu perfunctory with a fat face. "Not to mention anything else," Zhuang Wenyi did not relax. "At this meeting, almost all the groups mentioned the smuggling of cadres' children and the persecution of Lin Hong, a teacher in Chencun. Some leading cadres in our county standing committee." He glanced at Feng Yaozu, and then pointed at everyone, "We've been sitting here for a few days, whether it's useful or not, we'll first see if this matter can be resolved. " Because of Feng Yaozu's presence, the crowd fell silent for a while. Feng Yaozu laughed dryly: "Let me say a few words about this matter. Some people say that this matter has something to do with my son. I'm not speaking from this standpoint. My son is really going to break the law. As the parent, I'm going to send him to court. I mean, first, what's the truth about this matter?" "What the masses say is not true?" Zhuang Wenyi asked. "Where does the public opinion of the masses come from? After all, it is not made by a few people?" Feng Yaozu draws his voice slowly, "Could the masses have seen it with their own eyes? The law is not based on hearsay. It is what it is. There is a problem. There is a public prosecutor’s law. The public prosecutor’s law is based on facts. This is not a mass movement.” "Some people don't let the public prosecutors see the facts." Zhuang Wenyi said. "That's what you think." Feng Yaozu replied coldly, and continued, "Second, if you are guilty, you should be punished, and if there is no problem, you should clarify. This is a very simple matter. Why is there such a big public opinion in the county? ? Some people have ulterior motives." "What do you mean?" Zhuang Wenyi asked. There were also voices of dissatisfaction among the crowd. "Of course I don't mean you." Feng Yaozu glanced at Zhuang Wenyi indifferently. "There must be something to point to?" "It means something." Feng Yaozu smiled coldly, "For example, Lin Hong from Chencun Middle School, do you know her background?" "What background are you talking about?" "She's always had a bad life style, you know that?" "have no idea." "I don't know, why do you affirm such a person casually?" "I'm sure of the question she asked!" Zhuang Wenyi was irritated, "Avoiding a question raised by a person and personally attacking her is a common way to retaliate." Feng Yaozu looked at Zhuang Wenyi, and continued: "Also, do you know that she has a grudge against County Magistrate Gu? Shouldn't we consider the background of venting personal anger?" People stared blankly at each other, unable to figure out the meaning of the words. Lin Hong stood behind the cypress and watched indifferently, "It's a pity I didn't bring a clip." She said contemptuously. "What are you doing, recording?" Xiao Zhou asked. "Give him a portrait." Lin Hong looked at Feng Yaozu in the crowd and said. "Look, Secretary Li is here." Xiao Zhou said quickly. The back of a tall and thin young man has been standing in the crowd at some time. "Comrade Yaozu, what are you talking about?" The new secretary of the county party committee began to ask, and Lin Hong felt the voice sound familiar. "Me?...I'm talking about respecting the facts and speaking responsibly." "Have you respected the facts?" The secretary of the county party committee spoke calmly and with authority. "Of course I'm telling the truth." "Did you see it with your own eyes?" "no." "From the archives?" "No, it's not..." "Then where did you come from?" "I...Anyway, she objected to County Magistrate Gu's background." "Do so many people who have raised their opinions have backgrounds?" The secretary of the county party committee pointed at the crowd. "I didn't say you guys." The young secretary of the county party committee nodded slightly: "You casually ruined the reputation of a female teacher, do you have any background?" "I am seeking truth from facts." "Really?" Hearing the young secretary of the county party committee sneer slightly, "So simple?" "What background can I have?" Seeing Feng Yaozu wiping the oily sweat off his fat face. The young secretary of the county party committee pointed at the crowd: "I can tell you, in fact, everyone has a background, do you believe it?" "I……" "I, the secretary of the county party committee, also have a background." "I didn't say that." "That's what I said. Who in the world doesn't have a background in their political actions? It's normal to have a background." The secretary of the county party committee paused, still staring at Feng Yaozu, "It's inevitable that you have a background, you don't need to hide it." Feng Yaozu wiped the sweat off his face again and again: "If what Lin Hong revealed is the truth, why did she hide and dare not come to the meeting?" "How do you know she dare not come to the meeting?" asked the young county party secretary. Lin Hong couldn't help being moved.People who are used to enduring bullying are not numb to the feeling of warmth. "Lin Hong." The old principal of Chencun Middle School turned his head and saw Lin Hong standing behind the cypress wall, and stood up. Lin Hong closed her eyes slightly, and quietly walked around the cypress wall and walked towards the crowd.People's eyes turned to her.She looked squarely at Feng Yaozu and walked in front of the crowd: "Would you like to tell more facts?" "I..." Feng Yaozu seemed nervous for some reason. "Lin Hong, are you back?" the old principal asked, holding Lin Hong's hand. "Yes. I want to prove that I am responsible for the facts." "Lin Hong, this is the new Secretary Li. He cares about you very much." The old principal introduced. Lin Hong turned her head and met Li Xiangnan's eyes. "It's you?..." Lin Hong's voice was almost inaudible. "It's me." Li Xiangnan said, staring at her deeply.