At the brigade captain’s command, several strong-built villagers immediately blocked the doorway.
Grandma Xiao’s face went pale with fright. If a sent-down person made a mistake, everyone in the cowshed could very well be implicated.
Xiao Mandong clasped her grandmother’s hand and comforted her in a low voice.
“Grandma, it’s all right. We didn’t do anything in the first place. We’ve already hidden everything, and who would pay attention to that old, tattered quilt on the kang?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she quietly climbed out through the window and crouched close to the wall, listening to the voices inside.
The next second, someone began pounding on the door, followed by a rough shout.
“Open up! Open up! Everyone report to the brigade headquarters immediately for questioning!”
Xiao Jingping’s heart leaped into his throat.
“Coming,” he answered, forcing himself to remain calm as he hurried over to open the door.
The moment the door opened a crack, the people outside rudely shoved their way in. Xiao Jingping lost his balance and staggered back two steps.
“What’s this family’s surname?”
Hearing that familiar voice, Xiao Mandong peered through the gap in the window. To her surprise, it was the young official who had gone with Director Huang to search the backyard of her home for the bracelet last time.
Xiao Jingping quickly stepped forward to answer.
“Comrade, our surname is Xiao.”
The moment Liu Bing heard the word “Xiao,” his expression darkened.
The last time he had searched Xiao Mandong’s home, he had turned the place upside down without finding a thing. He had lost face completely that day.
Later, Director Huang had ordered him to look into Xiao Mandong’s records, and he had long since discovered that her family had been sent down to Qingshi Gully Village.
Because Director Huang had fallen from power, Liu Bing had been investigated for a month, living in constant fear. It had taken great difficulty for him to be released, only for the new leaders to find fault with him at every turn. He had been on edge lately, and now that he had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, he was filled with pent-up fury and had no outlet for it.
Remembering what his cousin had told him—that Director Huang’s downfall had been caused by Xiao Mandong—Liu Bing’s anger became impossible to suppress.
“Why did it take you so long to open the door? What were you dawdling for? You’re all family? Why is everyone crammed into one room in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? What are you plotting here?”
“Comrade, the commotion in the courtyard woke us all up. We were worried that the elderly might be frightened, so we came into this room to look after them…”
Liu Bing suddenly raised his hand and shoved Xiao Jingping hard. Spittle flew from his mouth as he spoke with open contempt.
“Did I tell you that you could speak? What are you pretending to be so filial for? Someone your age can still be frightened? You people from the Five Black Categories are all rotten to the core.”
His gaze swept over everyone in the room, and he waved his hand viciously.
“This whole family looks suspicious. Take them all away and bring them to the Revolutionary Committee for another interrogation. A family sent down together will sooner or later get up to no good together.”
The other officials who had come with Liu Bing were stunned. They had only been sent to assist the police with their investigation—how had this suddenly turned into taking the entire family to the Revolutionary Committee?
Grandma Xiao was trembling so violently that she could barely stand. She remembered that when their home had been confiscated, these people had acted in exactly the same manner.
Feng Xiaoyan’s lips trembled with rage as she supported Grandma Xiao.
“Comrade, we’ve behaved ourselves here and haven’t committed any offenses. Why are you taking us in for a second investigation?”
“Our sent-down assignment was arranged by the leaders above. Are you saying there’s something wrong with the leaders’ arrangements? Do you think the organization’s decisions don’t count?”
Liu Bing had not expected this family to dare argue with an official from the Revolutionary Committee. Enraged and humiliated, his face turned livid.
“Don’t try to use your superiors to pressure me. People from the Five Black Categories like you should be kept under strict supervision. A whole family staying up in the middle of the night and gathering together—you’re clearly trying to band together and form connections. Something serious will happen sooner or later.”
The other official beside him could no longer stand listening. He discreetly tugged at Liu Bing’s sleeve and urged him in a low voice.
“That’s enough. We’re here to assist the police with their investigation. Why are you harassing this family?”
He truly could not understand Liu Bing. He had assumed that Liu Bing was still acting as he had when Director Huang was around, when the director had protected him at every turn.
Sending an entire household to the Revolutionary Committee was no small matter. There might be powerful connections behind them. If they turned out to be difficult people, wouldn’t he just be making trouble for himself?
But by now, Liu Bing had been completely blinded by his rage. He shook off the man’s hand.
“I have serious reason to suspect that this family is connected to what happened earlier. We’re taking them back for questioning tonight.”
He had endured humiliation for so long. He refused to believe that he could not even deal with a few sent-down people.
“Comrade, you have no evidence, yet you’re slapping labels on us at will. You’re framing innocent people,” Feng Xiaoyan said. She could see that this official was deliberately targeting their family. Under no circumstances could they follow him back to the Revolutionary Committee. Even if they survived, they would be severely punished.
Feng Xiaoyan’s retort made Liu Bing’s face flush red. Feeling that he had lost all dignity, he pointed a finger so close to her head that it nearly touched her.
“I said I suspect you! Can’t you understand plain speech? I’m taking you back for questioning because I have suspicions. Naturally, if the investigation finds no problem, we’ll send you back. Are you refusing to cooperate with the organization’s investigation?”
With that, he shoved Feng Xiaoyan.
“Take her away!”
Xiao Jingye was about to step forward to protect his wife when Old Master Xiao moved ahead of him and slapped Liu Bing’s pointing hand away.
He had also realized that this man was deliberately targeting them. Since that was the case, he would risk his old bones and make a scene big enough to attract attention. If anything happened to him, this young official would certainly be unable to escape responsibility. That way, they would not dare lay a hand on the rest of the Xiao family.
“As a worker of the Revolutionary Committee, you’re making baseless accusations and framing innocent people. I may be a sent-down man now, but back then I was still considered a red capitalist. Let’s see what you’re really capable of, young man.”
Liu Bing had not expected the family to be so difficult to deal with. Their defiance completely enraged him.
However, he did not dare lay a hand on Old Master Xiao. Instead, he grabbed Xiao Jingye by the collar and dragged him toward the door.
“This is rebellion! This family has assaulted a public official. Take them away—we must deal with them severely!”
Xiao Siyuan, standing nearby, clenched his fists. He had endured as much as he could, but at last he exploded. He charged forward and shoved Liu Bing hard, glaring furiously at him.
“Get lost, you mongrel who only knows how to throw his weight around!”
Outside the window, Xiao Mandong witnessed everything. Her eyes turned red, and her fingernails dug deeply into her palms without her realizing that they had drawn blood.
She watched helplessly as her family was shoved around and insulted. Her heart felt as though an invisible hand had seized it and squeezed tight. She wanted nothing more than to rush out and fight Liu Bing, but she couldn’t.
She had kept telling herself that after being reborn, she would protect her family properly. Yet at this moment, she was powerless.
Her eyes locked onto Liu Bing. She would make him pay for what he had done tonight.
Liu Bing had not been prepared for it. Xiao Siyuan’s shove sent him staggering, and he nearly fell before one of his colleagues caught him.
Just as Liu Bing, overwhelmed by humiliation and rage, raised his hand to strike Xiao Siyuan—
“Stop!”
A cold, stern voice suddenly rang out, carrying an intimidating authority that needed no anger to make itself felt.
