After disguising herself once again, Pei Nian first visited the department store, the grain station, and the state-owned restaurant, spending every last one of the ration coupons that couldn’t be used outside the city while stocking up on another batch of supplies.
She then returned to her grandfather’s old house.
Wherever her eyes landed—pots, bowls, ladles, tables, chairs, benches, beds, cabinets, wardrobes…
Anything that could be taken, she stored inside her space without leaving a single item behind.
Finally, carrying the deed to her grandfather’s house and the ownership documents, she went to see Director Bai of the neighborhood committee.
Director Bai was a kind-looking middle-aged woman whose sharp eyes revealed her capable nature.
Pei Nian didn’t beat around the bush.
“Hello, Director Bai. My name is Pei Nian. I’m the granddaughter of the owner of Number Eighteen Liulin Lane.”
Director Bai had clearly heard about her family’s circumstances. Sympathy immediately appeared on her face.
“So you’re Niannian. I heard you’re being sent to the countryside. If you’re facing any difficulties, don’t hesitate to tell the neighborhood committee.”
“Thank you for your concern, Director Bai.”
Pei Nian smiled politely.
“I do have one favor I’d like to ask. Once I leave, my grandfather’s courtyard house will be empty. There’s an old saying that empty houses deteriorate quickly. Since it would just sit vacant anyway, I’d like to let the neighborhood committee use it free of charge. It could serve the community.”
“Free of charge?”
Director Bai was stunned.
It was an entire courtyard house.
In these days of severe housing shortages, countless people dreamed of getting a place like that.
“How could we possibly accept something like that?”
“Please hear me out first.”
Pei Nian spoke gently, her clear eyes sincere.
“I’ve already dealt with all the belongings inside. The house is completely empty now. Anyone using it would have to furnish it from scratch.”
“Although I’m offering it free of charge, I do have a few conditions.”
“The neighborhood committee may use the house for office work, meetings, literacy classes, a reading room, or any other public purpose.”
“In short, I hope it can serve the community.”
“But no one is allowed to live there—including employees of the neighborhood committee.”
“It was my grandfather’s home, and I’d like it to remain just as peaceful and unchanged as it is now.”
Director Bai understood immediately.
The young woman looked young, but she was remarkably thoughtful.
By allowing the committee to use the property free of charge, she was earning the committee’s goodwill.
After Pei Nian left for the countryside, the neighborhood committee would naturally watch over the house, ensuring that no one dared covet it.
Her condition that no one could live there completely eliminated the possibility of future ownership disputes or squatters refusing to leave.
It was a brilliant move.
She protected the property while simultaneously earning herself a good reputation.
“Niannian, that’s an excellent idea. Very civic-minded.”
Director Bai’s smile became even more genuine.
“Don’t worry. The neighborhood committee will make good use of the property. We absolutely won’t allow anyone to live there, and we’ll maintain it regularly. When you return, it’ll still be exactly as you left it.”
No matter how one looked at it, this arrangement greatly benefited the neighborhood committee.
Director Bai immediately agreed.
The two signed a written agreement, and Pei Nian handed over the house keys.
With the biggest matter settled, only one final task remained—the anonymous letters of accusation.
Pei Nian checked into a guesthouse with the belongings she openly carried.
Late that night, she once again used her space to travel to the county Revolutionary Committee.
It was time to give her scumbag father’s family one final gift.
She slipped an anonymous letter into the Revolutionary Committee’s complaint box.
The letter accused Zhao Jianguo and Wang Cuihua of carrying on an illicit affair and forcing a martyr’s daughter to go to the countryside.
While she was there, she also thoroughly “cleaned out” the Revolutionary Committee.
She especially targeted the old books, paintings, calligraphy, antique porcelain gathering dust in the storage rooms, as well as the expensive cigarettes, liquor, tea, and hidden cash reserves in the leaders’ offices—items that clearly exceeded normal government allocations.
She stored every bit of it inside her space without the slightest hesitation.
Next, her space moved once more, this time to the steel factory.
Following the same procedure, she dropped another anonymous report into the factory’s mailbox.
This time, she also included Zhao Jianguo’s ledger and the stolen cash she had confiscated, placing them inside together with the letter.
With everything finished, Pei Nian returned to the guesthouse and began counting the night’s spoils.
Aside from the books, paintings, and antiques that wouldn’t be useful for the time being, the items taken from the Revolutionary Committee leaders were astonishing.
There were all kinds of cigarettes and liquor, more than 6,700 yuan in cash, countless ration coupons, and even thirty-seven hefty gold bars.
With that amount of wealth, life in the countryside would be comfortable even if she earned only two or three work points a day.
Besides, in at most three years, she’d be able to return to the city through the national college entrance examination.
The following morning, Pei Nian disguised herself once again.
She spent all the ration coupons she had obtained from the Revolutionary Committee, stocked up on yet another batch of supplies, and then headed for the railway station.
Meanwhile…
The Hongxing Steel Factory residential compound—and indeed the entire factory—had already exploded into chaos.
Early that morning, a union employee opened the factory’s suggestion box as usual.
The moment he unlocked it, bundle after bundle of tightly wrapped ten-yuan notes came tumbling out.
The sight nearly scared him out of his wits.
Reaching farther inside, he found thick ledgers and several letters.
His hands trembled as he took them out.
One look was enough for him to realize that this was a catastrophe.
Clutching the “evidence,” he rushed straight to factory management.
The leaders were equally horrified.
Immediately, they dispatched people to summon Director Li, Zhao Jianguo, and Wang Cuihua, while personally leading members of the security department toward the residential compound.
Coincidentally, they encountered investigators from the Revolutionary Committee at the entrance.
The Revolutionary Committee had also been robbed the previous night by an unknown intruder and was already furious.
Then they had received the anonymous accusations.
Both groups were now heading toward the steel factory residential compound.
The narrow alleys between the red-brick apartment buildings were already packed with curious onlookers.
Auntie Wang clutched a bundle of freshly purchased vegetables while stretching onto her tiptoes to peer toward the Zhao residence.
“What on earth happened?”
Old Li tugged at his grease-stained work jacket and spat on the ground.
“What else? Director Li and Zhao Jianguo were stealing from the socialist collective, secretly selling factory materials. Somebody exposed them.”
“They deserved it!”
Sister Liu said angrily.
“Just look at that Li family. It was only a matter of time. Director Li controlled factory logistics. One son got shoved into a skilled workshop position, the other landed an administrative job in logistics. That’s blatant abuse of power.”
“They absolutely deserved it,” Auntie Wang chimed in loudly after squeezing through the crowd.
“And Zhao Jianguo is no better. The moment his father-in-law died, he forced the daughter from his first marriage into the countryside and even severed ties with her.”
“The day Pei Nian left, she ran out of the compound crying. The poor girl looked absolutely pitiful…”
Someone in the crowd sighed before adding an even more explosive rumor.
“I heard Zhao Jianguo was also reported for having an affair with Wang Cuihua before they were married.”
“They say Zhao Xiaojun is actually his biological son.”
Auntie Wang slapped her thigh.
“Oh my goodness! No wonder Zhao Xiaojun looks so much like Zhao Jianguo!”
“He treated that son he brought home far better than his own daughter.”
“So that’s the real reason!”
As everyone continued discussing the scandal, Zhao Jianguo, Wang Cuihua, and Director Li were finally escorted out.
Each of them walked with their heads hanging low.
A Revolutionary Committee official looked around at the gathered crowd before announcing solemnly,
“Li Fugui colluded with others to embezzle and illegally sell collective property, undermining socialist interests. His offenses are extremely serious.”
“He is sentenced to ten years of labor reform in the Northwest.”
“Zhao Jianguo participated in the illegal sales and engaged in immoral personal conduct. He is sentenced to eight years of labor reform.”
“Wang Cuihua engaged in immoral conduct. She is sentenced to two years of labor reform.”
Beside him, a factory union official added,
“The factory has decided to dismiss Zhao Jianguo, Wang Cuihua, Li Fugui, Li Ren, and Li Yi from all of their positions.”
Watching his parents being taken away…
Looking at the ransacked house…
Holding the sudden notice ordering him to the countryside…
Zhao Xiaojun felt as though the entire sky had collapsed over his head.