How did Jiang Ling know all of this?
Of course, she had seen it in Liang Jiushan’s case files.
Credit should go to the female lawyer Jiang Chunlai, who helped Liang Jiushan with his legal case. Meticulous and thorough, she searched for any evidence that could help him avoid the death penalty.
Her team had spent a month investigating the textile factory and came across an old document clearly stating that the factory gave the Liang siblings a yearly allowance of 200 yuan. Yet Liang Jiushan insisted they had never received a cent. So where had the money gone? It must have been embezzled. After extensive inquiries, it was confirmed that the factory’s finance department had indeed allocated the funds to the union—but Zhao Yanhong, a union committee member, had pocketed them.
Now, as Jiang Ling spoke this aloud, Zhao Yanhong’s heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively glanced at Qian Jianshe for help.
This police officer was remarkable—she even knew about the embezzlement of the hardship allowance! If this were pursued seriously, Zhao Yanhong could be fired, if not imprisoned. What could she do?
Liang Qiqiao bit her lip, trembling with anger. The siblings had lived in hardship for years, counting every penny, yet these factory officials—who ate their fill every day—had the audacity to embezzle their lifeline?
Being a factory leader, Qian Jianshe quickly recovered his composure and looked at Liang Qiqiao: “Liang Qiqiao, when your parents died, I personally gave you 200 yuan on behalf of the factory. Since then, we’ve helped you out multiple times. What more could you be dissatisfied with? The 200 yuan was meant as a hardship allowance. Your parents received 6,000 yuan in accident compensation, so technically you weren’t considered in hardship, which is why the money was given to other employees who were worse off.”
Liang Qiqiao wasn’t a match for this old fox Qian Jianshe. She didn’t know what to say and just looked at Jiang Ling with teary eyes.
Li Zhenliang, unable to stand it, mocked from the side: “These two children have no income. How much money do they need just to eat, buy clothes, and go to school? Surely Director Qian knows that! Prices have been rising year after year since ’88, and wages have gone up too. Now, ordinary workers at your factory make three to four hundred yuan a month. Six thousand yuan in ’87 took six years to spend—how much do you think they had left? If this isn’t hardship, then what is?”
Qian Jianshe could only force a smile: “Alright, alright, I got carried away. This matter wasn’t handled properly. Here’s the deal… the factory will issue the hardship allowance you’re owed. I’ll check with the finance department when I get back. Liang Qiqiao, wait for the notice and then come collect it.”
Jiang Ling interrupted him: “Six years, a total of 1,200 yuan. Where did this money go?”
She turned her gaze to Liang Qiqiao: “Here’s what we’ll do: you file a report, and we’ll forward it to the economic investigation team so the Public Security Bureau can come check.”
Qian Jianshe hadn’t expected things to reach him. His face went pale as he frantically shook his hands in front of his chest: “No, no, no! Don’t report it. I’ll advance the money myself, and once back at the factory, I’ll investigate and punish this strictly.”
He didn’t dare let the police come. The money had been embezzled by his own wife and, of course, the union chair had received a little benefit too. If it became an official investigation, no one would come out looking good. Besides, as deputy director for so many years, his own record wasn’t clean. If the police showed up and uncovered these unsavory facts, he could end up in prison.
Before Jiang Ling could respond, Qian Jianshe hurriedly opened the black briefcase he had brought and counted out 1,200 yuan, placing it on the interrogation table.
Even with a decent salary, giving out 1,200 yuan at once hurt. Gritting his teeth, he kicked his son: “You worthless kid! You make me look bad!”
If it weren’t for Qian Darong causing trouble, the police would never concern themselves with whether the unit’s hardship allowance was issued on time. Only now did Qian Jianshe realize he should properly discipline his son, or else one day he’d be in trouble with no one to turn to.
Qian Darong howled in pain as his father kicked his shin. Spoiled all his life, he had never been hit, and being publicly punished today felt deeply unfair.
Qian Jianshe’s eyes were stern. Seeing his son scared, Qian Darong tugged at his mother’s sleeve: “Mom! Mommy! Dad hit me!”
Zhao Yanhong, feeling guilty about the embezzlement being exposed, didn’t care about her son and impatiently said: “Enough, stop making a scene.”
Without his usual support, Qian Darong quickly fell silent, glancing around nervously, like a thief caught in the act.
Indeed, only when they felt pain did they learn to hold back.
Jiang Ling had no intention of letting up and shot Zhao Yanhong a look: “Embezzling hardship allowances—is this the proud tradition of the textile factory union?”
Nervously, Zhao Yanhong lifted her head: “No! I didn’t embezzle… it’s just… it was a little late in distributing it. But isn’t it all compensated now?”
Jiang Ling signaled Liang Qiqiao. She stepped forward and took the money in her hands.
Jiang Ling asked her: “Will you file a report?”
Liang Qiqiao opened her mouth, glanced at her brother, and pressed her lips together.
She knew Jiang Ling had their back, but she wasn’t sure whether to report the union for embezzlement. She worried that offending the Qian family could bring severe retaliation, especially since they still lived in the factory dorms.
Zhao Yanhong’s heart pounded.
They couldn’t let this be reported. She was responsible for issuing materials and allowances in the union. With her husband as deputy director, the union chair often turned a blind eye. These matters couldn’t withstand scrutiny. If Liang Qiqiao filed a report, any hidden wrongdoing would be exposed, and that would be very problematic.
After two breaths, Zhao Yanhong could no longer hold back. She grabbed Liang Qiqiao’s hand and forced a smile: “Miss, Miss Qiqiao, let’s settle this properly. I’ll make sure Qian Darong stays away from Liang Jiushan. As for the late hardship allowance, I apologize—it’s the union’s fault. I’m willing to compensate… compensate…”
She pulled out 500 yuan from her pocket. “500 yuan—how about that? If it’s not enough, I can give you my watch.” While speaking, she removed the wristwatch from her left wrist and, without waiting for consent, placed it on Liang Qiqiao’s hand.
Liang Qiqiao, feeling awkward, stepped back slightly. Jiang Ling turned to Li Zhenliang: “Record this: reissue 1,200 yuan hardship allowance, 500 yuan compensation, and one second-hand watch.”
“Got it!” Li Zhenliang happily wrote it down in the record book.
Jiang Ling hinted: “Everything we just discussed—write it down too.”
Li Zhenliang smiled: “Already done. Including the factory withholding Liang Qiqiao and Liang Jiushan’s hardship allowance, Qian Jianshe advancing the payment, and promising strict investigation afterward—all noted.”
Qian Jianshe’s lips twitched. These two police officers were clearly favoring the Liang siblings. But luckily, it was only 1,200 yuan—an insignificant amount. Back at the factory, he could quietly handle the key players, and it would be smoothed over. No matter who checked, it would just be a procedural error, not embezzlement.
Jiang Ling knew that with the 1,200 yuan spread over years, the records were hard to trace, and in 1993 the threshold for embezzlement charges was 2,000 yuan. Reporting the case wouldn’t achieve the desired effect, so she allowed Liang Qiqiao to accept compensation.
Liang Qiqiao, honest and simple, looked confused holding the money and watch. Liang Jiushan, on the other hand, was clever—he bowed repeatedly to Jiang Ling and Li Zhenliang: “Thank you, thank you both.”
Jiang Ling waved and pulled out a new mediation document: “Alright, now let’s begin the mediation.”
Zhao Yanhong’s eyes widened: “What mediation? We’ve already compensated 1,700 yuan plus a watch. Isn’t that enough?”
Jiang Ling’s gaze was sharp as a blade: “The 1,200 yuan hardship allowance belongs to the Liang siblings. The 500 yuan is late-payment compensation and interest. The second-hand watch expresses your apology for the work error. None of this is related to the case itself.”
“This…” Zhao Yanhong was completely exasperated with this young female officer.
She had no idea what was going on with the weather—it was already September, yet the heat still made her sweat all over. The tiny interrogation room didn’t have a single breeze, and the stifling air left Zhao Yanhong’s mouth dry and her throat parched. She just wanted to get this mediation over with. Yet Jiang Ling remained calm and unhurried, methodical and resourceful, completely ignoring Qian Jianshe, the deputy factory director.
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 had no choice but to stand. With a hoarse voice, she asked, “Um… could you pour us some water?”
Jiang Ling didn’t respond.
Li Zhenliang tapped his notebook impatiently and said in a bad-tempered tone, “Water? Wait until the mediation is over.”
When the police refused her request outright, Zhao Yanhong turned her face toward Qian Jianshe, hoping her husband would speak a few words on her behalf.
But Qian Jianshe’s back was already soaked with sweat. The few hits he’d just given his son had drained the little strength he had left, and he had no energy for Zhao Yanhong. Wiping the sweat off his bald head, he sat down and sighed deeply, “Fine. Let’s start the mediation.”
It was only at this moment that the couple began to feel some regret.
Regret for not disciplining Qian Darong earlier.
The angrier they thought about it, the harsher their gaze became toward him.
This mess was all caused by that brat! Their son was hopeless, only causing trouble for his father. Infuriating!
Qian Jianshe resolved that once they got home, he would lock his son up and give him a proper beating.
Zhao Yanhong was figuring out how to steel herself to teach her son a lesson.
Liang Jiushan’s eyes shone brightly as he looked at Jiang Ling.
Qian Darong had always said his father was formidable, that everyone in the textile factory had to obey him—but that wasn’t true at all! Officer Jiang from the police station wasn’t afraid of Qian Jianshe.
Liang Qiqiao’s slightly hunched back straightened little by little, as if a warm and resolute strength had flowed into her body.
With 1,700 yuan in hand, her future tuition and their living expenses were secure. Liang Qiqiao felt the road ahead was bright.
Although her parents had passed away, it was reassuring to have the police backing them up.
___
Author’s Note:
In 1993, during the early stages of China’s market economy transition, “official profiteering” and “rent-seeking” were severely punished, and the threshold for filing corruption charges was lower than today’s 30,000 yuan.
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