The leaders of several organizations gathered together and opened the iron box.
The gold and U.S. dollars inside had already been taken by Su Muqing, leaving only the cloth bag that had wrapped the gold and the yellowed letter.
The director of the Women's Federation took out the letter, opened it, read it aloud to everyone, and then handed it over for inspection.
After everyone had confirmed the contents of the letter, Director Liu brought Li Jianguo and Wang Xiujuan together and asked:
"So, Li Zhaodi—no, Su Muqing—is not your biological daughter?"
The two were speechless, and in the end could only nod silently in admission.
Li Meifeng was also stunned. She widened her eyes, looking at the letter, then at her mother, and finally at Su Muqing, who had been silently standing in the corner all along.
"Where is the gold?" asked the director of the Women's Federation.
Li Jianguo glanced at Wang Xiujuan and said, "It's all been used up."
Su Muqing sneered inwardly. They were probably still clinging to the dream that Wang Xiujuan had hidden it elsewhere. If they exposed it now and it was found, they would have to hand it over. If it wasn't found, wouldn't that just be their own backup plan?
Unfortunately, all that gold had already returned to its rightful owner.
"Ten bars of gold, all used up?" Director Liu slammed the table.
"How did you use it?! And is this how you treat the daughter entrusted to you? Making her drop out of school to work like a beast of burden for you? This is feudalism! You're like the old landlords!"
Su Muqing saw the flesh on Li Jianguo's face tremble with Director Liu's slam on the table. Wang Xiujuan cried and wailed in the room, but neither of them ever revealed where the gold had actually gone, insisting only that it had been used up.
As the commotion dragged on, the sky was about to light up, and the group had no choice but to pause the interrogation.
Director Liu walked out of the room with the interrogation transcript that had already been recorded, just in time to see Li Meifeng and Su Muqing still sitting where they were.
His tone softened slightly as he addressed Su Muqing, "Child, come here."
Su Muqing timidly walked over, and when she raised her head, everyone saw a pair of eyes swollen red from crying.
"Did you know about this letter before?"
Su Muqing shook her head, tears falling once again.
"I didn't know… I only remember when I was little, my parents—no, they treated me well, but then it got worse and worse… I thought it was because I wasn't obedient enough…"
Her voice choked with sobs, she wiped her tears haphazardly, perfectly portraying a pitiful girl who had been deceived and abused, only to suddenly learn the truth.
The director of the Women's Federation softened at this, her heart aching as she hugged Su Muqing's shoulders. "Good child, don't cry anymore. The organization will stand up for you."
She turned to ask Director Liu, "Director Liu, this child seems unrelated to this matter. Why not let her go back first? We can deal with the issue of her adoptive parents' suspected abuse later."
Director Liu was still thinking about the whereabouts of the gold. He didn't believe that the Li couple would have left nothing behind. He needed to find a way to pry open their mouths—that gold had to be handed over.
At this point, the person in the family least likely to know the whereabouts of the gold was Su Muqing. The Li couple had definitely kept it tightly hidden from her. On the other hand, Li Meifeng, as their biological daughter, might have been told a thing or two.
With a wave of his hand, he said, "It's almost dawn. Director Chen, you take her back first. As for Li Meifeng, you need to stay and cooperate with the investigation."
Li Meifeng grew anxious, standing up to protest loudly, but Su Muqing was quickly led out the door by Director Chen from the Women's Federation. In less than two sentences, the room fell silent again.
As the sky gradually brightened, Su Muqing heard the wake-up call on her way back to the staff dormitory.
Standing at her doorway, she watched the neighbors who were already up and about. Seeing that the Red Armbands hadn’t come today, they all poked their heads out to watch the drama unfold.
"Thank you, Director Chen, for escorting me back. I’ll go in and tidy up the house now. If there’s anything else you need me to do, just let me know."
Su Muqing bowed to Director Chen.
Director Chen steadied her, sighed as she looked at the wide-open door and the chaotic mess inside, and said:
"Child, you can just call me Auntie Chen. Looking at the state of this room… Did you sign up to join the production team? Why don’t you pack your things? I’ll arrange for you to stay at the factory for a few days. I’m afraid you’ll have to go to the countryside soon."
Su Muqing thought it over. There were only two beds in the room, and she felt uncomfortable sleeping on either one.
The neighbors’ gossip was bound to be plentiful over the next few days. It would be better to hide out at the factory for some peace and quiet, and she could also take the opportunity to go out and buy some necessities.
So she nodded and accepted Director Chen’s kindness. Just as she was thanking her, an auntie from across the hallway pushed her door open.
"Oh, is Zhaodi really leaving? Was what happened last night true, Director Chen? Is Zhaodi really not the Li family’s child?"
Director Chen frowned slightly and said, "Sister Wang, don’t pry into things you shouldn’t. Muqing has had a hard time these years, and she’ll soon be going to the countryside to join the production team. Please look out for her these next few days."
Her tone was gentle, but her words left no room for doubt.
Auntie Wang smiled. "Of course, this girl has been well-behaved since she was little… Oh, did you just say her name is Muqing?"
"Yes, the name her birth parents gave her is Su Muqing."
"That’s much nicer than Zhaodi," Auntie Wang praised.
Su Muqing didn’t want to linger in small talk any longer and softly said to Director Chen, "Auntie Chen, I’ll go in and pack a few clothes first."
"Go ahead, I’ll wait here for you," Director Chen said gently.
Su Muqing walked into the chaotic mess of her home. After yesterday’s search, all the cabinets and drawers had been opened, things were thrown everywhere, and even the newspaper pasted on the walls had been torn down.
She went straight to the room she shared with Li Meifeng and retrieved a wicker trunk from the corner.
Inside were only a few old clothes covered in patches, a pair of cloth shoes with worn-out soles, and the only intact item—a book wrapped in kraft paper.
It was the most precious thing the original owner had—a gift from her elementary school teacher, Mr. Zhao, before she dropped out: a copy of How the Steel Was Tempered.
But after the movement began, the original owner never saw Mr. Zhao again.
When she stepped out, Su Muqing’s bundle was still flat. Director Chen glanced at it, somewhat surprised. "Just these?"
Su Muqing nodded.
Director Chen sighed and could only say, "I know you’ll be going to the countryside soon. I’ll personally oversee the settlement allowance to make sure it reaches you."
"You can use it to buy some things then. I’ll also pull some strings to find you a better place to join the production team…"
"No need, Auntie Chen," Su Muqing said earnestly. "I volunteered to go to Beidahuang, to the toughest place, to receive re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants."
Upon hearing this, even Aunt Wang across the way was somewhat surprised. She clicked her tongue and shook her head, thinking the girl was foolish, yet also feeling a hint of admiration.
In these times, everyone was fervently following the path pointed out by the great leader. It wasn’t unheard of for people to go to Beidahuang, but most were young men. It was indeed rare for a female educated youth to volunteer.
Director Chen seemed somewhat moved, but as the head of the Women’s Federation, she could not and would not dampen the enthusiasm of young people supporting borderland construction. She could only pat Su Muqing’s shoulder approvingly and say, “I’ll go back and ask if we can arrange for you to join a company in the Production and Construction Corps. The conditions there are better.”
Su Muqing left with Director Chen, leaving Aunt Wang to gossip with a few neighbors. Whatever they said about the Li family was no longer Su Muqing’s concern.
The machinery factory was a large enterprise with its own guesthouse. Although it had only a few rooms, Su Muqing was still able to get a room to herself.
After Director Chen left, Su Muqing closed the door and returned to the Small Apartment, only to find over a dozen missed calls on her phone.
Song Ranran had sent a WeChat message:
Call me back ASAP!!