PDLP Chapter 113 Betrayed by all, a lonely lamp in the cold night
Chapter 113 Betrayed by all, a lonely lamp in the cold night
The day after the deaf old lady was taken away by the neighborhood officials, the first snow of the winter fell in Beijing. Fine snowflakes swirled and landed on the gray bricks and tiles of the Hongxing Courtyard, quickly accumulating into a thin layer, even covering the pickled vegetable jars that Yan Bugui had left drying under the eaves in the front yard with a layer of frost. When Lin Chen opened the door to fetch water in the morning, he found a tattered bamboo basket hanging from the branches of the old locust tree in the middle courtyard, filled half a basket of unwanted rotten vegetable leaves—leaves that Jia Zhangshi had secretly hidden for the old lady when the neighborhood officials came yesterday, but now they had become an unclaimed burden.
"Good morning, Master Lin!" Yan Bugui came out of the house wearing a patched cotton-padded coat, clutching a small copper hand warmer in his hand. His breath condensed in front of his face as he spoke. "This damn weather, it gets cold so suddenly. Looks like we'll have to be careful with the coal briquettes this year." His gaze unconsciously drifted to the locked north room of the deaf old lady. The door knocker still had the seal that the street had put up yesterday hanging on it, and the words "No Entry During Investigation" on the red paper were particularly eye-catching against the white snow.
Lin Chen had just put the bucket into the pool when he heard Liu Haizhong's cursing voice coming from the backyard: "Liu Guangfu, you little brat! I told you to cover the coal pile properly, but you wouldn't listen. Once the snow melts, the coal will get moldy!" Immediately afterward, Liu Guangtian's voice came from his side: "Dad, stop cursing. We can still put the plastic sheet on in time." Lin Chen looked up and saw Liu Haizhong wearing an old work uniform, stamping his feet and breathing on his hands to warm them. The two brothers, Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangtian, were carrying a piece of plastic sheet and running towards the coal pile, their noses red from the cold.
"Master Liu, are you worried about not having enough coal?" Lin Chen asked with a smile. Liu Haizhong turned around and saw him, his expression softening slightly. He walked over and lowered his voice, saying, "That's right! After Old Yi was taken away, everyone in the factory was saying he'd be punished, and he'd definitely lose his technical allowance. With this old lady gone, our yard doesn't even have a reason to apply for the winter coal subsidy anymore. This winter is going to be tough." He sighed, a hint of relief in his eyes, "Luckily, Guangtian is learning the trade from you. If he can get a permanent position, our family will be a little better off."
Just then, a series of dragging footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate. The deaf old woman was brought back by two cadres. Her hair was disheveled, and her blue cotton-padded jacket was covered in mud. The silk flower that had been pinned to her collar was nowhere to be seen. She was clutching a crumpled cloth bag in her hand. She tripped on the threshold as she entered the gate and almost fell into the snow. The cadres did not offer to help her up, but coldly said, "Wait at home for the results of the investigation. You are not allowed to go out!" After saying that, they turned around, got on their bicycles, and left. The bicycle bell rang twice, as if tolling a death knell for this embarrassing return.
The old woman steadied herself, glanced around the courtyard, and her previously cloudy eyes filled with resentment. Yan Bugui, from the front yard, quickly retreated back inside, nearly knocking over the abacus on the windowsill in his haste to close the window; Jia Zhangshi, holding Jia Huaihua, hid behind the door, only half her face showing, and hurriedly tightened the door when she saw the old woman looking over; even her usually obsequious second aunt quickly turned and went inside, pretending not to see. In the entire courtyard, not a single person was willing to lend her a helping hand.
"A bunch of ingrates!" the old woman cursed through gritted teeth, her voice hoarse like a broken gong. "When I was living the high life, which of you didn't benefit from my success? Now that I'm down on my luck, you all avoid me!" She cursed as she staggered towards her north-facing room. Reaching the door, she found it blocked. Enraged, she pounded on the door with her cane. "Open the door! This is my house! What right do you have to block my door?!"
Lin Chen stood by the pool watching this scene without approaching. Yesterday, Director Wang from the neighborhood committee had privately spoken to him, saying that the old woman's house was allocated by the government after liberation, and now she was suspected of fraudulently obtaining preferential treatment benefits, so the house would be temporarily reclaimed and redistributed. He knew the old woman was truly desperate. In his previous life, the old woman had used her false status as a martyr's relative to bully and oppress countless people in the compound, and now, abandoned by everyone, it was her own fault.
"What's all the noise about! Can't a person have some peace and quiet this early in the morning!" Yi Zhonghai's voice came from inside the house. He had been taken to the street office for questioning yesterday and didn't get back until late at night. His dark circles were as heavy as a panda's, and his complexion was terrible. He opened the door and saw the old woman banging on it with her cane, her brows furrowed so tightly they could trap a mosquito. "That's enough! Stop banging! The door's been blocked off by the street office; banging won't do any good!"
"It's all your fault!" The old woman turned around abruptly, pointing her cane at Yi Zhonghai's nose as she cursed, "If you hadn't encouraged me to get a fake certificate back then, would I be in this state today? I used to run a silk shop in the city, living a good life. You said that if I got a martyr's family certificate, I could get food stamps, coal briquettes, and establish my authority in the yard. That's why I followed you and did such a foolish thing! Now look what's happened, the certificate is fake, the house is going to be taken away, where am I going to live?"
Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale and then red as he was scolded. He knew he was in the wrong, but being publicly berated by the old lady still made him feel utterly humiliated. He stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Let's talk inside. Don't embarrass yourself here!" He tried to grab the old lady's arm, but she shook him off.
"I'm a disgrace? I think you're the one who's a disgrace!" The old woman's voice grew louder and louder. "What do you think you're up to? You just want me to help you control Sha Zhu and take care of you in your old age, right? Now Sha Zhu has seen through your true colors, and Qin Huairu isn't helping you anymore. You don't even have anyone to take care of you in your old age. You're even more miserable than me!" These words struck a nerve with Yi Zhonghai. He was so angry that he trembled all over. He raised his hand to hit the old woman, but Lin Chen, who had rushed over, stopped him.
"Master Yi, calm down." Lin Chen pressed down on Yi Zhonghai's wrist. "This is a public place. Hitting someone will only cause more trouble." Yi Zhonghai was panting heavily, glaring at the old lady, unable to say a word for a long time. Finally, he shook his hand violently, turned around and went back into the house, slamming the door shut with a "bang," which made the window frame tremble.
Seeing Yi Zhonghai leave, the old woman deflated like a punctured balloon, slumping onto the snow and sobbing. Her cries weren't loud, but they carried a desperate, mournful quality, particularly jarring in the quiet snowy night. Lin Chen, seeing the snowflakes covering her gray hair, felt a pang of pity and took an old cotton-padded coat from inside the house, handing it to her: "Put this on first, don't catch a cold."
The old woman looked up at Lin Chen, her eyes filled with tears and a complex mix of emotions: "Why are you helping me? Do you want to see me make a fool of myself?" Lin Chen shook his head: "I just don't want to see you freezing in the snow. It was wrong of you to forge documents back then, but it didn't warrant ending up on the streets. The local authorities should have made arrangements, so don't worry."
At this moment, Qin Huairu came out of the house, carrying a bowl of hot porridge. She knelt down beside the old woman and said, "Grandma, have some porridge to warm yourself up." The old woman looked at Qin Huairu, paused, then pushed the bowl away. The porridge spilled onto the snow, quickly freezing into ice. "I don't want your fake kindness!" the old woman roared. "If your husband hadn't died back then, Yi Zhonghai wouldn't have targeted me, and I wouldn't be in this state today!"
Qin Huairu was drenched in porridge, her clothes soaked, and she shivered in the cold wind. Jia Dang ran out, tugging at Qin Huairu's clothes and crying, "Mother, let's go back, don't worry about her!" Qin Huairu wiped the porridge stains from her face, sighed, nodded to Lin Chen, and led Jia Dang back into the house. Lin Chen looked at the broken pieces of the bowl on the ground, shook his head helplessly, and turned to go back into the house as well. In the courtyard, only the old lady remained, sitting in the snow, her crying growing softer and softer until it became intermittent sobs.
At noon, the snow stopped, the sun came out, and the snow in the yard sizzled in the heat. Lin Chen was inside, researching the newly unlocked "Material Enhancement" function of the system. He placed an ordinary iron block on the panel, consuming 100 points to enhance it. The iron block instantly turned completely black, its surface smooth as a mirror, and its hardness increased significantly. Just as he was about to try forging tools with the enhanced iron block, he heard a commotion coming from the yard gate.
Upon going outside, I saw a group of neighbors gathered at the courtyard gate, pointing and discussing a notice posted on the wall. The notice, posted by the neighborhood committee, stated: "An investigation has revealed that Zhang Cuihua (the deaf elderly woman) has forged her status as a martyr's family member, fraudulently obtaining state preferential treatment benefits for many years, a serious offense. Her status as a martyr's family member is hereby revoked, and all illegal gains are to be recovered. The north-facing house where she resides will be reclaimed by the neighborhood committee and redistributed to employees in need. Zhang Cuihua is ordered to move out of the courtyard within three days and will be relocated to a nursing home in the suburbs by the neighborhood committee."
"Good heavens, this is completely over!" Yan Bugui said, clicking his tongue after reading the announcement on tiptoe. "I knew her status as a martyr's family member was suspicious. She was more enthusiastic than anyone else when it came to receiving subsidies, but she pretended to be deaf and dumb when it came to voluntary labor." Aunt Li next to him chimed in, "That's right! Before, she relied on being a martyr's family member to complain to the neighborhood committee, saying we were bullying her. Now that the truth is out, let's see how arrogant she can be now!"
The old woman also saw the notice. Leaning on her cane, she walked to it, touching the words with her hand, her fingers trembling with excitement. Suddenly, she swayed and collapsed to the ground. Everyone was startled and quickly stepped back; no one dared to help her. Lin Chen frowned, went over to check her breathing. She was still breathing, but had fainted from the shock. "Quick, get a doctor!" Lin Chen shouted. Liu Haizhong quickly ran out and soon brought back the community doctor.
The doctor took the old woman's pulse and said it was a fainting spell caused by high blood pressure. He prescribed some antihypertensive medication and advised, "It's best to let her rest well and avoid any further stimulation." Lin Chen and Liu Haizhong carried the old woman to the stone table in the central courtyard and fed her the medication. When the old woman woke up, her eyes were vacant as she stared at the sky, not saying a word. Seeing her like this, no one scolded her anymore; instead, some felt sorry for her. After all, she was almost seventy years old, and suddenly going from a revered "family member of a martyr" to a universally despised fraudster was something no one could bear.
In the afternoon, Yi Zhonghai returned from the factory, looking dejected. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was surrounded by neighbors, all asking how the factory had punished him. Yi Zhonghai sighed and said, "The factory gave me a major demerit, disqualified me from this year's model worker selection, and cut my eighth-grade fitter allowance in half. They also made me return all the subsidies I'd collected for the old lady over the years—more than two hundred yuan!"
"Over two hundred yuan? That's a huge sum!" Yan Bugui's eyes widened as he counted on his fingers. "My monthly salary is only thirty-odd yuan. I'd have to save for more than half a year without eating or drinking!" Yi Zhonghai ignored him, walked to the old lady's side, squatted down, and said, "I know you're feeling bad, but at this point, this is the only way. The nursing home may be a bit remote, but at least you have food to eat and a place to live. It's better than being homeless on the streets."
The old woman slowly turned her head to look at Yi Zhonghai, then suddenly burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face. "Yi Zhonghai, Yi Zhonghai, now you're pitying me? When you were egging me on to get fake documents back then, why didn't you think about this day? You think you're done for after returning the money and being demoted? Let me tell you, I won't let this go! I'm going to sue you at the factory for withholding apprentice benefits and embezzling Jia Dongxu's workers' compensation! If I don't have a good time, you won't have one either!"
Yi Zhonghai's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected the old woman to be so ruthless, actually willing to fight to the death. He quickly covered the old woman's mouth, lowering his voice to say, "Are you crazy! If this gets out, I'm finished! And you won't get away with it either!" The old woman pushed him away forcefully, shouting, "I'm already like this, what else is there to be afraid of? We'll die together!"
Lin Chen listened intently, nodding inwardly. He had suspected what the old lady was talking about before, but lacked evidence. Now that she was going to expose Yi Zhonghai, it saved him a lot of trouble. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Qin Huairu come out of the house, holding a small notebook, which she handed to Yi Zhonghai: "Master Yi, this is the record of how you withheld my husband's work injury compensation and my apprentice benefits back then. It has your signature and the date on it. I didn't want to bring it out, but you went too far, not only scheming against Sha Zhu, but also bullying us orphans and widows."
Yi Zhonghai stared at the records in the notebook, his face deathly pale, his hands trembling. The notebook clearly recorded details: on a certain date, he deducted fifty yuan from Jia Dongxu's work injury compensation; on another date, he deducted two yuan from Qin Huairu's apprentice benefits… Every single entry was documented. The surrounding neighbors were stunned; they never expected Yi Zhonghai, who usually appeared so respectable, to do such a thing.
"Old Yi, you're a complete scoundrel!" Liu Haizhong pointed at Yi Zhonghai and cursed, "Jia Dongxu was your apprentice! He's dead, and instead of helping him out, you're withholding his compensation? Have you no conscience?" Yan Bugui chimed in, "That's right! Qin Huairu is a widow raising three children; it's so hard for her, and you have the nerve to deduct her benefits? It's utterly heartless!"
Yi Zhonghai was utterly humiliated by the scolding. He knew that if he didn't give an explanation today, he wouldn't be able to get away with it. He knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Qin Huairu: "Widow Qin, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have withheld your husband's compensation and your benefits. Don't worry, I'll return all the money to you tomorrow, and I'll even give you a little extra as compensation. Please don't report this to the factory, I beg you!"
Qin Huairu looked at Yi Zhonghai kneeling on the ground, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She hated Yi Zhonghai's scheming and withholding of money, but seeing him like this, she felt a pang of pity. Lin Chen saw through her thoughts and said, "Master Yi, making mistakes isn't terrible; what's terrible is not knowing how to repent. If you truly know you're wrong, you should return all the withheld money and go to the factory to apologize. That might get you a lighter sentence."
Yi Zhonghai looked up at Lin Chen, his eyes filled with gratitude: "Xiao Lin, thank you for reminding me. I'll go to the factory tomorrow to apologize and return all the money to Widow Qin." He then turned to the old lady, "Grandma, I know I've wronged you, but this isn't entirely my fault; you also bear some responsibility. I'll return part of the money to you tomorrow as compensation for your losses. Please don't sue me again."
The old lady snorted coldly, said nothing, but didn't mention suing him again. Yi Zhonghai knew she had tacitly agreed, breathed a sigh of relief, took out his wallet from his pocket, and handed all the money to Qin Huairu: "Widow Qin, this is my salary for today, fifty-six yuan in total. You can take it first, and I'll give you the rest tomorrow." Qin Huairu hesitated for a moment, then took the money.
That evening, Lin Chen was forging the reinforced iron block in his room when the system suddenly popped up a notification: [Detected that the host has used reinforced materials to forge tools, triggering the hidden mission "Technological Innovation". Mission requirements: Forge a high-precision screwdriver using reinforced materials to repair precision instruments in the steel rolling mill. Mission rewards: 2000 points, system level increased to 7, unlocking the "Equipment Improvement" function.] Lin Chen's eyes lit up; this mission perfectly matched his plan, and he quickly sped up his forging.
In the middle of the night, Lin Chen was awakened by a noise in the courtyard. He went to the window and saw the old woman carrying a cloth bag, stealthily walking towards the gate. The bag was bulging, and he couldn't tell what it contained. Lin Chen remembered that the neighborhood committee had told him to move out within three days; it seemed she was trying to run away secretly. He didn't make a sound, but silently watched her walk out of the courtyard and disappear into the night.
The next morning, Yi Zhonghai went to the factory to admit his mistake, returned all the deducted money, and wrote a profound self-criticism. Considering he was a long-time employee and had taken the initiative to admit his error, the factory didn't impose a harsher punishment, only requiring him to give a public apology at a workshop meeting. Although Yi Zhonghai lost face, he kept his job and felt relieved.
The neighborhood quickly learned that the old woman had run away. They sent people to investigate the courtyard, but couldn't find her, and the matter was eventually dropped. The neighbors, talking about it, all felt sorry for the old woman, having to live on the streets at her age. Lin Chen, however, knew that the old woman had probably gone back to where she used to run her silk shop; perhaps some old acquaintances there could give her some food.
At noon, Sha Zhu returned from the factory. He had heard what had happened in the courtyard and came to thank Lin Chen: "Little Lin, thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I would still be kept in the dark by Yi Zhonghai, foolishly delivering grain coupons to the Jia family!" Lin Chen smiled: "Brother Sha Zhu, no need to thank me. You should thank yourself for waking up early. Don't let anyone scheme against you again. Save some money, get married, and settle down."
Sha Zhu nodded. "I understand. By the way, I heard you need to repair the precision instruments in the factory. Do you need any help? I know a lot of people in the cafeteria. If you need anything, I can run errands for you." Lin Chen's eyes lit up. "I happen to need some special lubricant. If you can find it, I'd be very grateful." Sha Zhu patted his chest and said, "Leave it to me. I'll bring it to you tomorrow!"
In the afternoon, Lin Chen finally forged a high-precision screwdriver. The screwdriver's tip was forged from a reinforced iron block, making it extremely hard, while the handle was made of stainless steel with fine anti-slip grooves. He tested it with the system, and the screwdriver's precision reached 0.01 millimeters, far exceeding that of ordinary screwdrivers. The system popped up a notification: [Completed the hidden mission "Technological Innovation," earning 2000 points, system level increased to level 7, unlocking the new function "Equipment Improvement."]
Lin Chen looked at his points on the system panel; he had reached 5000 points, and he was very happy. He knew that with the "Equipment Improvement" function, his position in the steel rolling mill would be more secure. Just as he was about to put the screwdriver away, he heard the sound of a bicycle bell coming from the courtyard gate. He looked up and saw that Su Qing had arrived.
Su Qing, dressed in a blue cadre uniform and carrying a briefcase, smiled at Lin Chen as she entered the courtyard: "Lin Chen, I heard you exposed the fake martyr's family member incident, so I came to congratulate you." Lin Chen quickly invited her in and poured her a cup of hot water: "It's nothing, thank you for your trouble." Su Qing took a sip of the hot water and took out a document from her briefcase: "I came to talk to you about something. The factory is going to implement technological innovations and is preparing to establish a technical research team. I've recommended you to be the team leader. Here's the application form; please take a look."
Lin Chen took the application form, glanced at it, and saw that the technical team's task was to improve the forging equipment in the steel rolling mill and increase production efficiency. He felt a surge of excitement; this was exactly the opportunity he had been waiting for. He quickly signed the form and handed it to Su Qing: "Thank you, Su Qing. I will definitely not let you down." Su Qing smiled and said, "I believe in you. By the way, are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to noodles with soybean paste." Lin Chen nodded: "Sure, I also have something I want to discuss with you."
As evening fell, Lin Chen and Su Qing walked out of the courtyard together. The setting sun cast long shadows of them on the bluestone path after the snow had melted. In the courtyard, Qin Huairu's sewing stall was already set up, with Jia Dang helping out beside her, a smile on his face; Liu Haizhong was repairing a coal stove with his brothers, Liu Guangtian and Liu Haizhong, their laughter occasionally breaking the silence; Yan Bugui was doing accounts inside the house, his figure, head down, turning the abacus, reflected in the window paper.
Lin Chen glanced back at the courtyard house, his heart filled with mixed emotions. This turmoil had impacted everyone in the courtyard, but it had also made them see many things more clearly. Yi Zhonghai stopped worrying about retirement and started working diligently; Qin Huairu stopped feigning pitifulness and scheming against Sha Zhu, supporting her children with her sewing skills; Liu Haizhong stopped beating and scolding his son and began to nurture them with care. Perhaps this was what growth was all about—after weathering the storm, everyone could find their own way of life.
"What are you thinking about?" Su Qing's voice interrupted Lin Chen's thoughts. Lin Chen smiled: "Nothing, just thinking about the future. Now that I'm the leader of the technical problem-solving team, I'll definitely be very busy and probably won't have time to come back to the institute often." Su Qing said: "That's okay, I can keep an eye on things in the institute for you. By the way, if the technical problem-solving team needs any support, just let me know, and I'll do my best to coordinate it for you."
Lin Chen looked at Su Qing, deeply moved. Since meeting her, she had always been supportive of his work, and was always the first to lend a helping hand when he encountered difficulties. He suddenly felt that it was truly wonderful to have such a friend by his side. He smiled and said, "With you here, I feel at ease. Let's go get some noodles with soybean paste, it's on me." Su Qing smiled and nodded, and the two walked side by side towards the alley entrance, the afterglow of the setting sun shining warmly and beautifully upon them.
It was past eight o'clock in the evening when he returned to the courtyard. The courtyard was quiet, with only a few kerosene lamps lit. Lin Chen walked to the door of his side room and found a cloth bag on the door. He opened it and found a pair of newly made cloth shoes inside, with fine stitches and exquisite workmanship. He knew that these must have been a gift from Qin Huairu.