Chapter 76: The Truth

“Tao Guangxiao has been found?” Ji Duo answered the call. After hearing just one sentence, he turned to look at Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao also stood up from the sofa, “When was he found?”

Ji Duo listened to the phone, “This afternoon. Yesterday, he went home and was discovered by our people.”

At least they now had evidence for the line about someone impersonating Shaozhen.

Lin Qiao and Ji Duo exchanged glances. Without needing her to say anything, Ji Duo already told Su Zheng on the other end of the phone, “Just in time, I was about to call you.”

Within two hours, a car slowly stopped at their door at night, and Old Gu came in person.

Ji Duo and Lin Qiao both went out to greet him. “It’s so late. If you have something to say, just let us know, and we’ll come over.”

Old Gu didn’t say anything, lightly trembling as he squeezed Ji Duo’s hand, then Lin Qiao’s.

Feeling embarrassed, Su Zheng said, “It’s my fault. I couldn’t hold it in and told Old Gu directly.”

After over ten years, they finally had a clear clue and target. It was no wonder Old Gu couldn’t wait even a moment and had to come over at night.

The couple led him into the living room, poured some water, and the four of them sat on the sofa together.

After a while, Old Gu looked up at Ji Duo, “This afternoon, the fifth son of the Yu family came to see you. What did he say?”

Ji Duo didn’t mention the infuriating details, ‘He said he, Dai Cheng from the Dai family, the second and third sons of the Tang family, and… all participated in bullying Shaozhen back then.’

Hearing that his granddaughter had suffered so much bullying in places he couldn’t take care of, the old man’s face trembled, and his hands began to shake.

It wasn’t just anger but also guilt and self-blame, “It’s my fault for not taking good care of her.”

A child without parents is easily bullied. At that time, he was also being targeted for special treatment and couldn’t take care of everything.

Fearing that he would be too upset, Su Zheng quickly changed the subject and asked Ji Duo, “Do you think what he said is credible?”

“Whether it’s credible or not, we’ll know by asking.” Ji Duo didn’t make a conclusion.

In fact, he had discussed this with Lin Qiao before. The families Fifth Yu mentioned coincidentally overlapped with those he suspected, and they were all close to Fifth Yu back then.

The matter of Shaoping didn’t seem like a conspiracy because the more people who knew, the greater the risk of exposure. It was hard to keep it hidden for so many years without any leaks. But even if Shaoping’s matter had nothing to do with them, if Fifth Yu could bring these people out to share the blame, they would probably not be innocent in Shaozhen’s case either.

“Then let’s go ask. I’ll ask them myself. Just as the person hasn’t arrived yet, let’s distract them first.”

The next day, Old Gu personally visited the families on Fifth Yu’s list. He had been reclusive for many years and rarely interacted with people, so his sudden visit puzzled the families.

When he explained his purpose, the families had only one thought in their minds—

That damned Fifth Yu!

If he wanted to get himself killed, fine, but why drag their children into it? Did he have to pull someone down with him?

Some quickly swore Fifth Yu was slandering them, insisting their children were honest and couldn’t have done such things. Others, feeling embarrassed, immediately called their children over and questioned them in front of Old Gu.

Back then, those who hung out with Fifth Yu weren’t very old, the oldest being sixteen or seventeen and the youngest only fourteen or fifteen. Now, they were all in their thirties.

When they questioned Dai Cheng from the Dai family, he had just picked up his four-year-old daughter from kindergarten. The little girl sat in the baby seat on the back of his bicycle, her big eyes curiously looking at the visitors.

Old Gu couldn’t help but take another look, “Time flies. In the blink of an eye, your daughter has grown so big.”

Dai Cheng’s face stiffened. After taking his daughter off the bike and coaxing her inside, he asked Old Gu somewhat unnaturally, “What brings you here, sir?”

Old Gu got straight to the point, “Regarding Shaozhen’s matter back then, don’t you have anything to say?”

Gu Shaozhen… That name seemed both distant and ever-present…

Dai Cheng’s eyes drifted briefly before he lowered his head, “What happened back then was my fault.”

This was the only family Old Gu visited where someone admitted their mistake without being prompted.

Old Gu said nothing while Dai Cheng turned his head to look toward his home.

His wife was cooking in the kitchen, the window was open, and he could faintly hear the childish voice of their little girl.

Dai Cheng lowered his head, “When we first went to the southern province, we suddenly had to live such hard days, and everyone was very unaccustomed. The local people didn’t treat us well, either giving us the cold shoulder or scolding us. I was timid and afraid of being bullied, so I found people to band together with. Whatever they did, I followed.”

“So when they bullied Shaozhen, you also bullied Shaozhen? She was only nine years old. What did she do wrong?”

Old Gu’s words left Dai Cheng speechless.

People are inherently inclined to bully the weak and fear the strong. They didn’t dare to provoke the locals, and Ji Duo and Su Zheng were too tough to handle.

Only Gu Shaozhen, without parents, just a brother and a grandfather, was in a worse situation than anyone else; even if she was bullied, she didn’t dare go home and say anything. She was also afraid that if she wasn’t obedient, they would beat her brother. She would look at them with tearful eyes every time, calling them brothers, hoping they would soften and let her go. But at that time, to stay in the group, he still pushed her despite her pleading eyes.

Now that he was a father and had a daughter, Gu Shaozhen’s image, which should have been blurred in his memory, had become increasingly clear over the past two years.

Every time he looked at his daughter’s innocent eyes, he would inexplicably think of Gu Shaozhen, worrying that in places he couldn’t see, his daughter might be suffering the same bullying, and he wouldn’t know. So he always personally picked up his daughter from kindergarten, and every time he bathed her, he would ask his wife to check if their daughter had any injuries.

Now that Old Gu had come to him, it was both a punishment from fate and a relief. He closed his eyes and said, “I’m sorry.”

Old Gu didn’t say anything. After a long while, he calmed his emotions, “Do you know how Shaozhen got lost?”

“Maybe they chased her up the mountain.” Dai Cheng wasn’t very sure, but this time, he looked into Old Gu’s eyes and said, “That day, they said they wanted to tease her, make her run up the mountain, and if she could outrun them, they wouldn’t hit her. I had diarrhea and couldn’t run that day, so I didn’t go with them.”

A group of teenagers chased a little girl, watching her desperately run away for amusement—it was unbelievable they could do such a thing.

Old Gu’s hands were shaking with anger, but he still tried to control himself, “What about Shaoping? Did he know about this?”

Dai Cheng was silent for a long time, then suddenly stepped forward and spoke in a very low voice, “The day Gu Shaoping disappeared, he actually came to see me.”

“Shaoping went to see Dai Cheng before he disappeared?”

After Old Gu returned, he told Su Zheng and Ji Duo what he had learned, and Ji Duo then told Lin Qiao.

At that time, Lin Qiao had just gotten off work and was eating watermelon. Hearing this, she paused, “So Shaoping knew someone was bullying Shaozhen, and his later accident was likely related to this?”

“Yes.” Ji Duo saw the juice on her lips and handed her a handkerchief.

Lin Qiao took it herself, and he withdrew his hand, saying in a deep voice, “Dai Cheng was timid. When he heard Shaozhen was missing, he didn’t dare to go out. Shaoping must have discovered something and went to find him, asking if Shaozhen was lost because of them, and even punched him.”

“He told Shaoping everything?”

“Yes, including the bullying and chasing her up the mountain. Shaoping left him and went to find Fifth Yu.”

“And after that, he never came back?”

“Yes.”

This matter was probably unknown even to Fifth Yu. Otherwise, how could he have mentioned Dai Cheng’s name himself? But what difference does it make? Shaozhen was still lost, and Shaoping was still gone. Such a young life was destroyed by these scumbags.

Old Gu had lived in pain and self-blame all these years while they enjoyed their lives.

“He told Old Gu he also thought Shaoping had committed suicide. He was sick at the time and didn’t say anything until Old Gu found him.”

Dai Cheng was indeed sick at the time, with a high fever, and almost didn’t survive, given the poor medical conditions there. But whether he was genuinely sick, sick with remorse, or scared sick, was unknown. Anyway, he was already timid, and after that illness, he lost all his spirit. When he returned from the southern province, he cut off contact with those people.

Ji Duo’s cold tone carried a hint of sarcasm, “He also gave Old Gu a list of those people, two fewer than Fifth Yu mentioned. Old Gu asked if he would testify in court if he had other evidence, and he agreed.”

Agreeing to testify in court for Old Gu still showed he had doubts about Gu Shaoping’s death back then. He didn’t speak up when Shaozhen was lost or when Shaoping died, and now that he’s a father himself, he’s scared.

And those who still have no remorse can sleep soundly at night.

Lin Qiao wiped her fingers one by one with a handkerchief, her anger making her movements a bit forceful.

“There will be retribution.” A large hand reached over and held hers.

The man’s palm was broad, his fingers distinct, and when he held her, there was a certain reassuring strength. He repeated in a deep voice, “There will be retribution.”

And the first to face this long-overdue retribution was the Yu family.

Old Mr. Yu never expected that his son would not only be foolish but also have a loose tongue. He didn’t watch him for a moment, and so much was said. As soon as the person was brought back, he was severely punished with a belt. The next day, someone came to settle accounts with their family.

“You can be foolish on your own, but why drag these people into it? Afraid we haven’t offended enough people, and no one will come to step on us?”

Having just lost a grandson and now having his son causing more trouble, Old Mr. Yu has aged several years.

“I thought the law wouldn’t punish everyone, and they wouldn’t have any way to deal with it?” Fifth Yu still tried to defend himself, but Old Mr. Yu threw a cup at his head, “I said you were foolish, and you really are. Gu Chengye only has one grandson and granddaughter. Do you think he wouldn’t dare to bring everyone down?”

A bump immediately formed on his forehead, and Fifth Yu didn’t dare rub it. He just hung his head and listened to the scolding.

Finally, his elder brother came to support the old man, “Dad, calm down, don’t get too upset.”

The old man finally sat down, calmed his emotions, and looked at his once-favored youngest son, “You should go hide in Hong Kong.”

“Me? Why?” Fifth Yu couldn’t believe it. He had heard that the British had the final say in Hong Kong, and they had no status there, having to look at others’ faces. Unlike here, where others had to look at his face.

The old man got even angrier, “You did this yourself, and you still have the face to ask why?”

“Didn’t you say there was no evidence?” Fifth Yu had seen how his father had rendered Ji Duo speechless that day.

“What if Gu Chengye goes mad and risks his life to kill you?”

Old Mr. Yu didn’t want to talk to him anymore and turned to his eldest son, “Make arrangements, send him over the day after tomorrow, no, tomorrow!”

As soon as the eldest son agreed, someone suddenly knocked on the door, “Is Yu Zhenzhong here?”

He frowned, about to question the maid, but when he opened the door, he saw two police officers.

His heart sank, and inside, the old man’s face didn’t look good either, but he still smiled kindly, “Who are you?”

The officers showed their badges, “Yu Zhenzhong is involved in a cross-province fraud case, we need to take him back for investigation.”

“Fraud?” Fifth Yu clearly didn’t react.

Old Mr. Yu thought of something, saw that he couldn’t stop them, and first comforted his youngest son, then told his eldest son to find out what was going on.

Sure enough, the youngest son had taken it upon himself to find Tao Guangxiao, who was arrested. The Gu family used him as a starting point to accuse them of gang fraud, trying to seize his family property.

As long as he goes in, with his intelligence, getting him to talk won’t be difficult.

“You go again, find a way to contact Old Fifth and tell him to keep his mouth shut. Don’t confess to anything. I’ll look for other solutions…” The old man of the Yu family spoke quickly and urgently. He couldn’t catch his breath and clutched his chest, collapsing.

Su Zheng received the news and immediately called Ji Duo, “Can you believe it? He also has heart disease and is staying in the same hospital room that Old Gu used to stay in.”

Fifth Yu kept causing trouble, aiming to anger Old Gu to death, but it ended up being his father who fell ill from anger.

This was Ji Duo’s idea. Since there was no evidence of what happened back then, they took a different approach. Fifth Yu had someone impersonate Shaozhen to deceive Old Gu, and there must be evidence of that, right?

Once they found Tao Guangxiao, they showed him the photos, confirming Fifth Yu’s identity. While Old Gu was visiting those families, they weren’t idle either. They took advantage of the Yu family’s distraction to investigate Fifth Yu’s whereabouts at the time and sent both the evidence and the person to the public security bureau.

Ji Duo didn’t care about the old man of the Yu family. He only asked, “Has Fifth Yu confessed yet?”

“Not yet, but his psychological defenses are about to collapse,” Su Zheng said. “This guy really isn’t very smart, just has a good father.”

Without the old man of the Yu family covering for him, with his intelligence, he would have exposed himself long ago.

“I remember that harboring a murderer is also a crime,” Ji Duo said coldly.

Su Zheng’s tone was equally cold, “I know. Since they dared to do it back then, they can’t blame us for investigating thoroughly and exposing everything.”

Ji Duo didn’t say anything more, “I’m hanging up. I have other matters to attend to.”

“Other matters?” Su Zheng was puzzled, but before he could ask, Ji Duo had already hung up.

On the other side, at school, the next day was the holiday before the college entrance exam. Lin Qiao entered the classroom without bringing anything and gave the students their last lesson.

In 1981, not all students could take the college entrance exam. Those who ranked low in several mock exams must go directly to work after graduation. But as the farewell approached, everyone still came, including Li Xiaoqiu, who had already been successfully recommended and didn’t need to take the exam.

When Lin Qiao entered, everyone stopped writing, and those whispering in the back row also stopped talking, all eyes on her.

Lin Qiao tapped her fingers on the podium. “Why is no one whistling? Why is no one booing?”

The students all laughed, but there was a hint of sadness in their laughter.

Li Xiaoqiu was the most emotional. As soon as Lin Qiao started speaking, her eyes turned red.

Lin Qiao looked at all the familiar faces, “Since you aren’t saying anything, I’ll say a few more words. Over these two semesters, I’ve given you a lot of papers to do. I’m sure many of you don’t like me anymore and are just waiting for the college entrance exam to end so you can say goodbye to me for good. Am I right?”

The students laughed again.

Lin Qiao softened her expression, “Actually, there are many paths in life, even without studying. It’s just that the hardships you’ll face in the future might be more than what you’ve experienced in school. Teachers never expected every one of you to get into Qinghua or Peking University or to go to university. We just hope that at the crossroads of life, you will have more choices.”

“I know. Teachers are always looking out for us,” Li Xiaoqiu looked at her, already covering her mouth as tears began to fall.

From the back row, Junzi sensed the atmosphere and couldn’t help but speak up, “So, if I don’t do well in the exams, Teacher Lin won’t blame me?”

“Yes,” Lin Qiao said with a smile, “but I can’t guarantee your father won’t scold you.”

Junzi was momentarily speechless, making everyone around laugh. But he was always carefree, scratching his head, “Actually, I also think I might not pass.” He paused, then looked up with more seriousness in his eyes, “But I’ve made a lot of progress. If I review for another year, I can definitely pass next year.”

“Military school?” Lin Qiao asked him.

Junzi nodded, “I always remember what Teacher’s wife said about going to military school.”

Lin Qiao took out a piece of chalk, “Come up and write it on the blackboard.”

Junzi ran up and scribbled a few words.

Lin Qiao asked the others, “Who else has plans for their future? You can come up and write too.”

This time, Li Xiaoqiu raised her hand. She was usually introverted and didn’t like to stand out.

“I want to be a physicist.” The girl wrote each stroke carefully on the blackboard.

After she finished, another student raised his hand and stood up, “I want to be a teacher like Teacher Lin.”

“Then you also have to get into Qing University like Teacher Lin,” someone shouted from the back.

The student paused and glared at the person but still took the chalk and wrote on the blackboard.

There were those who wanted to be soldiers, teachers, and doctors. The blackboard was filled with their aspirations because Lin Qiao took them to several social practice classes this year; some even specified particular positions.

Finally, Lin Qiao looked at Qi Huaiwen.

The boy with peach blossom eyes met her gaze momentarily, then stood up and took the chalk, leaving elegant handwriting behind—”From now on, live for yourself.”

Lin Qiao, standing close, heard him whisper, “I still won’t forgive him.”

Who cares, anyway? From now on, it would be his own life.

Lin Qiao took back the chalk, looked at the different handwriting on the blackboard, and was about to say something when the boy suddenly turned and hugged her.

Then it was Li Xiaoqiu, sitting in the front row, “Teacher Lin, I can’t bear to leave you.”

Several others came up to hug Lin Qiao and cried, even more reluctant than this time last year. They would probably never meet another teacher as respectable and kind as Lin Qiao.

When Ji Duo arrived at the classroom of Class Four, this was the scene he saw. The young wife, who seemed not yet twenty in his eyes, was surrounded in the center, already becoming a guiding light for many. In the future, she would soar to broader horizons, stand on bigger stages, and shine even more brightly.

Ji Duo quietly watched without saying a word until Junzi, who was sitting not far from the back door, noticed him and softly called out, “Teacher’s wife?”

Only then did he turn around, go to the corridor, and bring in a foam box. “Take it and share it. I’m here to pick up your Teacher Lin.”

Junzi opened it and quickly called out to the class, “Stop crying, everyone! Teacher’s wife is here to see our Teacher Lin and brought us ice cream!”

The students cheered, and Lin Qiao looked up at the sound, meeting the gaze of the tall man standing at the back of the classroom.

Ji Duo later took the box used to hold the ice cream to Lin Qiao’s office, where it was filled with the odds and ends from her more than a year of work.

As they walked out of the school gate, Lin Qiao couldn’t help but look back, not knowing if she was looking at the campus or the people in it.

Ji Duo stood silently by her side, not saying a word or offering any comfort, just quietly carrying the box and walking with her.

On the morning of July 7th, Lin Qiao took more than thirty students from her class who were going to take the college entrance exam and set off from the school by bus.

On the same day, Dai Cheng’s confession dealt the final blow to Fifth Yu, who finally couldn’t bear it and confessed everything.

Shaozhen’s disappearance was indeed related to him, but it wasn’t intentional. They had chased her up the mountain that day. The little girl was probably scared of being beaten and found a place to hide. They couldn’t find her. When it got dark, they scattered and went home, never thinking that Gu Shaozhen would disappear. They were just teenagers, no matter how bad, they were still scared. They had helped search the mountain but couldn’t find her. Gradually, avoidance overshadowed regret and fear. They couldn’t help but think they were just playing around, chasing her up the mountain, not telling her to hide and get lost. It was during this psychological struggle that Gu Shaoping found him.

“I didn’t mean to kill him. He came at me like a madman, asking where I took his sister.”

Days of interrogation had broken Fifth Yu’s psychological defenses. In the interrogation room, he cried, “I just resisted a few times. Who knew he was so fragile? After a few hits, he stopped moving.”

“He hadn’t slept for two days looking for Shaozhen. How could he fight you?” Su Zheng’s eyes were red, almost rushing forward.

Several police officers quickly stopped him but couldn’t stop his overwhelming anger.

Ji Duo was also holding back, holding back the fact that such a good person as Shaoping died at the hands of such scum.

But he still had his last bit of reason, “Ask him carefully who helped him cover this up.”

Silently, they returned to the army. At the door of his house, Ji Duo asked Xiao Fang to turn around and go to the market to buy a net bag of shrimp.

After cooking, he noticed some oil stains on his clothes. He went upstairs to find a clean shirt. Halfway through changing, he heard Liu Cuiying’s panicked voice downstairs.

“Something’s wrong! The bus to the exam had an accident!”