Chapter 62

Qin Qingman had originally planned to let things be today, but she did not expect that, despite the victims not reporting to the police, the Wu family, who had assaulted others, had become increasingly arrogant. To be honest, even without the support of people like Wei Ling and Zheng Anguo, she still would have won.  

This was because, according to the classification of family backgrounds in the early years of the founding of the country, her family was considered poor peasants.  

In this special era, being a poor peasant served as a natural shield for her; she wasn’t afraid of Wu Yuanming, the farm manager.  

“Stop the car.”  

Qin Qingman gently gave the command, knowing that once the police got involved, they wouldn’t be able to leave.  

Bao Shengli hesitated, glancing at his wife, Zheng Meiqin.  

He wasn’t sure whether he should follow Qin Qingman’s instruction.  

“Are you stupid? Quickly stop! We should listen to Qingman,” Zheng Meiqin said. She had married young and left Kaoshan Village early, so she wasn’t very familiar with Qin Qingman, but her mother-in-law, Aunt Guiying, was.  

Aunt Guiying had mentioned the recent changes in Qin Qingman’s family to her daughter whenever she visited, so Zheng Meiqin naturally knew that Qin Qingman had support behind her.  

With support behind her, why should she be afraid of Wu Yuanming and his son?  

She had never liked Wu Weimin, that grandson. On the surface, he seemed like a decent person, but behind the scenes, he did nothing but harm. He bullied the families of both the east and the west, and even tricked her son into giving him candy. A person so thoroughly bad should be thoroughly dealt with.  

Zheng Meiqin was quite confident in Qin Qingman.  

Mainly because Zhu Hongxia and the other women in Kaoshan Village were no pushovers. A group of tough women had all been subdued by Qin Qingman, and Zheng Meiqin didn’t believe for a second that Qin Qingman lacked the power to suppress the Wu family father and son.  

Hearing that Aunt Guiying said that pain could be endured, Zheng Meiqin quickly handed over the command.  

Bao Shengli, a man known for always listening to his wife, immediately stopped the tractor.  

The tractors of this era were nothing like the smooth ones of later years. When it stopped, the exhaust pipe in front of the car let out two strong bursts of black smoke before it finally stopped shaking.  

Wu Yuanming, who was standing very close to the exhaust pipe, was directly sprayed with a mouthful of black smoke.

“Poof—”

Another burst of laughter erupted from the crowd at Wu Yuanming’s appearance. 

However, the presence of the public security officers forced these laughing individuals to quickly stifle their amusement. They pursed their lips, eyes widening as they focused on the unfolding events. Even Zhao Tiancheng, who had already walked some distance away, turned his head to see what was happening.

Some were worried about Qin Qingman, while others watched purely for entertainment—such as the Wan family. Yet, there were also those who clung to a sense of justice, silently vowing that if anyone dared to twist the truth, they would march en masse to the county public security bureau to demand justice. After all, strength lay in numbers, and the law could not punish them all.

“What’s going on here? Who called the public security?” 

Jin Yuanchao dismounted his bicycle, carefully lowering the kickstand to secure it, and then walked directly toward the tractor with purpose.

“Comrade, comrades, it was I who called the public security!” 

Wu Yuanming’s eyes lit up with a glimmer of hope upon seeing the officers. Still hunched over, he worried that the public security comrades might not notice him. Summoning his courage, he made a bold decision and shrugged off the heavy overcoat he was wearing. 

Freed from the coat that had been trapped under the tractor’s wheel, he was finally able to straighten his back and stand upright.

“You… You are…” Jin Yuanchao was stunned speechless, staring at the soot-covered face of Wu Yuanming. For a long moment, he couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Meanwhile, Quan Aiguo, standing beside him, acted swiftly and helped the fallen Wu Weimin to his feet.

When Wu Weimin stood up, his entire face was revealed.

The sight left Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo even more dumbfounded than before.

Wu Weimin’s face bore not only a distinct palm print but also countless marks from being struck with sticks. His entire visage was battered beyond recognition. If they hadn’t been familiar with this father and son duo, neither Jin Yuanchao nor Quan Aiguo would have dared to confirm his identity.

“Comrade, my name is Wu Yuanming. I am the director of the Hongqi Farm. This is my son, Wu Weimin. Comrade Wu Weimin is an official worker at the Hongqi Farm.” 

Wu Yuanming clutched Jin Yuanchao’s hand tightly, tears almost spilling from his eyes. At long last, the public security comrades had arrived.

“Comrade Wu Yuanming, can you explain what happened here?” Jin Yuanchao’s gaze swept across everyone on the tractor, lingering particularly long on Qin Qingman, as if he had already determined her to be the culprit. 

This made Qin Qingman glance at Jin Yuanchao one more time. 

She was certain she had never met this man before; his face was entirely unfamiliar to her. 

Wu Yuanming, however, didn’t care whether Qin Qingman recognized Jin Yuanchao or not. Standing there without his thick cotton coat, he was already shivering from the cold. The only source of warmth came from Jin Yuanchao’s hand, which he was holding tightly, unwilling to let go. He seized the opportunity to lodge his complaint.

“Public Security Comrade, these people falsely accused my son of pushing an elderly person and hitting a child. They’re extorting us! Look at my son—he was beaten like this by that woman. You must seek justice for Comrade Wu Weimin.”

Wu Weimin quickly chimed in to support his father’s words. “Yes, that’s right! All my injuries were caused by her. She beat me so hard that my whole body feels as swollen as my face!”

To prove his claims, he bent over, lifted his shirt, and revealed his entire back. 

Qin Qingman had indeed put her full strength into beating him. Despite the thick cotton clothing he’d been wearing, his back was crisscrossed with swollen, raised welts. The deep red marks stood out sharply, making the injuries impossible to ignore. 

Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo stared at Wu Weimin’s battered back, momentarily at a loss for words. 

Wu Weimin wasn’t short—he stood at 176 centimeters. Though his build was a bit thin, it wasn’t so frail that he should have been unable to defend himself against a woman shorter and smaller than him.

“Comrades, you have to arrest this woman! She’s awful! Just look at me—she beat me to this state. How can someone be so vile? Arrest her, lock her up in prison!” 

The exposed injuries on Wu Weimin’s back stung from the cold air, making him wince as he hastily dropped his shirt back into place. He couldn’t help but urge Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo to act quickly. 

Wu Weimin’s words frightened Chuchu. He clung tightly to Qin Qingman’s neck and glared at Wu Weimin with fiery eyes.

“Bad man! Bad man pushed me and Auntie Guiying and now lies about it! So evil!” Chuchu thought angrily.

“Wu Lao’er, you bastard! Stop spouting nonsense! It was you who pushed my mother and Chuchu first, causing their injuries. That’s why Qingman beat you! Why don’t you tell the whole story, huh?” 

Zheng Meiqin, fiery-tempered and unable to tolerate injustice, stood up immediately to argue. 

When she stood, everyone on the tractor followed suit, except for Auntie Guiying, who remained lying down in pain. Even Bao Shengli climbed out of the driver’s seat into the truck bed, ready to back up his wife.

“Nonsense! Your mother fell on her own and is trying to blame me. How shameless can your family be, accusing me like this? Don’t you know who I am? I’m Wu Weimin, the son of the director of Hongqi Farm! Do you think someone like me would push people?” 

Wu Weimin was internally repeating his own lie, convincing himself that he hadn’t pushed anyone and that he was the real victim.

Wu Weimin, emboldened by his own lies, responded with even more confidence. 

“Wu Lao’er, you’ve just exposed yourself!” Zheng Meiqin countered sharply. “Earlier, you said Qingman pushed my mother. Now you’re saying my mother fell on her own. What’s wrong with your brain? Got it stuffed with crap? If you dare to slander us again, I swear I’ll beat you to death!” She clenched her fists, throwing a threatening punch in Wu Weimin’s direction.

He was nothing but a weakling in her eyes. If Qin Qingman could beat him to this state, Zheng Meiqin was sure she could do the same.

Startled by Zheng Meiqin’s rebuttal, Wu Weimin quickly changed his story. “It was… it was her! She pushed your mother. I just got confused because of the cold.”

“Bah!” 

Zheng Meiqin spat directly at Wu Weimin from atop the tractor. “You coward! Chuchu is Qingman’s only little brother. Do you think she’d push her own brother too? What, has a pig eaten your brain?” Her insults were crude, unrefined, and relentless.

“Shut your mouth, you hag!”

Jin Yuanchao, standing below the tractor alongside Wu Weimin, was also caught in the line of fire. Some of the spit had splashed onto him and Quan Aiguo. The foul smell made their faces turn green. 

Furiously, Jin Yuanchao roared at Zheng Meiqin, “Keep your mouth shut!” He hurriedly wiped his face with his sleeve, his expression livid.

Zheng Meiqin, being an ordinary citizen, instinctively feared anyone in uniform. Startled by Jin Yuanchao’s yell, her face turned pale, and she quickly hid behind Qin Qingman.

Bao Shengli, observing this, silently thought, *So my wife usually hides behind me in situations like this.*

Qin Qingman, meanwhile, had remained calm and silent since the Wu father and son had begun their complaints. She simply observed the scene with a composed expression. When Zheng Meiqin moved behind her, her gaze met Jin Yuanchao’s. 

Her eyes betrayed no fear or turmoil, only an unsettling tranquility. 

After a few seconds, Jin Yuanchao shifted his gaze slightly and asked, “Were you the one who beat him?” referring to Wu Weimin’s injuries.

“As per the law, when my life or the lives of my loved ones are threatened, I am entitled to act in self-defense, which is legally protected and does not constitute a crime,” Qin Qingman replied calmly. Dealing with public security officers, she chose to stand firmly on the law.

In this era, the country’s laws were particularly strict on offenders, and the scope of legitimate self-defense was broader.

Jin Yuanchao: … He didn’t entirely follow her reasoning but quickly realized that Qin Qingman wasn’t someone easy to handle.

“Comrade,” he said officially, “to ascertain the truth, I must ask you to come with us.” He gestured to Quan Aiguo to get into the vehicle and prepare to take her in.

Qin Qingman, gently patting Chuchu’s back to comfort the child, chuckled softly. “Public Security Comrade, may I ask where you intend to take me?”

“To the Public Security Bureau,” Jin Yuanchao replied curtly.

“Which bureau?” she pressed further.

“The county bureau,” Jin Yuanchao answered, irritation creeping into his tone. Were it not for the crowd of onlookers, he might have refused to answer further questions.

Qin Qingman’s smile deepened. “I happen to know Comrade Zheng Xuesong, the captain of the county Public Security Bureau.”

Jin Yuanchao’s heart skipped a beat, and just as he was about to respond, Qin Qingman continued, her tone casual but pointed. 

“Last time I visited the county bureau for official matters, I met not only Comrade Zheng Xuesong but also several other public security officers. Oddly enough, I don’t recall seeing you among them. Could it be that you’re a specially appointed officer sent by the county bureau?”

Qin Qingman was well aware that in the 1960s and 1970s, rural areas in China didn’t have basic local police stations. Instead, the county Public Security Bureau would dispatch special officers to oversee and manage public safety in the towns. 

“That’s right. I’m a special officer sent by the county Public Security Bureau,” Jin Yuanchao quickly asserted his identity, attempting to salvage his position.

“You’re lying.” Qin Qingman’s expression turned stern. “I may not know whether you’re from the county bureau, but I’m certain you’re not the special officer assigned to Hongqi Town. That position belongs to Li Hongyi. I know him.”

Both Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo froze. *What kind of bad luck is this?* they thought, panic rising in their hearts. *Does this woman really know someone from the county Public Security Bureau? Or is she bluffing?*

Qin Qingman’s words caused the gathered crowd to pause in astonishment. People began moving closer, their curiosity piqued.

In this era, public security officers held tremendous authority and respect. There were so few officers that a single township might have only one or two special officers, but even so, they managed to maintain law and order for tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of residents. This made impersonating such an officer a grave offense.

Wu Yuanming and Jin Yuanchao could feel their hearts trembling.

“I’ve seen the special officer assigned to our Hongqi Town,” someone from the crowd spoke up, their tone skeptical. “This guy doesn’t look like him. The officer I saw was taller, had a very short haircut, and—”

“—and a full beard, right?” Qin Qingman interjected, completing the description. “A young man in his twenties but looks almost thirty because of his thick beard?”

“Yes, yes! That’s exactly right. A full, bushy beard. He looked much older than his actual age.” The person in the crowd lit up with excitement, confirming her description. They had indeed met Li Hongyi, the officer assigned to their town.

“This guy doesn’t have a beard—no full beard, not even a trace of one.”

All eyes turned to Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo, scrutinizing them. Neither man bore any resemblance to the described officer. They were both clean-shaven.

Jin Yuanchao’s face didn’t falter. He stepped forward and raised his voice to address the crowd. “Comrades, Comrades, please don’t panic. Let me explain. It’s true that I’m not Li Hongyi. He had an emergency and couldn’t come, so I was assigned from another township to handle this case.”

“Yes, Comrades,” Quan Aiguo chimed in, backing Jin Yuanchao. “Although we’re not Hongqi Town’s designated special officers, we are also special officers sent by the county Public Security Bureau. Our roles and authority are the same as Comrade Li Hongyi’s.”

Meanwhile, Wu Yuanming, unable to endure the biting cold any longer after shedding his coat, snatched a padded jacket from Wan Liang and wrapped it tightly around himself, shivering violently.

It was too cold, and the matter had to be dealt with immediately.  

As for Wan Liang, who had been stripped of his clothing, he was shivering uncontrollably and didn’t even dare to move. He was, after all, Wu Yuanming’s secretary.  

Amid the crowd, Wan Mingsi and his wife, Xu Lianhua, hurriedly took off their cotton-padded jackets and draped them over their son, their hearts aching for him.  

By this point, they had already cursed Qin Qingman countless times in their hearts.  

“Comrades, I can testify that these two comrades are special agents dispatched by the county public security bureau. They’re public security officers from other townships. Think about it—who would dare impersonate the police these days? That’s a capital offense!”  

As soon as Wu Yuanming finished speaking, the scene instantly quieted down.  

In these times, with poor transportation and stringent regulations for traveling long distances, one needed documentation to move around. People couldn’t casually roam about. A township with seventy to eighty thousand people might only have one or two public security officers, and many people could go their entire lives without ever encountering one.  

Thus, the crowd selectively chose to believe Wu Yuanming’s words.  

“Well, since you claim to be special agents of public security, why don’t you show us your identification?” Qin Qingman’s calm voice rang out, startling Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo so much that they almost jumped.  

“What’s the matter? Can’t you produce them?” Qin Qingman asked again, looking at the silent pair.  

Jin Yuanchao glanced at Qin Qingman warily, then shifted his gaze to the crowd, which had reluctantly decided to believe them but now looked suspicious again after hearing Qin Qingman’s demand.  

“Don’t tell me you’re about to claim you were in such a rush that you forgot your identification?” Qin Qingman’s tone grew colder.  

Jin Yuanchao: … He had indeed wanted to say that, but now that Qin Qingman had preempted him, he didn’t dare to admit it.  

“Please produce your identification to prove your identities; otherwise, I have every reason to suspect that you’re enemy spies posing as public security officers,” Qin Qingman stated firmly. After a pause, she added, “After all, we’re not far from the border here.”  

“No, we’re not enemy spies!”  

Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo were now drenched in sweat. In this era, being associated with enemy spies didn’t just mean execution for them—it could also bring disgrace upon three generations of their families.  

“If you’re not enemy spies, then show us your identification,” Qin Qingman demanded again.  

At this point, Zheng Meiqin mustered the courage to step out from behind Qin Qingman and confront them as well. Her eyes were filled with doubt as she looked at Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo.  

The more she scrutinized them, the more they seemed like bad guys, lacking the righteous aura of true public security officers.  

“Why should we show you our work IDs? Work IDs are classified documents, not something you common people can demand to see just because you want to!” Quan Aiguo snapped, his voice trembling with rage. The increasingly skeptical stares of the crowd were fanning the flames of his anger.

“Why can’t you show us your work IDs? They aren’t classified documents—they’re merely proof of your identities. Everyone has the right to request to see them,” Qin Qingman retorted sharply. “I must solemnly inform you that, according to the law, no matter what your job is, your primary duty is to serve the people. Law enforcement agencies are meant to protect people, not to be places for bureaucratic bluster. Police officers’ actions must be subject to public oversight. This is what the Chairman himself said.”

Qin Qingman skillfully leveraged the era’s unique circumstances to protect herself.  

“That’s right! The Public Security Bureau is under the supervision of the people. It’s stated in our country’s laws!” Some educated youth within the crowd could no longer hold back and spoke up in support.  

Qin Qingman’s actions illuminated the light of justice for them. With this new courage, they stood up to voice their support. If it could be proven that these two individuals claiming to be police officers were frauds, Wu Yuanming, who vouched for them, would inevitably be implicated as well.  

The downfall of the director of the Hongqi Farm seemed imminent.  

The educated youth saw a glimmer of hope and could sense that Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo were like cornered animals, fighting a losing battle.  

“Show us your work IDs to prove your identities! If you can’t, you’re frauds—enemy spies!” The crowd’s voices rang out one after another, growing louder and more aggressive as they closed in step by step.  

Sweat poured down Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo’s foreheads.  

Wu Yuanming and his son Wu Weimin stood frozen in place, their faces pale with terror. The fear gripped them like a vice, suffocating and inescapable.  

“Comrades, please, listen to me for one more moment!”  

Just as Jin Yuanchao’s hand reached toward his waistband, Qin Qingman’s voice rang out, stopping him in his tracks.  

The crowd fell silent, their movements halting as they turned their attention to Qin Qingman.  

“These two don’t just have all the suspicious points I’ve already mentioned,” she said, her gaze locked on Jin Yuanchao’s eyes while also watching his hand out of the corner of her eye.  

At that moment, she realized the man’s hand was reaching for his waistband. There could only be one reason for such a motion—he had a weapon.  

Qin Qingman couldn’t let the crowd be harmed.  

“Comrade, tell us—what other suspicious point do they have?” someone in the crowd called out.  

“Their uniforms,” Qin Qingman replied firmly, her eyes still fixed on Jin Yuanchao. She handed Chuchu to Zheng Meiqin to hold, as if preparing for the worst.  

“That’s right! How could we have missed it? The standard police uniform has a grass-green top and navy-blue trousers. But look—they’re wearing green pants! That’s not a police uniform. They’re not police!”  

The crowd erupted. Jin Yuanchao and Quan Aiguo had been wearing long overcoats, and no one had paid much attention to their trousers before.  

“They’re fakes! These two are imposters pretending to be police!”  

The uproar spread like wildfire.  

Wu Yuanming’s face turned deathly pale, and his eyes rolled back in his head as the weight of the realization hit him. He was done for. His family was done for. Everything was over.