Chapter 126

In September, it was noticeably less hot, and mornings and evenings became cool. 

When it was too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, Qiao Wei always took Yan Xiang to work by bus, but in September, during this pleasant season, she preferred to ride bicycles.

Especially now that she had been transferred to the library, the library’s working hours were later than those of the county government.

The library opened even later; the first half-hour was for the librarians to tidy up and clean. Only when everything was neat and clean would they open the doors to welcome guests.

One difference between working at the library and the town hall was that the library closed on Mondays for all staff to rest, but it had to open on Sundays. On Sundays, everyone took turns resting.

This meant that everyone actually had more rest time compared to other units.

In fact, even on Sundays, there were very few people in the library.

The atmosphere now was not conducive to studying. Reading had become unsafe; humans had a natural instinct to seek profit and avoid harm.

The library was almost deserted.

The weather was nice that day. Qiao Wei rode her bicycle, taking Yan Xiang to school.

The route for cycling was different from taking the bus; she passed through the other side of the government compound.

At this time, she noticed a parade on the street.

Qiao Wei originally just wanted to push the bike to the side to avoid it, but then she suddenly saw the person escorted in the middle of the procession.

He was wearing a tall hat, with a wooden sign around his neck.

He had lost a lot of weight in the past month.

He walked unsteadily, obviously with difficulty in his legs, as if he were injured.

Qiao Wei had always known rationally that scenes like this would inevitably occur.

In fact, she had taken the initiative to take Yanzhuang’s parents to the hospital to avoid such a scene.

Helpless, helpless.

But seeing it for real was still too shocking to the heart.

Qiao Wei hurriedly turned her head to see if Yan Xiang had also seen it. Fortunately, Yan Xiang was stretching his neck, apparently blocked from seeing by her.

Qiao Wei quickly spoke to attract his attention: “Let them pass before we continue.”

She propped up the bike, shifted her body, and blocked his view more securely.

Yan Xiang still asked, “Mom, what are those people doing?”

Qiao Wei said, “They’re marching.”

Marching was a common occurrence, so Yan Xiang wasn’t surprised and didn’t ask further.

The person being escorted in the parade didn’t see him either. If he had, he would have recognized him: Uncle Meng.

After sending Yan Xiang to school, Qiao Wei didn’t get back on her bike; she pushed it all the way.

She felt too uncomfortable.

In the end, there was no escaping. She lived in this world, and this world had now reached this era; how could she possibly escape?

In the end, she still saw it with her own eyes.

Qiao Wei didn’t feel like talking all morning.

At noon, she picked up Yan Xiang, and they all went to the Agriculture Bureau for lunch. Qiao Wei remembered the thin and haggard face she had seen today.

Middle-aged men actually tended to gain weight a bit. Mainly because of frequent banquets and alcohol.

But the face she saw that morning was sunken.

Qiao Wei had just taken a bite of the steamed bun and couldn’t swallow it.

In fact, what kind of situation and treatment one would encounter in such circumstances was depicted in movies and novels.

Qiao Wei fiercely finished her own steamed bun, then went to the counter to buy two fried cakes, wrapped in oil paper.

In the afternoon, she asked Zheng Ai, “Where is the former director of the library being held?”

Zheng Ai replied, “They’re all being held at the Health Bureau. In the row of small houses behind the Health Bureau, their former warehouse was converted to detain people.”

Because the Health Bureau was right next to the government compound, it was very convenient to take those people out for ‘education.’

Actually, the term ‘education camp’ came later. It wasn’t called that at this time.

But Qiao Wei understood that the old warehouse where people were detained was the X-shed.

Qiao Wei asked, “What was the last name of the former library director?”

“Xiao.”

Qiao Wei nodded.

She let Yan Xiang play in the library by himself.

She wasn’t worried at all; for Yan Xiang, going into the library was like entering a treasure trove, and he didn’t want to come out.

Qiao Wei stuffed two fried cakes into her pocket, one on each side—any more, and it would be too obvious. She went to the Health Bureau.

She was familiar with the Health Bureau; there was a back door to the backyard.

She went straight there, and sure enough, the door was open, and she didn’t see anyone inside.

After walking a few steps, someone shouted, “Who’s there?”

Qiao Wei looked and saw someone coming from the other side toward the door leading into the Health Bureau.

She walked up briskly and said, “I’m the new library director. I have work-related matters to discuss with the person named Xiao who used to work at the library.”

“Oh, the library director? Comrade Qiao, right?” The person immediately put on a smile and courteously led her, “That way, the third room is where he’s being held.”

“Are all the county people being held here?”

“Yes, they’re all concentrated here. Convenient.”

“Is Meng Zuoyi here too?”

“He’s in the fifth room.”

“Okay, it’s the third room, right?” Qiao Wei stopped at the door of the third room, “Is he in there?”

“Yes, he’s in there. He just came back from a walk.”

“He goes for walks several times a day?”

“Once in the morning, once in the afternoon.”

He was wearing a tall hat, with a wooden sign around his neck.

He was not young.

Qiao Wei smirked, “I wonder if these people truly understand their mistakes.”

The person waved his hand and said, “These scoundrels can’t be awakened. Just deal with them ruthlessly.”

He pushed open the door of the third room and shouted, “Old man Xiao, get up, stop pretending to be dead! Your leader is here!”

Qiao Wei walked in.

This wasn’t a living quarters; it used to be a storage room. There was a musty smell in the air.

There was nothing except for some empty wooden crates, a bed board without a bed frame, just lying on the ground.

The former library director slowly propped himself up from the bed board, “I’m up, I’m up…”

He got up, dusted off the dirt from his body, and stood as straight as possible, waiting to be lectured.

He was a little old man.

With his hair, beard, and glasses, he perfectly fit the ordinary person’s image of a “library director.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to him. You can leave,” Qiao Wei said.

She spoke without much politeness, like a leader.

Because she understood very well that in such situations, the small fry who rushed forward were actually at the bottom. And they were the ones who usually had no abilities and couldn’t stand out.

The more pretentious she acted, the more they would fall for it.

Sure enough, the person was very obedient, with a somewhat flattering smile, and left.

Actually, there was no one specifically guarding this place, and that person just happened to be there.

The door here wasn’t locked; it was left wide open.

Because they weren’t afraid of anyone running away, and they wouldn’t run away anyway.

Who would run? They were all a bunch of people, young and old; if one ran, the whole family would be dragged down.

And even if they did run, where could they go?

Without an introduction letter, they couldn’t go anywhere. Without ration tickets, they would starve to death.

The world was vast, but there was nowhere to go.

The door was unlocked, yet it was locked.

“You’re the former library director, right? I’m the newly appointed director, my surname is Qiao. Let me tell you, there are quite a few lingering issues from your work that I have to deal with, leaving me a mess…”

Director Xiao stood there obediently listening to the leader’s admonition.

But Qiao Wei was speaking while backing away, until she reached the door, where she could see the person who had just gone into the Health Bureau.

She lowered her voice and approached Director Xiao, “Director Xiao, everyone at the library misses you. Can you get enough to eat here?”

Director Xiao, still in a daze from the lecture, suddenly reacted, slowly raised his head, and looked at the young woman in front of him.

She repeated, “I’m Qiao Wei.”

“I know you,” Director Xiao said, “I’ve read your articles.”

Qiao Wei sighed and asked him again, “Can you get enough to eat here?”

Director Xiao’s reaction was noticeably slow; it took him a couple of seconds to understand, and there was a hint of urgency in his eyes, “Do you… do you have food?”

Hunger is a pain that humans cannot resist.

Qiao Wei took out a fried cake and gave it to him.

Director Xiao gobbled it up hungrily. He ate too quickly, and Qiao Wei was afraid he would choke like the experts who hadn’t eaten for three days in a movie, so she reached out to stop him and said, “Eat slowly, it’s dangerous to eat too fast.”

Sure enough, the little old man choked and pounded his chest.

Qiao Wei looked around and saw a broken porcelain cup in the corner near the bed board. She quickly picked it up; there was half a cup of cold water inside, which she promptly handed to Director Xiao.

Director Xiao drank the water with the cake, finally managing to swallow it down.

He asked, “Is there more?”

Qiao Wei said, “I can’t give you more.”

Director Xiao nodded.

Qiao Wei asked, “Don’t they give you food?”

The little old man said, “One meal a day. They gave it yesterday, but not today.”

He glanced at her and said directly, “Meng Zuoyi is next door, to my right.”

Qiao Wei fell silent.

After a moment, she asked, “How do you know?”

The little old man smiled and said, “Guan Tuwei asked you to expose him. You exposed his foot odor. Who doesn’t know about that?”

Qiao Wei hadn’t realized that her action had already become famous.

Everyone knew she refused to throw Meng Secretary under the bus.

But everyone also knew that she offended Guan Tuwei because of this, yet nothing happened to her. Guan Tuwei, on the other hand, died.

Everyone knew her husband was the current military representative, and they also knew she and the current leader, Director Huang, were colleagues who came from the same office.

Everyone knew that Qiao Wei could actually dominate in Bocheng County.

Only Qiao Wei herself had just found out about this.

She didn’t know whether to be happy or worried.

“Well, I’ll go now,” Qiao Wei said, “Drink more water.”

The little old man nodded and watched the young woman leave the room.

Then he went back to lying down.

Qiao Wei reached the fifth room and froze when she looked inside.

Secretary Meng was sitting on the bed board, supporting his knees.

He even grinned, “I thought I heard your voice just now, and indeed, it’s you.”

“Qiao Wei, do you have anything to eat?” he asked.

Qiao Wei’s nose tingled. She quickly squatted down, took out another fried cake from her pocket, and gave it to him, “Eat slowly, it’s dangerous to eat too fast when you’re hungry for a long time.”

Secretary Meng’s self-control was much stronger; he ate in moderation and seemed satisfied.

After finishing, he wiped his mouth and smiled again.

“I’ve been waiting for you. I knew you would come sooner or later.”