Chapter 19: Running Oneself Ragged (Part 6)
The salted duck had been bought and brought home. With the exception of son-in-law He Yong, who had not yet returned, the rest of the Hou family was gathered. Everyone was in high spirits, buoyed by Hou Weidong’s new job and the unexpected capture of a fugitive.
Hou Weidong sat beside his father, Hou Yonggui. Glancing casually at his father’s temples, he suddenly noticed a profusion of white hairs.
"Dad, you’ve got gray hair," Hou Weidong remarked.
Hou Yonggui tilted his head back to take a sip of wine. "At my age, I’ve had gray hair for a long time. You just haven’t noticed it until now."
After reaching adulthood, Hou Yonggui had spent twenty years in the military and another twenty at the public security bureau. In Hou Weidong’s eyes, his father had always been the embodiment of strength, courage, and wisdom. Yet, time spared no one; his father, too, was aging.
Moved by this realization, Hou Weidong raised his glass. "Dad, let me toast you."
The father and son clinked glasses and drank. Hou Weidong then asked, "Dad, I still don’t quite understand. How did you spot that something was wrong with that man?"
Hou Yonggui was in high spirits. He took a sip of Wu Haihong liquor and said, "It’s actually quite simple. There was a red mark on his wrist. We’re very familiar with that kind of mark—it’s the unique imprint of handcuffs. I casually asked him about it. If he had admitted he had just been released from the police station, I would have merely given him a lecture and let it go. But he claimed it was an injury from work, deliberately trying to hide the handcuff marks. That made it certain there was a problem."
"But what if he really had just been released and was simply too embarrassed to admit it was from handcuffs? How could you be so sure?"
"That man’s eyes started darting around the moment he saw my police uniform. He was clearly formulating a strategy. It’s all about experience. When you work in this field for a long time, you develop an intuition." Hou Yonggui glanced at Hou Weiguo. "Weiguo, you’re in the criminal investigation team, yet you missed this detail. It shows your basic skills aren’t solid enough. Interrogation and observation are fundamental skills. The time we have to confront criminals is extremely short. If you can’t get the truth out in a few sentences, the opportunity will slip through your fingers."
Hou Weiguo felt a mix of admiration and disdain toward his father. He admired the seriousness of his father’s generation of police officers but looked down on their old-fashioned ways. Seeing his father in a good mood, he didn’t want to spoil the atmosphere. He raised his glass and said, "Dad, you’re a veteran commander. One of you is worth two. No wonder Captain Zhou often tells stories about your case-solving skills at training sessions."
"Captain Zhou is a rising star. He’s better than us," Hou Yonggui said modestly. He set down his glass and turned to educate his youngest son. "You’ve chosen to work in Yiyang. The conditions in a township are definitely not good. Don’t complain about heaven or earth once you’re there. A man must take responsibility. Once you’ve made a decision, you must stick to it."
"Also, I’ve never worked in Yiyang County. Although I have a few acquaintances, they are all within the political and legal system. Don’t count on family connections. Once you enter society, you must rely on yourself. As I said before, a man must take responsibility. This is your own choice."
Hou Weidong had failed his first college entrance exam. At that time, the Wu Hai County Public Security Bureau was recruiting staff. Hou Weidong wanted to attend university, so he had declined the offer. After graduating, Director Yin of the Wu Hai Public Security Bureau had agreed to accept him, but Hou Weidong did not want all three of them to work in the same unit. Instead, he had taken the civil service exam for Yiyang County. Hou Yonggui had not strongly opposed his youngest son’s choice. Having worked in a township police station himself, he knew the hardships of township life, so he had specifically prepared Hou Weidong for what lay ahead.
Knowing his father spoke the truth, Hou Weidong replied, "Dad, I understand."
Just then, the pager on Hou Weiguo’s waist beeped. Hou Weiguo glanced at it and reacted as if a cat had stepped on its tail. "It’s Director Yin."
Hou Yonggui remained calm. "If it’s Old Yin calling, it must mean they’ve caught a big fish. Weiguo, I reported the capture under your name."
Hou Weiguo called Director Yin back on the landline. As soon as the line connected, he heard Director Yin’s voice: "Hou Weiguo, you’re quite the guy. You’ve earned merit this time."
After hanging up, Hou Weiguo sat back down at the table, his face beaming with excitement. "Dad, the person you caught is a murderer and rapist. He was held at the Shazhou Detention Center. When the police went out to handle some paperwork, they had handcuffed him to a chair. This guy hugged the chair and jumped out the window to escape. The Shazhou Public Security Bureau’s assistance notice was still being printed when you caught him. Who would have thought?"
"Dad, why did you say I caught him?"
Liu Guangfen picked up a large chicken leg and placed it in Hou Yonggui’s bowl. "Old man, you did the right thing this time."
Hou Yonggui took a flavorful sip of wine. "I’m over fifty now, approaching retirement age. What good is it for me to earn merit? Aren’t you aiming to become Deputy Captain? Earning merit adds weight to your resume. Besides, if you hadn’t pulled out your gun, that fugitive would certainly have resisted. Saying you caught him isn’t wrong."
At this, the old man’s face turned stern. "You drive too fast. Ease up. Don’t get into an accident."
Liu Guangfen looked proudly at her three children and asked her daughter, Hou Xiaoying, "I’ve been watching TV lately. Many county-owned state-owned factories are going bankrupt. How is your silk factory doing?"
Hou Xiaoying, a graduate of a finance school, was now an accountant at the silk factory. She replied casually, "The silk factory’s performance is still good. Production is tight, and the international market is strong. It’s impossible for us to go bankrupt."
Liu Guangfen had watched over her three children for more than twenty years and had never grown tired of them. After asking about Hou Xiaoying, she turned to Hou Weidong. "Shazhou City governs four counties, and Yiyang is the best one. Once you’re in Yiyang, work hard. You’re only twenty-three, still young. I suggest you wait a few years before considering personal matters. Of course, if there’s a suitable girl in Yiyang, it’s fine to date her first."
Hou Yonggui added, "Working in a township is very training-intensive. The vast majority of leaders have experience working in townships. Work hard in Yiyang and don’t always dwell on trivial domestic matters."
The fifteen days back in Yiyang passed simply. Hou Weidong wrote to Xiaojia every day. Through a classmate of Xiaojia’s, the letters were exchanged, with Xiaojia replying every other day.
July 15th arrived in the blink of an eye. Early in the morning, Hou Weidong took a bus to Yiyang County. Shazhou City governed four counties: Wu Hai County to the east and Yiyang County to the south. The fields of the two counties bordered each other, the soil intertwined, creating a tight connection. The distance between Wu Hai County and Yiyang County was not far—only about sixty kilometers—but there was only one county-level road. The road quality was poor, and the bumpy ride took over three hours.
By the time he arrived in Yiyang County, it was nearly eleven o’clock. Having had experience from his previous visit, Hou Weidong made his way familiarly to the Comprehensive Cadre Section of the Personnel Bureau. He found Section Chief Zhu, whose head was somewhat balding, and said, "Section Chief Zhu, hello. I am Hou Weidong, a student who passed the Yiyang Party and Government exam. May I report for duty?"
Section Chief Zhu had a chubby face. He thought for a moment, took a booklet from his desk, and looked through it. "Hou Weidong, hmm, you did well on the exam." During this period, he had been overwhelmed with the placement of university graduates and the conversion of rural teachers to public status, leaving him dizzy with work. He had completely forgotten that he had previously asked Hou Weidong to report on July 15th. Flipping through the roster, he said casually, "The assignment plan hasn’t been finalized yet. Come report on July 25th."
Remembering his previous experience, Hou Weidong glanced at the phone on Section Chief Zhu’s desk and said, "Section Chief Zhu, my home is in Wu Hai County, and it’s inconvenient to make the trip. Could you give me a phone number?"
Section Chief Zhu grew impatient. "I told you the 25th. Just come then." He added quietly, "If you want convenience, go work in Wu Hai." With that, he lowered his head to look at the reports, ignoring Hou Weidong.
Under someone else’s roof, one must bow their head. Hou Weidong suppressed his anger and left the Personnel Bureau dejectedly. Just as he reached the first floor, he saw Liu Kun walking over with a briefcase. Liu Kun was wearing a sharp suit, his hair combed meticulously. He looked much more mature than he had at the academy. Seeing Hou Weidong, he stopped at the stairwell entrance and said, "Hou Weidong, where have you been assigned?"
Hou Weidong looked Liu Kun up and down. "The assignment plan hasn’t been finalized. They told me to come back on the 25th."
Liu Kun took off the pager from his waist and checked the time. "I’m already working in the Comprehensive Section of the Government Office. The Comprehensive Section is no place for humans; the work piles up endlessly. This pager was assigned to me by the section for easy communication. Everyone in the section has one. They cost over two thousand yuan each." He spoke casually, but the boastfulness in his tone was impossible to hide.
Noticing Hou Weidong’s expression, Liu Kun glanced at the pager in his hand again. "Wait here for a moment. Shall I go ask Section Chief Zhu for you?"