*Chapter 30: The Reputation of Bravery (Part 2)*
Back at the small building, Hou Weidong stood in the courtyard for a while. The entire structure was as quiet as it had been the night before. On the ground floor, one room bore the sign of the work team, but the door was locked tight—no one was in sight.
Chi Ming entered through the main gate, carrying a basket of groceries. Seeing Hou Weidong, she said, "It’s not market day today. Only a few vendors are selling vegetables, and they’ll leave once they’re done. If you plan to cook for yourself, you’d better hurry. If you want to eat at the mess hall, let me know in advance."
Hou Weidong hesitated. If I eat at the mess hall, it will likely be just me. A lone man and a lone woman living together for a long time will surely invite gossip. He replied, "I can’t start cooking today. Sister Chen’s shop doesn’t have an electric wok, and she went down the mountain to stock up this morning. She won’t be back until evening."
Chi Ming smiled. "Go to Sister Tian’s place and buy some meal tickets. Come eat at the mess hall for lunch today. I’m making braised pork."
Just then, Township Head Gao, Police Station Chief Qin, and Li Yong walked in. Seeing Hou Weidong standing on the ground floor, Township Head Gao spoke directly: "Hou Weidong, there’s a meeting. You should attend."
The meeting room was at the far left end of the ground floor. It resembled a classroom, with the only difference being that the teacher’s desk had been replaced by three tables pushed together. After some polite deferral between Township Head Gao and Chief Qin, Gao took the central seat on the raised platform, while Chief Qin sat to his right.
A short while later, Xi Zhaoyong, Tian Dadao, Li Yong, and a dozen or so unfamiliar young men entered. These were sturdy young men who, by their clothing, appearance, and demeanor, were clearly villagers.
Li Yong sat beside Hou Weidong and said warmly, "Your drinking capacity is impressive. Officer Xi got drunk yesterday." Hou Weidong forced a bitter smile. "I was drunk too. I don’t even remember how I got home, and my head is still pounding."
"Enough talk," Township Head Gao called out, and the room fell silent. "Originally, Town Mayor Chao, who oversees political-legal affairs and comprehensive social security, was to preside. But he had to attend a temporary meeting in the county seat, so I’ll lead this one. The attendees are mainly the male members of the work team and security activists from the three villages. I only called the strong, capable men. I didn’t invite any of the timid types who wouldn’t even fart if you hit them with a stick."
Everyone burst into laughter, their voices filled with pride. Soon, more than ten people began smoking, and the meeting room filled with swirling smoke, the atmosphere growing lively.
"Recently, there have been frequent robberies on the path from Xiaqinglin to Shangqinglin. A few days ago, several people were robbed. Liu’s wife had her backpack stolen, and her skirt was torn. Also, the second son of the Tian family from Dawanliang was stabbed in the buttocks." Township Head Gao slammed the table. "This is the Communist Party’s territory. These bandits are acting with complete impunity. I’ve invited Chief Qin here today to discuss how to bring these bandits to justice. Chief Qin, please outline the plan."
Chief Qin’s expression remained as stern as it had been at the tofu pudding set meal shop, but his voice was gentle. "According to the victims, there are about five or six bandits, all young men in their twenties. They are likely drifters from outside the area, but there must be locals involved; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to stay hidden."
He cleared his throat and explained, "The criminal investigation team guarded the mountain for three days without seeing any activity. Today, a homicide case occurred in the county seat, so the team must return to the city. Secretary Zhao and Captain Li of the criminal investigation team have decided that our Qinglin Town police station will handle these suspects."
"These individuals are armed with daggers about the length of chopsticks, which is very dangerous. Therefore, we must plan this operation carefully. We need to capture these bandits without causing any casualties." Chief Qin paused, scanning the room. "Now, I will assign groups. The Qinglin Town police station has five regular officers. Officer Huang is older and handles internal duties, so he will stay at the station on duty. Xi Zhaoyong will lead one group, including Li Yong, Tian Fei, Deng Gangqiang, Zhang Weige, and village security activists—nearly twenty people in total."
Chief Qin glanced at Hou Weidong and added, "The new college graduate will also be in Xi Zhaoyong’s group. You will be positioned at the foot of the mountain, hiding in the woods at the Third Bend. When you hear shouts or gunshots, you will rush out to block the bandits’ escape route. Xi Zhaoyong, pay attention: your group is only responsible for interception. Do not reveal your position until you hear the signal."
Although Hou Weidong had served as deputy captain of the campus discipline patrol, the university patrol was primarily for prevention. Students were never involved in apprehending criminals. Hearing the word "gunshots," his face paled slightly, and his blood began to race.
"I will lead two officers from the station, Zhou Qiang and Wang Yibing, along with the civil patrol officers and one victim. We will hide behind the bamboo grove halfway up the mountain. Once the bandits appear, we will ensure they cannot escape."
Chief Qin emphasized, "We have thirty people in this operation, concentrating our superior forces. As long as the tactics are properly arranged, we will certainly subdue the bandits. However, everyone must prioritize safety. This is what Secretary Zhao cares about most."
"Analyzing the bandits’ patterns, they commit crimes every few days. I suspect they have no source of income, and the money they rob isn’t enough for their spending. It has been several days since their last crime, so I believe they will be active again soon. At five o’clock tomorrow, before dawn, each group must reach their hiding spots."
Chief Qin’s use of military terminology and his strong martial bearing were evident as he assigned tasks.
After Chief Qin finished, Township Head Gao added, "Keep this operation strictly confidential. Do not leak any information. Gather at the main courtyard at 5:30 AM tomorrow."
Once the tasks were assigned, the group dispersed like birds and beasts. Hou Weidong, wanting to impress Township Head Gao, stayed behind. He had noticed a broom in the corner of the meeting room. After everyone left, he picked it up and began sweeping.
Township Head Gao had already reached the door. Turning back, he saw Hou Weidong cleaning the room. He looked surprised, paused for a moment, but did not stop. He walked out with Chief Qin. After Gao left, Hou Weidong continued cleaning. The room had clearly not been swept in a long time; the floor was littered with cigarette butts and thick layers of dust. By the time he finished, he was drenched in sweat.
As he stepped out the door, he saw Sister Yang approaching with a bunch of keys. Seeing the clean room, she said, "The college student is sweeping for me. How embarrassing." Hou Weidong had met Sister Yang once. He knew she was part of the work team, but he didn’t understand her specific role. He asked, "Sister Yang, which department in the town do you belong to?" Sister Yang replied with a touch of self-deprecation, "We are the 'Eight Major Staff Members.' We only do miscellaneous tasks, and our salaries are very low."
Hou Weidong didn’t know what the "Eight Major Staff Members" were, and he was too embarrassed to ask. He chatted briefly with Sister Yang, then went back downstairs. With nothing to do and no one assigning him work, he went upstairs and sat idly for a while. There were no books, no newspapers, no television, no radio—only boredom. He walked back outside and watched the pedestrians passing by in small groups. Suddenly remembering Chi Ming’s words, he closed his room door.
Chi Ming was a young unmarried woman. Although she was the head of the mess hall and also the cook, two unmarried men and women eating together every day was akin to family life. This was not appropriate. So, Hou Weidong made up his mind—he would cook for himself.
Although he had never cooked before, hadn’t he heard the saying, "If you haven’t eaten white-haired pork, have you never seen a pig run?"
Shangqinglin was indeed small. He quickly found the vegetable-selling spot Chi Ming had mentioned. Hou Weidong squatted down, pretending to inspect the vegetables and bargain, buying a bunch of leafy greens, a piece of meat, and twenty eggs. Carrying his groceries, he headed to the Qinglin Town Primary School. Sister Chen had promised to bring him an electric wok, so he went to the shop to see if she had returned.
A petite girl, looking about fifteen or sixteen, was helping Sister Chen watch the shop. When Hou Weidong entered, she was lying on the desk doing homework.
"My mother went down the mountain before six o’clock. She usually returns by ten," the girl said politely. "What would you like to buy, Uncle?"
Hou Weidong was stunned. Someone called me Uncle?