Chapter 181: The Study Class (5)
At five in the afternoon, Hou Weidong sat in the pickup truck, his left hand resting on the open door frame as he watched the entrance of the Dongfeng Hotel. Ouyang Lin was busy processing the handover procedures. By now, five major loan defaulters from Qinglin Town had already been brought into the hotel.
The Dongfeng Hotel was a relic from the early 1980s. A three-meter-high wall encircled the entrance, and the entire building was painted a dull gray-yellow. Its balconies were once considered quite grand. Before the Yiyang Hotel was built, leaders from Shazhou City were mostly accommodated here. However, as Yiyang City gradually expanded eastward, new hotels sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain. The Dongfeng Hotel had slowly fallen into decline, now deserted and quiet, with few guests or horses passing by.
Near the entrance, a group of five or six people stood guard. Two of them wore police uniforms, their expressions cold and stern. When Yang Jiafu had entered the study class earlier, his belt and shoelaces had been removed and replaced with a short cloth strap to keep his trousers up.
Seeing this scene, Hou Weidong immediately thought of his second sister, who was also in a study class in Wuhai County. He quickly called his brother-in-law, He Yong, but there was no answer. He then called home.
Liu Guangfen answered the phone. Hearing Hou Weidong’s voice, she said, “You finally remembered to call home. Hurry back and let’s discuss your sister’s situation properly.”
Hou Weidong asked, “Where is my brother-in-law? I can’t get through to his phone.”
“I only received a call from He Yong this afternoon,” Liu Guangfen explained. “He has been taken to the study class in Linjiang County. He lost his mobile phone somewhere, so he borrowed someone else’s to call back.”
Hou Weidong became alert. “Did my brother-in-law also take out loans in Linjiang County?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Liu Guangfen replied. “It seems so.”
Hou Weidong stated firmly, “My brother-in-law definitely took out loans in Linjiang County. How much?”
“I don’t know much about your second sister’s affairs. She has always been too ambitious, insisting on going to Shanghai to buy new equipment. She折腾 (tossed and turned) until she landed herself in a study class. Now she’s ‘comfortable,’ and I don’t want to bother with her.”
Although Liu Guangfen’s words were harsh, her heart had already softened. She continued, “Xiao San, being in the study class is almost like being in prison. You aren’t allowed to go out, and even your shoelaces and belts are confiscated. The food they serve is barely better than pig slop. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache. Xiao San, you must find a way to get your second sister out.”
Seeing the scene at the study class, Hou Weidong also felt a pang of sympathy for his second sister. “I’ll come back right away to see my second sister and brother-in-law. This involves hundreds of thousands of yuan; it’s not a small amount. We need to clarify the situation and the problems involved.”
Liu Guangfen understood what Xiao San meant. Her heart relaxed, though her mouth remained sharp. “You ungrateful fellow. With such a huge crisis at home, your eldest brother even came back once, yet you haven’t shown your face. What on earth have you been busy with all day?”
Mentioning Xiao San’s team luring people into the trap, Liu Guangfen worried, “Don’t do such unethical things. Those people are so pitiful.”
Hou Weidong retorted, “Paying back debts is only natural. What is there to pity?”
“You brat. Are you here just to annoy me today?”
Once Ouyang Lin, the Director of the Party and Government Office, had completed all the procedures, Hou Weidong started the engine. He waved from inside the car and said, “Director Ouyang, I’ve already briefed Secretary Zhao on the matter. If the village cadres discover Zhou Qiang or Qin Ning, please contact me immediately.”
Ouyang Lin sighed heavily. “I used to have a good relationship with Yang Jiafu. Today, I’ve thoroughly offended him. What kind of situation is this?”
Ouyang Lin was also a university graduate, having arrived in Qinglin Town four years before Hou Weidong. Rising to the position of Office Director in that time was not bad. If Hou Weidong hadn’t succeeded in his risky move, he would still be Ouyang Lin’s subordinate.
The officialdom was cruel. Whether one could be promoted was the sole criterion for success in the bureaucratic world, especially for young people. Sometimes, being one step ahead meant staying ahead forever. The gap would unknowingly widen into an ocean. Ouyang Lin understood this well. He stood in front of the Dongfeng Hotel, watching Hou Weidong drive away, before getting into Su Ming’s car.
Before the new highway was built, the journey from Yiyang County to Wuhai County took over three hours by bus. Now, with the new road, Hou Weidong drove into Wuhai County town in just one hour. This was the place where he had grown up. Every alley and backstreet bore the marks of his youthful mischief. He knew the streets and alleys intimately, making a few turns before arriving at the 120 Guesthouse.
Three people were sitting at the entrance of the guesthouse, one of them in a police uniform. Hou Weidong parked the car to the side and walked over.
“Who are you looking for?” A young man wearing glasses asked, holding a pen in one hand and resting the other on a notebook, looking very serious.
“I’m looking for Hou Xiaoying.” Hou Weidong thought to himself, This kid is like a chicken foot wearing glasses—pretending to be a serious official.
A short-haired man nearby walked over, glanced at Hou Weidong, and asked, “Are you Hou Weidong?”
Hou Weidong recognized the man. Judging by his demeanor, he was likely from the police station. He nodded. “I am Hou Weidong. May I ask who you are?”
The man smiled slightly and offered a cigarette. “It’s been years. Xiao San has grown into a man; I almost didn’t recognize you. I even taught you how to shoot a pistol back then.”
Hou Weidong suddenly remembered. This man had been a subordinate of his father when he worked at the township police station. Back then, he was a rookie officer. Now, he looked to be in his thirties. Hou Weidong used to call him “Uncle Lu,” but he couldn’t bring himself to say it now. He含糊 (mumbled), “Have you been transferred back to the bureau?”
Officer Lu replied, “I work in the First Division.”
Officer Lu had once been subordinate to Hou Yonggui and was familiar with all three Hou brothers. After Hou Weidong registered, Lu said, “Your second sister is inside. Please come to the visitor’s room in a moment to meet her. This is a strict county regulation. Please don’t take offense.”
After waiting in the visitor’s room for a while, his second sister, Hou Xiaoying, walked in with Officer Lu. Seeing Hou Weidong, she said, “Xiao San, why did you take so long to visit your old sister? Hmph, you talk big usually, but you let us down when it counts.”
Hou Weidong had expected his second sister to look dejected, but she appeared relaxed. He smiled. “Second Sister, you look radiant. It’s almost like you’re on vacation.”
Hou Xiaoying laughed. “With Brother Lu looking out for me, I don’t worry about food or clothes. I sleep on time and wake up on time. When I get out, I might even consider losing weight.”
Officer Lu politely said, “We’re all family; there’s no need for formalities. You siblings can chat slowly. I’ll step out.”
Once Officer Lu left, Hou Weidong got straight to the point. “I heard your husband also entered the study class in Linjiang County. If you’re both in study classes, how will you manage the business? How much loan debt do you two actually have?”
Hou Xiaoying explained, “We hired the former Vice Factory Manager, Yang, who was in charge of production, to be the factory manager. With him handling things, we were both at ease. Even if we stay here for ten days or half a month, there won’t be any problems.”
“Second Sister, dragging this out isn’t a solution. What are your thoughts?”
Hou Xiaoying’s expression became more serious. “The county government is acting without reason. Over the past few years, we took out loans from the foundation five times, and we repaid the principal and interest on time every single time. This time, I only took the loan two months ago, and there are still eight months left before the repayment date. Yet they are forcing me to repay it and illegally restricting my personal freedom. It makes no sense.”
“It’s the general climate; no one can help it.”
“I borrowed 700,000 yuan from the Wuhai County Foundation and 500,000 yuan from Linjiang County, totaling 1.2 million yuan. The machinery was bought from Shanghai and has already been debugged. If production proceeds normally, there will be no problem repaying next year. Forcing me to repay early means I can only sell the machines. Machines worth 1.1 million yuan will fetch at most 500,000 to 600,000 yuan. The loss would be too great. So, I plan to spend a long vacation here. Xiao San, bring me some Qiong Yao novels tomorrow.”
Hou Weidong had personally experienced the rectification of the foundations. He had been surrounded by depositors for over ten days. He knew that the decisions made by the Wuhai County, Linjiang County, and Yiyang County governments were acts of desperation. Although illegal, they solved practical problems. This was likely the Chinese characteristic, reflecting both the power and the helplessness of grassroots civil servants.
“I told you early on that the foundations would be rectified, but you didn’t care at all. Now your mother is jumping with anxiety, and you still have the nerve to read Qiong Yao novels here.”
“No matter how urgent it is, it won’t help. Although Xiao San made money from the quarry, asking him to come up with one million yuan at once is impossible. First, I can’t bring myself to ask; second, it’s unnecessary. I estimate they will soon ask us to sign a phased repayment agreement. At that time, you can help us pay the first installment. Within a year at most, I will pay you back.”
Hou Weidong agreed with Hou Xiaoying’s view. “The study class itself is illegal. If you really don’t have money, keeping everyone locked up for years won’t help. They will eventually have to let you out to earn money to repay the debts.”
“Your old sister has been in business for years. I have informants in the government offices and am not unfamiliar with their tactics.” She added, “If the county government really tries to force the issue this time, find a way to pay off your husband’s debt and get him out first. Although the old factory manager is guarding the shop, it’s not reassuring without our own people watching.”
As the siblings were talking, Old Lu brought Liu Guangfen into the room. Seeing Hou Weidong inside, a smile touched Liu Guangfen’s lips, but she quickly suppressed it. She said to Old Lu, “Please take good care of things here. Another day, Yonggui and I will treat you to a drink.”
Old Lu smiled. “This is a government study class, not a detention center. They won’t beat anyone. Sister-in-law, rest assured.”
After Old Lu left, Liu Guangfen placed a thermos flask next to Hou Xiaoying and turned her face away, ignoring Hou Weidong.
Hou Xiaoying linked arms with Liu Guangfen and said, “Mom, yesterday you said you were going to scold Xiao San severely. Now that he’s back, you’re eagerly bringing chicken soup for him to drink. Mom, you’re too biased.”
Liu Guangfen couldn’t help but laugh. “You two, can you let your mother worry less?”
Life in Qinglin