thefictionvixens Chapter 42 Warm Clothes and the End
Chapter 42 Warm Clothes and the End
As night deepened, the hustle and bustle of the courtyard gradually subsided like the receding tide. One by one, the lights in each household went out, leaving only the cool moonlight casting hazy halos on the blue brick ground of the courtyard. Occasionally, a few muffled murmurs or the faint barking of dogs from the distant alleyways echoed, further emphasizing the deep and tranquil night.
Lin Yan went upstairs to rest early. Downstairs, Lin Gang and his cousin-in-law Cuihua quietly tidied up the mess of dishes and carefully wiped the greasy table with a damp cloth, putting everything back in order.
After finishing their work, the two sat facing each other at the table under the dim light of a kerosene lamp. The wick occasionally crackled, releasing tiny sparks. On the table lay the hand-sewn dark blue cloth bag, now bulging, containing the heavy eighty yuan they had earned from selling venison that day.
Cuihua's gaze involuntarily drifted towards the stairwell, her voice low: "Master, did you notice? When we were eating today, I saw that the master's sleeves... weren't they shorter again? They shrank up quite a bit, revealing such a thin section of his wrist."
Hearing this, Lin Gang followed her gaze and sighed heavily, "That's right. This child, sigh, just look at how tall he's growing, like a bamboo shoot, but he doesn't seem to gain any weight. I think he's probably grown even taller than when he first came here, probably over 1.85 meters tall now, right? Not just his sleeves, but his trouser legs are all hanging down, his ankle bones are clearly visible. None of his old clothes fit anymore, they all feel like they're tied up. The employer doesn't seem to care about these things at all, we should both keep an eye on him."
"Gangzi, I'm thinking that tomorrow, or at the latest the day after, I'll go to that newly opened department store on Qianmen Street and buy some fabric! I'll pick out some soft, breathable, and comfortable material, cotton or khaki will do, and make several sets of well-fitting clothes for Xiaoyan. I'll make both inner and outer garments. This child doesn't even realize his clothes are too short. He can't always wear these cramped old clothes. First, people will laugh at him, and second... he himself must not be comfortable wearing them, and it will be difficult for him to move around."
Lin Gang nodded heavily, his voice low: "Yes! Get a few more feet of cloth and go ahead and make it. Make him a thick, warm cotton-padded coat, and make sure the collar is high enough to completely protect his neck. Then quickly make two close-fitting shirts, the material should be soft, and it's best to wash them first."
Time flies, day and night alternate, and a week has passed in the blink of an eye. The verdict in Yi Zhonghai's case was finally announced in the district people's court.
The courtroom was solemn and dignified, with the national emblem displayed prominently. The court found that the defendant, Yi Zhonghai, was primarily guilty of the following crimes:
1. Crime of infringing on the property of others: He has long been privately withholding and appropriating the child support payments sent back by He Daqing, the father of He Yuzhu and his sister, in a substantial amount, which has caused serious harm and hardship to the two siblings during their upbringing.
2. Crime of illegally reselling job quotas: Taking advantage of his status as an eighth-grade worker and his influence, he illegally resold the formal job quotas that belonged to the steel rolling mill to people outside the mill, thereby obtaining illegitimate profits and undermining the national labor distribution system. The nature of his actions was egregious.
3. Bribery: In order to cover up the fact that he intercepted He Yuzhu's remittance, he bribed post office staff in an attempt to prevent his illegal behavior from being discovered. Although the amount of the bribe was not large, the circumstances were serious and the social impact was bad.
The court held that the defendant Yi Zhonghai's actions violated national criminal law, and, based on multiple crimes, sentenced him to five years of labor reform. He was also ordered to return the illicit gains of 1470 yuan to He Yuzhu and to pay a fine of 300 yuan, which was to be turned over to the national treasury. The gavel fell, its crisp, cold sound echoing in the courtroom, marking a shameful end to Yi Zhonghai's hypocritical past and his carefully maintained image of a "moral exemplar."
Shortly after the verdict was handed down, in the cold, oppressive visiting room of the detention center, filled with the smell of disinfectant, an elderly woman named Tan Jinhua, accompanied by two serious-looking female comrades from the street women's federation, met Yi Zhonghai, who looked haggard and defeated, as if he had aged ten years overnight.
The middle-aged woman's face was calm, but her eyes held an unprecedented resolve. She didn't cry or make a scene, nor did she say anything extra. She simply pushed a divorce agreement, drafted with the help of the local judicial office, through the crack under the iron bars of the window. Her voice was dry but clear: "Old Yi, sign it. Let's... part amicably."
Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, Yi Zhonghai suddenly became agitated. He gripped the cold iron bars tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white from the force. His voice was hoarse as he growled, "No! I won't sign! I won't agree! I'll only be in jail for a few years, you're still my wife! You have to wait for me! The things in the house, the savings, they're all mine! You can't take them! You can't!" He roared, his eyes bloodshot, trying to control and intimidate the seemingly weak woman before him with his past authority and out-of-control emotions. His eyes were filled with panic and resentment as he made a futile, death throes.
Seeing this, an older, more experienced woman from the Women's Federation who had accompanied him stepped forward, her expression serious and stern. She didn't raise her voice, but every word was as clear and forceful as a cold legal statute, striking Yi Zhonghai's heart: "Yi Zhonghai, please recognize your current status and the mistakes you have made! You are not only a prisoner now, but you have also caused irreparable and extremely serious harm to your wife, Comrade Tan Jinhua! We have thoroughly investigated and found that, in order to maintain your so-called 'moral model' facade, you have been falsifying medical records for a long time, claiming that Comrade Tan Jinhua is infertile, pushing all the responsibility for childlessness onto her, leaving her to bear decades of mental pressure, external criticism, and inner torment alone! This is an extremely selfish, despicable, and irresponsible act! It is the deepest betrayal and persecution of your wife!"
Her gaze was piercing, meeting Yi Zhonghai's evasive eyes directly. Her tone grew increasingly stern: "According to the Marriage Law of the People's Republic of China, spouses should be loyal, respectful, and loving towards each other. Your long-term fraud and emotional abuse have severely damaged our marital relationship and completely destroyed the foundation of our marriage! Comrade Tan Jinhua now has every right and every reason to file for divorce! If you refuse to agree to a divorce, she can file a lawsuit in the People's Court. At that time, the court will not only grant the divorce based on the facts, but will also, given your serious fault, favor the innocent party in the division of property! Any marital property you have tried to conceal or transfer must be truthfully declared and divided according to law! Your signing now is to preserve the last shred of dignity for this marriage that has long existed in name only and is full of deception!"
This reasoned and well-founded legal education and stern condemnation, which struck at his darkest and most painful points, was like a red-hot dagger, completely stripping away Yi Zhonghai's last pretense and psychological defenses. He dejectedly released his grip on the railing, swayed, and slumped into the wooden chair behind him. His most shameful and despicable secrets had been thoroughly exposed and made public; his fate was sealed. He had lost his freedom, lost his reputation, and now, even the last vestiges of family support and property he had tried to cling to had lost their foundation and become utterly meaningless.
He finally reached out with trembling hands, picked up the pen, and his voice was hoarse and dry, filled with endless regret, shame and despair: "I sign...I sign..." He wrote his name crookedly on the agreement.
He raised his head, tears mingling with shame streaming down his face, looking at the woman opposite him whom he had deceived, used, wasted, and hurt his entire life. He choked out, "I'm so sorry... Jinhua... I'm really... so sorry..."
At the same time, the steel rolling mill also held a factory-wide meeting to announce Yi Zhonghai's criminal activities. Originally, Director Yang still had some appreciation for talent, considering that Yi Zhonghai was one of the few level eight fitters in the factory with truly excellent skills. He thought that, apart from legal punishment, he could retain his employee status as much as possible, so that he might still be able to contribute to the factory in the future.
However, the impact of this matter was far too egregious, far exceeding the scope of internal factory affairs. In particular, Yi Zhonghai, as a senior craftsman, embezzled the child support funds of He Yuzhu, an employee of the factory, and sold the job that rightfully belonged to He Yuzhu. Even more outrageous were his despicable acts of falsifying his wife's medical records and shifting the blame for infertility. His moral depravity and loss of character far exceeded the scope of technical matters, arousing great public indignation among all the factory employees.
During the Party Committee meeting, the vast majority of committee members were resolute, believing that Yi Zhonghai's actions seriously violated the stance and moral bottom line of the working class, tarnished the reputation of the steel rolling mill, and must be punished with the most severe penalties to serve as a warning to others; otherwise, it would be impossible to quell public anger and rectify the work atmosphere. Ultimately, through a show of hands, the decision to expel Yi Zhonghai from the factory was unanimously passed. The announcement of the punishment was quickly written in large characters and posted on the most conspicuous bulletin board at the factory gate.
The news quickly reached the workshop where Yi Zhonghai had worked for many years, eliciting varying reactions. Workers who had previously suffered technical suppression from Yi Zhonghai or had long resented his hypocritical behavior inevitably felt a sense of triumph, privately applauding: "We've disliked him for a long time! Hypocrite! Serves him right! He even schemes against his own wife like that, is he even human?" "What good is good technique? With such a wicked heart, he'll be finished sooner or later!"
A few kind-hearted older workers couldn't help but sigh and lament. One worker, who had once been a level eight worker, shook his head and said regretfully, "Alas, Old Yi's skills... were truly unparalleled. What a pity... such excellent craftsmanship, but he didn't use his talents for good. All the reputation he built up over his life is now completely ruined... Alas..."
With this dismissal notice, Yi Zhonghai's era as a technical authority in the steel rolling mill has come to a complete end.