Chapter 188: Supporting the Hometown

"Director Wang, I can only say that I have failed the organization's trust, but other than helping the Deaf Old Lady conceal her true identity, I know absolutely nothing about her other affairs."

"Hmm, I do believe you on this point. Tell me specifically about your relationship with the Deaf Old Lady."

Wang Weiguo and Wang Zhihong were old acquaintances, and he believed she would not defect, but the necessary procedures could not be skipped.

It turned out that years ago, when Wang Zhihong was lurking in the land of the Foot-Basin Chickens, she was discovered while transmitting messages. She was severely injured while being hunted by the Foot-Basin Chickens, and by a stroke of fate, she was saved by the Deaf Old Lady's son, which led to this scene of repaying the debt of gratitude today.

In fact, the matter of concealing the Deaf Old Lady's true identity could be big or small. If the Deaf Old Lady hadn't committed a crime, it would at most be a minor indulgence of power, but since the Deaf Old Lady had committed a crime, that was a different matter entirely.

"Director Wang, there is a call from above."

"Alright, I'll be right there."

Wang Weiguo naturally knew that this call was most likely from Wang Zhihong's father or her brother; this was his direct superior.

"Uncle Wang, this is Wang Weiguo."

"Weiguo, I heard that the girl Zhihong has committed an offense. Since she has violated the national law, you should handle it as you see fit; there is no need to consider anything else."

"Yes, Uncle Wang."

It could have been handled strictly by the book, but with this phone call, I have to think it over, Wang Weiguo muttered to himself.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Weiguo sat in his office for a while, then sighed helplessly.

"Director Wang, you may go back. Your matter will be handled by someone from above."

"Alright, sorry to trouble you, Director Wang."

"Ring-a-ling."

"Director Wang, it's a call from Minister Lü of the Ministry of Heavy Industry."

"Alright."

"Hello, Minister Lü, this is Wang Weiguo."

"Weiguo, I'll just speak plainly."

"Alright, please go ahead."

"It is only human nature for Comrade Yang Zhiguo of the Rolling Mill to visit his savior during holidays; he doesn't know much about anything else."

"The words and actions of the Rolling Mill's leadership are under scrutiny, and I hope the Public Security comrades will be mindful of the impact when handling this matter."

"Alright, I understand."

Wang Weiguo had originally intended to send someone to bring Yang Zhiguo in for questioning, but now it seemed unnecessary; he would just find two people to make a trip and take a simple investigative statement.

This Deaf Old Lady really was a hot potato, and the number of people involved was quite significant; from yesterday until now, they had already brought in three waves totaling seven people for questioning.

Although they hadn't obtained any useful information, since it involved the Agent Radio, it was highly likely these people would not be trusted with important tasks in the future.

"Has there been any progress with the Deaf Old Lady?"

"Reporting to Director Wang, no. That Deaf Old Lady still won't say a single word about the radio."

"Let's go, let's take a look."

At this moment, the Deaf Old Lady's aura was withered, and she sat dejectedly on the chair. She couldn't understand how she had been exposed. Apart from the Qingming Society, she almost always stayed in the Back Courtyard, and it was impossible for anyone to know her secret.

"Helongni, have you still not figured it out? I have already roughly grasped the situation. The only people who could make you cover up like this are your son's few comrades-in-arms."

"As long as you clarify this matter, and after verification, if it is confirmed they did not participate in Agent activities, then they can all live in the sunlight in the future, and you will also return in one piece. Wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?"

The Deaf Old Lady might not understand other things, but she understood the principle that the winner takes all and the loser suffers; when the time came to settle accounts, the losing side had no right to stand and speak.

"Are you the head here?"

"Yes."

"Although I don't know what you are talking about, I really don't know where those rascals and hoodlums are now. You should have seen the communication records; we lost contact six or seven years ago."

It was precisely because of this that Wang Weiguo had a headache; having lost contact for six or seven years, it was too difficult to find any clues.

"Since you are still being stubborn, let's see how long you can hold out."

Outside the interrogation room.

"Director Wang, you just made a promise, yet the Deaf Old Lady still refuses to speak. That means those people most likely participated in Agent activities and went into hiding for fear of being held accountable later."

"Hmm, in that Deaf Old Lady's room, besides these things, were there any other discoveries?"

"No, but it's very strange. Underneath the radio box, it was all stones, quite a lot of them, as if the basement had been filled with stones."

"Hmm, I suppose the treasures from before were emptied out, and they were afraid the ground would collapse."

Sijiucheng was the ancient capital of six dynasties and was once the gathering place for most high-ranking officials and nobles, so it was not strange to dig up some treasures underground.

"Continue the interrogation."

"Yes."

The fact that stones were dug out of the Deaf Old Lady's room also made Zhang Ping'an break out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the stones were all from his space and had been weathered for decades, so no one would suspect they had been filled in recently.

As the stones were dug out, the Public Security officers, having gained nothing, withdrew their team, and the Siheyuan returned to its peaceful life.

This day, Lao Er and Lao San came looking for him. Both of them were thinner than before; it seemed the communal canteen could no longer keep running.

"Dad, Big Brother, Mom, it's fortunate you moved to the city. Now, at the Brigade Headquarters, except for the seed grain, all the remaining grain has been distributed to each household, telling everyone to eat sparingly. The current communal canteen is basically useless, and since it's winter, every household is only eating one meal a day now."

"That's right, Dad, Mom. Without the flatbreads Ping'an sent, we wouldn't have been able to hold on until now. Sigh, it's too difficult now."

"Lao Er, Lao San, I still have plenty of corn and wheat at home. This time when you go back, each of you take two hundred jin back; it should be enough to last until the summer harvest."

"Lao Er, Lao San, listen to Ping'an." Zhang Dadan felt heartbroken looking at his two sons with their slightly sunken cheeks.

"Alright."

At noon, Zhang Ping'an cooked a meal of meat at home: Braised Pork, stir-fried rabbit meat, Braised Fish, and scrambled eggs.

"This... Ping'an, this is too extravagant."

"Lao Er, you know my hunting skills; we aren't short of meat at home. You two stay here for two days and get some good nourishment."

"..."

"Ping'an, actually, the Brigade Leader also had his intentions in us coming here this time."

"Uncle Laiyou?"

"Yes, you are the first Worker to come out of our village, and now you are a Cadre; he wants to ask if you can manage to get some grain so everyone can hold out until the summer harvest."

"Lao Er, what nonsense are you spouting? There are 153 households in the whole village, eight or nine hundred people; where do you expect Ping'an to get such a large amount for you? Laiyou is also muddled."

"It's alright, Grandfather. Uncle Laiyou is doing this for the whole village; I will see what I can do."

After finishing the meal, the second uncle and third uncle left with two sacks of grain and two buckets of oil, and Zhang Ping'an saw them to the door.

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, actually I know someone whose family farms and hunts deep in the mountains. This year they had a bumper harvest of sweet potatoes, five cents a jin, and getting under ten thousand jin shouldn't be difficult."

"Really, Ping'an? This is life-saving grain!"

"Yes, wait until seven o'clock in the evening two days from now, and have Uncle Laiyou bring people to wait at the village entrance."

"Good, good, good."

In the early morning, Zhang Ping'an disguised himself, carried a basket on his back, and came to the Black Market again.

"Buying or selling?"

"Selling, freshly hunted Wild Boar Meat."

"Ahem, brother, can you sell it directly to us?"

"Don't misunderstand, brother, I will definitely give you the Black Market price," the other party said hurriedly when they saw Zhang Ping'an's vigilant gaze and the gun on his shoulder showing signs of being raised.

"That works too, saves me from having to hawk it."

"Alright, come with us."

"A total of 155 jin, 1.2 yuan per jin, totaling 186 yuan. Brother, you can bring any Wild Boar you hunt in the future; we pay the daily real-time price."

"Good, do you accept sweet potatoes? There are about several tens of thousands of jin."