Chapter 42: Looking for Li Qiang

Has Yi Zhonghai come back? Yan Butgui saw Yi Zhonghai return and proactively greeted him.

"Mm." Yi Zhonghai gave a perfunctory reply and headed toward the central courtyard.

What's wrong with Yi Zhonghai today? Yan Butgui muttered, seeing Yi Zhonghai's expression.

"Oh no, something must have happened." Yan Butgui said that and also ran toward the central courtyard.

"Sister-in-law, something's happened!" Yi Zhonghai shouted as he arrived at the Jia family's gate.

"What's wrong, Yi Zhonghai?" Jia Zhangshi heard Yi Zhonghai's voice and hurried out.

"Dongxu was arrested by the Security Section."

"What? You said Dongxu was arrested by the Security Section?"

"Yes."

"On what grounds did the Security Section arrest Dongxu?" Jia Zhangshi asked.

"When work ended, the Security Section suddenly conducted a check at the main gate, and Dongxu, who had hidden a steel plate in his lunch box, was found out by them."

"It's just a piece of scrap iron; does the Security Section really need to make such a fuss?" Jia Zhangshi shouted angrily.

"Mom, we should quickly think of a solution," Qin Huiru said anxiously from the side.

"Right, Li Qiang is the Section Chief of Security, haven't you looked for him?" Jia Zhangshi asked Yi Zhonghai.

"I've looked, but couldn't find him, so I came back first to give you the news," Yi Zhonghai said.

"Old Yan, did you see Li Qiang come back at the gate?" Jia Zhangshi asked Yan Butgui.

"I didn't see him come back," Yan Butgui said, shaking his head. Actually, when Li Qiang returned, Yan Butgui just happened not to be at the gate, so he didn't see him.

"Then he must still be in the factory; Old Yi, let's go back to the factory to look for him."

"Okay."

"Mom, I'll go with you," Qin Huiru said.

"No need, stay home and watch over Bargeng."

Yi Zhonghai and Jia Zhangshi hurriedly headed toward the Yagangchang.

"Sister-in-law, why did Dongxu bring back a piece of scrap iron?" Yi Zhonghai asked Jia Zhangshi.

"Old Yi, this is also my fault—the Street Office told each household to turn in twenty catties of scrap iron, so last night I told Dongxu that the Yagangchang had plenty of scrap iron and he just needed to bring a few pieces back; otherwise, where would we find scrap iron to turn in?" Jia Zhangshi said regretfully. In fact, what Jia Zhangshi said was not wrong at all; they had nowhere else to get scrap iron. It was said that in the countryside many peasants had turned in their iron hoes, shovels, sickles and other farm tools, and some had even turned in their iron pots and ladles from home, thinking that since the brigade was now setting up a big canteen, they could just eat there every day and didn't need to cook at home, so keeping an iron pot was useless; it would be better to turn it in to support national construction.

"Comrade, we are Dongxu's family; can we be allowed to see him?" Jia Zhangshi said to the Security Section personnel.

"No, without a word from the leadership, nobody can see him." The Security Section personnel refused without hesitation.

"We are neighbors with your section chief; please make an exception and let us see him." Jia Zhangshi pleaded.

"Unless you let our section chief come, or have him write a note, otherwise no way." The Security Section personnel's attitude remained firm.

"What are we to do about Old Yi?" Seeing that the Security Section personnel were unmoved, Jia Zhangshi also panicked. Although she could raise a fuss and act unreasonably in the Siheyuan, she really didn't dare to do so when facing the Security Section, knowing that in the 1950s its personnel were all armed with guns, and many factories' Security Sections even had machine guns and cannons. Jia Zhangshi was unreasonable, but not stupid; she wouldn't dare to confront them head-on.

"Let's go look for Li Qiang; since Old Yan said he didn't see him return, he must still be in the factory, so we'll search elsewhere."

"All right." Jia Zhangshi, as a woman faced with a sudden problem, really had no good ideas at the moment, so she could only follow behind Yi Zhonghai, searching everywhere for Li Qiang.

"Comrade, could you please ask if He Yuzhu is here?" Yi Zhonghai brought Jia Zhangshi to the Second Canteen.

"Master He is stir-frying dishes; if you want to find him, you'll have to wait a moment," the canteen staff said.

"Fine, please tell him that Yi Zhonghai from the Second Workshop is looking for him." Yi Zhonghai said; at present Yi Zhonghai is not yet a first-class fitter, not well known in the factory, and few people know him.

"Okay, please wait a moment."

"Master He, someone outside says he's Yi Zhonghai from the Second Workshop and is looking for you."

"I see." Tonight, coincidentally, there was a reception for He Yuzhu, and he was stir-frying dishes; he also wondered why Yi Zhonghai would suddenly come looking for him.

After being busy for over an hour, He Yuzhu finished cooking the dishes and then came out of the back kitchen.

"Elder Yi, Aunt Jia, what do you need from me?" He Yuzhu saw Jia Zhangshi and was even more puzzled—why would Aunt Jia suddenly come to the Yagangchang?

"Yuzhu, I'm asking—is Li Qiang eating inside?" Yi Zhonghai asked He Yuzhu.

"No, tonight the Procurement Section is entertaining the leadership of the Meat Processing Plant; Second Brother isn't here."

"Then do you know where he went?" Jia Zhangshi asked.

"I really don't know; I've been busy all afternoon preparing the reception meal, truly didn't see him—do you have something to look for him about?"

"Yuzhu, your brother Dongxu was arrested by the Security Section, and we're thinking of looking for Li Qiang to have him speak with the Security Section about releasing Dongxu," Yi Zhonghai said.

"Dongxu was arrested by the Security Section? Why would they arrest him?" He Yuzhu still didn't know about tonight's big inspection.

"It's all my fault—the Street Office told each household to turn in twenty catties of scrap iron, so I told your brother Dongxu to bring some scrap iron back from the factory; who knew the Security Section would find it out?" Jia Zhangshi said with a bitter face.

"Aunt Jia, you're something else—if everyone were like you, the Yagangchang with its few ten thousand workers would surely be emptied out."

"Yuzhu, I know I was wrong; please help us look for Li Qiang—now he's the only one whose words carry weight."

"Elder Yi, isn't Second Brother in the office?" He Yuzhu asked Yi Zhonghai.

"No, I've gone several times; the office has remained locked."

"If he's not in the office, he must have gone home."

"Old Yan said he didn't see him return."

"Then I really don't know where he went." He Yuzhu truly didn't know Li Qiang's whereabouts; normally Li Qiang just goes between two points—factory and home—and rarely goes elsewhere.

"Yuzhu, please help us look for him," Yi Zhonghai said.

"Elder Yi, I really can't get away; you saw there's a reception tonight, and the leadership might want to add a dish or something." He Yuzhu also figured it out—he guessed Li Qiang was deliberately avoiding people, afraid of being asked for favors; since Li Qiang was hiding, he didn't want to get involved, and besides, he wasn't on good terms with Yi Zhonghai or the Jia family, so taking on this thankless task was something he'd rather avoid.

"All right, sister-in-law, let's go think of another approach." Yi Zhonghai also knew He Yuzhu was telling the truth; he couldn't let He Yuzhu come with them to look for Li Qiang, for if the leadership really wanted to add a dish and they couldn't find He Yuzhu, they'd be blamed and he couldn't bear that responsibility.

The two of them practically searched the entire Yagangchang office building, but still didn't find Li Qiang.

"Comrade, may I ask if Dongxu can go home tonight?" Having no other choice, Yi Zhonghai had no option but to return to the Security Section again.

"He can't go back; go back and bring him some food." Seeing that they still hadn't found Li Qiang, the Security Section personnel thought they were using Li Qiang as an excuse to deceive them, so naturally they didn't want to say more.

"Then that's settled."

Old sister-in-law, go back and bring some food for Dongxu, and also take a thick piece of clothing. Although the weather isn't considered cold now, the night temperature is still a bit low.

Old Yi, do you think Li Qiang might have already gone home? Jia Zhangshi asked.

Did Old Yan Kui say he didn't see him go back?

Old Yan Kui not seeing him doesn't mean Li Qiang didn't go back; if we go to his place and have a look, we'll know, right? Jia Zhangshi suddenly became clever.

Exactly, how didn't we think of that back then? Yi Zhonghai said, slapping his forehead.

So the two of them hurried back to the Siheyuan again.

Binzi, is Qiangzi at home? Yi Zhonghai didn't go directly to Li Qiang's house, but first went to Li Bin's house.

He's at home, Li Bin said.

When did he come back? Jia Zhangshi asked.

He came back right after work.

Binzi, please call Qiangzi for us; we have something we want him to help with. Yi Zhonghai said.

Can't call him; he's drunk and asleep, Li Bin said. Actually Li Qiang expected someone would come looking for him tonight, and had specifically instructed Li Bin and Zhou Rong to say he was drunk and couldn't be woken if anyone came looking for him.

Binzi, please try calling him; Dongxu was arrested by the Security Section, and without Qiangzi's word they won't release him. Yi Zhonghai, no longer afraid of losing face, directly stated their purpose in coming to find Li Qiang.

Alright. Come with me to have a look, Li Bin said, and then led Yi Zhonghai and the others to Li Qiang's house.

Big brother, how come you're here? Zhou Rong asked Li Bin.

Elder Yi is looking for Qiangzi.

He's sleeping in the guest room, drunk and impossible to wake, Zhou Rong said, then led them to the guest room.

He didn't drink much tonight. How could he be so drunk? Li Bin said, smelling the strong alcohol in the guest room.

He drank with the leaders at the factory at noon and hasn't sobered up; then he drank again at night, you see, you can't even wake him to get him back to his room to sleep, Zhou Rong said helplessly.

Elder Yi, I'm really sorry; you can see for yourself that Qiangzi is truly drunk, let's talk tomorrow, Li Bin said apologetically.

All right, Yi Zhonghai said, seeing Li Qiang like that, and also knowing Li Bin made sense.

That Old Yan Kui is blind as a bat; Li Qiang clearly came back, yet he insists he didn't, causing us to search for so long. If we had gone straight to Li Qiang's place at the start, Dongxu wouldn't have suffered tonight. Jia Zhangshi began cursing Yan Butgui as soon as they left Li Qiang's house.

Old sister-in-law, just say a couple less sentences; if it weren't for you telling Dongxu to bring things back, this wouldn't have happened, Yi Zhonghai said angrily.