Chapter 83

Zhao Jianguo pulled the Mechanical Lesson Manual out from under the coal bucket, the cover still had a bit of dust. He patted it, said nothing, and went back inside. Dawn had just broken, few people moving in the courtyard, only the East Room's chimney puffed a little smoke, probably Sha Zhu boiling water.

He sat at the Desk, opened the Mechanical Lesson Manual, pulling out sheet after sheet. The journal remnants, inked rubbings, broken ends of brake lines, and that sheet copied with "Moon Sets West Storage" were all spread on the desk. He looked at each sheet, then copied them again, his writing neat, as if preparing report materials for a superior.

Three copies, neither more nor less.

After finishing the last copy, he rolled it up, slipped it into a cloth cover, picked up the enamel basin and went to the stove to pour a bowl of hot water. The water was a little hot on the lips; he blew twice, then heard footsteps outside.

Sha Zhu poked his head in: "You really want to overturn the table today?"

"If I don't, everyone will think it's just a joke." Zhao Jianguo took a sip, "That person left at 8:16 last night; today I had He Yushui ask Old Zhou—on December 24, 1962, the boiler room really did lose power, it's recorded, but no cause given."

"Doesn't that match up?" Sha Zhu slapped his thigh, "Yi Zhonghai was on duty, temporarily swapped Jia Wu to cover, then sneaked out to meet someone; Jia Wu ran into him, and then…"

"Just silence him." Zhao Jianguo set down the basin, "Now the problem is, it's useless if only a few of us believe it; we need the whole courtyard to believe."

"What should we do? Put up a big-character poster?"

"More formal than that." Zhao Jianguo stood up, wrapped each of the three documents separately, "I'll go to the Security Section to file, under the name 'Report of Major Safety Hazard', to apply for a courtyard-wide notification meeting."

Sha Zhu glared: "You're really going through procedure?"

"Procedure is the most frightening." Zhao Jianguo smiled, "Once the official stamp is affixed, it's no longer an argument, it's an investigation."

As he left the house, Dong Xu was already waiting at the door. The two said little, then went together to the factory Security Section. The receptionist was an old clerk named Li, his eyelids drooping; upon hearing "report Yi Zhonghai", he immediately sat up straight.

Zhao Jianguo handed over the materials, leaving one copy as a backup and submitting one for public release. Section Chief Li flipped two pages, his face changed: "If this is true, it's no small matter."

"That's why I came to file." Zhao Jianguo said evenly, "I've handed over all the evidence; whether we can hold a meeting is up to you."

Section Chief Li hesitated for a while, then said: "Alright, this afternoon in the Central Courtyard of the Siheyuan, I'll send someone to supervise, making sure nothing gets out of hand."

The news spread faster than the wind.

Before noon, people in the courtyard were already murmuring. Qin Huairu walked by carrying a basin and asked Sha Zhu: "Heard there's going to be a meeting? Is it about that truck with the failed brakes?"

Sha Zhu grinned: "It's not just about the vehicle; there's also a life involved."

"Who?" Qin Huairu blinked.

"Guess who had Jia Wu take his shift?" Sha Zhu lowered his voice, "That night the boiler room lost power, yet Jia Wu was on duty while Master Yi was asleep at home."

Qin Huairu's hand trembled, the basin almost slipped.

At three in the afternoon, a table was set up in the Central Courtyard; Section Chief Li sat at the side, holding a record book. The old and young of the Siheyuan filled half the courtyard—some sat on small stools, some leaned against the wall base, even Jia Zhangshi, who rarely left home, came leaning on her cane.

Zhao Jianguo stood in the middle, holding that document.

"I've asked everyone here today for one matter." His voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard clearly: "On December 24, 1962, the boiler room electrician Jia Wu died from electrocution due to equipment failure. The official line calls it an accident."

He paused: "I say, it's not."

The crowd buzzed.

"I have three things." Zhao Jianguo produced the first: "This is a remnant of that year's duty log; it says that Yi Zhonghai should have been on duty that night, but he had Jia Wu take his shift. The shift-change note bears his signature."

He held up the paper, sunlight glinting on the ink.

"Second, this is what Old Zhou from the archives told me personally: in 1962 there was an 'External Investigation File' sealed for thirty years, nobody allowed to see. According to what He Yushui's sister-in-law related, even Old Zhou himself is afraid."

Below, some people began to whisper.

"Third," Zhao Jianguo drew a deep breath, "this is a copy of the blood-written text Yi Zhonghai composed in the labor reform farm; it contains the line: 'Moon Sets West Storage, light extinguished, person dead.' And on the day Jia Wu met his accident, the boiler room lost power at 11:17 p. m."

He placed the two sheets side by side: "Moon Sets, light out, person dead. Time, place, event—all match."

The whole courtyard fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted.

"Is… is this a spy rendezvous?"

"Yi Zhonghai? Isn't he an old model worker?"

Zhao Jianguo didn't let the arguing go on too long, he turned: "Dong Xu, you speak."

Jia Dongxu stepped forward, his hand trembling slightly but his voice steady: "My father came home that day and told me Master Yi had asked him to take the shift, saying 'Someone from above wants to come.' He didn't ask further. The next day, he was gone."

"Sha Zhu, what about you?"

Sha Zhu stepped forward: "I personally saw Yi Zhonghai sneak out the west gate at midnight to meet with those from the freight station. A couple days earlier he even borrowed a wrench from me, saying he was fixing a forklift, but when I later checked, that vehicle hadn't moved at all!"

"He Yushui?"

"My sister-in-law said Old Zhou once mentioned that the external investigation file contained the four words 'Foreign Contact', and afterwards the Security Section locked it up."

Section Chief Li, listening at the side, broke into a sweat and hurriedly took notes.

Just then, Yi Zhonghai came out of the West Room. His face was pale, his steps a little unsteady, probably he'd heard the wind.

"Zhao Jianguo!" his voice trembling, "You're spreading rumors! I've devoted my life to the factory, and you want to ruin me over a few scraps of paper?"

Zhao Jianguo looked at him: "Then explain why the shift-change note bears your signature? Why did you have Jia Wu take your duty? Why does 'Moon Sets West Storage' appear in your blood-written text?"

"I… that was nonsense! I wrote it crazy during labor reform!"

"Then dare you let the Security Section search your home?" Zhao Jianguo stepped forward, "Check for hidden foreign correspondence? Check for tools used to meet contacts?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The crowd was already angry.

"Investigate! Must investigate!"

"If he really colluded with spies, execution wouldn't be enough!"

Yanbugui suddenly stepped out of the crowd, holding a kraft paper bag.

"I… I also have something here." His voice was low, but everyone heard: "The other day, Zhao Jianguo reminded me to watch Yi Zhonghai; I found this in the interlayer of his toolbox."

He opened the bag and shook out a stack of paper.

"It's a military parts list—numbers, models, quantities, all complete. He also hid half an imported battery, saying it was 'for fixing a radio'."

Section Chief Li jumped to his feet: "This is a major violation! Suspend him immediately for investigation!"

Two Security Section officers stepped forward and took hold of Yi Zhonghai.

"You can't do this!" Yi Zhonghai struggled, "I'm an old Party member! I've made contributions!"

"Your contribution is having Jia Wu die in your place?" Dong Xu rushed forward, eyes red, "My father lived an honest life all his days, and you, just to save yourself, pushed him out to die?"

Yi Zhonghai didn't dare look at him, lowering his head.

"Take him away." Section Chief Li waved his hand.

Yi Zhonghai was being escorted out; as he passed Qin Huairu, she spat on the ground.

"Pah! Pretending to be a good person all your life!"

The crowd didn't disperse; instead, it kept growing.

Zhao Jianguo stood where he was, unmoving.

Uncle Wang came over leaning on his cane, patting his shoulder: "Little Zhao, you've handled this openly. I once served on the Public Security Committee; now I'll take the lead, we'll all sign a joint petition from the courtyard, write a complaint letter, we must make him face legal action!"

"I'll sign!" Sha Zhu exclaimed.

"I'll sign too!"

"Count me in!"

A sheet of white paper was laid on the table, the pen passed around again and again.

Zhao Jianguo didn't sign first; after everyone else had signed, he then picked up the pen and wrote his name.

The setting sun slanted into the courtyard, dyeing the blue‑brick ground a warm hue.

He gathered up the materials and turned toward his home.

The door wasn't shut tight, leaving a gap.