223: Chapter 21 The Third Special Crackdown Operation 223: Chapter 21 The Third Special Crackdown Operation Wang Yunxiao had been very busy lately.
First, there was the issue with his brothers.
Principal Zhou had laid down an ultimatum, saying, “Whether you attend classes or not is your own problem, but dare to fail your finals, and you’ll repeat the grade.”
If you don’t want to repeat the year, that’s fine, I’ll find something for you to do during the summer vacation.
One could guess that it definitely wouldn’t be anything good.
The school’s educational subsidy was meant to help poor children attend school; the Mr.
and Mrs.
with a monthly salary of twenty yuan didn’t qualify for it.
From now on, one had to figure out how to pay for miscellaneous fees, book fees, and meals on their own.
Principal Zhou didn’t say it out loud, but Wang Yunxiao knew he was dissatisfied with Jiang Yinyin, and his own brothers were merely caught in the crossfire.
Besides that, there was also the new outfit he had promised to make for Little Gourd.
Wang Yunxiao, to put it bluntly, was pretty much clueless in this area, and had to seek expertise elsewhere.
Fortunately, he knew a woman who was very good with children.
She was the one whose yard he had… Tch!
What “had occupied,” it was “rented”, Madam Cui’s yard he was using.
After her husband, Old Blind Meng, died, she had been living with Old Blind Meng’s daughter, always keeping the girl tidy and beyond reproach; the card-playing neighbors had nothing but praise for her, saying she was a good woman.
If it weren’t for her having joined the Church and become a nun, the matchmakers would have already come knocking.
Actually, this talk was a bit like locking the stable door after the horse had bolted.
Had she not sought refuge in the Church back then, she and her daughter, with no one to rely on, would’ve already fallen into dire straits.
That’s also a main reason why many women in later generations lament that “all the good men are others’ husbands.”
Good men and women are made through persistent efforts.
When she and her daughter were down on their luck back then, you looked down on them for lacking virtue and behaving wantonly.
Now that their lives are stable, you suddenly think she’s a good woman and get interested; you’re no longer bothered by the past… Why should she care about you?
When Wang Yunxiao went to see her, he had no qualms about it.
Firstly, he truly wasn’t after her body; secondly, he’d paid for the use of her house and her cooking pot.
As for those who gossiped behind his back… Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it?
If someone wants to smear you, they can find fault even in an egg, and stir up a wave even when there’s no wind.
If you have the guts, don’t hide behind anonymity, say it to my face!
Madam Cui was very straightforward.
When Wang Yunxiao mentioned that he wanted to get fabric to make clothes for his sister, she immediately agreed, saying, “No problem, but the cloth on the street is also quite expensive.
I know sisters from the cotton mill; buying the material directly from the factory can save a lot of money.
Bring Little Gourd here another day, and I’ll measure her size for you.”
Wang Yunxiao nodded and took out five yuan from his pocket.
Madam Cui hurriedly waved her hands, “You don’t need that much!”
“No problem.
Make her two sets to wear in rotation, whatever is left over can be considered your labor fee.”
According to Wang Yunxiao’s estimates, a tailor shop on the street would charge about two or three yuan to make a set of clothes.
Making them at home would be even cheaper.
He trusted Madam Cui with the task mainly because he felt reassured with her, and she was right next door, so it was convenient and saved time.
As he was about to leave, Madam Cui suddenly asked, “Brother Wang, when is our neighborhood going to be demolished?”
The question caught Wang Yunxiao off guard.
When is it being demolished?
How should I know?
Should I even know about this?
Seeing his confusion, Madam Cui quickly explained, “I just heard it from the neighbors.
It seems like the government has bought our area to build a new campus for Qinghe Middle School.
Didn’t you know?”
Wang Yunxiao thought to himself, how would I know?
“I’m really not quite sure about that.
I’ll ask for you when I get back.
What’s the matter, is it about the compensation for the demolition?”
Madam Cui hesitated for a moment, then said softly, “The main issue is that if the demolition really happens, my daughter and I have nowhere to go…”
Wang Yunxiao understood her concern.
In this era, her family didn’t have any adult men to support and protect them; hiding here might be safe for now, but out there, they’d likely be bullied to death.
In the past, the preference for sons over daughters was not without reason.
Productive forces were undeveloped, and the social environment was unstable.
A family without men meant no labor and no protector, the eventual outcome of which was predictable.
“Fine, I’ll see what I can find out.”
Although he said that, Wang Yunxiao didn’t have a clue where to start his inquiries—where would a small-time loafer like himself go to gather information?
Unless he went to see the principal, but it seemed somewhat trivial to bother Principal Zhou over such a minor matter.
It would be better to wait until there was another matter to attend to and then ask in passing.
The police hadn’t come to him in the past few days, and he didn’t know whether they were preoccupied with cases related to the Xianglu Club’s behind-the-scenes connections or if they knew his men were all laid up with illnesses and unable to help.
But speak of the devil and he shall appear.
No sooner had Wang Yunxiao settled down for a day than Gao Shan came knocking, notifying him to attend a meeting at the station.
In the second year of Ming Country, in early May, Tianmen City Government formally issued guiding documents, instructing the police stations in each district to organize manpower to investigate the Huaidao Sect’s influence within their jurisdictions, in preparation for an upcoming special strike and rectification campaign.
Having come from the bottom rungs of society and now a well-known figure on the streets of Nantong District, Wang Yunxiao was called to Director Qin’s office after the meeting.
“The rest should be straightforward, but I need you to take the lead on these and help me get the lay of the land.”
Qin Xiangdong pushed a stack of files across the desk to Wang Yunxiao.
What a joke, he calls this “a few”?
Wang Yunxiao picked up the files and glanced at the names—
Cuojin Sect, Longevity Sect, Iron Blood Society, Black Granny Temple, Liusheng Dojo, Red Lantern Society, Extensive Knowledge Society, Plato Society, Qianjin Church…
What the heck are all these?
“These are the documents sent down from above.
Aside from what’s on paper here, I’m not too clear on the specifics, but I can say they all dabble in some mysterious elements, to a greater or lesser extent.”
Seeing the look of utter confusion on Wang Yunxiao, the local big shot, Qin Xiangdong didn’t hesitate and dialed a number: “Tell Old He to come to my office!”
After a while, Old He walked in, yawning and bleary-eyed.
Qin Xiangdong frowned: “What’s this?
Didn’t you rest well?”
“Don’t ask…”
Old He plopped down next to Wang Yunxiao and glanced at the files in his hand: “Where did these come from?”
“Sent down from above.”
Qin Xiangdong explained, “These are the active Taoist Sect forces in Tianmen City post-war.
The senior leadership requires an in-depth investigation to get a handle on the specifics.
Old He, you should be quite familiar with them, right?”
“Why not investigate the Great Luo Sect?”
“The situation with the Great Luo Sect is relatively straightforward; I’ve assigned Gao Shan to look into it.”
“But you can’t just look into these things!
Isn’t this just creating trouble for ourselves?”
Old He shook his head: “Director Qin, you don’t understand the local situation.
None of these fellows are easy to deal with.
If we really find out something, what little we have in the station wouldn’t even serve to make up for the loss.
This should be the job of the Special Service Bureau, don’t take this burden upon yourself!”
Qin Xiangdong said with a smile, “Let’s not talk about whether we’ll investigate or not.
Since you’re aware of the ins and outs here, why not enlighten us?”