Chapter 24: Going to the Commune

The night passed without incident. The next morning, Li Yi rose early as usual and began preparing for his stall. Although he needed to head to the commune later, he could not afford to delay his trip to the county seat. Making money was a secondary concern; the state-run restaurant was still waiting for his mountain goods, and he could not afford to break his word. Fortunately, his third sister, Li Na, had accompanied him on a delivery before and had helped manage the stall, so she should be able to cover for him for a day.

When Li Na learned that her younger brother wanted her to handle the delivery and the stall, she was not worried or anxious, but rather quite excited. Unlike her conventional older sisters, Li Na had been strong-willed since she was a child. Ever since she saw her brother earn more in a single day than others did in three or four months, she had been itching to try it herself. However, as a young woman, her parents, Li Shankui and his wife, dared not let her venture out alone, so she had to bury all her thoughts. Now that Li Yi had asked her to take his place, she was eager to do so and would never refuse.

Concerned that Li Na might not be able to handle things alone, Li Shankui hesitated for a long time before deciding to take a day off from the production team to accompany his daughter to the county.

At nine in the morning, after seeing his father and third sister depart with the big red mule, Li Yi rode his bicycle toward the brigade headquarters. He was to meet Feng Kai and Zhang Tongfu there before heading to the commune together.

At the Red Flag Commune, several directors and deputy directors had arrived early. By the time Li Yi and the others arrived, these officials had already set the stage for an interrogation. They had spent the previous day gathering information on Li Yi and knew that he had a reputation for being lazy, prone to fighting, thieving, and generally good-for-nothing. Consequently, the commune officials were convinced that the boy had committed some offense in the county and had been caught by Secretary Wang, which was why they had been asked to investigate. They intended to intimidate him the moment he stepped through the door.

Li Yi walked into the commune conference room accompanied by Branch Secretary Feng and Team Leader Zhang. Unlike the two elders, who were visibly nervous, Li Yi remained completely indifferent. He had visited the Great Hall of the People in the capital and had even been received by national leaders; he was hardly going to be intimidated by a few mid-level cadres. Upon entering, he showed no fear, his eyes scanning the officials with a look that left them feeling highly displeased.

"Bang!" A middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit slammed his hand on the table. "Are you Li Yi?"

"I am. What do you want with me?" Li Yi replied calmly, his tone neither servile nor overbearing.

"Watch your attitude! Do you know what you've done?" the man demanded in a deep voice.

Li Yi shook his head. "I do not."

Before the man could continue, Li Yi took a step forward. "My Uncle Feng and Uncle Zhang have already told me about the situation. I haven't done anything wrong. If you believe I have a problem, then present your evidence; otherwise, stop with these groundless accusations."

The commune officials, who usually acted like petty tyrants on their own turf, had never been spoken to in such a manner. They bristled like frogs in a pond.

"What kind of attitude is that?" the man at the head of the table asked.

Seeing that Director Huang had his displeasure written all over his face, Feng Kai and Zhang Tongfu trembled.

"My attitude is fine. It’s yours that is the problem," Li Yi replied coolly.

"Oh? And what, pray tell, is our problem?" Director Huang asked with feigned interest.

Li Yi did not hold back. "The problem is significant. First, as grassroots cadres serving as the bridge between the leadership and the masses, your attitude toward both is flawed. When the county asked you about my situation, you should have simply reported the facts instead of blowing things out of proportion when you didn't even know the circumstances. It makes you look like you are wielding a chicken feather as a token of authority. As for me, a common citizen, you should have sought to understand the basic facts rather than resorting to verbal intimidation and mental pressure. This double standard is unacceptable."

Li Yi continued, "Secondly, your competence is in question. The county asked you to investigate me, so you should have clarified the facts rather than indulging in wild speculation. Furthermore, if I had truly committed an unforgivable crime, would the county have been so passive as to just let you conduct a preliminary inquiry? The criminal police would have already come to arrest me."

Stung by Li Yi’s rebuttal, the faces of everyone present, including Director Huang, darkened. Yet, despite their annoyance, they had to admit that he had a point.

"A sharp-tongued brat, indeed! If you didn't do anything wrong, why would the county committee secretary specifically call to investigate you? Is he just bored?" one of the deputy directors shouted with a shrill voice.

Li Yi frowned. "Don't yell at me. It's not a few years ago anymore. You want to know what's going on? So do I." He paused, then asked, "You have a telephone here, don't you?"

"We do. What of it?"

"If you have a phone, why are you waiting? Just call the county committee and ask!"

"Nonsense! Is the county committee office's line something you can just call whenever you like?" another deputy director retorted.

"How foolish," Li Yi said. "They asked you to investigate me, didn't they? Just tell them you’ve finished your inquiry and need to report to the main leadership."

After whispering among themselves, the officials agreed that his suggestion made sense. The cadre sitting to Director Huang's right walked out, clearly to place the call.

Director Huang looked at the composed young man before him, secretly stunned. Based on their reports, this youth was supposed to be a shiftless character, but that was clearly not the case. In less than five minutes, he had turned the tables and firmly controlled the situation. He had not only criticized them but was now directing their actions. Such boldness and intelligence were not common. More importantly, Director Huang could see that the young man was genuinely unafraid, not just bluffing.

"You don't seem worried about your situation at all," Director Huang remarked with a smile.

"Why should I be? An upright person does not fear a crooked shadow."

"Heh, but according to our investigation, your shadow is quite crooked," Director Huang replied.

"Oh? So you're saying I have problems? Tell me then, I'd like to know where I've gone off track," Li Yi said, remaining completely unfazed.

"For starters, how do you explain your affair with that educated youth, Tang?"

"I am in a consensual relationship with my fiancée. We are already engaged and getting married at the end of the month. Is there a problem with that?"

"But our information suggests you slept with her first, and that is what led to everything else!"

"Heh, young people in love sometimes lose control. We tasted the forbidden fruit—it's human nature. We simply made a mistake that any young couple might make, nothing more."

Li Yi’s nonchalant answer left Director Huang at a loss. Logically, anyone in this position would be terrified; this wasn't just a matter of moral character, but a potential criminal case. If the girl hadn't been willing, it would be rape, which carried a prison sentence. Yet, the young man before him did not care in the slightest, which was completely unexpected and left the director unsure of how to proceed.