Chapter 35: What Crime Is Xu Chenglin Accused Of?

In the eyes of the law enforcement officers, Xu Lin was nothing more than a pitiable girl, unloved by her parents and forced to seek refuge in the countryside. Tsk, the Qin family must be out of their minds. Compared to the cooperation from Xu Lin and her family, it was obvious that Father Xu and Zhang Qian’s group were far less cooperative.

But it didn’t matter; the evidence already in hand was enough to convict them. No matter how uncooperative they were, the law would prevail. The reason for the immediate interrogation was the fear of missing crucial information. Not until midnight did Wang Mingliang finally escort both the Xu family and Zhang Qian’s group away. As for Xu Lin, she was simply a pitiful child.

The next day, Xu Lin woke up late, not rising until noon. By then, rumors had already spread throughout the family compound. There was talk of all sorts. Some even conjured up vivid tales about gunshots at the Xu house in the middle of the night. Xu Lin stood at the gate for a while, listening, and decisively chose not to go out. The crowd of gossiping aunties at the entrance was simply too much. If she stepped outside, she’d be swarmed with questions from every direction. It was better to stay indoors, sewing quilts and making clothes. It was a pity that her plans to go sightseeing were ruined—there were only five days left before she had to leave for the countryside, and she wouldn't get the chance to explore.

At the Enforcement Bureau, Father Qin and Mother Qin sat in the interrogation room, answering questions. When they learned that Qin Fang was the daughter of a spy, their expressions were unspeakably grim. They had just severed ties with their biological child, only to discover that the one they raised was the daughter of a spy. How were they supposed to face everyone now? Even the look in the officers’ eyes was odd, as if they were looking at fools. Their faces burned with humiliation. Most importantly, Qin Fang’s true identity meant her engagement to the Su family was doomed. At that very moment, the Su family was probably discussing Qin Fang’s background over the dinner table, and likely cursing the Qins for their foolishness.

Ah, their reputation was utterly ruined. Mother Qin couldn’t help but cover her face and sob. If only she’d known things would end up like this, she would have—she would have!

“Our investigation shows that Qin Fang had multiple contacts with her biological father, Xu Chenglin. Whether she passed information to him is still under investigation. We hope you’ll recall carefully if you ever saw her eavesdropping on or looking at important intelligence, and report it truthfully.”

“What?” Mother Qin stared at the officer in shock, the words “multiple contacts with her biological father” echoing in her mind. All along, she believed Qin Fang was unaware; that the mistake was caused by the adults, and Qin Fang was innocent.

But now the officer said Qin Fang had known all along, and it was they who were kept in the dark. How could Mother Qin accept this? She felt deeply betrayed. Father Qin felt the same; the obedient daughter in his eyes had, behind their backs, met her biological father multiple times. It was a slap in the face.

“Did Xu Lin know about Qin Fang’s meetings with Xu Chenglin?” Mother Qin suddenly asked, and Father Qin perked up his ears. The officer shook his head. “Comrade Xu Lin didn’t know. Xu Chenglin and Qin Fang always met outside.”

Oh. Mother Qin breathed a sigh of relief, but her face fell again as she remembered she’d already cut ties with Xu Lin. Whether Xu Lin knew or not was none of her concern now—their relationship was severed, and they were nothing more than strangers.

Xu Lin remained at home for two days, preparing everything she needed for the countryside before finally venturing out. Yet, as soon as she stepped outside, she sensed someone tailing her. This annoyed Xu Lin, but she understood the Enforcement Bureau didn’t trust her. To avoid trouble, she bought some vegetables and grain and returned home, not going out again.

The day before her departure, Xu Nuan, Xu Kun, Grandma Xu, and Mother Xu returned home. Their condition was poor—all had lost weight, their hair was a mess, and their faces and bodies were dirty and mottled. When they saw Xu Lin, hatred flashed in their eyes. They blamed her, believing that if not for their attempts to deal with Xu Lin, the Xu family wouldn’t have ended up under suspicion, and Father Xu wouldn’t have been arrested.

Fortunately, Father Xu took all responsibility upon himself, and the others insisted they knew nothing; otherwise, things would have been much worse for them. But when Xu Lin raised her small fist, the four of them lowered their heads in silence. Forget it, they couldn’t win—better to swallow their anger.

Yet, while these four were willing to let things go, others were not. No sooner had they returned than the courtyard gate was shoved open. Mrs. Hu barged in at the head of a group, pointing at Grandma Xu and the others, launching into a fierce tirade. She sternly declared that they had no right to live in the family compound, which belonged to the factory, and that the Xu family must move out at once.

Hearing that even the house was no longer theirs, Mother Xu, who had already lost her job, began to cry. But her tears failed to elicit any sympathy from the neighbors; instead, they saw them as crocodile tears.

Aunt Guihua saw Xu Lin peeking out curiously and walked over, patting her little hand and saying, “Good thing you broke off relations with them, or you’d be dragged down with them too.”

Xu Lin gave a bitter nod and asked quietly, “What crime was Xu Chenglin charged with?”

“You don’t know?” Aunt Guihua asked. Xu Lin quickly nodded, whispering, “Ever since that night, I’ve hardly gone out. When I do, it’s only to buy food before hurrying back. I really haven’t heard any news.”

“It’s just as well you haven’t been out.” Aunt Guihua thought for a moment, but refrained from repeating the nastier rumors for Xu Lin’s sake. She felt Xu Lin was a victim too, and there was no reason to sully her ears further.

“I heard Xu Chenglin was a spy, and they already have solid evidence. If he hadn’t taken all the blame himself, and if Grandma Xu and the others hadn’t cut ties with him, they’d all be sent to the labor farm.”

“Cut ties?” Xu Lin’s face showed surprise, but on reflection, it made sense. Severing relations was the best way to avoid collective responsibility.

Aunt Guihua nodded, lowering her voice. “I heard Xu Chenglin was originally going to be executed, but he rendered meritorious service and got his sentence commuted to life. He’ll be sent to the harshest region of the Northwest, where life is very hard. If Grandma Xu asks you to send him anything or send money, don’t agree. If the authorities find out, you’ll be implicated.”

Xu Lin nodded repeatedly to show she understood. She would never send anything—she felt only hatred, not affection, toward the Xu family.

Aunt Guihua took the opportunity to offer Xu Lin more advice, her tone tinged with pity. “It’s just as well you’re going to the countryside. If you stayed here, people would only point fingers at you and ruin your mood for no reason.”

“Yes, I think it’s a good thing. As long as I’m willing to work, I won’t go hungry,” Xu Lin replied honestly.

Aunt Guihua’s heart ached even more for her, and she simply couldn’t understand what sort of family would abandon their own daughter while raising the child of an enemy. Was there some twisted sense of accomplishment in bringing up a foe’s child?

If someone dared to switch her child, she’d fight to the death once she found out. Raise the other person’s child? Not a chance. Even in her wildest dreams, she wouldn’t accept that.