Chapter 69: Su He’s Second Letter
The Ji family brought over a lot of gifts. Although Cao Hongmei tried to politely decline them, she eventually accepted.
Not long after the Ji family left, another wave of visitors came…
Cao Hongmei couldn’t stop smiling. It wasn’t just about the gifts—it was the honor and pride of being the mother of a little hero that left her floating on air.
As for little Su Jinbao, he was practically glowing with joy, even letting a snot bubble puff out of his nose.
The school held a special assembly to commend him and awarded him a certificate of merit.
Even Zhang Xiaoli, his deskmate who usually ignored him, started proudly telling everyone that Su Jinbao was her good friend.
Su Jinbao believed all of this was thanks to his older cousin. From that moment on, one thought took firm root in his mind: for the rest of his life, he must always listen to his cousin!
Over the next few days, Su He visited the local station daily. Officially, she said it was for interviews, but in truth, she was probing for updates on the case.
Although those desperate criminals were tight-lipped, under the station officers’ interrogation, they finally confessed to their crimes.
Just as Su He had predicted, they were all involved in homicides, and their crimes led back to a small-time thug in the provincial capital.
Director Zhou from the station told Su He:
“Those guys admitted it was Liu Erzhuang who gave them incentives and told them to abduct Su Jinbao along with other children.
We can’t intervene directly in provincial affairs, so we issued a joint investigation request.
According to feedback from the provincial side, Liu Erzhuang is a relative of Zhao Shuguang, the former deputy director of the textile factory. That’s why they were targeting your Su family.”
Su He had anticipated this. Shen Ruyi would surely have taken steps to silence Liu Erzhuang and avoid implicating herself.
After thanking Director Zhou, Su He returned home and wrote a report for the county radio station.
Once that was done, she finally remembered to write back to Gu Chiyan:
Comrade Gu Chiyan,
Greetings.
Your letter has been received.
The hair accessory designs and your research findings were extremely detailed, and the flower clip and hairpin you enclosed were greatly inspiring.
You’ve helped me so much—I can hardly express my gratitude in words.
If not for the distance between us, I would certainly thank you in person.
The ration coupons and Huaxia currency you included were also received. Although my second uncle and aunt felt undeserving of such a gift, since it represents your kind intentions, they had no choice but to accept it and asked me to pass along their thanks.
Old Man Ge is doing well—he practices tai chi every morning…
The Dragon Boat Festival is coming up. What traditions do people observe in the capital during this time?
Do they eat sweet zongzi there too?
I’ve heard many southern regions eat savory zongzi. I must try it someday if I get the chance.
Our country is vast, with varied customs and cultures. I hope one day to travel and see it all…
Although I’m not clear on the exact nature of your work, I imagine it keeps you quite busy. Please remember to rest and take care of your health.
If something urgent arises, you may contact me through the labor union of the machinery factory at: *** ***.
With all sincerity and best wishes,
Su He
[Date]
*
Su He read the letter over once more before signing her name and the date at the bottom.
She didn’t feel the least bit guilty about accepting Gu Chiyan’s coupons and money.
As she always believed—the more a man invests, the more he values the recipient of that investment.
Things that come too easily are never truly cherished.
Her mention of the Dragon Boat Festival and regional traditions wasn’t just idle curiosity—it was meant to provide Gu Chiyan with more material for future letters. After all, he couldn’t write about Old Man Ge every time, could he?
There are so many places and customs in China; he could write hundreds of letters and still not run out.
After mailing the letter, Su He went to visit Teacher Yuan.
By the time she left, the sky had already begun to darken.
She quickened her pace.
Halfway home, she noticed a crowd gathered ahead. A woman’s shrill voice rang out:
“I feed you, clothe you, and you dare to steal from me? I’ll beat you to death!”
“If you can steal now, what’s stopping you from killing and burning houses later? Kids like you should be sent to reeducation camps!”
“I should’ve left you in the orphanage back then, so you wouldn’t bring disaster to our family!”
…
The crowd was too thick for Su He to squeeze through, so she asked an old woman nearby, “Granny, what’s going on?”
The old woman’s eyes lit up. Like any seasoned gossip enthusiast, she loved nothing more than sharing juicy stories.
“Girl, you came to the right person—nobody knows this better than I do!
The kid getting beaten is called Tie Zhu. The woman hitting him is his aunt, Liu Qiujv.
Tie Zhu’s parents are both dead, and Liu Qiujv and her husband, out of the kindness of their hearts, took him in as their own.
But Tie Zhu has been nothing but trouble, always making them angry.
Word is he stole money again today, which is why Liu Qiujv lost her temper.
If you ask me, kids like that are ungrateful wolves—you raise them and they still bite you. Better send him back to the orphanage…”
The old woman got more excited as she spoke, pulling Su He along toward the front of the crowd.
She was surprisingly strong and had no trouble pushing her way through.
Soon, Su He saw the woman named Liu Qiujv and the boy, Tie Zhu.
Liu Qiujv had a sharp, mean-looking face. Tie Zhu was a thin, fragile-looking boy, around eleven or twelve.
Liu Qiujv held a fire poker and was whipping it down on Tie Zhu without restraint. The boy stood silently, head down.
Su He frowned. If Tie Zhu were really as ungrateful and wild as people claimed, why was he just standing there silently taking a beating?
On the contrary, Liu Qiujv’s blows showed no sign of affection—just cruelty.
Su He wasn’t usually the bleeding-heart type. But sometimes, her righteous side flared up—like right now.
“Stop it! Don’t hit him anymore!”
Liu Qiujv looked Su He over and sighed, “Miss, you don’t understand. This child’s been trouble since he was little. Today he even stole money from us. I don’t want to beat him, but if I don’t discipline him, he’ll never learn.”
The crowd echoed supportively:
“That’s right, girl. Spare the rod, spoil the child.”
“If you don’t teach them now, who knows what they’ll grow into.”
“Tie Zhu’s always been a troublemaker. He deserves a few beatings.”
…
Su He looked at Liu Qiujv and said, “But the boy hasn’t admitted to stealing. What if you’re accusing him wrongly?”
The previously silent boy suddenly looked up at her.
Su He paused—oh? He’s a good-looking kid.
But his eyes weren’t like other children’s—there was no spark of youth in them.
Liu Qiujv sighed again. “You don’t know him, miss. He’s stubborn as a mule. Never admits anything, no matter what. That’s why I get so angry.”
Su He was a decent actress herself, and she found Liu Qiujv’s performance laughably poor.
Ignoring her, Su He turned to the boy. “Did you steal the money?”
The boy was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “No.”
Liu Qiujv screeched, “See?! I told you! This brat refuses to repent. He needs a beating!”
She raised the poker again.
Su He grabbed her wrist. “The police station is nearby. Why not let them question him? If he stole the money, he’ll remember this lesson. And if he didn’t, at least he’ll be cleared.”
Liu Qiujv’s face immediately turned sour. She yanked her arm back and sneered, “What’s your problem? This is a family matter. Why are you sticking your nose in? Get lost before I beat you too!”
