Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 492 Ma Weichang's Inside Story (Vote for a chance to win a big prize)
When asked about Zhao Liang's question, Zhou Yi smiled and shook his head, saying, "I don't know him. We just met briefly outside earlier."

Then he said to Ma Weichang, "Please, Mr. Ma."

Ma Weichang shook his head helplessly and then walked out of the hospital building.

The truck that was parked here has already driven away, but the car next to it is still there.

The four men stood where they had just parked the truck, and Ma Weichang was filled with trepidation.

But Zhou Yi had no intention of hiding it for him and asked directly, "Ma Weichang, which one is your wife, the one inside or the one on the other end of the phone?"

Before Ma Weichang could answer, Zhao Liang was already confused. "Wait, Zhou Yi, what do you mean by that?"

Zhou Yi immediately told the two of them about accidentally witnessing Ma Weichang making a phone call to someone, right in front of Ma Weichang.

Zhao Liang was shocked when he heard this, and pointed at Ma Weichang, saying, "Good heavens, you're keeping a mistress on the side!"

Zhou Yi, however, said, "She shouldn't be a mistress or a third party."

Only men who have experienced the seven-year itch in marriage understand this tone; you would never speak to a mistress or lover like that.

Zhou Yi asked Ma Weichang, "The person who just called you must have been your ex-wife, Zhang Guifen, right?"

"Zhang Guifen? Haven't you been divorced for several years?" Zhao Liang asked in surprise.

Ma Weichang's face was very ugly. It was as if Zhou Yi had exposed his secrets, so he could only nod helplessly.

Zhou Yi asked, "Ma Weichang, what exactly is going on? What is your relationship with Zhang Guifen and Miao Genhua?"

"This... doesn't seem to have anything to do with Fangfang's disappearance, does it?" Ma Weichang retorted, clinging to a sliver of hope.

Zhou Yi chuckled and said in a cold tone, "Before Ge Fangfang is found, anything could be related to her disappearance. Whether it is related or not is for us police to judge."

"Of course, it's okay if you don't want to talk. After all, we police officers are just following the rules and won't force you to talk against the law."

“However…” Zhou Yi said, his eyes narrowing, “If you don’t tell us, we’ll ask Miao Genhua or Zhang Guifen. One of them will speak up.”

Upon hearing the name Zhang Guifen, Ma Weichang couldn't help but shudder.

He immediately clasped his hands together in front of the three men and said, "I'll talk, I'll talk, but I have one condition: please don't tell my wife about this."

Zhou Yi asked with a cold smile, "I wonder which wife you're referring to?"

Ma Weichang was taken aback and stammered, "It's...it's Zhang...Guifen."

Zhou Yi said in a businesslike manner, "We will not interfere in your family affairs."

Ma Weichang nodded happily.

Zhou Yi added, "But if some situations are related to the case, we need to verify them with other people."

Ma Weichang plummeted from the heights of success to the depths of despair.

Zhou Yi took out a cigarette from his pocket, pulled one out, and handed it to Ma Weichang: "Come on, let's talk."

Ma Weichang reluctantly accepted the cigarette.

Zhao Liang, standing to the side, was inwardly turmoil. He thought to himself that Director Chen was indeed good at judging people; no wonder he kept praising Zhou Yi for coming from a big city.

Although Zhou Yi happened to witness Ma Weichang making a phone call, the few words that had scared Ma Weichang so much that he wet himself made Zhao Liang realize two words: experienced!

His experience is far beyond what Zhou Yi's age could possibly match!

When he was Zhou Yi's age, he wouldn't have dared to speak like that. He would have always carefully followed his master, afraid of saying something wrong.

Zhou Yi's actions were a skillful combination of kindness and severity, demonstrating a good balance of flexibility and restraint.

When he lit a cigarette for Ma Weichang, Ma Weichang was filled with trepidation and, without waiting for Zhou Yi to urge him, took the initiative to confess.

"Officers, this matter is a bit complicated, and I don't know where to begin," Ma Weichang said.

Zhou Yi waved his hand and said, "No rush, take your time, I still have some cigarettes here."

As he spoke, he handed one to the old policeman, knowing that Zhao Liang didn't smoke.

"Okay, sigh..." Ma Weichang took a drag of his cigarette, sighed, and started talking.

He said that he used to work in a small state-owned factory, and later married Zhang Guifen through an introduction.

Zhang Guifen always complained that he didn't earn enough money and had no ambition, so he quit his job in a fit of anger and went into business.

Although the reform and opening up brought opportunities everywhere, in the end, there were still more people who couldn't make money.

Ma Weichang got involved in this, making money at times, but also losing money at others.

After several busy years, the final result was only slightly better than working in a factory, but the downside was that it was uncertain whether one could make a living or not.

He was extremely worried about this and under a lot of mental pressure.

He didn't say it, but Zhou Yi could guess that part of the pressure came from his ex-wife, Zhang Guifen.

However, every gain has its loss. Because he was honest and loyal in business, he made some close friends.

Three years ago, a good friend pointed him in the right direction, saying there was a small quarry in Xipinggou where he could mine limestone.

Previously, this quarry had an owner, but he illegally started excavating before completing all the necessary permits, which led to him being reported, shut down, and fined a lot of money. As a result, he absconded.

My good friend said he had a channel to sell building materials and suggested that he take over this quarry, get all the necessary permits and licenses. He said that while he might not make a fortune, it would definitely be much more stable.

Zhou Yi knew this line of thinking was correct, because since the reform and opening up, infrastructure and real estate development had increased year by year, and both upstream and downstream sectors could make money.

So he went to the quarry in Xipinggou to investigate, and even went to see the village chief of Xipinggou, bringing him cigarettes and alcohol. He said the village chief readily agreed and fully supported him in opening the quarry, since it would benefit the village as well.

So he went home and discussed it with Zhang Guifen. They took out all the money in the house, plus the money his good friend had invested, and bought the quarry.

Acquiring the land is only the first step; more importantly, it is necessary to obtain legal mining qualifications.

He didn't want to repeat the mistakes of the previous boss.

These procedures are quite complicated, including mining registration, land leasing, safety production and construction, and so on, with a whole host of related documents and procedures.

He begged and pleaded with everyone, treated people to meals and gave them gifts. It took him almost half a year and a lot of hard work to finally get all the paperwork done.

By this point, he had basically spent all the money he had.

Just as he was full of confidence and ready to start work, rented machines, and went to the village chief of Xipinggou to hire villagers.

Something unexpected happened.

A large group of villagers surrounded him in the village committee office because they disagreed with an outsider digging in Xipinggou.

Faced with villagers who had surrounded the village committee office with hoes and shovels, he could only hold up the documents in his hand and repeatedly say loudly: This was approved by the county, I am mining legally, I have a license.

But the villagers didn't care what he said at all, shouting that they just didn't agree.

Helpless, Ma Weichang could only turn to the village chief for help.

At this moment, the village chief stepped forward and said to the villagers: "Don't misunderstand, Boss Ma is not here to rob Xipinggou, but to help everyone get rich together."

The village chief told everyone to calm down, that he would have a good talk with Boss Ma, and that he believed Boss Ma would give everyone an explanation.

Then he closed the office door and pulled Ma Weichang aside to discuss what to do.

Ma Weichang said he was completely stunned at the time because the villagers outside all looked like fierce demons, as if they wanted to devour him.

On his previous visits to Xipinggou to see the village chief, the villagers he met were all kind and friendly, greeting him with smiles.

Then the village chief made him tea and said, "You've seen Mr. Ma's situation. The villagers aren't targeting you intentionally; they're just scared off by that boss who ran away before. Many people worked for that boss and still haven't received their wages."

Ma Weichang was on the verge of tears, saying, "This is one thing, this is another. What does that boss have to do with me?"

The village chief said that rural people are uneducated, and in their eyes, a boss is a boss, and they are all the same.

Then he added that the villagers were very stubborn and most of them didn't have any other business besides farming. If they kept causing trouble for him, how would he do business? Wouldn't all the money he had invested go down the drain?

Enraged, Ma Weichang said he would call the police if they dared to cause trouble.

The village chief quickly reassured him, saying that if they could come and cause trouble every day, did they think the police could keep watch over the place for them every day?
Besides, the police station in our town is only the size of a cricket box. How could the police possibly arrest everyone in the village?
Hearing this, Zhao Liang was furious: "Hey, is this village chief even speaking human language?"

Zhou Yi quickly reassured him and let Ma Weichang continue.

Ma Weichang said, "I knew he was telling the truth, so I had no choice but to shrug and ask him what to do."

"Then the village chief gave me an idea, telling me to promise the villagers that the quarry would only hire villagers and would not hire outsiders." Zhou Yi was not surprised by this, after all, the villagers were making a fuss simply to protect their own interests.

The excuse of not allowing outsiders to dig things in Xipinggou is just that—an excuse. The real purpose is this.

Moreover, the village chief was clearly in the know, or even the mastermind, and led the villagers to put on a show for Ma Weichang.

One side is the red face, and the other side is the white face.

“I agreed to the village chief’s request at the time because I was going to hire workers anyway, so it didn’t matter who I hired. But I also made it clear to the village chief that it was no problem to hire villagers as ordinary workers, but some jobs required professional skills that the villagers couldn’t do, so I had to hire people from outside.”

"What did the village chief say?" Zhao Liang asked.

"He didn't refuse, but he made two more requests."

"any request?"

"First, he said the wages he would pay the villagers would be higher than those paid outside. I can only grit my teeth and bear it; it's better to pay more than to lose the business."

"What about the second point?"

When asked the second question, Ma Weichang's expression turned somewhat awkward, and he involuntarily scratched his head.

"The second point is... is..."

Zhao Liang urged, "What is it? Just tell me."

Meanwhile, Zhou Yi, who was standing to the side, already knew the truth.

He began, "The village chief's second requirement is that you marry a woman from Xipinggou village, and that woman is Miao Genhua, right?"

Ma Weichang nodded awkwardly.

No wonder Zhou Yi felt it was very strange and inexplicable when he heard from Zhao Liang that Ma Weichang went from divorce to marriage in less than a month, because there were indeed logical loopholes that couldn't be explained.

But now it makes sense.

The marriage between Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua was entirely a transaction.

The villagers were afraid that Ma Weichang would run away one day, just like the previous boss.

This means they've learned their lesson.

I wonder which genius came up with this idea.

They probably thought that as long as Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua got their marriage certificate, Ma Weichang would be unable to escape his fate.

It's alright if the person runs away; the quarry is still here. Miao Genhua will be the legal heir to the quarry in the future.

In addition, if Ma Weichang has any other assets, those assets also belong to Miao Genhua.

Their idea was indeed good, but it also fully exposed their lack of culture.

This is because Ma Weichang is honest in business. If it were any other unscrupulous businessman, he would have probably taken advantage of Miao Genhua, leaving her with huge debts and driving her to desperation.

After all, marriage is not just about sharing property; debts also need to be shared.

But clearly, Ma Weichang was somewhat naive and hadn't considered this aspect.

Instead, they believed that the village chief made him do this because the villagers did not want outsiders to do this business.

“The village chief told me that it wasn’t a real marriage, but a fake one, mainly to shut the villagers up. He said that after a year or two, when the villagers trust me, we can get a divorce then.”

“I told him that this was a big deal and I couldn’t make the decision myself. I had to go home and discuss it with my wife. Oh, that’s Zhang Guifen.”

“Nonsense, we know that, no need to explain,” Zhao Liang urged. “Continue.”

Ma Weichang immediately nodded with a sheepish look on his face: "When I got home, I told Zhang Guifen about it, and she was so angry that she said she was going to fight those people. In the end, after much persuasion, she finally agreed to the fake marriage. But her condition was that I had to leave with nothing, including the house, the car, and our son, all of which would belong to her."

“Of course, once the quarry makes money, I'll have to send money home every month; and even though we're divorced, we'll still live at home as usual, and I absolutely can't let my son and the elderly know about this; and... and we absolutely can't let this charade become real, otherwise she'll..."

"What did she do?" Zhao Liang asked.

Ma Weichang said awkwardly, "She took a knife and chopped up my penis."

Zhou Yi thought to himself, "It's clear that his first wife is quite formidable."

Zhao Liang asked, "So you agreed to all the conditions Zhang Guifen proposed?"

Ma Weichang sighed and said, "What can I do if I disagree? I've invested all my savings in this quarry. If I don't bite the bullet and go for it, I'll never be able to turn my life around. Besides, my friend invested money in this, and I can't let my friend down."

Ma Weichang said that in addition to leaving with nothing, Zhang Guifen made another request.

She wanted to meet the woman he had a fake marriage with.

At the time, Ma Weichang had a clear conscience and was only thinking about making money, so he naturally agreed without hesitation.

He was also curious about who that woman was.

Although it's nominally a fake marriage, it's still a real marriage certificate. If the village chief arranges for him to marry a woman in her sixties or seventies, he'll lose face. He'll have no face among his friends afterward.

So, with the village chief's arrangement, the couple met Miao Genhua.

As for why it was Miao Genhua and not someone else, the village chief meant that he felt sorry for Miao Genhua. Her husband had died, and because she gave birth to a daughter, she was kicked out by her husband's family and had no source of income.

Because when the village chief proposed the sham marriage earlier, he said that the person involved in the sham marriage would need to receive compensation.

After meeting, Ma Weichang said that Zhang Guifen was actually not satisfied with Miao Genhua because she felt that Miao was too young and not bad-looking.

Her concerns are actually quite understandable; she's afraid that her husband might one day take their fake relationship for real.

But the village chief's point is that there's no suitable person right now, since young women aren't willing to do this kind of thing, and if they suddenly become divorced, how will they get married again?

Only widows are willing to do this, and right now Miao Genhua is the only suitable one, and she is also willing.

The village chief told them that if they really didn't want to, they should wait and see, maybe a year or two, and if there were any new widows in the village, then he would talk to them again.

Ma Weichang certainly disagreed; if they waited a year or two, the business would be ruined.

So he told Zhang Guifen that Miao Genhua seemed rather dull and was just an ordinary countrywoman. He reassured Zhang Guifen that he didn't think much of her and that he would be too ashamed if word got out.

Although Zhang Guifen was unwilling, she knew that this matter was closely related to her and her son's future, so she had no choice but to agree.

So the two parties reached an agreement and even signed a written agreement.

Party A is Ma Weichang, Party B is Miao Genhua, and the village chief is the witness.

Both parties agreed that Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua would register their marriage and divorce one year later. During this period, Ma Weichang would compensate Miao Genhua 100 yuan per month. If they terminated their marriage earlier, in addition to the originally agreed 100 yuan per month, Ma Weichang would have to compensate Miao Genhua an additional 500 yuan.

At Zhang Guifen's insistence, a clause was added to the agreement stipulating that Ma Weichang and Miao Genhua could not sleep together, or they would have to divorce immediately.

Zhang Guifen originally wanted to specify in the agreement that the two were in a sham marriage.

But the village chief told her she couldn't write it like that because it was illegal, and if the government found out, she would be arrested and imprisoned.

This statement was somewhat alarmist in the 1990s. After all, a sham marriage is not considered bigamy, and the definition of a sham marriage depends not only on the motive but also on the actual consequences.

So it's true that it's illegal, but whether they all end up in jail is another matter.

The real reason is most likely that the village chief didn't want to leave concrete evidence in writing. Because, in Zhou Yi's opinion, the written agreement was completely useless.

Indeed, that's exactly the case. After all, three years have passed, but Ma Weichang still calls Miao Genhua "wife."

You should know that the agreement states that they will divorce after one year.

Zhou Yi wasn't really surprised by the result. After all, marriage is a moral constraint, and there are far too many cases of fake divorces and fake marriages backfiring.

Especially during the years when housing prices soared, it was not uncommon for people to stage fake divorces in order to circumvent purchase restrictions, only to end up losing both their money and their partners.

The reason is simple: human nature cannot withstand the test.

Just look at Ma Weichang; he mediates between two women in such an outrageous and bizarre way.

Those who play with fire will eventually get burned; it's just a matter of time.

"Ma Weichang, so when did you get together with Miao Genhua?" Zhou Yi asked.

The other party's lips trembled slightly as they replied, "The...the month before the due date of the written agreement..."

(End of this chapter)