The entire courtyard is full of villains

The next few days were agonizing. On one hand, he was filled with anxiety—if those things in his house were discovered and reported, everything would be over; on the other hand, he was constantly being berated by Liu Haizhong, making him feel utterly humiliated. A thought gradually emerged: why not report Liu Haizhong himself and sever all ties with him?

He had been making inquiries these past few days and heard that as long as he reported the traitors and spies and distanced himself from them, he could continue living his life. If he could steal all of Liu Haizhong's money, then take the photos and letters to report them, and also completely sever ties with this family... then Liu Guangtian could live alone, and might even have a job, and would never be implicated again.

The thought warmed Liu Guangtian's heart. But then he thought, what if his whole family were sent to a labor camp... Although Liu Haizhong and his second aunt were unkind to him, at least they had enough to eat. With that thought, he hesitated again.

When Liu Guangtian returned home that evening, he saw Liu Haizhong with a livid face. Liu Guangtian felt a little scared and tiptoed back to his room.

"Stop!" Liu Haizhong shouted.

Liu Guangtian turned his head and forced a smile: "Dad, what's wrong?"

With a "thud," Liu Haizhong threw the cigarettes he had hidden under the covers onto the table: "What's going on here? Where did you get the money to buy such good cigarettes?"

"Dad, I didn't buy these cigarettes; someone gave them to me."

"Hmph!" Liu Haizhong sneered. "What a joke! You're just a street thug, who's going to give you cigarettes?"

"It was...it was given to me by Uncle Erhe from the front yard."

"He gave it to you?" Liu Haizhong stared at him suspiciously. "Why would he give it to you?"

"I...I don't know either...he just gave it to me."

"Still lying! Tell me, did you steal it?"

"Dad, I didn't steal it!" Liu Guangtian quickly protested.

"Old woman, bring me my belt! This brat has gone mad; not only does he steal, but he also dares to lie! I'm a level seven blacksmith, and even the second oldest man in the courtyard, Zhang Erhe, hasn't offered me a single cigarette. You, a street urchin, what makes you think you're worthy of this..."

Chapter 192 Our whole family is innocent.

Liu Haizhong's brutal beating not only kept Liu Guangtian bedridden for several days, but also completely severed the last vestige of family affection in his heart. He lay at home for four days, with only Liu Guangfu secretly giving him a cornbread each day. Liu Haizhong, his second aunt, and Liu Guangqi completely disregarded his well-being.

That day, Liu Guangtian was barely able to get up. Seeing his second aunt heading to the front yard to join the commotion, he steeled himself, secretly slipped into the inner room, found the letter and the hidden money, stuffed the money into his bundle, and tucked the letter into his pocket. He didn't dare go through the front door; instead, he set up a ladder in the back yard, scaled the wall, and escaped.

Terrified the entire way, he didn't dare go to the police station, fearing the matter would be suppressed, and instead went straight to the Municipal Public Security Bureau. Half an hour later, Liu Haizhong, who was teaching his apprentices in the forging workshop, was taken away on the spot by the factory's security personnel. His apprentices and coworkers who were close to him were also taken away for questioning one after another.

At the same time, a large team of police officers suddenly surrounded the courtyard house and took away the second aunt in full view of everyone. Liu Haizhong's house was thoroughly searched and then sealed off. Liu Guangqi from the fertilizer plant and Liu Guangfu, who was sleeping in class, were also taken back to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

In the interrogation room, when the hood was removed, Liu Haizhong looked bewildered: "Comrade, why are you arresting me?"

The presiding police officer slammed his hand on the table, and Liu Haizhong trembled in fear: "Sir, I... I... why are you arresting me?"

"What? You still have the nerve to ask! Tell me, where is your elder brother Liu Jiangzhong?"

Liu Haizhong looked completely bewildered: "My older brother died a long time ago."

"Still lying! Dead? Where did you die?"

“My older brother…” Liu Haizhong suddenly stopped speaking.

"Keep making things up? Why don't you keep making things up?" The police officer stared at him coldly.

"I didn't make this up, my older brother really is dead..." Liu Haizhong hurriedly explained.

"We've already notified the police in Chengde to take people to check your family's ancestral graves. If your brother's remains aren't in the graves—let's see how you make up that story!"

Liu Haizhong's mouth dropped open, cold sweat pouring down his face: What did my brother do that he had to dig up his grave to investigate?

"Officer, what exactly did my brother, Liu Jiangzhong, do? I really don't know!" Liu Haizhong's face was full of anxiety.

The two police officers exchanged a glance—judging from his expression, he didn't seem to be pretending. But why would his son bring that letter and photo to report him?

The presiding police officer lowered his voice: "If you confess honestly now, it can still be considered a voluntary surrender. But once we investigate, the nature of the case will be different."

"Boss, what am I supposed to say? I don't know anything!"

"Fine, you're going to be stubborn, huh? Well, you wait. When the evidence is right in front of you, let's see how you keep up your act."

An hour later, the municipal police task force received a call from the Chengde Public Security Bureau: a coffin had indeed been unearthed under the tombstone inscribed with "Liu Jiangzhong" in Liu Haizhong's ancestral grave, containing a skeletal male corpse. However, nearly twenty years had passed, and only bones remained, making identification difficult.

This made the task force even more confused: if the person buried in the grave was indeed Liu Jiangzhong, then who was the person in the photo?

Liu Haizhong was taken back into the interrogation room.

"Liu Haizhong, tell me the truth, where did your older brother go?"

At this point, Liu Haizhong had thought it over repeatedly—his being taken directly from the factory meant that his elder brother's crime was definitely serious. If he didn't confess honestly, it might really implicate his whole family, and even ruin his own future.

He quickly interjected, "Sir, I confess... my brother, my brother he..."

"What happened to your brother?" The police officer slammed his fist on the table during the interrogation.

"My brother contracted syphilis four or five years ago... and he passed away."

"What? Venereal disease?"

“Yes.” Liu Haizhong’s face showed resentment. “My parents only doted on my older brother since he was little. They spent a lot of money to send him to school and even sent him to study in Shanghai. They thought he would be very successful, but he didn’t do well in school and picked up a lot of bad habits in Shanghai. My parents had no choice but to sell their 20 mu of irrigated land and buy him a shop in the county. But he didn’t work properly and even sold the shop that the family bought… My sister-in-law was so angry that she ran away.”

He took a breath and continued, "At the end of 1943, he finally sent someone back to the village with a message. When I took my parents to Chengde County, I found out that this scoundrel had contracted syphilis. At that time, this disease required penicillin to treat, but we had already sold all our land, and I was still working as a blacksmith's apprentice. We simply couldn't afford it... That's how he finally died."

"Logically, since he had a sexually transmitted disease, I didn't want him to be buried in the ancestral graveyard. But my parents insisted that he was the eldest son and grandson, and they secretly sent him back to the village to be buried behind my back." As he said this, Liu Haizhong slammed his fist on the chair in resentment, looking like he couldn't let it go!

This confession left the interrogating police officers somewhat stunned. One of them licked his lips and pressed further, "Your brother... didn't he ever betray his country and become a traitor to the Japanese?"

"He'd have to be capable!" Liu Haizhong said with a look of disgust. "He might want to be a dog for the Japanese, but what would the Japanese want him for? They wouldn't even look at a gambling addict like him."

"Your brother really never acted as a traitor?"

"No, sir, I assure the old man!"

The police officer interrogating them couldn't hold back any longer and pulled out the letter and photo: "Then what is this?"

Liu Haizhong picked up the photo. It showed a fat man with big ears, wearing a military uniform and cap, with a serious expression. He stared at it for a while, then muttered, "This face... why does it look so familiar?"

The police officers above couldn't stand it anymore, so they put a mirror in front of him and said, "Take a look at yourself."

Liu Haizhong looked in the mirror, then at the photo, and suddenly exclaimed, "Isn't that me?!"

"Oh, so you admit it?"

"No, wait a minute... I've never worn this outfit before!" Although Liu Haizhong couldn't remember where he'd seen it before, he instinctively felt it was definitely not a good thing. "Boss, the person in the photo looks like me, but I've never worn clothes like this before!"

"You didn't wear it, but your brother did?"

"My brother?" Liu Haizhong finally understood why he had been brought here. "Leaders, do you suspect my brother of being a traitor?"

"It's not a doubt, it's a conviction. There are photos and letters to prove it."

Liu Haizhong's face turned completely white in an instant: "Leader, I...I never was a traitor!"

"I didn't say you were a traitor, I was asking about your brother!" The policeman glared at him. "But you just kept saying your brother never was."

"I, I, I..." Liu Haizhong couldn't catch his breath and fainted.

"Hey, wake up! Wake up!"

The police officer interrogating him stepped forward and slapped his face. When he didn't react, he ordered someone to bring a basin of cold water and splashed it on Liu Haizhong's face.

Liu Haizhong jolted awake, looked around, and hurriedly scrambled to his feet: "Sir, you have to do justice for my family! I've never been a traitor, my whole family is innocent!"

Chapter 193 Combined Cases

The two policemen watched as Liu Haizhong collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, his fat face twitching incessantly—he certainly didn't look like someone who could remain steadfast and unyielding.

"Liu Haizhong, you'd better think this through. You must tell the truth. If we find out even one lie, your fate will be..."

"Sir, I...I will definitely confess honestly!"

"Do you think your brother ever acted as a traitor?"

Liu Haizhong hesitated for a moment: "Boss, at that time I was learning the craft from my master, and I really don't know what he was doing outside. But it's true that he got syphilis... Back then, my parents even borrowed money from my master to pay for his treatment, which made me work for my master for a few more years for nothing."

"Did he write any letters to your parents, or leave anything behind?"

"I don't know..." Liu Haizhong's mind raced. "Boss, is it... is it someone who reported me? Someone with photos? I've never seen these photos or letters before!"

"You really haven't seen it before?" The police officer above asked with a half-smile.

"I've never seen this before! There must be a bad person... someone is using this to frame me!"

"You say someone framed you? But this letter and photo were found in your home."

"What?!" Liu Haizhong's eyes widened, and he shook his head vigorously. "Impossible! How could it be in my house?"

"You, Liu Haizhong, I thought you were an honest man before, but I didn't expect you to be such a good actor! Let me tell you the truth, this letter and these photos were found by your son, Liu Guangtian, who personally reported it!"

The police officer's words hit Liu Haizhong like a ton of bricks, completely stunning him. His own son had reported him? And the things were still in his own house? How come he'd never seen them before?

"Boss, it must be this kid... Liu Guangtian must have been tricked into reporting me! I really didn't do any of these things!"

His words angered the interrogators.

"Fine, Liu Haizhong, since you're so stubborn, don't blame us for using some methods."

After saying that, he got up and walked out of the interrogation room. Several policemen carrying electric batons went in, and soon after, Liu Haizhong's suppressed cries of pain could be heard from inside.

---

In another office, Liu Guangtian sat somewhat apprehensively opposite. A slightly older female police officer was taking his statement.

"Liu Guangtian, are you sure the item was found in your house?"

"Yes, it's in the hidden compartment where my dad keeps his money."

"Then why did you go and search your dad's hidden compartment?"

"I...I..." Liu Guangtian was a little scared.

The policewoman gently comforted him, "Liu Guangtian, don't be afraid. Reporting spies and traitors is the duty of every citizen. Don't have any worries."

Liu Guangtian bit his lip: "Actually, I just... wanted to steal some money from my dad to buy a job. You don't know, I'm too young after graduation to do odd jobs, and I have to wait for the neighborhood committee to assign me a job. My dad always scolds me at home and beats me all the time..."

As he spoke, he wiped away his tears and rolled up his sleeves: "Look, he's the one who did all of this."

The policewoman noticed the bruises on his arm and couldn't help but feel sorry for him: "Why did he hit you? Did you do something wrong?"

“No… he just beat me for no reason. Sometimes it was because he was upset at the factory, sometimes it was because someone talked about him in the yard, and he would take it out on me when he got home. He not only beat me, but also my brother Guangfu…”

"So you reported him? Was someone instructing you to do this?"

"No, no, officer, I've thought about it for a long time... He may be my father, but... but I don't want to be the relative of a traitor... that's why..."

“Liu Guangtian, your spirit of putting righteousness before family is something we should all learn from.” The policewoman glanced at the record. “Let’s stop here for now. If you ever think of anything, feel free to contact me. My surname is Lü, and I’m the director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau’s office.”