Li Weidong watched Zhou Jiujiu rambling here and there, his heart was as anxious as a cat scratching, but he did not dare to speak to urge him.
He knew that it was not easy for Zhou Jiu to recall events more than ten years ago.
If the exit is interrupted, it may disrupt the rhythm of Zhou's file.
He quietly handed out a cigarette, and after Zhou Jiu took it, he struck a match and lit it for him.
Zhou Jiji took a deep breath.
hiss.
call.
Along with a burst of white smoke, a vicissitudes of sound penetrated into Li Weidong's ears.
"I was young, energetic and curious at that time. I asked for a leave from the master on the pretext of going to the bathroom and ran to the door of the fitter workshop."
"The place was already surrounded by workers, and there were bursts of screams. I got into the crowd and entered the workshop."
"I saw a young worker half-body trapped in the rolling mill, with blood flowing all over the floor."
As he spoke, a look of extreme fear appeared on Zhou Jiji's face.
"The worker was still alive at the time! He pointed at a worker who was about the same age as him. I only found out that man's name later. He was called Yi Zhonghai."
"I remember clearly at the time that the look on Yi Zhonghai's face was not fear, but guilt, but the guilt was fleeting and I thought I had seen it wrong.
He stepped forward, grabbed the worker's hand, and said loudly in front of everyone that he would help the injured young man take care of his wife and children."
"The young man was already dying at the time. He was just hanging on for a breath. When he heard these words, his eyes widened and his mouth opened wide, as if he wanted to say something."
"In the end, before he could say anything, his arm fell down and he died."
"Everyone present was so frightened that they stood there without daring to move. There was one person who was timid and fainted and fell to the ground."
"By the way, the man's name was Liang Damin. I only found out his name later. It is said that he was the first person to hear the screams and enter the workshop."
Liang Damin and Li Weidong silently remembered this name in their hearts.
"Then what?"
"Then the workshop director of the fitter workshop entered the workshop. Seeing that an accident had occurred, he quickly sent someone to call the comrades from the safety department."
"Since there was no public-private partnership at that time, the entire steel rolling mill was the private property of Lou Bancheng. In addition, accidents in the steel rolling mill were a normal thing. When the people from the safety department came, they kicked out everyone present.
.”
"Kicked out? Don't they investigate the cause of the incident and question the people at the scene?" Li Weidong interrupted him.
Zhou Jiji shook his head: "Accidents happen every three days in the steel rolling mill. For Lou Bancheng, it's okay to kill some people, but production must not be delayed."
Sure enough, he is a black-hearted capitalist. When reading the original work, some people actually sympathized with Lou Bancheng.
Don't you know that Lou Bancheng was able to purchase such a large property in the chaotic years, and there must have been a lot of blood on his hands.
Li Weidong slandered and said, "Go on, what happened next?"
"It's better now. The workers have become their masters, and the various rules and regulations in the workshop are complete. They will no longer disregard the workers' life and death just to rush the work."
Zhou Jiu sighed with emotion before continuing: "After the people from the safety department carried the worker's body out, they had people clean the machine with water, and then let the workers in the workshop return to their jobs."
"That young man acted as if he had never existed in this world."
"Of course, considering his reputation, Lou Bancheng still gave a large pension to the young worker's family."
"It is said that the young worker's family once suspected that someone else had killed her husband and wanted to ask the leader of the steel rolling mill to help her investigate."
"Later, I was stopped by someone. I don't know who it was specifically. I only know that the person had a good relationship with Lou Bancheng."
It must be the deaf old lady!
The information provided by Zhou's archives is completely consistent with what Jia Zhang said. It seems that Jia Zhang has some true feelings for Lao Jia.
So many years have passed, but she has not forgotten to seek justice for Lao Jia.
Li Weidong pondered for a moment, looked up at Zhou Jiu and said, "Old comrade, do you still remember who was present at the scene?"
Zhou Jiji frowned: "It's been so many years, how can I remember clearly? Besides, I'm just an archivist and I'm not familiar with those workers."
At this point, Zhou Jiji paused and his eyes suddenly widened: "Don't tell me, you really remember one. Do you remember the Liang Damin I just mentioned?"
"The one who entered the workshop first?" Of course Li Weidong remembered.
Zhou Jiu nodded: "Liang Damin had just entered the steel rolling mill at that time. I was still reviewing his file in the morning, so I was very impressed with him."
"Then is he still in our steel rolling mill now?"
"No more!" Zhou Jiji shook his head: "After Liang Damin encountered that incident, he took the initiative to resign from the steel rolling mill only half a month later."
"Do you remember where his home is?" Li Weidong realized that Liang Damin was probably a key figure.
Zhou Jiu frowned and thought for a long time, then hesitated and said: "It still looks like Liangjiagou in the suburbs of Beijing."
Liangjiagou! Li Weidong's eyes suddenly widened.
He remembered that Liang Ladi's hometown was Liangjiagou.
Maybe Liang Ladi might know Liang Damin.
As a farmer, Liang Damin had a rare opportunity to go to the city and become a worker. It was suspicious to give it up for no reason.
In addition, he was the first person to enter the workshop after the incident, so he might have seen something he shouldn't have seen.
Li Weidong decided to find Liang Damin.
"Master Zhou, thank you very much!" Li Weidong took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and stuffed it into Zhou Ji's hand.
"Oh, you little comrade, why are you so polite?"
Zhou Jijin pushed him twice and saw that Li Weidong was sincere, so he put it in his pocket without any more shirk.
After leaving the archives room, Li Weidong arranged the production work in the workshop, told Niu Meng to take care of the workshop, and then rode his bicycle out of the rolling mill.
He first went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought 2 kilograms of White Rabbit toffees, and then rode his bicycle to a small alley near the machine factory.
At this time, Liang Ladi was working in the machinery factory, and only three children were playing at home.
Seeing Li Weidong outside the door, Da Mao's eyes flashed with vigilance. He grabbed the door panel with one hand and held a stick in the other: "Comrade, are you here to see my father?"
"Your father?" Li Weidong was stunned for a moment. When he saw Da Mao's eyes blinking twice, he realized that this boy was bluffing.
Good guy, you have so many thoughts at a young age, and you will be able to do better when you grow up.
Li Weidong took out a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, and said carelessly: "Yes, I'm here to find your father. Call him out quickly."
This moment made Da Mao completely confused.
His father had passed away when he was young, but the man in front of him kept asking for his father. What was going on?
Of the three children of the Liang family, Da Mao is the most mean-spirited, Er Mao has the worst temper, and Xiu'er is the kindest.
She was scratching Gahara on the ground. When she heard the conversation between the two, she stood up and ran over, looking at Da Mao with a puzzled look on her face: "Brother, our father is gone long ago, how can you lie to others?"
"You are so stupid!"
Seeing that the secret was leaked, Da Mao glanced at Xiu'er dissatisfied, then turned to look at Li Weidong: "Who are you looking for?"
Li Weidong took out a pack of White Rabbit toffee from the canvas bag, waved it in front of him, and said with a smile: "I'm here for a man named Da Mao, a real man named Er Mao, and a girl named Xiu'er.
Pretty little girl.”
"I'm Xiu'er!"
Just as Da Mao was about to stop him, Xiu'er had already run up, holding her fingers in her mouth, her little face full of expectation: "Uncle, are you going to give these candies to us?"
Er Mao also came up and took Xiu'er's arm: "Xiu'er, don't be deceived. We don't know him. He will give us White Rabbit toffee?"
Upon hearing this, Xiu'er's eyes dimmed and she quietly took a step back, with a look of vigilance on her face.
The children of the poor have long been in charge of the family. In recent years, Liang Ladi had to go to work during the day, so she could only leave a few children at home.
As time went by, several children developed the ability to live independently.
Li Weidong laughed and said: "You don't know me, but I know you. Your name is Da Mao, right?"
Da Mao looked stunned.
Li Weidong pointed his fingers on the heads of Er Mao and Xiu'er, and said with a smile: "You are Er Mao and Xiu'er."
The three children said in unison: "How do you know us?"
"I'm your mother's friend." Li Weidong took the White Rabbit toffee out of the bag and stuffed it into their hands.
"Your mother did me a big favor, and I came here to thank her."
Hearing this, hesitation appeared on the faces of the three children, especially Xiu'er, who stared at the White Rabbit toffee and was drooling.
Er Mao looked at Da Mao and whispered: "Brother, our family doesn't have anything good, so there is no need for this person to lie to us."
"Besides, I learned boxing and kicking from Uncle Liu next door. If he dares to act bad, I can knock him down with one punch."
Da Mao seemed to be reassured by Er Mao's abilities, so he breathed a sigh of relief, reached out to take the toffee, and said thank you.
Xiu'er was very polite. After taking the toffee, she didn't forget to invite Li Weidong into the room.
The room was shabby, with no tables, chairs or benches intact. The small room was divided into two halves by a curtain.
Half of it is a living place, and half is Liang Ladi's sewing studio.
Liang Ladi has sewing skills, and over the years she has sewed clothes for neighbors to support her family.
Of course, her level is too low, far behind Chen Xueru.
The neighbors also asked her to help sew clothes because she was a young widow with several children.
"Da Mao, how old are you this year?"
"Uncle, I am five years old."
"Why don't you go to school?"
".My mother can't afford the tuition."
At this time, Liang Ladi came back from get off work and heard sounds coming from the house far away.
"These children really don't make people worry at all. I told them not to open the door to strangers easily, but why didn't they listen!"
Liang Ladi picked up a stick, kicked open the door, and rushed in.
"Let my children go!"
When she saw that the person chatting animatedly with the children was Li Weidong, she was stunned.
"Director Li, why are you here?"
Li Weidong stood up and said with a smile: "I am your creditor now, so of course I am here to collect debts."
When she was at the machinery factory, Liang Ladi owed Li Weidong fifty kilograms of stick noodles because of things that happened with Deputy Director Huang.
As of now, there are still ten pounds left to pay.
Of course Liang Ladi knew what the so-called debt repayment was about. A blush climbed onto her fair and tender cheeks, and she said coquettishly: "In front of the children, what nonsense are you talking about."
Xiu'er looked at Li Weidong, then at Liang Ladi, stood up and said, "Mom, you once taught us that we have to pay back what we owe others."
Liang Ladi couldn't laugh or cry immediately, she stretched out her hand and pinched Xiu'er's face: "Damn girl, I bribed you with a few white rabbit toffees, my mother's love for you is in vain."
Xiu'er pouted and said, "Not only the White Rabbit toffee, but Uncle Wei Dong also helps us pay for school fees."
"Pay tuition"
Liang Ladi's face instantly became serious, and she frowned and looked at Li Weidong: "If you sympathize with me, you can take that sympathy back. Although I, Liang Ladi, have no ability, I can't even pay for my child's tuition.
But I will never take advantage of others."
Liang Ladi has her own set of rules for doing things.
She could trade coquettishly for steamed buns and meal tickets with the workers at the machinery factory, but she decided not to accept charity from others.
Neighbors around her saw her hard work raising her children, and some offered to help her, but she declined them all. They had no choice but to give her clothes to mend, and then paid her for her labor.
This code of conduct seems ridiculous, but Li Weidong admires it a little.
Li Weidong said in a deep voice: "Of course those tuition fees are not for free for you, what do you think?"
"The tuition fee will be converted into stick noodles, and you have to pay me back one by one in the future."
"You" Liang Ladi bit her lip, feeling a little moved in her heart, and said with a smile: "Okay, I'll change it to stick noodles, but you can't take advantage of me."
"That's for sure. I've already done the math. The three children are all primary school students, and they need two and a half yuan in tuition per semester, which is 7.5 yuan per semester."
Li Weidong said slowly: "7.5 yuan can buy 750 kilograms of stick noodles at the pigeon market. In other words, you have to work seventy-five times to repay this debt."
For the seventy-fifth time, Liang Ladi couldn't help but take a breath.
However, when she remembered what happened when she returned the stick noodles last time, the stick suddenly felt numb.
The rough man in front of me has a domineering style but is very considerate. Sometimes he loves women very much.
"Seventy-five times! Okay, I agree." Liang Ladi's heart was pounding.
Li Weidong took out seven dollars and fifty cents from his pocket and handed it to Liang Ladi.
After Liang Ladi installed it, seeing that it was still early, she smiled and said, "How about I give it back to you today?"
"Here?" Li Weidong looked at the children.
Liang Ladi took out a few White Rabbit candies from the bag and stuffed them into the children's hands: "Da Mao, Mom and uncle have something to discuss. You take your younger brothers and sisters to play at Uncle Liu's house next door."
"OK."
After the children left, Liang Ladi closed the door and turned around, with a charming look in her eyes.
