Chapter 761 – A Change in Status

The woman had been holding herself together, but the moment Xu Ke mentioned it, tears streamed down her face. She choked back sobs for a long time before managing to speak.

"This humble woman did once have three sons." She wiped her eyes with her tattered sleeve. "The eldest—the year before last, when they were conscripting civilian laborers, he went off to work on the Wenlan River water project. He was killed by a falling rock while building a bridge. The second—he was also recruited for work at Bopu, tending furnaces. In the spring we heard the furnace had exploded, and he died too—not even a body to send back, just a jar of ashes." At this she collapsed to the ground and broke into wrenching sobs.

Xu Ke was moved. He knew deaths and injuries on worksites and in factories were common, but to him they had been nothing more than news—a column of numbers. Now, watching a bereaved mother wail before him, his soul was shaken.

He thought of the prospect of sending this woman's youngest son—her only remaining support—to prison, and his mood grew very heavy.

"Stop crying." He softened his tone. "Was there no compensation?" His eyes swept sternly toward Fu Bu'er.

Fu Bu'er flinched. "Sir! The year before last I wasn't village head yet, only liaison. But I know about her eldest son's case—when the body was sent back, the leadership provided a coffin and a sum as compensation. She received every last fen. As for her second son, there was also compensation—I handled it myself. It's all documented…" He turned to the woman, speaking kindly. "Third Sister-in-Law! I gave you the full compensation—speak honestly for your conscience…"

"You did," the woman said after further weeping. "The village has looked after us, mother and son. It's just that two living boys are simply… gone…"

Her grief was heart-rending; bystanders sniffled and sighed quietly. Xu Ke knew that, apart from lifetime benefits for soldiers killed or injured in combat training, the enterprise's compensation for ordinary workers and laborers was hardly generous: burial expenses plus the former wages as monthly stipends—but only for thirty-six months. Additional welfare applied only if the deceased had dependents: the infirm were given make-work by the transmigrator collective; children could attend school free, meals and lodging included.

Clearly, the suspect's family fell into neither category. What happened to a rural household that lost two workers in succession was obvious enough. And this family had been landless paupers to begin with. No wonder the house was a ruin.

Xu Ke found himself feeling sympathy. No land, no adult laborers, and now her last son was about to be convicted—this household was finished.

He went on to question other neighbors and villagers. The focus was on the sailor's marital relationship. By all accounts, the sailor had been a day laborer before enlisting—quiet, hardworking. The marriage had been reasonably harmonious. Of course there were quarrels and wife-beatings—whose household was without them? Village Head Fu Bu'er beat his own wife as a matter of routine; by local standards, that couldn't be counted as "domestic violence."

"So this couple was actually on good terms?" Xu Ke was relieved. Evidently, by this time-space's standards, the sailor hadn't married under duress. At worst, the wife had strayed; there was no sign she intended to run off permanently—which would have made the follow-up far messier.

"Oh yes, yes—quarrels are inevitable," said a neighborly auntie. "It's just that this family had several children and none survived. If there'd been children, would she have left home to work as a clerk? A woman without ties…" She shook her head.

Xu Ke quickly collected enough testimony from the garrulous neighbors and villagers—so eager were they that he had to announce the inquiry was over. Many who hadn't gotten to speak left in disappointment.

Beyond evidence of the offense, there was abundant testimony that both the suspect and the party concerned were "good people" in the village. At trial, this could support a finding of "momentary lapse."

Xu Ke had each speaker press a thumbprint onto his or her statement. This unnerved those who had been so voluble a moment before.

"S-Sir… we won't have to… appear in court… will we?" Country folk dreaded court; commoners called as plaintiffs, defendants, or witnesses risked a beating at the slightest misstep, and the whole proceeding wasted half a day or more.

"Don't worry," Xu Ke said. "Our courts don't beat people during hearings. We just ask questions and render judgments—no torture. Anyone who's watched a trial at the East Gate Market knows that."

Indeed, some had witnessed the Summary Court's sessions. Locals might dread taking the stand themselves, but watching others receive judicial beatings was a popular spectacle. So when the Summary Court opened at the East Gate Market, crowds had turned up expecting the Australians to trot out exotic Australian torture devices. In the end, they discovered that Australian trials were nowhere near as entertaining as the old county yamen proceedings. Never mind Australian implements—they didn't even see the common paddle, whip, ankle-press, or finger-squeeze. The whole thing was a few questions and answers, then a verdict.

"A few of you will be called as witnesses," Xu Ke said. "Anyone interested in observing the trial is also welcome."

Because Fu Fu had helped record testimony, Xu Ke praised him several times and handed him a white-labeled pack of special-supply cigarettes—made by the Light Industry Division especially for transmigrators, using the finest imported tobacco. Fu Fu had assisted an elder on important business and received cigarettes only elders could smoke; he privately congratulated himself on having risen in the Councilor's estimation. Humming a tune, he headed home.

That evening the Fu household splurged on a table of fine dishes to welcome the conquering soldier. Predictably, the mistress had been flatly opposed to such extravagance for someone who no longer had any personal ties to the household—and predictably, she had earned a punch from Fu Bu'er for her trouble. Unlike the old days, her verbal counterattacks were increasingly feeble, because time after time Fu Bu'er's foresight had proved superior, and his approach had yielded far greater returns than hers.

"You stupid woman!" Fu Bu'er threw down the kindling stick and cursed. "What's one chicken? Xiao Fu is in favor with the leadership—didn't you see the Councilor hand him a pack of cigarettes today? He's bound to become an official! You begrudge him eating and staying here? In the future, you could kneel and beg him to eat with us and he wouldn't bother!"

"A pauper brat, running around bare-assed…" The mistress could not shake the image of Fu Fu arriving almost naked, a mud-monkey.

"He's made something of himself now—he's with the Australians. By the look of things, he'll be an officer by the new year. If we don't move now, we won't be able to get close later."

Grudgingly, the mistress had to admit her husband had a point. She set about preparing the meal as he commanded.

At the table, Fu Bu'er made a point of cultivating him. He toasted Fu Fu personally and had his own children and bond-servants toast the "elder brother" as well, heaping on flattery. Fu Fu distributed the gifts he had brought; Fu Bu'er received a new army satchel. He was overjoyed—he had long coveted one of these status symbols. Though knockoffs were now sold at the East Gate Market, they lacked the correct color, insignia, and hardware. They couldn't compare to genuine military issue.

Everyone received gifts according to rank. Even the mistress, whom nobody liked, got a bolt of cloth. When Fu Bu'er and his wife saw that Fu Yijin's gift was the most lavish, they guessed Fu Fu's intentions. That night, husband and wife schemed together in bed.

Fu Yijin was their biological daughter, entitled to be called a "young lady." Because the family was now the village's wealthiest, she had attracted considerable interest; several matchmakers had called. The mistress had flatly refused every one. The logic was simple: no matter how much bride-price the local market offered, marrying off a daughter was a losing proposition. Setting aside everything else, losing a worker outright was a significant hit—the Fu household's expanded landholdings were already short-handed.

"We can't hold Yijin back forever," Fu Bu'er said, lighting one of the cigarettes Fu Fu had given him. "She'll be seventeen after New Year's. A girl can't afford to wait…"

"Seventeen, seventeen—even forty-year-old crones have young lads chasing them." The mistress was unconcerned. "You think you can't marry off a daughter? Besides, if we send her away, who's going to do the work? You went and sent that little wench Fu Xi off to study—fine, now she's hooked on it and refuses to quit! A perfectly good pair of hands who only comes back to help at harvest. If Yijin leaves too, are we farming this land or not?"

Fu Bu'er smoked in silence. He did regret the Fu Xi affair a little. He had originally intended for her to study a few months, learn bookkeeping, reading, and the abacus, then come home. Instead, she had excelled; a Councilor had even sent a letter declaring her "promising material" and insisting she complete the elementary agricultural curriculum. Not only would she be unavailable for work for years, the family even had to pay living expenses—the Fu household did not qualify for the Education People's Committee's tuition and subsistence waivers.

"Xiao Xi's schooling costs more, but she's learned a lot. At this harvest she taught us plenty of field tricks. Manager Wan even praised her ability—the schooling wasn't wasted."

"Useless! It all benefits outsiders. Old man, all you ever do is benefit outsiders." The woman grumbled again.

(End of Chapter)