Chapter 6: Modern Era 03

The meeting was held in the main hall of the ancestral temple. Party Secretary Liu and Director Hao sat behind a desk facing a flight of stone steps. Villagers arrived at the venue one after another. However, the ancestral temple hall was designed on too grand a scale, and with so few villagers left in the village now, the drafts swept back and forth relentlessly. Secretary Liu was wearing only long underwear on his lower half and trembled constantly, causing the desk in front of him to shake along with him.

At that moment, Zhao Xiaolan hurried toward the secretary carrying a pair of padded cotton trousers and a warm lunchbox. The moment Secretary Liu saw this, he glared at her angrily. "What are you doing? Bringing padded trousers and a lunchbox to a meeting—what kind of behavior is this?!"

Director Hao looked at the constantly vibrating table in front of him, then glanced at Secretary Liu. "Alright, just put them on and eat a few bites. Even the conference table is protesting!"

Secretary Liu's face flushed crimson instantly. Taking the trousers and the lunchbox, he stood up and retreated to the corner behind the ancestral tablets.

As Zhao Xiaolan left, she nodded repeatedly at Director Hao to express her gratitude. Director Hao merely gave a symbolic nod, constantly maintaining his air of authority.

The scene was chaotic. Many people, just like Zhao Xiaolan, had brought food from home. Secretary Liu did not get angry; after all, the weather was freezing, and the meeting had been called in such a rush. Most importantly, he had already set the precedent. He couldn't very well allow officials to burn down houses while forbidding ordinary citizens from even lighting lamps.

There were steaming flatbreads, scallions, soybean paste for dipping, and some even brought home-fried oil cakes and dough sticks... Seeing these, Secretary Liu couldn't help swallowing hard. He felt a bit of regret and had a strong urge to criticize the crowd a little. It looked entirely too much like a country market fair, old Liu could only curse inwardly.

Just as everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Secretary Liu cleared his throat and prepared to start the meeting, but a few housewives had already begun knitting sweaters or mending the holes in their padded trousers.

Secretary Liu exercised forbearance once again. "Fellow villagers, a tragic incident occurred today—a most unfortunate event!"

The moment they heard that something bad was going to happen, the noisy venue instantly quieted down.

The sudden silence made Secretary Liu nervous. It had been a long time since they had experienced such a solemn atmosphere; he remembered that the last time the village faced an "economic crisis," everyone had been practically all smiles. This time, upon hearing that someone had met with misfortune, everyone displayed intense curiosity, and the air seemed to freeze solid.

"Ahem, ahem. Something happened at Widow Li's place. The pigpen..."

Before Secretary Liu could finish his sentence, the venue erupted in total chaos. Director Hao was somewhat speechless—with just this handful of people, how could the meeting place possibly be this disorderly?

Small children ran up and down, some even bringing toys along, with rattles and whistles joining in to help create a racket. Several women instantly formed a huddle, ignoring their children completely, and gathered together to whisper, holding their own little meetings in overlapping voices.

Several married men lowered their heads, occasionally glancing at this person or that one, wearing troubled expressions as if they had unspeakable secrets. As for the bachelors, especially those who used to be laborers in the commune, they excitedly let out whistles and exchanged knowing winks, acting as if they already knew all about what had happened.

"Quiet down! Quiet down!"

After the venue quieted down slightly, Secretary Liu recounted everything he had witnessed. Just as he was about to announce the next item on the agenda, the venue predictably exploded once more.

While Secretary Liu was struggling to restore order, Liu Mazi, the militia captain covered in blood stains, arrived at the venue, and the crowd automatically quieted.

"Didn't I order you to take the militia and secure the scene? Why have you come here?"

"If we don't take action immediately, a catastrophe is going to happen! I've brought the breeding boar and Widow Li here!" With that, Liu Mazi shouted toward the militia members outside the door, "Hurry up and carry them in!"

At that moment, Militia Private Wang and Old Yao carried the dying Widow Li into the ancestral temple. The stump of her severed hand had already been wrapped in white gauze, and the bleeding seemed to have stopped.

Next, Militia Private Guo hauled the breeding boar in on a flatbed cart. Everyone stared in utter shock at the bloody hand stuck to the flank of the boar.

The children stopped their play and ran back into their mothers' arms, while the local idlers sat blankly, losing their previous lively demeanor. A bold man stepped forward, took a look, and let out a startled gasp: "It's Widow Li's hand!"

Militia Captain Liu Mazi had several militia members settle the breeding boar and Widow Li, then said to Secretary Liu and Director Hao, "Quickly think of a way to save her! If we hurry, the severed hand might still be reattached. And that pig—that pig looks like it's about to kick the bucket, too!"

Seeing this, Secretary Liu was furious. "Can't you see we're in the middle of a meeting? Meeting first!"

Liu Mazi walked over to Aunt Wang's side and murmured a few words. Aunt Wang stood up with great reluctance and walked toward Widow Li. He knew Aunt Wang had formerly served as a nurse, and wanted her to examine Widow Li's injuries.

Aunt Wang felt the pulse on the left wrist, checked the bandage and medication on the stump of the right arm, and cast a sidelong glance at Liu Mazi. "Did you bandage this?"

"I learned how when I was studying in the county town as a boy."

"Alright, stop showing off. Let's continue the meeting!" Secretary Liu cleared his throat. "Everyone, take your seats. Mazi, hurry up and come take your seat!"

Secretary Liu did not seem to oppose the militia captain's unauthorized action.

Liu Mazi was still young after all; if he truly angered Secretary Liu and caused a confrontation, his future days here would be very difficult. Fortunately, Secretary Liu understood his actions.

As the militia captain took his seat beside Secretary Liu, the secretary gave him a rare smile and said, "You've worked hard!" Then he turned back to Director Hao and said, "Shall we proceed?"

Hearing Secretary Liu's seemingly sincere concern, much of Liu Mazi's anxiety vanished.