The Mystery of Good Deeds

  As soon as I arrived at the police station, I saw a group of Red Guards escorting someone out from afar.

  It wasn't until they got closer that they could see clearly, and it was the police officer who had spoken to them that day being pressed down.

  The policeman also saw Liao Dongfeng at this time. Although he didn't say anything, the fear inside him could be seen from his eyes.

  Suddenly, he broke free from everyone's hands and ran towards Liao Dongfeng, shouting "Destroy it, destroy it."

  Then there was a burst of mad laughter, until the Red Guards rushed over and he was dragged away after being beaten up.

  The one walking at the end of the Red Guard squad turned his head to look elsewhere, seemingly intentionally avoiding Liao Dongfeng's gaze.

  Liao Dongfeng recognized him, this man named Peng Jianjun, was a classmate from the same school but different classes. His father came from an ordinary background and relied on his physical strength to make a living, while his mother worked in a woolen mill and earned very little money each month, a situation that couldn't compare with Liao Dongfeng's.

  To be honest, they were not very familiar with each other at first, but a school beauty brought them closer together. Later on, the two of them even had a big fight and were severely punished by the school.

  However, this matter did not reach the ears of both parents because it started to get chaotic from the second day onwards. The school leaders were suppressed and struggled against, and no one ever mentioned the big deal again. Peng Jianjun also joined the rebel ranks because of this incident.

  At this time, Liao Dongfeng saw Peng Jianjun and hurriedly beckoned him to come over. However, Peng Jianjun pretended not to see him and continued walking his way. It was clear that the rift between them was still quite deep. Although Peng Jianjun still held a grudge about that unpleasant incident in his heart, Liao Dongfeng had long since forgotten it completely.

  Liao Dongfeng saw Peng Jianjun ignoring him, so he casually threw his bicycle aside and rushed forward to grab Peng Jianjun, asking: "Are you blind? Didn't you see me greeting you?"

  Peng Jianjun is tall and strong, as the saying goes, "a big body doesn't lack strength", Liao Dongfeng is not even in the same league as him, so why does Peng Jianjun seem to be afraid of Liao Dongfeng now? Is he still afraid that he will reveal that embarrassing thing?

  "Can't you see I'm busy? Can we talk about our thing later when I'm not so busy?"

  After listening to Peng Jianjun's words, Liao Dongfeng immediately knew why he had been deliberately avoiding him.

  He hastily waved his hand and said, "Let's not mention our business from now on. Besides, I couldn't beat you anyway! Now, I want to ask you something. What did the police officer do wrong? Don't you know that our family's case hasn't been solved yet? You've arrested him, who's going to crack the case?"

  "You're really a tough nut to crack, I'm afraid of you. Honestly, I don't even know what mistake this policeman made. All I heard was that he hugged a big copper thing and slept with it for one night, and the next day when he woke up, there were all sorts of rumors and slanders pointing at the revolution and the suffering masses of the proletariat. So even if this guy got beaten to death, he deserved it."

  "What big copper lump? What big copper lump? Where is that big copper lump now?"

  Liao Dongfeng was overjoyed when he heard the four words "Da Tong Ge Da" and hastily asked about the outcome.

  "That big copper lump is a strange thing, it looks like it's been around for ages, should be an antique. But now the whole country is smashing the four olds, even if this thing is worth a fortune, it'll still be destroyed. I suggest you stay away from it, don't get involved, you're a cadre's child, a red third generation, with a bright future ahead of you, not like us ordinary people who are just trying to survive. So I advise you to mind your own business, otherwise you'll ruin your prospects and bring shame to your family."

  What Peng Jianjun said made sense, and his attitude was also quite mild. To be honest, before meeting Liao Dongfeng, his reputation and prestige were earned through his own strength.

  Liao Dongfeng was a child from a wealthy family, at most he could be considered a rich kid who relied on his family's influence to gain respect in school. Others kept their distance from him, not because they were afraid of him, but because they didn't want to get into trouble with him.

  After listening to Peng Jianjun's words, Liao Dongfeng was slightly impatient. He leaned forward and asked in a low voice, "You like Dong Juan very much, don't you?"

  Peng Jianjun nodded, looking at Liao Dongfeng with a puzzled expression, waiting for his next words.

  Liao Dongfeng saw through Peng Jianjun's thoughts and continued, "Brother, my family has encountered such a big thing, I'm sure you also know some general idea. Since that's the case, I won't waste words with you. Brother, I can bear to part with something precious, and I can let Dong Juan go to you. However, you little brat must do something for me too - help me investigate the whereabouts of that big copper relic. That's my grandfather's heirloom, even if it's a four-old, I want to see it destroyed with my own eyes. At least that's what a junior should do, right? You won't ignore this filial piety of mine, will you?"

  Peng Jianjun tilted his head and stared at Liao Dongfeng, looking like he didn't quite believe what Liao was saying. However, Liao's words were reasonable and made sense. If he really didn't help him out this time, who knows what unexpected things he might do.

  "I'll try my best! As soon as I have any news, I'll notify you immediately."

  Liao Dongfeng thanked him hastily after listening, and after exchanging some insignificant pleasantries with each other, Peng Jianjun was about to bid farewell.

  However, at this time he suddenly turned his head back and called out to Liao Dongfeng, saying: "Right, Dongzi, a while ago the newly appointed director will take over your family's case, you can ask him then."

  As soon as he heard this, Liao Dongfeng stepped forward and grabbed Peng Jianjun's hand, bursting with emotion: "Comrade, you are like a thick down jacket in the cold winter, you are like the North Star in the wilderness, you are a living Lei Feng who delights in helping others..."

  Not waiting for him to finish, Peng Jianjun hastily interrupted his words: "Alright, alright, you'd better stop talking now. If you go on like this, you'll have to make me look bad too. Don't praise me too much, I'm afraid of falling from the pedestal. And one more thing, can you keep it in your heart that we got into a fight over Dong Juan and were disciplined? Please don't tell my parents?"

  Liao Dongfeng scratched his head and replied, "Fighting? What's that about? And for a woman? We're all the country's fine young people, with vast skies waiting for us to gallop freely. Where do we have time for such idle indulgence?"

  Peng Jianjun gave a thumbs up and said: "You have culture, you have insight, it's really high, I won't bother with you anymore, my retreat."

  He finished speaking, just walked out two steps and suddenly turned back to say: "Actually, we are not on the same path, but I just think you're particularly pleasing to the eye. In the future, if you have any difficulties, just let me know, brother, I'll be there even if it means going through boiling water or walking into fire."

  "Big brother, the Internationale has made us a family, so we don't speak two different languages. You take care of your business, and I'll wait for your good news."

  Liao Dongfeng finished speaking, stretched out his hand and gently punched Peng Jianjun's chest, Peng Jianjun also returned a punch, then the two of them laughed and bid farewell, their friendship from that time on was turned to a new page.

  While Liao Dongfeng was waiting patiently for news from Peng Jianjun, the police had already obtained preliminary identification results and informed Liao Haiyang, Liao Dongfeng's father.

  After preliminary identification, the four bodies at the scene of the fire were three males and one female, with ages ranging from 35 to 65 years old. No fatal injuries were found on them, but tissue extracted from their stomachs showed that they had been drinking excessively before death, which could have led to an accident.

  Due to insufficient evidence, the possibility of premeditated murder and homicide was shelved. Due to the limited technology at that time, the four bodies were severely charred, and no items that could prove their identities were preserved, so forensic experts could not determine whether Liao Dongfeng's grandfather Liao Yang was among the dead or not.

  However, Liao Haiyang and Liao Dongfeng both knew that if the forensic doctor's determination of the deceased's age was accurate, then Liao Yang would not be among them, because at that time he was already around 70 years old. Of course, neither Liao Haiyang nor Liao Dongfeng explained this.

  The newly arrived Director Zhang Minghua was also entangled in other trivial matters and did not delve deeper into it.

  Liao Haiyang also took away the oldest deceased for burial, and his performance was convincing. Director Zhang Minghua didn't think much of it, and the other three corpses were left in the hospital's morgue waiting to be claimed. With that, the case was temporarily closed, and it had been dormant for nearly eight years.

  After returning home, finishing the white matter, and sending away relatives, neighbors, and old comrades, Liao Dongfeng finally had the opportunity to sit down with his father, Liao Haiyang, and say a few words.

  "Dad, the deceased isn't Grandpa, why did you hastily claim him? Do you know something?"

  Liao Haiyang lit a cigarette, blew out a smoke ring and slowly replied: "I know too, but your grandfather dedicated his life to the country, his youth and hot blood were all wasted in the war years. Can't he avoid being called a murderer in his old age? Let's just leave it at that for now! When I have time, I'll find someone to figure it out. You go back to the big courtyard to live for a while. I'm helping you contact the army, and when the time comes, you can go to the troops to train. It's not about achieving great things, but it's better than suffering in the countryside."

  Liao Dongfeng nodded, after all, he still had a lot of things to do at the moment. After thinking for a while, he said: "Yes, I'll tidy up the old house again, there are too many memories here."

  Two days later, Father returned to the city, and Liao Dongfeng thoroughly cleaned the old house again, paying attention to some details during the cleaning process.

  Some fragments of bowls and plates were found in the corner, plus the police said that there were excessive amounts of alcohol in the stomachs of the four deceased, so it was determined that the four people should have been eating before the fire occurred.

  Moreover, it was not yet time for dinner, so these four people should have come suddenly. Since Grandfather could entertain them warmly, these four people should be considered old friends.

  But as far as I know, for over a decade, except for some old comrades-in-arms, there are only a few people who can get close to Grandpa, and Father must have wanted to go check on him too.

  So next I need to find out if the fire is related to Grandpa and where did he go?