The train driver in the courtyard

Liu Ping'an, a train driver, comes from a family of three generations of poor people.

He was once a train driver for the Gejiu-Bise Railway Company. He was a positive thinker and joined the organization before liberation. He actively supported the policies of higher authorities during the public-private partnership of the Gejiu-Bise Railway Company and played a significant role.

His wife was a worker in a small collective factory under the Kaiyuan Office of the Kunming Railway Bureau. His three sons and two daughters were all studying at schools affiliated with the railway.

From any perspective, the old train driver is not a suspect.

Li Aiguo looked at the old train driver through the window.

Liu Ping'an had been detained for several days and was in low spirits with messy hair.

He was sitting in a chair, recounting what had happened while sighing repeatedly.

"Boss, I really didn't do this! I'm a veteran comrade, how could I do such a disgraceful thing!"

A meteorologist slammed his fist on the table: "If you didn't do it, then who did? How could the gas pipe on a perfectly good train car break? And what about those footprints? How do you explain that?"

Liu Pingan shook his head in frustration: "I really don't know."

The meteorologist widened his eyes and pressed, "Okay, if it's not you, then it must be someone else. Zhao Shanpeng and Chen Dong, who do you think is the most suspicious between them?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Ping'an shook his head in shock: "That's impossible. Zhao Shanpeng is my apprentice. Although he may be impulsive, his mind is absolutely sound."

As for Master Chen, he was from Wanding. Before liberation, when the Japanese invaders came from Myanmar, they set fire to a street in Wanding, and Master Chen's family was wiped out. No one hated the Japanese more than him.

The meteorologist stared at him for a while, then suddenly scoffed, his tone becoming more serious: "They're all innocent, so the prime suspect is you. You'd better watch out."

Liu Ping'an turned pale and hurriedly waved his hands, saying, "It definitely wasn't me, it wasn't me!"

Upon hearing this, the comrade at the local weather station threw away his cigarette butt: "This has been repeated eight hundred times already. It's always the same. This old driver is as inflexible as a rock."

"During the intervals between train runs, who else but this experienced driver is responsible for inspecting the train or communicating with the outside world and transmitting the train schedule?"

"Yes, he must know something. We can't just wait passively like this."

"To be honest, he has pretty good mental fortitude. Listen to this, his answers are always pretty much the same. What does he take us for, some kind of neighborhood committee staff?"

"No wonder he's so stubborn, sabotaging the train carrying mushroom parts. Tsk tsk, if this goes through, the consequences will be immeasurable."

"We need to hurry. The big mushroom is already being assembled. There's no need to waste time with it here."

"We have to completely break down his psychological defenses and get him to confess everything, so it may take some time."

"Find out who his accomplices are; the rest are just minor details, so don't worry about them for now."

The interrogation room was well soundproofed, and the outside was heavily guarded, so Lao Mao's team and the comrades from the local weather station watched the situation inside while discussing it.

After several days of investigation and interrogation, the meteorological station has identified Liu Ping'an as a key suspect, simply because he had ample time and convenient conditions to commit the crime.

The co-driver and stoker were under Zhao's watchful eye the entire time, so they had no chance to do anything.

They discussed it for a while, then looked at the old cat.

Like Li Aiguo, Lao Mao kept staring at the interrogation room, smoking silently.

One of the comrades from the security section of the locomotive depot suggested, "Team Leader Cat, we can't wait any longer. I've seen plenty of people like him. He's all talk and no action, but if we use some methods, he'll definitely confess."

Another comrade with a dark face volunteered: "Let me do it. I've fought with the Japanese special forces before. Let me in, and I'll count to three, and he'll have to kneel down."

The old cat listened to the discussions without uttering a single word.

Unlike his comrades in the local area, Lao Mao believed from the beginning that the old driver was likely innocent.

the reason is simple.

If Liu Ping'an were truly Dieter, he wouldn't have simply damaged the hooks connecting the wagons; he should have directly blown up the wagons.

But now that mushroom cultivation has reached a critical stage, it's too late to bring the medicine team from Beijing. Otherwise...
At this moment, Li Aiguo spoke up: "Team leader, let me go and talk to Liu Ping'an."

The local comrades felt there was no need to discuss it further, but they were too embarrassed to stop it, since they had heard that this person's identity was rather special.

"Alright, you should have a good talk with him."

Li Aiguo nodded to the old cat, then pushed open the door to the interrogation room and went inside.

When Li Aiguo entered, the comrade in charge of the interrogation stood up and stepped aside.

Liu Ping'an's expression remained unchanged when he saw Li Aiguo enter.

During the interrogation over the past few days, as more and more details were revealed, even Liu Ping'an himself began to believe that he was the one who did it. If he hadn't been unwilling to tarnish his faith, he might have already confessed.

To Liu Ping'an's surprise, the newly arrived young man did not ask questions directly, but instead stood there and fiddled with the evidence.

Liu Ping'an's train driver's license, iron lunchbox, cigarette box, wrench, pliers, and a pile of chili peppers in an oil paper package.

Li Aiguo picked up the chili pepper, glanced at it, and then sat down. He had someone pour Liu Ping'an a cup of tea and offered him a cigarette.

After drinking some hot water, I felt warm all over, and the spicy flavor spread throughout my body through my lungs.

For some reason, Liu Pingan felt much more at ease.

"Sir, it really wasn't me. I have nothing more to say. If you're trying to force me, you can shoot right now."

Liu Ping'an didn't want this young man to waste his time on him, so he took the initiative to speak. This was the first time he had spoken up on his own initiative.

Li Aiguo smiled and said, "Liu Dache, let's not talk about that for now. You're a senior engineer in the locomotive depot who's in charge of special missions, right?"

When this matter was mentioned, Liu Ping'an straightened his back noticeably and said with some pride, "There are dozens of train drivers in the locomotive depot, and I am the best at driving large trains. I can complete the mission perfectly every time."

Li Aiguo then asked, "How many times a month do you need to make these special missions?"

Liu Ping'an couldn't figure out what Li Aiguo meant, so he honestly replied, "That's hard to say. Sometimes it happens once every two weeks, and sometimes it happens once every few months."

Li Aiguo continued, "Are trains performing special transport missions exempt from inspection when passing through railway stations and switch stations in various places?"

Liu Pingan replied, "Not only do we not need to check, but to ensure safety, we almost never stop on the road unless something unexpected happens."

Li Aiguo nodded approvingly: "You've really worked hard to carry out so many special missions, master."

Li Aiguo wasn't praising Liu Ping'an on purpose.

He himself had carried out special missions and knew very well that the difficulty of the missions was secondary; the key was the enormous psychological pressure.

In addition, various reviews are required before and after the mission, making the process very cumbersome.

Liu Pingan sighed, "It's not so much hardship as I think. I know that the things we're transporting are very useful; they're things that will allow us to live a better life. If everyone backs down, who will support our family?"

As he spoke, a bitter smile appeared on Liu Ping'an's lips: "I just never expected to encounter something like this."

Li Aiguo seemed not to hear this, and suddenly picked up the chili peppers from the oil paper bag and asked, "I saw in the statement that you ate a lot of chili peppers along the way. These are the kinds of chili peppers, right? Where are they from? Are they spicy?"

Outside the interrogation room, the security personnel from the locomotive depot were somewhat puzzled.

"What is this comrade from Beijing doing?"

"Yeah, is it really worth asking about something so trivial? It's just some chili peppers."

"Isn't this a waste of time?"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by someone else: "Shut up, everyone! This is the train driver!"

The security officers all shut their mouths.

Inside the interrogation room, Liu Ping'an couldn't understand the young man's purpose. After hesitating for a moment, he replied, "It's extremely spicy, but unlike regular chili peppers, it won't give you diarrhea no matter how much you eat."

Li Aiguo picked up a chili pepper and brought it to his nose to smell it with great interest: "The Erjingtiao chili peppers from Sichuan are fragrant but not dry, the bullet chili peppers from Guizhou are particularly spicy, but they are not as red. The chili peppers from Shaanxi are relatively small."

These chilies are big and have a smoky flavor; they're not from around here, are they?

Liu Ping'an was somewhat surprised: "You noticed that? I got these chilies from Langtu through a friend."

Li Aiguo put down the chili peppers and asked, "It must have been quite a hassle, right?"

Liu Ping'an nodded: "Yes, we don't have formal trade with Lang Tuo. My friend has connections in Lang Tuo, which is how we got it."

I'm usually reluctant to use them for regular driving. The section provides us train drivers with chili peppers from Guizhou; eating four or five will give me diarrhea. Whenever I'm on a special mission, I prepare some of these chili peppers in advance.

As soon as these words came out.

The faces of the comrades from the locomotive depot's security department outside the interrogation room changed.

Old Cat couldn't help but widen his eyes: "I never expected that a case that seemed to have no clue would actually be solved by the train driver."

"Master, what's going on here? It's just foreign chili peppers, isn't it?" Zhou Ke asked, puzzled.

Old Cat gave him a disapproving look: "The chili peppers aren't important. What's important is the timing of when Liu Ping'an needs them, which is always before a specific trip."

Purchasing large quantities of wolf-cut chili peppers is tantamount to signaling to the enemy that he is about to carry out a convoy mission, allowing the enemy to prepare in advance.

"Ah, I see. How come Patriot's head is so big?"

Zhou Ke felt a little depressed. The two of them grew up drinking milk together, so how come they were so different? Could it be that Li Aiguo ate more milk back then? Hmm, that must be it.

Old Cat shook his head at Zhou Ke. This kid was enthusiastic and experienced, but he didn't like to use his brain.

This is also why he has been slow to transfer Zhou Ke to the meteorological station.

Inside the interrogation room, Li Aiguo continued, "What's your friend's name?"

"His nickname was 'Mountain Song Singer,' and he was from the Red Frontier Commune."

Liu Ping'an seemed to realize something as well, and said with an incredulous look, "You mean that the folk singer is Dieter? This, this is impossible. Although he has relatives in Langtu, and Langtu is our friend, he can't be Dieter."

This is also something that Li Aiguo hasn't figured out yet.

Last year, we established formal diplomatic relations with Langtu and opposed Xiaomei's family occupying territory in Langtu. Although the two families are not exactly brothers, they can be considered friends.

At this crucial moment, it's impossible for the wolf to come here and cause trouble.

Could this matter have nothing to do with the official Wolf Shedding organization, or was it just some people acting on their own? However, things still need to be investigated to find out the truth.

Li Aiguo inquired about the details of the folk singer and ordered someone to take Liu Ping'an away. Liu Ping'an suddenly stopped and asked, "Sir, how do you know so much about dried chili peppers?"

"Because I've eaten all the dried chilies in China."

Liu Ping'an was somewhat skeptical of Li Aiguo's words, but he didn't press the matter further and was led away.

Old Cat led his men into the interrogation room.

"Patriotism, huh? You're really something."

"Team Leader Cat, don't open a Moutai halfway through. There are still many things we don't understand." Li Aiguo handed Old Cat a cigarette and lit one for himself as well.

"The saying 'opening a bottle of Moutai halfway through' is quite interesting. Now many of our comrades discover clues and start celebrating. We should indeed give them a reminder."

Old Cat nodded, picked up the transcript, read it through, and then handed it to the leader of the security department of the locomotive depot.

"Let's just bring the folk singer back right away, or let's go by ourselves."

Old Cat didn't distrust the abilities of the security officer at the locomotive depot; it was just that since Mountain Song Guy knew Liu Ping'an, he might also know other people in the locomotive depot.

From that moment on, the security officers at the locomotive depot were no longer trustworthy.

This is the helplessness of working in secrecy.

The folk singer's real name is Duan Ping. He was given this nickname because he sang folk songs very well.

He was originally from Duoba Village, but now he is a cook at the canteen of Hongjiang Commune. Hongjiang Commune is the closest commune to Langtuo, and many people in the commune have relatives in Langtuo.

Given the proximity to the border and the complex situation here, outsiders entering Hongjiang Commune without authorization could easily lead to misunderstandings.

Old Cat contacted his comrades in the provincial capital, only telling them that there was an operation, but not the destination.

The local comrades had already received the notification from their superiors and had a vague idea of ​​Lao Mao's identity, so they immediately assembled their team.

If we're going to launch a major operation, we need to do the preparations well, though time is a bit tight.

Fortunately, with the cooperation of local comrades, at a command, the teams participating in the operation began to assemble at the designated location and were distributed weapons.

The operation mobilized dozens of people, fully armed, divided into three action groups with clear division of labor: an arrest group, a patrol group, and a propaganda group specifically for communicating with the Red Frontier Commune.

The propaganda team was composed of local comrades, and several of them were specifically responsible for the work of the Hongjiang Commune.

Li Aiguo also joined the team and was given a Type 54 pistol, which he tucked into his waistband.

The night was deep, the streetlights were dim, and the streets and alleys were quiet. People who had worked all day had already fallen asleep.

Under the cover of night, several Liberation trucks sped along the rugged road toward Hongjiang Commune.

Just as Lao Mao had predicted, the militia of Hongjiang Commune were very vigilant. As soon as the group crossed the small bridge, militiamen sprang out of the woods, their black gun barrels pointed at the truck.

There were only a few of them, but they showed no fear despite being illuminated by the bright headlights.

"Comrade Zhao, thank you for your help now," Old Cat said to a man in a black Zhongshan suit sitting next to him.

"This is what we should do." The man in the black Zhongshan suit opened the door and got out of the car, shouting to the militiamen, "Are you Captain Cunbiao? It's me, Old Zhao from the county town."

The militia captain squinted at the black Zhongshan suit, and when he recognized it, he exclaimed in surprise, "Minister Zhao from the Armed Forces Department, what brings you here so late?"

The man in the black Zhongshan suit turned serious: "Red Frontier Commune Militia, listen to my command! From now on, all of you will obey the command of the special task force and cooperate in the arrest of a key suspect. Understand?"

Cun Biao stood at attention and saluted him: "Understood!"

"Get out of the way and clear the obstruction!" Minister Zhao said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!" Cun Biao immediately turned around and waved to the militiamen behind him. "What are you all standing there for? They're leaders from the county. Put your guns down! Move all the tree trunks and branches blocking the road, and hurry up!"

The militiamen realized that there was going to be a big operation tonight, and they all perked up.

The roadblocks were cleared away in no time.

Old Cat pushed open the car door and jumped out, waving to Cun Biao: "Captain Cun, you are most familiar with the terrain of the commune, so you will lead the way now."

Cun Biao quickly stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Commander, who are you going to arrest? Are there any suspects in our commune?"

"Do you know Duan Ping, the cook at your commune's canteen, the one nicknamed 'Mountain Song Guy'?" Old Cat asked.

"A folk singer?" Cun Biao's eyes lit up, and his face immediately showed disdain. "I knew that kid was weird! He always liked to joke around with the women in the commune, he was so irresponsible, and he was always sneaking off to the city. Turns out he really is a scoundrel!"

He raised his hand and pointed to a spot not far away.

In the darkness, the outlines of several rows of adobe houses could be seen, with a faint light shining from the one furthest away.

"That's the commune canteen. The folk singer usually lives in a small cubicle in the backyard of the canteen. He's probably still awake."

"lead the way!"

By this time, the evening meal had ended at the communal canteen in Hongjiang.

Pots and pans were laid out in the courtyard, and a dim light shone from the small side room behind the kitchen where firewood was piled up.

Duan Ping was sitting on the bedding. Opposite him sat a young widow wearing a faded blue cotton jacket, her hair neatly combed, staring at Duan Ping with her large, dark eyes.

Duan Ping cleared his throat and began to sing, the rustic tune of a mountain dweller drifting out:

"The first month of the lunar year is for releasing horses, oh oh oh, the first month of the lunar year is here!"
Let's catch up on the mileage of the Malay road, oh my, the mileage of the road.

Horses won't get fat without wild grass.

Grass won't sprout without dew, it won't sprout.

Yo~ Oh~

It must be said that Duan Ping has a really good voice.

The young widow listened with a rapt attention, and the flickering flame of the kerosene lamp made her face flush.

"Brother Duan, singing this kind of song is no longer allowed in the commune. You should sing it less often in the future," the young widow said in a soft voice.

Duan Ping scoffed, lit his self-rolled pipe, and smugly shook his head: "What do you know, girl?"

Without me, Duan Ping, our commune's kitchen would starve! The Party Secretary's elderly mother has bad teeth, so who will make her soft egg custard?
"Whenever county officials come down to inspect, it's always me who cooks the braised pork!"

"Besides, I have sworn brothers in the county town restaurants. If anything happens, I can settle it with just a word. In this Hongjiang Commune, no one dares to give Chef Duan a hard time."

"Yes, I know that Brother Duan is capable, unlike my deadbeat husband, who only had a handsome face. I never expected that he would leave me after only a few years of marriage."

As the young widow spoke, she began to sob softly, "How am I supposed to survive, leaving me to raise these children in such hardship?"

Upon seeing this, Duan Ping immediately stood up and peeked into the doorway. It was very quiet outside, and there was no one in sight.

He turned around, grabbed the coarse cloth grain bag from the corner, scooped three bowls of cornmeal into a rough porcelain bowl, and poured it into the small cloth bag that the young widow had brought.

"Take this, and hide it in the ashes before anyone sees it. This is my secret stash, I won't give it to anyone else."

The young widow's eyes lit up, and she exclaimed joyfully, "Brother Duan, you are truly a living bodhisattva who saves us from suffering..."

“The Bodhisattva gives more than just this.” Duan Ping suddenly grabbed her wrist. “Your hands look rough, but they feel soft to the touch.”

The young widow hurriedly tried to pull her hand back, but didn't actually move her body: "Brother Duan, you can't do that, if your wife finds out, she'll pull my hair out."

A surge of wicked anger rose in Duan Ping's heart, and he reached out to pull the woman around the waist: "What are you afraid of? No one comes to the canteen now, it's just the two of us. If you follow me, I'll not only get cornmeal, but also meat coupons and cloth coupons."

"But the commune doesn't even distribute enough grain to eat throughout the year, so where would we get the extra money for these things?"

Seeing that the young widow had quite a appetite, Duan Ping lowered his voice and said, "I have connections. After crossing Wolf Head Mountain at the west end of the commune, you'll reach Wolf Tuo. They lack salt, cloth, and soap there, while we lack chili peppers here."

"Don't you go to the foot of the mountain to herd sheep every day? Sneak past the checkpoint when the militiamen change shifts, stuff the things into your clothes, and who would suspect anything?"

Upon hearing this, the young widow's face turned deathly pale, and she abruptly broke free from his embrace: "Brother Duan, if we get caught, we'll be shot! I dare not!"

"Brother Duan, if we get caught, we'll be shot. I wouldn't dare."

Seeing that the young widow was still hesitant, Duan Ping cursed inwardly that this woman was too cowardly.

He wouldn't have gone to her if he hadn't been so frequent and worried about being discovered.

"What are you afraid of? I've already made arrangements over there. Just grab your things and shove them into your clothes. Do you think he'd dare search a woman like you with his small badge?"

Duan Ping pulled out a few small bills from his pocket and waved them in front of the woman: "How about I give you six cents for making this trip?"

Upon seeing the money, the woman's attitude softened instantly, and she snatched it away, saying, "Brother Duan, I'll work for you from now on. I'll take this money as a deposit."

"I've already received the deposit, so I need a deposit too, right?"

Duan Ping chuckled evilly twice and pushed the young widow down onto the pile of old bedding.

The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered inside the glass shade, casting the two people's shadows onto the wall, where they intertwined.

Sudden.

The cafeteria door was kicked open from the outside.

"What are you doing? What are you doing? I just want to talk to Comrade Yang Jinhua about work." Duan Ping suddenly jumped out of bed, wearing only his underwear, and shouted loudly.

"They're talking about work in bed?" Captain Cunbiao was also shocked by this scene; it was too embarrassing.

"Besides, what kind of work do you, a cook, have to talk about!"

Duan Ping's eyes instantly turned red when he saw Cun Biao: "Cun Biao, you know what kind of relationship I have with the commune leaders. Aren't you afraid they'll deal with you?"

Cun Biao glanced at him indifferently and stepped aside: "Comrade Li, the man is now in your hands."

(End of this chapter)