Chapter Ten: A Conversation with Tao Shouli (Part I)

Driven by the biting northwest wind that swept day and night, all the bodies of water in the Songyang urban area began to freeze over in large patches.

Winter had truly arrived.

In one’s dreams, there is no awareness of the frozen sky and hardened earth. When opening the window in the morning, the glistening, shimmering water that seemed to be rippling in the cold wind just the night before had vanished.

The Songhe Water Park and the Raoyangtan swimming area lay there silently, facing upward, mute and still. The surface, once lively with shimmering ripples, had now become a dirty, uneven, and gray mirror. A sandstorm that had lasted for half a month had covered the newly formed ice with a thick layer of dust and countless pieces of debris.

Even though the red sun hung high in the sky, it could not reflect a single glimmer of light.

Despite it being Sunday, there were very few visitors in the park.

Although the season had not yet reached the depths of midwinter, Zhang Maolin was already bundled in a thick down jacket. Even though he realized his attire might seem eccentric or even comical to others, his extreme fear of the cold left him unable to consider anything else.

Zhang Maolin and Tao Shouli walked slowly side by side along the cobblestone path surrounding the Songhe Water Park. With the lush foliage of summer long gone, the path, which had once felt narrow, now appeared exceptionally wide and clear.

"Has your family reached a decision regarding the request from the municipal branch for a statement on those funds? It would be best to provide a final response by next Monday. Then, we will convene a special committee meeting, and the final minutes will be reported to the provincial branch as a special record."

Zhang Maolin turned his head, looking at Tao Shouli’s ashen face.

"Maolin, I’m afraid. To be honest, when President Wang spoke with Tao Ye and me that day, he expressed himself quite clearly. I can tell that the organization’s intentions are indeed well-meaning. Currently, Xiao Ye really does need money to buy a house. But the source of those funds is completely unknown to us—who would dare to touch them? You know that Xiao Ye has worked at the Municipal Audit Bureau for many years; she understands the implications better than we do. Given her character, she would absolutely never provide any explanatory materials for this matter. While our Tao family is not a prestigious clan, we are a family that values education, reason, and holding onto our integrity despite poverty. Money is indeed a good thing, but it must be acquired through proper means, don't you think?"

Tao Shouli looked embarrassed.

"Hmm, I expected this attitude from you all along. By the way, what are Wen Lu’s parents' views on this?"

Zhang Maolin stopped in his tracks and asked with concern.

"They are a pair of simple, honest farmers whose integrity is almost heartbreaking. A couple of days ago, Tao Ye and I went to the countryside to discuss this with them. Before I could even finish, the two elders were in tears, shaking their heads like a rattle-drum. They insisted that their son must have strayed onto a crooked path! They wouldn't take a single cent of 'dirty money.' It seems that, let alone hundreds of thousands, even millions wouldn't move my in-laws."

Tao Shouli replied.

"That is rare indeed! If all our employees possessed such simple, humble values and professional ethics, the Xing-Shang Bank of Songyang would be completely at peace!"

Zhang Maolin sighed, then continued:

"I have read the materials Tao Kan brought back from the provincial level. The traffic police department's conclusion is very clear: the Wen Lu incident was a standard traffic accident. According to the causes reflected in the data: first, the road conditions were poor and slippery; second, Wen Lu was driving under the influence or, to put it more accurately, was drunk, leading to poor technical handling during the emergency; third, he was speeding. These conditions were objective facts, which means my previous speculations were unnecessary.

"I just can’t untie one knot in my heart: Wen Lu was a person who paid great attention to his words and deeds and was always cautious. What could have caused him to commit such a reckless, impulsive act without regard for the consequences? It is completely inconsistent with his character. I believe that one day the truth will come out. Let’s wait."

"Maolin, there are some things I have wanted to tell you for a long time. It’s just... it’s just been hard to bring up, especially now that Wen Lu is gone! I don’t even know if I should say it."

Before he could finish, Tao Shouli choked up.

"Oh? What is it? Go ahead, it might be valuable."

Zhang Maolin replied softly.

"Do you know? Two months before the incident, Wen Lu and Tao Ye were on the verge of divorce. It’s a family scandal! Sigh!"

Tao Shouli let out a long sigh.

"What? Divorce?"

Zhang Maolin was stunned.

"That can't be! In the Songyang branch, who, man or woman, young or old, doesn't know that Wen Lu was a model husband? He never touched drinking, gambling, or women. As far as I know, among all the section-level cadres in the branch, he was the only one who didn't know how to play mahjong. What on earth were they divorcing over? Old Tao, have you lost your mind?"

"Sigh! Look at you, why would I lose my mind at my age? It’s the absolute truth. Tao Ye even went home and cried to her mother about it several times! Every family has its own troubles that are hard to resolve; how could outsiders possibly know?"

Tao Shouli sighed repeatedly.

"Then, what was the reason?"

Zhang Maolin pressed.

"Hmph! What reason? It’s a long story! That beast—!"

Tao Shouli said indignantly.

"What? Are you saying Wen Lu—"

Zhang Maolin asked, bewildered.

"Maolin, don't deny it. Perhaps even a Disciplinary Inspection Secretary can be blinded when observing and judging people! It could be argued that now that my son-in-law is gone, regardless of whether he did anything to wrong my daughter while he was alive, I shouldn't say anything more. But looking at the many unresolved issues he left behind, I cannot help but warn you—Wen Lu was not the person you saw in your daily work. What you saw was often the opposite of what you might imagine. Wen Lu had a multi-faceted personality; he used this superb camouflage to gain many honors and benefits in his position. And it was precisely these tricks he was accustomed to using that eventually led him down a path of no return! Looking back now, many leaders at Xing-Shang Bank were blinded or even deceived by Wen Lu!..."

Looking at the haggard face of Tao Shouli, Zhang Maolin said slowly:

"Hmm, perhaps your words are not without merit. In fact, these large sums of money of unknown origin are enough to explain the problem. Judging from the verification results of the municipal branch's special working group from a while ago, those three million-plus in funds are bound to be linked to many sensitive clues. This is enough to prove that Wen Lu was indeed involved in serious violations or even illegal activities while he was alive. These days, I am often consumed by deep remorse and guilt! I must say, I have failed in my duty regarding the attention and supervision of young cadres! If I had discovered the signs earlier, perhaps it wouldn't have come to this. In this regard, I truly owe you an apology, my old friend."

"There is no need for guilt. Everyone walks their own path; nothing can be blamed on anyone else."