Chapter 18: Why Bother with a Bicycle?
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Li Tianzhen was momentarily stunned, caught off guard, unsure how to respond. Li Qi had already let out a soft chuckle. This police officer was quite a character. Only then did Li Tianzhen realize she had been mocked. She was seething with anger, completely unsettled by the day's events. A poor relative living in a house that resembled a garbage dump had dared to refuse their offer of twenty thousand yuan and a job. She had assumed Li Qi was someone she could easily manipulate, but it was obvious now that the local police station highly regarded him. There was no award certificate yet, but the officer had come to the house in advance to notify them. Moreover, the one thousand yuan reward far exceeded the norm; typically, a commendation for bravery would only be around a hundred yuan. There had to be more to the story. Knowing she wouldn’t achieve her goals today, she shot Liang Bing a fierce glare, stomped her foot, and left. Before departing, she threw a spiteful remark at Li Qi: “This isn’t over!”
Of course, things would not end there. Countless thoughts raced through Li Tianzhen’s mind. As long as the tissue compatibility was successful, Li Qi’s kidney would be the perfect match for her younger brother. The risk of rejection after surgery would be greatly reduced due to their shared bloodline. How could she just give up? “This man is selfish to the bone. My brother’s condition worsens by the day, yet he won’t donate a kidney. If you don’t want to be decent, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You’re the one forcing my hand!”
The neighbors who had gathered watched in amazement as this extraordinary woman emerged from Old Li’s home, whispering among themselves. Li Tianzhen wished she could gouge out their eyes; the feeling of being gawked at like some spectacle made her deeply uncomfortable. Liang Bing sneered. From Li Tianzhen’s attire, he could tell she was a second-generation elite—perhaps wealthy, perhaps from an official family, or maybe both. In recent years, with economic liberalization, many ambitious people sought not only social status but also dual avenues of influence in politics and business. But Li Qi had saved Qiu Shuyun, a genuine and influential member of the prominent first generation of revolutionaries. The two were simply incomparable.
Liang Bing paid no mind to Li Tianzhen’s thoughts. He clasped Li Qi’s hand anew. “Our station chief also wants to thank you for the crucial lead you provided. This case has opened up completely. That van won’t escape Taihe City. When the case is solved in a few days, you’ll get a share of the reward.” He lowered his voice. “The reward won’t be small, because that van likely carried a gang of seasoned criminals with many cases against them. Rest assured, with Director Xu overseeing this, your contribution won’t be diminished in the slightest.”
Li Qi was thrilled. “Officer, I don’t mind at all. The credit can go to you guys—just give me more money.” Liang Bing laughed heartily. For some reason, he genuinely liked this unpretentious young man. “Don’t be so formal. I’m Liang Bing. From now on, just call me Brother Liang.”
“Alright, Brother Liang. I want to ask you something.” Li Qi seized the opportunity. “When my mother passed away, she left a savings book with two thousand yuan, but my eldest brother took it without permission. Is that illegal? Can I get the money back?”
Hearing this, Li Peng jumped up as if burned by a hot iron. “What nonsense are you spouting? What money? How can you trouble the police over family matters? We can sort this out ourselves. I never said I wouldn’t give it to you.”
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He had never expected Li Qi to bring this up in public. His original plan was to wait until the others left, then coax Old Li into handing over the savings book. After all, over the years, their parents had always favored him, the most successful child and the family’s pride. He firmly believed their father would never leave money to Li Qi. At most, he pretended to leave twenty yuan so the three men could afford some meat for a few days. That was generosity on his part.
Liang Bing understood the situation perfectly and deliberately darkened his face. “According to the law, children have no right to distribute this money, let alone keep it. It must be handed over to the father. If someone keeps it without permission, the bank will have evidence, and we can file a case and arrest them.”
In truth, Liang Bing’s words were somewhat exaggerated. But in those days, few civilians wanted to deal with the police, so Li Peng faltered. If this dragged on and the school found out he’d been to the station, forget becoming the school principal or joining the education bureau; he might lose his job altogether. All those years of education would have been for nothing. He would have no choice but to rely on Du Li to support him.
Quickly changing his tone, he said, “Third brother, don’t make a fuss. Didn’t you just take my savings book today? There’s only 1,740 yuan in it, short of 260. Write me an IOU promising to repay 65 yuan a month, to be cleared within four months.”
Li Peng looked pleadingly at their father, but Old Li, who usually treated him with some respect, didn’t even lift an eyelid. The eldest son had deeply disappointed him. The three men had endured three years of hardship worse than bitter herbs, yet the eldest had over a thousand yuan in savings. After all the effort of raising him, what was his motive?
Li Peng glanced at their eldest sister, Li Li, who dared not interfere in men’s affairs. She sat on the kang (heated brick bed), holding her daughter silently.
Li Qi fetched paper and pen from Li Zhe’s desk in the small room, wrote an IOU and repayment agreement, had Old Li sign it, and handed it to Li Peng. “Sign.”
“Third brother, does it have to come to this? I’m your brother, the most successful one in the family. If you push me like this, what do you gain? When I make it big, I won’t care about you.” Li Peng snarled.
Li Qi sneered. In his previous life, his eldest brother had ingratiated himself with Uncle Manjiang and finally became a leader in the education bureau, sending his children abroad and eventually going overseas himself. Had he ever helped Li Qi? No. He saw Li Qi as garbage, a burden to be shunned, a stranger not even worthy of a glance if he died by the roadside.
So Li Qi smiled coldly. “Either sign, or I call Brother Liang to report you right now.”
“You!” Li Peng was cornered, reluctantly scrawled his name on the paper, then turned and said to Old Li in anger, “Dad, you’re spoiling the third brother, letting him do these outrageous things. Brothers are supposed to support each other, but he keeps ruining me again and again. He won’t have a good end. When that time comes, don’t come to me for help!” Then he stormed off.
Li Qi tucked away the IOU and exchanged a knowing smile with Liang Bing, who accompanied him and another officer to the door. Liang Bing kept patting his shoulder. “You’ve got brains and ideas. You won’t do badly in the future. If you really make it, don’t forget your old brother.”
“Brother, you flatter me. Today’s favor is all because of you. I’m just a little kid borrowing your tiger’s power. By the way, is the old lady alright? Is she and her grandson still in the hospital?”
Liang Bing shook his head. “The old lady’s fine. She was dressed warmly and didn’t suffer any serious injuries. She’s no longer at the hospital; the city sent a car to pick her up. If you’re free in the next couple of days, don’t go far—I expect someone will come looking for you.”
He leaned close to Li Qi’s ear. “It’s not a bad thing. The old lady comes from a complicated background, and she’s righteous. If you have any requests later, you can make them.”
Li Qi quickly shook his head. “I wouldn’t dare ask for anything. I just happened to be there and lent a hand. Anyone would do the same—no one can stand by and watch someone die.”
Though Li Qi could have ignored the matter, his conscience compelled him to act. At the time, he didn’t know the old lady’s identity. Fundamentally, he wasn’t risking anything for a high return, only for peace of mind.
Liang Bing saw through this and liked the boy even more. He patted his shoulder. “I’ll recognize you as my brother. If you ever need anything, come find me at the station.”
After Liang Bing left, the neighbors who had witnessed the scene praised Li Qi for more than half an hour. “That kid Li Qi has been different since childhood. I always said he’d make something of himself.”
“Nonsense! Just a few days ago, you said you wouldn’t let your daughter marry that beggar Li third brother.”
“Damn you! How can your mouth be like a broken car? When did I ever say that?”
“You did—I heard it.”
“Third brother’s always been kind-hearted. Now the police station’s giving him awards. Maybe he’ll become a cop someday.”
“That’d bring prestige to our road maintenance team. Old Li’s eldest son was the first college graduate in the village, now Li third brother might be the first policeman.”
“If Mrs. Lu were still alive, she’d be so happy, sending pig heads to every household again.”
“Ah, it’s such a pity she passed so young.”
The crowd gradually dispersed. Li Qi returned inside and was surprised to find Li Zhe hadn’t gone back to the small room but was sitting on the edge of the kang in the main room. Seeing Li Qi return, Li Zhe’s face flushed with suppressed emotion. Finally, as if making a decision, he spoke: “Third brother, you took 1,740 yuan from eldest brother, and the police gave you 1,000. I won’t ask you to share any of that with me, but I want you to buy me a new bicycle!”