Zhang Min glanced behind Wu Shanshan and, finding nothing amiss, said, "Sister, I heard your voice just now, and it sounded a bit strange, but I didn't know why! So I thought something was wrong!"

Wu Shanshan said impatiently, "Haven't you ever heard of snoring?"

"I've heard of it! Our dad snores, doesn't he? He snores so loudly, it's louder than thunder!"

"My dad is a man, and I'm a woman. Women's snoring sounds different!"

"Really? Then I must be making a fuss over nothing! I'm sorry, sis, for disturbing your rest!"

"It's nothing. Were you worried about me too?"

"I'm off then, sis!"

"Be careful on the road, and watch your step when it gets dark."

"Okay, I got it, sis!"

Zhang Min turned around and left.

Wu Shanshan stood at the door and watched Zhang Min walk past the security booth before closing the door, turning around to the locker, and opening the locker door.

I saw Zhou Chengzhi, naked, squatting in the locker, shivering.

Wu Shanshan smiled and said, "How are you? Are you freezing?"

Zhou Chengzhi, pale from the cold, didn't say anything, but ran straight to the bedside and crawled into the quilt.

Seeing Zhou Chengzhi still shivering even after crawling into bed, Wu Shanshan continued, "Now you know that having an affair isn't so easy, right? I advise you not to come again, lest you freeze half to death!"

Zhou Chengzhi, panting heavily, said tremblingly, "It's so exciting! This is exactly what I wanted, this is the feeling! It's great! You don't need to say anything more, I'm going to have you!"

Wu Shanshan chuckled and said, "Alright! If you want to keep me in your mouth, then you'll have to give me a dowry of 30,000!"

When Zhou Chengzhi saw Wu Shanshan making such an outrageous demand, he said, "You're a second-hand widow, don't be so heartless, okay?"

"Fine, if you don't want to, that's fine too. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but two-legged men are everywhere. I'm not afraid of being alone!"

"No, no, I'll pay, I'll pay, okay?"

Wu Shanshan took a cigarette from the bedside table, lit it, took a puff, and then blew out the smoke, saying, "Compared to your other lovers, who is better, me or you?"

Zhou Chengzhi had probably recovered by now, and was no longer breathing heavily. He burrowed into the blankets and said with a smile, "You're better than any of them. I thought Li Jia was the best, but I didn't expect you to be such a beauty, much better than that woman!"

"Li Jia? Zhuang Tunan's girlfriend? You messed with her?"

"That's nothing, but that woman was no good. She was too stiff, lying there like a corpse, not moving at all. I got tired of her after just one time!"

"Well, at least it's a virgin!"

"She's a virgin, but I spent a fortune on her, over 300,000 yuan! Not to mention the workers' fees, I bribed the design institute's leaders with 200,000 yuan, and gave Zhuang Tunan 100,000 yuan—it was all my money. It's such a loss!"

"Pah! You deserve to lose out. I asked you for 30,000 yuan as a bride price, and you thought it was too much, but you spent over 300,000 yuan on that bitch!"

"It's not like the grapes are sour because you can't reach them; it's like you eat them and then realize they're rotten!"

"That won't do, I'd be at a huge disadvantage. I want to add conditions!"

"Tell me! I'll do anything you can, because you're my dearest!"

"I'll manage the finances after we get married!"

"OK!"

"Tomorrow, call a few workers over, move my security booth, and build a small building next to it to make a bookstore for me. I'll call it Shanshan Bookstore!"

"Sure thing, I'll definitely get it done for you!"

As Zhou Chengzhi spoke, he lifted the blanket and said, "Come on! Let me warm up!"

"It's getting late, you should go!"

"No way! I've agreed to so many of your conditions, you have to let me have my fill! I won't leave until late at night!"

"You rascal, I'm really fed up with you!"

Wu Shanshan smiled and turned off the lights.

After Zhang Min crossed the road and returned home, she found that no one in her family was asleep!

Just as she was about to go inside to sleep, she heard Wu Xiaojun say, "Sister!"

Zhang Min turned her head and said, "What's wrong, Xiao Jun?"

Xiao Jun smiled and said, "It's like this, sister. I've already registered as an auxiliary police officer at the police station, and the exam is in a few days, but I don't know anything about it. So I wanted you to ask Sister Xiaoting if she has any courses for the civil service exam. Otherwise, if I'm completely clueless, I'm sure I won't pass!"

"Oh, I'll ask Sister Xiaoting tomorrow when she'll have time to tutor you. But she's taking the civil service exam, and you're taking the auxiliary police exam, so it's definitely different. You'll still need to work hard on your own!"

"I understand, sis!"

"By the way, why don't you ask your master? Or Officer Qin, either would be fine. They definitely know more than Sister Xiaoting!"

"Okay, I understand, sis. But I think I should prepare for both sides. I need to ask Sister Xiaoting, and I'll also go to Qin Gong's office."

"Right? That's what it means to be prepared for a battle. I wish you a resounding victory!"

"Thank you, sister!"

"Alright, I'm not talking to you anymore. I have to go to the post office at 2 AM. You should get some rest too!"

"Then do I need to explain to you?"

"No need, I can go by myself!"

"Alright! Be careful on your way!"

"Alright! I know, you're so long-winded!"

As soon as Zhang Min returned to her room, she quickly went to rest.

In the blink of an eye, an alarm clock broke the silence, waking Zhang Min from her deep sleep. She then began her busy work again, not returning to the newsstand from the post office until after four o'clock. Then she was busy tidying up newspapers and organizing magazines, keeping herself extremely busy without a moment's rest.

It wasn't until a little after five o'clock that the streets started to get lively, and more and more people began to come to buy newspapers and magazines.

Just then, a truck drove up from a distance, and a dozen or so construction workers got off. As soon as they got off the truck, they called the kindergarten security guard out of the guard booth, and together they moved the guard booth to a different location and began unloading mortar and moving bricks to build the small house.

Although Zhang Min found the situation on the other side strange, she didn't pay any attention to it because she didn't want to and couldn't be bothered to care.

As time went by, it was almost six o'clock when Zhuang Xiaoting and Lin Dongzhe finally arrived from Deyang Tower. As soon as Zhuang Xiaoting saw the busy Zhang Min, she quickly said, "Oh! Xiaomin, thank you so much! You've helped us again. Dongzhe and I had planned to get up early to help Brother Tunan, but we overslept again and got up a little late. I'm so sorry!"

Zhang Min said, "It's alright, it's alright. You two are just enjoying your honeymoon period, it's the perfect time for you to be intimate, I understand, I understand!"

"Okay, then you can have breakfast at my house in the morning, and I'll cook for you."

"No need, no need, you all go about your business! I'm fine!"

Just as Zhuang Xiaoting and Zhang Min were talking, Zhuang Tunan turned around at the alley entrance, using both hands to maneuver the wheelchair.

As soon as Lin Dongzhe saw Zhuang Tunan, he rushed to help push Zhuang Tunan's wheelchair and said, "Brother Tunan, why are you getting up like that?"

Zhuang Tunan said, "I know Xiaomin is helping my family. If I don't get up early and do something, how can I be human? I really feel bad for dragging Xiaomin into this!"

Zhuang Xiaoting then said to Zhuang Tunan, "I'm sorry, brother, I overslept again!"

"Why should I apologize? You're pregnant, how could I blame you!"

As Zhuang Tunan spoke, he said to Zhang Min, "Xiao Min, you should take a break! Leave the rest of the work to me!"

Zhang Min blushed and said, "I've set out the newspapers and magazines. You can just keep an eye on them here. I'm going to cook for my parents!"

Zhuang Xiaoting quickly said, "Xiaomin, let's eat at our house! I'll make it for you right away!"

"No need, no need. By the way, Sister Xiaoting, my younger brother Xiaojun asked me yesterday to see when you have time to tutor him. Isn't he going to take the auxiliary police exam? He's worried he won't pass the academic subjects!"

"Oh, I prepared some materials for her to take the auxiliary police exam yesterday. Come on, I'll take them to her, and you can give them to him!"

"Thank you so much, Sister Xiaoting!"

"Don't be so polite! We're all family!"

As they were talking, the two entered the alleyway.

Zhuang Tunan and Lin Dongzhe started selling newspapers at the newsstand. While they were busy, Zhuang Tunan inadvertently saw construction workers building houses at the kindergarten across the street. Among them were two particularly familiar figures, Liu Wu and Hao Liu, whom he had seen during his duty shift over the Chinese New Year.