Chapter 82 Just as muddle-headed as my niece!
The negotiations between Sheng Fang and Cheng Xinglang began at the ordering counter in the police station restaurant.
Sister Xiao was originally the only audience member. She was eavesdropping at first, but eventually couldn't help laughing out loud. She covered her mouth, pretending to cough, but the laughter just showed in her eyes, and she was caught red-handed by the young master of the Sheng family.
Like Dr. Cheng, Fangfang didn't mind being overheard. But if Sister Xiao's attitude was so frivolous, then she was in the wrong. Sister Xiao and Shengfang stared at each other for a few seconds, then she sat up straight, her expression becoming serious.
Shengfang Baobao then put away her warning and resumed her posture, interrogating Cheng Xinglang in the manner of an elder.
That round little face actually has a certain air of authority.
Cheng Xinglang borrowed paper and pen from Sister Xiao.
He bent over to write, the pen tip touching the dining table through the paper, noting down the kid's preferences.
Ultraman and Transformers are so easy to memorize, you can recite them backwards. Why bother memorizing them?
Sister Xiao had to admire Dr. Cheng's approach of taking the elder's route; clearly, as he bowed his head to write, this young elder nodded in satisfaction.
When Uncle Ming brought out the plates from the kitchen, Sheng Fang followed Cheng Xinglang and found a seat in the center of the restaurant.
The plate was full of Fangfang's favorite foods, and her little chubby hands gripped the spoon, ready to dig in.
Why are you pursuing my niece?
Cheng Xinglang answered the question seriously.
Two days ago, all the children in the toddler class brainstormed and came to the conclusion that the former motorcycle driver was pursuing his niece.
And now the answer is so simple: he says it's because he likes it. The words "pursuit" and "like" are equated in the child's mind.
Shengfang tilted her head and thought for a moment. Although she didn't quite understand the deeper meaning, she still accepted his explanation.
That's true, everyone loves Qingzai, so what's so surprising about people liking her?
"Ultraman and Transformers." Cheng Xinglang held his pen. "Anything else?"
"Combined dinosaur mech." Fangfang counted on her fingers, "Transformation belt, Twin Star 4WD vehicle."
Cheng Xinglang laughed as he took notes.
This kid is quite good at thinking of himself.
"Are there still Ninja Turtles?"
Shengfang nodded: "Of course there are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!"
"Anything else?"
Shengfang smiled brightly: "And Qingzai too."
It was only then that Fangfang remembered.
It turned out that Dr. Cheng was asking about his niece's preferences.
"And me too," Sheng Fang added in her childish voice.
You can't get any information out of the children at all.
Cheng Xinglang treated it as teasing a child, and filled a whole page with his favorite things to write down.
Sheng Fang clearly came to confront them, but ended up having dinner with them. However, Cheng Xinglang didn't eat as quickly as the members of the Serious Crimes Unit; his leisurely pace suited the young master of the Sheng family perfectly. The two of them enjoyed their dinner while wondering what toys they might have forgotten.
Do you like Lego?
"A space transport plane!" Fangfang nodded vigorously. "Even the cargo hold can be opened!"
The little one ate his dinner while trying hard to remember.
At a table not far away, the Major Crimes Unit was eating like they were at war, with their conversation still revolving around the case.
“Gu Niman, that movie fan, wore a fisherman's hat the whole time she was following Zhou Yongsheng. Last time, when we checked all the shops along the street from Funian Tea Restaurant to Xiaguang Theater, none of the shop owners or employees remembered him.”
"I was lucky today. I ran into a female student handing out flyers on the roadside. She said she had seen Liu Wei before."
"He did go in the direction of Xiaguang Cinema. But only this girl recognized him, so the evidence is too weak."
Liang Qikai put down his chopsticks: "Later, we went to Xiaguang Theater again. The ticket seller secretly went to apply for jobs at other cinemas and was caught red-handed. She said she was afraid the theater would go out of business and wanted to have a backup plan."
Over the years, rumors about the impending closure of the Xiaguang Theater have never ceased. Yet, to this day, this long-established cinema continues to struggle to stay afloat.
The theater is now pitifully deserted, with more staff than audience members. In addition, the Zhou Yongsheng murder case has caused a great uproar in the city. It seems that this theater really can't hold on any longer.
When talking about the current desolation of the Ha Kwong Theatre, everyone inevitably recalls its former glory. The projectionist lamented that most of the premieres of Hong Kong films used to be held in this theatre, and the last bit of glory had to be the premiere of "Hong Kong Island Storm" more than a decade ago.
"The corridor leading from the theater to the screening room is still covered with movie posters and group photos from previous years. But the poster for 'Hong Kong Island Storm' is nowhere to be found."
Uncle Li and Liang Qikai both found it strange, which is why they followed this clue to investigate further.
They quickly discovered that the current theater manager had worked as an usher at the Xiaguang Theater twenty years ago. This secrecy was definitely suspicious.
“I remember that the theater manager also cooperated with the statement taking that day.”
“He didn’t mention at all that he had met Zhou Yongsheng before.”
“Logically speaking, Zhou Yongsheng neither had plastic surgery nor lost a lot of weight; at most, he just cut his hair short…” Zeng Yongshan said. “At the crime scene, even I could recognize him from memory. Let alone someone like this theater manager who had face-to-face contact with him?”
The colleagues discussed it amongst themselves.
But this time, Zhu Qing's mind was not on the case.
Her gaze drifted to another table—
The children were gesturing wildly and talking, while Dr. Cheng listened with a smile, occasionally jotting down a few notes.
Zhu Qing rested her chin on her hand.
What are these two talking about that makes them so happy?
...
Time seemed to stand still in the interrogation room.
Theater manager Ho Lap-yan had been waiting for a long time.
Whenever he heard footsteps outside the door, he would reflexively look up. Every second of waiting was agonizing.
After an unknown amount of time, Uncle Li and Liang Qikai finally pushed open the door and came in.
Do you know director Zhou Yongsheng?
“I’ve heard about it. I also saw it in the newspaper later,” He Liren said. “I never imagined that such a famous director would die in…our theater.”
Uncle Li gave him a meaningful look and opened the folder.
“The planning list for the 1980 film ‘Hong Kong Storm’.” He pointed to one of the names. “We contacted the person in charge of the event at the time, and he can confirm that Zhou Yongsheng had a conflict with theater staff backstage at the premiere.”
This is information that the police just received.
Do you need me to help you remember?
He Liren remained silent, staring at the table with his head down.
Liang Qikai leaned forward: "We found out that you were the one who argued with Zhou Yongsheng back then."
"How did a hostess and a famous director at the event get into an argument?"
Uncle Li observed silently.
He Liren's expression changed slightly, he swallowed hard, and his Adam's apple bobbed.
That was more than ten years ago.
Zhou Yongsheng was an art-house film director who won a newcomer award early in his career, while "Hong Kong Storm" was a commercial film. He looked down on this kind of film and disdained to participate in such events. But in fact, at that time, Zhou Yongsheng's works were getting worse and worse, and he had no time to be picky when work came his way.
“Zhou Yongsheng was already past his prime, but he still had a terrible temper. You handed him your script hoping for some pointers, but he only flipped through two pages before throwing it back at you.”
“You resent him, but back then you were just a facilitator, while he was still a director, no matter how bad he was.”
"Until five years later, he and the actress committed suicide together—"
"But you didn't expect to see him again not long ago. If I'm not mistaken, he probably doesn't remember you anymore, right?"
He Liren broke out in a cold sweat.
More than a decade has passed, and he has worked his way up from usher to theater manager, only to find the theater on the verge of closing down. Time flies from his twenties to his forties.
But he will always remember that day. Posters for "Hong Kong Storm" were plastered all over the theater. He handed the script to Director Chow with great anticipation, but the director only glanced at it twice and threw it back, mocking him for being ignorant and saying that what he wrote was not even a proper article, let alone a script.
That day, He Liren squatted on the ground, picking up the scattered papers one by one.
But they could never regain their trampled self-esteem.
Over the past decade, He Liren has never forgotten this self-righteous and arrogant director.
He kept wondering whether it was because his script was too mediocre, or because Director Zhou was frustrated and depressed at the time, and he just happened to run into his trap.
"Confess honestly!" Uncle Li suddenly slammed his hand on the table.
He Liren trembled and finally relented.
“You’re wrong,” He Liren said. “He hasn’t forgotten me.”
“Zhou Yongsheng said to me, ‘You’re doing even worse.’”
...
Shengfang, the little one, once again freeloaded at the police station today, having a great time.
But it was getting late, and it was time to go home.
Since the incident, the police have only identified a second suspect. Even Ong Siu-lun hasn't left yet; it seems the entire B team will have to work overtime tonight.
When the cell phone rang, Zhu Qing glanced at the caller ID—
Aside from the police station, the only people who would call her were her mother and Cheng Xinglang.
She answered the phone while still looking through the case files.
Cheng Xinglang said he would help her take Fangfang home.
"good."
Zhu Qing responded, but found that the call had not been disconnected for a long time.
"You hang up first." She tilted her head and held the phone between her fingers. "I don't have a free hand."
Suddenly, a soft, childlike "hehehe" came from the receiver; it was Fangfang covering her mouth and giggling.
As the niece who knows her uncle best, Zhu Qing couldn't figure out what her son was up to.
After hanging up the phone, Sheng Fang covered her mouth with both hands, but couldn't hide the mischievous smile on her face.
“My niece is ignoring you—” Fang Fang said in a drawn-out tone, smugly.
Cheng Xinglang humbly asked, "Does she usually talk to you at this time?"
The smiles that had been blooming on the children gradually disappeared.
When Qingzai was solving the case, no one had time to pay attention to her.
But was Dr. Cheng provoking his elders?
"He's ignoring you too?" Cheng Xinglang's lips curled up slightly. "Then I'm relieved."
Cheng Xinglang, being tall and long-legged, walked ahead, saying he was going to take Fangfang home, but Fangfang, with her short legs, had to jog a few steps to catch up.
Chasing shadows is Fangfang's favorite game, and he often plays it with his niece. However, his niece doesn't play the shadow-chasing game with him, while Dr. Cheng, a childish adult, becomes Fangfang's playmate.
In just a few minutes, when he arrived at his building, the young master of the Sheng family forgot about his past conflict with Dr. Cheng.
"Oh no!" Fangfang suddenly exclaimed, "I forgot to drive!"
His brand-new bicycle is still parked at the police station building, right next to the police vehicles.
Cheng Xinglang stopped and turned around: "Let's go back to 'drive'."
The streetlights cast long shadows of the two children, and the little boy skipped and hopped back home.
How can I forget to ride my bike home after get off work?
Just as muddle-headed as my niece!
"Is a nephew like an uncle?" Cheng Xinglang laughed.
"They're like uncle and nephew." It's not like Fang Fang will lose out at all.
...
Zeng Yongshan sat in the swivel chair, turned halfway around and then back, squinting her eyes.
She stared at Zhu Qing's cell phone, which she had already put back on her desk, for a long time.
Got it, she finally solved the case.
These two people don't even need to say thank you; they always do it this way!
Zeng Yongshan slid over in her swivel chair: "So you and—"
"Go to the Gu family." Zhu Qing closed the file and stood up. "It was just instructed by Inspector Mo."
"What did you just say?" she asked.
Before Zeng Yongshan could speak, Haozai had already grabbed his coat and stepped forward.
"Let's go now?"
Along the way, the three police officers sorted out the Gu family's case.
Gu Niman's mother, Yu Dancui, died in 1987, two years after the "double suicide case" was closed. Her father, Gu Guodong, drowned while night fishing in 1992. Her younger brother, Gu Hongbo, died in a car accident earlier this month.
These three cases spanned eight years and were located in different police districts, so they were not investigated together.
Police drove to the apartment building where the Gu family had lived. Not long ago, Zhu Qing had found a crucial clue there: a sketch of a cemetery in Gu Hongbo's home, which confirmed that Liu Wei had been following the family.
"After Gu Niman's death, the media harassed them relentlessly, and they moved several times. It wasn't until two years later, when the controversy surrounding the suicide pact subsided, that the family settled down here."
"Unfortunately, not long after, Gu's mother fell to her death."
Eight years ago, the Gu family moved here in an attempt to escape the gossip.
They initially rented the house, but not long after, they bought it.
"It's this seventh floor," Uncle Fu, the building manager, pointed to the mottled exterior wall. "That's where Mrs. Gu fell."
He shook his head: "What a wonderful family, and their son is so filial. It's a real tragedy."
"I've heard that there have been complaints about the guardrails here for years?"
"That's right. The neighbors have been complaining about that railing. The weather was nice that day, and Mrs. Gu was carrying her bedding up to the rooftop. She had just leaned against the railing when..."
"The developer shirked responsibility and offered no compensation, saying there was already a 'Do Not Lean On' sign next to the railing. They're a family of honest people, and in the end, that was the end of it."
The case file photos confirm this; there was indeed a faded warning sign placed next to the railing.
"This is too dangerous," Haozai said. "They just put up a warning sign and then ignore it?"
“After all, someone died. Later, the neighbors made a big fuss, and the homeowners’ association couldn’t stand it anymore, so they replaced the railing with a new one.”
Zhu Qing: "Didn't Mrs. Gu know about the rusty railings?"
“They probably didn’t know,” Uncle Fu said. “We reported the problem many times, but she had only moved in about two months ago.”
Zeng Yongshan followed her upstairs to check.
In the darkness of night, clothes drying on the rooftop swayed in the wind, and she unconsciously rubbed her arms.
"What happened to Mrs. Gu's husband after her accident?"
“I’m not sure. That gentleman rarely interacted with his neighbors,” Uncle Fu recalled. “He just loved fishing. I heard he’d been fishing for half his life; it was his only pastime.”
When the case turned to Gu Hongbo, Uncle Fu became more talkative.
"After the accident, only his girlfriend was left to handle his funeral arrangements and sort out his belongings."
"I heard that the girl's family had always opposed their relationship. One day, he specially bought cigarettes, alcohol, and health supplements to visit her, but they wouldn't even let him in the door. He brought all the things back untouched. He looked so dejected when he came back; it was pitiful."
“But how can parents really go against their own children? I advised him that as long as he sincerely persisted, he would eventually win over the girl’s parents. The boy even thanked me very sincerely; he is a very polite young man.”
"I never expected him to die so young... It's such a pity."
"You just said the girl's parents object," Zeng Yongshan pressed. "Why are they objecting?"
"I haven't asked him the specifics. It's probably because he's an orphan and has no one to help him."
"If you ask me, he's young and already owns a car and a house, which is quite respectable."
Surprisingly, Uncle Fu knew nothing about Gu Niman and had no idea that this family had produced a famous actress who committed suicide for love.
As he left the building, Haozai sighed, "Actually, it's difficult to find suspicious points just by conducting interviews. If there were such obvious problems, the colleagues who handled the case back then should have discovered them long ago."
...
No matter how busy the case was, Zhu Qing and Fang Fang's breakfast time was always the same.
In the past, Zhu Qing would just grab a piece of bread and rush out the door, but under Fang Fang's strict supervision, she now has a balanced diet for every breakfast, which is a testament to Aunt Ping's hard work in preparing the menu a week in advance.
There's a sticky note on the kitchen refrigerator door where the uncle and nephew can write down what dishes they want to eat.
Today's breakfast was exactly what Fangfang requested—ham and fried eggs with hot milk, plus a small bowl of blueberries.
After breakfast, Shengfang rode his little bicycle to wait for the school bus.
The school bus stops not far from our house. Aunt Ping always spoils him, and these past few days she's been huffing and puffing as she carries his children's bicycle down the street for him.
Zhu Qing patted Fangfang's new ride: "Figure out how to get it down yourself."
Shengfang snorted and raised her little face: "Just you wait and see!"
So this morning, it took Zhu Qing more than ten minutes to take Fangfang downstairs to catch the school bus.
Shengfang first tried hard to push his bicycle into the elevator, but when they reached the first floor, the bike got stuck in the elevator door and couldn't turn around. He wasn't strong enough, and his little face turned red with anxiety. It was rush hour for people going to work and school, and Zhu Qing didn't press the open button to wait for him, so the elevator carried the uncle and nephew up and down.
"Qingzai, are you very free?" Fangfang asked irritably.
"I just happened to get up early today," Zhu Qing replied lazily, leaning against the elevator.
This is infuriating!
"I don't want to take you for a drive!" Fangfang turned her little head away.
Zhu Qing looked at the small seat in the back of his car.
Is this really big enough to carry her?
The children did not give up easily.
After several attempts, he finally learned how to adjust the direction of the bicycle in the narrow elevator, and then dashed off on his little bicycle.
As Qingzai said, when you encounter a problem, you have to overcome it!
Fangfang hummed a children's song, but before she could ride for even a minute, the school bus arrived.
It's not worth it at all.
"Qingzai, I'm going to ride my bicycle to school tomorrow," Shengfang announced.
Zhu Qing bent down and pinched his little nose: "Call the Ministry of Transportation to arrest you."
...
Upon arriving at the police station, Ong Siu-lun was already waiting in the CID office, holding a stack of newspapers and weekly magazines, one for each person.
The front page of the newspaper prominently featured photos of Gu Niman taken without her consent.
She wore sunglasses that almost covered half her face, and a scarf wrapped up to her chin, but the hideous scar on her left cheek was still faintly visible. A former female celebrity should have been fearless in front of the camera, but in the photo, she was frantically dodging and even raising her hand to cover her face, looking so disheveled that it was heartbreaking.
"It must have been taken yesterday afternoon when I went back, right?"
"These paparazzi these days... they're all shameless."
"I was wondering if Gu Niman would come to our police station again today and spend the whole day there."
"No wonder he didn't show up today, he's probably hiding again."
In cases of lovers faking their deaths, more than one person actually did so.
The news spread like wildfire through the streets, sparking widespread discussion. Some were shocked, while others pressed for answers. Reporters even blocked the entrance to the police station, demanding that Ong Siu-lun issue a statement.
It's easy to imagine that when the truth comes out, feature reports about Gu Niman will flood the media. That once beautiful and charming actress, even ten years later, is still in her prime. When the public discovers that she was actually a victim, they will likely feel even more sorrow.
The psychology book in front of Liang Qikai's workstation had not yet been put away.
"Is Mr. Leung going to switch careers and become a psychologist?" a colleague joked.
Liang Qikai smiled and said, "It turns out that psychology is quite interesting."
The investigation is ongoing.
Zhu Qing and her colleagues spent the entire morning traveling around the city, visiting every corner of the city for the Gu family's case. When they returned to the CID office, case files were piled up like a mountain, with the cases of Gu Guodong, Yu Dancui, and Gu Hongbo laid out, waiting to be organized.
The entire city is watching this case closely, but the police's procedures will not change because of public opinion.
After multiple visits, the three cases appeared to be normal on the surface.
Before a case is closed, all investigation records must be archived.
New clues were recorded, only to be overturned.
Following Mo Sir's instructions, Zhu Qing reorganized the case files.
This was once a happy family of four.
After Gu Niman's "death," her parents had to move several times with their young son in the face of relentless media scrutiny.
In recent investigations, police have compiled records of their frequently changing addresses, inadvertently revealing the short life of Gu Niman.
Both of Gu's parents were hardworking factory workers. The year Gu Niman was born coincided with her father's promotion to workshop foreman. When she was six, her younger brother was born, and the family moved out due to the cramped factory dormitory. Initially, they rented a tenement building in Sham Shui Po, later moving to Prince Edward Road. When Gu Niman was ten, with the passing of her grandparents, they finally had their first real home in an alleyway on Man Wah Road.
These relocation records are marked one by one in the police files.
Among them was a photo that a relative found during a visit to the Gu family.
In the photo, Gu Niman, who is only three or five years old, has bright eyes and white teeth, and her features are exquisitely beautiful.
In those years, the Gu family maintained contact with their relatives. It was only later, due to frequent moves, that they gradually lost touch.
While cooperating with the police investigation, the relative recalled that Gu Niman was the most dazzling presence among children from a young age. Even as a child, she could sing and dance, and was never stage-frightened. Becoming an actress later seemed like the most natural thing in the world.
Zhu Qing continued flipping through the documents.
Subsequent records show that the Gu family's move was still ongoing. However, that one important name was forever missing from all the address change registration records.
"We've found something." Xiao Sun pushed open the door, interrupting her thoughts, his voice tinged with excitement. "We found what appears to be the weapon used in the crime at the Xiaguang Theater!"
...
In the afternoon meeting room, the police officers were all in high spirits and showed no signs of fatigue.
The emergence of new evidence has excited everyone.
“On the day of the incident, theater manager He Liren was the person who could have been closest to the victim.” Mo Zhenbang pressed the tip of his pen against the scene photo. “There was already an old grudge between them, and with such a good opportunity—an alibi was of course impossible; he was at the theater during working hours.”
Xu Jiale reviewed the employees' testimonies: "The management of this theater was extremely chaotic and lax. The ticket sellers were often absent from their posts, the projectionists were not in the projection room, and even the cleaners were lazy. During the entire period of the incident, there was simply no one who could testify for him."
“As for the motive,” Uncle Li pointed to last night’s statement, “He Liren has always insisted that he did not kill anyone. The only thing he confessed was that Zhou Yongsheng mocked him at the time, saying, ‘You’re doing even worse now.’ If it was an impulsive crime, that one sentence alone is enough to be considered a motive for murder.”
"In less than two hours, the person died in the theater screening room. The murder weapon was a steel wire rope."
"The employee's statement last night mentioned that the manager was in a hurry to clean up the prop room on the night of the incident and removed all the steel wires that were fixing the stage backdrop."
“But the stage curtain hasn’t been removed yet.” Zeng Yongshan looked up. “The steel wire pulled out from the curtain has been handed over to the forensic department and is being compared with the ligature marks on the deceased’s neck.”
Theater manager Ho Lap-yan remains detained in the interrogation room.
Interrogation records show that he vehemently denied the murder charges, repeatedly emphasizing that his wife was hospitalized, his son was in school, and his whole family depended on his job to make a living.
"How many murderers would readily confess?" Hao Zai chuckled. "He would never admit it unless there was irrefutable evidence."
Mo Zhenbang said, "We need to urge the forensic department to produce the comparison results as soon as possible."
The meeting room was filled with the sounds of discussion, which gradually subsided.
The officers exchanged glances, wondering if the case was truly about to come to a close.
The gossip magazines scattered on the table, with their exaggerated headlines and sensational reports, lay quietly in the corner.
Now, things are finally calming down.
Indeed, even the perpetrator in Zhou Yongsheng's murder case would find it difficult to uncover the deception of Zhou Yongsheng faking his death ten years ago. After all, even the police went to great lengths to uncover this clue.
Perhaps the double suicide case ten years ago and the murder case ten years later should not be confused.
Ultimately, what led Zhou Yongsheng to his death was nothing more than a personal grudge.
...
The forensic department's comparison results are not yet available, but the continuous visits over the past few days can finally come to a temporary end.
After days of tension, the colleagues finally relaxed, and someone suggested having afternoon tea to relieve their fatigue.
"I'll do it." Mo Zhenbang slapped a few banknotes on the table.
Inspector Mo is always like this, so generous that even his subordinates feel sorry for his wallet.
No one answered for a moment, until a low groan came from Weng Zhaolin's office—
"It's on me today."
Upon hearing this, the officers in Group B immediately cheered.
As for Inspector Mok... he has to take the Inspector's exam next week. Once Inspector Mok becomes Inspector Mok, he'll have to treat everyone to a bigger meal.
The downstairs Li Kee Tea Restaurant was incredibly efficient, quickly delivering bags and packages of afternoon tea.
Haozai stretched and poked the straw into his drink: "No matter what the comparison results are, at least I can go home and have a proper meal tonight."
"Shut your jinx." Xu Jiale glanced at him sideways. "If the results don't match, who knows how long we'll have to endure this."
Although the case is not yet settled, the rare respite has brought a sigh of relief to everyone.
Mo Zhenbang deliberately let Zhu Qing leave work early—he knew her mother was still in the nursing home and needed someone to take care of her.
Zhu Qing took a flaky egg tart and put it into the takeout box.
Weng Zhaolin strolled by, glancing at Zhu Qing out of the corner of his eye.
She held up the box: "It's for Fangfang."
This makes it sound like he usually treats his subordinates very harshly.
“Just bring it. It’s just an egg tart. What’s there to explain?” Weng Zhaolin frowned.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Qing opened the box again and took out another piece: "I haven't eaten yet either."
The suppressed laughter was quite noticeable in the office.
Weng Zhaolin watched her hurried departure, feeling both annoyed and amused.
For the sake of my close friend, I won't hold it against his niece.
...
Parents waited in the cold wind for their children to finish class at the entrance of Weston Kindergarten.
Zhu Qing stood alone in the most conspicuous place, ensuring that the children would see her immediately when they came out of class.
It was windy, so everyone wrapped their coats tighter around themselves.
Zhu Qing carefully protected the egg tart box in her arms, afraid that it would get cold from the wind.
She guessed that the child would pounce on her in a moment, as if he hadn't eaten all day.
The crowd at the school gate naturally split into several small circles.
The mothers gathered together, the fathers stood in twos and threes, and the elderly also huddled together.
People only need a glance to find their own group.
Even if Zhu Qing searched the entire kindergarten, she would not be able to find a niece who was the same age as her.
“Your coat is really nice,” an old woman said, leaning closer. “It’s different from the style sold in department stores.”
"This is an old-fashioned cut; young people these days don't understand it," the curly-haired woman said, adjusting her collar. "It's the craftsmanship of Master Xiangji."
"The clothes he made could last for more than ten years without losing their shape." She rubbed her hands, which were red from the cold. "It's a pity he moved away later."
"Xiangji Tailor Shop? I think it's over on Ferry Street, right?"
The two elderly people chatted more and more congenially, and a nostalgic smile appeared on their faces.
Just then, rustling sounds came from the kindergarten as the children lined up in a little train, ready to leave school.
Today it was Fangfang's turn to be the "locomotive," and she excitedly waved to her niece as soon as she saw her from afar.
"Qingzai, Qingzai!"
"Next to the corner of Ferry Street should be Wenhua Street," the curly-haired old lady continued to recall. "Later, Wenhua Street was expanded, and the whole row of shops was demolished. I don't know where that old master moved to."
"He was already wearing reading glasses more than ten years ago, saying that sewing was becoming increasingly difficult for him..."
The blooming flowers have already pounced on it.
Zhu Qing was almost knocked over, so she stuffed the flaky egg tart into Fang Fang's mouth to shut him up.
Her attention was firmly captured by the three words "Wenhua Road".
According to the Gu family's records, their home address was once registered as Wenhua Road.
Before its expansion and demolition, Wenhua Road was right next to Ferry Street.
In other words, in the past, it was only a corner away from the Gu family home to the Xiaguang Theater on Ferry Street.
...
At nine o'clock in the evening, Shengfang and her niece returned from the sanatorium.
Aunt Ping was busy in the kitchen.
She always seemed to be in the kitchen, making dumplings, buns, and glutinous rice balls with her own hands, each one still warm from the heat... Watching the children and adults in the family eat them, her eyes were filled with a kind smile.
"You're back?"
"Aunt Ping," Fangfang said, tilting her little face up with a smug look, "I'm going to tell my older sister and niece about you today."
Aunt Ping came out of the kitchen wiping her hands, and asked with a smile, "What did you complain about me about?"
She usually spends most of her time with the young master.
Children will always unleash their childlike nature and inevitably cause trouble. Whenever the little darling misbehaves, Aunt Ping will complain to her older sister and niece.
Now the roles are reversed, and Fangfang stands with her hands on her hips, her little face full of smugness.
"Ta-da—" He suddenly pulled out a brand new cell phone from behind his back as if by magic, "This is for you!"
Aunt Ping was stunned.
This is too expensive; I clearly declined it once last time…
Zhu Qing stood in the entryway, bending down to put down Fang Fang's schoolbag.
"From now on, I can call Aunt Ping anytime."
Fangfang shoved the cell phone into Aunt Ping's hand, then turned to her with a wary look and asked, "What are you saying on the phone?"
"Aunt Ping, Aunt Ping!" Zhu Qing mimicked his tone, "Please come to the police station to pick up Fangfang and take her home."
"No way!" Little Shengfang shook his head vigorously, mimicking Aunt Ping's voice in a high-pitched voice, "Qingqing—the young master isn't coming home!"
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