Chapter 66 Disrupting the Heavenly Emperor
Shen Zhenzhu had just been discharged from the hospital and was being supervised by Gu Yanzheng, so she didn't get a single sip of beer. She obediently sipped her milk tea and listened to everyone's idle chatter.
Zhang Jie chatted with her for a while, then took her daughter home to rest. The little girl had to go back to school tomorrow to clean and prepare for the new semester.
The evening breeze that was about to turn into autumn was soothing, and the hustle and bustle of Sister Liu's restaurant gradually subsided. The neighbors spontaneously helped with the cleaning, and the division of labor was well organized.
The air was still filled with the aroma of food from Sixth Sister's restaurant. The last few members of the criminal investigation team, being strong, carried the plates, bowls, tables, and chairs to neatly tidy up.
Wu Fuwang's father played festive music such as "Singing of a Bountiful Harvest," "Step by Step Higher," and "Little Flower Drum" in front of everyone. He sat by the roadside, holding his erhu and playing in the evening breeze, waiting for Wu Fuwang to go home together.
Sixth Sister, out of consideration for the elderly man, arranged for him to come with Wu Fuwang every day. Wu Fuwang and his brothers delivered takeout, while the elderly man set up a small stall outside the shop selling newspapers. The constant flow of customers helped him make a living. With the addition of subsidies from the government and the Disabled Persons' Federation, their lives actually improved.
Shen Zhenzhu didn't have time to talk to Wu Fuwang and the others in the evening. When Wu Fuwang and the old man were about to leave, she saw them to the door and said, "Dad, thank you for playing the tune today. Everyone said it was beautiful."
Wu Fuwang's father stood up, his old face full of wrinkles: "It's a small matter. Compared to the kindness your family has shown us, this is nothing."
"Don't say that. We're like brothers and sisters now. Please don't be so polite." Chen Zhenzhu helped him up and said to Wu Fuwang, "Thank you for your hard work. Tomorrow morning, Sixth Sister will be steaming big buns with braised pork. Don't miss them."
“I definitely won’t miss it.” Wu Fuwang had been through a long period of training at Sixth Sister’s restaurant, and he had become much more grounded. He took out a heavy square box from his arms and said, “Just now, a very polite young man came over and gave you this gift. He said his name was Xia. I’ll tell you who it is when I tell you.”
"Fu Panxia?" Shen Zhenzhu had almost forgotten about him. Fu Panxia had said he would come yesterday, but she was so busy that she missed it. Now she was still regretting the beautiful flowers he had sent.
"Then give it to me first." Shen Zhenzhu could accept gifts from her godmother, gifts from the small business owners on Tiesi Commercial Street, and even roller skates from Xiao Li and the others, but she had only met Fu Panxia once. After seeing Wu Fuwang off, she thought for a moment and put the square box inside the counter to keep it.
"Why don't you take it apart and look at it?" Gu Yanzheng folded up the table in the backyard, washed his hands, and came to the front.
“It was given to me by someone I’m not very close to,” Shen Zhenzhu said hesitantly. “It was given to me by Comrade Fu Panxia yesterday.”
“It’s him.” Gu Yanzheng said with great interest, “That makes me even more curious about what’s inside.”
“No way,” Shen Zhenzhu said righteously. “I can’t accept gifts without doing anything in return. I’ll return them to him when I see him again.”
Gu Yanzheng was amused by her, took out his car keys and waved them, saying, "Then I'll be going now. Congratulations on solving this big case, and congratulations to Shen Yuyuan on getting into her ideal university."
“You’ve said it so many times.” Chen Zhenzhu walked around the counter to the outside, following Gu Yanzheng step by step towards the Cherokee: “If I’m well-rested, I can go back to work anytime, right?”
"Do you have to go to such lengths, Sister Pearl?" Zhou Chuanxi and Lu Ye came out from inside and said with emotion, "It's only been a week. The world can't turn into a mulberry field. We won't forget you."
Chen Zhenzhu clenched her fist shyly and said, "I'm used to high-intensity work, and I don't know what to do when I suddenly have a break."
Lu Ye said, "Let's go rollerblading, see a movie, and go shopping!"
Shen Zhenzhu pushed him: "You should go home first."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Zhao Qiqi also said with a smile, "Sister Pearl is a model worker."
Shen Zhenzhu said, "I don't like being idle—"
"Don't talk nonsense!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" everyone said in unison.
Seeing everyone staring at her with wide eyes, Chen Zhenzhu immediately covered her mouth. Some mystical beliefs are just undeniable.
Never talk nonsense in the criminal investigation team, or you'll be involved in a murder case.
All her colleagues were very sensitive to this, and even Zheng Ge, who had always been tolerant and protective of Chen Zhenzhu, had a stiff expression for a few seconds. Before leaving, he poked her forehead with his index finger.
After seeing them off, Shen Zhenzhu and Shen Yuyuan chattered and walked home hand in hand. Sixth Sister, meanwhile, held Li Lili's hand and reminded her to focus on her studies at university and not to date.
The next day, with some free time, Li Lili went to the shop early to help out. Shen Zhenzhu couldn't get her to come, so she dragged Shen Yuyuan to the motorcycle driving school that Zheng Ge had recommended. Eager to ride a motorcycle as soon as possible, she practiced intensively for six days and got her license the day before she had to go back to work!
"I'll ride my steamed bun to take you when school starts!" Chen Zhenzhu patted her chest and promised, "And Lili too, I'll take her too!"
Wearing a safety helmet, her skin tone several shades darker, she disregarded the solemnity of the morning rush hour and rode her little motorcycle to the criminal investigation team.
A distance that takes twenty minutes by bicycle took forty minutes by car.
When the gatekeeper saw it was her, he opened the gate in advance and let the little motorcycle speed to a stop in the auspicious spot.
Chen Zhenzhu planned to pay her loan at noon, and she sincerely missed the days when mobile apps were convenient.
But nowadays, living in the real world, everyone is vibrant and colorful, which is much more real than being immersed in the internet all day.
She prefers the time when people meet in person to talk and greet each other with smiles. If there's an emergency after get off work, she can leave a message on her pager. She doesn't need to be on call 24/7. Her private time after get off work is also a kind of beauty.
On a crisp autumn day, Chen Zhenzhu carried her sixth sister's vegetable buns and ran upstairs.
Gu Yanzheng drove his Cherokee into the parking lot and found a cream-colored motorcycle parked carelessly in his usual spot. He leaned out of the window and saw a head with a defiant look on its back heading upstairs. Helpless, he reluctantly parked his mighty Cherokee against the wall.
After he left, the gatekeeper couldn't help but glance eastward, wondering if the sun had risen in the west. His perfect parking spot, untouched by anyone for years, had been snatched away by a small motorcycle.
Faced with the welcome from the four teams, Shen Zhenzhu gave each of them two large vegetable buns as a token of her gratitude.
Section Chief Shen, whose skin had darkened considerably, was overjoyed to receive her driver's license. Her eyes crinkled into slits as she smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth. She invited everyone to take turns riding in her car and have a wild and domineering ride around town.
Before she could finish showing off, Director Liu came to the door with a smile and said, "You're back? I need to talk to you. Come over here for a bit."
He beckoned with his chubby hand, and Shen Zhenzhu followed him like a well-behaved puppy. The more Director Liu looked at her, the more he liked and admired her.
Good seedlings, good seedlings.
"Please sit down first, let's eat some steamed buns and chat." Director Liu poured her a cup of black tea from the thermos and said kindly, "You can sign this first."
Obey the leader's orders and trust the leader's arrangements.
The junior cadre didn't even read what the document was before writing his full name, "Chen Zhenzhu," on it in a flamboyant and exaggerated manner.
Director Liu's tone was gentle and soothing when he lectured her: "Next time someone gives you a document, read it carefully before you sign it. If I transfer you, you'll regret it once you've signed it."
Shen Zhenzhu would rather have autumn winds sweeping away fallen leaves than be bathed in such a spring breeze. Startled, she nearly ate her steamed bun up her nose. After coughing a few times, she looked up resolutely and said, "I'm not leaving! I'd rather die than leave!"
"I didn't tell you to leave." Director Liu explained to her earnestly, "You faced a near-death experience this time... You know you faced a near-death experience, right?"
Shen Zhenzhu didn't realize it at first, then she sensed it in the middle, but the rest was so sudden that she didn't have time to really feel it anymore. But since her boss asked her this, she had to nod and say, "I know."
He mastered the skills of junior employees and won over Director Liu's heart.
He was heartbroken that such a talented person had almost fallen from grace. Gu Yanzheng was also there at the time; otherwise, he would have simply retired after losing two capable assistants in one case.
"The Hebei Provincial Department has applied for a provincial medal for you. Take your time to review it. If you find anything inappropriate, I'll send it back for them to revise." Director Liu received the task from Director Tu and was determined to satisfy the junior cadre.
"A medal?" Shen Zhenzhu knew that she would be rewarded for her undercover work on the bus. Shen Zhenzhu's thoughts were simple. She looked through the medal application materials and couldn't help but smile.
The writing is lavish and eloquent, almost turning her into a legendary heroine and a peerless heroine.
She understood He Dong's meaning: gratitude and a desire for compensation. After all, twenty-five members of the special task force and ordinary officers, along with thirteen hostages, had almost been assassinated by Qiu Baoshan.
She looked at the application materials, which included her resume from previous years, and it was written quite well.
Director Liu held up a large tea mug as he looked at her.
The young pearl was unearthed from the police station a little over a year ago, and it is growing well. The excellent seedling has begun to grow branches and leaves, becoming more and more lush every day.
Shen Zhenzhu flipped to the last page and saw the summary. Incredulously, she flipped back to the first page, looked at the title, and trembled uncontrollably: "Personal...I...I...I—"
"Isn't the 'Provincial Department's First-Class Merit Application Materials' acceptable?" Director Liu saw that her shocked expression didn't seem fake. The junior cadre wasn't proud of saving more than thirty families and preventing a tragic bloodbath.
She felt content with receiving an award for "advanced individual" or "outstanding cadre." Despite her surging confidence, she never considered such a significant achievement.
For Shen Zhenzhu, the top honor of "first-class merit" is like the moon in the sky. She is like a little monkey who climbs up a tree and points at the moon, but she is criticized for not being allowed to point at the moon because she will have her ears cut off.
"You've already signed it, which proves you don't object." Director Liu knew that young people these days had their own personalities, and he was really afraid that Chen Zhenzhu might do a good deed anonymously in a moment of impulsiveness. He quickly put the documents into the drawer, pressed down on his teacup, and saw her off: "Go ahead, I see there are quite a few more flowers in the office, you should like them."
Shen Zhenzhu was dazed and confused when she was ushered out of the house. She stood alone at the door of Director Liu's house with her mouth wide open.
On a busy Monday, people were coming and going in the corridor. In the end, it was Tian Yongfeng who knocked on the door of the fourth team and nudged Chen Zhenzhu's shoulder with his finger as he saw her off: "Hey, hurry up and check if she took the wrong medicine so early in the morning."
***
September has arrived.
As she herself said, Shen Zhenzhu rode her little motorcycle to take Li Lili, who had started school two days earlier, to the Lian Shi.
The weather was exceptionally nice today. Lian Shi was not far from Tie Si. Chen Zhenzhu rode her little motorcycle to take her younger sisters to school first, and then rode her little motorcycle to pick up her sixth sister.
The registration area was in the lobby of the office building, and the line wasn't long; they got to register quickly.
Seeing that they could buy meal tickets and small accommodation fees here, Shen Liuhe had Shen Zhenzhu and Shen Yuyuan stop Li Lili, took out her simple money bag, pulled out large bills, and said, "Buy three hundred yuan worth of meal tickets."
Li Lili had saved up a lot of living expenses recently, and her eyes were red with anxiety: "I have money, please don't spend it."
The teacher from the academic affairs office who was collecting fees smiled and said to Shen Liuhe, "Your daughter really cares about you; she even knows how to spend money and not let you spend it."
Shen Liuhe said proudly in a loud voice, "That's why they say a daughter is a mother's little cotton-padded jacket!"
Li Lili pursed her lips and looked at Shen Liuhe gratefully, opening her mouth but unable to say anything.
Shen Zhenzhu received her dormitory key; it was Building 1, three buildings away from where her sister had the accident. Shen Zhenzhu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Sixth Sister was still busy with things at the shop, so she stroked Li Lili's hair and said, "Good girl, I'll come see you in a few days. Remember, come back for dinner on the weekend. Eating at the cafeteria all the time isn't nutritious, I'll cook you something delicious."
Sixth Sister went out on her own to squeeze onto the bus, while Shen Zhenzhu and Shen Yuyuan took Li Lili to the dormitory arm in arm.
Apart from Shen Yuyuan, Shen Zhenzhu and Li Lili were very familiar with the Lian Shi campus and did not need to spend time getting acquainted with it like other freshmen.
Walking along the path towards Building 1, I unexpectedly passed by Building 5. Building 5 used to be known as a "haunted house" among students. The school had no choice but to seal off Building 5. After Building 6 was built later, Building 5 was demolished.
Today, all you can see when you pass by Building No. 5 is a pile of concrete ruins.
"I'm fine." Sensing that Shen Zhenzhu had quickened her pace, Li Lili held Shen Zhenzhu's hand and said, "I accept reality, face reality, and challenge reality."
"You are a brave little girl." Shen Zhenzhu had considered that if Shen Yuyuan were to encounter misfortune, she would not want to revisit the place, as she would easily be unable to control herself from recalling sad memories.
However, Li Lili's attitude of "accepting reality, facing reality, and challenging reality" impressed her and put her at ease.
Back in the dormitory, Shen Zhenzhu met her three roommates who had already arrived and placed the prepared braised duck and prawns on the table.
The innocent and kind-hearted girls didn't realize that this was a way of "winning people's hearts," and they thought that Li Lili's sisters were really generous and kind.
They were all candidates from other places who had come to take the exam. Some of them had traveled to Liancheng beforehand and eaten at Sister Liu's Restaurant. They heard that the famous Sister Liu's Restaurant was owned by Li Lili's family, and they immediately became acquainted. Even a small chance encounter can become an opportunity for them to get along well.
Half an hour ago, the girls were still strangers to each other, but now they were sitting around the table eating braised duck and prawns, sipping Hong Kong-style milk tea, and chatting away. They quickly became friends and agreed to have dinner together at the third canteen that evening.
Shen Zhenzhu retired gracefully, arranging to have dinner with them at the shop on the weekend. She and Shen Liuhe then parted ways without a trace.
The female classmate sitting by the door said, "Your sisters are so kind to you. They even brought us delicious food because they were worried we wouldn't get along."
The female classmate, who was chewing on Zhou Hei Ya (a type of braised duck), remarked, "As soon as you walked in, we noticed that your bedding was the thickest among us. Your mom must have been worried that you'd get cold."
Meanwhile, the female student, engrossed in her meal, nodded vigorously, too busy to speak.
Li Lili slowly peeled the crayfish, a smile lingering on her lips: "Well... my family is very good to me, they care about me a lot."
***
Shen Zhenzhu carried Shen Yuyuan at breakneck speed (actually a bit slow), thinking they were speeding back to the commercial street.
It was unusual for Sixth Sister not to be busy in the kitchen; instead, she sat at the kitchen door talking to a couple in their thirties.
These days, the shop has seen countless repeat customers, and many tourists have come specifically to try it. Chen Zhenzhu didn't think about anything else, parked her scooter, and planned to go to the milk tea counter to get some milk tea.
On Sundays, the trend for young people strolling around town is to walk from one end of the street to the other with a cup of Hong Kong-style milk tea, find an uncle with a camera, and take a photo that tells a story.
Even in the most secluded and romantic corners of this romantic city, romance abounds.
Chen Zhenzhu saw that there were quite a few people queuing for milk tea, but the two little girls at the counter were shaking the counter very fast, and the queue kept moving forward.
"Big sister, come here quickly." Shen Yuyuan stood at the door and waved happily, while Shen Zhenzhu did not ignore Wu Fuwang, who was frowning beside her.
"What's wrong?" Shen Zhenzhu walked over, and Shen Yuyuan mysteriously took her arm and led her to a corner, avoiding the diners who came to enjoy the food: "Someone is interested in our 'Sixth Sister Hong Kong Style Milk Tea' and wants to invest in opening a branch. They are currently talking to Sixth Sister."
Chen Zhenzhu's eyes lit up. She thought that with milk tea shops everywhere in the future, it wouldn't be bad to open one first and gain an advantage. She had initially worried about being too busy, but after the summer vacation, the helpers got on track and everything was in good order. People even came to ask about "franchising," which showed that they could see the future potential of "Sixth Sister Hong Kong Style Milk Tea."
Just as Chen Zhenzhu was about to go over, Wu Fuwang put down the milk tea flyer and came over, whispering, "Sister Zhenzhu, something's fishy."
"What are you deep-frying?" Chen Zhenzhu rubbed her ears.
Wu Fuwang said, "It's a trap!"
The sinking of the pearl was still inexplicable.
Wu Fuwang simply pulled Chen Zhenzhu to the backyard. It wasn't yet time for evening guests, so there were no guests in the backyard.
“I said there were scammers!” Wu Fuwang said, “That couple is no good. They said they would open a branch for us, but I heard them say they wanted us to ‘invest in technology’.”
Shen Zhenzhu's big eyes darted around for a moment, then she suddenly realized, "They're here to steal the recipe!"
Wu Fuwang slapped his thigh and said, "Right! Good that you understand. They said they would provide the money, and Sixth Sister would contribute her 'technology as equity.' But they need the recipe first, and only with the recipe can they start operating. But I can tell they're in a hurry. They haven't said where the store should be, what the foot traffic should be like, how much investment they'll need, or how the profits will be split. They just said they need the recipe, and they even brought out a contract and tried to persuade Sixth Sister to sign it!"
"How can this be!" Shen Zhenzhu had just started to prosper with her two shops, and now some ill-intentioned people were eyeing her.
She rushed to the kitchen door and stood beside Shen Liuhe, watching them.
There was a thin man and a fat woman. The thin man was dressed very formally, like a real estate agent. He thought she was easy to bully because of her childlike face, and said, "We adults are having business. You can go to the side first."
The fat woman was still holding the cooperation contract in her hand, and she had already removed the cap from the pen and handed it to Sixth Sister. When she saw Chen Zhenzhu coming over, she looked her up and down and said, "Why do you look a little familiar? Let me finish my work before we talk. Serious matters can't be delayed for even a second."
Shen Zhenzhu scoffed and said, "Let me hear it."
Shen Liuhe sensed something was wrong. Her eldest daughter was a kind person and rarely showed such an expression of dislike: "Pearl, they want to cooperate with me to open a shop. We will provide the technology, and they will provide the capital."
“You two can discuss it yourselves.” The fat woman smiled, revealing three layers of chin. Seeing that Chen Zhenzhu looked displeased, she flipped open a page of the contract and said, “But your mother has already signed a copy, so don’t delay everyone’s chance to make money.”
Shen Zhenzhu remained expressionless, pulled out her police ID, opened it, and slammed it heavily on the table in front of them: "Fraud is a criminal offense. Say what you just told my mother again, and let's see if you dare!"
The skinny man was dumbfounded. How could a detective suddenly appear out of nowhere?! How could such a young girl be a detective?! The fat woman gritted her teeth, carefully examining her face, and belatedly realized that she had seen "Section Chief Shen" on TV! She had stumbled upon her by sheer accident!
The skinny man was a little nervous. He had come from the county town and saw a popular milk tea shop here. He tried to imitate the recipe from the TV show, but things went smoothly until he suddenly encountered a setback.
The overweight woman was calmer than him. She pointed to the contract and said, "Your mother has already signed a document. It's in black and white here, and she's giving us three Hong Kong-style milk tea recipes. Even if you're a detective, you can't do anything to me. Hand over the recipes now, or you'll have to pay us 100,000 yuan for breach of contract!"
Shen Zhenzhu turned to Shen Liuhe, and said with a look of disappointment, "Mom!"
"Take your time." Shen Liuhe flipped open the contract and pointed to the page where she had signed. "Then take a look at what name I signed."
The skinny man and the fat woman huddled together to look, and saw that the signature read "Sixth Sister" in a flamboyant style!
"You...you've tricked us!"
Shen Liuhe laughed heartily, hands on her hips, and pointed at their noses, saying, "You two are barely out of your teens and you dare to try and fool me? Don't you even know who Shen Liuhe is!"
Shen Zhenzhu clapped vigorously until her hands were red, and said in a particularly flattering tone, "Shen Liuhe is my mother!"
Shen Yuyuan thought it was a good thing, but after hearing the whole story, she was furious and yelled that she would go to the backyard to fetch the water from washing vegetables and pour it on them.
The skinny man took off running, and the fat woman tried to run too, but Chen Zhenzhu grabbed her wrist: "You think you can just come and go as you please?"
The skinny man leaped over the doorway, thinking no one was coming to chase him, and crashed headfirst into Wu Fuwang and the others, immediately being knocked to the ground.
Seeing the diners praising the food throughout, he said to Shen Liuhe, "As expected of a family of police officers, being able to raise three college students, Sister Liu must be quite intelligent. How could she be fooled by them?"
Uncle Fatty was among them. He watched the show with amusement, and when he saw that Chen Zhenzhu was holding onto the fat woman and couldn't break free, he went to the counter and dialed the phone number to report the incident.
The criminal investigation team members, upon hearing that someone had been tricked into going to Sixth Sister's shop, grinned broadly even before the group of olive-green uniforms reached the door. They first greeted Chen Zhenzhu: "Sister Zhenzhu."
"Sister Pearl!"
"Sister Pearl, give me a box of duck neck."
Shen Zhenzhu smiled and handed two boxes of duck products to Xiao Min: "Why did you come along too?"
Xiao Min, holding the duck products, said, "I heard that something happened at Sixth Sister's restaurant, so I came to check it out. I'm on duty tonight, so I'll bring some late-night snacks back with me."
"Such a huge, huge, huge scene, are we going to get shot, shot, shot to death?!" The thin man and the fat woman huddled together in fear. When they saw the police who had been mobilized in full force because of them, their eyes rolled back and they fainted from fright.
-----------------------
Author's note: Little Pearl: Hey, I haven't done anything yet.
***
See you tomorrow, there's a red envelope coming! [hugs]
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