Chapter 29
The next day, the two woke up early, packed their belongings, checked out, and went to the police station. But they didn't see Chief Zhang. The officer on duty told them that Chief Zhang and his team had been up all night investigating a case, so they asked them to come back later.
Meng Wanqiu and the other person had no choice but to leave and went to the state-owned restaurant where they had eaten yesterday to buy six large meat buns, a few fried dough sticks and two tea eggs. After filling their stomachs, they went to visit the supply and marketing cooperative that they had not been able to visit yesterday.
The supply and marketing cooperative in the county town was indeed incomparable to the one in the commune. Meng Wanqiu was dazzled as soon as she entered. There were all kinds of food, drinks, toys and daily necessities, neatly arranged on the shelves and in transparent cabinets.
I shopped around and bought a lot of things, most of which were for my family.
First of all, there are the things that the women in the family like, such as soap, chopstick holders, tooth powder, wool and so on. This tooth powder comes in packets of white packaging with a big red peony pattern printed on it.
Meng Wanqiu has used it several times. Meng Fengdong bought it when he returned home. It feels cool and comfortable when used.
With Meng Wanqiu around, food was a must. He bought her a bag of glutinous rice noodles, peach cakes, and fruit leather. Because Meng Wanqiu was curious about soda in glass bottles, Pei Xingzhi gave her two bottles without hesitation, one orange flavor and the other grape flavor.
Pei Xingzhi also grabbed two cans of fruit, much to the envy of the children nearby, who immediately asked their mother for more. Canned fruit isn't cheap, and a young mother who came to the supply and marketing cooperative just to buy some seasonings couldn't afford it.
After the refusal, the child started crying on the spot. The young mother probably felt ashamed and dragged the child out. The people around her just watched and laughed, and urged the young mother to buy it for her child.
Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xingzhi looked at each other, smiled, and continued shopping without paying attention to this little episode.
Finally, I didn’t forget to buy a few special batteries for the flashlight. I spent most of my money before I stopped with a feeling of not having achieved enough.
Afterwards, the two went to the county high school to visit Meng Fengdong who was attending school.
Meng Fengdong is sixteen years old this year. He was admitted to the county high school in the second half of this year. He only goes home once a week. Since he is in the county, Meng Wanqiu must go and see his younger brother.
When we arrived at the school gate, the students had already started classes. The school was empty. It was mid-September and the temperature was a bit cool in the morning. The old man at the school gate moved a reclining chair outside and lay on it comfortably to bask in the sun.
Pei Xingzhi and Meng Wanqiu walked over and knocked on the iron gate next to them, making a noise that woke up the old man.
The old man opened his wrinkled eyes, looked at the two of them, and frowned. "Who are you? What brings you to school?"
Pei Xingzhi: "Uncle, we are parents of students. We have finally come to the county town and are here to see our children."
The old man continued to frown, with the Chinese character "川" (Chuan) between his eyebrows. "How can you two, at such a young age, give birth to a high school student?"
Pei Xingzhi couldn't help but hold his forehead, wondering why this old man's train of thought was so strange.
Meng Wanqiu was also frustrated by the old man's words and said directly, "Uncle, we are here to see my younger brother. His name is Meng Fengdong and he is in Class 3 of Grade 1."
The old man chuckled after hearing this. "It's good that you can clearly tell me the students' specific information. Don't blame me for being suspicious. I don't know how many teachers have been persecuted in recent years. It's not easy for schools in our county to operate. In order to prevent those red armbands from causing trouble, the control of people entering and leaving is still very strict."
After listening to the old man, Meng Wanqiu nodded in understanding, while Pei Xingzhi looked a little solemn, thinking of his deceased grandparents.
"Okay, come in. The students are still in class. Please keep your voice down and don't disturb the teacher."
Meng Wanqiu: "I understand. Thank you, sir."
After saying that, he pulled Pei Xingzhi in.
"What’s wrong with you?"
When there was no one around, Meng Wanqiu looked up and asked Pei Xingzhi. As soon as the security guard finished speaking, she felt that something was wrong with Pei Xingzhi, and there was a hint of sadness in his eyes.
Pei Xingzhi was stunned. Seeing the concern in Meng Wanqiu's eyes, the heaviness gradually gave way to tenderness. He touched Meng Wanqiu's head and said, "Nothing. I just missed my grandparents. I haven't been back to visit their graves for a long time."
Meng Wanqiu then remembered Pei Xingzhi's family situation. He seemed to have never been back since he went to the countryside. She heard from her parents that Pei Xingzhi's grandparents had passed away and his father was currently missing.
But, his mother was not mentioned at all.
Meng Wanqiu held Pei Xingzhi's hand and said, "I will go back with you to visit the two old people's graves."
Meng Wanqiu accepted the identity of Pei Xingzhi's wife very well. As the granddaughter-in-law, she certainly had the responsibility to accompany Pei Xingzhi back.
Pei Xingzhi didn't say anything else, but just silently held Meng Wanqiu's hand tightly.
The first-year high school classroom was on the first floor. After walking for a while, I found Meng Fengdong's classroom.
"Okay, let's look at this geometry problem. A cylinder contains a cone of the same height..."
A teacher with glasses and gray hair stood on the podium, writing on the blackboard while talking. Snow-white powder fell on the first row. Meng Fengdong blew away the chalk dust on the notebook while tilting his head to look at the blackboard.
Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of a figure outside the classroom. He was stunned at first, then stood up in surprise, and the stool rubbed against the ground, making a "rubbing" sound.
For a moment, those who were listening attentively, those who were drowsy, and those who were slacking off all looked at Meng Fengdong.
"Meng Fengdong——"
A piece of chalk hit him right between the eyebrows, leaving a conspicuous white mark.
“Pfft, hahahahaha——”
Meng Fengdong rubbed his brows, ignoring the teacher's anger, and pointed outside the door in surprise: "Teacher, my sister is here to see me!"
At this time, Meng Wanqiu, who had just walked to the door and was about to knock, saw everyone in the class looking at her.
Meng Wanqiu was stunned for a moment, then smiled gently, "Hello, teacher. I am Meng Fengdong's sister. I am here to see him."
The teacher pushed his glasses, glanced at Meng Fengdong, whose eyes were full of requests, and cleared his throat. "Okay, go ahead and come back soon."
After saying that, he nodded towards Meng Wanqiu.
Meng Wanqiu quickly turned slightly to the side and half bowed in return.
The teacher's eyes softened. Meng Fengdong was usually noisy, but he was smart and had a good temper. She didn't expect his family to be so polite.
Under the envious gaze of his classmates, Meng Fengdong grinned, revealing his eight big white teeth, and ran out as fast as the wind.
Pulling Meng Wanqiu to the corner of the classroom, Meng Fengdong said to her, "Sister, why are you here? Did you come to see me specially? Oh, I'll be back in a few days. Why did you come all the way here? Have you eaten? I'll take you to a restaurant—"
When Meng Fengdong saw Pei Xingzhi suddenly appear next to him, his words died in his throat.
After a while, he shouted in a broken voice: "Why are you here too?"
Pei Xingzhi raised his eyebrows. He was already used to Meng Fengdong's sister-con nature. It was not the first or second time that he ignored him. Meng Fengdong and Dong Hanyun were his class enemies in the Meng family.
When there are outsiders, the two of them unite to deal with them; when there are no outsiders, they unite to deal with him.
Meng Wanqiu knocked Meng Fengdong on the forehead and wiped off the chalk mark between his eyebrows. "How can you talk like that? Call me brother-in-law."
Meng Wanqiu doted on Meng Fengdong, but that didn't stop her from being strict with him. Rules and etiquette needed to be kept firmly in mind and put into practice.
Meng Fengdong rubbed his forehead. His sister's strength was not light. He glared at Pei Xingzhi and shouted angrily: "Brother-in-law, you are here too."
Seeing that Meng Wanqiu had avenged him, Pei Xingzhi curled his lips. Ignoring Meng Fengdong's fiery gaze, he put his arm around Meng Wanqiu's shoulders and pulled her in front of him. "How's your study going, Xiaodong? Are you having any difficulty?"
Meng Wanqiu didn't notice the undercurrent between the two of them. She followed Pei Xingzhi and asked Meng Fengdong, "Yes, Xiaodong, why are you sitting next to the podium? I see there's room downstairs."
Meng Fengdong's face froze.
Pei Xingzhi's mouth continued to rise. Having been to school, he naturally knew some special seats in the classroom, such as next to the trash can, the last row, and where Meng Fengdong was sitting now.
Meng Fengdong's eyes wandered as he saw his lovely silly sister staring at him with her big, sparkling eyes, clearly waiting for his answer. And behind her, the annoying Pei Xingzhi, his eyes full of teasing, seemed to be waiting for his excuse.
Damn, I’m at a disadvantage.
Meng Fengdong narrowed his eyes, trying not to let Meng Wanqiu see the guilt in his eyes, and forced a slightly stiff smile, "I couldn't see the blackboard clearly sitting in the back, so the teacher moved me to the front."
However, how could Meng Fengdong's poor acting skills be hidden from the sharp-eyed Meng Wanqiu? She wanted to continue asking, but was stopped by the movement at her waist.
"That's good. We've already eaten. Here, this is for you."
Meng Wanqiu calmly handed Meng Fengdong the things she had bought for him. "Here are some socks. Don't let me see you bringing home a week's worth of stinky socks to wash. There's also a pair of sneakers. I saw all the kids in the city had them, so I bought you one too. There's also a pen and ink. Use them sparingly; they're very expensive. I'll give you a handful of fruit candy too. Take it home and eat it yourself, or give it to a classmate."
Meng Fengdong stuffed the candy into his trouser pocket and said stubbornly, "I won't give it to them."
Meng Wanqiu patted Meng Fengdong on the shoulder, then touched his head. He softened his tone and said earnestly, "You can't be like this. A real man can't be petty. Get along well with your classmates, study hard, and listen to your teachers..."
Meng Fengdong didn't dare to do it again. He was like a big cat whose fur had been smoothed, exuding an aura of obedience.
Pei Xingzhi looked at Meng Wanqiu who was teaching Meng Fengdong earnestly, his eyes so soft that tears could drip from them. He couldn't help but wonder if Meng Wanqiu would treat them the same way if they had children.
A heartwarming picture emerged in her mind: in a house in the capital, Meng Wanqiu was sitting on the sofa, combing the hair of a little girl. The little girl looked very much like her, with chubby baby fat on her cheeks. While combing her hair, she reminded the little girl of the things she should pay attention to when going to school, and told her not to fight with others.
He came to a childlike room on the second floor and picked up the little boy who was still sleeping in the cradle. The boy was still breastfeeding and looked like him. He was their newly born son.
Just thinking about it, Pei Xing's heart almost softened.
However, Pei Xingzhi shook his head and looked at Meng Wanqiu who was saying goodbye to Meng Fengdong. He didn't know when he could take her back. He wanted Meng Wanqiu to see the place where he grew up.
His ability is limited now, and he doesn't want his children to suffer. He will wait until the conditions are better and the time is right before doing anything.
Pei Xingzhi was not worried about Meng Wanqiu because Meng Wanqiu had told him more than once that she liked children and wanted to have children with him, the more the better.
Pei Xingzhi was not against having children, but he was against having more than one. Of course, he didn't openly contradict her, fearing that Meng Wanqiu might rebel and do something secretly.
Meng Wanqiu believes that having many children and grandchildren is a blessing. In her circle, both in Qinghe Village and by her parents, Meng's mother and father all have several children. She subconsciously believes this is normal. However, Pei Xingzhi won't indulge her and will correct her thinking in the future.
Because Meng Fengdong was still in class, the couple did not say much to him. After giving him a few words of advice, they asked him to go back to the classroom quickly.
Second update
The two of them left the school and passed by the gate. The old man was still squinting his eyes to bask in the sun. Meng Wanqiu quietly placed a few fruit candies next to him and smiled at Pei Xingzhi who was looking at him.
"Just now, why didn't you let me continue asking Xiaodong?"
The two walked side by side on the road. Pei Xingzhi was tall and had long legs, so he slowed down his pace to match Meng Wanqiu's. When he heard her words, a smile flashed in his eyes and he said, "The seat he sits in is not ordinary. Anyone who can sit there is not an ordinary person."
Meng Wanqiu turned her head to look over, noticed the upturned corners of Pei Xingzhi's eyes, bit her lower lip, and felt that there was something else behind Pei Xingzhi's words.
Meng Wanqiu raised her eyebrows and asked, "Really? Then why are you laughing?"
Pei Xingzhi was surprised and subconsciously touched the corner of his mouth, "Did I smile?" How could he not know.
At an intersection, Meng Wanqiu suddenly stopped and turned around, and Pei Xingzhi followed suit. The two of them went from standing side by side to facing each other, their eyes meeting. Pei Xingzhi saw a smile in Meng Wanqiu's eyes, as well as a hint of cunning, and his ears suddenly began to feel hot.
After being together for so long, Pei Xingzhi knew many of Meng Wanqiu's little habits. Every time Meng Wanqiu showed this look, it meant that she was going to do something bad to him next, and every time she made him blush.
But even though Pei Xingzhi had enough time to stop and avoid Meng Wanqiu's little tricks before doing something bad, he never did it once, and even secretly looked forward to it in his heart.
Sure enough, after Meng Wanqiu looked around and confirmed that there was no one else around, she reached out and grabbed Pei Xingzhi by the collar, dragged him into the alley, and pushed him against the wall.
Their bodies pressed together, their breathing quickened, their noses mingling with the warm air. Meng Wanqiu stood on tiptoe, her hand slowly sliding upward from the corner of Pei Xingzhi's pursed mouth. As she moved, she whispered, "You're not smiling, but—"
The slender, white, and tender fingers rested on the red corners of Pei Xingzhi's eyes, "You are smiling here."
Meng Wanqiu's voice was gentle yet tempting. Pei Xingzhi's heart was pounding, but he didn't dare to remove his hands from her waist.
He tried hard to suppress the desire, the string in his brain was tightly stretched and had reached the critical point. If he did not restrain himself, the consequences would be disastrous.
Seeing Pei Xingzhi's eyes that seemed to want to eat her, Meng Wanqiu raised her eyebrows. Not only was she not afraid, but she smiled provocatively, grabbed the corner of Pei Xingzhi's clothes, and kissed him hard.
He bullied her all night yesterday, so he had to get some interest back.
Meng Wanqiu knew Pei Xingzhi's concerns and always paid 70% of her attention to the surrounding environment. The remaining 30% could not withstand Meng Wanqiu's offensive, which made her even more unscrupulous and gave her the upper hand in the fight.
Pei Xingzhi was exactly as Meng Wanqiu thought. He was afraid that someone would appear around and cause unnecessary trouble, so he did not dare to resist Meng Wanqiu, so he could only allow Meng Wanqiu to bully him.
But the anger in his heart made his throat dry and parched. In order to relieve this torture, he could only desperately suck the saliva from the other person's mouth, which made the root of Meng Wanqiu's tongue hurt, and he barely managed to save a little face.
A fluffy white cloud floated over this space, blocking the increasingly hot sun, but it could not block the hot atmosphere of this space. The sparrows on the branches were too hot to hide in the grass, chirping and scolding the unscrupulous young couple.
Time passed by little by little, until the wind blew away the fluffy white cloud, and the sun's rays shone on this space. The sparrow returned to the branch, shook its wings, looked at the two figures leaving, and raised its head to sing a melodious song.
The lyrics roughly mean that the temperature of the sun is the most comfortable, and it was almost melted by the heat just now.
But Aunt Tree next to it didn't agree with the little sparrow's words. She joined in the rustling of the wind and laughed at the little sparrow for being too young and not understanding anything.
The little sparrow chirped and asked Aunt Tree to tell it the answer quickly.
Aunt Tree smiled meaningfully and said: You will understand by next spring.
Only those who have experienced passion know how wonderful it is.
At the entrance of the police station, Meng Wanqiu and Pei Xing were one meter apart, neither communicating nor looking at each other, which made Officer Xiao Wu, who was worried about the two of them, very worried.
He quickly called Pei Xingzhi aside and asked him questions.
Meng Wanqiu was called to the office by Director Zhang after he finished his work.
Meng Wanqiu was curious about the progress of the case, so she asked directly.
Director Zhang shook his head. "Because the case is quite complex, it's kept secret until it's completely solved. So, I'm sorry, Xiao Meng, but Uncle Zhang can't tell you."
Meng Wanqiu nodded. "Uncle Zhang, you're too polite. I just want to know what happened to those two bad guys. If it's inconvenient, forget it."
If it were in ancient times, if these two bastards had no power, they would definitely be executed by the government. If they had power, I can't guarantee it.
"Don't worry about this. There is conclusive evidence that the two men committed crimes. The law will make them receive the punishment they deserve, and I guarantee that I will give an explanation to the victim." Uncle Zhang stood up and assured Meng Wanqiu righteously.
Meng Wanqiu smiled. She was actually thinking that the best way to give the victim an explanation was to let him take revenge himself. She always believed in a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, and a grievance for a grievance.
However, she knew that this was not her time, and the rules she believed in were no longer applicable here. However, Meng Wanqiu still insisted on her own opinion that revenge with her own hands could resolve the hatred.
Director Zhang poured Meng Wanqiu a glass of water and said, "Xiao Meng, I called you here this time because I have something good to tell you. The two people you arrested are key figures in the case and have provided great help to us in solving the case." As he said that, Director Zhang walked to the desk, opened the drawer below, and took out an envelope.
"This is a reward for you. It's not a large amount, but it's a small token of our gratitude from the Gucheng Police Station. You must accept it."
Director Zhang handed the envelope to Meng Wanqiu.
"No, no, no, Uncle Zhang, I volunteered. How can I take your money? No, I can't take it. Please take it back."
Meng Wanqiu quickly took a few steps back and waved her hand to refuse.
"Well, you volunteered, but you really helped us. This bonus has always been there and it is not prepared just for you." Director Zhang held Meng Wanqiu's hand and did not allow her to refuse.
"Even if it wasn't you, but someone else, we would still give out the bonus, so don't feel burdened, Xiao Meng, just accept it with peace of mind."
Meng Wanqiu didn't dare to show her strength in front of Director Zhang, for fear that he would notice something was wrong, so she could only let Director Zhang put the envelope into her clothes pocket.
It looks a bit funny, because Meng Wanqiu's pocket is only the size of a fist, just an ornament, while the envelope containing the prize money is the size of an adult's palm. The size does not match and it is squeezed inside, which makes people feel funny when they see it.
"Uncle Zhang, there's really no need—"
"Stop, I won't accept rejection." Director Zhang raised his hand and made a prohibitive gesture, forcing Meng Wanqiu to swallow the rest of his words back into his stomach.
Seeing that Meng Wanqiu didn't finish speaking, Director Zhang smiled and took a sip of tea slowly. "Okay, there's nothing for you to do now, get out."
The little girl is too young to fight with him.
Meng Wanqiu: ...
Seeing that Director Zhang started to drive people away, Meng Wanqiu had no choice but to close the door and leave, thinking about how to deal with the bonus.
Suddenly, Meng Wanqiu had an idea and immediately turned around and opened the office door:
"Uncle Zhang, I still can't accept this money. Please donate it for me!"
"puff--"
The door suddenly opened, startling Director Zhang. He quickly moved the papers off the table and wiped the tea stains with his sleeve. He glanced at the impetuous Meng Wanqiu and said with a smile, "Little Meng, what can I say about you?"
Meng Wanqiu looked at the mess on the table, stood at the door, and said hesitantly, "I'm sorry, Uncle Zhang, I really can't accept it. If you really want to give it, then please donate it for me. It can be to an orphanage, a school, or anything else."
After a pause, Director Zhang took off his hat and scratched his hair, looking a little embarrassed. "Think about it. Although this bonus is not much, it is definitely not small. If you donate it, it will be gone."
Meng Wanqiu nodded firmly and put the envelope back on Director Zhang's desk. The money was not hers in the first place, so there was no regret in donating it.
Director Zhang pinched a corner of the envelope, examined it for a while, then sighed and said with a smile, "Alright, Xiao Meng, good job. Uncle Zhang is increasingly impressed by you. I'll donate the money for you, but Uncle Zhang has something special to reward you."
After saying that, Uncle Zhang took out a piece of paper three fingers wide from the inner pocket of his clothes, which was about the same size as a food coupon.
"Here, this is an industrial voucher someone gave to Uncle Zhang. I don't need it, so consider it a reward from Uncle Zhang today."
Meng Wanqiu wanted to wave her hand to refuse again, but was interrupted by Director Zhang just as she was about to speak, "You can't refuse a gift from an elder. Uncle Zhang is giving you this reward because he likes you. You've refused Uncle Zhang so many times today. It would be impolite to say it again."
Meng Wanqiu was in a dilemma. "Uncle Zhang, you don't need this ticket, you can keep it for now..."
Bang bang——
"Director, the meeting is about to begin."
Before Meng Wanqiu finished speaking, someone knocked on the door and asked Director Zhang to go to a meeting.
Director Zhang immediately stood up, put on his hat, straightened his uniform, and said to Meng Wanqiu, "Xiao Meng, I'm sorry Uncle Zhang has something else to do, so I won't entertain you. Please go back quickly."
As he spoke, he opened the door, walked halfway out, then suddenly turned around and continued, "Next time you come to the county, remember to come find Uncle Zhang. Uncle Zhang will treat you to a meal."
After saying that, he slammed the door shut.
Meng Wanqiu couldn't help but hold her forehead with her hand. Since the owner had left, it was naturally not appropriate for her to stay here, so she opened the door and went out.
Holding the industrial coupons in his hand, he knew that this was what Meng's father had been thinking about. He had always wanted to buy a bicycle for his family so that they could go out more conveniently.
If Meng's father had contacted his former comrades, I believe the Meng family would have bought a bicycle long ago, but Meng's father's personality would not allow him to do such a thing.
However, Meng's father sent his allowance to his comrades in need every month. The Meng family supported him very much. As a child, Meng Wanqiu was proud of such a father.
Therefore, she also wanted to help Meng's father fulfill his wish and buy him the bicycle he had always dreamed of. Meng Wanqiu accepted Director Zhang's kindness, but it was not for nothing. Next time she came to the county town, she would bring Director Zhang some game she had hunted, which should be quite rare in the city.
When she arrived on the first floor, Meng Wanqiu saw Pei Xingzhi sitting and chatting with Officer Xiao Wu, while Jiang Xiuxiu and a strange man were sitting next to them.
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