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A police officer recognized Guan Yuehe, but according to procedure, both Guan Yuehe and Li Xuelian had to go to the police station to give a statement.
"You say you're from the Municipal Public Security Bureau, so we still have to go to the Municipal Public Security Bureau to give a statement?"
Guan Yuehe glanced at her watch subconsciously; it was already 8:30 PM. If she had to go through the trouble of going to the Municipal Public Security Bureau to give a statement, wouldn't she be back by 10 PM?
“Going is fine, just send one of your comrades to our house to deliver the message.” Guan Yuehe pointed to Li Xuelian next to her, “She’s also from the Foreign Trade Department, and she lives in the coal mine family compound in Changhu Street.”
Everyone else looked at the police officer who had asked the question, waiting for their captain to speak.
"Go back to Changhu Police Station and notify the other teams to call it a day."
Guan Yuehe hurriedly checked her bicycle. It wasn't damaged. Luckily, Lu Chang was there to cushion her fall, otherwise she would have been heartbroken about her bicycle tonight.
The flashlight wasn't so lucky; the battery fell off and is now nowhere to be found. Judging from the damage to the front, it'll probably need a new one.
"Behave yourself!"
Lu Chang, with his hands and feet bound, still tried to struggle. Unable to speak, he charged at Guan Yuehe, howling and babbling incoherently.
But no matter what they say, bad people never say anything good.
Seeing that it was difficult for several police officers to subdue him, Guan Yuehe, who was following behind, couldn't help but remind him: "Kick him a couple more times and he'll behave."
Police officers and Li Xuelian: "..."
Seeing that there were police officers in front and behind them, Li Xuelian still couldn't help but lean closer to Guan Yuehe and whisper, "Yuehe, you've practiced before?"
The way she was hitting people was strangely swift. She ran a short distance away and turned around, just in time to see Yuehe kicking people and hitting them with her bicycle. She gasped as she watched.
Before Guan Yuehe even arrived, she'd heard that a new female colleague was coming to the office next door—a graduate student from Peking University, fluent in English and German. But no one had mentioned Guan Yuehe's fighting prowess!
In her opinion, being fluent in two languages was already very impressive, but she never expected that there was something even more amazing about her!
“Hey, the more you eat, the stronger you become.” Guan Yuehe was a little embarrassed by Li Xuelian’s bright eyes. After thinking for a moment, she added, “When I was studying at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, all my classmates were People’s Liberation Army soldiers. We often ran and arm wrestled together.”
"No wonder!" Li Xuelian exclaimed curiously, "How did you end up in the same squad as the People's Liberation Army soldiers?"
Guan Yuehe still can't figure out why she was assigned to the English major class.
The police officer behind him stared at the back of Guan Yuehe's head not far ahead and thought to himself: You were just as reckless before you went to the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University. You have nothing to do with the People's Liberation Army!
They walked all the way back to Changhu Police Station, where Lu Chang was helped into the innermost room.
Someone complained, "Does this bastard really need someone to carry him?"
The two police officers who were carrying the man chuckled and said, "He's been kicked so badly he can't walk anymore. If we let him go, he probably won't be able to walk back."
"Serves you right!"
Guan Yuehe was quite familiar with Changhu Police Station. The station had been around for ten years, and apart from getting a bit old, it hadn't changed much.
Guan Yuehe and Li Xuelian were told they would be given a statement later, and they had just refused the police officer's offer of water. Guan Yuehe glanced at the people coming and going and asked, "Isn't Officer Song here?"
The same goes for Officer Song; ever since that day when something was dug out at the entrance of the alley, he hasn't gone home until last night.
"You're asking about our director, right? He's injured and in the hospital."
The police officer who answered glanced at the innermost room and said angrily, "That's what happened when that bastard beat him up."
Is it serious?
"He's still in the hospital; the test results aren't out yet." Not only was their director injured and hospitalized, but a colleague was also stabbed during the first arrest operation.
Guan Yuehe was so angry that her fists were hard. She should have kicked him a few more times.
"Comrade Guan, Comrade Li, please come over and make a statement."
"OK."
Guan Yuehe and Li Xuelian went to separate rooms and told each other everything that had happened that night.
In short, they just happened to run into each other on their way home from get off work. Guan Yuehe added, "If he hadn't come up to me, I wouldn't have hit him."
The team leader who came over to take the statement didn't know what to say for a moment.
While the two brave women were waiting outside, his team told him about Guan Yuehe's past deeds: ten years ago, she fought off an armed fugitive with her bare hands, smashing him with something and breaking his ribs. Five years ago, she and her husband caught two petty thieves, which led to the discovery of guns and explosives buried under the former public toilet in Yinxing Hutong.
This woman should be working in their public security system!
After the statements were taken, the team leader arranged for a police officer to take them home.
So, Guan Yuehe and the police officers first took Li Xuelian home before heading to Ginkgo Alley.
"Thank you, officers." Guan Yuehe waved and was about to walk towards Courtyard No. 1 when Jiang Guiying and the others came running out. They breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that she had returned safely.
Why are you so late coming home today?
Before Guan Yuehe could explain, Gu Mannian said, "It's good that she's back. Mom and Dad, I'll take Gu Yu back first."
Jiang Guiying had just said "oh" when she changed her mind and said, "It's late at night, don't go running around. You and Guyu will stay at home tonight."
Then he continued rambling, "That damned traitor, who knows if he's hiding and preparing to commit a crime? Even Officer Song got a beating; if you run into him, you'll be in big trouble."
Guan Yuehe scratched her head. "Lu Chang has been arrested and is in the police station now."
"They caught him? Really? No, how did you know?"
"...We met on the way back." It was something the police officers had told them to keep secret for the time being. She didn't leak the information, but she didn't lie either.
"Oh my! That's wonderful news!" Jiang Guiying clapped her hands happily, but still asked Gu Mannian to stay at her house that night, "Gu Yu is already asleep, don't bother her."
After confirming the news with Guan Yuehe, Grandpa Lin learned that Lu Chang had indeed been arrested, and then instructed the others to go to other courtyards to report the news.
This morning, staff from the neighborhood office came to remind everyone to be careful when going out, especially those going out alone at night. They also said that last night, Officer Song encountered Lu Chang on his way home and was hit on the head with a club. Fortunately, nearby residents heard the commotion and ran out to help, otherwise Officer Song would have been in even greater danger.
After hearing the news, fewer people went out to use the toilet in the alley after dark, and some even set "traps" in case Lu Chang came with a gun to retaliate.
Guan Yuehe frowned. "Lu Chang still has a gun?"
As Jiang Guiying cooked noodles for her, she replied, "Everyone's guessing that Lu Chang might know about the things buried behind the public toilet, and that his family might have buried them there before. It's not surprising that he has a gun."
"That makes some sense."
Thinking about it, it's really frightening. She actually managed to snatch the treasure from the tiger's mouth twice without anyone noticing!
One time, he accidentally exposed someone's guns and explosives while catching a thief; the other time, he robbed their current house.
I even beat up Lu Chang tonight.
No wonder Lu Chang's eyes were practically daggers, ready to stab her after he was tied up.
When Guan Yuehe learned that Lin Yiku still hadn't called back, she wasn't so worried anymore.
She ate her noodles with gusto, making everyone else envious.
"Didn't have dinner? No matter how busy you are at work, do you think you'd be too busy to eat?"
"No, it's not that. I was a bit tired on the way back by bike, and I was hungry." Although hitting someone only involved a few movements, it was both mentally and physically demanding, so it's easy to get hungry.
"By the way," Guan Yuehe asked, "when can we resume construction? If we don't get going soon, it'll get cold, and I'll have to go inside to take a shower, which is a hassle." She can't go to the public bathhouse every day.
"I'll go ask about it tomorrow. We need to finish it as soon as possible. If we keep dragging it out, the other people will start to complain."
Guan Yuehe needed to boil water for a bath, so the others didn't stay any longer and went back to Courtyard No. 3 together.
The other courtyards in the alley gradually became lively, all discussing the news that Lu Chang had been arrested.
"What Yuehe said? She ran into him on her way back?" the older woman joked. "Could it be that she ran into Yuehe and got arrested and taken to the police station by Yuehe?"
With Lu Chang arrested, the danger was over, and everyone relaxed. They laughed along with the joke, but no one took it seriously.
But some bolder and more curious people suggested, "Why don't we go to the police station to ask around?"
To be honest, who isn't curious about what those things at the entrance of the alley are? Some people even wonder if there are other good things hidden in other parts of the alley.
More importantly, everyone is having trouble sleeping, and the Changhu Police Station isn't far away.
But the idea was quickly suppressed by the old man in charge. "Going to join in the fun at this time will only cause trouble for the police! Nobody is allowed to go!"
"Then, should we go to the hospital to see Officer Song?"
"Let's talk about it later. Cai Ying went to the hospital and hasn't come back yet. We don't know what's going on."
In Courtyard No. 2.
Luo Guifang went out to pick up Bao Ning from evening self-study and then knocked on the door across the street. "Southwest, your mother said you can come to my house to sleep for the night."
As soon as the door opened, Bao Ning said again, "I can come and stay at your place."
In the end, Song Xinan still let Bao Ning come and stay. She had never lived alone at home before, especially now that her brother was not home, her father did not know what was going on, and her mother had not sent any news back.
Seeing that her eyes were red, Aunt Zhao comforted her, "It's okay, maybe your mother will be back tomorrow morning. If you're worried, go to the factory hospital after school tomorrow."
The next morning, just before the workers were about to leave for work, Cai Ying finally returned.
Faced with her neighbors' concern, Cai Ying patiently replied to each one: "It's nothing serious. The doctor said I can stay for a few days for observation, and I can be discharged if there are no problems."
After worrying all night, Song Xinan finally felt relieved and went to school with his friends in the alley.
As for the others, those who needed to go to work went to work, and those who wanted to gossip got up and headed to Changhu Police Station.
The police officer, whose face was complicated as he was stopped by the elderly folks asking him questions, thought to himself: You're asking who arrested Lu Chang? It was Comrade Guan Yuehe from your Ginkgo Alley!
However, Lu Chang and Lu Yan still need to continue interrogating to see if there are any other accomplices or other illegal activities. It is not advisable to involve ordinary people for the time being, especially Comrade Guan Yuehe, who once again acted bravely.
The police officer gave a perfunctory reply, telling them to provide any leads they had and not to crowd outside the police station and disrupt police work if they didn't have any.
—
Good morning, sir! Good morning, auntie!
After a night, Director Guan regained his usual energy and hurriedly pushed his bicycle to the bike shed.
The gatekeeper peeked out the window and immediately noticed some marks on Guan Yuehe's bicycle, as if it had been dropped.
But looking at Guan Yuehe, it didn't seem like she had fallen off the car.
Li Xuelian's spirits weren't as good as usual. After returning home last night, she became increasingly frightened, thinking about what might have happened if she had gone home alone and encountered bad people...
Her colleagues noticed that she was distracted several times and asked her a few questions, but she hadn't forgotten her promise at the police station the night before to keep it a secret for the time being, so she could only make an excuse that she hadn't slept well last night.
When I went downstairs to the cafeteria for lunch, I saw Guan Yuehe walking briskly ahead of me. I wanted to catch up with her and talk to her, but I found that I couldn't catch up at all.
When she arrived at the cafeteria, Guan Yuehe had already gotten her food and sat down to eat. When she returned with her food, there were people sitting next to and opposite Guan Yuehe. A short while later, Guan Yuehe left the cafeteria with her empty lunchbox...
Li Xuelian watched her retreating figure with envy: "Even if Comrade Guan Yuehe can't beat bad guys, she can still outrun them!"
Her colleague followed her gaze and only saw Guan Yuehe's back. He joked, "Director Guan looks a bit like a former soldier."
Li Xuelian pursed her lips and said, "When Comrade Yuehe was studying at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, all of her classmates were People's Liberation Army soldiers."
"Oh? Really?" The colleague, unfamiliar with the boss in the next office, casually remarked, "That's impressive."
"She's really impressive." If her colleagues had seen how Yuehe beat people up last night, they would definitely think she was impressive too.
Li Xuelian wanted to finish her work as soon as possible and go home, but she didn't expect to drag it out until after seven o'clock, when it was already completely dark outside.
She had just encountered a bad person yesterday, and although she didn't think she would be unlucky enough to run into one again today, she was still a little uneasy.
As she pushed her bicycle out, she had just sighed when Guan Yuehe, who had been waiting ahead, waved and said, "Comrade Li Xuelian, let's go!"
As soon as she got closer, Guan Yuehe said, "More people means more safety."
—
For two consecutive days, Guan Yuehe and Li Xuelian walked home together after work, chatting about their jobs and any new regulations or policies at their workplaces. Their relationship grew much closer, and they even made plans to go to the department store to look at washing machines sometime.
The work of digging sewers and laying pipes has started again in Ginkgo Hutong. The large pit next to the ginkgo tree was filled back in, and finally the sewer was dug from the other side.
There has been no new information from the police station, and the punishments for Lu Chang and Lu Yan have been delayed. Their house has also been sealed off.
After the excitement subsided, everyone started thinking about other things. For example, shouldn't the gatekeeper's room that Lu Chang and Lu Yan were assigned be redistributed?
They will definitely be fired. Will the two vacant positions be given to temporary workers who will be promoted to permanent positions or to unemployed children of factory workers?
There is still no accurate answer.
Lin Yiku finally sent back a message, saying that she would go home in a few days after finishing her mission.
Guan Yuehe felt relieved and decided to visit Song Gong'an at the hospital on Sunday with her neighbors from Courtyard No. 2.
Song Gong'an was hit on the head by Lu Chang, but no major problems were found. The doctor just advised him to stay for a couple more days.
Song Gong'an wanted to be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible, but Cai Ying disagreed, and even Song Xinan didn't side with him, so he could only stay for two more days.
"Yuehe, we're about to leave," Aunt Bai called from the next courtyard to courtyard number one.
"They're here!"
Guan Yuehe and her neighbors rode their bicycles over, with at least one person from each household coming, making for a considerable number of people.
As Guan Yuehe followed behind the group, she suddenly realized that they didn't seem to be there to visit a patient, but rather to fight.
The passing doctors and nurses cautiously called out to them, and only after learning that they were visiting their neighbors did they let them continue upstairs with some skepticism.
"Yuehe?" Lin Sitian's initial surprise turned to understanding upon seeing the others. "You've come to see Officer Song?"
Lin Sitian suddenly smiled, "Ding Laowu was beaten up and hospitalized. He happens to be in the ward next to Song Gong'an's, and Aunt Ding is there too."
Several middle-aged women, sensing the spice of gossip, pressed for details: "How was Ding Laowu beaten? Who beat him?"
"He was beaten by Lu Chang."
It's Lu Chang again!
The older women were eager to know what had happened, but Lin Sitian had to go to work. She regretted not being able to join her friends and the other women in the excitement, so she could only tell her friend, "Tell me when you get back."
"Okay!" Guan Yuehe hurriedly told her, "We'll talk about it when we get home," and rushed to catch up with the older women.
Before arriving at the ward, Guan Yuehe glanced at the next ward and saw Aunt Ding sitting with her back to the door, but she couldn't see clearly what was wrong with Ding Laowu lying on the bed.
The chicken that everyone chipped in to buy was made into soup, and together with the apples they bought, it was placed on the small cabinet next to Song Gong'an's hospital bed.
Song Gong'an and Cai Ying thanked him repeatedly.
"Oh, we're neighbors, don't be so polite with us." Aunt Zhao told Officer Song to stay in bed and not get up to serve them.
Aunt Zhao pointed to the next ward and asked Cai Ying in a low voice, "What happened to Ding Laowu?"
Cai Ying was also curious. "I only found out this morning that Ding Laowu was beaten by Lu Chang and hospitalized. A few days ago, he was in the ward at the end of the line. Ding Dama got into a fight with other patients' families, so the nurses moved them to the next room."
She was so worried about Officer Song the past few days that she didn't pay any attention to the commotion in the other wards. It wasn't until she bumped into Aunt Ding this morning that she learned that Ding Laowu had been beaten and hospitalized.
"Let's go ask them."
Grandpa Chang tried to stop her, but Grandma Zhao wouldn't listen. "You men stay here and talk to Officer Song."
They had just left the ward when they bumped into Aunt Ding, who was also coming out of the ward.
Aunt Ding thought the voices from the next ward sounded familiar, so she got up and went over to take a look. She saw Guan Yuehe and the neighbors from Courtyard No. 2 blocking the door of Song Gong'an's ward, and the fruit on the small cabinet was obviously brought by them.
Aunt Ding was angry, feeling that these people were really inconsiderate. They were all neighbors, yet they only delivered things to Officer Song, neglecting her fifth son.
Thinking to myself, the people in courtyard number two are so snobbish!
But the others were also quite wronged; how could they have known that Ding Laowu was also hospitalized?!
I haven't heard anyone from the Ding family say anything about it.
Aunt Ding glared at her neighbor in courtyard number two, annoyed. "So many people are blocking this place, disturbing the patients' rest!"
If this were in Ginkgo Hutong, the aunties from Courtyard No. 2 would have rushed up and started yelling at them, but today they were only thinking about asking, "Oh dear, how did your fifth son get beaten up like this? Why didn't you tell us he was in the hospital?"
Aunt Zhao led the way, bringing the others in to visit Ding Laowu.
Police Officer Song only wrapped his head up, but Ding Laowu was almost wrapped up like a dumpling, with one of his eyes swollen from being beaten.
They felt that given Ding Laowu's usual arrogance, it was only a matter of time before he was beaten, but they couldn't help cursing Lu Chang for being so ruthless. It was fortunate that he was arrested; otherwise, who knew what other misdeeds he might commit if he had remained hidden among the people.
Aunt Ding thought they were all there to laugh at her and didn't want to say anything.
But unable to hold back her words, she began cursing Lu Chang, "That damned traitor! All my fifth son did was ask him if he had any ancestral heirlooms he could help sell, and he actually went berserk! Look how badly he beat my fifth son!"
The others remained silent.
Back then, Ding Laowu would go to people's houses every day, asking if they had any good stuff. It was hard for the neighbors not to notice Lu Chang and Lu Yan. Maybe Lu Chang had wanted to beat up Ding Laowu for a long time, but just hadn't found a suitable opportunity before.
But Aunt Ding was quite capable; while she was cursing, she suddenly changed the subject and said that the police station should give Ding Laowu a commendation.
"If it weren't for our fifth son keeping an eye on their house every day, they might have secretly moved the things under the tree long ago!"
Luo Guifang rolled her eyes. She really knew how to flatter herself.
Aunt Ding got more and more excited as she talked, and decided to go to the police station in a couple of days to ask for credit.
Ding Laowu, who was in the hospital bed, was awakened by her loud voice. He cried out in pain whenever he moved. Ding Dama was so anxious that she called for the doctor and nurse.
Fearing that they would delay the doctors and nurses from seeing patients, the others quickly left, no longer bothering to watch the spectacle.
As Guan Yuehe left the hospital with Aunt Zhao and the others, they ran into police officers from the Municipal Public Security Bureau who came over to take a statement from Ding Laowu.
"Take a statement now?" Guan Yuehe said, "He's completely wrapped up, it's difficult for him to even blink."
Police officer: "It's good that you can speak. Comrade Guan, we'll get back to work now."
As soon as the police officer left, Aunt Zhao asked, "Yuehe, did you know that police officer?"
"I'd say we know each other."
On the way back by bike, the elderly folks started analyzing the situation, one after another.
"Lu Yan was arrested by Song Gong'an, which is why Lu Chang ambushed Song Gong'an and attacked him."
"Well, Ding Laowu, Lu Chang and Lu Yan were hiding things well, but Ding Laowu went to their house every day to keep an eye on them. Hey, everyone in the alley guessed that Lu Chang and Lu Yan had something good in their hands. Everyone was watching them, so they couldn't do anything bad. They just happened to run into Ding Laowu outside, so they just beat him up to vent their anger. That's definitely how it happened!"
"So, you mean they retaliate against anyone who gets in their way? Well..."
Everyone else looked at Guan Yuehe, who was far ahead of them.
Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku bought the Niu family's house first, which must have blocked Lu Chang and Lu Yan's way. Otherwise, they could have dug a tunnel through the house and dug up everything buried underneath.
"I guess they just haven't found an opportunity."
Someone whispered, "Maybe it's because they know they can't win."
—
"That Ding Laowu? I just wanted to vent my anger on him." Lu Chang said hatefully, "That good-for-nothing! If it weren't for him, would I be being watched like this?"
He was watched by people in the alley when he went to and from get off work. Once, when he went to the department store to buy something, he saw a neighbor following him suspiciously.
These people all believed Ding Laowu's words, convinced that his family had some ancestral treasures, and wanted to follow him to see if he had buried the treasures elsewhere.
He should really beat Ding Laowu to death!
The police officer in charge of the interrogation, expressionless, continued, "Did you deliberately follow Chief Song? Speak!"
Lu Chang sneered after a long while, and said smugly, "That's right, he arrested Lu Yan, so I retaliated against him. It's fair."
The police officer taking notes looked up at him, his pen clenched tightly, as if he wanted to kick him in the chest.
The question-and-answer session lasted for more than ten minutes before the police mentioned Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku, but Lu Chang didn't want to talk anymore.
Guan Yuehe and Lin Yiku, that couple always ruin his plans. If it weren't for the fact that all those guns and bullets had been dug up...
Especially Guan Yuehe! Why didn't that fugitive shoot her dead back then?!
He got extremely angry just thinking about it, and his ribs started hurting even more.
—
Guan Yuehe and her neighbors from Courtyard No. 2 returned from the hospital shortly after lunchtime, and everyone in the alley knew that Ding Laowu had also been beaten by Lu Chang and hospitalized.
Everyone agreed that Lu Chang was specifically looking for someone to retaliate against.
Jiang Guiying clasped her hands together, still shaken. "Luckily I was caught, otherwise..." Yuehe and Yiku would definitely be the next to retaliate.
"You're still laughing! Don't you know how dangerous this is!" Jiang Guiying caught sight of Guan Yuehe's carefree laughter, and her anger flared up instantly. What was so funny about this?
Guan Yuehe pursed her lips, suppressing a laugh: "Didn't expect that, did you? It was me who caught him!"
But she couldn't say it yet; she could only secretly wag her tail. She had already decided what to write in her next letter to Chunmei and Shenghua!
Jiang Guiying waited a long time without hearing Guan Yuehe say anything, then turned around and saw her standing by the wall with her hands on her hips, looking up at the newspaper pasted on the wall.
It was the contents of a daily newspaper from ten years ago. She could recite it by heart after reading it for so many years. Why did she suddenly decide to look at it again?
Jiang Guiying soon found out why.
Only after the police investigation was completed and all those who needed to be arrested were the crimes committed by Lu Chang and Lu Yan announced to the public.
Lu Chang had joined a spy organization in his early years and later found an opportunity to infiltrate the Five Star Automobile Factory. He then married Lu Yan, who was also a spy, and moved to Ginkgo Hutong. He usually passed messages to the spies and also kept an eye on the things buried at the entrance of the hutong and behind the public toilet, waiting for an opportunity to dig them up.
Unexpectedly, all the items were dug up and handed over one after another. Lu Chang's long-awaited opportunity was ultimately in vain.
"Was he the one who arranged for that fugitive from ten years ago?" someone wondered.
"No, I asked around. The fugitive just ran away randomly and ended up here."
"Lu Chang is really unlucky."
Having heard the inside story, the gossipy neighbor who had come back laughed loudly twice upon hearing this, saying, "He's really unlucky! Being chased by the police late at night, he ran into someone! Hey! Guess who it was?"
"Stop keeping me in suspense! Hurry up!"
"Speak up!"
"I ran into Yuehe head-on, and she kicked me so hard I was sent flying! That's how I got taken to the police station!"
The crowd fell silent for a few seconds.
Jiang Guiying, who had just been urging for more details, was now completely bewildered. "Who? Is it our Yuehe?"
"Aunt Jiang, there's only one moon lotus in our Ginkgo Alley, is it yours?"
At the same time, a letter of thanks from the Municipal Public Security Bureau was also sent to the Ministry of Foreign Trade.
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