Chapter 453 Saying Goodbye to You
Zhou Yi remembered that he had been by Lu Xiaoshuang's side for two days when she was unconscious, and he hardly left her side.
He did talk to himself a little, but not much, because he was in a general ward at the time and there were other patients and their families besides them, so he couldn't say much.
But he couldn't be sure what Lu Xiaoshuang had heard, after all, she was too smart.
"Well, Mom, where is my dad? And my uncle?" He quickly changed the subject.
"He went to buy some food and drinks, saying he wanted to have a drink with you guys." Zhang Qiuxia looked at the clock on the wall. "It's already this late, it's already this late, why hasn't your dad come back yet?"
"I guess he ran into someone he knew and chatted with him," Zhou Yi said.
At this time, my aunt asked, "Sister-in-law, you said that we are eating dumplings today because Zhou Yili's merit has been approved. What merit did he make?"
When Zhang Qiuxia heard this, she said happily, "It's called a first-class individual merit. Isn't it, son?"
Zhou Yi nodded: "Yes, the full title is the First Class Individual Merit of the People's Police of the Public Security Organs."
What he was talking about was naturally referring to the Long Zhiqiang case. He and Chen Yan were awarded the first-class merit individually, as well as the collective first-class merit of the Hongcheng Public Security Department, which finally came out in early June.
That's why my mother arranged to make dumplings and eat to celebrate.
My aunt was surprised and said, "Really? This first-class merit is the most impressive one, right?"
Theoretically speaking, first-class individual merit is not the highest. There are second-class and first-class hero and model awards above them, but that is as difficult as climbing to the sky.
My aunt said to Zhou Yi, "Hey, why did I hear them say that only family members can receive the first-class merit?"
Zhou Yi was startled and quickly said, "My dear aunt, you are talking about the first-class merit in the army. It is different from ours. That is much more difficult than our first-class merit."
In the military, meritorious service is generally awarded by standing, second-class merit by lying, and first-class merit by family members. In the past, there was a special merit award for defending the country, but it was abolished in 1955 because the country was at peace and there was no need for war.
And those combat heroes who have been awarded special merits are all worthy of respect from future generations, because they are the mainstay of the country's peace and prosperity.
Aunt Zhou Aihua asked Zhang Qiuxia, "Does Zhou Yi get a bonus for this first-class merit?"
Zhang Qiuxia's voice instantly rose an octave, "Of course."
"How much money?"
Zhang Qiuxia raised a finger proudly.
My aunt was surprised and asked, "One thousand? That's so much?"
Zhang Qiuxia's smile instantly stretched from the corners of her mouth to her ears, and she shook her fingers vigorously.
My aunt was stunned for a moment, "Sister-in-law, it can't be ten thousand, right?"
Zhang Qiuxia smiled triumphantly and said, "That's right, it's ten thousand."
When my aunt heard this, she was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling and kept praising Zhou Yi for his promising future.
This was in 1997, and ten thousand yuan was more than many ordinary working-class families could earn in a year.
Seeing Grandpa coming out of the house, the aunt said to the old man, "Dad, look at how promising your eldest grandson is. He has brought such great honor to our Zhou family."
Grandpa was so happy that his teeth almost fell out, and he nodded repeatedly and said yes.
Suddenly, the old man said with some emotion: "You said they are all our own children, but Zhou Yi is so promising, but Xiao Kai..."
My aunt glared at the old man and said, "It's a happy day, don't bring up other things."
The old man was afraid of his youngest daughter because she was straightforward but had a bad temper, just like the late Grandma Zhou Yi.
So the old man quickly shut up and said let’s see if there’s anything interesting to watch on TV.
Zhou Yi knew that because of the recent layoffs, his grandfather probably heard about the situation in his second uncle's family.
Old people are like this. No matter how bad their children are, they will still be soft-hearted because in their eyes, they can always see the innocence of their children when they were young.
Auntie said to Zhou Yi, "Zhou Yi, marry Xiao Shuang as soon as possible so that your grandfather can have a big, fat great-grandson."
Lu Xiaoshuang blushed and lowered her head to make dumplings.
Zhang Qiuxia spoke up, "What nonsense are you talking about? Xiaoshuang is still in college and needs to focus on her studies. Things like marriage shouldn't be discussed until she graduates and starts working. Besides, Zhou Yi still needs to work hard, earn more money, get promoted, and create good conditions to provide a guarantee for the girl's future."
"Wow, you're protecting me like this even before we're married." My aunt teased with a smile.
"Oh no, it's over." Zhao Min suddenly shouted.
Everyone immediately looked at her, only to see her holding a broken dumpling in her hand and saying, "Why is my filling exposed?"
Lu Xiaoshuang quickly said, "You stuffed too much stuffing into this."
The aunt glared at her daughter and said, "Don't make trouble and waste food. Go do your homework."
"No."
"Hey, didn't you tell me you brought it?"
"I forgot to take it when I went out." Zhao Min said righteously.
Zhou Yi sat down to help make dumplings and asked, "Mom, are my grandma and grandpa okay?"
"I'm fine. Why do you think of your grandparents?"
"Oh, I may have to be transferred to Wuguang to work for a while." Zhou Yi said casually.
"What? Why is he being transferred out of the blue?" Zhang Qiuxia suddenly became anxious.
"Don't worry about the work arrangements. It won't take too long, probably a few months." Zhou Yi looked at Lu Xiaoshuang and said, "Besides, Wuguang is close by. I can come back anytime if I have nothing to do on the weekends."
Zhang Qiuxia asked nervously, "Will that affect your promotion?"
Zhou Yi smiled helplessly and shook his head. Sure enough, his mother was still like this: "It won't affect you. It should even help."
"That's good, that's good. When are you going? I'll tell your second uncle and ask him to pick you up."
"I'm still waiting for notification from above. I estimate it might be August."
Wu Yongcheng had told him before that this matter had to wait for unified instructions from the provincial department, because there were not only Zhou Yi and Chen Yan, but each city had at least two vacancies, so who would go, where to go, and where the local authorities would place them after they arrived all needed to be studied and discussed.
Of course Zhou Yi was not in a hurry. He would wait until Lu Xiaoshuang had her summer vacation, then take her to Yunxia Mountain to watch the sunrise, and then go back to the Northwest with her to meet her parents. After all, these were his promises to her.
In Hongcheng, at least he has more free time and can take leave easily.
If I went to Wuguang, I definitely wouldn't have that much time.
"Xiaoshuang, summer vacation is coming soon, right?" Zhang Qiuxia asked.
Lu Xiaoshuang nodded: "Yes, at the end of this month."
"Ask Zhou Yi to take some leave and go with you to visit your parents. You haven't been back in so many years, you must miss them."
Zhang Qiuxia then said to her son, "Your father and I will pay for the travel expenses. You can buy some things before you go."
Lu Xiaoshuang's eyes turned red, and she quickly said, "Thank you, Auntie."
Zhou Yi shook her hand and smiled.
"Hey, what's wrong with Zhou Jianguo? He's almost finished wrapping the dumplings, why hasn't he come back yet? Is he lost?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened and Zhou Jianguo walked in excitedly, carrying a few bags of snacks.
Before she could say anything, Zhang Qiuxia asked, "Don't you see what time it is? You wouldn't have known to go home if I hadn't called you, right?"
Zhou Jianguo said excitedly: "Look who's back?"
Immediately afterwards, someone was seen walking in behind Zhou Jianguo.
When everyone saw this, they immediately stood up excitedly, because the person who walked in with a suitcase was none other than Zhou Jianye, the youngest son of the old Zhou family.
"Oh, it's my third uncle." Zhao Min shouted happily.
Zhou Jianguo said happily: "What else?"
"besides?"
Immediately afterwards, a beautiful woman in her early thirties followed Zhou Jianye in, holding a four-year-old boy in her arms.
Zhou Aihua excitedly shouted to the old man, "Dad, your youngest son has come back to see you with his wife and son."
Suddenly, laughter and joy were heard from the Zhou family’s old house.
…
During the meal, the table was not big enough to accommodate eleven people.
So Zhou Yi and Zhou Jianye carried out a desk from the master bedroom, put it on the square dining table, and then everyone just squeezed in.
Zhang Qiuxia was busy making dumplings in the kitchen.
Lu Xiaoshuang and Zhao Min were playing with the children.
Zhou Jianye's son is four years old this year. He is fair and tender, with a pair of big, bright eyes, and is very cute.
Zhou Yi’s youngest brother is called Zhou Yuxuan, a genuine post-90s generation.
"Uncle San, you didn't even tell us you were coming back. It was like a surprise attack." Zhou Yi said, "Just tell us and I'll pick you up."
Zhou Jianye chuckled and said, "No need. It's so convenient to take a taxi from the train station. There's no need to come pick me up. Besides, a surprise attack is the real surprise, don't you think?"
It’s indeed Uncle San’s style.
After Zhou Jianguo came back, he went out again and said that the fourth brother had returned. Today was a triple celebration, so he had to go buy two bottles of good wine.
Zhou Jianye patted Zhou Yi, looked at Lu Xiaoshuang and said with a sly smile: "I told you last time that something was wrong, but you refused to admit it. It's only been two months, and you've already brought such a beautiful wife home. You've been hiding it well enough."
Zhou Yi couldn't explain this. The last time Zhou Jianye came back, he hadn't even met Lu Xiaoshuang.
"I learned all that from you, Third Uncle. Look at how pretty and elegant Third Aunt is, and Xuanxuan is so cute. You are my role model."
Zhou Jianye said proudly: "That's it."
"But your partner looks a little young. How much younger than you?"
"Four years old." Zhou Yi replied.
"Four...four years old? Then he's only nineteen?"
Zhou Jianye was amazed: "Tsk tsk tsk, I never realized that a guy like you with thick eyebrows and big eyes has such a style."
Zhou Yi didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he changed the subject and asked, "Uncle San, how long will you stay this time?"
"Look, I'll be back in a few days."
"Well, let's find time tomorrow or the day after tomorrow and I'll introduce someone to you."
When Zhou Jianye heard this, he asked curiously, "Who is it?"
Before Zhou Yi could say anything, Zhang Qiuxia shouted, "The dumplings are out of the pot."
"Zhou Yi, why hasn't your dad come back yet?"
…
In the evening of June, the temperature is still a little cool. It will probably start to get hot in ten days or half a month.
After getting off the bus, Zhou Yi held Lu Xiaoshuang's hand and strolled in the sunset.
"You said before that I didn't need to pay for the return trip. Look, now that my mom has spoken and is paying, you shouldn't refuse anymore, right?" Zhou Yi said, "If you still don't agree, my mom will definitely annoy me to death when I get back. You know how she talks."
Lu Xiaoshuang smiled and did not deny it anymore.
"Then I'll ask for leave from work."
What she was talking about was naturally the internship at the tax bureau.
"It's okay, feel free to ask. Your Uncle Wu has been promoted to captain and is now the head of criminal investigation. He still has some face."
The two of them walked hand in hand without saying a word, and soon they saw the grand school gate not far away.
Zhou Yi cleared his throat and said, "Well, can a person be conscious even when they are in a coma?"
What he wanted to ask was, of course, what Lu Xiaoshuang had just mentioned.
Lu Xiaoshuang thought for a moment and said, "It seems a little bit, but it's very vague. I feel like I'm floating somewhere. It feels like a very long time has passed, and it feels like time is passing very slowly."
"Then...what did you hear me say?" Zhou Yi asked tentatively.
Lu Xiaoshuang smiled cunningly and said, "Guess."
These two words from her put Zhou Yi in a dilemma. He couldn't just confess.
"Brother Zhou, I'm here. You should go back and rest." Lu Xiaoshuang said, pointing to the school gate in front.
Since the Hongda case was closed, the first thing the school did was to install surveillance cameras at the side and back doors of the school, as well as at the exits of the student dormitories.
Therefore, the public security situation in Hongda is much better now.
However, physical prevention is always passive. What is really important is to improve the spiritual civilization of teachers and students, as well as their respect for the law.
Zhou Yi watched Lu Xiaoshuang walk into the school gate, wave at him across the gate, and then her back disappeared into the distance before he turned and left.
I had just taken two steps when the phone in my pocket rang.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Officer Zhou?" a woman on the other end of the line said, "I'm Ding Chunmei. I'm wondering if you have a moment. I'd like to buy you a cup of coffee."
Zhou Yi asked curiously, "I have time, but why did you suddenly think of having coffee with me?"
What he was worried about was that something else might happen.
Ding Chunmei said embarrassedly: "I'm sorry, it's a bit abrupt. Mainly because I'm planning to leave Hongcheng, so I wanted to say goodbye to you."
…
Zhou Yi came to the coffee shop where he had agreed to meet Ding Chunmei. As soon as he entered, he saw Ding Chunmei sitting in the corner with her head down, thinking about something.
Zhou Yi hurried over and when he noticed someone approaching, Ding Chunmei raised her head.
Zhou Yi noticed that her eyes were red, but when she saw him, she still forced a smile.
"Officer Zhou, I'm sorry to disturb your rest." Seeing Zhou Yi sitting down, she quickly handed him a menu and said, "Take a look at what you want to drink."
At this time, the waiter also came over.
Zhou Yi casually ordered a cup of coffee, then asked seriously, "Did something happen?"
Because in his impression, Ding Chunmei is a very cheerful person.
Ding Chunmei forced a smile and shook her head: "It's okay."
How could it be okay? He was quitting a golden rice bowl at a municipal TV station. Something big must have happened.
"Ding Chunmei, since you came to me, it means you trust me. Don't worry about it, just tell me. If I can help you within my ability, I will definitely help you."
Zhou Yi said seriously, "If there is any violation of laws and regulations, the public security department will definitely investigate it to the end!"
Upon hearing this, Ding Chunmei burst into tears and said, "Thank you, Officer Zhou, thank you..."
Zhou Yi asked the waiter for a tissue and handed it to Ding Chunmei to wipe her tears.
After she calmed down a little, she finally told the reason.
"I have a senior who also goes to our school. He is two years older than me. He works as a reporter in a newspaper. A few days ago... I heard that he committed suicide by jumping off a building..." Ding Chunmei said sadly.
"Suicide? Did you encounter some kind of setback or difficulty?"
Ding Chunmei shook her head. "I've asked around with my classmates, and no one knows why he committed suicide."
Zhou Yi frowned and asked, "So, you don't believe he committed suicide?"
Ding Chunmei nodded.
"Why?"
Ding Chunmei took out a letter from her bag and handed it to Zhou Yi.
"Here's a letter he wrote me last month."
Zhou Yi took the letter and looked at the envelope first. The recipient address on it was not the TV station, but Ding Chunmei's home address, which showed that the two had a close relationship and should have maintained the habit of exchanging letters.
Zhou Yi took out the letter from the envelope, unfolded it, and began to read.
There was nothing special about the content of the letter, just sharing some daily work and life, and there was no special concern or ambiguity, which shows that the two were not in a romantic relationship.
The person who wrote this letter has very beautiful handwriting, and the tone between the lines is soothing and peaceful, yet full of vitality.
The description of a cultured and idealistic young man comes to life through this letter alone.
The letter was not long. It was not until he read the last paragraph that Zhou Yi felt something was wrong.
"Where justice lies, there is no turning to power or concern for profit. I am willing to use my pen as a torch and my heart as a witness. Even if I burn myself to death, I will never let the truth be obscured by silence."
"This..." Zhou Yi couldn't help but be stunned, because the last line of words was as vigorous and powerful as iron painting and silver hook.
It seems to be a clear statement of one's ambition, but in fact it has a particularly tragic feeling, as if the wind is whistling and the Yi River is cold, and the feeling is that it will never come back.
"Looking back at the letter now, I realize..." Ding Chunmei said tearfully, "It's as if he had a premonition that something bad was going to happen to him. He was saying goodbye to me."
Zhou Yi turned it over and looked at the sender's information on the envelope.
"Li Chong, Fenghu District, Wuguang City..."
Zhou Yi was stunned. Wu Guang?
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