During dinner, Zhou Miaomiao deliberately walked back and forth to the kitchen door of Zhou Yuanyuan's house several times. Seeing that Zhou Yuanyuan and Zhao Yunxiang ignored her, she angrily cursed at the people inside: "Bad guys!"
Before Zhou Miaomiao could say a second word, Gu Dahua hurried over, grabbed her hand, and said, "It's time to eat. Why are you running around like that?"
Zhou Miaomiao glared at Zhou Yuanyuan hatefully, and followed Gu Dahahua unwillingly.
Zhou Yuanyuan pricked up her ears and heard Gu Dahua gently scolding Zhou Miaomiao: "What are you talking about, kid? If you ruin your grandma's business, Mom won't help you."
So~something really happened? Zhou Yuanyuan frowned, wondering if she should eavesdrop later.
"Yuanyuan, let me fry some eggs for you?" Zhao Yunxiang saw her daughter suddenly frowning and not eating a single bite of food for a long time. She thought that the food tonight was not to her daughter's liking, so she quickly made a suggestion.
"Mom, no thanks." Zhou Yuanyuan came back to her senses, smiled at Zhao Yunxiang, and quickly picked up a large piece of cabbage with chopsticks and put it into her mouth. At noon, the mother and daughter ate a large bowl of stir-fried pork belly with dried tofu. Zhou Yuanyuan still felt a little greasy. Eating some light cabbage in the evening was quite good.
Seeing Zhou Yuanyuan enjoying her meal, Zhao Yunxiang didn't insist on making special meals for her daughter. Zhao Yunxiang herself wasn't one to spoil her children. In this day and age, being able to fill one's stomach was already a good thing, and Zhao Yunxiang didn't want her child to develop the bad habit of being picky about food.
This night passed quietly.
Early the next morning, Zhao Yunxiang and Aunt Qiuju were busy making fish balls when someone knocked loudly on the Zhou family's door.
"I'm coming." Wu Jinfeng ran out of the room with excitement. God knows, she tossed and turned all night, waiting for this moment!
Outside the Zhou family’s gate, Qiao Aiguo and several police officers looked around suspiciously.
Yes! That's right! The old lady who came to the town government to report the case yesterday said it's right here, on the side of the road, the first house in the north of Zhoujia Village.
But isn't this the home of my old comrade Zhou Zhixin? Could it be that Zhou Zhixin's family has committed a crime? Qiao Aiguo felt a little annoyed, regretting not asking for more details yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon, the old lady who came to the town government to report the case was so excited that her speech was incoherent. Eight out of ten sentences were cursing. Qiao Aiguo had to work very hard to piece together what the old lady wanted to say: someone in Zhoujia Village was engaging in speculation and profiteering, and had been doing it for some time and had made a lot of money. The government should intervene.
Before Qiao Aiguo could ask clearly, the old lady ran away in a panic again, saying that someone in her family was in the hospital and she had to go back to take care of him.
After Qiao Aiguo and the town mayor and secretary reported, the two bosses issued an instruction together that the government must crack down on speculation and profiteering.
Because he didn't know how many people were involved, Qiao Aiguo called the director of the Sanhe Town Police Station last night to discuss taking action together. The police station sent four police officers to follow Qiao Aiguo's instructions and launched the "arrest operation" early this morning.
"Comrade, you're finally here." Wu Jinfeng saw Qiao Aiguo, and her old face was full of wrinkles. Wu Jinfeng had met Qiao Aiguo yesterday and knew that he was an "official" in the town.
"Auntie, is this Zhou Zhixin's home?" Qiao Aiguo ignored Wu Jinfeng's enthusiasm and asked persistently.
Qiao Aiguo still vividly remembered Wu Jinfeng running to the town government to report the crime yesterday. He had assumed Wu Jinfeng had caught something on her enemy and had rushed to report him.
When they arrived at the village, they discovered that the old lady who had come to report someone for speculation actually lived under the same roof as the person being reported. Could it be that the old lady was "killing her own relatives for the sake of justice"?
I really don't know if this old lady is confused? The charge of speculation is no joke. If there is a "bad element" in the family, the rest of the family will suffer as well!
"Comrade, do you know my third daughter?" Wu Jinfeng looked at Qiao Aiguo, her expression becoming more eager. "Comrade! I'm at my wit's end. This profiteer is my daughter-in-law. Our family is an active participant in the country's call to go to the countryside to participate in rural development. We absolutely cannot tolerate Zhao Yunxiang's behavior that tarnishes society. Take her away quickly and give her a good lesson."
Qiao Aiguo was dumbfounded. Zhao Yunxiang? Wasn't she the wife of Uncle Qingshan's daughter, Zhou Zhixin? Wasn't this old woman sick? She was reporting her own daughter-in-law?
Qiao Aiguo couldn't help but feel a little regretful. If he had known this was the case, he shouldn't have called in a few police officers from the police station to help. It was all Wu Jinfeng's fault. When she reported the case yesterday, she had sounded so serious. Qiao Aiguo had assumed there was a gang of people engaged in organized speculation and profiteering within his jurisdiction. Worried that the town government's weaklings wouldn't be able to handle it, he had called in a few police officers to help.
Now, with those police officers from different systems watching, he couldn't let Zhao Yunxiang go even if he wanted to!
Zhou Zhixin jumped down from the tall truck and grinned happily at the familiar scenery in front of him.
After receiving Zhao Yunxiang's letter, Zhou Zhixin considered it for three days before deciding to return home. The Southeast Military Region was holding a major military competition this year, and until that event was completed, Zhou Zhixin couldn't leave.
During the month or so between submitting his leave application and receiving its approval, Zhou Zhixin was busy preparing for the battalion-level selection competition for the all-military competition while also busy handing over his current work. Finally, after the competition ended a few days ago, Zhou Zhixin waited for the leave to be approved, immediately packed up his things, and jumped on the truck heading home.
That’s right, it’s not a train, it’s a big truck that transports goods.
Zhou Zhixin was eager to go home. If he took the train, he could only go from N City in G Province to Qingshan City in S Province and then take a bus to return to Zhaojiagou, which would take at least two days and two nights.
Trucks, on the other hand, took just over thirty hours to reach their destination. However, the cab of a truck could only seat two people, and long-distance trucks often had two drivers taking turns driving, leaving no room for Zhou Zhixin. To save a dozen hours, Zhou Zhixin spent a full thirty hours perched on the roof of the truck, enjoying the cold wind.
Zhou Zhixin was covered in dust as he stepped out of the car. But he couldn't help but feel happy! Thinking of his wife, Zhao Yunxiang, and their lovely son and daughter, Zhou Zhixin's heart was bubbling with happiness.
My son must have grown a head taller, right? It's been over a year since I last visited. Children grow fast, and Jiasheng will be starting elementary school next fall! And Yuanyuan, the last time I went home, refused to call me "Dad" and only called me "Uncle." It took several days before the little girl finally let me hold her!
Zhou Zhixin walked briskly, thinking happily of his wife and children. His heart was filled with the longing to return home.
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