The operator dialed the phone number provided by Zhou Fugui several times before finally getting through.
"Bingchen, is that you, Bingchen?" Zhou Fugui asked, his voice trembling, as he picked up the phone.
This was Zhou Fugui's first time making a long-distance call, and at first he even held the receiver upside down.
Zhou Fugui felt extremely distressed whenever he thought about the phone call costing more than one yuan per minute.
"Hello, this is the XXth Regiment of the XXth Division of the Southern Military Region. Who are you looking for?" On the other end of the phone was Zheng Shengli, the regimental commander of Zhou Bingchen's regiment.
Zheng Shengli's voice was stern. Even through the telephone line, Zhou Fugui could feel a chilling aura.
“Comrade…Hello, I am Zhou Bingchen’s father. I need to speak with him,” Zhou Fugui said.
“Zhou Bingchen is away on a mission and isn’t here,” Zheng Shengli said.
Zheng Shengli was feeling a little anxious.
Three days ago, Zhou Bingchen led his team to carry out a routine mission.
They should have been back yesterday evening.
As a result, there was still no sign of them this morning, and no news of them either.
Zheng Shengli was somewhat worried.
"He...he went on a mission? Comrade, when is Zhou Bingchen coming back? This is urgent." Zhou Fugui asked anxiously.
“It involves classified information, so I cannot disclose it. Is there anything else?” Zheng Shengli asked.
"Comrade, could you please tell Zhou Bingchen that something terrible has happened at home and ask him to call home immediately?" Zhou Fugui said.
"Okay, I'll pass it on." Before Zhou Fugui could say anything more, Zheng Shengli had already hung up the phone.
"Sir, you used it for one minute and three seconds. It will be charged as two minutes, so the total is two yuan and sixty cents," said Xiao Li, the sales clerk, while looking down to write the receipt.
"Huh? How much?" Zhou Fugui thought he had misheard.
"Two yuan and sixty cents, comrade, hurry up and pay, there are other people waiting to make phone calls!" Xiao Li said impatiently.
“How can you charge such a high price, young comrade? One yuan and thirty cents a minute, five seconds is about eleven cents, I should pay one yuan and forty cents.” Zhou Fugui argued.
"Where did this country bumpkin come from? Phone calls aren't charged by the second. It's 1.3 yuan per minute, and anything between one and two minutes counts as two minutes. Even if it's just one minute and one second, it still counts as two minutes," Xiao Li explained impatiently.
Zhou Fugui's comment about overcharging made Xiao Li very unhappy.
"This is highway robbery! They should have charged you 11 cents every five seconds," Zhou Fugui muttered as he reached into his pocket for money, his hands trembling.
"Who told you to calculate it like that? If you have any complaints, go to the bureau and talk to our leaders. Don't take it out on me here. If you can't afford it, why bother making long-distance calls? Sending a letter is so much better! A few cents for stamps, you can write several sheets of paper!" Xiao Li glanced at Zhou Fugui and said sarcastically.
Zhou Fugui didn't dare say anything more. After paying, he left the post office dejectedly.
What an unlucky day!
They spent a lot of money making phone calls, but couldn't find Zhou Bingchen.
This matter concerning Ding Ermei cannot be delayed any longer.
Forget it, he'd better go check on the Zhao family and let Zhao Qingshan think of a solution.
After making up his mind, Zhou Fugui started walking towards the Zhao family's house.
When Zhou Fugui arrived at the Zhao family's house, the Zhao family had already eaten lunch.
Wu Meiyun takes a short nap after lunch every day, then takes the children inside to rest.
Zhao Zhenzhu is working in the workshop.
Zhao Qingshan and his son Zhao Tianyu were talking in the main room.
Liang Xiaohe opened the door.
Seeing that Zhou Fugui's hands were empty, Liang Xiaohe couldn't help but purse her lips and ask, "Who are you looking for?"
"You must be Jia Kai's aunt? I'm Jia Kai's grandfather. I'm here to talk to my father-in-law about something," Zhou Fugui said with a big smile.
When Zhao Tianyu got married, Zhou Fugui had a banquet at the Zhao family's house and remembered what Liang Xiaohe looked like.
"Come in!" Liang Xiaohe ignored Zhou Fugui's words, turned around, and left.
Visiting someone's home without even bringing a gift—where's your face?
Liang Xiaohe looked down on Zhou Fugui's stinginess.
If Liang Xiaohe hadn't thought Zhou Fugui was there to call Zhao Zhenzhu and the others home, she wouldn't have let him in at all today.
Zhou Fugui's face turned red with anger.
Jia Kai's aunt is really outrageous. She's supposed to be an elder, right? She doesn't even have a smile on her face when guests come over.
However, Zhou Fugui only dared to think this in his heart and did not dare to complain to Liang Xiaohe's face.
Liang Xiaohe sells cloth at the counter of the supply and marketing cooperative.
Zhou Fugui was afraid that if he had a falling out with Liang Xiaohe, Liang Xiaohe would refuse to sell him anything the next time he went to the supply and marketing cooperative.
"My dear in-law, what brings you to town today? Have you eaten yet? Please have a seat!" Zhao Qingshan hurriedly stood up to offer Zhou Fugui a seat, and didn't forget to ask Zhao Tianyu to brew some tea.
Zhou Fugui didn't feel hungry before Zhao Qingshan asked.
As soon as Zhao Qingshan finished speaking, Zhou Fugui's stomach rumbled a few times.
"Hehehe, I've been running around all morning, I'm so busy I completely forgot to eat," Zhou Fugui said awkwardly, clutching his stomach.
"Pearl, hurry to the kitchen and make a bowl of noodles for your father-in-law," Zhao Qingshan ordered loudly.
Wu Meiyun was resting inside, and Zhao Qingshan didn't dare to make too much noise so as not to wake her.
Zhao Zhenzhu slammed the sewing machine down, making a "clack-clack-clack" sound, pretending not to hear it.
Zhao Zhenzhu was willing to pay compensation and settle the matter for Ding Ermei, simply because she didn't want her family's mess to involve innocent Uncle Jin and Aunt Jin. However, this didn't mean that Ding Ermei's slander against her was over.
Should she make noodles for Zhou Fugui?
Pah!
Is Zhou Fugui a good match?
"The sewing machine at home is old and makes too much noise when you step on it. Pearl probably didn't hear it," Zhao Qingshan said awkwardly.
"It's alright, in-law. I'm not actually that hungry. I came here today to ask you for a favor." Afraid of causing any complications, Zhou Fugui had no choice but to get to the point.
"What is it?" Zhao Qingshan asked.
"My wife was at the market today..." Zhou Fugui told Zhao Qingshan about Ding Ermei's arrest.
Then he said, "My dear in-law, you know a lot of people in town. Could you help me find the police chief and put in a good word for me to release Jia Kai's grandmother?"
Zhao Qingshan's face turned ashen.
Zhao Qingshan also heard about Ding Ermei's matter today.
However, the version Zhao Qingshan heard was that "the daughter-in-law refused to buy wontons for her mother-in-law, and the mother-in-law actually accused her daughter-in-law of having an affair with the wonton stall owner." The storyteller had also heard it from someone else and didn't mention Ding Ermei and Zhao Zhenzhu's names.
During lunch today, Zhao Qingshan brought up the matter in front of the family, telling the children how to deal with such an unreasonable mother-in-law.
Looking back now, Zhao Qingshan hates his loose tongue.
No wonder Pearl's smile looked a little forced back then!
It turns out that his family's pearl was one of the "protagonists" of the story.
How much mistreatment has Pearl suffered in the Zhou family over the years?
When something minor displeased Ding Ermei, she actually started talking nonsense on the street, trying to ruin Pearl's reputation.
Zhao Qingshan felt increasingly heartbroken. If Zhou Fugui hadn't been there, Zhao Qingshan would have rushed into the workshop to comfort Zhao Zhenzhu and tell her not to be sad.
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