Chapter 78 Investigation in Progress
It was also because of a previous incident involving Su Shuixian, an enemy spy, that the Shan'aozi Brigade had a terrifying presence. Since then, the surrounding brigades have shied away from Shan'aozi, daring not to come. The people of Shan'aozi were also afraid of being implicated if they ventured outside, so fewer people visited relatives during the Lunar New Year this year.
"Comrade police officer, please stop talking nonsense. My daughter is living a good life in the oil fields. There's no such thing as kidnapping or trafficking."
Jiang Nan: "Have you been there?"
The man hesitated, clearly unsure, but he persisted, "We've all seen our son-in-law. He's wearing work clothes, so he must be a worker. He said we wouldn't visit his parents' home for the first five years of our marriage. Now four years have passed, and we figured a year or six wouldn't hurt, so we didn't go this year. We'll go next year, and he's definitely not going to be trafficked."
Jiang Nan was speechless. Well, they said it would take ten years in Kaoshantun, but here they just said it would take five years. This is because the valley is closer to the oil field, and they are afraid that people won’t believe it.
After asking around, the six of them discovered that Huang's matchmaker tactics were identical to those in Kaoshan Village: using marriage as bait to lure families seeking high bride prices or young women hoping to marry into the oil fields. After confirming they had interviewed everyone, they left the village at 6 p.m., already dark.
It would take nearly three hours to ride back. Jiang Nan wailed, lamenting that after traveling through time, she had become an overtime worker. How miserable.
Wang Zilii and Wang Gengsheng didn't have bicycles, so they took turns riding in the other four people's bikes, and they had to take turns leading people from time to time. By the time the six people finally returned to the oil field, it was already half past nine.
After separating from the various family compounds, when Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing arrived at Courtyard No. 1, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua were already waiting at the gate. Chen Jinhua's eyes were full of anxiety. Although Jiang Mancheng was feeling better, his face was not looking good either.
"Dad, Mom, why are you two out here? I'm with everyone else, nothing will happen to me, don't worry."
"Oh, you said you don't want to worry about it, so you don't have to worry about it?" Jiang Mancheng said angrily, "I was trying to get you to stop being a police officer, don't you listen?"
Jiang Mancheng really regretted letting his daughter become a police officer. Human traffickers are desperate criminals, they've existed since ancient times. When have they ever been eradicated? How cruel must they be to sell people like commodities? Although his daughter knew martial arts, she was alone and weak. Human traffickers never acted alone, they worked in groups. What would happen to him and Jinhua if something went wrong?
Besides, we have to check so late on the first day, who knows how tired we will be in the future.
The more he thought about it, the more dangerous it seemed. Jiang Mancheng looked at Zhou Zhixing with a subtle look.
This guy needs to be more concerned about his daughter's safety. It seems that he can no longer be so rude to him. Oh, as a father-in-law, he has to be nice to his son-in-law. Why is his life so hard?
Jiang Nan smiled and said nothing. She was working very hard, so why wouldn't she be a police officer at this time?
Chen Jinhua interrupted, "Xiao Nan, your father is being transferred to the construction team."
Jiang Nan exclaimed in surprise, "Dad, is it true? Have you completed the paperwork?"
"Not so fast." Jiang Mancheng was very proud. "But it will be soon. I will be the materials clerk of the construction team from now on, responsible for the procurement, inspection and inventory management of materials. Don't worry about the explosives. I will keep a close eye on it."
Because Group 6 came back late yesterday, the case discussion meeting was moved to the next morning.
Shao Yong, the leader of Group 5, was the first to explain the situation. "We visited the six addresses provided by Kaoshantun and then confirmed with the Oilfield Logistics and Housing Management Office that the six families had lived in the houses for five or six years without moving. The addresses provided by Huang the 'son-in-law' were all fake."
After Shao Yong sat down, Zhou Zhixing spoke, "Our team investigated Matchmaker Huang's social connections and discovered that during her time in Zaohua Commune, she had no children visiting her. She only had a distant nephew, a thin, 1.72-meter-twenty-six-year-old nephew. Also, neighbors mentioned that young men frequently visited her home. One of them mentioned a man named Brother Hu, who said Matchmaker Huang was very polite to him and that she personally greeted him every time he came."
He described Brother Hu's appearance and continued, "We've interviewed many neighbors about Brother Hu's identity, but no one can explain it. He remains a mystery. Also, according to clues provided by neighbors, Matchmaker Huang has arranged three marriages in the commune, all with brides from the Shan'aozi Brigade. The families of the men who married into the commune weren't very well-off, and those young brides didn't satisfy everyone, so neighbors rarely approach Matchmaker Huang about matchmaking."
He then introduced the situation of the Hu family's young wife and continued, "We suspect that Huang the matchmaker initially infiltrated the Hu family's marriage proposal procession to survey the village. The Hu family's young wife was marrying up to a higher level in the commune. By blending in with the procession, Huang the matchmaker accurately targeted families in the village who wanted a high bride price or a high-ranking marriage. Under the guise of marrying into the oil field, she was actually trafficking women."
His voice was heavy. "Besides, Matchmaker Huang moved away four years ago. This means the women she trafficked have been missing for at least four years. If we can't find Matchmaker Huang, it will be very difficult to find the trafficked women."
Yes, the country is so big, they don’t even know where these people were sold to, where can they find them?
Seeing Zhou Zhixing looking at her, Jiang Nan stood up and told him the clues Dong Jiaojiao had provided the night before. She concluded, "Su Province may be a major province for human trafficking, but whether these women from the surrounding brigades were sold there requires further investigation and cannot be confirmed at the moment."
"Also," Zhou Zhixing continued, "In the marriages arranged by Matchmaker Huang, there were cases where the woman was still in the commune and had contact with her parents. Previously, there were also cases where the woman's family couldn't find the man, but they finally found him. The man's family said they didn't want to be taken advantage of by the woman's family, so they deliberately gave a false address. Many neighbors knew about this. Therefore, many people in Shan'aozi Brigade didn't think there was anything wrong with Matchmaker Huang, and they passively resisted questioning."
Lan Qingshan's face was solemn, knowing that the smoke screen set off by Huang the Matchmaker had taken effect. He said in a deep voice: "We should allow other voices to exist. We police officers cannot be so arbitrary when handling cases. So..."
Lan Qingshan pondered for a moment and said, "Zhou Zhixing, take the team and verify the situation of those families in Shan'aozi Brigade and confirm whether the women who 'married' to the oil field are really still there. If the addresses are all fake, then it can't be said to be a coincidence. After verification, go to the home of Huang the Matchmaker in the commune and check that house carefully again. The previous haunting was easy to explain, but the haunting is still going on after Huang the Matchmaker moved away. Is this a coincidence or someone deliberately did it? We must find out. Maybe the clue lies here."
He continued to assign tasks. "Also, Brother Hu is a crucial clue. Shao Yong, go find He Lin and have her follow us to Liuxiang Hutong. Draw a few portraits of Brother Hu based on everyone's descriptions. Then, take the portraits to Zaohua Commune and visit everyone to see if anyone has seen this Brother Hu."
"As for the Su Province line," Lan Qingshan pondered, then whispered, "We'll send a joint investigation notice to the local police station, focusing on whether these women are there. Okay, everyone, split up and work together. Be careful and stay safe during the investigation."
Everyone wasted no time and immediately began investigating after receiving the assignment. Once Zhou Zhixing and the other six confirmed that the women from the Shan'aozi Brigade had also been trafficked, they immediately returned to Huang's house. The house was already cordoned off, and someone pointed and talked in front of the yard. When they saw the police arrive, they immediately stood aside, waiting to see what the police would do.
Jiang Nan and his team were used to being watched while investigating cases, so they crossed the cordon and began to investigate the courtyard. They were there to look at the cellar. If Matchmaker Huang was really a human trafficker, then the cellar was where people were hidden, and there should be clues in there.
Zhou Zhixing suggested that Jiang Nan gather intelligence from the neighbors. Jiang Nan, being a woman, was naturally more approachable than a man. Jiang Nan nodded, smiling and talking to the neighbors who were watching.
"Auntie, it's so cold, why are you outside instead of staying at home?"
The old lady sighed and asked mysteriously, "Comrade Police, is there really a treasure in the cellar of this matchmaker Huang's house?"
Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow, his eyes wide as if someone had discovered some huge secret. He hurriedly waved his hands to deny it, "That's not true. Don't talk nonsense. How could it be possible? Haha."
She laughed awkwardly twice, very deliberately, pretending to inquire about the news, and asked, "Auntie, where did you hear all this?"
Seeing Jiang Nan act this way, the aunt became even more certain of the treasure in the cellar. She winked at her companion, as if to say, "See what I said!" "Comrade police officer, stop pretending. Everyone in the alley knows about this! Otherwise, why would you investigate a matchmaker who's been away for three or four years?"
She lowered her voice and said, "Comrade police officer, I want to tell you something. You have to keep it a secret for me. You can't say it was me who told it."
Jiang Nan nodded quickly. The companion tugged at her aunt's sleeve, and she groaned and whispered, "What are you afraid of? I think this police officer is a good person. He won't arrest anyone casually, right?"
Jiang Nan assured: "Of course, the police are very particular about evidence when handling cases. They will not wrongly accuse a good person, nor will they let a bad person go. You can rest assured."
The aunt looked around and saw that everyone was far away from the three people and probably couldn't hear what they were saying. Then she spoke, "Comrade police officer, let me tell you, yesterday, the young clerk at the Housing Management Office, Wang Na, her husband went to search the cellar, but he didn't find anything except a few pieces of rags. What ghost story? That was all Wang Na's husband causing all the noise."
Jiang Nan was a little surprised. Wang Na had indeed behaved a little strangely yesterday, and she had even discussed it with Zhou Zhixing. She hadn't expected it to be exposed so quickly. Jiang Nan remained calm and asked, "Auntie, Wang Na's husband must have done it secretly. If it was done secretly, how did you know?"
The aunt looked very proud. "My husband and Wang Na's husband are cousins. Wang Na's husband said this when he was drunk during a drinking party. He also scolded the matchmaker Huang for pretending to be rich. There was clearly nothing in the cellar, but she asked someone to dig such a big cellar, making his work in vain."
Jiang Nan asked a few more questions, and after learning that Wang Na's husband was unemployed and a scoundrel, she went to reunite with Zhou Zhixing. Zhou Zhixing, Zou Li, and Wen Qiang all climbed out of the cellar. Jiang Nan told them what she had just learned, and Wen Qiang cursed, "Damn it! This guy destroyed the evidence!"
Without delay, the six of them went straight to the neighborhood office to find Wang Na. Wang Na, having become a neighborhood official, was naturally very savvy. After hearing the men's intentions, she quickly went to find her husband and produced the rags she had found in the cellar. "Comrade police officer, my husband, Lao Gao, did go look in the cellar, but look, there were only these rags. He didn't find anything else. Seriously. My husband, Lao Gao, never stole anything else."
Lao Gao was a man with a lively appearance, a far cry from the usual image of a thief with shifty eyes. He held his head high and said with great dignity, "There's nothing in that house. What's there to steal? Police officers must rely on evidence when investigating cases. They can't just accuse people without proof."
Jiang Nan took the cloth and asked sharply, "Where were these pieces of cloth found? What else was in the cellar at the time?"
Wang Na wanted to speak, but Jiang Nan glared at her. "Let your man speak. You're so enthusiastic, did you also go to the cellar at that time?"
Wang Na shut up in frustration. Lao Gao snorted and said unhappily, "Where else could they have found it? The cellar. When I went there, the cellar was empty. There was nothing there but these pieces of cloth. I figured I couldn't come here for nothing, so I took them home to use. If you want them, take them. I'm not stealing them, I'm borrowing them. These pieces of cloth are worth a dollar at most. Xiaona, take the money and consider them as our purchases."
Wang Na sighed and obediently took out the money. Jiang Nan said angrily, "No, we want to take these pieces of cloth back as evidence. You don't have to pay for it."
Jiang Nan looked at Lao Gao and said sternly, "Why did you keep the cloth after so long?"
Lao Gao felt a little uncomfortable: "Well, I just ignored it at the time and forgot about it later. I only remembered it after you investigated it."
Jiang Nan stared at Lao Gao for two seconds, and seeing that he was indeed telling the truth, he said, "You went to the empty house without permission and intended to steal. We will report this to the commune police station. As for the punishment, that is beyond our control."
Wang Na curled her lips secretly. Her family had connections in the commune, so even if Lao Gao was punished, at most he would get a warning, nothing serious. She didn't care. Lao Gao even had an expression that said, "Go ahead and tell me," which made everyone in Group 6 itch.
However, Group 6 didn't waste time here. They explained the situation to the commune police station and rushed to the Shan'aozi Brigade to ask the families there to identify the fabric to see if it was from their children's clothes. Shan'aozi Brigade was relatively close; if it wasn't from the Shan'aozi Brigade, they would have to go to Kaoshantun to ask again.
Fortunately, a family recognized the red flowered fabric. An older woman cried and said, "This belongs to our daughter Xinghua. I remember when she got married, she wore this red flowered jacket. Her father specially went to the commune to buy the fabric. It was her first time wearing new clothes, and she smiled so happily. It pricked my heart to see it, so I hardened my heart and let her take the remaining scraps of fabric as a dowry. Wow, police officer, was our daughter Xinghua really abducted? Didn't they say she was marrying off to the oil fields? How could that be abduction?"
Although they no longer had to ride to Kaoshantun, the six of them were still in a bad mood. They were now almost certain that Matchmaker Huang and her group were human traffickers, but they hadn't even seen anyone there, so where could they go to find them?
At the evening's case review, the news from Team Five wasn't encouraging. It was as if Brother Hu had appeared out of nowhere; aside from his appearances in Liuxiang Community, no one had seen him anywhere else.
Shao Yong, the leader of Group 5, concluded, "He must have disguised himself and assumed a different identity once he left Liuxiang Hutong."
Jiang Nan's eyes lit up: "The easiest disguise is to stick on a fake beard. Will he stick on a fake beard or something?"
Shao Yong nodded: "Yes, but there are many kinds of beards, and we don't know which one he is wearing."
Lan Qingshan pondered for a moment and said to He Lin, "Xiao He, draw some of the most common beard styles. Brother Hu's most important feature is his big nose. When you ask questions, focus on this. Other features can be hidden or disguised, but this one can't be changed. Also, Zhou Zhixing, take someone to the Hu family's eldest son to confirm and ask him if he knows Matchmaker Huang. No clues can be missed."
He clapped his hands. "It's now basically confirmed that Matchmaker Huang is a human trafficker. Everyone should be more alert and go out and investigate the streets again tomorrow. I don't believe no one has seen Brother Hu. Also, Matchmaker Huang used a letter of introduction from the Anshan Brigade in the neighboring city. The police station has already sent a letter asking them to assist in the investigation. I believe there will be results soon. Alright, everyone, get to work."
Zhou Zhixing nodded and began to divide the work among the six groups. "I'll take Xiaonan with me to visit the Hu family's eldest son. Zou Li, you've been busy these days, you should go home and spend time with the children, otherwise your sister-in-law will be dissatisfied. Brother Qiangzi, Zili, and Gengsheng, go back and rest. You've been so busy these past few days and you must be exhausted."
Zou Li nodded. Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng wanted to follow, but Zhou Zhixing said, "Xiao Nan and I are going the same way. Your two families are going in opposite directions, so don't join us. Go back and get some rest. We have a tough battle tomorrow."
The others then left work as instructed. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing hopped on their bikes and sped towards the Leadership Courtyard next to Courtyard No. 1.
The father-in-law of the Hu family's eldest son was one of the four deputy secretaries of the Operations Department. His surname was Tian, and he was in charge of safe production in the oilfield. He lived in the fourth room from the front of the leadership compound. When Zhou Zhixing and his friend knocked on the door, they were met by someone they hadn't expected.
The two never expected that the person who opened the door was Widow Qin.
Who is Widow Qin? She is Tong Lili's mother and Qiu Xiangdong's former mistress.
When they saw people, their pupils dilated slightly.
Widow Qin was wearing an apron. When she saw the police, her eyes flashed. She quickly lowered her head and shouted into the house, "Fangzi, the police are here."
Just as he finished speaking, a tall woman with wavy hair and a red sweater walked out with her arms folded, stomping around. Apparently, she wore high heels at home. She looked the two of them over, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
As he spoke, his eyes were still looking Zhou Zhixing up and down.
Zhou Zhixing coughed lightly, took out his ID, and said, "Hello, we are from the police station. We would like to speak to Comrade Hu Jiefang to inquire about the situation."
The woman's eyes instantly withdrew, and she said coldly: "Hu Jiefang has gone to work, come back after get off work."
As he was about to close the door, Zhou Zhixing quickly spoke up, "Is Hu Jiefang's wife, Comrade Tian Fang, here? We can talk to Tian Fang to find out what's going on."
The woman, Tian Fang, released her hand that was holding the door, turned around impatiently, and said, "Stop pretending. If you want to come in, just come in. Aunt Qin, pour us some tea."
Widow Qin lowered her eyebrows and said: "Hey."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing glanced at each other subtly, and saw in each other's eyes the expression of "there's something interesting to watch", worthy of being two generations of system spectators.
The Tian family's home was a separate courtyard, with four bedrooms and two living rooms. In the spacious living room, a black leather sofa with an off-white lace upholstery stood out, quite out of step with the prevailing austerity. However, it was rumored that the sofa had been purchased secondhand by Deputy Secretary Tian after the Revolutionary Committee raided their home, so no one in the Operations Office took any serious action.
Tian Fang sat in the middle of the sofa, legs crossed, arms folded, looking at the two of them. When she looked at Jiang Nan, her gaze was scrutinizing. But when her eyes shifted to Zhou Zhixing next to her, they showed clear admiration, even raising an eyebrow and smiling at him.
Jiang Nan was speechless and stood there without saying a word.
Zhou Zhixing said helplessly, "Excuse me, who was the matchmaker that introduced you and Hu Jiefang?"
Tian Fang sighed: "You come to my house and ask this?"
Zhou Zhixing said seriously, "This question involves a case we are currently investigating. Please answer truthfully."
Tian Fang shrugged. "Well, we met after watching a movie. A thief stole my wallet, and it was Hu Jiefang who helped me catch the thief."
She curled her lips in disdain. "But, that thief was hired by Hu Jiefang. I saw through him right away. His tricks couldn't be hidden from me. Since he was pretty, I didn't expose him and just played along. Later, he expressed his willingness to be a live-in son-in-law, so I married him. We don't need a matchmaker."
"What about when you proposed marriage and held the wedding? Didn't you hire a matchmaker?"
Tian Fang shook her head: "No, we invited other leaders, not a matchmaker."
Zhou Zhixing took out the portrait of Matchmaker Huang and asked, "Do you know this person?"
Tian Fang said she didn't know him, and both of them felt a little regretful. They asked a few more questions. Before leaving, Hu Jiefang happened to be off work, so they asked again and confirmed that Hu Jiefang didn't know Huang the matchmaker either, and then they left the Tian family.
After leaving the leadership compound, Jiang Nan gossiped, "That widow Qin is trying to seduce Deputy Secretary Tian!"
Zhou Zhixing knew the whole story: "No wonder Tong Lili kept coming to the leadership compound the past few days. It turns out she was looking for someone for her mother. What about Qiu Xiangdong's son? Who's taking care of him? Tao Meiyu isn't due to give birth yet. Can't she take care of the child now?"
Jiang Nan: "Qiu Xiangdong found a family to help look after his child. They've fallen out now, and he's entrusted his twelve-year-old 'baby son' to this family. Widow Qin likes to leave things open, so she didn't make things difficult for Qiu Xiangdong. Widow Qin helped find this family, so you know how reliable they are."
Zhou Zhixing raised an eyebrow and smiled. Since ancient times, there have been many women like this, and they always live better than others. But Widow Qin is too carefree, and it's hard to say what will happen in the future.
There were few clues in the case, and it required a lot of visits and investigations. Jiang Nan suddenly became very busy and almost failed to finish her mother's birthday present. Fortunately, there was a sewing machine at home, and Jiang Nan finished the corduroy jacket over a weekend.
Jiang Mancheng personally made longevity noodles, and Zhou Zhixing made longevity peaches. The two people from ancient times traveled through time and space to celebrate Chen Jinhua's 35th birthday in the way they thought was the best.
However, Chen Jinhua's birthday had arrived, meaning the Lunar New Year was almost over. Jiang Mancheng had already found a new job, but there was still no progress in the women's trafficking case. News had arrived from Suzhou Province: none of the communes in the province had found any traces of the trafficked women. These people were like a drop of water lost in the ocean, and finding them again was incredibly difficult.
People from Kaoshantun and Shangaozi Brigade came a few times, but seeing no progress, they gradually stopped coming. With spring coming, the countryside was about to start plowing, and they had no energy to waste time on their married daughters.
It was his first time working on a major case, and he couldn't even solve it. On the weekend, Jiang Nan lay in bed, sighing. It was the 27th day of the first lunar month, the end of February on the Gregorian calendar. The cold wind howled outside, but it couldn't drown out Jiang Nan's sighs.
"That's enough. You're young, but you're still full of pent-up anger. Get up and have breakfast." Jiang Mancheng knocked on the door unhappily. "After breakfast, go out for a walk. You can go to the department store, the supply and marketing cooperative, or anywhere else. It's not right to stay at home and sigh."
"Dad!" Jiang Nan sat up suddenly, "Can't you comfort me?"
Jiang Mancheng was happy: "Dad doesn't need to comfort you, aren't you in high spirits? Okay, get up, isn't it good for Dad to give you money to buy things? Do you want it or not? Forget it..."
"Yes!" Jiang Nan chuckled, jumped off the bed, opened the door, and snatched the big unity from Jiang Mancheng's hand. "Twenty yuan, Dad, I love you so much!"
Jiang Mancheng smiled very proudly: "You are my only daughter, if you don't love me, who else will you love?"
Chen Jinhua was helpless and interrupted the father and daughter's talk: "Okay, let's have breakfast. Xiaonan, have you decided where to go shopping?"
Jiang Nan chuckled twice, put the Great Unity into his pajamas pocket, and said casually, "Let's go to the department store. There shouldn't be many people there after the New Year. Dad, Mom, do you two want to go? Let's go together."
"Go." Jiang Mancheng sat down at the table and took two bites of kimchi with his chopsticks. "I have nothing to do on the weekend, so I'll go out for a walk and change my mood."
Jiang Nan responded and went to the bathroom to wash up.
A little later, the family of three sat down together, eating breakfast and chatting casually. Zhou Zhixing arrived late, appearing at the Jiang family's door in bright and fresh style.
"Xiao Xing, have you had breakfast?" Chen Jinhua greeted him warmly, "If not, come and have some more."
Zhou Zhixing smiled sweetly, "I've eaten, Aunt Chen. Where are we going today? I heard we're going shopping."
Jiang Mancheng squinted his eyes and said, "You have pointed ears."
Zhou Zhixing flattered her: "I'm always concerned about Xiaonan."
Jiang Nan shook off the goose bumps on his body, swallowed his porridge and said, "Just talk, don't be so cheesy."
Zhou Zhixing smiled innocently: "I'm speaking from the heart, how can it be considered corny?"
Jiang Mancheng waved his hand: "Okay, stop talking nonsense. You have no tact. We haven't finished breakfast yet. Go mop the floor. It's just right that we've finished eating and you've finished mopping too, so we can go out."
Zhou Zhixing rolled up his sleeves and said, "Uncle Jiang, just watch."
Chen Jinhua hesitated to speak. Is it really okay to order her future son-in-law to work so early in the morning?
Jiang Mancheng was clearly feeling fantastic, even sipping his porridge with a slurp of pride. However, the upbringing he'd received in his previous life as a concubine had been ingrained into his bones, and Jiang Mancheng soon fell silent as he ate.
One of the biggest misunderstandings many people have about this era is that everything requires a ticket. This isn't true. Some items, like vanishing cream, vegetables, and high-end biscuits, don't require a ticket. However, aside from vegetables, these ticket-free items have one thing in common: they're expensive and usually sold in department stores.
There are two department stores in the 10th Operations Office, one on the east and one on the west. The one on the east is called the First Department Store, and the one on the west is called the Second Department Store. It's that simple and straightforward.
Jiang Nan and the others were going to the Second Department Store. The department store had five floors. The first and second floors were all about daily necessities, like cakes, clothing, and cosmetics. The third floor was for secondhand goods, and the fourth and fifth floors were for imported goods. While the fourth floor was accessible to ordinary people with foreign exchange coupons, the fifth floor required all necessary documentation and a thorough inspection. Most people shopped on the lower three floors; few ventured to the fourth and fifth floors.
Once, out of curiosity, Jiang Mancheng had bought foreign exchange certificates from a ticket scalper and taken his family to the fourth floor. While it looked upscale, it was nothing more than a selection of foreign-brand watches, chocolates, and snacks—clearly high-end goods at very steep prices. The family of three bought some chocolates and left unimpressed.
Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua didn't think much of chocolate, and Jiang Nan was dispensable. This time, the four of them simply didn't even mention it. They just wandered around the first and second floors.
"Mom, do you still have some vanishing cream? Do you want to restock?" Jiang Nan asked, pointing at the cosmetics counter.
Chen Jinhua: "No, Mom still has some. What about yours? Want to buy some?"
Jiang Nan nodded, looking at her father speechlessly. Although it was okay for men to wear makeup in later generations, this was the 1960s, when eating was still the most important thing.
She also learned a lot from her father, a 35-year-old gay man who often secretly used her vanishing cream.
Jiang Mancheng was proud. He was a man who had once been in the harem. No one understood the importance of appearance better than him. No matter how rough other men were, he was determined to apply vanishing cream every day.
Jiang Mancheng: "Jinhua, you should buy some too, your bottle is almost gone."
"Oh." Chen Jinhua didn't think much about it and followed everyone to the cosmetics counter.
There was no such thing as a trial. You just told them what you wanted to buy, and they would deliver it only after you paid. And if you even wanted to open a bottle and test it out, what good would that mean?
Jiang Nan smiled generously, "Comrade, we'd like two bottles of Great Friendship. Do you have any new flavors?"
The salesperson wasn't as enthusiastic as he would be in later generations, but he still replied expressionlessly, "We have rose and osmanthus scents. Which one would you like?"
Jiang Nan glanced at Chen Jinhua and said cheerfully, "I want one bottle of each of those two scents."
Just as I was about to pay, I was interrupted by an unfamiliar male voice: "Comrade, please give me a bottle of Osmanthus-flavored Great Friendship."
In this day and age, there are still men buying vanishing cream?
Jiang Nan looked over suspiciously. Uh, I don’t know her. She looks just okay. Jiang Nan glanced over and thought, hey, isn’t the woman next to her Dong Jiaojiao?
Noticing Jiang Nan's gaze, Dong Jiaojiao proudly raised her head and said coquettishly, "I said I don't want it, Comrade Shi. I'm not the kind of person who would accept gifts from gay men. I can pay for the vanishing cream myself, so you don't need to..."
"Jiaojiao." The man called Comrade Shi had a very sticky look in his eyes, with a hint of contempt in his stickiness, but he still said affectionately, "I know you are a good woman. I can't do anything else for you, but I can buy you a bottle of vanishing cream. Jiaojiao, just accept it. I'm doing this voluntarily, really."
She was so affectionate that even the salesperson looked at Dong Jiaojiao.
Dong Jiaojiao was very proud and enjoyed the envious looks of everyone.
Humph, so what if she’s a salesperson in a department store? She’s not as charming as her, is she?
So what if she has a fiancé? Isn't he a fool who doesn't understand romance and can only watch other men pay attention to her?
So what if she has a job? She is well-informed and will not hang herself on a man.
She, Dong Jiaojiao, is fearless.
Even marriage cannot constrain her soul that yearns for freedom.
Jealousy, Dong Jiaojiao really enjoyed this kind of jealous look. Humph, she was just abducted and sold, but she was still an innocent girl. What right did they have to gossip about her? If they dared to say anything, she would dare to seduce their men and make them regret it!
Dong Jiaojiao held her head high, looking down at everyone with a very arrogant tone, "This is the last time. I'm not the kind of woman who clings to men, you can't do that again. I'm friends with you because of you, not your conditions. Do you understand?"
"clear."
The man nodded so vigorously that the salesperson couldn't help rolling his eyes.
The salesperson was a seasoned shop assistant. With a stern face, he snapped, "Are you going to buy something or not? If not, get out of the way and don't delay other people from paying!"
"Hmph, I know you're jealous of me." Dong Jiaojiao crossed her arms, stamped her feet, and pouted. "Comrade Shi, hurry up. Let's get out of this money-grubbing place as soon as possible. This place is unworthy of our noble souls."
"Okay, I'll be leaving." The man took out a large Unity note and slapped it on the counter. "Pay."
The momentum was as if he was bidding for a gold brick, very arrogant.
But, he was being arrogant in the wrong place.
Before he finished speaking, a sharp female voice was heard.
"Who the hell are you supposed to be?!"
These days, salespeople are no pushovers.
Seeing the man's attitude, the saleswoman flew into a rage. She had been working in the department store for so long, but she had never been treated so humiliatingly.
She is the only one who gets angry at customers. So, there are customers who dare to talk back to their sales clerks!
This is really outrageous, it is really against Tiangang!
"Shameless bastard, try yelling again? You even hit the counter, which is made of glass. If you break it, can you afford to pay for it?! What a jerk! You're being played like a dog, yet you're still showing off here. Do you really think this is your bed and you can do whatever you want? I'm telling you, if you don't hand the money over to me today, I won't sell you anything! You dare to confront me without asking, am I a vegetarian?"
The salesman's barrage of spitfires made Jiang Nan and the other three unconsciously step back. They had no choice but to retreat. This guy was spraying us like a sprinkler truck, spraying us all over the place.
The man surnamed Shi's face flushed crimson after being told off. He seemed like a softie, prone to giving in when others pushed him hard. Though embarrassed, he obediently handed over the money, nodding and bowing, a stark contrast to his earlier aggressive demeanor.
The saleswoman snorted, took the money, and taunted him, "I'm telling you, stop trying to act like a big shot in the department store! I've seen plenty of capable people, and you still can't even get a table!"
She glanced at Dong Jiaojiao with disdain and quickly collected the money and issued the receipt. The receipts flew all over the wire in the air. After the whole process was completed, she handed the big friendship to the man who paid with a snort.
Dong Jiaojiao then put her hands on her hips and jumped up and down: "What kind of attitude is this? Is this how you serve the people? I want to find your leader and report the situation..."
Comrade Shi held the Friendship tightly, pulled Dong Jiaojiao's arm and walked out, not forgetting to persuade: "Jiaojiao, don't be angry. Look, the Friendship has been bought, let's go. There's no need to worry about so many others..."
"This is a matter of great friendship, and it concerns our dignity..."
Dong Jiaojiao was being pulled and suddenly turned around, giving Jiang Nan a smug smile, very arrogant.
Humph, so what if Zhou Zhixing likes you? She doesn’t care. She has slept with many men who are no worse than Zhou Zhixing.
If she was still seeking revenge and venting her anger at the beginning, then later on, Dong Jiaojiao was just enjoying herself. Except for her brother-in-law, all the men she slept with were very handsome.
Well, he's handsome and capable. She's particularly satisfied with him.
Besides, who says women can't enjoy this kind of thing?!
It wasn't them who prostituted Dong Jiaojiao, it was she who prostituted men! She enjoyed it and got the benefits, huh, who could be as charming as Dong Jiaojiao!
Thinking of this, Dong Jiaojiao chuckled, put her arm around Comrade Shi's arm, and walked out of the department store swayingly.
The salesperson pooh-poohed at their backs and cursed, "Vixen."
Jiang Nan: What's going on with Dong Jiaojiao? I just started to feel a little bit attracted to her, and this guy just blew it away. As expected, people are complicated. They can't be viewed simply.
After the two left, Zhou Zhixing paid the bill politely. Jiang Nan took the big friendship, put it in her cross-body bag, and continued shopping in the department store.
In the clothing section, Jiang Nan's eyes lit up like a mouse in a rice jar. She'd been a designer in her previous life, so clothing was her primary focus. Fashion is a world of its own, and some clothes, from Jiang Nan's perspective, were truly beautiful. It was just that the prices were also quite attractive.
Jiang Nan was a professional at making clothes, so she wouldn't waste money on it. She just wanted to check out the styles and understand the current fashion trends, so that her own clothes wouldn't be too out of place.
"Mom, this dress is too expensive. How could you afford to buy such an expensive dress?!" In the corner, Tong Lili pulled Widow Qin, her voice filled with shock.
Jiang Nan was also very shocked, she has a gossipy nature.
There was naturally more than one counter selling clothes in the department store, and Jiang Nan and the other three happened to be right next door. She moved in small steps and stopped at a place close to the next counter but blocked by a pillar, pricked up her ears, and listened attentively to the gossip.
After all, who doesn't have curiosity? And she gets paid for eating melons.
Jiang Mancheng, Chen Jinhua and Zhou Zhixing also walked to Jiang Nan's side immediately, listening to the gossip with their ears perked up.
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