Chapter 98 Chapter 98 Public Security and Sugared Chestnuts
After the newlyweds have toasted, the wedding ceremony is considered complete. Guests who are in a hurry can use their chopsticks quickly, wipe their mouths after eating and leave.
However, most people's lives weren't as easy as they seemed. The banquet was lavish, so few left early. Some even ate a little shredded pork to linger over their fill, hoping to pack up any leftovers to take home. The final dish, the old turtle soup, was especially delicious. Regardless of whether it tasted good or not, the turtle shell, cleaned and dried, was a valuable medicinal ingredient, and perhaps even worth selling to a pharmacy for pocket money.
Therefore, the protector guarded the pot of soup very tightly. Those people in the southwest corner went from table to table to ask for armor, but basically no table was willing to give them any.
Lin Xinghuo and the others did not join in the fun. They took advantage of the chaos and left together.
Outside the courtyard of the small Western-style building, the table for receiving gifts in the wedding tent was already covered with many small bundles wrapped in red cloth. When someone came out, they would ask their name, make a mark in the gift book, and then give them a small bundle.
Lin Xinghuo and Wu Nian submitted two gifts, but the young woman who recorded them was a bit rigid and insisted on giving two small red envelopes. Wu Nian refused them, holding Guoguo in one hand and accepting the red envelope from Lin Xinghuo with the other, indicating that they were family.
After they walked out of the wedding tent, Cai Weihong asked, "How much did you give as a gift?" She felt that the one yuan she gave was a little too little, so why was there a return gift?
Tan Yuemei moved swiftly, opening the small, square bundle as she walked. Inside was a bag of peanuts, scattered among a few chess-sized white flour pancakes dotted with red. She breathed a sigh of relief. The most valuable item in the bundle was the red cloth, but this small scrap could be cut from a defective piece of fabric. "It's not bad, it's not bad... Xiao Lanqin won't lose money, right?" Considering the banquet, Tan Yuemei's uncertainty returned.
The three of them hadn't discussed the betrothal gifts beforehand, primarily because Lin Xinghuo's situation was unique. She'd been in the same brigade as Xiao Lanqin, and several other university graduates from Buxiantun were now in Beijing. Xiao Lanqin's wedding was so high-profile, how could someone like Wei Chunxing not know? If he knew, everyone else would know too. Although Xiao Lanqin hadn't sent out invitations, Wei Chunfeng and the older girls still asked Lin Xinghuo to bring a gift on their behalf.
Lin Xinghuo knew Wei Chunfeng's thoughts. Many of the Buxiantun villagers felt a pity for Xiao Lanqin. When Xiao Lanqin was causing such a scene in the village, everyone was utterly annoyed. But in the end, the girl was left penniless and ill, unable to get out of bed, and had to be carried home by her father and brothers. The villagers couldn't help but feel pity for her, believing they had failed to take good care of the girl and had let her be deceived. When the other educated youth took over, and those who couldn't return to the city after taking the college entrance examination last year and this year all found promising futures, everyone felt even more indebted. The educated youth who had been sent to Buxiantun to work in the countryside had all found a good place to stay, but this youngest girl had suffered misfortune.
During the phone call, the old Party Secretary and the team leader asked Lin Xinghuo to give Xiao Lanqin a fifty-yuan gift on behalf of Buxian Village. This was clearly a way to show Xiao Lanqin's popularity while in the countryside and to give her face.
Lin Xinghuo concealed Xiao Lanqin's privacy and only said that the brigade in his hometown gave Xiao Lanqin a gift money, and other people in the village who were in Beijing bought two sets of quilt covers and sheets and a blanket as gifts.
Cai Weihong and Tan Yuemei were both amazed. "Your brigade is truly kind and generous." Even though it's a bit remote, it's not poor at all.
"When I got married, the gift money was 50 cents, and the most relatives and friends gave was 5 yuan." Cai Weihong sighed: "Goodness, now the average gift is one yuan, in a few years it will be three or five yuan? Everything is going up, but wages at work are not."
That being said, she had already started whispering to Tan Yuemei about when to send more gifts, otherwise they would find it difficult to digest all the delicious food on the table.
Both of them were riding bicycles, and Ling Hu was walking slowly beside them, pulling a ox cart.
Lin Xinghuo and Wu Nian sat at the open entrance of the carriage, and finally had the opportunity to say a few words in private.
Lin Xinghuo's first question was about Xiao Lanqin. Ah Nian had just said that she smelled like a blood ginseng, which made him wonder. In the past, Master Jin had used his own daughter to form a "living heart" under a coffin to protect her, and even planted a blood ginseng on her head... When he first saw the five long black nails in the coffin, Lin Xinghuo felt a pang of fear more than once. Human hearts are crueler than ghosts.
Wu Nian also felt that Lin Qiyun seemed to be trying to imitate his ancestors, but the person chosen to hold the coffin must have the blood of the Jin family, so it should be the unborn child in Xiao Lanqin's belly.
Wu Nian had seen similar demonic practices in his memories of bloodline inheritance. However, any technique involving the blood sacrifice of a loved one preferred the closer the bloodline, the closer the bond. There was no closer bond than that of parent and child. Furthermore, these devious methods, exploiting the resentment and bloodline of a child, typically had two optimal moments: first, when the child was fully developed and about to be born; and second, when the child had been raised with unwavering care and affection, and their attachment to their parents was at its deepest. If a child's birth was imminent but not achieved, its resentment could easily overtake its already pristine mind. And if, at the height of its affection, it was pushed into the abyss by the very hands of its beloved, the more complete the betrayal and the more severe the torment, the greater the resentment.
"Lin Qiyun's current condition doesn't seem like he can wait until the child grows up, and—" Lin Xinghuo lowered his eyes, "He has bad intentions towards Guoguo."
"Regarding the adopted daughter of the Jin family, Qu Xiangjin's mother said, 'a girl should be buried in the old mausoleum every year.' The old mausoleum of the Jin family was only known to Master Jin. Later, the Jin Kun mentioned by the yellow-skinned man could not find the old mausoleum, so he burned his grandfather to ashes and set up another formation. He still used a baby girl to 'fix' Master Jin's ashes every year..." Jin Kun should be Lin Qiyun's father who was said to be seriously ill and unconscious. Qu Xiangjin's mother worked for Jin Kun in the past. She worked in a hospital and had channels to get baby girls who died prematurely or were abandoned.
But Lin Qiyun's intense gaze fixed on Guoguo made Lin Xinghuo tense. She doubted Lin Qiyun could discern Guoguo's background, but she did notice her unique aura. For generations, the Jin family had been searching for replacements for her parents, hoping to restore the family's prosperity when the victory coffin was first set. Hadn't Qu's mother and her family even offered Lin Xinghuo herself as a sacrifice?
Unlike Ah Nian, Hu Da's transformation is actually closer to the legendary Qingshuizhi's cleansing of demonic energy, allowing him to transform. Hu Da's initial human form took much longer than Ah Nian's, which illustrates this point. Therefore, on the surface, Lin Beiguo's aura is pure and full of vitality, surpassing even the restrained Lin Xinghuo's aptitude... If used for sorcery, Lin Beiguo is a better choice.
Wu Nian nodded at the shaft of the cart: "I suspect he still has the gem of the black fox." The fox heart gem was snatched by Master Jin from the descendants of the old carpenter, and the fox skull was lent to Huang Pi Zi by Jin Kun after he found it. At that time, only the few families in the village who had seven-tenths of the black fox survived... The fox tail alone has brought prosperity to the Jin family in Xue Province for sixty years. With the insidious and vicious nature passed down from their family, it is impossible for the descendants of the Jin family not to be tempted by other fox treasures.
If there weren't other gems, Lin Qiyun shouldn't have been so anxious, anxious enough to give the big fox cub that kind of look in public.
Lin Xinghuo crushed the whole bag of peanut biscuits wrapped in red cloth with a "click". His breathing became a little disordered, and he almost woke up Lin Beiguo, who was sleepy as soon as he got in the car.
"Hey! Xinghuo Huo!" Cai Weihong, who was speaking, suddenly called out Lin Xinghuo's name in a low voice, "Look at the entrance of the alley in front of us. Is there anyone there?"
Wu Nian held Lin Xinghuo's hand and calmly removed the soundproofing array.
Lin Xinghuo calmed herself down and looked up. Her eyesight was much better than Cai Weihong's. She recognized at a glance that the two people peeking around were the two men at the southwest table who had appeared at Xiao Lanqin's wedding banquet.
There is only one main road leading out of the small western-style building where Xiao Lanqin lives, but there are many alleys and side roads here. He was waiting there in advance, which shows that he even found out where Cai Weihong lives.
These people are really well-informed.
None of the three female students were stupid. When Lin Xinghuo said that, Tan Yuemei and Cai Weihong's faces turned pale. Especially Tan Yuemei. Her brother had agreed to pick her up at two o'clock, but the girl, who had just turned seventeen, was clamoring to be an adult and didn't want her family to control her affairs. She had deliberately not waited for her brother. If Cai Weihong hadn't insisted on taking her along, the little girl would have ridden her bike away.
Wu Nian, who had originally not intended to intervene now, was also shocked. He felt that the man was too arrogant and too capable.
Wu Nian patted Linghu lightly. Linghu understood and swung his huge horns, blocking the two people on the right side of the carriage and turning into another road in advance. Lin Xinghuo said, "Send Yuemei home first."
The two girls nodded quickly. They were truly frightened and hoped to avoid him. The two cyclists were getting closer and closer to Ling Hu. Fortunately, Xinghuo's cow was big enough to scare people.
How come the public security in Beijing has become so bad?
The girl was so frightened that she didn't say anything for a moment, but Wu Nian jumped down from the cart and said, "You guys go ahead, I'll come back and catch up."
Cai Weihong's tongue was tied. She groaned several times, extremely anxious: "Where is he going?"
"It's all my fault today! They came for me... I'll be more careful next time and not get into conflict with them!" Cai Weihong came to her senses at this moment and figured it out. She thought that the two men probably wanted to steal the gold ring around her neck, not targeting female comrades. Jing City is not very safe recently, but basically no one dares to act like a hooligan in broad daylight.
Cai Weihong didn't expect that her joke would come true. As soon as she showed off her wealth, she became a target of others. She regretted it very much and was even more afraid that her friend's husband would be hurt again.
Lin Xinghuo smiled and said, "Our comrade Wu Nian is a steel slinger. He's quite strong, don't worry." A few days ago, Wu Nian finished refurbishing Professor Li's laboratory herb garden with his machinery. He then took the opportunity to reclaim some unused land in the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many people gathered to watch him quickly assemble various farm implements from a pile of metal objects, including a moldboard plow, rotary tillage tines, a harrow, and a bulldozer. He was truly making a fuss out of the metal parts. Some male students wanted to try, but they couldn't lift the objects.
Cai Weihong and Tan Yuemei were still worried and frightened. As soon as Tan Yuemei's face turned pale, she said hesitantly, "How about we go back and take a look? Xinghuo, you can also herd cattle, right? Will your cattle go after people?"
Lin Xinghuo didn't let them go. She was afraid that if they went there, it would affect A Nian's performance. She was also worried that those people were abnormally well-informed. She had to know the reason before she could feel at ease.
The collared cow wagged its red tail, and its hooves tapped leisurely on the stone pavement in the alley. The alley was relatively wide, so it was relatively safe for people to come and go.
The two people on the bicycle kept turning their heads to look back. Lin Xinghuo had already noticed Wu Nian waiting at the intersection in front of him, and waved his hand, asking them to look ahead.
Wu Nian's shirt sleeves were rolled up, but he looked clean, not like he'd been in a fight. He was holding a few paper bags, and when the car approached, he put a bag in each of Cai Weihong and Tan Yuemei's baskets. "Freshly roasted candied chestnuts."
"They didn't do anything. When I went over there, one ran away. I held down another and asked him. They wanted to steal your things, so they were squatting there beforehand. They asked the person who registered the gift money for your home address." There are too many people with the same name these days, especially names like "Wei Hong" and "Jian Jun". When people who register encounter such names, they will often write down their work or home address.
"That kid isn't very courageous, but he should be more careful when he goes out next time. It would be best if he could go with a few more people."
Cai Weihong breathed a sigh of relief. So that was the case. That was not bad. Although her address had been exposed, her neighborhood was inhabited by factory workers, and it would be extremely difficult for a stranger to blend in among the familiar crowd.
However, she still took Wu Nian's reminder to heart, not for any other reason, but mainly because she didn't trust Qi Jianmin's physique. If he encountered a robbery, Qi Jianmin might need her to save him.
But Lin Xinghuo knew more than she thought when she took the bag of hot chestnuts. Wu Nian's candied chestnuts weren't purchased; they were clearly roasted by her own. She could tell from the way Fox Da, snoring on the soft cushions in the carriage, wrinkled his nose, rubbed his eyes drowsily, and climbed up to eat the candied chestnuts. The kids at home were spoiled. If they'd just put a bunch of store-bought ones in front of Lin Beiguo's nose, she wouldn't have woken up.
When Wu Nian jumped onto the ox cart, he casually patted his pocket. In his pocket was a storage box that was only as big as a soap. The box was too small and could not hold too many things due to its size. Obviously, he was leaving space for other things.
After a false alarm, the rest of the journey was uneventful. After sending Tan Yuemei home, she didn't dare ask them to look at her collection, fearing that it would delay the trip. Lin Xinghuo and his family of three would return home after dark. It wasn't safe after dark, and Tan Yuemei's heart was still pounding.
But she wasn't the only one thinking this way; Cai Weihong was clearly thinking the same thing. This older woman was already quite alert, and when she approached her family compound, she noticed someone following her. She knew everyone around here, and two or three of them greeted her right away. Cai Weihong, feeling bold, jumped off her bike and turned around, yelling, "Why are you following us?" If they had any ill intentions, she'd call for help! It was better to pin the scoundrels down here than to let them follow Lin Xinghuo's ox cart.
The man was riding a particularly broken bicycle and carrying a basket on his back. He looked at Cai Weihong strangely, then reached behind him with one hand and took out a long-handled shovel: "A dung picker? What, you don't want me to pick it up?" There was no dung bag under the cow's butt. Don't animals like this usually agree that anyone can pick up their dung?
Cai Weihong's face flushed red as she called out to the acquaintances who gathered around her and made them laugh.
The young man who was collecting dung looked at the huge rump of the cow with a beard, and said regretfully: "Such a big cow, but it didn't poop at all - it has to be well fed to pull such a big cart!"
Ling Hu Xue Niu mooed unhappily, and Wu Nian patted Ling Hu's back and laughed so hard, saying, "Dude, people are disgusted with you for not letting people urinate or defecate freely."
Ling Huhong flicked his tail and gave Wu Nian's naughty hand a whip. The people around were startled, but they saw that the young man's white hand was not even red, and they were surprised to say that Ling Hu was very human.
The young man also laughed: "Your cows are really well-raised. I used to raise livestock in the production team, but the team was poor and people couldn't eat enough. The little concentrated feed for the cows had to be picked out of the good beans first. The cows were too thin and looked listless... If I had a cow, I wouldn't have to collect manure. I could support myself just by pulling..."
Everyone around him chased him away: "What are you talking about? You're not allowed to engage in speculation, don't you understand?"
The big guys in work clothes didn't mind the young man carrying the dung basket, but they did mind his explicitness. If he'd really been doing it secretly, perhaps these people would still patronize his business. There were so many young people who had finally returned to the city and were left with nowhere to go. As long as they didn't do anything wrong and managed to make a living on their own, everyone would be tolerant. But speaking out in front of so many people was a bad idea. After the past decade, people were still in a state of fear.
Lin Xinghuo and Wu Nian accompanied Cai Weihong to her doorstep. Qi Jianmin was working in the yard, mixing coal sludge. He was covered in dirt, but there were only two bags of broken coal on the ground.
Before Cai Weihong could even tell Qi Jianmin about what happened today, she started to get angry: "How come we could only get so little coal? The temperature dropped the other day and our grandma got frozen. She starts coughing every time she breathes in the cold air. These coal briquettes are enough to last for several days!" It was almost the end of the month, and if she didn't use up all the coal tickets for this month, they would all be wasted.
Lin Xinghuo watched Qi Jianmin, holding a briquette tong, and seeing how well the briquettes he was shaping were formed. Then, looking at the remelted briquettes at his feet, she knew he was a skilled worker, but a slow worker. Seeing Cai Weihong about to unleash all the accumulated anger she'd been feeling along the way, she stopped him, turned around, and fished out a small box of bamboo charcoal from the car. "Try this! It's from Beiyuan Bamboo Stove. I haven't tried it yet...why don't you record the data at home?"
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