Chapter 19 Chapter 19 The villain doesn't sleep at night
“Go buy it and take it out!”
It was rare to see him so flustered. Jiang Ling had now figured out his weakness, which was that he didn't like close contact with people.
Anyway, this guy has a thin waist and long legs, so Jiang Ling won't suffer any loss if she touches him twice.
Song Guanshu's voice was filled with exasperation, "Have some shame, you are so young, how can you..." He had lived to such an age, and this was the first time he had met such a rascally girl. He was unusually at a loss for words.
She said confidently, "We are a couple, with a marriage certificate."
Who can he blame for this? It was him who wanted to get the marriage certificate with her.
Song Guanshu dropped her off near the steel plant's family quarters, asked Jiang Ling to go home first, and then he rode away quickly.
When Jiang Ling returned, she did not meet the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law next door in the yard. Instead, she met the little granddaughter of the Sun family. She was a taciturn child and was very calm when she saw a stranger in the yard.
"I am Song Guanshu's wife. I moved in a few days ago." She took out two pieces of candy from her pocket. They were distributed to everyone in the office by Li Chunjiao. Although she was young, she got five pieces of candy.
Seeing the fruit candy, the little granddaughter of the Sun family's eyes lit up, "Thank you."
Jiang Ling sat at home waiting for Song Guanshu to come home. The house was getting darker and darker, and smoke was rising from the chimneys of every household.
She turned on the light, and the dim light illuminated the darkness.
At this time, the sound of a bicycle bell came from outside the door. It was Song Guanshu who came back.
He was holding something tightly wrapped in his hand. Jiang Ling went over to open it and saw that it was pork belly with alternating amounts of fat and lean meat.
Jiang Ling's eyes were bright. She followed him enthusiastically, helping to pour hot water and pass soap. "Song Guanshu, you are really amazing. You can even get the pork belly back."
"You are the most amazing man I have ever met. I am so lucky to marry you."
Song Guanshu was speechless. This guy would say anything just to eat meat.
But, this doesn’t seem to be that bad.
In the darkness, there was a light waiting for him.
"Here, this is the candy I left for you. Sister Li gave me five pieces of candy today, but I couldn't bear to eat them all, so I brought them back for you."
"Isn't it five pieces?" Song Guanshu thought that she couldn't help but eat two pieces.
Then I heard Jiang Ling say, "When I came back, I met the little granddaughter of the Sun family, and I gave her two pieces. I gave her two pieces, but I gave you three pieces."
Meeting her sparkling eyes that seemed to be shining with stars, Song Guanshu looked away and said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Jiang Ling said, "Just make the braised pork."
Song Guanshu thought that Jiang Ling was cunning and eloquent, and no matter how it started, it would end up being him who would cook. In that case, he might as well save his breath.
Song Guanshu had never made such a complicated dish as braised pork, but he had seen the chef make it, and the process of making braised pork was firmly imprinted in his mind.
"There's rock sugar under the cabinet." He told Jiang Ling to help.
"Okay." Jiang Ling went to find it without saying anything.
Put sugar oil into the pan and stir-fry until sugar color appears, then throw the pork belly cut into mahjong-sized pieces into the pan and stir-fry until it is colored. Jiang Ling smelled the fragrance at just the first step.
"Oh, it smells so good. You are suitable to be a chef."
There was someone chattering in his ears, and Song Guanshu thought Jiang Ling was very noisy. He obviously liked a quiet environment, but he did not drive Jiang Ling out of the kitchen.
Pour all the prepared sauce into the iron pot, then add enough cold water to cover the pork belly, bring to a boil over high heat and simmer.
The smell of cooking fumes gathered in the house, so Song Guanshu opened the kitchen window and let the fumes go out through the window.
This has caused trouble for the neighbors around, as they can smell the delicious aroma of braised pork in the yard from all directions.
Especially the Liu family who lived opposite.
Liu Lei was clamoring to eat meat yesterday, so Old Lady Liu gave Li Jun a meat ticket and money and asked her to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a piece of meat to satisfy her eldest grandson's craving.
Li Jun is a stingy Grandet. Once the money goes into his pocket, there is no reason for it to go out.
She went to the supply and marketing cooperative and finally came back to tell her mother-in-law and son, "I went too late. The meat in the supply and marketing cooperative is sold out."
Liu Lei was very unhappy. When he saw only cabbage and potatoes on the table before dinner, he cried for a while. It was not until Old Lady Liu fried him an egg with sesame oil that he stopped crying and turned happy.
He had just finished eating eggs and hadn't wiped the oil off his mouth yet when he smelled the rich aroma of braised pork.
Everyone's stomach is full of oil, and oily food like braised pork is the top delicacy in everyone's mind. Probably the only thing that can compete with it is pork elbow.
"It's braised pork, I want to eat braised pork!"
Jiang Ling was sitting in front of the stove making a fire. When she heard the noise outside, she stood up silently, closed the window, and locked the door from the inside.
Don't let her meet a beggar when she is happiest.
Her series of movements were smooth and flowing. When she turned around, she noticed Song Guanshu looking at her. Jiang Ling asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is there any problem?"
Song Guanshu shook his head slightly, adding another layer of not being at a disadvantage to his impression of her.
Not only the people next door could smell this overbearing fragrance, but also Section Chief Liu who lived in the front yard could smell it.
Section Chief Liu was having dinner at home. They were having cabbage stewed with tofu, a dish they usually wouldn't eat. However, compared with the aroma of the braised pork, it was instantly turned into crumbs. The tofu in their mouths suddenly lost its fragrance.
Next to Section Chief Liu sat his wife Han Ruixue, and opposite him sat his brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Section Chief Liu's brother-in-law Han Qingzhu smacked his lips twice and said, "Sister, let's have braised pork tomorrow, too."
This smells really good.
Section Chief Liu received a lot of salary subsidies, but he had to support his wife and her younger brothers and sisters, which cost a lot of money, so life at home was not easy.
Before Han Ruixue's parents passed away, she lived a life of luxury, spending money lavishly and not being frugal. She answered without even thinking, "Okay, I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some meat tomorrow. You and Xuemei haven't eaten meat for a long time, so I'll give you two some body tonic."
When Section Chief Liu heard what Han Ruixue said, he frowned.
After dinner, when they were alone with Han Ruixue, he held her in his arms and thought of what his mother had said last night.
"Xue'er, let's have a child."
Han Ruixue jumped out of his arms and said, "When we got married, you promised me that you wouldn't have children in the next few years. I'm still young now, so you should wait a few years to have one. It's only been a few days and you've changed your mind!"
The young wife's eyebrows were raised, and Section Chief Liu immediately lost his breath and admitted his mistake: "I was not thoughtful enough. Let's not rush to have a child. Please don't be angry, or you will get sick."
"Did someone say something bad about me in front of you? Let me guess, was it your mother or your ex-wife?"
Section Chief Liu certainly couldn't admit it, and he subconsciously denied it, "No, don't let me get carried away. I'm not young anymore, and I'm afraid if I don't give birth now, I won't be able to have children in the future."
Han Ruixue gave him a glare and said, "I think you are quite capable now, don't worry."
When a man is praised for this, he will be flattered to some extent, but he is still thinking about children in his heart, "I am old and feel lonely, and I want to have a child around me."
"Your son and daughter live in the backyard, isn't that close enough?" Section Chief Liu smiled naively, "I just listened to you and didn't contact them."
Han Ruixue snorted coldly, "You are treating me like a fool. Why does our family's food supply go down so quickly every month? You take all your salary home, but what about your allowances and bonuses?"
It turned out that she had known about this for a long time. Section Chief Liu had to explain for himself, "My mother is in the backyard. She was a widow and raised me and my brothers. I can ignore Li Jun and the two children, but I can't ignore him!"
Han Ruixue stretched out her finger and poked his chest, "Your ex-wife had this idea in mind. Your mother loves her grandson, and you are a filial son, you can't ignore your mother."
***
The braised pork for dinner was a bit salty. Jiang Ling didn’t sleep well and kept wanting to drink water, but was reluctant to leave the warm bed.
She was awakened by the noise beside her and asked dazedly, "Where are you going?"
She regretted it after asking. Song Guanshu is a villain. Where else could he go in the middle of the night? Of course he would go to cause trouble.
There was no more noise, and Jiang Ling wasn't sure what he was trying to do. She turned around secretly and wanted to take a look, only to meet a pair of dark eyes.
Jiang Ling was almost frightened to death, but this person turned the tables and asked, "Why aren't you sleeping?"
She said speechlessly, "I was woken up by you."
Jiang Ling instructed him, "If you don't want to sleep, go get me a cup of hot water."
Song Guanshu obediently went downstairs and poured her a glass of warm water. Jiang Ling drank it in small sips, and finally relieved her dry mouth.
Without leaving the bed, warm water was delivered to her mouth. Jiang Ling couldn't help but sigh, "It's great to have you."
Song Guanshu sneered, "It's great to have a free babysitter like me, right?"
"No." He is not a free babysitter, he is a babysitter who gets paid for his job.
"How can you say that you are a nanny? I won't allow it. You are my other half as stated in my marriage certificate. We are relatives listed in the same household registration book and we rely on each other."
"You pour a glass of warm water for your only support in the cold night. Your only support will definitely remember this."
"Don't worry, if you become paralyzed or disabled in the future, I will definitely serve you tea and water, and take care of your excrement and urine."
Song Guanshu said firmly: "That day will never come."
"Nothing is absolute in this world, and no one can predict what will happen in the future."
For the first time, Song Guanshu took the initiative to approach her and said, "I mean, if I become paralyzed or disabled one day, I would like to ask the other half listed on my marriage certificate to help me end this pain."
His voice was very soft. In the darkness, Jiang Ling touched the tiny hairs on her arm.
It was unusual that Jiang Ling took a long time to fall asleep. Until she lost consciousness, she did not hear the sound of Song Guanshu getting up.
She didn't know whether Song Guanshu went out that night.
The next morning, perhaps fearing that his breakfast would be snatched away, Song Guanshu prepared breakfast for two.
Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu did not communicate with each other this morning and came to the daily chemical factory in silence.
When she jumped off the back of the bicycle, someone greeted Jiang Ling, "Jiang Ling, Brother Song!"
"Are you here to investigate a case again?" Jiang Ling stood outside the bicycle shed, waiting for the two men to lock the bicycles.
When Xie Lang locked the car, he looked up and chatted with them, "Yesterday afternoon, we found a Zhonghua cigarette butt at the scene. Thinking it might be related to the case, my master sent me to the factory to check how many people in our factory smoke Zhonghua."
The scope of the survey was relatively small. A pack of Zhonghua cigarettes cost two yuan. Ordinary workers could not afford such cigarettes at all. Only factory leaders could afford them.
China?
Jiang Ling raised her hand. "Our section chief Wei Ming smokes Zhonghua cigarettes. I hope he can help you solve the case."
Xie Lang nodded in appreciation. "Jiang Ling, you are such a warm-hearted comrade. The clue you provided is very useful. I will report it to my superiors."
Xie Lang is going to find his biggest connection at the daily chemical factory, Director Bai.
The Personnel Department and the Finance Department were in the same direction. After the three of them entered the office building, they separated from Song Guanshu.
Facing his former sweetheart alone, Xie Lang was somewhat at a loss. "We were busy at the police station last weekend. Someone came to report a crime. I really couldn't spare the time. I'm sorry."
Jiang Ling said very considerately, "It's okay. Serving the people is what's important."
Before parting ways with Xie Lang at the door of the Finance Department, Jiang Ling said again, "When investigating a case, if there is anything I can help with, please come to me."
After having tricked Wei Ming, Jiang Ling was happy when she returned to the office.
Lu Jianjun and Wei Ming like to smoke in the office, making the whole office full of smoke.
Section Chief Tang likes drinking very much, but he doesn't have much interest in smoking.
At the fixed smoking time of Lu Jianjun and Wei Ming, Jiang Ling noticed that Lu Jianjun, who was sitting opposite him, was smoking Golden Deer, while Wei Ming did not smoke Zhonghua today, but Hongtashan instead.
Jiang Ling propped up her face and asked, "Chief Wei, I remember you usually smoke Zhonghua, why did you lower your grade and smoke Hongtashan today?"
Wei Ming felt very uncomfortable when he heard Jiang Ling's words that lowered her standards. It sounded as if he couldn't afford to smoke.
"I'm tired of smoking Zhonghua every day. I need to change the flavor occasionally." In fact, the truth is that the Zhonghua cigarettes were given to him by his brother-in-law, Factory Director Ding. When the Zhonghua cigarettes were gone, he went back to smoking Hongtashan.
Jiang Ling said, "It's because our Section Chief Wei is rich." It's okay as long as she didn't mislead Xie Lang.
In the afternoon, Xie Lang came to ask Wei Ming questions.
Even among the factory leaders, not many smoke Zhonghua cigarettes. There are only Director Ding, Deputy Director Wu, the Security Chief, and Wei Ming, the Deputy Chief of the Finance Department.
The content of the questioning was simple, only asking where and what he was doing that night and whether there were any witnesses at the time.
Except for Wei Ming and Director Ding, everyone was sleeping at home, and the witnesses were their wives and children.
Wei Ming and Director Ding testified for each other.
Considering that these people were all factory leaders and had plenty of money, the police suspected that there was something wrong with their approach to the case.
Thieves steal for property, and there is no need for factory leaders to do such a thing.
So everyone thought that this cigarette butt might have been left behind by a previous factory leader during an inspection and was just discovered as evidence.
But apart from this cigarette butt, no other physical evidence was found at the scene.
The investigators were in a dilemma. If they gave up this physical evidence, the investigation would be deadlocked again.
On their way home from get off work, Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu met Xie Lang. It was almost the same scene as in the morning. Xie Lang was unlocking the bicycle shed. "Wait for me, let's go together."
Song Guanshu and Xie Lang rode side by side, Jiang Ling sat on the back of the bicycle and listened to their conversation.
"Brother Song, where do you and Jiang Ling live now?"
"It's in the steel plant's family quarters."
"The steel mill. I heard the environment there isn't very good."
“Yes, the steel mills are very polluting and dusty.”
The windows were always foggy, and I had to wipe the bicycle seat and handlebars with a rag every morning.
"But I heard that there's a small restaurant with home-style dishes just over by the steel plant's residential area. The food is pretty good. How about I treat you?"
Having just eaten braised pork the night before, Jiang Ling had no interest in eating out.
Xie Lang was very enthusiastic. "Don't rush to refuse. We haven't gotten together for a while."
"Oh well."
Xie Lang heard the location from a colleague. He searched around the family quarters near the steel plant for several rounds but couldn't find the restaurant.
It was Song Guanshu who found the store in the alley based on his description.
There is no signboard, and there is a dim light at the door, which is consistent with the description of black shops in film and television works.
Even Xie Lang, an intern at the police station, was worried that he might run into a Sun Erniang.
As we approached the store, everyone's worries were half dispelled. There were two tables of guests drinking and eating inside. The boss saw customers coming in and enthusiastically handed over the simple menu.
Under the planned economy, the market economy quietly emerged.
Just like the black market where Song Guanshu bought the pork belly yesterday, there are also small restaurants like this one hidden in residential areas.
The meal was held in the boss's own house with two tables set up. Usually, most of the people who came here were workers from the steel factory. There weren't many diners, so two or three tables were enough to accommodate them.
In recent years, private enterprises have been suppressed and the social environment has improved a lot compared to before.
Although the surrounding environment was a little worse, Xie Lang nodded and whispered to the two people beside him, "The service attitude is not bad, better than the waiters in state-owned restaurants."
It was called a simple menu, with less than ten dishes on it. Xie Lang got advice from his colleagues, "Order a fish marinated in oil, and this..."
The boss is not a local and speaks with a southern accent.
The food was not served quickly. While waiting, Xie Lang asked the boss for a small bottle of Erguotou.
He poured a cup for Song Guanshu and then poured one for himself, "I really can't spare the time when you get married. Please forgive me."
Song Guanshu took a sip of wine and said, "Work is important, I understand."
As the first dish ordered by Xie Lang was served, the boss brought three bowls of steaming rice and said, "Please enjoy your meal. The rest of the dishes will be ready soon."
Jiang Ling took a bite of the fish tentatively, and then her eyes lit up, "This fish tastes really good. Don't just drink, eat more vegetables."
When the boss served the soup, Jiang Ling did not forget to praise the chef's cooking skills, "This is the most delicious fish I have ever eaten in North City."
Speaking of which, this is also the first fish she has eaten since she traveled through time. There is no comparison, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is the most delicious one.
As the warm century egg and meat pie soup went down her stomach, Jiang Ling suddenly felt that there was nothing in this world that could not be cured by delicious food.
Song Guanshu didn't drink often. He would only take a sip when Xie Lang wanted to clink glasses with him. Most of the time, he drank soup and ate meals.
Xie Lang drank a lot and quickly. He seemed to be drunk and his face was very red from his neck to his forehead.
He sighed, "We haven't been together for a while."
"Brother Song, we haven't had dinner together since you were admitted to university. It's been four or five years. When I went to the countryside, I was young and ignorant. Thanks to you and the old educated youth in the village for taking care of me. My words of gratitude are all in the wine."
He drank the Erguotou in the cup in one gulp again. Jiang Ling poked Song Guanshu under the table and said, "Drink less." If he gets drunk, she would have to send him back, which would be so troublesome.
Xie Lang couldn't hold his liquor well, and he got very drunk. He only drank half a bottle, but his tongue was a little thick. "Among our classmates, only you and Zhao Liang are still in touch."
He reached out to clink glasses with Jiang Ling, but Jiang Ling only had a soup bowl in her hand.
Song Guanshu raised his glass and clinked it with his, "Jiang Ling can't drink, I drank it for her."
Sure enough, in front of outsiders, he behaves like a normal person.
"Jiang Ling, I really didn't expect that you would end up with Brother Song." The more he thought about his sweetheart getting married, the sadder he felt. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his hands, "But as long as you are living well..."
He was a little incoherent when he spoke. Jiang Ling put away the wine glasses on the table and said, "Okay, stop drinking and eat more. The food today tastes great."
Jiang Ling ate half a fish, two bowls of soup, and two bowls of rice by herself, not including other stir-fried dishes.
Drunk Xie Lang couldn't help but ask, "Brother Song, don't you want to have enough food?"
Jiang Ling still had to explain this for Song Guanshu. They had eaten meat for two consecutive nights after getting married. Even the leader's family might not be able to eat meat every day. In terms of food, Song Guanshu did not let her taste buds down.
Jiang Ling rubbed her round belly and said, "He's fine. We often eat meat at home, but we're afraid of gaining weight, so we don't dare to eat too much. Today, you're treating me, so I must eat a little."
After eating a few more bites of food, Xie Lang was able to speak coherently, perhaps thanks to the wine, "Brother Song, do you still remember Xu Youlan?"
Song Guanshu said calmly, "Remember, the educated youth in the village, what's wrong with her?"
Jiang Ling pricked up her ears, thinking she might be able to dig up some romantic past of Song Guanshu.
Xie Lang turned the fish over with chopsticks. "It turns out that she was admitted to the university, the Teachers College next to our police academy. I went back to the school to do some work a few days ago and happened to meet her. We talked for a long time. When she talked about her time in the countryside, I felt as if I were in another world."
Xie Lang went to the countryside late, in 1975. The location was chosen by his father, in a village near the north city. He could even go home for dinner on weekends.
Because I went to the countryside late and didn't spend much time in the village on weekdays, my relationship with the educated youth was not very good.
Although he spent a short time in the countryside, some of his experiences there left a deep impression on him.
During that time, I felt bitter while going through it and wanted to escape, but once I walked out, I missed it so much.
Song Guanshu listened to him calmly.
Xie Lang looked at Jiang Ling, "You don't know, it was really not easy back then. We sowed seeds in the spring, pulled up seedlings and made fertilizer in the summer, harvested corn in the autumn, and repaired canals in the winter..."
Jiang Ling asked, "Why did you go to the countryside?"
At that time, Xie Lang's father was in the Revolutionary Committee and his mother was the director of the factory's personnel department. A mother who was the director of the personnel department could at least arrange a job for him so that he wouldn't have to go to the countryside to suffer.
While reading the book, Jiang Ling couldn't figure this out, so she asked directly.
"At that time, my father wanted me to go to the place where they lived, but I didn't want to go, so I went against my family's wishes." He shrugged, "I signed up to go to the countryside without telling my family."
Collaboration is the cause of rebellion.
Jiang Ling secretly looked at Song Guanshu. If she guessed correctly, he chose to go to the countryside, either to escape the movement in the city and avoid disaster, or to leave the sad place where he lost his loved ones.
Song Guanshu's expression showed no joy, anger, sorrow or happiness; he remained very calm.
"Xu Youlan also said that she hasn't seen you since you left Qijiatun. She heard that I see you often and asked how you are doing now."
There was only the fish head and bones left on the plate. Xie Lang dug out the fish eyes, stuffed them into his mouth, chewed them twice, and swallowed them.
"By the way, she also mentioned to me the militia captain Wang Tieshan from Qijiatun. You should still remember him, right?"
Song Guanshu nodded, "I remember, he was bitten to death by a wolf."
Xie Lang patted his chest and said, "That was the first time I saw a dead person, and he died so tragically. I arrived at Qijiatun in September, and he was killed by wolves at the end of December, just after the winter solstice. I had only seen wolves in the mountains on TV, and never thought that wolves would come to the village to eat people. I'm not lying, I was so scared that time that I wanted to ask my dad to find someone to help me move back home."
Song Guanshu smiled and said, "It's really scary. You're unlucky. We went to the countryside for many years before we encountered a wolf that time, but you encountered one after only three months."
Xie Lang shook his head. "I just heard from Xu Youlan that Wang Tieshan is not a good person. He harmed many female educated youth. I think being eaten by wolves is what he deserves. Evildoers will be punished by God."
"Oh? There is such a thing. You deserve it."
Jiang Ling, who was rubbing her belly, felt that the two men seemed to be hinting at something.
No one knew whether Xie Lang was drunk or not. He was already drunk when he stood up after dinner.
Song Guanshu took the initiative to go to the front desk to pay the bill. Xie Lang stumbled forward and said, "We agreed to pay for it. How can I let you pay?"
The boss was used to seeing drunks rushing to pay, so he asked with a smile, "Who do you think will pay?"
Song Guanshu had already taken out the money, "I'll do it."
Although the prices of dishes in this small restaurant are a bit high, twice as much as those in state-owned restaurants, there is one good thing about it: you don't need grain or meat coupons, you only pay cash.
If you calculate it, it is more cost-effective than state-owned restaurants.
Seeing that he had difficulty walking after drinking, Jiang Ling was afraid that he would fall to his death on the road or lie on the street all night.
Although it is above zero now, lying outside all night will not kill you but will damage your body.
Jiang Ling said, "Let's send Xie Lang back and don't let him get into trouble along the way."
Song Guanshu didn't say anything bad, he just asked, "Do you care about him a lot?"
Jiang Ling laughed at him, "Nonsense, what if something happens and we have to pay for it?" She still had to work in the daily chemical factory, and she was counting on Xie Lang to make things difficult for Wei Ming.
Xie Lang squatted down with trembling hands to unlock the bicycle and did not hear the conversation between the two men.
Jiang Ling frowned as she watched Xie Lang get on the bike. This guy couldn't even walk in a straight line, so could he really ride a bike?
Jiang Ling suggested, "Why don't we walk back?"
It is better to fall while walking than to fall while riding a bike, at least you can recover faster.
Xie Lang waved his hands, "I'm fine, I can ride."
As soon as he finished speaking, whether to prove it or because he was really not in a clear mind, he rode away without paying any attention to the two people behind him.
Jiang Ling quickly patted Song Guanshu on the back and said, "Hurry up and follow me."
After sending Xie Lang to the downstairs of their house and watching him go upstairs, the two returned along the same route.
I don’t know if there were nails on that section of the road or what, but halfway through the ride, Song Guanshu suddenly turned around and said to Jiang Ling, “The rear tire is flat.”
Jiang Ling was sitting on the back seat of the bicycle. At first she thought the man was mocking her for being fat and wanted to curse back angrily. But to be cautious she looked down and saw that the tire at the back of the bicycle was flat.
It was obvious that it was not caused by her pressing it, but by a sharp object piercing it, causing the air leakage.
"Damn it, who is so wicked as to throw nails on the road?" Jiang Ling looked at him, "What should we do?"
Song Guanshu motioned for her to come down, "Let's go back."
It took at least half an hour to walk back. The temperature was low at night. Jiang Ling rubbed her arms and jumped off the back seat of the bicycle reluctantly.
During this period, there was no nightlife in any area at night, there were few entertainment activities, and everyone went to bed early, going to bed as early as eight o'clock.
On the contrary, people who have TV at home can go to bed later.
Even if I go to bed very late, I will watch TV, listen to the radio, or do some exercises in bed at home. I never run around outside at night.
Therefore, there were no other pedestrians on the street except for the two people.
There are fewer pedestrians at night, but that doesn't mean there are none. When the two walked out of the main road and were about to enter the steel plant's residential area, they heard a young man singing loudly. He was obviously a drunk.
Late at night, neither Jiang Ling nor Song Guanshu had such a strong curiosity to find out who the drunkard was.
However, sometimes, if you don’t look for trouble, trouble will come to you.
The group saw two people walking on the street at night, and there was a woman among them.
Xiao Bing, the leader, waved his hand and said, "Let's go and see, there's a girl over there."
The five people couldn't even walk straight, but they formed an encirclement formation to surround Song Guanshu and Jiang Ling. It was obvious that they had done this more than once or twice.
Jiang Ling complained quietly, "The tire just got flat, and I knew it wasn't a good time to go out today."
Xiao Bing's father is the deputy director of a steel plant. He usually bullies men and women in the factory. But he has a good father. As long as it doesn't involve murder or arson, no matter it's beating people or bullying girls, Deputy Director Xiao can solve it with some money.
Just looking at the shabby way these people are dressed, you can tell they don't seem like good people.
Not to mention the smell of a hooligan coming out of his mouth, shaking his legs and saying, "Sister, why don't you go home so late at night? Are you waiting for your brother?"
The visibility was poor at night, and he had to get closer to see Jiang Ling's face clearly. He was almost shocked at the sight. He had never seen such a beautiful girl since he was a child.
The younger brother trembled his legs, "Brother Bing, this girl is really pretty."
Xiao Bing slapped her and said, "No matter how pretty she is, she is still my girl."
The younger brother didn't dare to fight back after being beaten. Instead, he lowered his head, like a dog that had been completely domesticated by humans.
Jiang Ling was thinking at this time. She and Song Guanshu had not drunk too much tonight. They were both sober. Could they beat these five drunken hooligans down?
Xiao Bing was tall and strong, with a face full of pockmarks, a bit like a toad that had become a spirit. Jiang Ling did not have trypophobia, but she turned her head away in disgust.
Xiao Bing is very patient and has a nice attitude towards beautiful girls. He will try to coax them first, and if that doesn't work, he will use threats and inducements.
"Sister, what's your name? Where do you live? Are you dating? Do you want to be with your brother?"
Song Guanshu who was standing next to Jiang Ling was completely ignored. This guy looked like a pretty boy and probably wasn't a man of blood.
The more Xiao Bing looked at the little girl's face, the more he admired it. He couldn't help but touch it, but the next second he was knocked to the ground by Song Guanshu.
The incident happened too quickly. Not to mention Jiang Ling, even Xiao Jun and his younger brothers never thought that this pretty boy would dare to take action.
Jiang Ling gave Song Guanshu a thumbs up in her heart, calling him a real man. She would stop complaining about him in her heart in the future.
Jiang Ling quickly took two steps back. She couldn't stand in the middle of the battlefield and cause trouble for Song Guanshu.
Don’t be fooled by the fact that those thugs were tall and strong with fierce looks; the five of them were beaten by Song Guanshu without any chance to fight back.
Moreover, Song Guanshu was really ruthless. His purpose in fighting was not to win, but to kill the opponent. He also knew that Jiang Ling was right behind him and he couldn't kill anyone.
He was ruthless when he attacked, and the gangster's screams became weaker and weaker.
The expression on Jiang Ling's face changed as she heard the various sounds of bones breaking.
Xiao Bing had been bullying the steel mill for many years, so he was quite aggressive. Even at this time, he was still threatening, "Do you know who I am? My father, Xiao Zhenhua, is the director of our steel mill!"
He thought that bringing his father out would help, but he continued to be beaten, so Xiao Bing continued to spread the word, "Do you know who my uncle is? My uncle Xiao Zhenbang is the director of our North City Grain Bureau!"
It would have been better if he didn't mention his uncle, he just had a broken leg like his younger brothers.
Song Guanshu heard that his uncle was an official and both of his legs were broken.
It was a relief to teach these little hooligans a lesson, but Jiang Ling was also afraid that she and Song Guanshu would get into trouble. After all, this man's parents were powerful, and if they were found, they would definitely take revenge.
Jiang Ling seemed to be frightened and started to cry. She pretended to stop the fight, "Second brother, stop it. Don't let anything happen!"
"Brother, you just came out of that place, you can't go back in. Don't you know that when you went in, our mother was almost crying her eyes out at home..."
Song Guanshu was a smart man and quickly understood Jiang Ling's intention.
He found it amusing and stopped fighting. Instead, he raised his knife and knocked all five of them unconscious.
Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu left the scene together.
It was only eight o'clock when the two returned, and the lights in the house opposite and Old Man Sun's house had been turned off.
Song Guanshu pushed his bicycle into the kitchen. He would ride the bicycle to work tomorrow, and he had to fix the tire.
After entering the yard, Jiang Ling locked the gate.
Song Guanshu took a basin of water to repair the tire.
Jiang Ling washed silently on the side. While she was washing her face, Song Guanshu pulled a rusty thumbtack out of the tire and threw it into the basin.
"Why are there nails on the street?"
Song Guanshu said confidently, "Someone threw it on purpose."
After the large wave of educated youth returning to the city, some of them had not found a job or been admitted to university, so they set up a small stall near their home to repair tires. However, there were not so many tires to repair, so some people started to have crooked ideas.
After lying down in bed, Jiang Ling did not fall asleep immediately, because she knew that Song Guanshu was not asleep either.
She lay flat on her back and said to Song Guanshu, "I will keep today's events to myself and won't tell anyone." They were now in the same boat.
There was a smile in his voice, "Go to sleep, don't worry, everything will be fine."
The next day when Song Guanshu got home from get off work, the first thing he did was to wash his coat.
He felt that the clothes that had been touched by the thugs the night before were dirty and needed to be washed quickly.
Jiang Ling had nothing to do, so she sat in the yard and watched him wash clothes.
This was the scene that Li Jun and Juxiang from the next yard saw when they entered the yard.
Li Jun curled his lips and signaled to Juxiang, "See, I was right. This young wife is a lazy b*tch. She is good at everything from being lazy, cunning and greedy. I've never seen any wife ask her husband to do the laundry."
Then I felt regretful. Xiao Song is such a good man, but it is true that a good man cannot have a good wife.
Juxiang was the third daughter-in-law from the next courtyard. When she saw Jiang Ling, she smiled and greeted her, "Washing clothes, you must be Xiao Song's wife, right? I've heard of you for a long time, and today I finally have the chance to meet you."
While she was talking to Jiang Ling, she also urged Li Jun, "Sister Jun, I'm going to chat with Xiao Song and his wife. Go back and look at the pair of shoes I lent you. I'll wait for you outside."
Juxiang pointed to the west yard and said, "I live in your west yard. You can just call me Juxiang's sister-in-law. We are neighbors. If you need any help, just go to the west yard and call me and your third brother."
Jiang Ling felt that this person's speech was much more pleasant to the ear than Li Jun's.
"Okay, thank you, sister-in-law. We are two young people who just got married and don't have parents or relatives around us. Sometimes we need to rely on the neighbors."
Juxiang said generously, "It's nothing. Life is all about me helping you and you helping me."
Li Jun went home to look for the shoe pattern, but couldn't find it. Juxiang just stood in the yard and chatted with Jiang Ling.
"Jiang Ling, where do you work?"
"I'm in the finance department of the daily chemical factory."
After hearing this, Juxiang couldn't help but give a thumbs up, "That's a great place."
As she spoke, she glanced at the east wing and said vaguely, "You and Xiao Song both have formal jobs, and you both work in the daily chemical factory. You are really a perfect match."
She asked Jiang Ling again, "You are from the city, right?"
Jiang Ling smiled and said, "No matter if they are from the city or the countryside, they are all screws in social construction. But my parents also worked in the daily chemical factory before."
If both parents are workers, then they are city dwellers.
Juxiang said, "Then your family is well off. You have a job and your parents are also workers."
Xiao Jiang is good-looking, lives in the city, and has a regular job in a factory. She is a hundred times better than Li Jun's sister. It's just that she doesn't realize it and usually takes advantage of Xiao Song when it comes to food and drink.
He also wants to marry his sister to Xiao Song, and the whole family wants to rely on him.
Juxiang raised her voice and asked Li Jun who had entered the east wing, "Sister Jun, haven't you found it yet?"
"Not yet, soon!"
Juxiang smiled sarcastically and said to Jiang Ling and Song Guanshu, "It's always hard to find things to lend to Sister Jun."
When Juxiang and Li Jun entered the yard together, Jiang Ling saw them holding each other's hands affectionately and thought they were good friends, but it turned out they were just fake sisters.
It’s not time to cook yet, so Juxiang is not in a hurry to go back.
She lowered her voice mysteriously and said, "You know, there was an accident at our steel plant."
After saying that, she remembered that the couple were not employees of the steel plant, so she changed her words, "You young people, you can't go out casually at night. It's very dangerous."
Jiang Ling guessed that it might be related to what happened last night, so she asked, "What do you mean?"
"My husband told me that the son of Deputy Director Xiao was beaten up near our family quarters yesterday. I heard that he was beaten very badly, but luckily he didn't die!"
Jiang Ling was shocked. "How could this happen? Is Deputy Director Xiao's son okay now?"
Juxiang shook her head. "It's very serious. Both of his legs were broken, and it seems his arm was broken as well. He was left outside to freeze all night, and although he didn't freeze to death, it seems he got some health problems."
Jiang Ling said with an unbearable look on her face, "Oh my God, what kind of person would be so cruel? He was so ruthless."
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