"???"
Feng Mao's hand trembled.
"Secretary Xi? What brings you here?"
Because of this matter, he had seen the boss a few times next door, but Fengmao didn't think he and the boss were already acquainted. He quickly got up and took a few steps to greet him, but as he got closer, the obvious signs of wind on his face became visible, and he immediately paused.
"Are you guys out on fieldwork or on-site, Brother Qingjiang?"
Having known Qin Qinghuai for many years, I'm also quite familiar with Qin Qingjiang.
"So, you guys went out and posted the documents yourselves?"
"No, but I did check to see everyone's reaction."
Oh, once we got down to business, Fengmao understood and nodded.
"After waiting for several days, we've finally reached this point. I'm almost losing my patience."
Xi Pingan waved his hand.
"Alright, you have to take care of your health while working. Let's eat first. After we eat, we can talk things over and go through the whole story again."
Feng Mao scratched his head. The police station wasn't big, and it didn't have a separate canteen. People with families brought their own lunch or ate at home. Given Xi Ping'an's status and the sensitive situation, eating at a restaurant was clearly inappropriate. He simply got up and rummaged through the cabinets; there should be a few empty lunchboxes.
"Then you sit down for a while. I'll go to the restaurant to order some dishes and bring them back. We can eat and talk at the same time."
Xi Pingan burst into laughter.
"Why go to a restaurant? Isn't this a ready-made meal? Isn't it more convenient to freeload than to go to a restaurant?"
To freeload, to mooch a meal?
Feng Mao was taken aback.
Although it was clear that Secretary Xi had a close relationship with Xiao Liu's family, the way he casually mentioned eating there, as if it were his own home, was quite unexpected. If Qin Qingjiang had said this to his own brother's family, it wouldn't have been surprising, but it was Secretary Xi.
Qin Qingjiang noticed his confusion but didn't explain. He simply called to him and followed Xi Ping'an outside.
"Let's go, it's so late, I wonder if they've even had dinner yet,"
Xi Ping'an's response was also quite natural.
"It's alright, we'll eat whatever's available. But you know what, those two young men from last time were really good cooks."
Feng Mao was about to lift his leg when he froze again. Whatever you have, eat it.
this?
Although this really is just a case of freeloading, it's true that if a county party secretary goes to someone's house, that person can really provide him with whatever he wants to eat.
As it turns out, they really did eat whatever was available.
Cheng Chao and Qin Qinghuai have been here for the past few days. With so many family members, they all roughly knew that something was going to happen today, so they ate dinner much earlier than usual.
When they arrived, there wasn't even any leftover food, let alone dinner. The kitchen was spotless. Cheng Chao had already left with Cheng Rui and Cheng An and gone back to the small courtyard near the hospital to rest.
Hearing that they hadn't eaten, she paused for a moment, but she didn't stand on ceremony and told them to go and talk. She then cooked a pot of dumpling soup. Although it was made with white flour and had a lot of ingredients, it was still dumpling soup.
However, they then brought out two more plates of braised meat.
"I was afraid you'd be in a hurry, so I'll make it quick. Let's have a simple meal first. It's all-you-can-eat, and there's more braised meat if you need more."
Xi Ping'an didn't stand on ceremony at all, picking up his bowl and eating immediately. He was very easy to serve rice and dishes to, and he didn't hesitate to ask anyone to do so.
Feng Mao was stunned. In other words, the tone and attitude of the voice were not those of a leader. It was more like they were family.
After finishing his meal without tasting it, and seeing Xi Ping'an and the others off, Feng Mao stared at Qin Qinghuai, scrutinizing him from head to toe, demanding an answer.
"What is your relationship with Secretary Xi?"
Qin Qinghuai, “…”
This person's brain is just ridiculous.
On the second and third days, the handwritten copy of the document was still prominently displayed. The people felt reassured, and the blockade naturally stopped. On the surface, the atmosphere in the county town did not change much, and people continued to live in normal order.
However, according to news from Xi Ping'an's informants, the public's reaction to the news in Beijing was much more intense than here, with the blockades and demonstrations escalating.
There's an old saying that in the capital, you could throw a brick and hit two officials of the seventh rank—and that's not an exaggeration.
There were plenty of wealthy people and officials of all ranks.
These are all important military and political locations; whose child isn't precious?
If something like this happens, we can't just let it go unchecked.
Especially in the past year or so, with schools closed, older children have choices: going to factories, going to the countryside, or getting married—it's all manageable. But there are still quite a few younger children. With parents at work, the kids are naturally running around all over the streets.
In the past, when the public security was good, people were used to keeping an eye on things with their neighbors, and that made everyone feel at ease.
However, after such an incident, many people were terrified. Yes, at that time, every family had three, four, or even five children. So, some people sometimes complained that having many children made them less special. But even if they didn't care about them, they were still their own flesh and blood. They wouldn't say that every single one of them was their precious child, and that they would be willing to scold or discipline them if they caused trouble. But if any of them got into trouble, it would be a big deal.
Some families have started taking turns taking leave, leaving one adult to specifically look after the child, but this is not a long-term solution. After all, work is work, and the factory still needs to produce. It cannot stop or reduce production just because of the worker's family problems.
Some families have already begun to explore the possibility of their children taking over the family business after the elderly retire.
In short, within just three or four days, some changes were quietly taking place among those ordinary, unremarkable people.
The public's open siege and questioning were only one aspect; the panic brought about by the media reports, radio broadcasts, and rumors also weighed heavily on people's minds.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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