Piranha Plant (11)

Lu He moved her a little, like a great shift of heaven and earth, and exchanged places with her. His force was great, but his movements were gentle, and she hardly felt any impact.

Lu He squeezed through the crowd, crossed the aisle, and walked into the door of the wider dining car. He said loudly: "Comrades, let me stack your bags. It's too crowded here. Make some space for the female comrades and children."

Seeing that he was tall and seemed to be of a different status, the passengers nodded immediately.

Lu He took one in each hand and easily stacked several large boxes and bags that were taking up a lot of space in a corner, which immediately freed up a lot of space at the other end.

Lu He shouted, "Those with children, come here and rest."

There was a woman holding a child, and another woman holding a little boy, they thanked me repeatedly and sat in the vacated space.

Several strong men couldn't help but praise him: "Comrade, you are really strong. What kind of work do you do?"

"Car repairman." Lu He replied indifferently.

"Oh, then it must be a train."

Suddenly the noisy carriage became lively.

"There's a seat here. Are there any female comrades who would like to sit here?" the woman who had just brought the little boy shouted.

"Yes." Zhao Leiting shouted, "I'm coming soon."

Zhao Leiting pushed Meng Siqi over, and the passengers made way for them. Meng Siqi seemed embarrassed because she was a police officer, but she was competing with the guests for a seat.

She walked over reluctantly. Her legs had already gone limp. She really wanted to sit for a while. The two women left a space for her. She sat down almost immediately. The ground was a little cold.

Lu He took off his brown coat and handed it to her, his tone gentle but commanding, "Put it on."

"I don't need it, I really don't."

"Listen."

Lu He's words were a boss's concern for his subordinates, but Meng Siqi paused. For some reason, her cheeks felt slightly hot. She seemed to have lost the intention to refuse and actually took his coat.

Under Lu He's cold gaze, she carefully put her coat under her butt.

Lu He was wearing a white shirt. He seemed to like pure white. He also had a plaid sweater on the outside. When he took off the coat, his figure became even more handsome. He stood out in the crowded crowd.

She only felt a warm breath on the ground, which was the breath she and Lu He had been in day and night. She could feel the warmth and thickness in it.

Lu He slowly turned his head and stopped looking at her. He found a wall and leaned against it quietly, as if thinking about something.

From Meng Siqi's perspective, he was very calm, yet had a slightly melancholy temperament.

After sitting down, Meng Siqi felt better and soon fell into a doze against the wall of the box. It was late at night and everyone had to squeeze in all night to reach their destination. This was the green-skinned train during the Spring Festival of that era.

She seemed to have slept for a while and didn't know what time it was. When she woke up, she felt her head was very heavy, as if something was holding her brain. She felt something was not right and wondered if she had a fever or a cold.

She touched her head and felt it was really hot. She hadn't slept well in the past few days and had been anxious. In addition, the wind on the road and the sweat all over her body in the car made her finally confess.

But she had to wait until she reached her destination and go to the pharmacy there to buy some medicine. She had to complete this mission no matter what.

She gritted her teeth and thought that if she held on a little longer, maybe she would be fine after a good sleep.

In the second half of the night, a glimmer of dawn began to appear on the horizon.

Suddenly a woman's voice was heard in the carriage: "Come and have a look, she seems to be ill."

Zhao Lei Ting was alert and was almost the first to look over. He simply couldn't believe that Meng Siqi was curled up on the ground.

He quickly shouted: "Make way, someone is sick."

He quickly jumped to Meng Siqi's side and helped her up. "Siqi, how are you?"

She didn't respond, so he touched her forehead again. It was too hot, she had a high fever.

"What's wrong?" Lu He walked across the crowd and squatted to inquire about the situation.

"Brother Lu, she has a high fever and must be sent to the hospital."

Lu He reached out his hand and stroked her forehead, his expression solemn. Meng Siqi looked pale, her lips were bloodless, and she seemed to have lost consciousness. He hurriedly said, "It's still half an hour before the next stop. I'll go ask for antipyretic medicine. Xiao Liang, you two keep an eye on her."

"I know, Brother Lu, don't worry."

Lu He walked quickly and squeezed through the crowd.

In less than five minutes, he came back again, holding a cup of warm water high in his hand, and finally returned to Meng Siqi's side.

"Brother Lu, have you found the medicine?" Zhao Leiting asked anxiously.

"There is a medicine box in the train. This is antipyretic medicine." Lu He handed the paper wrapped with medicine to Zhao Leiting.

"Give it to me, I'll feed her water." Lu He was born with leadership skills, and he almost ordered Zhao Leiting. After he squatted down, he put Meng Siqi's whole soft body into his arm. The arm was like a harbor, and Meng Siqi's back fell safely into it.

Lu He placed his slender and stylish fingers on her cheek and pressed them lightly, and her lips slowly opened.

Lu He found that she was as soft as water. Even though he usually had the impression that she was a policewoman with a long ponytail, who walked with a strong figure and spoke with a powerful tone, she was very fragile at this moment.

On her pale face, only the circles around her eyes were slightly red. Sweat was oozing from her forehead, and her hair was already wet.

"You'll be fine after taking the medicine," he comforted her.

When Meng Siqi opened her mouth, Zhao Leiting had already put the fever-reducing medicine he had prepared into her mouth. Lu He moved very gently and steadily, and put water into her mouth for her to swallow.

Meng Siqi coughed twice and finally took the medicine.

"Is everything okay now?" Zhao Leiting asked anxiously.

"Reducing fever is only one aspect. We can't go any further. Our next stop must be the hospital." Lu He held her arm to prevent her from falling, and also let her head rest against the cold wall of the box, as if protecting a sick little girl.

His expression was the same as when he was investigating a case, his eyes were firm, resolute and compassionate. That was the sense of justice he had acquired since he became a police officer. He was born with a strong empathy for the weak.

"Okay, then get off at the next stop." Zhao Leiting said hurriedly.

"Brother Lu, we'll arrive at the station in five minutes." A few minutes later, Liang Yunfeng reminded, "Should we wait at the door?"

The carriage was crowded, so they had to prepare in advance. Lu He nodded, gently lifted Meng Siqi up by the waist, and put her thin head close to his warm chest. He held her steadily and told passers-by, "Please make way and get off."

Liang Yunfeng led the way in front, Zhao Leiting picked up Lu He's coat and followed behind.

After a while, several people arrived at the door of the carriage. There were very few people getting off at this station. The train slowed down and slowly stopped.

It was a quiet night outside, with a cold wind howling. Liang Yunfeng walked out and blocked the wind. Lu He carried the person out of the door, "Zhao Leiting, where are your clothes?"

Zhao Lei Ting walked quickly forward and wrapped his coat around Meng Siqi, covering her bare neck.

"We must go to the hospital immediately. Her fever seems to be getting worse." Lu He stroked her forehead again, his voice deep.

As he spoke, he started running, jogging from the station to the lobby, then rushed out of the lobby and ran towards the main road.

He is tall, with long legs, and every step he takes is as fast as a 100-meter sprint.

Zhao Leiting and Liang Yunfeng desperately followed behind. It was pitch black outside. Zhao Leiting shouted, "There is no car."

Liang Yunfeng also became anxious, "Where is this place? There are no cars at the station."

Lu He knew that this was a very small station. There were few people exiting the station, so it was normal that there were no cars. If someone exited the station, they would definitely be able to find the bus station or taxi by walking. In other words, he was sure that there must be a residential area or commercial area nearby, and if there was a residential area, there would be a hospital.

"We are all graduates of the police academy. If we don't have a car, run." Lu He almost gave an order. The next second, he hugged Meng Siqi and ran towards a place where there was a glimmer of light.

The three of them were running on the road, and Zhao Leiting panted and shouted, "Brother Lu, are you tired? Why don't you take a break and switch handles?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Lu He seemed to have endless energy and said without even breathing, "You guys studied in the police academy for nothing."

In the dark of night, the three of them ran two kilometers and finally found a clinic. This clinic had an emergency room at night and was not closed, so Lu He rushed in.

While Meng Siqi was lying on the hospital bed, Lu He walked out the door. His lonely figure was cast with a faint halo in the dawn light. He stood there, looking into the distance, as if thinking about something.

Liang Yunfeng sat in a chair in the lobby of the clinic, his legs trembling. He had never run so fast since he was in the police academy. He couldn't help but look at Lu He's back. This man, the pillar of the team, turned out to be really unusual.

Zhao Leiting covered his throat and coughed twice. He looked at the door and smiled. It was amazing. Lu He was indeed Lu He. Not only was he not out of breath, but he was also able to hold a person weighing nearly 100 kilograms steadily.

*

Meng Siqi was in a daze and her head felt heavy. She couldn't tell the difference between heaven and earth, let alone white and black. But she vaguely remembered someone running with her in the strong wind, just like when she was a child, she ran towards school facing the rising sun with her father holding her hand.

Later, her father was shot and one of his legs was half crippled, so he had to sit in a wheelchair. He was a hero in the police station, but her father never wanted her to go to police school or become a police officer because he loved her. He faced many criminals in his life and was eventually beaten in the thigh by a criminal.

As he sat in his wheelchair, he told her, "Actually, with you guys here, I work really hard on every mission. I'm worried that the criminals will point their weapons at you next time."

"It is because of you that I can move forward confidently, knowing that you will be proud of me. Police officers are always like this. We are conflicted. We always feel like heroes, but we are also afraid that our family will be burdened. I will never be a good father, so I just hope that you will be healthy and happy for the rest of your life."

The year Meng Siqi graduated, his father passed away. He had been a police officer all his life and was overworked. In the last two years of his life, he developed many old illnesses while confined to a wheelchair.

When she went to see him off, her father's colleague told her, "In fact, there is a shrapnel in his head," he gestured with his hands.

Meng Siqi cried very sadly that time. She clearly remembered that she had blamed her father a lot. He didn't like to go home. He always regarded the police station as his home. He didn't want his daughter to find out about his work. He hoped that she would have nothing to do with the police and be an ordinary person all her life.

She still remembered the time she saw the news, when Lu He's bones were shown on the news, and her father said calmly: "Being a police officer is like this, no one dares to say anything, no sacrifice!"

She once thought that all that was far away from her, but one day, it was so close to her.

She coughed desperately, her father's smile slowly faded, and the image of Lu He was reshaped.

Lu He, that was the only connection between her two worlds.

She hoped that he would be safe and well in this world.

"You're awake."

Zhao Leiting's face slowly became clear.

"Where am I?" Meng Siqi looked at the white ceiling and then at Zhao Leiting.

"Hospital, you are sick and it has been most of the day."

Meng Siqi finally remembered that she had been ill on the train, and then she thought, "Where is Lu He?"

"When he saw that you were fine, he went to do the work with Xiao Liang."

Yes, they were out for business this time. She asked, "How did I get to the hospital?"

"What else can I do?" Zhao Leiting paused. He didn't know whether to tell her about the hardships along the way. He had just seen Meng Siqi crying in her sleep. He was worried that she would still worry about Lu He. He slowed down his tone and said, "It was all arranged by Brother Lu. He found a car and sent you here directly."

When Meng Siqi woke up, she felt much more relaxed. She didn't know what happened last night. She suddenly felt dizzy and lost consciousness. She didn't even have time to react.

Maybe it was really because Song Xinran’s recent case put too much pressure on her.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when he walked out of the hospital. The sunlight shone over him and Meng Siqi felt a hint of warmth.

This is still within the province, so the two of them still have to take a train. The thought of the crowds gives me a headache. They have already walked most of the way, so taking a taxi is also an option, but the New Year is approaching and the journey is not short, so the fare is estimated to be very expensive.

As she was hesitating, Zhao Leiting suddenly said, "I'll make a phone call. Brother Lu said there's a friend nearby who can drive us."

Seeing Zhao Leiting go to the grocery store to make a phone call, Meng Siqi gradually felt relieved.

Lu He's friend's surname is Qin, he is in his forties, and he must have known him when Lu He was working on a case in the past. He was very enthusiastic when they met, and kept talking while driving: "I haven't seen Team Lu for several years. I was really excited when you called me today... You don't know that Team Lu helped me a lot back then. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have been able to get through that difficult time... Team Lu's case handling is first-rate, I'm not exaggerating, it's really amazing... Your police force is really amazing."

Master Qin talked a lot about how Team Lu handled cases here in the past, and made Lu He sound like a god. In his mind, he was one of the best criminal policemen in the world.

However, he kept silent about the incident itself, and Meng Siqi and Zhao Leiting did not ask either. This kind of favor might be about the redemption of relatives, so Meng Siqi would not mention the past that was sealed in his heart.

Meng Siqi slept for a while in the second half of the ride. At around six o'clock, the car arrived at their destination, Yong'an Town, where Song Xinran and Jin Yaming lived when they were children.

Zhao Lei Ting wanted to pay Master Qin, but Master Qin said that Team Lu had already transferred the money to him and he had no choice but to accept it.

This town is located in the county seat of Yongyuan County. It is a township with relatively developed transportation in the county seat, so the journey was relatively smooth and Meng Siqi did not feel carsick.

After Master Qin drove away, the two of them found a small hotel, asked for two adjacent rooms, and stayed there.

Early the next morning, the two got up at the agreed time, had breakfast nearby, and then went to the address on Song Xinran's ID card. According to the map, it would take more than 20 minutes to walk to that place.

The two walked in the morning mist. Meng Siqi gradually felt warming up, and the coldness in his legs and feet disappeared instantly.

"Is that it?" Zhao Leiting held the map in one hand and pointed to a residential area in front with the other.

Unlike buildings in cities, Yong'an Town has clusters of residential buildings built along the main roads. There is no concept of residential areas, and these houses have no rules. Every house has a small courtyard. The houses basically face south, but many of them ignore the direction.

However, a uniform cloud of smoke rises from the chaotic residents, making the residential area look "neat and unified" and full of the atmosphere of fireworks.

Because there are no rules, it is easy to believe that this place has not changed for many years, so Song Xinran and Jin Yaming's home must be here.

All roads lead to anyone's house. The two walked into a small path. In this era, towns and villages were not like cities. There were no house numbers, so they could only ask.

Zhao Leiting was lively and talkative. Whenever he saw someone moving around in the yard, he would go up and say hello: "Master, do you know where Song Xinran's home is?"

"Song what?" The master tried to understand for a long time but couldn't remember the name.

When asked about Jin Yaming's name, he just shook his head.

I asked several other families and they all had the same reaction.

"Could it be a mistake?" Meng Siqi asked.

"No," Zhao Leiting picked up the map and checked it again, "The address on their ID cards is here."

"Is it possible that an ID card could be fake?" In this era, we still use the first generation of ID cards, and there is no internet connection, so it is possible that they could be faked.

With a mindset like Song Xinran's, it is not impossible that he really wants to hide his past.

"I see." Zhao Lei Ting suddenly said excitedly, "It must have been several years since they left home. Maybe the old people here have forgotten about it?"

Meng Siqi thought it was very possible, and that children in rural areas had the custom of being given nicknames, so perhaps this place didn't even know their real names.

She suddenly realized, and Zhao Leiting's eyes lit up, and the two of them said almost in unison: "School!"