Chapter 16 Meeting Chu Tongyu, who was only twenty years old
In the spring of 1985, the sunlight in Jiangcheng filtered through the gaps in the sycamore leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the mottled red brick wall of the Xiangyang Road Police Station.
Chu Yanxi stood across the street, as if standing on the bank of a river of time.
On one side of the riverbank was her, 28 years old; on the other side was her 20-year-old father.
The air was filled with the unique scent of the old town, a mixture of coal smoke and gardenia fragrance. This scent mingled with the faint soapy smell of her father's police uniform in Chu Yanxi's memory, making her heart tighten slightly.
After crossing the street and pushing open the green wooden door of the police station, Chu Yanxi's gaze passed over the slightly noisy reception room and landed on the young policeman in the corner wearing a peaked cap and an olive-green Type 83 police uniform, who was bending down to patiently explain the household registration policy to an elderly woman.
Chu Tongyu, her father.
Chu Tongyu was only twenty years old.
He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a neatly shaved head. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating his sharply defined profile and his clear, bright eyes, which brimmed with an untainted sincerity and an almost pure passion for his profession. A natural smile played on his lips, a warm, sunny smile, as he carefully pointed to the form, explaining it to the elderly man word by word.
In an instant, a surge of intense bitterness and happiness overwhelmed Chu Yanxi like a tidal wave.
She quickly lowered her head, using the adjustment of her clothes to hide her instantly moist eyes and slightly trembling fingers. This was her father, whom she had once lost, so vivid and vibrant, existing within her reach, breathing the same air.
After seeing the old lady off, Chu Tongyu looked up and saw the unfamiliar girl at the door with a complicated expression and tears in her eyes.
He paused slightly, a strange sense of warmth and familiarity rising within him. He stepped forward, his voice clear and gentle: "Comrade, hello, are you here on business? Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I...I'm looking for Comrade Chu Tongyu." Chu Yanxi tried to make her voice sound calm and natural, but a slight tremor still escaped her lips.
Chu Tongyu's smile warmed up, radiating the youthful energy unique to young people. "I am Chu Tongyu. What is it? Just say it. Don't rush, sit down and talk slowly."
He considerately led her to sit on a long wooden bench nearby and brought her a glass of warm water.
Looking closely at her father's youthful face and feeling his unreserved concern, Chu Yanxi longed to throw herself into his arms and cry as she told him how much she missed him and how much she loved him.
Fortunately, she remained rational and suppressed her surging emotions. She took out her student ID and said the prepared words: "Comrade Chu, hello. My name is Qiao Zhaoran, and I am a student at Jiangcheng University."
Chu Tongyu glanced at the photo on the student ID and said with a smile, "Jiangcheng University, that's the best university in Hubei Province. Qiao must have excellent academic performance to have come all the way from Hunan Province."
He handed the student ID back to Chu Yanxi and asked kindly, "Did something happen to you, Qiao?"
When Chu Yanxi took the documents, her fingers touched Chu Tongyu's fingertips. The warm touch made Chu Yanxi's eyes well up with tears, and her heart felt like it was on fire.
In her memory, her father, as the captain of the criminal investigation team, was incredibly busy, often staying up all night to investigate cases and track down fugitives. After her father's death, Chu Yanxi recalled countless times his father's reddened eyes, stubble-covered face, and exhausted figure when he returned home, her heart filled with heartache.
It turns out that my father was so sunny and warm when he was young.
Chu Yanxi blinked, suppressing her tears, and said in a trembling voice, "I... I just experienced human trafficking and returned to school. When I saw the police station, I felt at ease and wanted to come in and ask about the situation. They said you are kind and helpful, so they came to find you."
Upon hearing about Chu Yanxi's ordeal, Chu Tongyu's smile faded, his eyes filled with worry and pity: "Human trafficking? Don't be afraid, Qiao. Everything will be alright. Now that you're back, just live your life as usual and put those unpleasant memories aside."
"But I'm still scared. I always feel like everyone around me is a bad person." In order to talk to her father more, Chu Yanxi tried her best to play the role of a young girl who had just experienced hardship and was feeling lost and helpless.
A trafficked female college student? Thinking of the possible humiliation she might have suffered, Chu Tongyu stood up somewhat helplessly, reaching out to comfort her, but then withdrew his hand due to his gender: "Um, how about we find a policewoman to talk to you? Or... can I find you a psychologist?"
Chu Yanxi looked at him quietly, her gaze almost greedy. Seeing her father's young and energetic face and listening to him anxiously trying to solve her problems, Chu Yanxi felt incredibly happy.
Chu Yanxi shook her head: "No need. My parents said they want to come and stay with me. I'm planning to rent a place nearby, preferably close to the police station, is that okay? I don't trust other people, I only trust the police now."
"Renting a place here? Isn't it a bit far from your school?"
Chu Yanxi looked up at her standing father, her eyes filled with a hint of stubbornness: "Two stops away, not far. This is the old town, the market is big, and my parents like this kind of atmosphere."
Chu Tongyu didn't try to dissuade her from renting a place. Instead, he said in a cheerful tone, "Renting a place? You've come to the right person! I know this area very well, I run around here every day. I know which alleys are quiet, which courtyards have friendly neighbors, and roughly what the rent is."
He enthusiastically took out his notebook and pencil, and while drawing a simple street map, he introduced the area as if it were his own treasure, his tone full of a sense of responsibility for this land and its residents.
Chu Yanxi looked intently at Chu Tongyu, leaning slightly forward as if trying to memorize everything he said. But only she knew that she hadn't actually heard a single word he said.
She watched her father's mouth move, but countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
It turns out that my twenty-year-old father is so young and enthusiastic.
He was still full of youthful arrogance and easily believed her, who was visiting the police station for the first time.
He was at a loss because of Chu Yanxi's experience of being abducted, and wanted to use his smile and joy to infect and influence her.
From age 20 to 32, my father must have experienced a great deal to transform that youthful impetuosity into the sharp and persistent spirit of a criminal investigator. If he had known that he would be betrayed by a tainted witness he tried to influence when he was 40, would he still have remained steadfast on his path?
Chu Tongyu was a little thirsty after talking for a while, so he stopped, picked up his water glass, and took a sip. Only then did he notice that Chu Yanxi was in a daze.
The girl in front of him had a calm demeanor, bright eyes, and a hint of fear in them, which softened Chu Tongyu's heart. He asked patiently, "Qiao, did you hear clearly the properties I mentioned?"
Chu Yanxi didn't answer his question, but instead asked the question she had always wanted to ask: "Officer Chu, do you like your current job?"
Chu Tongyu straightened his back proudly: "Of course I like it! My childhood dream was to be a policeman."
Chu Yanxi asked again, "What kinds of things does the police station handle?"
Chu Tongyu immediately launched into a long-winded account, recounting with great enthusiasm how he helped Grandma Li find her lost cat, how he patiently mediated a neighborhood dispute between Grandpa Zhang and Uncle Li over a Chinese toon tree, and how he escorted a lost and crying child home late at night… These trivial yet heartwarming little things, in the young Chu Tongyu’s words, seemed to be the most worthwhile careers in the world to devote passion and responsibility to.
This time, Chu Yanxi listened attentively, a slight smile playing on her lips, her mood incredibly pleasant.
When Chu Tongyu stopped, Chu Yanxi asked softly, "You deal with these trivial matters every day, and sometimes you are even misunderstood and wronged by the public. Don't you find it tedious or boring? Haven't you ever thought about solving big cases and making great contributions?"
Chu Tongyu looked at Chu Yanxi. There was no confusion or complaint in his bright eyes. Instead, they shone with a firm and warm light, as if he were expounding a most important life creed: "Qiao, you can't say that."
He sat opposite Chu Yanxi, his expression becoming serious and solemn: "Once you put on this police uniform, the responsibility on your shoulders is not just to catch bad guys and solve major cases. Protecting the safety of the people and allowing them to live their lives in peace is the fundamental responsibility. It is in the everyday life of ordinary people that you find the true warmth of human relationships and the most authentic aspects of their lives."
To prove the truth of his words, Chu Tongyu began to give examples: "Look, by helping Grandma Li find her cat, she can sleep peacefully at night; by mediating the conflict between Grandpa Zhang and his family, that alley will be more harmonious and less dangerous. These things may seem small, but doing them well makes me feel very at ease, and I feel that I am worthy of this police uniform and worthy of the trust of the people."
His eyes were sincere, with a genuine earnestness like that of someone imparting knowledge: "My mentor often told me that as a policeman, you can't just have hatred in your heart, hatred for criminals, hatred for injustice. If you do that for too long, your heart will harden, your character will become biased, and your path will narrow. More importantly, you must have love."
"Love the responsibilities this job gives you, love this land beneath your feet, and love every person you are responsible for protecting. Even if they sometimes don't understand or even get angry with you, you must know that you are standing here so that everyone's lives can be better and more secure. With this great love that comes from duty and faith, you can always stay true to yourself, knowing why you started and where you are going. Merit and achievement are secondary."
These words struck Chu Yanxi's heart like a resounding bell.
She stared blankly at her father, at this young man who was only twenty years old and had just graduated from police academy. The pure and firm light of faith in his eyes seemed somewhat different from the image of her father in her memory, whose brows always carried a hint of weariness and heaviness from years of carrying heavy burdens, yet they were inextricably linked.
It turns out that what sustained my father through those difficult years was this simple yet powerful belief—not stemming from hatred of criminals, but from deep love and responsibility.
Her father's words were like a warm and powerful light, shining into her heart, which had become somewhat closed off and overly rational due to experiencing too much darkness.
Punishing evil and promoting good has always been her belief.
Her father's death was like a dark cloud hanging over her head. She focused her energy on "punishing evil," arresting criminals, punishing wrongdoing, and stopping crime, considering herself a qualified and excellent police officer. But today, her father told her that the truly lasting and powerful force that can penetrate darkness comes from this seemingly simple yet incredibly tenacious protection and love.
At this moment, Chu Yanxi had a profound reflection on the cold scrutiny of human evil that occasionally surfaced in his past life when he was a negotiation expert.
—Does she truly love being a police officer?
—Can she really live up to her father's words: love the responsibilities this job brings, love this land beneath her feet, and love every ordinary person she is meant to protect?
Did she truly show respect and compassion to Zhang Ya?
As a negotiation expert, she should unconditionally, to the greatest extent possible, with all her might, and quickly and effectively safeguard the lives of Li Li and Zhang Ya through professional response strategies.
Did she succeed?
As it turns out, she didn't!
The last sentence, "Zhang Ya, is it worth ruining your life for a man who betrayed you? Is it worth letting your daughter lose her mother?" now seems more like a judgment and an interrogation than pity.
Although Zhang Ya was holding a knife and taking people hostage, she was still a person, a living, breathing human being.
She committed the crime because no one listened to her painful cries and no one paid attention to her desperate pleas for help!
Chu Yanxi asked her at this moment if it was all worth it, wasn't that like stabbing a knife into her bleeding heart?
Just like Qiao Zhaoran, after committing murder, he was asked by his lawyer in court, "Why did you kill him?"
She responded with only one sentence: They deserve to die!
Is it worth it?
Having experienced abduction, rape, beatings, abuse, and countless miscarriages, Qiao Zhaoran was driven to the brink and had no choice but to resort to violence, even at the cost of her life, she felt it was all worth it.
Only then did Chu Yanxi finally face the failure of the mission and begin to explore his own problems.
Shame and self-blame tore at Chu Yanxi's heart.
After a long silence, Chu Yanxi looked at Chu Tongyu and said, "Thank you. What you said has made me understand a lot."
Chu Tongyu was a little embarrassed by her sudden and solemn thanks. He scratched his head, and his smile became cheerful and friendly again: "Hey, there's nothing to thank me for. I'm just a beat cop, and I'm just telling the truth. I say what I think. By the way, about renting a room, I saw that Old Zhou's family at the third gate of the alley ahead seems to have a vacant room. They seem like honest people. Shall I take you there to take a look?"
"I'll look at the apartment after my parents arrive. Um, could you give me a ride?" Chu Yanxi felt she had stayed at the police station for too long and wanted to spend more time alone with her father.
"No problem, let's go." Chu Tongyu stood up, gave his instructions to his colleagues, and led Chu Yanxi outside.
Chu Yanxi watched her father's tall, straight back as he led the way, the sunlight dancing on the red collar insignia on his shoulders, as if burning with the flames of youth and ideals. She truly wanted to etch this moment, the most complete image of her father, into her heart forever.
The two walked out of the police station and onto the sunny street.
"Officer Chu, I have something I want to say to you." Chu Yanxi walked side by side with her father, turning her head to look at his face with a serious expression.
Unsure how long she could remain in this world, she had to act quickly to deliver her warning and change her father's fate of sacrifice.
Chu Tongyu looked at Chu Yanxi with a puzzled expression: "What is it? Tell me."
Chu Yanxi looked directly into his eyes and spoke faster: "Officer Chu, when I was a child, I studied physiognomy for a few days with an old Taoist priest. Whether you believe it or not, I have to tell you. You have a righteous air about you, and you are a blessed person, but you will face a major calamity at the age of 40."
Chu Tongyu raised his eyebrows.
Seeing his expression, Chu Yanxi knew that he didn't believe her at all. Whenever she lied as a child, her father would have this same expression—raising his eyebrows and looking helpless.
But she had to say it.
"When you turn 40, on the winter solstice in the lunar calendar, you will face a major calamity in your life, which will occur below your waist and abdomen. You will see blood and it will be extremely dangerous! The root cause is a woman, a woman who seems weak but is actually vicious. You must remember this! When that time comes, no matter what, you must wear a thick waist support when you go on missions. A bulletproof vest is even better. Wear it close to your body. Don't think it's too much trouble."
After a brief pause, Chu Yanxi gritted her teeth and emphasized again, "Please, you must, you absolutely must remember this!"
She strained with all her might, staring intently and stubbornly into her father's eyes, trying to etch this life-or-death warning into his subconscious. She knew that even if her father heard it, given his personality, he would still rush to the front in the face of danger, but she hoped that even the slightest hesitation, a little extra protection, could change that tragic outcome.
Chu Tongyu was completely bewildered by this sudden and unbelievable fortune telling: "What are you talking about? What calamity? What woman? What era are we living in? We don't need this kind of feudal superstition anymore!"
"I'm not superstitious!" Chu Yanxi knew she couldn't make him completely believe her in a short time, but this was the greatest meaning of her time travel; she had to do everything in her power to change her father's fate. "You will get married at thirty and have a daughter at thirty-two. If these things come true, you will listen to me, right?"
Chu Tongyu suddenly blushed, his eyes sparkling: "Will I have a daughter in the future?" He had lost both his parents and all his relatives. How wonderful it would be if he could start a family and have a daughter!
Chu Yanxi felt a pang of sorrow in her heart. She stared at her father, her voice trembling involuntarily: "Yes. She loves you very much and takes you as her role model. In her eyes, you are the greatest person in the world."
Although a little embarrassed, Chu Yanxi's words were like the most enchanting music in the world, making Chu Tongyu smile involuntarily, his eyes overflowing with joy.
"So!" Chu Yanxi looked at him seriously, "For your daughter's sake, please cherish your life, okay? On the winter solstice of 2005, please be sure to wear a back brace, okay?"
"Um... okay." Chu Tongyu was touched by her earnestness and nodded helplessly.
Just as Chu Yanxi was about to speak again, a familiar feeling of dizziness suddenly struck her.
The scene before me—the familiar streets of Jiangcheng in 1985, the bright sunshine, and the expression of helplessness and joy on my father's face—was instantly twisted, stretched, and shattered into countless colorful fragments, before being swallowed by the boundless darkness.
Chu Yanxi felt all her consciousness, emotions, and unspoken words being torn apart and stretched, ultimately fading into utter nothingness...
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Author's Note: I'll be posting tomorrow, and the update time will be adjusted to 11 PM. Please leave lots of comments!
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