Chapter 21 Supplementary Evidence

Shi Wenya kept talking about going to the Central Building to take a look. The building was built in 1990, but it still exists and is open for business thirty years later. This shows how high-end this building is from today's perspective.

Two bicycles stopped in front of the central building. As Shi Wenya entered, she, who had been excited all the way, suddenly hesitated.

"What's wrong? Didn't you say you wanted to go shopping?"

Pu Xiang is ready to lock the car.

Shi Wenya quickly reached out and held her hand, feeling a little embarrassed. She hesitated for a moment and said, "I was in a hurry to leave today and didn't even change my clothes. It's not good to go in like this!"

After Shi Hai came home in the morning, she heard what he said and without hesitation, she pushed the car and ran out to chase him.

Not only did he not change his clothes, he was wearing a patched jacket and the same cloth shoes he usually wore at home, which had a small hole on the big toe.

It's so embarrassing.

Look at the people coming in and out of the building. They are all dressed fashionably and beautifully, and they are obviously city people. Occasionally, there are a few country people with simple temperament and honest faces. They all try their best to dress appropriately, wearing new clothes and even their hair is neatly combed.

When Shi Wenya thought of this, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't even combed her hair properly when she went out. She just tied her hair up with a red hair tie when she got up in the morning.

The more I think about it, the more ashamed I feel.

Pu Xiang really didn't notice these things. Compared to now, many people a few decades later didn't care so much about these things. She even saw people shopping in big shopping malls wearing home clothes, and no one thought anything of it.

But Shi Wenya's face had already turned red, and it seemed that she was about to run away in the next second.

"What's wrong with that? Patching clothes only shows that we are poor now. If we behave ourselves and don't steal, there is no shame in being poor. As long as we are not lazy and work hard to get rich, we will be rich one day...Okay, if you don't want to go in, we will go to the Central Building another day. When we have money, we can go in with our heads held high. Now you wait here for me. I'll go in to buy something and be back soon."

As soon as she heard that the central building was not going to be built, Shi Wenya immediately relaxed.

She was curious: "Okay, go quickly... Third sister, you said you were coming to the county town to buy something, right? What do you want to buy?"

Pu Xiang left a message saying "You'll know in a moment" and walked into the central building carrying a big bag.

Shi Wenya looked at the back. Pu Xiang was wearing the usual clothes. As a farmer, all her clothes were patched. Her shoes were the same cloth shoes as hers. The only good thing was that there were no holes in them... She walked into the building dressed like this, not feeling uncomfortable at all.

Shi Wenya suddenly felt a little bit of admiration for Pu Xiang. She really had no shame at all.

She also said that she would do it when she made money in the future. She didn't know why, but at this moment she suddenly believed that Pu Xiang could really do what he said.

Shi Wenya didn't have to wait too long. Soon Pu Xiang came out with her bag. She got on her bike and said, "Come on, accompany me to get a divorce certificate now."

There's no telling when this certificate might be useful, so she has to get it back first.

The Civil Affairs Bureau was not far from the central building, and they arrived there quickly. Pu Xiang and his companion parked the car and walked inside.

It was Shi Wenya’s first time to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau. She didn’t even get a marriage certificate when she got married. She just held a wedding banquet at home and told the brigade about it, and that was it.

She remembered that Pu Xiang married Shi Dafu at about the same time, and they seemed to have gone to the township government to get their marriage certificate.

Anyway, the management back then was not as formal as it is now.

Pu Xiang stepped into the Civil Affairs Bureau again, feeling more familiar with the place than the first time.

She was holding a big bag, with Shi Wenya, who was curious about everything, following her, and walked to the window where they got the certificate.

"Hello, comrade. The divorce certificate I received last week was torn up by my family. Now I want to get a new one. What procedures do you think are necessary?"

Pu Xiang still remembered the appearance of the staff member she consulted, the one who gave her □□ at that time.

The woman, who had her hair curled and tied into a low bun, was probably in her forties and dressed quite fashionably. As soon as she saw Pu Xiang's face, she recognized her.

After all, she had seen many men and women who came to get divorced, but there were not many who were as happy as Pu Xiang, as if they had thrown away some large piece of garbage.

She was still a rural woman.

It's not that she looks down on people from the countryside, it's just that the development pace of the countryside and the city is still different. She sits in this position all year round to help people get divorces, and she has almost never seen anyone from the countryside.

"Did you bring your ID and household registration book?"

"I brought my ID card, but my household registration booklet is at my ex-husband's house and I can't get it. Will my ID card be enough? I just came here a few days ago, so the documents should still be there! Can you help me find the previous documents?"

Pu Xiang said that her divorce certificate had been torn up and she came to replace it. The staff understood immediately. She had also seen many young couples who came to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a divorce. They had all gone to the Civil Affairs Bureau, but their parents did not agree and came over to make a fuss and dragged the couple away.

This is probably what happens when you return home after a divorce but your parents still don't agree.

When the other party looked at him, Pu Xiang was very calm and said, "I should have come to repair it on the day it was torn, but I was locked up until today. All the money I saved over the years, including the betrothal money I gave that year, was taken away before I was released. I really can't live with a family like that anymore. I want to take this divorce certificate and start over! Please, comrade, please help me!"

Zhang Hongying immediately grasped the key point: "You are being detained even though we are getting divorced. Are you going to take back the betrothal gift?"

Pu Xiang nodded: "Yes, I was locked in the house for three or four days. If I didn't get paid, I couldn't get out."

Other people present were fine, but Shi Wenya's eyes suddenly became red and tears fell.

"Third sister, why didn't you tell me these things? I thought Uncle Shi Hai really didn't want you and Shi Dafu to get divorced. He even asked me to persuade you to stay at my house for a few days because he was worried that you would have nowhere to live. How could he have the nerve to do that? Your parents still won't let you go back to your parents' home. What are you going to do next?"

Zhang Hongying also got angry after hearing this: "What kind of people are these? How could they do this? Why did they lock up a divorced person and even demand money? This should be reported to the police. This is robbery!"

There were not many people working at the time, and several other staff members were also idle. When they heard this gossip, they immediately expressed their opinions.

"How can there be such a person who wants to return the betrothal gift in a divorce?"

"That's right. When a gay man gets married, he is not allowed to have children or take care of the household. He has contributed a lot to the family. If the bride price is to be counted, then the man should also give compensation for this part of his contribution."

"Since he has asked for the betrothal money back, has he returned the lesbian's dowry?"

"Comrade, you can't just let it go like this. This is clearly bullying!"

"Yes, yes, let's report it to the police and let them solve this matter!"

Pu Xiang sincerely thanked those who spoke for her and gave her advice: "Thank you, thank you everyone, I will definitely find a way to get my dowry back. I just want to get the divorce certificate first. With the certificate, I can go to the village or township to seek help from the Women's Federation if I have any problems."

Oh, you even know about the Women’s Federation.

When Zhang Hongying saw Pu Xiang's expression, she felt determined, unlike some women who could only cry and have no idea or solution when faced with such things. She also had a better impression of Pu Xiang.

"Okay, wait a minute. I still have the divorce documents from last week. I'll look them over for you and get you the certificate!"

If it’s been a long time, it may not be easy to translate, but with last week’s materials, I found it easily.

After all, divorces are still a minority these days.

Ten minutes later, Pu Xiang received the new certificate.

"Thank you, comrades. Thank you! This is the White Rabbit candy I just bought in the Central Building. It's sweet for you guys."

Pu Xiang took out a paper bag from her bag, grabbed two handfuls of candy from it and put them on the table. She thanked him again and then took Shi Wenya out.

Everything was done, and she could choose to give the candy or not, but she decided to open a women's clothing store in the county town, preparing to go for the mid- to high-end route. The county town is not a big place, and everyone here could be her potential customer, so there is no harm in leaving a good impression.

Shi Wenya followed Pu Xiang out of the Civil Affairs Bureau with red eyes. When she saw the little green notebook, she had a real feeling that "Ah, my third sister is really divorced."

If they really get divorced, she will have nothing to do with Shi Dafu's family from now on.

Pu Xiang grabbed a handful of candy and stuffed it into Shi Wenya's pocket. Before she could refuse, she said, "Take it back and give it to Chengcheng."

Shi Chengcheng, son of Shi Wenya.

Toffees are good stuff, but people only eat them once or twice a year. When Shi Wenya heard that she was asked to take it back for her son, she still felt embarrassed, but she stopped refusing immediately.

"Thank you, Third Sister."

Pu Xiang patted her and said, "What are you thanking me for? Come on, go for a stroll with me."

Next, we will get into the main topic of her business.

Pu Xiang planned to go to the commercial street of the county town first. She remembered that in the 1990s, there were three most prosperous places in the county town. One was the Central Building, where the first big hotel in the county town was located; the second was the mall wholesale market, which mainly sold wholesale food; and the third was the Times Commercial Street, which specialized in clothing, luggage, shoes and socks.

These three places have not been closed even after forty years and are still operating tenaciously.

Among the three, the commercial street is the least developed. Later, three large shopping malls and several commercial streets were built in the county. This place has changed from the most prosperous and fashionable place to a street for low- and medium-end clothing with inconvenient transportation and nowhere to find parking spaces.

The consumer group here has gradually changed from people of all ages to the middle-aged and elderly group.

However, at this time, it still lives up to its name "Era" and is the most fashionable existence in the county.

後世的老城區正是現在的縣城的中心地段，離民政局也不遠，蒲香辨別了一下方向，街道和建築依稀和記憶裏的那一部分有重合，她很快就認準了方向。

兩輛26寸的女士腳踏車很快就到了蒲香預想中的“時代商業街”。

然後蒲香就傻眼了。

這地方別說什麽時代商業街了，既不時代，也沒瞧見商業，就是街，都有點勉強。

高矮錯落的房子，有老式的平房，還有相對新一些的二層、三層的樓房。

90年代最繁華的商業街，這會兒還沒影呢。

蒲香掐着手指算了一下，她自己做小生意是在兒子上了小學之後，也就是三年後，也就是93年。

對，她記得也是那年國家取消了糧油票。

時間真的過得太久了，25歲到65歲，整整40年，很多事情，她實在沒有辦法記得那麽清楚。

既然時代商業街還沒有形成，那她得想想，現在縣城最繁華的地段在哪裏……在哪裏呢……對了，是汽車站那條路！

其實時代商業街挨着的馬路就是車站路。

這是車站南路，汽車站還有火車站都在車站北路上，距離也就不到兩千米。

她可以先去那裏看看。

後來社會發展得快，小縣城都發展得好，她倒是忘了她現在所在的只能算是一個小地方，不是大城市。

石文雅跟着蒲香一起停下來，前後張望了一下，說：“三妹，你這是準備去逛哪裏？是不是記錯路了，去東門頭的小商品市場，要在剛才那個路口直走，不能拐彎。”

“東門頭的小商品市場？”

蒲香被這一提，也想起來了，小商品市場确實比商業街先有，原先确實是那裏最熱鬧。

石文雅點頭：“對啊，小商品市場，你要買什麽？那裏什麽都有。”

蒲香說：“我想看看賣衣服的店。”

石文雅一聽賣衣服，立即就來了精神，無論過幾十年，買衣服對于女人的吸引力永遠不會消失。

不管有沒有錢買，她都很興奮地說：“那就去小商品市場，那裏有賣衣服的。”

蒲香很快決定小商品市場她也要去看看，不過她們現在都在車站路上了，車站北路那一片，正好順路還是先去看一眼。

一兩千米的距離，很快就到了。

果然，車站北路上要熱鬧很多，蒲香還看到了經過他們鎮子的公交車出站。

放在幾十年後，她們這邊最大的優勢都還是交通方便，隔壁市就是一線城市，離他們省的省會林市也有直達車，她想要做點什麽買賣，都方便得很。

蒲香招呼了石文雅，兩人下了車一起推着走。

石文雅也很少來縣城，一年到頭，大概就過年過節來個一回，來了也未必會買東西，這會兒看什麽都新鮮。

“哇，這裏有這麽多店啊，我一直以為就小商品市場那裏人多呢，這裏也好多人。”

“這店都是什麽時候開的啊，以前坐公交車來的時候，沒看到有這些。”

“哇，好香！這裏好多賣吃的店！那是蘿蔔絲餅吧，好香好香！”

蒲香順着石文雅的手看過去，果然有個中年女人支着個攤子在賣蘿蔔絲餅。

“我們去買一個嘗嘗。”

她帶着人過去，掏錢買了兩個。

可不是香麽，現在誰家舍得這麽用油，買油還需要用糧油票的年代，炒菜放油都是用小勺子當計量單位，半勺半勺地放。

面粉裹着蘿蔔絲，炸成金黃色，裝在油紙裏，剛拿到嘴邊就聞着香味兒了，一口咬下去，外酥裏嫩，蘿蔔的味兒很足，可比後來街上賣的那些好吃多了。

兩人吃得可香，邊吃邊把這條街都逛了一遍。

這條街看得出來當初并沒有什麽規劃，店開得都亂，沿街一排房子，前邊是店鋪，後邊是自來水廠和種子公司的辦公樓，估計還有別的辦公點也在，蒲香看不出來，也記不起來了。

沿街的店鋪有賣盒飯的，賣衣服的，中間夾着賣茶葉的，還有賣鞋襪，賣小百貨的，幾個出入後邊辦公樓的弄堂口寬敞點，都開了修車店。

再過去還有一個洗車場。

蒲香轉悠了一下，大概就看明白了，後來的時代商業街，估計有一部分就是從這裏搬過去的。

這裏人流量非常大，汽車站、火車站下來的人，吃飯的，買東西的，一茬接一茬。

不過看得出來，賣吃食的店生意最好，幹這個的店鋪數量也最多。

蒲香要是想做吃食的生意，那這裏就是個好地方，不過她現在的計劃是做女裝，她還是準備去小商品市場看看。

和石文雅兩人推着車走了一圈，最後又回到賣蘿蔔絲餅的攤子前。

“大姐，你手藝可真好！”

這會兒生意不是很忙，老板娘聽她開口，也随意接腔。

“那可不是，我家可就是吃糧食飯的，我男人，我公公，都是廚子。”

蒲香誇：“這就怪不得了……大姐，我看這裏都是賣吃的，只有幾家賣服裝的，那生意是不是不好啊？”

老板娘順着方向看了一眼這邊街，說：“可不是，這裏來往都是乘客，想買服裝的也不會下車看到店就買了，基本上還是會去小商品市場那裏……喏，你看那家，門頭還是新的，原來就是家賣衣服的，沒人要，開不出來就換人了，現在的新老板賣面條，生意還不錯。”

正聊着，蒲香又打聽了點關于小商品市場的消息，馬路對面有好幾輛長途車到站，呼啦一下從車站裏湧出來一堆人。

可能是快到中午吃飯的點，人流往她們這邊湧。

有兩個男人往蘿蔔絲餅的攤子靠過來，看他們問價，石文雅就等着老板娘忙完繼續和她們說小商品市場的事。

那兩個男人也不說話，旁邊明明人不多，卻還是很明确地往兩人方向靠過來。

“文雅，你站過來點，人太多了，我們別擋着道。”

蒲香突然覺得有點不對勁，這兩男人的行跡有點可疑，特別是眼神，和別的路人不同，他們在打量人，穿着打扮，身高體型……她趕緊喊了一聲，想先避開。

就在此時，已經離她很近的兩個男人，其中一個突然撞了另一個，被撞的一下子就往石文雅的身上撞過去。

還真沒猜錯！

蒲香來不及多想，推着自己的自行車就往前一怼，那個男人直接撞到了她的車前輪上。

兩人對視個正着，那男人個頭不高，一手按着車把，一擡頭兇狠的一個瞪視。

這絕對不是什麽良善之輩。

蒲香心下一緊，嘴上卻說：“對不住，對不住，我不是故意的，你還好吧？孩子他爸，孩子他爸你趕緊過來一下！”

她擡頭亂喊，試圖給人制造一種，她們不是兩個單身女人，而是有男人結伴同行的感覺。

車站那邊肯定是有保安，如果這男人敢動手，或許她可以跑去找保安求助？

蒲香視線快速掃過，心裏覺得這個辦法應該可行，突然就在對面的人群裏看到一個熟愁的人。

“莫陽！晶晶！”

蒲香提着聲音喊了一嗓子，正從對面車站裏走出來的莫陽抱着女兒，一下就擡頭看了過來。

莫陽皺了一下眉，蒲香和石文雅他都認識，不止一個村，還是一個生産小隊的，房子就建在同一排，石文雅更是和他們一起長大的。

“怎麽回事？”

他快步穿過馬路，走到蒲香和石文雅身邊。

蒲香立即說：“我不小心碰到了這位大哥，你趕緊來幫我看看……大哥，對不住啊！”

她又朝着那個男人道了歉。

那矮個一臉兇相的男人在看到人高馬大，比他高了起碼一個頭的莫陽過來之後，立即站了起來。

“沒事。”

他說着就走了，與他一起的另一個男人朝地上啐了一口唾沫，手插着口袋跟着走了。

蘿蔔絲餅自然也是沒買半個。

“呼！可算走了，你這個大妹子可真是機靈，也好在你男人來了，這些三只手，一天天在車站這邊挑人下手，你們可得把錢藏好了，小心着點！”

老板娘天天在這邊做生意，有些人都不用認臉，看氣質就知道是幹什麽的。

她剛才一顆心都提了起來，她在這開店的，也不敢開口叫破，怕惹麻煩砸了生意，心裏是真怕這兩人吃虧，還好人機靈，家裏男人也過來了。

蒲香朝着莫陽說：“幸虧遇到你，真是不好意思，把你叫過來。”

她一着急也沒想太多，就想着這大個子男人唬個小偷應該夠了。

石文雅心有餘悸：“吓死我了，莫陽，得虧三妹眼尖看到了你，你這是要去哪裏啊？”

莫陽說：“我到縣城裏見個朋友……你們兩個要去哪裏？”

石文雅立即說：“我們準備去東門頭那裏看看，你要一起嗎？”

她是被剛才的兩個男人吓得有點怕了，想也沒想就叫上莫陽，大家一個村出來的，莫陽平時人也仗義，又是個大男人，她覺得一起走挺有安全感。

Mo Yang thought about it for a moment and nodded. Three adults, one child, and two cars were quickly allocated. Pu Xiang took Shi Wenya and Mo Yang rode Shi Wenya's car. There happened to be a small rattan chair tied to the back seat of her car, which was usually for her son Shi Chengcheng to sit on, but now Mo Jingjing was allowed to sit on it.

Pu Xiang had been locked up in the Shi family for the past few days and hadn't seen the little girl. Now she saw that she was dressed neatly, her hair was braided into two pigtails, and her little face was clean. It seemed that Mo Yang, as a father, took good care of his daughter.

"Auntie."

Mo Jingjing called out softly when she saw her.

How could Zhou Xiaorou have the heart to hit such a young and well-behaved child!

Pu Xiang took out some candies from her pocket and stuffed them into the little girl's pockets, saying, "Be good, eat the candies."

Mo Jingjing took it, paused for a moment, and then said thank you softly.

This child was so calm when seeing sugar. It was not at all like the reaction a child of her age and generation should have. Shi Wenya was even more excited and childish than her just now. Could it be that she had some psychological problems after being beaten by Zhou Xiaorou... huh?

Pu Xiangfu turned his gaze to the little girl's face again.