Chapter 068: Speculations on the Source of Explosives
Because the exam results hadn't come out yet, Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Nan were still on patrol. However, the four members of Group 6 looked listless today, clearly exhausted from buying preserved vegetables.
There are three supply and marketing cooperatives in the Tenth Operation Office, which basically supply winter vegetables at the same time. Every year when buying winter vegetables, even the leaders have to get up in the middle of the night to queue up. It is not surprising that Wen Qiang and Zou Li are tired because they have many people in their families.
When they were patrolling near the guesthouse, Zhou Zhixing saw that everyone was exhausted and pointed to a flower bed not far away. "There's a platform over there. Let's go rest there for a while."
"The team leader is wise."
The flower bed is quite large and stands in the small park right in front of the guesthouse. It is a landmark building of the oil field.
The reason is that, right in the center of the flowerbed, sits a bright red, kowtow-shaped pump. It's said to be the first oil pumping unit in the original Operations Office. It was used for nearly ten years before being scrapped last year. Secretary Tu installed it in the park as a souvenir, allowing anyone visiting the 10th Operations Office on business to see this "hero" of the old days.
The four of them sat in front of the kowtow machine, facing the guesthouse.
Wen Qiang: "My dad said that this machine was left behind by the Japanese."
Zou Li: "I've heard that too."
The four of them were chattering when they saw Secretary Tu coming out of the guesthouse. He looked very unhappy and his steps seemed much heavier than usual.
Jiang Nan was puzzled: "What is Secretary Tu doing at the guesthouse?"
Wen Qiang: "Is there any leader coming to inspect?"
Zou Li shook his head: "Not likely. Secretary Tu can't look so grim when the leader is inspecting."
But there was no need for four people to guess, the answer came out quickly because someone came out right after.
"Wan Hu?" Zou Li whispered, "The brother of Wan Xiang from the police station is the head of the Revolutionary Committee of the Operations Department. Was it him who made the appointment with Secretary Tu? What does he want to do?"
Wen Qiang snorted, "It's definitely not a good thing. This is not a good thing. I heard that the house searches were very ruthless. Several families were destroyed by him."
He said viciously, "It's said he raped young girls and wives. How shameless! He's over 30, and he doesn't even spare teenage girls. He's a complete beast! If there was no evidence, he would have been put in jail long ago."
Zhou Zhixing: "The most important thing right now is recruiting. Does he want to interfere in this?"
Wen Qiang's face turned grim. "Fuck, is that true? No wonder Secretary Tu is so irritated. What should we do? If someone like that gets involved, how will our oilfield survive?"
Jiang Nan also frowned: "Secretary Tu probably didn't agree, but I guess Wan Hu won't give up so easily."
The four of them were all worried sick, but they couldn't come up with a solution. Well, it wasn't their fault; they were just small-time police officers, and they couldn't possibly worry about the Secretary of the Operations Department.
Zhou Zhixing clapped his hands, stood up and said, "Alright, let's continue patrolling. This kind of thing is not something we can control."
Others sighed and said that they couldn't do anything about it. Even if they worried about the Huangpu River, they couldn't do anything about it.
But when he got off work, Jiang Nan whispered, "I think I know the source of the explosives."
Zhou Zhixing raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Let me guess, it has something to do with Wan Hu?"
Jiang Nan nodded frantically. Seeing that there were few people on the street, she blinked and said proudly, "The oil field is hiring a lot of workers this time, so they must be building dormitories. Wan Hu is resentful that Secretary Tu didn't let him get involved in the recruitment, so he wants to trick Secretary Tu into building the dormitories."
Zhou Zhixing: "The construction team of the Operations Department?"
Jiang Nan nodded. "Yes, if the work requires it, the construction team can apply for explosives. Do you think this is a source?"
Zhou Zhixing: "It's possible, but Wan Hu won't give up so easily. What he wants most is probably interfering with the recruitment process, and revenge comes second."
Jiang Nan waved his hand with a relaxed expression: "Secretary Tu is not a pushover either. Just wait and see. Wan Hu must not interfere."
Sure enough, at some point, the news that Wan Hu wanted to interfere in the recruitment suddenly spread throughout the Tenth Operation Office. Even Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, who had left work early, felt the anger of everyone in the compound.
The public was truly enraged, outraged by both humans and gods. The anger was so intense that it could ignite at the slightest spark.
"He's the boss of the Wan family. He dares to meddle in everything. Others are afraid of him, but I, Old Fu, am not. His father was a laborer who moved things for the well repair team before. Wan Hu didn't even have a job before. He was just a small-time gangster. If he dares to disrupt the recruitment, I will smash his windows."
"I dare you. The oil field is finally hiring workers. If my child can pass the exam, he won't have to go to the countryside. If Wan Hu arranges for someone with connections, will we ordinary employees still have hope?"
"That's right, we can't let him interfere."
"Come on, I know where Wan Hu's family is. Let's go to their neighborhood and ask what they're up to. Could the oil field be theirs?!"
Forty or fifty elderly men and women walked out of the residential complex in a mighty procession, and Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing didn't know whether they should follow them. They were all so excited, was there any chance of trouble?
Zhou Zhixing blinked a few times: "Is this the power of the masses?"
Jiang Nan swallowed his saliva: "Follow?"
Zhou Zhixing: "Go to the police station and ask Chief Lan. He should still be on duty."
Team 6 was on duty at noon today, and since they finished early, they didn't go home. Instead, they turned their bikes around and whizzed back to the police station. On the way, they encountered a few more people looking for a score with Wan Hu. Each of them had a face as red as a fire dragon and was extremely excited. If a fight broke out...
The two did not dare to delay and rode their bicycles at the speed of a car. The journey that usually took twenty minutes was completed in ten minutes this time.
At the police station, Lan Qingshan was still on duty. He nodded and said, "Alright, you two go back. I'll take Team Two over to take a look. Nothing should happen. Wan Hu is a smart guy. He knows he's angered the public, so he'll probably stay quiet for a while. That's a good thing."
It was hard to say whether this was a good thing or not. When the two returned to their family compound and strolled to the state-owned restaurant with Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua, they all agreed that Wan Hu should be considered a key suspect. While he might not have been the direct perpetrator, the fact that he had provided the materials, including hazardous raw materials, was problematic in itself.
The four of them had come to the state-owned restaurant mainly because tomorrow was National Day, and the work department was having a day off. They planned to celebrate early, as there would surely be a lot of people coming to eat tomorrow, so they decided to come early and discuss how to take down Wan Hu.
It was still the same state-owned restaurant. Because there were many people in the restaurant, the four of them asked for a small private room and began to talk in low voices.
Jiang Mancheng: "Wan Hu is easy to deal with. He's definitely a man with pigtails. But we have to keep a close eye on this construction team. Who knows who else might show up and provide that to the suspect, right?"
He scratched his chin and raised the corner of his mouth. "Xiao Nan, Jin Hua, what do you say? I should be transferred to the construction team. I'll try to become the team leader and keep that thing under control so no one can get it. Then the probability will be zero, right?"
Jiang Nan was surprised: "Dad, why do you suddenly want to join the construction team?"
She acted coquettishly, "Dad, there's no need. Didn't you tell me that we should put our own lives first and not compromise ourselves just to complete the mission? Besides, the explosion is still a long time away, so there's no need to rush."
Jiang Mancheng, however, didn't seem to mind. He said, "It's okay. The work in the construction team is pretty much the same as it is now. It doesn't matter where I work. I'll be lazy anyway, don't worry. I won't let myself down."
Jiang Nan didn't believe it: "How can they be almost the same? The construction team does hard work. Dad, you are the laziest, how can you stay here?"
Chen Jinhua also advised, "Mancheng, don't let yourself be wronged. We're all family, so don't act so arrogant. Isn't the archives room a good place? Didn't you search for a long time before exchanging jobs with someone else to get there? Why are you leaving so suddenly? Can you bear to do that?"
Even Zhou Zhixing looked at Jiang Mancheng in confusion.
Jiang Mancheng was very serious. "Why would I be reluctant to give it up? Let me tell you, construction teams also have positions like materials clerks and document clerks. Materials clerks are responsible for purchasing, inspecting, and managing inventory of raw materials. Document clerks are not much different from my current job as an archivist, managing project materials. I can do both. Besides, you don't know my abilities. I can slack off anywhere. Even the king of the world can't make me do more work!"
Jiang Nan chuckled. That was true. She didn't need to worry about her dad. But she was still very touched. Her father had been transferred to the construction team because of her system mission.
Thinking of this, Jiang Nan picked up a piece of braised pork and whispered, "Then I'll look at Wan Hu's information. Where should we send his dirty laundry? The Municipal Revolutionary Committee?"
Jiang Mancheng: "The boy is teachable. Let them fight each other, we won't do anything."
Zhou Zhixing: "Actually, we can leave Wan Hu alone. Let's compile these materials and evidence and send them directly to Wan Hu. If he's scared, that's fine, so he won't dare to go too far in the future. If he still acts recklessly, we can go back and send him some damaging materials. If we rashly remove him from office, who knows what will happen to his replacement. And since new officials always make a big move, their successor is bound to cause trouble. It's better to let Wan Hu keep his position."
For the first time, Jiang Mancheng showed a look of approval: "Not bad, smarter than Xiaonan."
He tapped the table lightly and whispered, "If he's obedient, he could be made the team leader. And what about that dormitory building? What do you think...can we switch it to a family housing complex? That way, maybe you and Xiaonan can get a place too."
But Jiang Mancheng quickly shook his head and said regretfully, "No, you two aren't married yet, so you can't separate. It'll take at least two years."
Jiang Nan was surprised: "Dad, you want to get involved in building the dormitory building?"
Jiang Mancheng glared: "Dad, this is all for your own good!"
Zhou Zhixing fell into deep thought. He said softly, "We can try, but we should deal with Wan Hu first. We can talk about the dormitory building later."
The four of them nodded, and based on Wan Hu's information, they improved their plan before starting to work hard.
It was easy to find negative evidence against Wan Hu. He had forged evidence to search homes, bribed villagers to abuse and frame demoted personnel, and even the secret room where he hid antiques, calligraphy and paintings, gold, silver, and jewelry was found by the four men, who planned to raid it at night.
It's no surprise that Wan Hu's haul was no less than Zong Renlong's. Zong Renlong had been under surveillance by Team Three for two days and had now been apprehended and sent to the security department. The security department was furious, having no idea Zong Fengxian had any more information to share. Now, the brother and sister could finally be reunited in their own home, perhaps even on their journey together.
That's a long story. Suffice it to say that the treasure Wanhu has stashed away consists primarily of gold and silver jewelry, with a small amount of porcelain, calligraphy, and paintings, though gemstones are rare. However, given Wanhu's limited knowledge, it's understandable that he'd enjoy gold, silver, and jewelry. The most astonishing find was a red coral ornament, even redder than a plum blossom, like blood. Even a dandy like Zhou Zhixing exclaimed it was a masterpiece. Jiang Nan had only seen this kind of thing on television in his previous life; this was truly an eye-opener.
Now her space is full of treasures. Jiang Mancheng made several wooden racks with the wood he had dealt with at the scrap yard before, and Jiang Nan put them into the space, which is just right for placing these treasures.
After looting the place, the four left satisfied.
Jiang Nan: "He's killed at least four or five people. Should we scare him too? Tomorrow he receives the letter and will definitely go to the secret room to check. Should we take action then?"
Jiang Mancheng: "Look who's dead? I'll go find a paper figurine maker and make some for him for a good price."
Jiang Nan asked quietly, "Is there still anyone doing this at this time?"
Jiang Mancheng squinted his eyes and said, "Are you stupid? No matter what time it is, there are always many people making this. I'll go buy it, so don't ask around. Don't rush to send the letter, wait until the paper figurines are ready and then we can start."
Jiang Nan nodded: "Okay, let me see, Wan Hu directly killed five people, two men and three women, their ages..."
Chen Jinhua's face turned pale with anger. She cursed in a low voice, "You beast, you deserve to die. It's not enough to just scare this guy. It's too easy for him!"
Jiang Mancheng: "He loves money like his life, and now that all the treasures he collected have been plundered by us, it will be enough to make him feel uncomfortable for a while. Let's scare him again and make him live a life worse than death. That's the best. Death is too easy for such a person. Living and suffering is the greatest revenge for him."
Zhou Zhixing: "Aunt Chen, Uncle Jiang is right. How can one scare him enough? We should scare him whenever we have time. I guarantee that he will become a psychopath and live a life worse than death."
Chen Jinhua gritted her teeth and said, "People like this deserve to be cut into pieces."
The four of them chatted as they drove down the mountain and back to the family compound. It was already early morning, and since they had a day off for National Day, they went back to sleep until nine o'clock.
Jiang Mancheng didn't dare to delay and stood up and said to Chen Jinhua, "I'm going to order the paper-cutting. You and Xiaonan should make breakfast first. We still need to pickle the cabbage today."
Chen Jinhua also stood up and said, "Aren't you going back to your hometown?"
Jiang Mancheng: "Let's go back next week. We haven't prepared anything yet. And if we don't pickle the cabbage, leaving it out in the wind and sun will be a problem."
Jiang Mancheng might be lazy, but he was never indecisive when it came to food. In his previous life, he was sold by his parents because he couldn't get enough to eat, and after several attempts at food transfer, he was sent to the palace as a eunuch. In this life, he'd experienced starvation, too, so he naturally hated wasting food.
Chen Jinhua nodded in agreement. "Okay, don't worry. Aunt Cao and I have agreed that this year our two families will pickle vegetables together, and Xiaoxing will help too."
The two chatted about family matters, while Jiang Nan was still sound asleep. Chen Jinhua didn't call her and went out to make porridge. Seeing that Old Lady Liu and Cheng Gaigai were already chopping cabbage next door, she smiled and asked, "Aunt Liu, how much cabbage did your family buy this year?"
Old Lady Liu: "Three hundred kilograms. My eldest son likes to eat pickled cabbage, so this year we pickled two hundred kilograms of pickled cabbage and one hundred kilograms of spicy cabbage."
Chen Jinhua: "Your Dazhuzi is a great cook, and his pickled cabbage is also a specialty. I heard that his pickled cabbage and pork is a must-have dish for Secretary Tu when he entertains leaders. It's very popular."
Old Lady Liu's face was filled with pride and satisfaction. "That's right. My son Zhuzi has loved tinkering with food since he was little. Wherever there's something delicious, he'll have to buy some to taste, then try to make it. He does it all to hone his skills. Even so, he's always misunderstood and accused of being selfish and greedy. Well, I won't say anymore."
She looked heartbroken. Chen Jinhua had been busy catching adulterers and finding hidden treasures lately, so she wasn't as well-informed about the gossip in the building as before. But from what she heard, it must be some new excitement that she hadn't caught up with. She smiled and said, "We all know what Dazhuzi is like. Aunt Liu, just don't take those gossips seriously. It's always the strong who are envied. People gossiping about Dazhuzi just shows how powerful he is."
These words made Old Lady Liu laugh out loud.
Seeing that Gaigai didn't go out, Chen Jinhua smiled and asked, "Didn't Gaigai go out to play with Aihua?"
The affair between Cheng Gaigai and Jing Aihua was already public knowledge. Everyone in the building knew she was dating Jing Damu's nephew, and many were envious and jealous. This was probably one of the reasons why Cheng Dazhu had been the subject of gossip recently.
Cheng Gaigai smiled shyly: "I'm going out this afternoon. I still have to help grandma pickle sauerkraut in the morning."
Chen Jinhua watched with relief, but out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Fang Nanshan and Sun Qiaolian pushing the door open and emerging. Both were dressed with exceptional formality. Fang Nanshan, in a perfectly tailored Mao suit, raised his hand to straighten his collar and nodded with reserve. Sun Qiaolian, her jaw dropped, didn't even bother to say hello as she walked downstairs with her son.
Old Lady Liu curled her lips and cursed softly, "The villain is getting ahead."
Chen Jinhua hurriedly asked in a low voice: "What are they going to do?"
Old Lady Liu looked at Chen Jinhua with a 'how come you don't know anything' expression. "Going to Cheng Meijuan's house to propose marriage? What else can you do?! I don't know why Captain Cheng agreed. It's really a bargain for that bitch Sun Qiaolian, bah."
Her face was full of disdain as she said, "Sun Qiaolian is also lucky. She married a good husband and gave birth to a good son. Her family will be prosperous in the future."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Nan came out with her big eyes blinking. She asked, "Grandma Liu, is Fang Nanshan and Cheng Meijuan's relationship settled?"
Chen Jinhua was startled by the noise behind her. She turned around and scolded him angrily, "You're so startled that it's frightening! Go wash your face. There's such a big lump of eye mucus, it's disgusting just to look at it."
"Mom, why do you always tear me down?" Jiang Nan wiped his eyes and continued to ask with a smile, "Grandma Liu, tell me, when did they get together? Does everyone in the building know about it?"
Old Lady Liu held her head high, a smug expression on her face, her eyes filled with disdain for Jiang Nan and her daughter's lack of ambition. "What do you two know from working all day? That woman, Sun Qiaolian, is no pushover. She goes to the supply and marketing cooperative all day to help Cheng Meijuan, saying nice things to her, and has coaxed her into treating that bitch, Sun Qiaolian, like her own mother. How could she not be devoted to her? A few days ago, Cheng Meijuan took a day off and came to see Sun Qiaolian, saying that her father agreed and asked them to propose on National Day. I think their wedding will be soon."
Jiang Nan shed a tear of sympathy for Cheng Meijuan. This was the tragedy of our times, wasn't it? It was a done deal, and she had to marry him even if she didn't want to.
Chen Jinhua naturally thought of this as well, and her face looked a little unhappy.
The corridor was quiet for a while, but soon the silence was broken by Lin Bing who pushed the door open while humming a song.
Lin Bing was wearing a newly issued orange work uniform, his hair combed sleekly. Seeing the four people looking at him, Lin Bing smiled devilishly: "How about it? Xiaonan, Gaigai, I'm handsome, right? Much more handsome than Zhou Zhixing and Jing Aihua, right? I tell you, you have no taste. If you want to find a partner, you have to find someone like me, handsome, responsible..."
Old Lady Liu curled her lips, looked Lin Bing up and down, and said sarcastically, "Soldier, are you dating Tong Lili? I'm not saying anything bad about you, Soldier, but on the day of the exam, you just took Tong Lili to the state-owned restaurant and left a few cousins to your father to entertain. What did you do? Tong Lili is not a trouble-maker either. She hasn't even married into the family yet, and she's already offended her relatives. This is not a good thing. You better be careful and don't get fooled again."
Lin Bing was unhappy. He frowned and said, "Hey, Mrs. Liu, you can't stand me being well, can you? What's wrong with my Lili? Going to the state-owned restaurant was my own suggestion. What does it have to do with Lili? My cousins are also my father's relatives. What's wrong with him treating them? Lili is a girl. It must be very uncomfortable for her to eat with all those strangers."
He snorted and muttered as he walked downstairs: "I won't talk to you anymore. I have a date."
Old Lady Liu said, "You're such a troublemaker."
She said bluntly: "Just wait and see, when Tong Lili marries in, the Lin family will be very lively."
Cheng Gaigai nodded in agreement.
Jiang Nan and Chen Jinhua looked at each other. Not only was the Lin family bustling, but the Qiu family was also bustling.
Seeing that her words were unanimously agreed upon, Old Lady Liu held her head high, rolled her eyes, and said, "Xiao Nan, are you a good friend of my Gaigai?"
Seeing Jiang Nan nod, Old Lady Liu coaxed her: "Then my Gaigai is married well, are you happy for her too? I remember you have a new corduroy jacket, right? Can you lend it to my Gaigai? My Gaigai can wear it on our date today..."
"Grandma." Cheng Gaigai's face flushed slightly, and she said hurriedly, "I have clothes, so I don't need to borrow Xiaonan's. That corduroy jacket was made by Xiaonan this year, and Xiaonan hasn't even worn it yet, so I won't lend it to her."
Jiang Nan scratched her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to borrow it. Borrowing clothes for blind dates and dates was pretty normal these days. She wasn't such a germaphobe. It was just like Gaigai had said, that corduroy jacket was indeed new, made as a thank-you gift from Zou Li. She had been planning to wear it to work after National Day. She said, "Gai Gaigai, I have other clothes. If you want..."
"No need." Cheng Gaigai shook her head firmly. "Thank you, Xiaonan. I have clothes to wear."
Old Lady Liu muttered softly, "Grandma, this is all for your own good."
Zhou Zhixing happened to come up at that moment. He smiled at the group and said to Chen Jinhua, "Auntie Chen, my grandma said she'd pickle some vegetables around three or four in the afternoon, and she told us to go out and play this morning while the weather's still good. The forecast says it's going to snow in a few days, and we won't be able to go out then."
Chen Jinhua wiped her hands and said, "Then tell your grandma to pickle it later, okay? While the weather is good, you can come with us to the west bank of the river to exchange for some dried mushrooms, dried black fungus, etc., so we can save them for the winter."
"Why do you want to go back again?" Jiang Mancheng finished making the paper-made things, went upstairs quickly, and asked after hearing this.
"I think Aunt Cao is right. It's probably going to snow soon. We should go back early and feel at ease." Chen Jinhua saw that the porridge was almost done and turned off the fire. "If it snows heavily, we won't be able to go back even if we want to."
After changing the schedule temporarily, the family of three quickly had breakfast.
Jiang Mancheng sipped his porridge and said, "We won't bring too much this time. We didn't go to the black market to exchange things, and bringing too much will easily arouse suspicion. We'll take what we have at home, and also take some cloth coupons and industrial coupons."
Chen Jinhua nodded: "Okay, I still have some peach cakes and egg cakes at home, take them with you."
The three of them finished their breakfast with a huff. Chen Jinhua got up to pack up the cakes, while Jiang Nan and Jiang Mancheng washed the dishes and cleared the table. Soon, they were all done and left the house one after another. Just then, Qiu Pan'er, who lived in the east household across the street, came out wearing an apron. Behind her, Tian Jiaguang whispered something, and Qiu Pan'er smiled particularly intimately.
The two sat side by side on a small stool, picking up the cabbages together. Tian Jiaguang suddenly patted his leg, stood up and said with a smile: "I'll go boil some hot water. It's cold, we'll wash the cabbages with warm water later. It's okay for a grown man like me to use cold water, but Pan'er, you're pregnant, so you have to be careful when doing things..."
Jiang Nan curled her lips. If a man who only knows how to talk could deceive her for a lifetime, judging from Qiu Paner's expression, she would be happy to do so. She was just afraid that this Phoenix man would not be willing.
The three of them went downstairs and soon reunited with Zhou Zhixing. Four people and three bicycles sped towards the west bank of the river.
It is late autumn now. The red and yellow trees on the road are receding step by step, and the wind blowing on my face has become cooler.
Chen Jinhua bent down and pedaled her bicycle vigorously, asking, "Xiaoxing, how much dried vegetables are you going to exchange for this time?"
Zhou Zhixing: "Those relatives on the east bank of the river are unreliable. Grandma said that if possible, I should exchange as much as possible. I have collected five feet of cloth coupons and twenty industrial coupons at home. Aunt Chen, please help me keep an eye on them and exchange as many as you can."
Chen Jinhua nodded, and the four of them braved the autumn wind and quickly arrived at the Xihe'an Brigade.
The autumn harvest was over, and the team was not so busy. The old men and women were sitting at the village entrance chatting, and they were particularly enthusiastic when they saw the four people. The four people also got out of the car and greeted everyone with a smile.
"Mancheng, why are you back today? Aren't there any activities at the oil fields during National Day?"
"Oh, Xiaonan's boyfriend is here too? That's great! Xiaonan, did you buy new clothes again? Is this corduroy?" The old lady carefully stroked the fabric of Jiang Nan's clothes and said enviously, "Workers still have it good. They have no shortage of cloth coupons and industrial coupons. We in the countryside really don't have anything we want. It can't be compared with the oil fields."
Jiang Nan laughed and retorted, "Auntie Tian, your family will have oil workers in the future, so why would you envy us? I remember you have three sons, right? Now you have three workers, we should be the ones to envy you."
This sentence made Aunt Tian smile, and the four of them chatted for a few more words at the village entrance. Then they pushed the cart, said goodbye to everyone with a smile, and slowly stepped onto the stone bridge leading to the Jiang family's yard.
"Grandma, I'm back, Grandma." Before they even got home, Jiang Nan called out, her voice as joyful as the chirping of birds in the treetops. Du Hehua hadn't gone with her to the last exam, and she hadn't seen the little old lady for half a month. Needless to say, she still missed her.
Before Du Hehua showed up, a voice drifted over: "Just come in if you're here. Why do you want me, the old lady, to go out and greet you personally?"
Jiang Nan chuckled as she saw the old lady appear at the gate with a slender figure. Little Jiang He beside her laughed with joy, his little body swaying. When he saw Jiang Nan, his eyes widened, and he broke free from the old lady's hand and ran over: "Auntie, Auntie, candy, have some candy."
Jiang Nan handed the car to Jiang Mancheng, bent down and picked up little Jiang He, scratched the little guy's nose, and said with a stern face: "Little Jiang He, do you miss your aunt or do you want some candy?"
Jiang He was a clever little guy. He knew how to fool adults at the age of two. He answered very seriously, "I want to, I want to." He also nodded his head to show that what he said was true.
"That's more like it." Jiang Nan took out a White Rabbit from his pocket and handed it to the little guy. "I only brought a few this time. If you're good, I'll give you another one when I leave this afternoon, okay?"
The little guy held the candy tightly, with a serious face: "I'm good."
Du Hehua looked at the newcomer with a smile and asked Jiang Mancheng, "Are you here to exchange for dried vegetables?"
Jiang Mancheng gave a thumbs up: "Oh, it has to be you, mother. Did our family get a lot of sun this time? Xiaoxing also wants to change some."
Jiang Mantang, Jiang Manpo and others also came out one after another. Jiang Mantang smiled and replied, "Mancheng, don't worry. Mother said Xiaonan is engaged. The in-laws may also want to exchange for dried vegetables. We dried a lot this year."
Sister-in-law Yin Wenjuan echoed, "Doesn't Xiaonan love to eat Chinese mustard greens? This time we exchanged some with Sister Gao's family. They grow Chinese mustard greens every year, so there's definitely enough for you to eat."
Jiang Nan hugged Yin Wenjuan's arm and said coquettishly: "Thank you, auntie. I knew you loved me."
This sentence made Yin Wenjuan feel a little embarrassed.
Jiang Huai and Jiang Tong were also on vacation and stayed at home, looking listless.
Jiang Nan guessed that the test results had not come out yet, and the two of them scared themselves.
This kind of thing was something one had to figure out on their own, and Jiang Nan didn't offer any advice. She and Zhou Zhixing had seen it all on patrol: some were so nervous they went berserk. If they heard someone say something like "dripping noodles" or "fallen leaves" with the characters "hang" or "fallen," they'd fly into a rage, thinking they were implying they wouldn't pass the exam. Jiang Huai and Jiang Tong were just listless, but their ability to handle pressure was pretty good.
Seeing Wu Dachui's inaction for so long, Ma Honghua perked up again. Holding her head high, she spoke pointedly, acting like she was the boss, "Jinhua, I heard the results will be out this Sunday, and new workers can report now. My Manpo and Xiaogui are hardcore oil workers. What should they bring? Household registration books, letters of introduction, anything else?"
Hearing this, Jiang Huai and Jiang Tong looked at Jiang Gui with envy. Hey, Jiang Gui is an only child, and he was separated from his own family at the age of 18. He is indeed a real worker. They are still floating in the air, and whether they can land is still uncertain. They are really envious.
Jiang Mancheng looked at his second sister-in-law's behavior, and the corners of his mouth twitched. Du Hehua said directly, "You need connections for grain and oil, do you have any? Stop showing off here. The house can't accommodate you anymore, right? You talk so much nonsense all day long."
Du Hehua said impatiently, "Go to the warehouse with your sister-in-law and move the dried vegetables out. You have no sense at all. Why would Manpo take a fancy to a brainless person like you?"
Ma Honghua curled her lips. "Hmph," she thought. "She's so proud of herself. So what if the old woman is dissatisfied?" There were three people in the second branch, and they had two workers. So what if the first branch had more children? Now there were eight of them, and only two workers, my eldest uncle and Jiang Bai. Even if Xiao Huai and Xiao Tong both passed the exam, they wouldn't be as comfortable as the second branch.
She was so proud that she held her head high when moving the dried vegetables, which made Jiang Nan worried that she would get a stiff neck in broad daylight.
By the time they reached the west bank of the river, it was nearly midnight, and the Jiangs' lunch was almost ready. They added three more dishes and heated up ten steamed buns to make up for the meal. Because the harvest had been good this year, when the meal was distributed, adults received two and a half steamed buns, and children under ten each received one and a half. Still, everyone devoured them, as if their stomachs were bottomless pits, ready to eat as many steamed buns as they could.
After the meal, Jiang Mancheng and Zhou Zhixing gave the cloth coupons and industrial coupons they brought to Du Hehua. Yin Wenjuan, Ma Honghua and Chen Jinhua had already packed out three sacks of dried vegetables, each weighing nearly 100 kilograms, and were packed tightly.
They still needed to pickle vegetables back home, so the four of them didn't linger long, chatting briefly before leaving. Three sacks of dried vegetables were tied to the back seat of the bike. Comrade Jiang Mancheng, despite his thick skin, couldn't help but stiffen as he sat on the crossbar of Chen Jinhua's bicycle. Fortunately, the three of them had saved him face by not riding their bike when leaving the village, thus preserving Jiang Mancheng's precarious image.
The Wei family at the entrance of the village was still quarreling. Ye Chunping, an educated youth who had just married into the family, looked at Jiang Nan and three others who were riding their bicycles by. The envy, jealousy and hatred in her eyes were so strong that they seemed to ignite the air.
Jiang Nan naturally didn't miss such a passionate look. She muttered quietly, "Why does Ye Chunping hate me so much? Didn't she want to fool around with Wei Fengnian? Wouldn't marrying him just do what she wanted?"
Jiang Mancheng sneered and said disdainfully, "She's just not doing well. Some people will never look for the reasons within themselves. She probably resents you because she didn't marry Xiaogui."
Jiang Nan was speechless: "I only met her once, and you can blame me for this."
Jiang Mancheng: "Just because you didn't help her that time, it's enough for her to resent you. Well, forget about this kind of person. We have other things to do when we get back. It's not worth wasting energy on this kind of person. We don't need to be afraid of this kind of person."
Zhou Zhixing nodded: "Yes, if you are afraid of everyone, then life is meaningless."
Jiang Nan naturally understood this, but she simply felt that the resentment was inexplicable. However, the world is full of wonders, so she didn't dwell on it.
Along the way, there were four people, three cars and three sacks, and the rate of turning heads was 100%. Jiang Mancheng was desperate and greeted everyone he met. The nickname of "pretty boy" was directly welded on his forehead, shining brightly.
Returning to the family compound, the four finally got out of the car. They saw that, aside from the narrow walkway, all the remaining open space was covered in dried vegetables. The ping-pong table, stone tables, and stone benches were also covered in dried vegetables. Even the shorter branches of the large tree where they usually enjoyed the shade were tied with hemp ropes strung with radish strips.
Jiang Nan was used to seeing this every year, but Zhou Zhixing, who had just traveled through time, was seeing it for the first time. He felt a bit like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden. He asked curiously, "Isn't this too much? It's so full, won't everyone be fighting over space? Will there be fights? Will someone steal?"
Jiang Nan squinted his eyes and said, "You are looking forward to Courtyard No. 1, okay?"
Seeing that he was truly ignorant, Jiang Nan explained, "We did it the first year we arrived, and it's become a regular practice since then. As for whether anyone stole anything, do you think everyone is stupid? Look over there, those kids playing marbles and cards, see? They're all on a mission, no one dares to steal."
Zhou Zhixing looked over and saw that, as expected, the children, although having fun, were still distracted by their own autumn vegetables. When he was about to look away, he saw Sun Qiaolian and Yuan Jianshe chatting and laughing as they harvested the autumn vegetables.
Ah, this?
He suddenly became energetic and poked Jiang Nan.
Jiang Nan also has sharp eyes and saw it clearly.
She scratched her head. There's an age difference between these two people, right?
Jiang Mancheng was the calmest. He moved quietly and stealthily to a nearby spot, pretending to check if the autumn vegetables were dried. You know what, he acted quite convincingly.
But if he wasn't from this compound and had never been known to steal vegetables, he would have been scolded by the children on guard.
Jiang Nan, Zhou Zhixing and Chen Jinhua followed suit and quickly broke out from different directions, surrounding Sun Qiaolian and Yuan Jianshe.
But to be honest, the four of them still had tinted glasses towards Sun Qiaolian. She didn't want to hook up with Yuan Jianshe. It's just that when talking to men, she was used to being coquettish, teasing, and pounding her chest with her fists. This led to misunderstandings.
Sun Qiaolian had come to harvest the autumn vegetables. She had gone to the Cheng family that morning to propose marriage, and she was in a good mood. Seeing Yuan Jianshe harvesting vegetables alone, she couldn't help but say a few words to him.
"Jianshe, why are you alone? Where's Jiaojiao? Look at you, a grown man, and you still have to do all this work. It's really not easy."
Yuan Jianshe was already feeling unhappy, and when he saw a woman coming over to chat with him, he realized that although she was a widow, she still had some charm, so it was normal for her to fall in love with him.
Even though he's about to get married, he's still very charming.
Yuan Jianshe nodded his chin arrogantly: "Second uncle has a large family, and there are a lot of autumn vegetables to dry. I am a man, so it's no big deal for me to do some work."
Sun Qiaolian said coquettishly: "You are really the most sensible boy of this generation. But a good man cannot have a good wife. You have suffered."
Just this one sentence, Yuan Jianshe wanted to open up to Sun Qiaolian immediately. You say, how can a normal person do this? Sun Qiaolian is being too intimate with her, but Yuan Jianshe doesn't think so. He thinks this is his charm.
Look, he looked a little sad, and the widows who didn't know him well felt sorry for him.
Yuan Jianshe sighed: "Sister Qiaolian, you still understand me the best."
Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua: Wow, you can call me sister now, and you’re not afraid of the generation gap.
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing: What a remarkable man Yuan Jianshe is, he opens up to us so easily.
Yuan Jianshe didn't think there was anything wrong with sharing one's heart. He said with some arrogance, "What can I do? Jiaojiao can't live without me. I've already made a fait accompli with Jiaojiao. What will she do without me?"
Sun Qiaolian: “…”
She hadn't been so speechless in a long time, but her professional ethics didn't allow her to remain silent for so long. She quickly smiled and said, "That's true. It's hard to explain things about feelings. If you feel unhappy in the future, come to me. Although I can't do much, I'm very good at comforting you. I can't bear to see a man like you suffer."
Yuan Jianshe raised the corners of his mouth, becoming more and more proud.
The four onlookers were so disgusted that they thought, "This melon is a bit rotten," and left.
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