Chapter 105 New Year 1969
Fortunately, with witnesses and a suspect identified, solving the case was easy. Catching him wasn't so easy, though. After all, there were over 10,000 people in the 10th Operations Division alone, and hundreds of thousands in Baishui City. Jiangshan was hiding in some of the most remote corners, making him difficult to find.
Jiang Nan, Zhou Zhixing, and the others searched the train station for a whole day, but couldn't find Jiang Shan. Jiang Nan was a little discouraged. "He didn't just steal and leave, did he? A thug like that would definitely have a letter of introduction. He'd be hiding somewhere, so where would we find him?"
Zhou Zhixing was also a little tired. He said, "Let's stake out for a few more days. We can't find him, but we can basically confirm that he did it. Even if he escapes to the ends of the earth, he can't live in isolation. He must need money to buy things, right? We will definitely find him."
The case was only half solved, and everyone was feeling uneasy. Since the bus station rarely left late at night, everyone came to the train station to ambush.
Shao Yong lit a cigarette and gritted his teeth: "Did this old guy really run away?"
Zhou Zhixing raised his chin: "You're worried that others won't know there's someone hiding here, right? Kill them."
Shao Yong snorted and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it over: "Aren't you sleepy? Want one? Didn't you guys work the whole day last night? How is it? Are you still holding the line? Do you want to switch with other groups?"
Zhou Zhixing waved his hand. "I don't smoke. Come on, smoke quickly. Tonight is when Jiangshan is most likely to escape. Let's keep a close eye on him."
He encouraged the rest of Group 6: "If you're feeling down, do some push-ups and don't fall asleep. The robbery happened while our group was on patrol, so we have to see it through to the end. Everyone, stay alert, you hear me?"
"Know."
Zou Li, Wen Qiang, and the others assessed their own conditions and obediently did a dozen push-ups. They hadn't slept all night, and it was almost ten o'clock. They were drowsy.
However, things did not go as smoothly as everyone expected. Jiangshan did not show up at night. He seemed to have disappeared.
Over the next two days, they searched every bus station and police station in Baishui City and the oil field, but couldn't find the suspect. Even the neighborhood committee office hadn't received any reports of suspicious individuals.
After the golden forty-eight hours of solving a case, Jiang Nan had a feeling that another unsolved case in her police career might be about to occur. Not a major case like homicide, arson, or arson, but a simple robbery, a case where the suspect had been identified but the culprit remained unsolved.
The only good news was that the three teams had confirmed at the detention center that Jiangshan had been in close contact with a thief named Haizi. Haizi had learned from another skilled thief in the provincial capital and was a master at breaking into houses and picking locks, on par with "Master Bai Sanye." It was very likely that Jiangshan had learned how to pick locks during his detention.
In addition, Lan Qingshan also confirmed that Tian Jiaguang and Jiang Li had a "close" relationship. Fang Nanshan accidentally revealed the matter of the supply and marketing cooperative to Tian Jiaguang, who then told Jiang Li, who then revealed it to Jiangshan, which led to the subsequent events.
Unfortunately, even though the suspect had become the "murderer" with irrefutable evidence, they still hadn't caught him. Group 6 had been feeling quite down the past few days, and Jiang Nan had been somewhat affected. Fortunately, there was gossip, which somewhat distracted her.
Cheng Meijuan gave birth to a son, reportedly due to a difficult labor that affected her health and made it difficult for her to conceive again. While the truth of this is unknown, Cheng Meijuan was only discharged from the hospital five days later, a stark contrast to Qiu Paner, who was discharged after two days of normal labor. Everyone more or less believed the news to be true, and many lamented that Cheng Meijuan was lucky. If she had given birth to a daughter and then been unable to conceive, even with a leader as her father, she wouldn't have dared to imagine her future.
Of course, no one dared to verify it in person. The most serious uproar recently was that Tian Jiaguang had an affair with a woman!
Although he didn't know how Fang Nanshan did it, the news must have leaked from him. Jiang Nan thought of Dong Jiaojiao and instantly understood the grudge between Fang Nanshan and Tian Jiaguang. This was because he was resentful of Tian Jiaguang for threatening him with this matter.
It's said that when a partner cheats, their partner is often the last to know. This saying is especially true for Qiu Pan'er. Not only was she the last to know, she also made excuses for Tian Jiaguang.
"I know that Jiang Li. I used to be a kindergarten teacher, so I know her all too well. She's a slut. She's out to ruin my son Jiaguang's reputation. It's all fake. I don't know Jiaguang, but Jiang Li is worthy of being promiscuous!"
"How could I not know?! Jiang Li is just jealous of me, that's why she did this. I'm an only child, not only can I take over the business, but I won't have to worry about anything when I have children. Jiang Li is already 20 years old and still unmarried. If she's not jealous of me, who else would she be jealous of? You're so stupid that you even believe such words! Besides, Jiaguang has been transferred to the drilling team, how could he be related to Jiang Li? Are you giving up your future? I don't know what's wrong with your brains, you still believe such words, it's ridiculous!"
Qiu Paner's expression, as if to say "No one can fool me," made the older women who came to her to tip her off, ready to laugh at her, somewhat incredulous. "No, we're the ones laughing at you, not you laughing at us, okay?"
Qiu Pan'er didn't believe it, but unfortunately, her father Qiu Xiangdong believed it. It was unknown who had the connection, but when registering the household registration, Qiu Pan'er's son successfully took the surname Qiu, and Tian Jiaguang completely confirmed the statement of "marrying into the wife's family".
Only then did everyone realize that Qiu Pan'er had gone from being married off and being boiled like a frog in warm water to being offered a son-in-law.
Jiang Nan secretly watched Qiu Paner's channel and asked in confusion, "Dad, according to the system, after Tian Jiaguang cheated, Qiu Paner's feelings for him are obviously not as deep as before, and she will no longer trust him unconditionally. Why is she still defending him in front of others?"
Jiang Mancheng: "It's precisely because it's not as deep as before that we need to maintain it. Qiu Pan'er's parents are back, plus Old Lady Qiu, the three of them working together will definitely have more time and energy than Tian Jiaguang alone. I can't say that Qiu Pan'er will change her mind, but at least she will be a little wary. It's only a matter of time before Tian Jiaguang becomes her son-in-law."
He said: "As long as Qiu Pan'er wakes up, coupled with Qiu Xiangdong's methods, Tian Jiaguang will only be able to make a living in the Qiu family and will never dare to fly again. Qiu Pan'er probably realized this, so she defended him so much. After all, if she divorced and found another son-in-law, she would not be able to find a better one than Tian Jiaguang. Qiu Xiangdong and the others also knew this, so they let Qiu Pan'er say this."
He concluded: "This just proves that Tian Jiaguang will stay in the Qiu family forever and cannot escape the Qiu family's control."
Jiang Mancheng was indeed a person who had been in the harem, and he had hit the nail on the head with Qiu Paner. Qiu Paner could forgive Tian Jiaguang for his schemes and for being mean to her parents, but the only thing she couldn't forgive was that Tian Jiaguang had someone else in his heart.
People like Qiu Pan'er, who lack a sense of identity, are most likely to get carried away and go to extremes. When they are in love, they are extremely in love and will not tolerate even the slightest bit of sand.
As for Tian Jiaguang, the card he played at the beginning was that Qiu Paner was the only one in his heart. Qiu Paner wanted this only one, the only one that no one could take away, not even Jiang Nan!
But now, a woman who is not as good as her has made Tian Jiaguang break his vow. How credible are his words?
It can be said that Tian Jiaguang broke the filter he created himself. It was also because he changed his job to become an oil worker that he became too proud and lost his sense of proportion.
Of course, the excitement at the Qiu family was just an episode. Not long after, Lan Qingli agreed to a blind date with Cheng Kantan. Originally, both parties wanted Jiang Nan to be the matchmaker, but Jiang Nan had no experience, so they specially invited the experienced and senior matchmaker, Mrs. Cao.
When it comes to blind dates, Mrs. Cao is extremely experienced and specially arranged the blind date in the park in front of the family compound.
The time is 11:00 am on Sunday. If both parties have a good impression of each other, they can go to the state-owned restaurant for lunch at 12:00 to improve their relationship. If the impression is not good, it doesn't prevent them from going home for lunch.
In order to make the ceremony more solemn, Old Lady Cao specially borrowed Chen Jinhua's corduroy jacket. After all, the girl's father was Xiaoxing and Xiaonan's leader.
Everyone from Building No. 4 of Bagua had been lying in ambush near the park early in the morning, and the three members of the Jiang family and Zhou Zhixing were of course no exception.
Seeing that the blind date scene was quite harmonious, Jiang Nan asked curiously, "Sister Qingli, are you interested? No way, Cheng Kantan's conditions are very average."
Zhou Zhixing whispered, "Are you stupid? Is Chief Lan a simple man? He must have guessed Old Cheng's identity a long time ago and probably wants his daughter to marry him. Old Cheng hasn't done anything illegal since his retirement and he's wealthy. Lan Qingli won't suffer any loss if she marries him. I guess Chief Lan said something."
Jiang Nan suddenly understood: "Is that so? Isn't Chief Lan afraid that Old Cheng will teach his stealing skills to his descendants?"
Zhou Zhixing: "No, Old Cheng is eager to clear his name. He risked his life to steal those fake R spies, and he was even called a chivalrous thief. I'm afraid he was just paving the way for clearing his name in the future. If he still takes action in this new society, we police will not tolerate it. Besides, Old Cheng is old, and I guess he is thinking about how to support himself in his old age."
As Cheng Kantan and Lan Qingli got up and went to the state-owned restaurant, the people in Building No. 4 satisfied their gossip desires and got up to go home to cook.
Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua went to the post office to pick up a package halfway. When they came back and heard that the blind date went well, they also found it unbelievable, but after thinking about it carefully, it made sense.
As soon as he got home, Jiang Nan couldn't help but ask curiously, "Mom, what did grandpa send?"
In mid-September, Chen Wanli was seconded to the Xinjiang oil field to carry out a large-scale oil exploration project. Because he left in a hurry, he did not inform the Jiang family until after he arrived. They had originally wanted to visit the old man at the headquarters during the National Day holiday, but they did not make it.
Chen Jinhua took a pair of scissors and began to unwrap the package. She said with a smile, "It should be some dried apricots, raisins, red dates, naan, and the like. Your grandpa has big hands, so maybe there's some dried meat too."
After saying that, he sighed and said, "I hope you can come back before the New Year. Your grandpa is very busy this year and I haven't seen him many times in a year."
Jiang Mancheng quickly comforted him: "It's okay, at worst we can go to Xinjiang Province to see him. I haven't been to Xinjiang Province yet, but I heard there are a lot of delicious foods and beautiful scenery there."
Chen Jinhua glanced at him and said angrily, "It's far away. Don't mess around. Oh, so much dried meat. Dad is really extravagant."
Jiang Nan leaned over to take a look. Indeed, the dried meat looked to be at least four or five pounds. Together with the dried fruits and naan, the package weighed at least twenty pounds.
Jiang Nan giggled, "Mom, Grandpa is worried about us. At worst, we can just send some more things back. Doesn't Grandpa love cherry jam? Let's send some more, as well as dried mushrooms and the meat sauce Dad made. Let's send more."
Chen Jinhua then smiled and said, "Okay."
As no one was caught for such a long time, the theft case at the supply and marketing cooperative gradually faded from everyone's sight. The wanted warrant was still issued, but few people in the operation department paid attention to the case anymore. Only the people in the police station had not given up and even wanted to search the mountain.
Wanted posters were posted all over Baishui City and the oil fields, but they still couldn't find him. He must have gone into hiding in the mountains and forests. I guess he wanted to avoid the spotlight and then slowly come out.
Unfortunately, the weather kept getting colder, and icicles formed on the windows. A north wind blew overnight, bringing knee-deep snow and ruining everyone's plan to search the mountains. With such heavy snow, going into the mountains was too dangerous.
In the past, during this time period, each brigade would organize militiamen to go hunting in the mountains, to add a meat dish to the winter table and to prevent wild boars from coming down the mountain to destroy the crops the following year.
Normally, this matter has nothing to do with the oil field, but this year Yuan Jianshe and Old Wu went up the mountain to hunt alone for some reason!
It was so cold, and no one knew who had instigated the other. They left quietly in the morning without telling anyone, carrying only their dry food. It wasn't until around 7 or 8 in the evening that they returned, and their families realized they were missing.
Yuan Jianshe's grandmother, Mrs. Wang, burst into tears on the spot: "Everyone, go out and look for him! It's so cold and snowing. Won't you freeze to death outside all night? My Jianshe, you can't get hurt! What are you all standing there for? Go and look for him. If you can't find him, I won't forgive you, my grandma Jianshe."
Although Wang's words were harsh, two grown men had gone missing in the cold, so they had to be found. Regardless of any previous conflicts, they couldn't just stay out like this in such cold weather. Wang was right. In such cold weather, they would freeze to death overnight.
The people in Courtyard No. 1 did not dare to delay. Each family sent out a man, fully armed, to look for someone.
Only Jiang Nan knew that Yuan Jianshe and Old Wu had gone to the mountains to hunt.
She had accidentally seen it while going to the bathroom that morning. Yuan Jianshe had borrowed a hunting rifle from somewhere, slung it over his shoulder, and set off with Old Wu. Jiang Nan had assumed they would be back in the afternoon, but she hadn't expected them to be back so late.
Jiang Mancheng gave the mother and daughter a reassuring gesture, and joined the crowd with Zhou Zhixing, walking out together.
Jiang Mancheng, Zhou Zhixing, Wu Dachui, and Lin Bing were in a group. Jiang Mancheng said, "Mr. Wu has been envious of the team members for the past two days for being able to go up the mountain to hunt. Dachui, think about it, is it possible that Mr. Wu has gone up the mountain?"
Wu Dachui was so anxious that he saw stars. No matter how unhappy he was, he was still his biological father. There was still a difference between his presence and absence. He said, "It's possible. No wonder. He baked a few extra pancakes yesterday. I thought he was eating them while he was out working for someone, but I didn't know he was out hunting. Really, this old man can really mess around."
Since cleaning toilets for Old Yang, Old Wu has been doing work for many people. His work is very popular because of its "good quality and low price", and his business is good. However, the weather has been cold recently, and there are fewer people doing work, so Old Wu has nothing to do, which is why he is in trouble.
Jiang Mancheng suggested, "Why don't we go to the mountain near the black market? It's the closest, maybe the old man is going there to hunt. Yuan Jianshe doesn't have a job either, so it's possible he'll go with Old Wu."
Everyone had no objections and headed towards the west mountain. Before they reached the foot of the mountain, they heard a howling noise. As they got closer, they realized it was Yuan Jianshe, sprinting down the mountain with his eyes wide open. He stumbled with every step, but he seemed painless as he scrambled down the mountain, yelling "Murder! Murder!" like a madman.
Wu Dachui took a quick step and intercepted Yuan Jianshe, his eyes red: "Who killed someone? Who did you kill? Tell me!"
Yuan Jianshe's eyes widened, his whole body shivering, as if he hadn't heard anything. Wu Dachui shook him vigorously, then slapped him left and right, and finally he regained consciousness. He turned around trembling, pointing to where he came from and said, "In the cave, there's murder in the cave! Savages, there are savages in the cave! The savages have money, and we wanted to steal their money, so they killed people! Uncle Wu, Uncle Wu is dead!"
Zhou Zhixing suddenly realized—a wild man?! Could it be that Jiang Shan had escaped into the mountains? He trotted over and saw Yuan Jianshe completely stunned. With no other options, he slapped him twice more and said, "Wake up! Tell me, where is the cave? Where is that wild man?"
When everyone found the cave, they discovered that Old Wu was really dead.
No one expected that the supply and marketing cooperative robbery case would end with Old Wu's life.
Upon hearing the news that the savage and Old Wu were dead, Zhou Zhixing immediately asked Wu Dachui and Lin Bing to go to the police station to report the case, while he and Jiang Mancheng stayed to continue interrogating Yuan Jianshe.
Yuan Jianshe was awakened by two slaps and told the story in a trembling manner.
"I... Grandpa Wu and I went hunting in the mountains. They say hunting in winter is... easier, so I... borrowed a hunting rifle from my uncle's family. We originally wanted to hunt roe deer. We got to the mountain and quickly killed a rabbit. In our excitement, we went deeper into the mountains. We were lucky and actually saw a roe deer. Just as we were about to shoot it, someone else got there first. It was a wild man. When he saw us, he ran away without even taking the roe deer. We thought it was strange, so we gave chase. He..."
Yuan Jianshe shuddered and continued, "He ran to a cave. We...we had guns, so we followed him without thinking too much. Uncle Wu...after Uncle Wu went in, he said that he looked like the guy who robbed the supply and marketing cooperative, and asked him to hand over the money, and we would let him go. But...but he was too fast, he kicked me down and snatched my hunting rifle. Uncle Wu tried to run, but he shot him dead. I..."
He shuddered suddenly, as if thinking of something terrible. "I... I fainted. When I woke up... I saw Uncle Wu lying on the ground, dead. That wild man Jiangshan was gone, and the hunting rifle, the hunting rifle was gone too."
Zhou Zhixing frowned. Jiangshan was originally a robber, and now the violence has escalated and he has become a murderer. He also has weapons in his hands. He is too dangerous and must be captured as soon as possible.
Perhaps having heard his thoughts, Lan Qingshan, along with a dozen police officers, rode sidecar motorcycles to Xishan. Hearing that Jiangshan had a gun, Lan Qingshan's face became even more serious than Zhou Zhixing's.
He ordered in a cold voice: "Xiao Liu, Xiao Wang, send Yuan Jianshe and Jiang Mancheng back. At the same time, report to the General Administration and send people for support. There is a murderer with a hunting rifle, escaping in Xishan. We must search the mountain and find Jiangshan as soon as possible."
"yes."
No one dared to delay. Wu Dachui clenched his fists and wanted to follow into the mountains, but was stopped by Lan Qingshan: "You can't go. Don't worry, we will find Jiangshan. The suspect has a gun in his hand. You are not a policeman, so you cannot participate in the search."
He thought for a moment and then ordered, "If you want to find the murderer as soon as possible, go with Zhou Zhixing to notify the surrounding brigades, the east and west banks of the river, and the col. Tell them to send armed militia to assist in searching the mountain. Also, leave some militia to patrol at night to prevent the suspect from coming down the mountain through the side roads and into the village to harm people."
Wu Dachui's eyes were red, and he wiped his face fiercely, gritting his teeth and said, "Okay, I'll go to the surrounding brigades, Lan Suo, you must catch that grandson!"
The vigorous search of the mountain began that evening. Perhaps Jiangshan had finally grown tired of staying there, or perhaps the heavy snow of the previous few days had helped them, but after three days of non-stop action, they finally captured Jiangshan at 4:00 PM on the third day, on the northern slope of West Mountain. He was scrambling down the mountain, carrying the 30,000 yuan he had robbed.
Seeing the police and militia team searching the mountain, Jiangshan raised his gun to resist, and was shot in the right hand by the well-trained police. When he was arrested, Jiangshan didn't know whether he was relieved or regretted fleeing into the mountains. He was crying and laughing all the time.
"I have 30,000 yuan, but I've been a savage for nearly a month. Hahaha, I didn't spend a penny! Hahaha, there are robbers who are worse off than me. I worked so hard to rob the money, and this stinky old man still wants to take advantage of it. He deserves to die! I have someone to accompany me on my road to the underworld. It's not a loss!"
The police officer handcuffed Jiang Shan behind his back and snapped him into handcuffs. He said sternly, "Stop talking nonsense and take him away!"
When Jiangshan was captured, it happened to be the day when Old Wu's mourning hall was set up. For the Wu family, it was a blessing in disguise.
Although Old Wu was a lecherous and stingy person, everyone, having been neighbors for so many years, still attended his funeral. Even Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan, two strangers to Old Wu, came to burn incense and give gifts.
After recovering 30,000 yuan, the Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative Bureau specially sent a large banner and sent letters of thanks to the police officers in charge of the case and the militia who assisted in the mountain search. Even the Oilfield Public Security Bureau praised the Operations Office Police Station.
The originally dull atmosphere was swept away, and everyone in the police station suddenly felt relaxed.
The 'Thief Competition' has begun again, and the other groups are ready to avenge their previous humiliation.
Shao Yong rolled up his sleeves and said, "Xiao Zhao, Xiao Wu, our team must work hard this year. I, your team leader, will go to visit my mother-in-law this year.
If you can't ask for more New Year gifts, it's up to you!"
Xiao Zhao: "Don't worry, Team Leader! I have a sharp eye now, and I will definitely beat Team Six to a pulp!"
Jiang Nan laughed, "Xiao Zhao, you're quite boastful. Team Leader Shao, you're probably just playing the victim to gain sympathy. What? You want us in Team Six to go easy on them?"
Shao Yong chuckled: "I don't mind if you show some mercy. We're on equal terms, right? Forget about catching thieves. We've solved so many cases together this year, right? How about we team up to catch thieves this year too?"
After giving gentle persuasion, he began to gain sympathy: "I finally succeeded in my blind date, and it's not easy to get to the stage of marriage."
He put his arm around Zhou Zhixing's shoulder and winked, "You can't be so full that you don't know the hunger of a hungry man. For someone in our line of work, finding a wife is hard, don't I need to tell you? You can't just stand by and watch someone die."
Zhou Zhixing squinted his eyes, glanced at everyone in Group 6, and smiled, "Okay, since you're getting married, it's not impossible for us to cooperate. I just don't know if the Blue Office can give out so many prizes this year."
Shao Yong waved his hand casually: "I'll tell Lan about this. Thanks, brother!"
While the area was bustling with activity, catching thieves, the family compound had fallen silent. Old Wu had died for no apparent reason, leaving Yuan Jianshe so frightened that he still dared not leave the house. Ye Chunping, who had originally disliked Jiang Nan and wanted to plot against her, had no choice but to put her worries aside and take good care of Yuan Jianshe. Although Yuan Jianshe was a coward, he was the biggest straw she could grasp, and nothing could happen to him.
Although Fang Nanshan had intentionally leaked the information about the supply and marketing cooperative, such a thing couldn't be punished, and no one had evidence to prove he did it on purpose. Furthermore, he had always maintained a very upright image, judging by his actions rather than his heart, so Jiang Nan really couldn't do anything to him. Even with rumors circulating about Cheng Meijuan being infertile, he remained as affectionate as ever, earning even greater admiration from everyone in Courtyard No. 1, and even Cheng's father began to treat him kindly.
After buying two more winter vegetables in the cold wind, 1969 quietly arrived. To celebrate the New Year, Jiang Mancheng decided to have a pickled cabbage and pork hot pot on New Year's Day. As soon as Jiang Nan received the order, Kukuku went out to exchange things. Beef, mutton, various meatballs, tripe, duck intestines and blood, kelp sprouts, and even the now-unseen tribute vegetables, Jiang Nan exchanged them for everything.
Without the threat of the main quest, even if Brother Ying had wings, he couldn't escape the surveillance of the security department. The Jiang family spent New Year's Day in a relaxed and comfortable manner. In the warm and steamy air, everyone was smiling from ear to ear.
"This Gongcai is really good. I've never eaten it before."
“Wagyu beef is still the best, tender and chewy.”
"This drink is not bad, Xiaonan. It's called herbal tea, and it tastes quite sweet."
"Mom, yogurt is still the best. It helps with digestion and reduces greasiness."
Chen Jinhua smiled and said, "Drink if you like. Hey, after New Year's Day, you'll be eighteen, old enough to get married. Time flies."
Jiang Mancheng immediately became alert: "Jinhua, we don't force marriages in our family. Xiaonan can get married whenever she wants. Don't keep pushing her."
Chen Jinhua rolled her eyes. "That's just the kind of person I am. I just speak from the heart. And after we get married, we can start thinking about separate housing. Didn't you say you'd build another house next year? It would be best for working couples like Xiaonan and Xiaoxing to have separate housing."
Jiang Nan chuckled: "I understand. Dad, Mom, if we really have to separate rooms, getting married is no big deal. I know what I'm doing."
Zhou Zhixing smiled. Now was not the time for him to interrupt. Didn’t he see that his father-in-law’s eyes were almost popping out of his head?
However, aside from Jiang Mancheng, the other three members of the Jiang family were all laughing and happy. Meanwhile, life in the neighboring Qiu family had also returned to normal. Although Qiu Pan'er was still tied to Tian Jiaguang, she had successfully removed some of the romantic filter, and her mind had naturally regained its clarity. Now that her son had her last name and was still so young, it wasn't a big deal for her to not work for a few years, but in the future, it would depend on Tian Jiaguang's performance.
"Pan'er, come here, this piece of meat is the best, try it quickly." Tian Jiaguang still looked affectionate. It was he who said Jiang Li seduced him, and although Qiu Pan'er only believed it halfway, but if he could deceive Qiu Pan'er once, Tian Jiaguang was confident that he could deceive her again. He understood Qiu Pan'er and knew that she was most jealous of Jiang Nan. If it really didn't work, he would use Jiang Nan as a scapegoat to please Qiu Pan'er, and he didn't believe that Qiu Pan'er would not change her mind. In fact, Tian Jiaguang looked down on Qiu Pan'er in his heart, but he remained calm on the surface.
Seeing Tian Jiaguang's unyielding efforts to please his daughter, Qiu Xiangdong felt incredibly relieved. Fortunately, he had been alert enough to give the child the surname Qiu when registering his household registration. Otherwise, his foolish daughter would have been deceived again sooner or later. He had to keep a close eye on his grandson. Everything else could be left to Pan'er, except for the child's surname, which couldn't be changed.
Qiu Pan'er, the center of everyone's attention, ate in silence with her head down. With the whole family surrounding her, this was the kind of treatment Jiang Nan deserved, wasn't it? Now, both her parents and her husband had to look to her for a response. Qiu Pan'er was already beaming with joy, but her face remained strained, as if she'd been hurt by Tian Jiaguang.
Meanwhile, the Wu family lost an elderly member of their family, and the three-month mourning period hadn't yet begun, so they couldn't eat meat and had to rely on a vegetarian diet. New Year's Day was a dull occasion. Wu Jianguo had to go on a business trip after New Year's Day, so the family had no desire to celebrate the holiday.
The only families as happy as the Jiangs were the Chengs and Lins. For the Chengs, their eldest grandson had a successful blind date and was about to get married. Old Cheng and Old Lady Liu were thinking about having a great-grandson. Even in the underworld, he would be a fourth-generation elder, and even the King of Hell would have to give him some respect. They were overjoyed.
Old Cheng was content with his grandson. Although most of the stolen goods had been secretly confiscated, he had spent a lot of them over the years. His son, daughter-in-law, and grandson's wages were all saved, and the Cheng family was indeed doing well. After the New Year, when Cheng Kantan got married and he had his great-grandson, he would be at peace even if he died immediately.
As for the Lin family, Lin Bing was of course happy about Tong Lili's pregnancy. As his contemporaries, Wang Jianyi, Cheng Meijuan, and Qiu Pan'er had all given birth, but Tong Lili hadn't gotten pregnant yet. Lin Bing's claim of not being anxious was impossible.
Privately, Lin Bing had complained about Tong Lili, but he had feelings for her, and she was a master of her craft. Despite their occasional arguments, their lives had always been smooth. Now that even that flaw had been addressed, how could he not be happy? Today, on New Year's Day, Lin Bing even had a friendly drink with his father, Lin Youliang, with whom he had always had a difficult relationship.
"Dad, just wait. Our Lin family's grandson will be born soon. He will definitely be better than that kid Fang Nanshan. So what if that kid married the leader's daughter? It's still a fate that the family will be wiped out! Besides, the leader's father-in-law may also get married. In the future, he will have a daughter-in-law and a family to take care of. As a son-in-law, he will have to stand aside."
Lin Bing had drunk a bit too much and was now talking nonsense. Actually, it was a bit inappropriate for him to consider Fang Nanshan his rival. First of all, Lin Bing was seven or eight years older than Fang Nanshan and had started working earlier, so he should have been better off than Fang Nanshan. But who could blame Lin Bing for being a lazy person? After all these years, he was still not as good as Fang Nanshan, who had only been working for two years. It was really speechless.
"Alright, Fang Nanshan is Fang Nanshan, and you are you. There's no comparison." Lin Youliang is clear-headed and advised, "Our family isn't short of money these days, and Lili is pregnant again, so we'll have to buy some things. Stop focusing on insignificant things."
Lin Bing was not convinced. He had not yet said anything about that kid Wu Jianguo, but his wife was the most important thing now. Everything had to wait until Tong Lili gave birth to the baby.
Tong Lili touched her belly and prayed silently, hoping to have a son. From now on, she would be a woman without a mother's family. Although she and Lin Bing had a good relationship, it was only for the time being. Men value appearance, especially Lin Bing. She was beautiful now, and Lin Bing could pamper her and go along with her, but what if she got older? The man beside her was unreliable, and she had to be born from her own belly. With a son, she could truly gain a foothold in the Lin family.
At this point, Tong Lili thought of the old Chinese doctor in the alley. She wondered if there was any medicine to ensure a boy. Then, she thought, this is my first child, should I take it? Normally, having a girl as the first child wouldn't be a big deal; older daughters are always the ones who care about the kids and can help take care of their younger siblings.
The entire building was celebrating New Year's Day, but suddenly, a loud chattering noise came from the first floor, and it sounded like quite a crowd. Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Mancheng quickly stood up, opened the window, and looked down. Then Jiang Mancheng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly closed the window and said anxiously, "Quick, put it away and check the food."
Jiang Nan was startled. How could this be getting worse? They were having hot pot today, and the table was overflowing with plates, dishes, and bowls. Jiang Nan quickly gathered them all up, even the copper hot pot. Zhou Zhixing fanned away the odors with a large fan, while Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua quickly opened the storage room door, picked out a few plates of pickled vegetables, and placed them on the table for presentation. They also grabbed a few steamed buns from the kitchen.
Because the smell of the hot pot was too strong, Jiang Nan urgently bought some mugwort from the mall and lit it, whispering, "Just say there are bugs at home and we're fumigating them."
After a flurry of activity, a gruff voice rang out from the corridor: "Open the doors and windows, check the food. Open the doors and windows, quickly." Then came the sound of footsteps, and soon, there was a knock on the Jiang family's door. Seeing that the house was almost clean, Jiang Nan quickly replied, "I'm coming."
When I opened the door, the woman with the red armband outside had a serious face and said in a stern voice, "We are responding to the great man's call for a frugal and simple New Year's Eve. We are here to check the New Year's food for the oilfield workers."
Jiang Nan forced a smile and said, "It's about serving the people. I understand. Please come in." There are still seven years left. The past two years should be the most intense period of the movement. We can't be tough with these hot-headed people. Jiang Nan seemed to have learned it by himself. On the first day of 1969, he learned to greet unwelcome people with a smile.
The red armband snorted, twitched his nose, and said sternly, "Why does it smell like mugwort? Did you eat meat to cover it up?"
Jiang Nan quickly protested, "Where? Comrade, you don't know. For the past few months, our police station has been searching the deep mountains and forests for people. I don't know if I've caught some bugs, but I've been itching all day. I thought I'd have some time during the New Year holiday, so I went back to my hometown a few days ago to get some mugwort to get rid of the bugs."
Chen Jinhua quickly agreed, "Yes, Xiaonan and Xiaoxing are both police officers and are usually very busy. They only had time today, and we thought we'd do a thorough cleaning after fumigating the house."
The red armband stared intently at Jiang Nan and his group. Any other person would have been intimidated, but Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing were police officers themselves; how could they fear such a look? Jiang Mancheng, a man who had been in the harem, was not afraid of any threatening look, so how could he be afraid of this? Chen Jinhua was no pushover either. They stared at each other for a long time. Seeing that this group was not afraid at all, the red armband snorted coldly and stepped aside to let the leader behind them into the house.
He was a leader, but he was only a young man who looked about 23 or 24 years old. He was tall and slender, and walked into the room with a smile on his face. Despite his youth, he spoke with an air of maturity: "I heard that your family often eats meat. The leaders said we should celebrate New Year's Day in a frugal and simple way. Just because you have a leader as a relative, you can't get any special privileges or be treated differently from everyone else, right?"
Jiang Nan was disgusted, but had to defend himself, "The four of us are workers. Each of us gets half a pound of meat coupons per month, which makes two pounds. We also have meat bones that don't require coupons, and we line up early every day to buy them. Even though my grandfather is a leader, he doesn't need to help us."
Chen Jinhua even added, "My father has been in Xinjiang for several months and has no time to help us."
The young man ignored him. On the table, there was a plate of pickled vegetables, two mixed-grain steamed buns, and three or two thin sweet potatoes. He pointed at the steamed buns and asked, "How much white flour is in it?"
Chen Jinhua laughed: "It's less than one-third. I have to put it in. Without white flour, I can't make a ball."
Before the young man could say anything, someone behind him started complaining: "One-third is so much? Just add a small handful to mix it up. We should practice economy. Humph, they're the ones in power after all, so extravagant."
Someone agreed. The young man in the lead lowered his head and said nothing. He couldn't push anyone too hard, so he looked up and saw Zhou Zhixing, and said with a forced smile: "It's the holidays, why is Brother Zhou at your house? As far as I know, you two are not married yet, right?" He chuckled as he said that.
Jiang Mancheng gritted his teeth and said, "We got engaged the year before last, and we planned to get married as soon as our birthdays came this year."
Even as he spoke, his heart was bleeding. He also understood that having been exposed meant he was being targeted. It would be best to get married quickly. Inspections would only become more frequent. If his daughter and Zhou Zhixing were always together, it would be disastrous if they were reported for having an affair. This crime now carried a sentence of imprisonment.
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