Chapter 109: New Year's Eve
Zou Li and the others didn't take it seriously, but Zhou Zhixing gave Jiang Nan a meaningful look, which made Jiang Nan feel guilty, and then he looked away. "I have something important to discuss right now, so I can't ask you. But I noticed your subconscious reaction. We'll discuss this in detail later."
Jiang Nan: "..." What can she say? Okay, tell me the details, but I can leave now. I'm busy chasing someone. If I don't go now, the person will run away.
Zhou Zhixing then nodded slightly, indicating that he was watching over the situation and that everything was fine. Jiang Nan left without worry. It wasn't that she had to go alone, but she was afraid that if both of them went, the four would become suspicious.
To confuse the four, Jiang Nan actually went to the restroom. After emerging, he looked around and then crouched down to the back building. The lights on the first floor were on. Jiang Nan tiptoed over, stealthily stood up, and peeked through the window. Wan Hu and Sun Min, drugged by some unknown drug, lay unconscious on the ground, allowing Shi Weimin to strip them. Shi Weimin could faintly hear his smug voice: "Just wait! Tomorrow, Wan Hu, you'll be disgraced. The position of Deputy Director of the Revolutionary Committee will have to be taken up by someone else."
Jiang Nan, disdainful, bent down to pick up a stone, gently pushed open the window, careful not to make any sound, and then threw the stone. Shi Weimin fell to the ground with a clang. Jiang Nan then opened the door and quickly carried Wan Hu to the bedroom on the second floor. Fortunately, she arrived early, otherwise Wan Hu would have been stripped naked and stained her eyes.
As for Shi Weimin and Sun Min, those two bastards should just wait until they get caught in adultery tomorrow. Jiang Nan chuckled strangely and, imitating Shi Weimin's behavior, stripped them both naked. After thinking about it, she decided to leave them in their underwear; she didn't want to get stye. Then, she played around with them in some poses, and Jiang Nan laughed strangely, feeling incredibly happy.
Although Wan Hu was despicable, he had been dealt with to the point where he was almost ready for use. Since they couldn't find a replacement for him for the time being, they had to keep him in this position and make no mistakes. It wouldn't be too late to replace him later when a suitable person came along. But that person couldn't be Shi Weimin or Sun Min. Those two were truly wicked, and in that position, they would only cause trouble and harm.
After quickly finishing his work, Jiang Nan trotted out of the building. Outside, snow had already begun to fall. The wind gradually picked up, whistling and stinging his face. Jiang Nan gathered his clothes, took a deep breath, and ran into the darkness.
It was impossible to stay outside for long in this kind of weather. After the six of them gathered, they quickly patrolled the streets of the work area and returned to the police station duty room. Even the most desperate thieves wouldn't dare come out in this kind of weather. They were lucky to have a patrol this night, and they could stay in the duty room for the night.
By daybreak, the snow had stopped. I opened the door and saw it was at least a foot deep, knee-deep. Nothing could be done; I had to clear the snow first. Those were the honest ones. Then there were the opportunists, who ignored their families and rushed to work, their slogans ringing true: "First take care of the family, then take care of the family." What can you say? They can do whatever they want. Everyone is different. I don't care about you, so don't care about me.
But which unit has the most people like this? Of course, it's Wan Hu's unit. Early in the morning, a dozen or so hot-headed young people rushed to the small building, vying for the job of sweeping the snow.
It wasn't long before they realized something was amiss. Why hadn't Director Wan come out in all this time? He'd clearly been sleeping inside last night. They all tried calling out for help, their calls alerting nearly everyone on the Revolutionary Committee, but there was no movement from inside. Something was amiss, and they hesitantly pushed the door open to take a look. They'd all heard Director Wan Hu was a big eater, but they hadn't expected this new guy, Shi Weimin, to share the same hobby.
Wan Hu, that's just hearsay, right? No one has seen any hard evidence. But Shi Weimin, everyone saw it with their own eyes. What else can we say? We absolutely cannot let you get promoted. If you get promoted, how can we still work with you? Everyone will say that you got promoted by currying favor with you. Then, how can you keep your reputation? This won't do. Absolutely not!
This single incident essentially ended Shi Weimin's path to advancement. The capital he had accumulated through his previous food inspections collapsed in an instant. Even Sun Min was sent back to the commune, never to return to the oil fields again. No one noticed that in the second-floor bedroom, a pair of eyes stared down at the floor below in terror, trembling.
Here, Jiang Nan was sweeping the snow, not forgetting to check the real-time progress of the Revolutionary Committee, giggling. Zhou Zhixing glanced at her again and again, but Jiang Nan didn't notice, as she seemed extremely happy.
Zhou Zhixing had no choice but to walk over and whispered, "Come on, don't be too happy. The news hasn't spread yet. Don't let anyone with ulterior motives notice it."
Jiang Nan rolled her eyes at him and said, "I'm paying attention. It's such a big deal, can't I just be happy?"
Zhou Zhixing surrendered and swept the snow. Seeing that no one was watching them, he said, "Okay, if you're happy, you can have two more buns later. Is that okay?"
Jiang Nan snorted. This wonderful day was all brought about by the delicious food and had nothing to do with you, Zhou Zhixing.
Because of the heavy snow, fewer people came to report crimes. On this rare day of leisure, everyone started discussing New Year's shopping. One complained about the difficulty of buying chickens and ducks, saying even asking for help wouldn't get them much. Another complained about the lack of meat and the lack of meaty filling in the dumplings. Another complained about the lack of fish, saying it was a must-have for New Year's Eve. Despite their complaints, everyone spoke with great enthusiasm.
After work, they discovered that Dong Tingting was walking around the No. 1 Courtyard with Wan Hu on her arm. Jiang Nan was impressed. Dong Tingting's vitality was too strong. Moreover, Wan Hu was really willing to lose face. He knew that such a reputation was not worth it. This was the first thing he thought of getting married.
All right, you guys can do whatever you want, as long as you obey, otherwise they really don’t mind replacing you. Zhou Zhixing whispered, “Wan Hu hasn’t dared to make any big moves in the past year, don’t worry.”
Indeed, those who've gotten into trouble in the past two years have all been those who fluttered around too hard. In the past, Wan Hu fluttered around too hard, and then, with a bang, he saw a female ghost. Now, Shi Weimin and Sun Min fluttered too hard, and today, their future is completely ruined. After seeing so much, Wan Hu has been forced to behave himself for the past year.
So, everyone behaved well, and life gradually settled down. They went to work, prepared New Year's goods, fried meatballs, made tofu, steamed buns, and made dumplings. Before they knew it, it was the eve of the Spring Festival of 1969. The 23rd day of the 12th lunar month, which happened to be a Sunday, also happened to be the Little New Year in northern China. According to Chaoyang Oilfield custom, this day was dedicated to the Kitchen God, including making dumplings and buying sesame candy as an offering. However, in those days, everyone did this secretly, and no one dared to speak publicly.
"Xiao Nan." Early in the morning, Wang Jianyi knocked on the door of the Jiang family.
Chen Jinhua got up early, opened the door quickly and said with a smile: "The hardship is coming, come in quickly."
After having a daughter, Wang Jianyi began interacting more frequently with the Jiang family. Perhaps realizing the Jiang family's connections meant they could always buy supplies, he began visiting more frequently, and as the two families grew familiar with each other, they became more familiar with each other. Especially after Old Wu died, with the Wu family's most unreliable member gone, the Jiang and Wu families' interactions became less restrictive and more frequent. Early this morning, Wang Jianyi came to talk about buying eggs.
Wang Jian's face flushed slightly, and after a long pause, he said, "Aunt Chen, I have no choice but to trouble you. My Nana is over six months old now and needs to start eating solid food, but we can't buy eggs at home, so I came to ask you."
Chen Jinhua groaned and waved her hand. "We're not close, so it's awkward to mention that. Okay, I'll get it for you. You're here just in time. We just went back to West River Bank last week and brought back a lot of eggs. You can take a few more back."
Wang Jianyi relaxed completely and pointed at the small jar he had brought with him. He said, "It contains pickled cucumbers. They're the same flavor as Big Brother's. I think they're okay. Jianguo brought them back when he was out driving. You guys should try them."
Chen Jinhua smiled and said, "Okay, I was just worried about the lack of food, so I've added another dish for the New Year. Wait, I'll get it for you."
Wang Jianyi: "Thank you, Aunt Chen."
Chen Jinhua waved her hand and stood up to get the eggs from the cupboard. The Jiang family's eggs were all kept in a jar under the cupboard. Chen Jinhua lifted the cloth and saw it was full, with over a hundred eggs.
Of course, not all of these were taken from home. Most of them were replaced by Jiang Nan in the system. However, there was a clear difference between the eggshells replaced by the system and those taken from the real countryside. That was that the eggshells replaced by the system were much cleaner, unlike those taken from home, which were still stained with chicken shit.
Wang Jianyu couldn't see this, or he'd be suspicious. Chen Jinhua shifted her body, blocking the jar more tightly. Then she picked up the slightly dirty eggs, counted thirty of them, and placed them in a small basket. She turned and handed them to Wang Jianyu, saying, "Take them, go back and make some steamed egg custard for Nana."
Wang Jianyi was startled and waved his hands repeatedly, "That's too much, Aunt Chen, just give me ten. Nana is still young, half an egg a day is enough."
Chen Jinhua stuffed the egg into the other person's arms and said with a smile, "Take it. Even if it's small, you can still finish one egg a day. Now that you call me Aunt Chen, don't be polite."
Wang Jianyi finally stopped refusing and insisted on paying. Chen Jinhua hadn't said she didn't want the money. These days, giving favors wasn't just about giving eggs. An egg was seven cents, and there were thirty eggs. Chen Jinhua said directly, "Just two yuan. These eggs are all different sizes, and they're not clean. They're not as good as the ones from the supply and marketing cooperative."
Wang Jianyi sighed, gave the money, and happily left Jiang's house. After everyone left, Jiang Nan came out of the bedroom, stretched, and said, "Sister Jianyi is very different now."
Although Wang Jiankun had a good life before, she felt strained. She had to shoulder the expenses of her older brother's rural education, Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng were disobedient and spent their days fooling around outside, and she also had to manage her own marriage, leaving her exhausted every day. Now, things are much better. Although she has a daughter, Wu Jianguo loves her immediately, her two younger brothers are police officers, and her older brother is doing well in the countryside. She truly feels relaxed now.
"Without pressure, life will naturally be easier." Chen Jinhua instructed Jiang Nan, "Okay, hurry up and wash up and have breakfast. We have a lot to do today."
Although they couldn't eat the good stuff secretly, it was after all Little New Year, and every household had bought meat. If the Jiangs added a little more meat to the filling, no one would mind. The person who checked the food couldn't just open the dumplings and look at them one by one.
Jiang Nan muttered, "Shi Weimin is gone, so he probably won't check the food."
Jiang Mancheng was sitting at the dining table reading a newspaper. He hadn't been able to talk to Wang Yanjian before, but now he had the chance. He said, "Of course not. When the people below see a shortcut to meritorious service, someone will always suggest an investigation. Don't rely on luck."
Seeing Jiang Nan unhappy, Chen Jinhua comforted him, "How about we secretly eat some fruit at night? Try not to cause trouble during the day. At least, give it a couple of years and it will be fine."
Well, with Jiang Mancheng here, even tofu can be made delicious. Jiang Nan suggested: "How about we fry the tofu slices and then marinate them with pepper water to make five-spice tofu?"
Chen Jinhua kept pushing Jiang Nan: "Okay, whatever you say, little ancestor, go wash up quickly, you look so sloppy, Xiaoxing should be here soon. Really, you haven't even gotten married yet, and you don't pay any attention at all."
Jiang Nan laughed and took advantage of Chen Jinhua's inattention to kiss her on the right cheek, then ran away giggling.
Chen Jinhua didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You kid."
Jiang Mancheng shook his head, and the family happily finished breakfast. Zhou Zhixing arrived soon after, and the four of them got busy again. Next Sunday was New Year's Eve, so there had to be a thorough cleaning, right? Every corner had to be swept, and they had to secretly offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God. While everyone called it feudal superstition, they all agreed it was better to believe it than not.
Besides, in this situation, three out of four people in my family aren't quite normal. How dare you not believe it? In the past, Chen Jinhua had gotten by, but this year, she insisted on worshipping the gods, and doing so respectfully, without any sloppiness. The Kitchen God statue was still in Jiang Nan's space, waiting for the Revolutionary Committee to inspect it so they could take it out and worship it.
The family was busy preparing for lunch when, around noon, the Revolutionary Committee arrived as expected. Perhaps because Shi Weimin's previous surprise inspections had been too offensive, they were much more relaxed this time, even checking food supplies. They even turned a blind eye to those buying sesame candy. They only criticized those who were overly extravagant, like those who bought pig's trotters, pig's heads, or braised pork.
Speaking of which, this matter is inherently offensive. Those who came up with the idea didn't implement it themselves, so if they were to let these minions do it, they would just be muddling through. Everyone has friends and family, and they can't afford to be criticized in the office because of this matter.
"Okay, I'll write a self-criticism. Three thousand words, no, five thousand. I'll definitely be thorough in my self-reflection."
"My family has been saving up meat coupons for three months, just waiting for the New Year. It's not like we want to be extravagant..."
The inspection ended with a whimper, without really offending anyone and still being able to report to the higher-ups. It must be said that after such a long time, even places like the Revolutionary Committee had experienced some veterans.
After closing the door, Jiang Nan took out sesame candy and the Kitchen God statue from the space, and the family worshiped them respectfully.
Jiang Mancheng was extremely pious: "May God bless you with good things and keep the world safe."
The three of them followed suit, but they were so serious about it that they didn't realize that the Revolutionary Committee's actions had actually created a bad atmosphere in the Qiu family next door. Qiu Pan'er had been waiting for this wave of inspections to embarrass Jiang Nan, but who knew they were also starting to go along with it? Qiu Pan'er was unhappy, and it showed on her face.
The Qiu family was all trying to curry favor with her now. Tian Jiaguang was very good at reading people's expressions and casually mentioned, "It's almost Chinese New Year. Should we go back to Xihe'an? Should we go back with Qiangzi and the others?"
He wasn't mentioning Sui Qiang, but rather reminding Qiu Pan'er that if she wanted to do anything, she could use Qiu Sheng'er's help. We were now parents, Tian Jiaguang had a job, and Qiu Xiangdong was the deputy captain. Clay pots had become porcelain, not to mention they weren't clay pots to begin with. We couldn't just act on impulse anymore. Qiu Sheng'er was different. She lived in fear in the Sui family, and she wouldn't hesitate to do anything that offered benefits.
Fortunately, Qiu Pan'er was no fool and immediately understood Tian Jiaguang's hint, and inevitably thought of Ye Chunping. This woman was also from Xihe'an. Although she was an educated youth, she had spent a lot of time in Xihe'an and could be used. As long as one of them agreed, Zhou Zhixing would be able to...
Qiu Pan'er was delighted, and thought today's vegetable soup was particularly delicious. She teased her son and asked, "Doudou, have we had egg custard today?"
Qiu Xiangdong and Tao Meiyu exchanged a glance. They were content with having a grandson. As long as Tian Jiaguang didn't want his grandson to change his surname, they could just go along with it and pretend not to see what he wanted to do. Tao Meiyu nudged her little grandson and said cheerfully, "Why didn't you eat it? You ate most of it today, didn't you, Doudou?"
The little fellow, who was over half a year old, had bright black eyes and would giggle non-stop when teased. The sound was very clear and penetrating. Even the Lin family next door could hear his laughter.
Tong Lili is already showing her pregnancy. Last month, due to pregnancy reactions, she couldn't eat and lost weight rapidly. Now she's feeling better, but her appetite has increased again. She feels hungry all day long and can't seem to get full no matter how much she eats. It hasn't even been two days, and she's already gained weight like a balloon. She's been gaining weight and losing weight, and she looks listless. Her face is a little swollen, and she's lost the pretty look she had earlier.
Neither of the Lins were disgusted by this, but they were a little worried about Tong Lili's tendency to add chili peppers to her dishes. As the saying goes, sour peppers make for spicy boys, so is Tong Lili pregnant with a girl?
Lin Youliang cleared his throat and instructed Lin Bing, "Play more with the Qiu family's Doudou and the Fang family's Niuniu. It would be even better if the little ones could urinate on them. Boys' urine attracts boys..."
Tong Lili paused as she added the chili peppers, then quickly put on a smile and said, "Dad, that saying sour boys and spicy girls are a superstition is not true. I asked Pan'er and Meijuan about it. When they were pregnant, one liked spicy food and the other liked sour food, and they both ended up giving birth to sons. Besides, this is my first child. As long as you're willing to have the baby, you can have a son, right, Bingzi?"
Lin Bing nodded cheerfully, "Yes, it's the first child, so it doesn't matter whether it's a boy or a girl. Dad, we can't keep thinking about it." He spoke so beautifully and righteously, completely forgetting that he was the one who wanted a son the most. It was just that Tong Lili's recent persuasion had changed his mind.
The Fang family, mentioned above, is now happily celebrating the Little New Year. Cheng Meijuan, truly having difficulty having children, places exceptional importance on her only child and has already taken a long leave to care for him. The girl, once obsessed with love, now clings to her son daily, even to the point where her grandmother, Sun Qiaolian, is unable to hold him.
Sun Qiaolian kindly advised her daughter-in-law: "Meijuan, I'll hold Niu Niu. You should eat quickly. Today is the Little New Year, and there are many good things to eat. Don't just focus on the child, you also need to take care of your health."
There was really nothing wrong with what he said, but Cheng Meijuan didn't know what had happened to her and she just wouldn't listen. She shook her head and said, "Mom, I'm fine. I can eat while holding Niu Niu. This child can't live without me. He cries when he's in someone else's arms. Don't let Niu Niu suffer." As she spoke, she held the child in one hand and picked up dishes to eat with the other, looking very hurried.
Sun Qiaolian felt upset. This seemed like someone was looking down on her. She looked at her son, then at her daughter-in-law, feeling a pang of pain in her heart.
Cheng Meijuan had noticed, but she pretended not to. She was genuinely worried that the child would pick up some bad health issues from spending too much time with Sun Qiaolian. She had a thousand and ten thousand disdain for her mother-in-law, but she was just afraid to offend her outwardly.
A closer look at Cheng Meijuan revealed that she was much slovenlier than before, with tangled, greasy hair, unwashed. This would have been unthinkable when she was a girl, but now she appeared before Fang Nanshan with such a grand gesture, as if she didn't care about her image at all. Fang Nanshan frowned at this and said, "Meijuan, let me hold the baby. Eat your meal and don't just focus on the baby. Your health is important, too." He extended his hand.
Cheng Meijuan raised her head, hesitated for a moment, handed her son to Fang Nanshan, and smiled embarrassedly: "Nanshan, you...you are not angry anymore? I asked for a long vacation for the sake of the child. This may be the only son we have in this life. I..."
Fang Nanshan shook his head: "I'm not angry, I just think you should at least tell me before making a decision. We are already married and a family. If you take a long vacation, you will lose your salary. There are so many people in our family..."
Cheng Meijuan hummed and said hurriedly, "Don't worry about the money. I'll go find Dad this afternoon. It's because of him that I couldn't give birth. He has to take responsibility!"
Fang Nanshan was finally satisfied. It didn't matter what happened to Cheng Meijuan, but he had to pay for it. He put a piece of shredded pork into Cheng Meijuan's bowl and said softly, "Don't be angry. Talk to Dad nicely. Dad doesn't want to..."
As they talked, the brothers Fang Nansheng and Fang Nanhai sat beside them, their heads buried in their food, their minds grumbling. Whatever compensation my sister-in-law's father received, it all went to my eldest brother. It wasn't as good as a salary. With a salary, they received it every month, and could turn over a portion for household expenses, so they could eat and use things well. But subsidies were different; the amount they gave was entirely up to my brother and sister-in-law. I wonder if my eldest sister-in-law thought they were getting in the way and was deliberately doing this...
Although each family had their own ulterior motives, the food was generally good. Unbeknownst to everyone, the family that ate the worst on Little New Year's Day was Cheng Dazhu's. It couldn't be helped; the Cheng family had been caught red-handed during the last food inspection. Until the Lunar New Year, the Cheng family hadn't dared to indulge in any indulgence. Over the past few days, Cheng Dazhu had lost several pounds and barely looked like a chef anymore.
Before the Lunar New Year, security was tight, with patrols everywhere. However, one area where the situation began to slacken was the black market. When supplies were insufficient, the black market was used to regulate supply and demand. If it couldn't be eliminated, a careful approach to regulation was necessary. In recent years, despite the abolition of the Spring Festival holiday, people still celebrated, and to celebrate meant buying things, so the black market inevitably flourished.
Who wouldn't go to the black market before the Lunar New Year? In this atmosphere, even the Jiang family had to pretend to go a few times. In the past, it was always Jiang Nan who went. Now that he was a police officer, it was hard for him to go to such places. In the past two years, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua had taken turns going. Once to buy meat, once to buy fish, just to make a show of it to confuse people. Basically, every time the two of them went out, they secretly took the things Jiang Nan had exchanged from the system, and then took them back home openly after leaving the black market, thus laundering the source of the goods.
He went there twice. Originally, Zhou Zhixing had nothing to do, but Zhou's uncle was in a hurry when going downstairs in the morning and accidentally sprained his ankle. Zhou knew that he was young and had no perseverance in doing things, so no one was willing to let him go to the black market, so Zhou Zhixing had to take action.
Chen Jinhua was worried about Zhou Zhixing going alone and waved her hands repeatedly, "How can this be possible? Xiaoxing, you're a police officer. If you get caught, you'll be breaking the law knowingly. You have to be fired. No way."
Jiang Mancheng also shook his head repeatedly. Jiang Nan said, "How about keeping an eye on Tang Xi? She's going to have a sale before the New Year, right? Why don't we pretend to run into her by chance and buy what she has?"
This was the only way. Seeing this, Jiang Nan switched to Tang Xi's channel and whispered, "It's just right. Tang Xi is going to the black market tonight. Let's hurry."
Late at night, the four changed into their clothes and headed out to the woods, camouflaged themselves, and painted their eyes. A short while later, four complete strangers appeared, riding bicycles towards the black market. Behind them, two pairs of eyes stared intently at them. They were stunned for a moment at the strangers, then quickly became excited. They must be disguised to go to the black market. God was really helping them. This way, even if they were caught, they wouldn't dare to reveal anything, making their plan much smoother.
The two men laughed, each one more malicious than the other.
These two people were none other than Ye Chunping and Qiu Shenger. That's right, both of them were persuaded by Qiu Paner. Actually, it wasn't really persuasion, to be precise, they were attracted by the conditions offered by Qiu Paner. They lived such a hard life, making some money from the Jiang family and letting Qiu Paner bleed a little, isn't it what they deserve! The Jiang family claims to be good people, so let's just do a good deed! The two looked at each other, buried their heads in pedaling their bicycles, and fell far behind.
Ye Chunping whispered, "Did you see clearly which one is Zhou Zhixing?"
Qiu Sheng'er shook his head. The four of them were hiding in disguise, so it was hard to tell who was who behind the makeup. Furthermore, they were all tall, so if they were all disguised as men, who would be able to tell them apart? Fortunately, the mother and daughter weren't too outlandish; they were still disguised as women. Otherwise, it would have been a complete mess.
Ye Chunping paused for a moment and said, "Then let each of them take responsibility. It doesn't matter who they are. Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Mancheng are both rich."
Qiu Sheng'er nodded. Their plan was simple: a "bumping into a porcelain" scheme. When alone with the two men, they'd just pull their shirts and yell "hooligan!" Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Mancheng wouldn't be scared. Qiu Sheng'er and Ye Chunping could then testify against each other, accusing the man of hooliganism, and Zhou Zhixing or Jiang Mancheng wouldn't have to pay.
The plan was good, but the two of them had no idea that the idea of wearing casual clothes was Jiang Nan's. And Jiang Nan was not having a second-year syndrome attack and wanted to "switch gender". Instead, he had noticed the two people's plan and was countering it.
Yes, Jiang Nan had noticed something was amiss with the two of them a few days earlier. After all, it was impossible for anyone to be unaware of being stared at with resentful eyes. And considering everyone's behavior over the past few days, it was impossible for him not to guess.
These two were clearly instigated by Qiu Pan'er. As for the blackmail, it was easy to resolve. Both of them had men. Women led the charge, and men were naturally responsible for cleaning up the mess.
Besides, who wouldn't go to the black market before the Lunar New Year? With these two here, Sui Qiang and Yuan Jianshe will naturally be there too. Did you choose today blindly? Today is the 29th day of the lunar year, and tomorrow is New Year's Eve, the last day of the black market. So many people are going there to buy at the bottom. How could Sui Qiang and Yuan Jianshe not go?
Jiang Nan laughed all the way, looking very proud.
When they reached the grove not far from the black market, Jiang Mancheng jumped off his bicycle, fixed his long hair, and then said in a pinched voice, "Okay, your mother and I are leaving. Xiaonan and Xiaoxing, you two wait at the usual place and don't run around."
Chen Jinhua felt a little hurtful. Her man was always so eccentric. She warned Jiang Mancheng, "Don't forget to turn on the voice changer later. Tang Xi will be able to tell."
Jiang Mancheng made a reassuring gesture, and the two walked side by side, gradually moving away. Jiang Nan finally breathed a sigh of relief, carefully locked the bicycle, and then whispered, "Ye Chunping and Qiu Sheng'er are behind, and Sui Qiang and Yuan Jianshe just came out."
What a coincidence! Those two walking with their heads down in front of them are Sui Qiang and Yuan Jianshe! They were originally planning to go to the black market to find them, but now they have run into them directly, which saves them a lot of trouble.
These two had only recently become accomplices. Since both had married women from the West River, they felt a sense of sympathy and quickly became familiar with each other. Furthermore, neither was particularly courageous, and they even went to the black market together. As the saying goes, doing good things together might not be very effective, but doing bad things together definitely makes the relationship stronger. That was the point between the two of them.
Going to the black market naturally required disguises. They both put on beards and even exchanged clothes, which was quite a precaution. If they weren't very familiar with each other, they wouldn't have recognized each other at first glance. Of course, Ye Chunping and Qiu Sheng'er didn't know any of this.
There were far more than just the two of them who came together. There were quite a few people who went to the black market to buy at the bottom. Some went alone, while others went in groups like Sui Qiang and Yuan Jianshe. At a glance, there were at least seven or eight people.
Jiang Nan sneered inwardly and whispered, "Let's go to the old place."
Zhou Zhixing nodded, followed Jiang Nan swiftly, entered the crowd, lowered his head, and quickly disappeared into the alley next to the black market.
Seeing the two men leaving, Ye Chunping and Qiu Sheng'er hurried to catch up, only to bump into someone walking with their heads down. In a split second, they disappeared. They stamped their feet, then, as fate would have it, they ran into Sui Qiang and Yuan Jianshe, bumping into each other head-on. It was such a coincidence that they bumped into each other: Ye Chunping bumped into Sui Qiang, and Qiu Sheng'er bumped into Yuan Jianshe.
Ye Chunping stopped and stamped her feet, unable to catch up. Glancing around, she saw everyone heading for the black market with their heads down, almost all gone. She gritted her teeth and decided, since she was already here, she had to get something. Without thinking twice, she quickly unbuttoned her cotton jacket and opened her mouth to shout, but the man next to her growled, "Ye Chunping, what are you doing!"
Qiu Sheng'er on the other side was in a similar situation. He was also taking off his clothes when someone yelled at him, "Qiu Sheng'er, if you don't want a divorce, then keep going!"
The two of them looked up in panic. This voice was too familiar. How could it be possible...
Yuan Jianshe stepped forward and slapped Ye Chunping in the face: "Didn't you say you wanted to go for a walk with Sheng'er? Why did you end up here?"
He was furious, staring at Ye Chunping with eyes that were like quenched fire: "What do you want to do? Are you trying to cheat on me?! Tell me, who is that old bastard?"
Ye Chunping's face turned pale and she waved her hands repeatedly, "No, Sheng'er and I were worried about you two, so we came to pick you up. Really. I... I wanted to take off my coat and let you put it on. Really, I'm telling the truth. You... It's not easy for you to come all this way to buy things. I feel sorry for you."
Yuan Jianshe chuckled twice and said coldly, "Really? Okay, take it off. I'm really cold. Your cotton-padded jacket is nice. It's quite thick, right? Take it off and warm my hands. Take it off. I'll watch you take it off."
His eyes were sharp as he stared at Ye Chunping. Ye Chunping had no choice but to endure the pain if she wanted to pass. She quickly took off her cotton-padded jacket and handed it to Yuan Jianshe, saying with an awkward smile, "Here, Jianshe, don't get cold. I... I'm not cold." As she spoke, she sneezed loudly, and her whole body began to shiver.
Sui Qiang saw this and looked at Qiu Sheng'er coldly. Qiu Sheng'er bit her lip. Although she was not as quick as Ye Chunping, she knew that if she wanted to pass the test today, she had to endure the cold. Qiu Sheng'er took off her cotton jacket and handed it to Sui Qiang in silence.
The two couples, sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams, stood face to face. Soon, Sui Qiang and Yuan Jianshe put on their cotton-padded jackets and headed home. They had walked after dinner and didn't ride bikes. Ye Chunping and Qiu Sheng'er had bikes but didn't dare ride them. They shivered as they followed the men, pushing their bikes, their bodies trembling with cold.
In a small alley not far away, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing watched quietly until they could no longer see anyone. Jiang Nan then said, "Yuan Jianshe and Sui Qiang are quite wicked. They'll definitely have a high fever if they go back home in this cold. But Ye Chunping and Qiu Sheng'er deserved it, too. Sigh, there's nothing I can say."
"Don't be sentimental about turtles and green beans." Zhou Zhixing said, "Okay, we can put away the disguise now. The plan has been ruined, and there's no point in wearing it anymore."
Jiang Nan nodded, and seeing that there was no one around, he put away his short hair, beard and other disguises, put on a military coat, and finally packed up.
"How is Uncle Jiang and Aunt Chen doing?" Zhou Zhixing asked.
Jiang Nan clicked on the channel and took a look, then whispered, "It went well. Tang Xi didn't recognize her parents. I just sold all the beef and mutton I had. I have 15 kilograms. Now we can have a good New Year."
After thinking for a moment, he said, "I'll exchange some more and make up 20 kilograms, so I can take more with me when I visit relatives."
By the time Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua arrived with the meat, Jiang Nan had already exchanged the money. The four of them met in the alley, secretly changed clothes, quickly packed up, and returned to the family compound. Although they were sneaky, everyone knew they'd gone to the black market, but they'd turned a blind eye. Who wouldn't go before the New Year? If they reported this, they'd be savaged to death.
And so, on their last trip to the black market before the Lunar New Year, the four returned home with a bountiful harvest. Zhou Zhixing brought home six pounds of beef and mutton, much to the delight of the Zhou family. Uncle Zhou almost decided to cook the meal himself, despite his injury.
Because of the harvest, the New Year's Eve dinner was exceptionally sumptuous. The Jiang family's table was filled with six dishes: braised beef, braised fish, braised pork, cold-mixed cabbage, scrambled eggs with shrimp, and four-happiness meatballs. They also included a dish of sauerkraut and pork dumplings—a truly delicious feast. Zhou Zhixing, celebrating New Year at the Zhou family, also enjoyed six dishes, but the dumplings were made with radish and pork, and he was thoroughly satisfied.
Unbeknownst to them, the Sui and Yuan families living on the same floor were in a state of turmoil over the two patients. Yuan Dali, because his wife was pregnant, almost sent the ailing Ye Chunping back to the Youth Home, but Ye Chunping, despite her illness, worked hard and was able to stay.
There's still no holiday on New Year's Day; everyone has to go back to work early. But everyone is happy, and we've gradually gotten used to the pace of life. We're just waiting for the seventh day to go back home and pay New Year's greetings.
Unexpectedly, at noon, when she got off work, Ma Xiaoqin was waiting at the police station entrance, carrying a bag of dumplings that looked to weigh three pounds. Seeing Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing come out, she sprinted over to them, handed them the bag, and said, "Officer Jiang, this is to thank you for getting justice for my mother. It's made entirely of pork. Consider it my thank-you gift."
Seeing that the two refused to accept it, Ma Xiaoqin held it up stubbornly and continued, "Grandpa and grandma didn't allow my mother to be buried in the Ma family's ancestral tomb. I...I buried my mother in a place on the mountain. No one knows where it is. I think my mother's spirit in heaven would not want to be with the Ma family anymore. You two are good people. You have restored my mother's innocence. You must keep these dumplings. Just think of it as a celebration of my mother's escape from the Ma family, okay?"
Jiang Nan nodded, then reached out to take it and asked, "Where do you live now?"
Ma Xiaoqin smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have a place to live, the youth worker dormitory. I heard that a new residential complex will be built this year. My boyfriend and I are thinking of getting married. I hope you have time to attend our group wedding when the time comes."
He waved his hand and said goodbye to the two of them. His face was particularly relaxed, as if he had finally broken free from the shackles.
Jiang Nan asked in confusion, "A mass wedding? The oil field is going to hold a mass wedding?"
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