Chapter 111 Getting Married
Everyone nodded. Not long after, the other officers also entered the station. Lan Qingshan pointed at the members of Team Three and said, "Go to Qingjiang Commune and ask about Sun Min. Take the bus; it's quite far, and riding a bicycle wouldn't be convenient."
"yes."
It was almost noon, and Lan Qingshan waved his hand: "Let's all go back and eat first, and come back in the afternoon to sort out the information."
When there were only two of them left, Jiang Nan carefully told Zhou Zhixing about the matter.
The story is simple: Sun Min, a bisexual man, encountered Hai Jian in the woods while having an affair with Wan Hu. Knowing Hai Jian was a landlord, Sun Min repeatedly extorted money from him, claiming they had slept together. As a result, Hai Jian hadn't been able to pay his wages for nearly six months. This was discovered by Hai's father, who, already in poor health, was irritated to death. Hai Jian, driven by love and hatred, had long sought to kill Sun Min, but his cunning nature prevented him from finding the opportunity.
Wen Ling, on the other hand, was deeply in love with Hai Jian. After learning of his feelings, he took the initiative to call Sun Min out and, using his physical advantage, killed him. When Hai Jian learned of this, he didn't want Wen Ling to go to jail, believing he had implicated him, so he staged the murder and the suicide note. Hai Jian had long since given up on living, so why not save Wen Ling, who had helped him?
Zhou Zhixing was stunned by what he heard. This whole love-hate thing. He thought for a moment and said, "Since Haijian managed to handle it and even committed suicide, I think the clues and the murder weapon have all been dealt with, right?"
Seeing Jiang Nan nod, Zhou Zhixing sighed, "It's hard to convict Wenling! As long as he doesn't admit it, we have no evidence to prove he did it. After all, the suicide note was written by Haijian, and the evidence has been processed and used as evidence of Haijian's murder. Even if you see it in the system, it's useless. There's no way to convict him."
Jiang Nan naturally understood this. This was also the downside of the system. In many cases, even though the truth was known, there was no evidence to convict the perpetrator.
Zhou Zhixing comforted her, "If you think about it this way, is Wenling a cruel and inhumane person? Would he harm people indiscriminately?"
Jiang Nan hesitated and shook his head. Zhou Zhixing spread his hands and said, "That's it. Tell the system to keep an eye on Wenling. If he dares to harm anyone, we'll arrest him immediately! If he doesn't work this time, he won't be so lucky next time. Don't worry, nothing will happen."
Jiang Nan finally relaxed. The two of them hurriedly ate lunch. Since it was the weekend, the police station cafeteria was naturally closed, so they went home for lunch. In the afternoon, as usual, they went to the glass fiber reinforced plastics residential complex and asked the neighbors. Aside from Wenling, no one was familiar with Haijian, so they didn't get any leads.
Finally, the sun set and they had a quick dinner. Seeing that Wen Ling was still the same and refused to say anything, Lan Qingshan said, "You can leave, but only after we go to the place you mentioned and ask some questions."
Wenling remained noncommittal: "If you can find out, just go ahead and ask."
Lan Qingshan glanced at Wen Ling a few more times, realizing he had a point. These people generally kept to themselves and wouldn't get involved. Even if they might return empty-handed, they still had to go. Gradually, everyone gathered at the police station and set off for what Wen Ling had called the "assembly point." Jiang Nan watched them leave, curling her lips. What was there to be proud of? She could watch the live broadcast, so why would she care whether she went or not?
Jiang Nan sat in a chair, watching Wang Zili being touched on the face and Shao Yong being groped on the chest, and he lay on the table, laughing uncontrollably. The touching was fine, but the key was that no one got any information. Everyone said they didn't know Sun Min and Hai Jian, and they openly looked down on these newbies.
"Tsk, they are all fake names, what's there to ask?"
"That's right, here, everything is fake, you know? Once the sun comes up, no one recognizes each other, and if you're still looking for someone, you won't be able to find them even if you're a ghost!"
Yes, until the 1990s, these people were considered "mentally ill," let alone today. No one revealed their true identity; many even came in disguise. No one knew what they truly looked like, and it was impossible to get any information from them. They went three nights in a row, but returned empty-handed. With no new leads, Hai Jian and Sun Min's cases were closed as suicides, effectively bringing the matter to a close.
Only after the case was over did Jiang Nan finally have time to prepare her wedding dress. Time really didn't seem to be running out for her. Jiang Nan had no choice but to work overtime after work every day to prepare the dress, finally finishing it three days before the wedding.
The bright red shirt-style dress had a wide, gold-trimmed fabric belt at the waist and oval-shaped pockets at the hips, which were convenient for storing things and added a touch of playfulness. As soon as she put it on, Chen Jinhua was extremely satisfied.
"That's great! Everyone will be envious on the wedding day." Chen Jinhua clapped her hands, laughing uncontrollably. She quickly said, "Your grandfather will be here tomorrow. You two should leave early at noon to register first, and then we'll go to the train station to pick him up."
Jiang Nan gave him a reassuring look, quickly went in to change his clothes, and asked, "How long can Grandpa stay?"
Chen Jinhua's smile faded. Chen Wanli had been in Xinjiang Province for more than six months. It was said that he had discovered a large oil field and was very busy. He had to leave the next day after attending the wedding. She whispered what happened, looking very depressed.
Jiang Nan quickly went over and took Chen Jinhua's arm, coquettishly saying, "Mom, if you miss grandpa, you can ask for leave and live with him for a while. Really, the union is not busy, and grandpa is old. Everyone will understand if you ask for leave."
Chen Jinhua rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Do you think I haven't thought about it? Your grandfather doesn't want to go! He said he's finally free and happy without his children around. He won't let me go no matter what."
Jiang Nan chuckled, "Grandpa is afraid that you might interfere with his search for a partner?"
Chen Jinhua slapped her daughter's arm vigorously: "What nonsense! Come on, go to bed early today. You have to go to register tomorrow. Don't stay up late."
I don't know where Mrs. Cao got this rule from, but she hasn't allowed Zhou Zhixing to come to the Jiang family these past few days, saying that seeing each other so frequently before the wedding isn't good. It's best not to see each other, but they're colleagues after all, so even if they don't see each other after work, they still have to see each other during the office. But Mrs. Cao insisted, and to make her feel comfortable, Zhou Zhixing didn't hesitate and didn't come over after work these past few days.
The next day, Zhou Zhixing brought a bag of fruit candies to the police station, and everyone realized that today was the day they were getting their marriage certificate. As they collected the candy, they all smiled and laughed heartily. They stopped handing over all the miscellaneous matters to Team Six and handled everything they could themselves. They also kept urging the couple to leave early so as not to delay the registration process.
The two had no choice but to get up and leave amid the crowd's jeers.
As they walked, Jiang Nan finally realized she was getting married, sharing a life and death with another man. She glanced at Zhou Zhixing, wondering if she wanted to take a gamble. In her previous life, although she had been born into a middle-class family, her parents' relationship wasn't harmonious, with their constant bickering, leaving her disenchanted with marriage.
God had been kind to her in this life, allowing her to meet Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua, a pair of incredibly loving parents. Thinking of them, Jiang Nan's heart hardened. Her parents were more open-minded than she was. Even if something happened in the future, she believed they would stand by her side without hesitation.
Seeing Jiang Nan frowning and curling his lips, Zhou Zhixing raised his eyebrows and teased, "Why, do you regret it?"
Jiang Nan snorted: "Who wants to go back on their word? I don't mean that. It's too late for you to go back on your word. The street office is just ahead. Let's go." As he said that, he took two quick steps and walked to the front.
Zhou Zhixing shook his head and laughed, quickly trotting to catch up. There were no dedicated marriage registration offices these days; everything was done directly at the neighborhood office. There was no need to take a photo of the marriage certificate; it was just a piece of paper. The two of them, armed with a letter of introduction from their employer and their household registration booklet, quickly obtained their marriage certificates.
Zhou Zhixing grabbed a handful of candy and handed it to the clerk: "Thank you for your hard work, this is wedding candy, please have a taste."
The two clerks, one old and one young, had just looked unhappy because the two men came over just before leaving get off work, but now they quickly grinned and smiled happily: "Congratulations."
"Congratulations, congratulations."
Zhou Zhixing smiled and tugged at Jiang Nan's arm. Jiang Nan echoed, "Congratulations, congratulations."
After leaving the service hall, Jiang Nan muttered softly, "We came here half an hour early, and you're still so pretentious. How pretentious!"
Zhou Zhixing smiled: "Okay, today is a happy occasion. Let's go to the train station. Grandpa will definitely come."
Jiang Nan teased: "Oh, you changed your name so soon? Grandpa hasn't come yet. Even if you call him, no one will change your name or give you a red envelope."
Zhou Zhixing looked misunderstood and aggrieved: "I'm the type who cares about red envelopes. I said that because I think my grandfather is dear to me. Look at you, you always misunderstand me."
Jiang Nan reached out to pat Zhou Zhixing, but he reacted too quickly and jumped away. The two of them laughed all the way to the train station.
There was a direct train from Xinjiang to the Chaoyang Oilfield, arriving at 12:08 PM. The two met up with Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua on the platform. Within ten minutes, the train whistle blew, followed by a whirring sound and billowing smoke. The train was still burning coal, and the clanging gradually faded, signaling its arrival. Within two minutes, hundreds of people emerged, creating a massive crowd.
Chen Wanli, carrying a large black bag, strolled out of the train door with a casual air. He was dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers, his face looking the same, not a bit older. Perhaps due to the exceptionally strong Xinjiang sun, the old man's complexion had darkened considerably, now a bronzed tan that made him look quite fashionable.
Jiang Nan jumped up happily and waved his hands: "Grandpa, here, we are here."
Chen Wanli looked up and searched for a moment among the crowd of people waiting to meet him. He quickly located his granddaughter, who was jumping and waving. He smiled and waved his hand: "I see. Stop jumping. It's so hot, aren't you tired?"
As he spoke, he strode up to the front of the group. Jiang Mancheng quickly reached out to take the bag from his father-in-law. Zhou Zhixing handed him the soda he had bought on the way and sweetly called him "Grandpa."
Chen Wanli laughed, raised an eyebrow and glanced at Zhou Zhixing, teasingly saying, "I just got off the train, and you're already in a hurry to change the red envelope."
Zhou Zhixing complimented him without changing his expression, "No, it's just that I couldn't help myself when I saw you kissing me."
Chen Wanli nodded at Zhou Zhixing: "Alright, your face is almost as thick as the whole city. Good, very good, Grandpa is relieved."
As he spoke, he reached out and touched Jiang Nan's head, sighing, "Xiao Nan has grown up and is about to get married."
Jiang Nan took Chen Wanli's arm and said coquettishly, "Grandpa, what are you going to give me for my wedding? I heard there's jade in Xinjiang Province. Didn't you bring some back?"
Chen Wanli's emotion disappeared immediately. He tapped Jiang Nan's forehead and said with a smile, "You little rascal, you're too lazy to say nice things, right? You come up and ask for gifts!
Jiang Nan chuckled, and Chen Wanli couldn't help but said, "Wait, I'll show it to you when we get home. Don't worry, you won't be left out."
Jiang Nan cheered and then said, "Grandpa, I'll be waiting for you."
The group chatted and laughed as they first returned to Courtyard No. 1. They were all acquaintances, and when they saw Chen Wanli, they all greeted him warmly.
"Hey, Chief Engineer Chen is back! How long are you staying this time? Are you going to Xinjiang Province again? I heard that the oil fields in Xinjiang Province are even bigger than the Chaoyang Oil Field. Is that true?"
"Who knows, Chief Engineer Chen, are they hiring in Xinjiang Province?"
Someone curled his lips: "It's so far, you still want to go to Xinjiang Province?"
"It's still an oil field. It's better than farming, right? Chief Engineer Chen..."
Chen Wanli chuckled, not responding. Everyone else took no notice, and several enthusiastic people even sent small pickles and other items home, simply saying they were for the festive occasion. Old Lady Cao brought pickled peppers, and Old Lady Liu brought pickled radishes that Cheng Dazhu had personally prepared. The door opened and closed, and after half an hour of arriving home, the family was finally able to sit down and eat in peace.
In order to welcome Chen Wanli, Jiang Mancheng took a day off and got up early in the morning to buy ingredients. He fried and boiled the food and made seven dishes and one soup, a total of eight dishes.
Chen Wanli looked at the dining table with a smile, glanced at his son-in-law, and was happy in his heart, but his face was very reserved: "It has to be Mancheng, he always does things so considerately."
Jiang Mancheng immediately became excited and pointed at the braised pork, saying, "Dad, it's my duty to be filial to you. Without your support, I wouldn't be where I am today, right? Come and try this braised pork. I'm sure you didn't eat it well in Xinjiang. I had to wait in line for a long time to buy it."
Chen Wanli raised his lip slightly, picked up his chopsticks and began to eat. The other four people then began to eat. After a few bites, Chen Wanli asked about the arrangements for the wedding banquet. Jiang Mancheng patted his chest and said, "It's not extravagant, but it's definitely not shabby. According to the current rules of the oil field, the wedding banquet has a standard of ten dishes. The main meat dishes are pork knuckle, braised chicken, and steamed fish. The others are some vegetables. The soup is radish meatball vermicelli soup. Cheng Dazhu will be the chef himself. He is a long-time chef with a lot of experience."
Chen Wanli nodded, pointed to the bag he brought, and said, "There's some beef jerky in it, and some jade jewelry I brought with me. It's a gift for Xiaonan."
Jiang Nan cheered, skipping her meal and jumping up to look at the jade. Inside her luggage, she saw emerald green jade bracelets, earrings, and necklaces lying quietly in a red velvet box. The green was so intense that Jiang Nan couldn't help but tremble. Could this be the legendary imperial green?
She opened her eyes wide and looked back at Chen Wanli in disbelief.
Chen Wanli said cheerfully: "Grandpa bought this especially for you, do you like it?"
Jiang Nan nodded hurriedly. Imperial green, who wouldn't like it? But it was too extravagant. She whispered, "Grandpa, isn't this precious?"
Chen Wanli's eyes showed pride. "Don't worry about it. Grandpa can still afford it with his salary. But it's not easy to wear them all out now. Just wear the earrings to the wedding. Put the others away for now. There will always be a time to wear them out."
Seeing Jiang Nan's eyes curved, Chen Wanli was also happy, and continued: "There is also a set of red agate jewelry, which is for your mother. Take it out and have a look."
Hearing this, Jiang Nan hurried to look through the box, and sure enough, she found another one. She jumped and handed it to Chen Jinhua, saying coquettishly, "Mom, let's look at the jewelry first, and then we can eat later. Mom~"
Chen Jinhua glared at her daughter, but she obediently put down her chopsticks and opened the jewelry box. She saw the agate was a rouge color. Although not as dazzling as pigeon blood red, it looked very gentle. Jiang Nan was happy: "Mom, you will look good wearing earrings on your wedding day."
The family admired the jewelry for a while before continuing to eat. Because Chen Wanli didn't like staying at his children's homes, the four of them sent him back to the guesthouse shortly after dinner. The old man was of high rank, so he lived in the highest-level cadre single room with a shower. As soon as Chen Wanli entered, he kicked everyone out: "I've been sitting on the train for several days and I'm very tired. I'm going to take a shower and go to bed. Don't disturb me for dinner. Come back tomorrow morning. Let's go."
Seeing that Chen Wanli's eyes were indeed showing signs of fatigue, no one wanted to stay. Chen Jinhua made the bed for her father and left reluctantly. In the afternoon, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing had to go to work and went straight back to the police station. Unexpectedly, they received a letter.
The letter was sent by Wu Chunli who went to the countryside. I don't know if Wu Jianguo told her about Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing's marriage. The girl also congratulated them in the letter. But very abruptly, Wu Chunli asked them to go to Suzhou, saying that she encountered some problems that she couldn't handle, which might be related to human traffickers. Knowing that they were policemen, she wrote to ask for help.
Jiang Nan's heart skipped a beat. With the unsolved human trafficking case from last year, wasn't it possible that those girls were sold to Suzhou? Was there any news about these people?
She quickly asked the system, but found that it was not the case.
[Host, a female educated youth has gone missing from Wu Chunli's educated youth home. Wu Chunli had a good relationship with her and suspects she's been abducted and sold, so she's asking you and Zhou Zhixing to come and help.]
Jiang Nan felt helpless. "This is across provinces. Even if Zhou Zhixing and I went there, we wouldn't have the authority to handle the case, right? The local police station definitely wouldn't let us investigate."
[The missing female educated youth was from our oil field. Wu Chunli was worried, so she desperately sought help.]
Jiang Nan poked Zhou Zhixing's arm, handed him the letter, and asked in a low voice, "What should I do? Do you need help?"
Zhou Zhixing naturally overheard the conversation between Jiang Nan and the system. He glanced at the letter and whispered, "Show it to Director Lan after the wedding. The educated youth's parents will definitely make a scene when they get to know the news. Who knows, they might even make a business trip."
Jiang Nan nodded. They were getting married soon. Although they had some vacation time after their wedding, people in this era valued dedication and rarely took wedding leave. Naturally, they couldn't be independent and treated their business trips as honeymoons.
The next day, Chen Jinhai and Chen Jinyang also arrived, and both families checked into the guesthouse. They didn't give me jade, but they did give me a gold necklace, gleaming with gold, and no one knew where they bought it from.
That evening, Jiang Nan and her family returned to the west bank of the river. The next day, Jiang Nan would get married from the east wing of the Jiang family's courtyard.
As soon as they arrived at the Jiang family courtyard, Du Hehua pulled Jiang Nan to the main house. Jiang Nan giggled, thinking, "Is the old lady going to give me some more money?" Sure enough, Du Hehua sat cross-legged on the kang, took out a red paper package from her bosom, handed it to Jiang Nan, and said, "Grandma doesn't have anything for you. Open it and take a look. Consider it a gift for you."
Jiang Nan smiled and hurriedly opened it. A twisted gold bracelet lay on the red paper. It must have weighed no less than 20 grams, gleaming with gold, a delight to behold. Judging by the workmanship, it was no less impressive than the gold necklaces his two uncles had given him.
Jiang Nan hugged the little old lady's shoulders and cheered, "Grandma, I love you so much! You are really my good grandma." Then he kissed Du Hehua on the face.
Du Hehua pushed Jiang Nan away in disgust and wiped her face with her hands: "Alright, stop trying to fool me. You'll be tired tomorrow, so go get some rest."
It wasn't even five o'clock, and Jiang Nan was half asleep when Chen Jinhua woke her up. She put on makeup, changed clothes, and even secretly started a premarital education class. It was so embarrassing. Before Jiang Nan could do anything, Chen Jinhua's face turned red. Fortunately, Jiang Nan was thick-skinned and tried hard to hold it together, so she didn't let on.
Breakfast was a bowl of large meat dumplings, which Jiang Tong brought over specially: "Sister, grandma told you to eat it all. You still have to make toasts and other things at the lunch banquet, so you will definitely eat later than us."
Jiang Nan understood and devoured a large bowl of dumplings, about twenty of them. At nine o'clock, Zhou Zhixing, along with his cousins Zhou Zhidao, Zhou Zhilai, Zou Li, Wen Qiang, Wang Zili, and other relatives and friends—sixteen energetic young men in total—arrived on Forever bicycles to pick up the bride. Each bicycle had a large red flower draped on the front, and the body was polished to a gleam. They hurried into the Jiang family compound.
Jiang Tong, Yao Guihua, Luo Tao and other female relatives blocked the door of the east wing. Jiang Tong crossed her arms and shouted, "Zhou Zhixing, if you want to marry my eldest sister, you must answer a few questions first!"
Zhou Zhixing, dressed in a brand new Mao suit, said with a smile, "No problem, little sister, just ask. I'm sure I'll tell you everything I know!"
Jiang Tong raised his chin, looked at Zhou Zhixing with disdain, and said, "Okay, then tell me, after we get married, who will take care of the family? Who will do the housework? Who will manage the finances?"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of booing. Zhou Zhixing kept smiling and said, "Of course, Xiaonan is the boss. Xiaonan manages the finances, and I do the housework!"
Before Jiang Tong could say anything, the crowd of women cheered loudly, while the men booed continuously. Someone even shouted in a strange voice, "Zhou Zhixing, you're a weak husband, a henpecked man, and you're henpecked!"
Zhou Zhixing smiled at everyone, waved his hand, and said nonchalantly: "What's wrong with being afraid of your wife? In the south, people still listen to their wives and live in harmony."
Everyone burst into laughter. Back then, weddings weren't exactly extravagant, so Jiang Tong and the others didn't bother Zhou Zhixing, simply letting him hand out two rounds of red envelopes before letting him go. Jiang Nan sat upright on the kang, the surrounding walls covered in red cloth, creating a festive atmosphere that made her face appear even paler. Hearing the noise of people entering the room, Jiang Nan looked up and smiled at Zhou Zhixing.
Zhou Zhixing paused for a moment, then quickly strode to the kang, turned around, and squatted down in a half-kneeling position. The onlookers were silent for a moment, then immediately burst into "oh, oh, oh" sounds, some whistled, some clapped, all of them extremely happy.
In Chaoyang Oilfield, it's customary for the groom to carry the bride out of the room. Jiang Nan looked at the broad, well-defined shoulders before him, chuckled, and decisively leaned forward.
"Okay, the bride is out~" The crowd suddenly burst into joyful laughter again.
Jiang Nan sat in the back seat of the car. The bright sunshine was not as bright as the smile on her face.
By then, twelve tables had been set up in the open space below Building No. 4. Chief among them were Secretary Tu, Chen Wanli, Old Lady Cao, Du Hehua, and other elders and relatives like Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan. The rest, like members of the construction team, union officials, and colleagues from the police station, each sat at a table. The Jiang family's relatives and friends sat at another, while the Zhou family and other neighbors from Building No. 4 also sat at their own tables. All twelve tables were filled with a motley crowd.
The most unexpected guest was undoubtedly Wan Hu. It was unknown what had taken him so seriously, but he'd actually arrived with Dong Tingting and sat down at the main table. Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua, who were busy entertaining guests, were stunned by his uninvited arrival. Even though Wan Hu had offered a generous six-dollar gift, they hadn't invited him. It was only at funerals that people showed up uninvited. This was completely unruly.
The sounds of people cracking sunflower seeds at each table died down, and they all stole glances at what Wan Hu was about to do, their eyes gleaming with curiosity. They all waited, waiting to see what he was going to do.
Wan Hu, however, pretended not to notice and continued chatting with Secretary Tu and Chen Wanli. Everyone was mistaken; Wan Hu's presence was simply a gesture of goodwill. Chen Wanli was doing a great job in the Xinjiang Oilfields, and he might even be transferred there to become one of the top or second-in-command. Seeing so many leaders here, Wan Hu couldn't afford to be left behind.
Dong Tingting's thoughts were even simpler: pure bragging. She was so pleased with herself for marrying Wan Hu, her second marriage, that she couldn't wait to show off. Cheng Meijuan's resentful look only made Dong Tingting feel even more pleased.
By the time Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Nan arrived, the scene had returned to normal, a bustling, lively atmosphere. Seeing them from afar, the noise and laughter intensified. Cheng Dazhu quickly lit the stove and prepared to cook. By the time the two men had finished their oaths before the statue of the great man, Cheng Dazhu's braised pig's trotters, braised chicken, and other dishes were ready, and the scene was as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.
"As expected of a leader's granddaughter marrying off, this dish is truly unparalleled."
"Hush, eat quickly, all these delicious foods can't fill your mouth."
"That's right, Chief Engineer Chen just got back, so he definitely can't be of much help. This is all handled by Mancheng and Jinhua, so stop talking nonsense here."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing toasted at table after table, ignoring the chatter. The banquet was well-prepared, but nothing out of the ordinary. And since Wan Hu, the head of the Revolutionary Committee, was there, and he didn't say anything, the others didn't dare to speak either.
However, no matter what time, there are always those who are tactless and jealous of you but can't live better than you. So what can they do? They go out of their way to disgust you! Yes, it's so fucked up, but if there are people who really think so, as for you, if they are disgusted, then they are happy that they have achieved their goal.
When is the best time to disgust someone? Of course, at a wedding, a wedding that the whole family has spent so much time preparing for. If he can disgust you just once, he will be happy for a whole year.
Look, Wei Youwei, the eldest son of the Wei family who had caused trouble at the Jiang family before, somehow managed to sneak in through some connections. Back then, he wanted the gold in Du Hehua's hands, and even drove the old lady crazy before scaring her away. Now that the Jiang family's granddaughter is getting married, and Jiang Mancheng has a strong background, he doesn't dare to cause trouble, but isn't it easy to disgust people?
He suddenly swooped over to the table and said, "This young couple isn't even married yet, but they're together every day. Who knows if anything's going on, right?" A grown man and a grown woman, together every day, who can guarantee nothing's wrong? The table fell silent, and he laughed again, explaining, "I was drunk and just talking nonsense. Don't take it seriously."
After a while, he went to the Zhou family's relatives and asked, "Why did such a good boy marry out?"
After listening to the Zhou family's explanation, he nodded politely: "Oh, it's not a son-in-law. If it's not a son-in-law, how can you live in your father-in-law's house? It's not right."
What do you think we should do with this disgusting guy? It was Old Lady Cao who spoke up, telling Zhou to bring a few cigarettes and ask the police station colleagues to come out. Three or four of them gathered and surrounded Wei Youwei. "You have something to say? Okay, tell us. We're all police officers, and we're the best at handling these kinds of trivial matters. Go ahead, we're listening."
Wei Youwei immediately backed down. He wasn't a completely evil person; he was naturally afraid of the police. After trying to evade them a few times and finding he couldn't, he simply gave up. He wouldn't leave; he had to eat anyway. He was just such a scoundrel. Eat if you want, as long as you don't disgust others, no one will stop you. But whether you can digest it after eating it is not their responsibility.
Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua knew it immediately. Wei Youwei was having a blast at the wedding. Who couldn't see it? They didn't say anything at the time, but about a week after the wedding, Wei Youwei's brother started pestering him, coming to his house every day to cause trouble. Wei Youwei had hooked up with his brother's wife before, so what? You want to deny it? "I'm divorced, so I'm not afraid of anything. I'll just come to your house every day as if it were work. If I don't cause trouble for your family, I'm not your brother."
Of course, that was all for the future. After the busy wedding, they cleaned up and sent some leftovers home with the kitchen staff. The four of them were completely exhausted. After washing up, they didn't rush to bed, but gathered together to look over the gift list.
This so-and-so is so unkind. When his daughter got married, Jiang Mancheng and his partner gave her a two-yuan gift. Now this guy only gave one yuan, and he even brought his wife and three kids along. He's not worth associating with. That so-and-so, our new colleague, seems so quiet, but he gave us five yuan. That's a lot of money. Remember, next time someone needs something, don't skimp on the gift. And this...
The whole family was in a state of great joy, looking at the gift list and commenting on it, completely forgetting that today was the wedding night. Of course, the wedding night was definitely the wedding night, just a little late.
The next day, I went to see off Mr. Chen and my two uncles. It was another reluctant farewell, needless to say.
They only said that after returning to work, the two handed Wu Chunli's letter to Lan Qingshan. After reading the letter, Lan Qingshan sighed and said, "I know about this matter. The missing female educated youth is called He Ling. She is the granddaughter of a model worker in the third drilling team. The old lady made great contributions to the construction of the oil field in the past. Even with her lame leg, she didn't ask for anything. Now that her granddaughter is missing, her only request is to find her. Secretary Tu means that the police station should send someone to the local area to cooperate with the investigation. No matter what, we must give the old lady an explanation."
He looked at Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing: "Why, you two want to go?"
Seeing the two nod, Lan Qingshan tapped the table lightly with his right hand and whispered, "You two must understand that cooperating with the investigation means that all actions must be under the control of the local police station. You two are at most supporting roles, understand? You cannot act alone, you cannot carry guns, and you have no right to arrest anyone!"
Zhou Zhixing assured: "Inspector Lan, we both understand all this. Chunli wrote to us because she trusts us. Please let us go."
Jiang Nan nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Chief Lan, Chunli is also from Building 4. We can't just stand by and watch her ask for help."
Lan Qingshan thought for a long time before reluctantly agreeing. He said, "Business trips aren't easy. Zhixing, take good care of Xiaonan on the way. Remember, once you're there, you two will be cooperating with the investigation and can't act impulsively. And remember, you can't act alone, not even the two of you. You must be accompanied by the local police, understand?"
After giving them a few more instructions, he waved them off, "We'll be leaving the day after tomorrow at the latest, so get ready. By the way, Zhixing, hand over the tasks at hand to Zou Li. Let Zou Li take charge of Group 6 for the few days you're gone."
Zhou Zhixing: "Yes."
When they learned the two were going on a business trip, the most surprised people weren't the team members, but Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua. Jiang Nan had been so busy recently that she'd forgotten to tell her parents! This really broke Jiang Mancheng's heart. He cried, "They say girls are extroverts. Xiaonan, now that you're married, you've put your parents behind you, haven't you?"
Jiang Nan coaxed him a lot, promising to bring local specialties back and swearing to heaven that he would definitely put his parents first. Only then did Jiang Mancheng calm down. The young couple packed up for two days and finally boarded the train to Suzhou.
It was hot and crowded to take the train in the summer, and they had heard many stories of people losing things on the train, so Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing deliberately put their money into the secret pockets of their clothes. They didn't dare to think it was dirty, as long as it worked.
The train clanged forward, the scenery on both sides of the river kept changing, the sun rose and set, and two days later, in the evening, the train finally stopped at Qingshan City Railway Station in Suzhou Province.
The disappearance of the educated youth occurred in the Chenghua Commune downstairs, a bus ride away. As it was getting late, the two found a guesthouse at the train station.
After requesting a double room and pushing open the door, Jiang Nan collapsed onto the bed. The green trains of the era were incredibly uncomfortable. Not only were they slow, but they were also incredibly crowded. Even going to the bathroom was incredibly difficult, no less so than during the Spring Festival travel rush in later generations. "I finally understand why Lan said business trips are tough."
Zhou Zhixing put his luggage on the ground and said with a smile, "You're not coming here because it's too hard? That's not like you."
Jiang Nan rolled his eyes and pointed at the bathroom, saying, "Go see if there's any hot water. I want to take a shower." Since this was their honeymoon, the guesthouse they stayed in was not chosen randomly. They specifically picked the largest one near the train station with hot water, but they didn't know if there was hot water available at the moment.
Zhou Zhixing smiled and shook his head, then turned and went to the bathroom. Jiang Nan suddenly said, "Oh, we haven't sent a telegram to Chunli about this yet."
Zhou Zhixing's voice came over: "It's okay, let's go to the police station in Chenghua Commune first. They will take us to the brigade below. Don't worry, we will definitely meet Chunli. There's no need to mention this specifically."
Jiang Nan nodded. Zhou Zhixing wet his hands and said, "There's hot water. Come and wash up. I'll go downstairs to buy some food."
The two of them divided the work, quickly showered, had dinner, and rested. The next morning, they boarded a bus and, after a bumpy two-hour ride, finally arrived at Chenghua Commune. Since the Oilfield Police Station had already sent a telegram, the Chenghua Commune police station was quite cooperative and warmly received the two.
Captain Wang, the reception officer, was a tall man in his thirties, with a brisk gait and a straight back. He was clearly a veteran. These days, veterans are the majority of police officers, and Zhou Zhixing was especially adept at interacting with such individuals. After a handshake, Captain Wang offered to take the two of them to lunch: "It's almost noon, so let's eat in the police station cafeteria. Then we'll go to the educated youth center at the brigade this afternoon."
By the time I met Wu Chunli, it was already four in the afternoon. Actually, I had arrived at the brigade a little after three and met the brigade leader and the old Party branch secretary. The educated youth still had to work in the fields, and by the time we were called to the brigade reception room, it was almost four.
After not seeing her for two years, Wu Chunli looked taller and stronger than before. If they had met on the street, Jiang Nan would not have recognized her. However, perhaps because Jiang Nan had not changed much, Wu Chunli recognized her immediately and said with surprise, "Sister Xiaonan!"
Seeing Jiang Nan nodding with a smile, Wu Chunli's eyes were red. She had been in the countryside for two years and had not been back to her parents' home, nor had she ever received any letters or packages from them. The only person who had contact with the oil field was her brother Wu Jianguo, who she only corresponded with occasionally. If her biological parents were like this, what about other people? She had never expected that after two years, the first old friend who came to see her from the oil field would be Jiang Nan. She sniffed, trying to make her voice sound more natural, and said, "I didn't expect that you would really come, Sister Xiaonan."
Jiang Nan smiled and nodded. "I got your letter. He Ling's parents and grandparents are worried, so the Oilfield Police Station sent us here to assist with the investigation." She pointed to Captain Wang in front of her. "We're cooperating with Captain Wang. Chunli, answer whatever Captain Wang asks honestly. That's how we can find He Ling as soon as possible."
Captain Wang waved his hands repeatedly: "You're welcome, you can ask as many questions as you want."
He smiled helplessly. "Honestly, we've already asked her over a dozen times. He Ling's been missing for twenty days, and the people at the educated youth site have been questioned over and over again by our police station. At least four or five times. I guess they're tired of seeing us. I really don't know what else to ask. It's just right that you two are here. I heard you've solved several homicides. I said at the time that this is two good helpers. Don't worry, just keep asking. You might come up with some new ideas, right?"
This was something they didn't dare to take seriously, but they still had to ask. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing looked at each other, and Jiang Nan smiled and said, "Well, obedience is worse than respect. Then we'll ask."
She looked at Wu Chunli: "Chunli, where do you live? It would be best if we could ask each of you individually. Shall we go to your room?"
Wu Chunli pointed to the east and said, "The educated youth site is not far from here. We don't have separate rooms. The male educated youth have one room and the female educated youth have one room."
Jiang Nan simply stood up and said, "Okay, then let's go to the educated youth site."
The captain and old branch secretary of the Qingcheng Brigade also stood up and saw them out the door with a smile. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing nodded to everyone and followed the educated youth towards their point.
Along the way, Jiang Nan learned that there were fourteen educated youth in the Qingcheng Brigade, six women and eight men. They lived in a mill at the east end of the brigade. The mill had previously been owned by a landlord, and because it was used to generate income, the courtyard was enormous, with four large rooms, enough to accommodate another fourteen educated youth.
When we entered the dormitory for the educated youth, we found that although the room was large, it was extremely messy. The bed was made of broken tables. Apart from the bed, there were only two tables, four benches, and a large jar for grain in the corner. There was nothing else.
Jiang Nan hadn't expected the conditions to be so bad. She frowned and asked, "Chun Li, can you tell me why you're asking us for help? Are you close to He Ling?"
Wu Chunli sat on the bed, twisting her fingers together. She looked rather uneasy about being interrogated alone. When she heard this question, she paused for a moment before replying, "He Ling and I met on the train to the countryside. At the time, I... I had a lot of stuff with me, and several people at the educated youth camp took advantage of me, stealing my things and always trying to borrow money. It was He Ling who stood up for me and often helped me with farm work. There were also some people in the village... in the village who were unruly, and it was He Ling who stood up for me."
She lowered her head, her voice growing quieter. Jiang Nan understood that He Ling was not only Wu Chunli's friend, but also her benefactor. She stopped asking questions and said, "Okay, I get it. Can you tell me about the day He Ling disappeared?"
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