Chapter 74 Treasures in Public Toilets
In the darkness, before the two of them could figure out which bricks were new and which were old, their rhythm was disrupted by two young men who suddenly broke in.
These two were none other than the two hooligans who had mistaken Cheng Dazhu for Lin Bing. Sun Lingling offered them five yuan each, and another five yuan if they could beat Lin Bing so badly that he could attend the wedding with a bruised face. With such a good deal, they naturally worked hard.
One of the taller scoundrels snorted, shaking his legs as he said, "You're such a jerk! You're almost married, and yet you're still having an affair with a widow. Xiao Liangzi and I are just seeing the injustice and want to teach you a lesson on behalf of the bride!"
Cheng Dazhu thought the two men were out to steal the gold bars and paid no attention to what they said. As soon as they entered, Cheng Dazhu immediately stretched out his hands, panicked, and stood in front of the inner wall, saying sternly, "Stop talking nonsense! No matter who you are, if you have any sense, get out of here right now. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."
Sun Qiaolian's heart and eyes were also filled with gold bars. It was heartbreaking enough for her to have Cheng Dazhu share the gold bars, so how could she possibly divide them with two strangers? She added timidly, "Get lost! You two have no part in this matter today. Don't try to take advantage of this."
Seeing the two men's stubbornness, the scoundrel cut in without further ado and launched a punch. Cheng Dazhu and Sun Qiaolian, preoccupied with the gold bars, were also concerned about avoiding the inner wall as they dodged. This restraint held them back, and their physical prowess was limited. The scoundrel's punches quickly knocked them down, and they collided with the newly built inner wall. Bricks and bodies clattered to the ground.
Cheng Dazhu cried out, then thought of something. He endured the pain and tried to hide the new bricks under his body. Unfortunately, no one was stupid. The two men's actions were so obvious that the two idiots had already suspected him. The tall man stepped forward and kicked Cheng Dazhu away with all his might. The short man took the opportunity to squat down and examine the bricks on the ground one by one. After a while, he exclaimed, "Brother, gold! There's gold inside the bricks! We've made a fortune!"
A single stone caused a thousand ripples. Seeing the gold exposed, Cheng Dazhu and Sun Qiaolian, fearing the two scoundrels might snatch it, unleashed an unparalleled fighting spirit, and the two sides engaged in another brawl. The noise attracted patrolling Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng, who rushed in to investigate. The four men had already shattered their heads, each clutching their bleeding foreheads, gasping for breath, looking as if they were on the verge of death. Even then, they glared at each other fiercely, fearing any tricks from the other.
Wang Zilii and Wang Gengsheng were attracted by the noise in the public toilet, not because they heard Jinzi's words, but because they both thought that such a big noise in the middle of the night must be no small matter, and they could make a contribution again!
Thus, the four-man fight instantly turned into a one-sided slaughter by the two brothers. Their skills couldn't compare to Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, but they were no problem dealing with two injured thugs.
What? You mean Cheng Dazhu and Sun Qiaolian? Are you kidding me? Do these two have fighting power?
After a series of loud bangs, the four were quickly tied up by the two brothers.
The two groups were fighting loudly, and the lights in the light sleepers in Courtyard One all turned on. Jiang Nan wasn't a light sleeper, but she had a system that made her wake up in the middle of the night to eat melons. Jiang Nan was so angry that she had the urge to tear the system apart for the first time.
[Host, I am from the Justice Alliance, and you are now a police officer. The following incident involves the six groups of members you are closely monitoring. I am diligently reporting this report according to your instructions.]
Jiang Nan held her head in her hands. It was her fault for talking so rudely a few days ago that she asked the system to pay extra attention to Wang Zilii and Wang Gengsheng. These two were now busy catching thieves, and she was worried about letting the system keep an eye on them. Now she was asking for trouble.
Jiang Nan, unable to find words to express her frustration, resignedly put on her clothes and went downstairs with her parents, who had also woken up outside. Zhou Zhixing was waiting at the entrance, and the four of them headed for the public restroom together.
At that moment, Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng, wearing their military coats, stood guard in front of the public toilet, their heads held high, their eyes looking down. Out of awe of the uniforms, no one dared approach, instead gathering around and whispering. Seeing Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing approach, the two brothers smiled innocently and made way for them, whispering, "Sister Xiaonan, Brother Xiaoxing, there's something wrong with the bricks on the ground. That's why we're guarding them and not letting anyone get close. Can you two check if there are any gold bars inside?"
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing nodded and ducked into the restroom. They saw a section of the inner wall had collapsed, leaving numerous bricks scattered across the floor. Cheng Dazhu and the other three were tied up, their mouths stuffed with smelly socks, leaning against the outer wall, whimpering. The two ignored them, ducking down to shake the bricks, confirming that only six were misplaced. As for whether to demolish the inner wall, they would have to wait for further instructions from above.
Zhou Zhixing whispered, "You two go find Chief Lan and Chief Shen. This is a serious matter and must be handled personally by the two chiefs. After reporting, go to the police station and call the officers on duty. Xiaonan and I will watch over here. Go quickly."
The two brothers nodded obediently and trotted towards Courtyard No. 1.
Officers Shen and Lan, veterans, rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. They then ordered the officers on duty to surround the public toilet and immediately brought Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing to the police station for questioning. They needed to explain why the two scoundrels had gone to the public toilet, and why Cheng Dazhu and Sun Qiaolian were there so late at night. Soon, Sun Lingling, Lin Bing, and even Niu Er, the man who had been talking about them, were all brought to the police station for questioning.
Since the matter concerned the Revolutionary Committee, Chief Chen and Chief Lan immediately handed over the six gold bars in the bricks. When Wan Hu came to his senses and came with a group of younger brothers to demand people and things, Chief Chen said lightly, "Handed them over," and sent the dejected but vicious Wan Hu away.
But the look in his eyes before he left was truly vicious, and Jiang Nan instantly decided to have his parents scare him off tonight. This guy clearly had other thoughts on his mind, and that wasn't acceptable.
This kind of person must be frightened.
Sun Qiaolian was taken home by her son and daughter-in-law, who had woken up the next day. The story of her and Cheng Dazhu appearing in the public restroom together late at night had already spread to more than a dozen versions of the story in Courtyard No. 1, and it was rapidly developing into an even more appalling direction. As for the story of Sun Lingling hiring someone to beat up Lin Bing, it was so insignificant in the face of this gossip that no one even mentioned it.
Thinking of the gossip in Courtyard No. 1, Fang Nanshan and Cheng Meijuan looked disheartened and walked ahead in silence with dark faces.
"Nanshan," Sun Qiaolian explained tentatively. "Mom's been dreaming about your dad a lot lately. He said he had no money in the underworld, so I wanted to secretly burn some paper money for him. Your dad had it tough. He barely had a good life when he was alive. He can't suffer in the underworld anymore."
She wiped her tears and continued, "I was burning paper for your father. What a coincidence! Your Uncle Cheng was also burning paper for his wife, and that's how we met..."
"Mom," Fang Nanshan said without emotion, "Your feudal superstition is not conducive to the progress of Meijuan and me. So, Meijuan and I will tell others that since the incident with Zong Fengxian, you have been under great mental pressure and have developed sleepwalking..."
"Mental stress? Sleepwalking?" Sun Qiaolian was puzzled. What did her son mean? Was he saying that she was mentally ill?
How could this be possible? She is the pretty widow Sun Qiaolian, how could she be mentally ill?
As if sensing Sun Qiaolian's refusal, Fang Nanshan patiently explained, "Sleepwalking is just a minor mental disorder, not a mental illness, but it's better than saying you're burning paper money. Meijuan's father is the captain of a well-repair team. Having an in-law who practices feudal superstition would be detrimental to Meijuan's father's progress. Not to mention, Meijuan and I have only just started working. If you say you're burning paper money, it would have a significant impact on us. Mom, just bear with it a little and tell others it's sleepwalking."
Sun Qiaolian remained silent, and Cheng Meijuan also remained silent all the way.
Cheng Meijuan felt mixed emotions at this moment.
She had heard some rumors about her mother-in-law before, but she had just dismissed them as gossip and the gossip of widows, and never took them seriously. But yesterday, her mother-in-law and Cheng Dazhu appeared together in the public restroom, which made her think twice.
In Cheng Meijuan's heart, Nanshan has always been a hardworking, motivated, upright and kind person. Now it seems that Nanshan has to be motivated. With a mother with a bad reputation, if Nanshan had not been able to sit upright, he would have been looked down upon long ago.
This was the first time she felt resentful towards her mother-in-law. As her bedmate, Fang Nanshan noticed it immediately, but unfortunately he didn't say anything. Instead, on the way to work, he deepened Cheng Meijuan's impression of her: "Meijuan, I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself. My mother... I've advised her many times, but unfortunately my words carry little weight. Don't hold a prejudice against her. She's also trying to support the family. Let's let the past go. From now on, we will support the family together and never let Mom suffer these grievances again."
"Nanshan, you're the one who's been wronged." Cheng Meijuan said distressedly, "You must have heard a lot of gossip when you were a child, right? Don't worry, I'm a woman. I'll keep an eye on mom from now on and won't let her hold you back again."
Fang Nanshan smiled bitterly and helplessly, which made Cheng Meijuan even more convinced that her mother-in-law Sun Qiaolian was not a good person.
Sun Qiaolian, who wasn't a good person, didn't care what others thought. At this moment, she had to keep Yuan Jianshe steady. Yes, Yuan Jianshe, after Lin Bing, was the easiest victim to fool, and she didn't want to let him go.
While Sun Qiaolian was at the Sun family's house on the second floor, asking about yarn patterns, she arranged to meet Yuan Jianshe in the grove. She had her mind set on finding gold in the restroom last night, and she was determined Yuan Jianshe wouldn't take the bait.
"Jianshe, I went out last night because of you. You don't know, a few days ago I went out to the mountains to look for mountain products, and I overheard a few people talking about hiding treasure in a public toilet."
Seeing Yuan Jianshe's eyes light up, Sun Qiaolian felt proud and said slowly, "I thought at the time that even if it meant no fame, I must find these treasures. It's not that I'm greedy for these things, but I'm thinking about how hard your life must be living in your second uncle's house. Although you didn't say it, I saw what kind of person I am."
Sun Qiaolian continued to deceive: "I thought that when we found the treasure, I would give it all to you. I wouldn't take any of it. Don't you know what I feel? I just... I just want you to live a good life. But, I don't know what happened, Cheng Dazhu also heard about the treasure, and we met. Fortunately, we ran into a patrol policeman. I was so unlucky. I didn't find the treasure, but I went to the police station. Jianshe, you won't blame me for being useless, right?"
Yuan Jianshe's sullen expression softened. He had said that this woman was completely under his control, so how could she possibly have anything to do with another man? Yuan Jianshe cleared his throat and said modestly, "I'm not such a stingy person. Hey, I know what you mean. I didn't dare to respond to you before because of our respective families, but now that you like me so much, I'll give you a chance."
He raised his head and glared at Sun Qiaolian, his eyes full of greed. "Has the police really found all the treasure? Is there any fish that slipped through the net?"
Isn't this what Sun Qiaolian did? Finding treasure is hard work, digging holes in walls, and she, a woman, can't do it. She tricked a big fool into working for her, and she made pure money for nothing.
Thinking of this, Sun Qiaolian suppressed her nausea and continued to fool around: "I'm not sure about this, but I have a stupid idea. Since it can be hidden in the public toilet of our No. 1 Courtyard, there may be other public toilets as well. Let's..."
She looked at Yuan Jianshe and whispered, "Let's go to other public restrooms secretly. Since you're a man, you can go to the men's restroom, and I'll go to the women's restroom. We can go to all the public restrooms in the office together."
Yuan Jianshe was pleased. He nodded and said, "Okay, let's start today. The sooner we find it, the sooner we can live a good life."
Regardless of how the two men searched the public toilet, Sun Qiaolian's prediction was correct. News of the gold found in the toilet wall had somehow leaked out, and overnight, it spread throughout the entire office. Except for the toilet in Courtyard No. 1, which was guarded by police and dared not touch, the restrooms in the other family compound areas were all damaged. Not only were the walls stripped, but the roofs, squat toilets, and even the manure pits were being stirred with bamboo poles, as if someone had hidden gold bars in the pit.
With no place to go to the bathroom, complaints spread across the housing estates. Police stations, office buildings, and even the Revolutionary Committee were plagued by people frequently using public restrooms, reporting back with dissatisfaction and demanding action. If this continued, they would likely resort to masturbating anywhere.
The incident was caused by the Revolutionary Committee. Wan Hu immediately dealt with the men who had hidden the gold and sent people to guard the public toilets.
At the police station, Officers Chen and Lan also sent police officers to various streets and neighborhood committees to explain the situation, and also increased patrols in the hope that this unhealthy trend of toilet raiding could be curbed in time.
This is really tough for Jiang Nan, a young police officer. He has to work the night shift in such a cold weather.
Speaking of night shifts, since this was her first year, she wasn't supposed to be on night duty. But now, their six teams were basically all newcomers. If she, Zhou Zhixing, Wang Zili, and Wang Gengsheng weren't on duty, would they just have to rely on Zou Li and Wen Qiang?
Of course, this wouldn't work. It wasn't safe. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing weren't being pretentious. They just worked the night shift. It was a new experience.
Jiang Nan is a person who is very good at comforting himself.
Wang Zilii and Wang Gengsheng had even less objections. They both wished they could be on duty every day and perform well in order to get regular jobs as soon as possible.
So, on a freezing cold day, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, two hard-pressed young police officers, braved the bitter cold to go out on patrol. The north wind blew fiercely, scratching their faces painfully. Fortunately, they were issued military coats, otherwise they really wouldn't have been able to withstand such a strong wind.
Before leaving, Chen Jinhua repeatedly warned, "It's quite cold out there. Xiaonan, you should wear more clothes. The temperature tonight is 20 to 30 degrees below zero. You can't wear so little just to look good!"
Jiang Nan said readily, "Mom, I know. I'm wearing two sweaters, a small jacket, and a military coat on top. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Chen Jinhua was not so reassured. It was her daughter's first night shift, and it was so cold. Just thinking about it made her feel miserable. She suggested, "Why don't you bring a hot water bottle with you? That way you won't be cold at all..."
Jiang Nan said softly, "Mom, no need. Night shift is still work, how can I bring a hot water bottle? People will think I'm a child."
Chen Jinhua was dissatisfied: "He is just a child."
But she said, "Okay, if you don't want to bring it, then don't bring it. Let me see, you really are wearing two sweaters and a small jacket, let me see, don't lie."
Jiang Nan stretched out his arms: "How can it be fake? Mom, just look, I won't lie."
Chen Jinhua tugged at her collar and checked, finally relieved to see that she was fully dressed. Then she remembered something and, tapping her stirrups, rushed downstairs, saying, "I wonder how Xiaoxing is doing. I'll go down and check on him. You can't be careless with a boy; it's so cold, he'd be cold. Mancheng, watch over your daughter until she finishes the ginger soup before you go out. I'll go down and check on Xiaoxing."
Jiang Mancheng waved his hand: "Go ahead, I'll watch."
After all this hassle, by the time Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing reunited downstairs, they were all dressed like idiots. Since it was cold, they didn't ride their bikes, but walked directly to the police station. After meeting up with the other four, they began their patrol.
Wang Gengsheng joked, "Sister Xiaonan, why are you dressed like a bear? Hahaha."
Jiang Nan squinted his eyes, raised his hand, and flicked his head hard: "What kind of bear is that? Can you talk? I'm just trying to keep warm, don't you understand? Look at how little you're wearing, what if you get cold?"
Wang Gengsheng chuckled: "It's okay, I have my military coat, I'm not cold."
Jiang Nan snorted and spoke to Zou Li: "Brother Zou, you should also wear more clothes. If you get sick, you won't be able to hold your nephew."
Zou Li laughed: "That's right, your sister-in-law is very strict. She won't even touch Xiaobao if he feels a little uncomfortable. She is really stricter than anyone else."
The six people chatted and patrolled leisurely.
Jiang Nan: "Brother Zou, in the past, when it was this cold, did our police station also come out for patrols?"
Zou Li rubbed his hands. "Yes, but not many. This year is a special case. Gold was discovered a few days ago, and Chief Lan was worried that everyone would come out to look for treasure. If there were too many people and something happened, it would be hard to tell. That's why he thought of letting us go out for a walk. We shouldn't be on patrol for more than a few days, don't worry."
Jiang Nan scratched his head: "Hehe, it's not that I don't want to patrol, I'm just curious. Hehe, hehehe."
Zhou Zhixing smiled and shook his head, and the others also laughed.
I had thought it was so cold that the streets would be deserted, but who knew there were actually people who weren't afraid of the cold, and some who didn't take their patrols seriously. They'd encountered several waves of treasure hunters, but they'd all run away before they could get close. Jiang Nan, with his sharp eyes, whispered to a few people, "I don't know the names of the others, but they look familiar. They should be from our operations department, not outsiders. I also recognized three others: Lin Bing, Sun Qiaolian, and Yuan Jianshe."
Jiang Nan also saw it carefully. Who else would be so keen on treasure hunting if not these people?
Sun Qiaolian, not to mention, went out of her way to keep Yuan Jianshe in check, precisely for the gold. Furthermore, she targeted public toilets, but she wasn't as ruthless as others, so she didn't target cesspools. It wasn't that she was afraid of dirt; she simply thought, who would hide something in a cesspool? It was disgusting, and no one in their right mind would do that.
I have to say that Sun Qiaolian is smart.
As for Lin Bing, he'd originally wanted to get even when he heard Sun Lingling picking on him, but then the gold became involved. While getting even was important, it wasn't as important as the gold itself. He even felt a little grateful to Sun Lingling; if she hadn't picked two unreliable people and mistakenly identified the wrong person, the gold incident wouldn't have come to light.
This was destined to make him rich. Lin Bing was very proud. He had it all planned out: when he found the gold, he would hold a grand wedding, severely outshining Fang Nanshan by one, oh no, two, at least two, so that he could marry a capable wife from a powerful family and show off. He, Lin Bing, was a man who could hold a grand wedding!
Lin Bing was brimming with pride, even stirring the pit with great energy. Yes, stirring the pit. Most people focused their attention on the inner walls of the public toilet, but Lin Bing, a clever man, chose to do the opposite. He didn't look at the inner walls. He immediately set his sights on the pit.
This is a great place. Just think about it, the pit is so deep, what good things could be thrown in there? Who could have thought of it? Just say who could have thought of it?
What a great place! Think about it, think about it seriously. It is impossible for the excrement collector to clean out all the excrement every time. As long as there is a bottom left, can't it cover things?
Lin Bing was proud and arrogant, thinking he was really smart. No matter how cunning the person who hid the things was, he was not as cunning as Lin Bing.
That cunning Lin Bing had been messing around for several nights, and even though there was a police patrol today, he didn't care. He just messed up a cesspool, so how could he be arrested and put under house arrest?
I have to say, Lin Bing is both smart and stupid. He is not smart in the right place, and he is not stupid in the right place either.
Watching the two groups of people fleeing one after another, everyone in Group 6 was speechless.
Jiang Nan asked quietly, "Do you want to chase her?"
Zou Li was experienced. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it. Are you really going to arrest someone for disturbing a manure pit? Let's go. Just scare them."
Zhou Zhixing shrugged: "Brother Zou is right, let's go."
The six of them collectively sighed. What the hell was going on? But that wasn't the end of it. They'd barely walked two hundred meters when another man mixing manure appeared up ahead. Looking at the figure, did it look like Tian Jiaguang?
It was Tian Jiaguang, the Phoenix man. He also wanted to be rich. While he was confident he could control Qiu Paner, no one could have the peace of mind that comes with having money. And he was incredibly bold. After putting Qiu Paner to sleep at night, he'd go out on his own and wander around the public restroom at the workstation. Besides the restroom, he also had his eye on Ma Hulu.
He thought about it for a long time. Just think about it, the place to hide things must be both hidden and easy to find.
This is not a contradiction, not at all.
Think about it, if it is too secretive, and after a long time, even you will forget about it, wouldn’t that be a big loss?
Public toilets are that place that's both hidden and easy to find. Think about it, if you think about it carefully, there are only a few public toilets in the workplace, perfect places to hide things.
Following this line of thought, Tian Jiaguang immediately set his sights on the horse gourd. This horse gourd also had its uses and was the perfect place to hide things.
Tian Jiaguang was so proud in his heart, it had to be him, so smart!
He wore an old cotton-padded jacket, a mask, and a flashlight, searching every inch of the public toilet. He even searched the cesspool, stirring it up with a stick, with a seriousness that he had never experienced even when he was a child in school.
Miraculously, the three groups of people who persisted in looking for gold did not meet each other, but were all seen by the six patrol groups. It is not known whether it was lucky or unlucky.
At this time, Tian Jiaguang was stirring the manure pit, grunting.
Not far away, the six teams on night patrol had indescribable expressions on their faces.
It's just, I can't understand it.
Stirring up manure pits, what kind of hobby is this?
Jiang Nan was puzzled, bewildered, and speechless.
Doesn’t he mind the smell?
Stinky? Tian Jiaguang smiled slightly. No matter how stinky it is, if you find gold, it will smell good!
You know, every night, Tian Jiaguang came home smelling bad, but his heart was very hot.
Come to think of it, doesn’t Qiu Paner know?
How is that possible? Qiu Paner is an insider!
After all, she was his partner, and Tian Jiaguang knew he couldn't hide it from her, so he simply coaxed her, "Pan'er, do you believe that Jiang Nan didn't take anything away that night? Those were gold bars, and big yellow croakers! Don't you want the gold?"
Qiu Pan'er's heart was pounding, and she nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, of course. Jiang Nan must have hidden it. I didn't know her before. She is the best at pretending, she is just a hypocrite!"
Tian Jiaguang nodded and continued to tempt him, "Since you want to find it, we have to look for it privately! I think the thief's idea is right. Public toilets are indeed a good place to hide things. You see, these days, those wealthy families are worried about their homes being searched every day. They definitely can't hide gold, silver and treasures at home. So where would they hide them?"
Qiu Paner grabbed Tian Jiaguang's hand and said in a stammering voice, "Hide outside?"
"Yes." Tian Jiaguang's eyes were shining. "Well, let me go out and take a look tonight. If I really find gold, our lives will really get better. You don't need to work, just stay at home and be a rich wife. I'll buy you whatever you want to eat."
Qiu Pan'er grabbed Tian Jiaguang's hand and said excitedly, "Jiaguang, you're so kind. Don't worry, go find him. I'll cover for you. If there's any problem with Jiang Nan, I'll take care of it."
Tian Jiaguang went out without any worries. However, he was gone for several days without any substantial gains, suffering from the cold for nothing. As for other gains, they were just some small secrets that he could use to threaten the parties involved and earn a little money to spend.
Of course, that's all in the past. Suffice it to say, the patrolmen were utterly disgusted by the sight of Tian Jiaguang stirring up the manure pit. Zhou Zhixing swung his flashlight, causing Tian Jiaguang to drop his stick and run home, howling, without hesitation.
Jiang Nan and the others were speechless. "Why don't you at least cover it with the stone slab? Who are you trying to disgust?"
Zhou Zhixing was speechless. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, stop chasing. As long as they're not here to steal anything, it's fine. Let's continue patrolling."
As for the stone slabs, well, just tell the street office tomorrow and cover them up.
The six groups patrolled diligently. During this period, they encountered several waves of treasure hunters. After being flashed with flashlights by a few people, they all ran back home.
By daybreak, all six of us were exhausted. Not only were our brains numb from exhaustion, but our bodies were also freezing.
Jiang Nan mechanically checked her watch, pulled herself together, and jumped up and down to warm herself up. She said, "Okay, it's seven o'clock. Let's go back. I want to get a good night's sleep."
The others were yawning too.
Wen Qiang: "Yeah, sleep. Patrolling all night in this weather is really exhausting."
Zou Li: "Yeah, let's go. I have to go home and drink a bowl of ginger soup before going to sleep. You guys remember to drink it too, don't catch a cold."
The six people said goodbye in groups of three or four and quickly went home to catch up on some sleep.
After that, other police teams also began night patrols. After several days of no gold being found while stirring the manure pit, fewer people were out treasure hunting at night.
But everyone stopped looking at the toilets and started looking elsewhere. If they could hide gold bars in public restrooms, could they hide them in the outer walls of the housing estate, in the floor tiles, or in the low walls of the flower beds? They were all made of bricks anyway, so maybe a blind cat would stumble upon a dead mouse.
So, every day when they came to work, they stopped talking to each other and lowered their heads to carefully check the floor tiles under their feet, jumping on them from time to time to see if there were any loose tiles. If they were, they could help to fix them.
Amidst this bizarre nationwide frenzy for gold, December 1967 drew to a close. The second winter vegetable sale, after the New Year, had begun. Jiang Nan's family rose early in the morning, braving the chilly wind to grab another 200 kilograms of cabbage. Because of the recent heavy snowfall, Jiang Nan had donned his military coat, cotton hat, cotton gloves, and a red scarf specially knitted by Jiang Mancheng. He even wore a mask. Fully armed, he felt no cold standing in the line.
Chaoyang Oilfield is located in the northernmost reaches of China. It's freezing cold in December, and the wind is so strong it could blow people away. Everyone lined up, shielding their hands, stamping their feet, and occasionally jumping. There's no other way; it's too cold. If you don't move, you'll freeze to death.
Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng, seemingly unaffected by the cold, strolled around in their military coats. They were there to help their elder sister with her chores, but their pretentiousness was so strong that it felt more like they were strolling along the flower path than buying preserved vegetables. Wang Jian, who couldn't stand this, had to knock them on the head one by one until they became obedient.
"Behave yourself. The military coat issued by the police station is for you to wear to work. Stop showing off."
Behind Wang Jian'er, Tian Jiaguang put Qiu Pan'er's hand into his coat pocket and kneaded it carefully. In the dark night, Qiu Pan'er's face was still red, and she smiled sweetly. But before the smile could reach her ears, Qiu Pan'er seemed to be bumped by someone, staggered two steps, and almost fell. Fortunately, Tian Jiaguang hurried to support her. He asked anxiously: "Pan'er, are you okay?"
"It's okay." Qiu Pan'er stood firm, looked at Dong Jiaojiao who was striding towards her, and asked loudly, "Dong Jiaojiao, are you in such a hurry to reincarnate? Can't you see I'm standing here? If you knock me down, what will happen? Can you bear the consequences?"
Tian Jiaguang's eyes flashed, and he supported Qiu Paner's hand even more forcefully.
Tian Jiaguang knew that Dong Jiaojiao had done it on purpose. Indeed, the secrets he had witnessed during his days out looking for gold were Dong Jiaojiao's, nothing more than her promiscuous affairs. Tian Jiaguang had verbally conned the girl out of some money. He had originally intended to con her out too, but Dong Jiaojiao proved to be incredibly difficult to deal with, and it seemed the Dong family had connections in the Revolutionary Committee, so Tian Jiaguang failed.
Dong Jiaojiao was wearing a bright red, ankle-length woolen coat, which made her stand out in the darkness. She stopped, crossed her arms, and snorted, "You're dressed so gray, and it's so dark, who can see me?"
"You!" Qiu Pan'er was wearing a gray woolen coat that she had just made last year. She had barely worn it last year, so it was still 90% new. She shouted angrily, "This is a woolen coat! What do you mean by gray? Do you know anything about goods?"
Dong Jiaojiao sneered, "I don't know what some people are thinking. They have such good conditions, but they choose to fall for an unemployed educated youth. Not only is she being exploited, but she is also willing to let a man suck her blood. She dresses shabbily, but dresses the pretty boy up brightly. I don't know what's wrong with their brains."
Qiu Pan'er was not afraid of her. She shouted, "Why do you care about my business? Besides, your reputation is like that, and you still have the nerve to criticize others? If I were you, I would have been too ashamed to face anyone!"
Dong Jiaojiao crossed her arms and said, "No matter how bad my reputation is, I will never spend money on a man for nothing! Idiot!" She snorted and strode towards her brother and sister-in-law in front of her, ignoring them.
Not far away, Jiang Nan, who had watched the whole process, raised his eyebrows and had a different opinion of Dong Jiaojiao.
I bought another batch of winter vegetables, and a few days later it was Lin Bing’s wedding day.
Although Lin Bing didn't find the gold, he still had to get married.
Tong Lili's blind date with Lin Bing was intended to pave the way for Qin Guafu to marry into the Qiu family. Unfortunately, now that Qin Guafu and Qiu Xiangdong have fallen out, Qin Guafu is eager to find another husband and no longer needs Tong Lili as a paving stone. Tong Lili originally wanted to change her mind, after all, with Qiu Xiangdong around, she was afraid of getting into trouble if she got too angry, so she had no intention of marrying Lin Bing. Unexpectedly, she failed the job recruitment exam, and Tong Lili, a rural girl, had no choice but to cling to Lin Bing's meal ticket again. Fortunately, Lin Bing, a straight man, didn't see through Tong Lili's trick of not rushing into marriage.
Because his only son was getting married, Lin Youliang used the connections of the "rescued leader" for the first time and secured the treatment for his son to hold the wedding banquet in the First Canteen.
At this time, everyone realized that the leader Lin Youliang had rescued was actually Secretary Tu!
Because Secretary Tu was present, the captain of the well repair team, the captain of the drilling team, the director of the refinery, and other prominent leaders from the operations department all showed up. There were so many people that Lin Youliang arranged a separate table before everyone sat down. The wedding was even more lively than Fang Nanshan's.
Lin Bing witnessed his father's ability for the first time. He felt ashamed but also felt a sense of heroism.
Look, Lin Bing is so powerful!
Look at the scene of his wedding, who in Building No. 4 can compare to it!
Fang Nanshan? What a joke. Now he is far superior to Fang Nanshan.
Thinking of this, he glanced at Fang Nanshan proudly, and when he pulled Tong Lili to toast the leader, his smile became more sincere and his words were very earnest.
Although he didn't say any flattering words, Lin Bing was able to toast each leader one by one, which made everyone who came to the wedding envious.
Tong Lili and her mother, Widow Qin, met each other's eyes, and her smile became more sincere.
After attending the wedding, New Year's Day soon arrived. 1967 passed and the brand new year of 1968 arrived.
Jiang Nan lay in bed, stretched, and turned over to go back to sleep. It was winter, and the wind was howling outside, making one feel cold. At this time, a warm bed was the eternal god.
"Xiao Nan, get up. Don't sleep in. If you don't get up now, breakfast will get cold. Just eat lunch directly. Be good and get up."
Outside the door, there was the sound of Chen Jinhuahu knocking on the door, one knock after another, the kind that would not stop until the person woke up.
Breakfast is the lifelong enemy of lazy people.
Jiang Nan reluctantly sat up, scratched his head, and said loudly, "I'm up, Mom. It's finally time for the holiday, can't you let me sleep a little longer?"
"It's different if you eat before sleeping. Who doesn't eat breakfast? Didn't you say that breakfast is the most important of the three meals a day? Your dad made some wontons today, they're so delicious. Hurry up and wash up and eat."
Hearing that there was something delicious to eat, Jiang Nan finally perked up a little. She jumped out of bed and immediately became a lively sixteen, no, seventeen-year-old girl.
What? You asked how old Jiang Nan was in his previous life?
Sorry, I forgot.
Jiang Nan smiled and said loudly, "Mom, I'm up."
She opened the door and saw Zhou Zhixing coming early in the morning. She raised her eyebrows and asked, "Why are you here so early?"
Chen Jinhua patted her daughter on the back of the head and said, "What are you talking about? Xiaoxing is here to help with the work. Go wash up."
Jiang Nan immediately nodded obediently and rushed into the bathroom to get busy. Less than ten minutes later, Jiang Nan came out again, her whole body fragrant. She sat at the dining table, eating wontons and asked, "Isn't today New Year's Day? What work do you have?"
"There's only work until New Year's Day." Chen Jinhua took off the sheets and quilt covers and replied, "This year the New Year is early, at the end of January. The three of us in my family all have jobs, so we don't have time for housework. Of course we have to get ready early. Today is a day off, so you should eat quickly and help sweep and mop the floor later."
Jiang Mancheng was taking off the quilt cover in Jiang Nan's room. Hearing this, he turned his head and glanced at Zhou Zhixing.
Zhou Zhixing immediately understood, stood up, picked up the broom and started working: "Aunt Chen, I'll do the sweeping and mopping. You want to make shoes and clothes for Grandpa Chen and the two uncles, right? Xiaonan can use the sewing machine, so let Xiaonan do that. Leave the rough work to me."
Chen Jinhua smiled, "Xiaoxing is really sensible. Okay, let's divide the work and work together to get these things done as soon as possible."
Because they needed to wash the sheets and quilt covers, Jiang Nan went out after breakfast and boiled a few pots of hot water so that her father and Zhou Zhixing could add some hot water when they washed. If they washed with cold water in this weather, they would be wasting their time.
Old Lady Liu was also washing bedding at the door. Seeing the two grown men of the Jiang family sitting at the door rubbing the sheets, she curled her lips and said, "Mancheng, you're a grown man, why do you always do women's work? And you bring Xiaoxing with you. You're really useless."
Jiang Mancheng didn't care what others said; he was used to it. Hearing this, he said with a playful smile, "Aunt Liu, you've seen this so many times, why are you making such a fuss? Isn't it me who does the laundry in our family? Xiaoxing is getting married to my Xiaonan, so of course we have to carry on this glorious Jiang family tradition, right, Zhou Zhixing?"
Zhou Zhixing nodded seriously.
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