Chapter 76: Spring Festival Welcomes a Major Case
It looked like the date was coming to an end. Jiang Mancheng felt a little regretful, and he didn't know if Fang Nanshan was up to the task.
However, Dong Jiaojiao and Fang Nanshan, the two people at the center of the topic, had no idea that they were already being watched.
As Dong Jiaojiao put on her clothes, she scolded Qiao, "Didn't you say you were breaking up with me? You coward, you got scared by that idiot Tian Jiaguang."
That’s right, the four of them were still surprised. They had never expected that the two of them would get together, but this matter had already been discovered by Tian Jiaguang.
It’s because Jiang Nan doesn’t usually pay attention to the gossip about his neighbors that he didn’t notice this.
Tian Jiaguang was different. He had stumbled upon the gold while sneaking out one night a while ago, and even asked the two for some money to spend. However, Tian Jiaguang wasn't a professional extortionist, so he didn't dare push them too hard.
After being discovered by Tian Jiaguang, the two of them broke up for a while. It was New Year's Day a few days ago. Cheng Meijuan was always talking about her parents' family. Fang Nanshan was feeling depressed, so he took advantage of the fact that everyone in the building went to the market today and asked Dong Jiaojiao to come out and relax.
Fang Nanshan lit a cigarette, his voice lazily afterward. He said, "You know who Cheng Meijuan's father is. I rely on him for support. How can I not be afraid?"
He said in a teasing tone: "Why, did you miss me?"
Dong Jiaojiao snorted and glared at Fang Nanshan, charming and proud. "Don't try that. It's me, Dong Jiaojiao, who slept with you, not you, Dong Jiaojiao. Besides, how could I be short of men?! Even if you never look for me, I don't care."
Fang Nanshan smiled. He wanted Dong Jiaojiao's nonchalant attitude. If she were a faithful woman like Cheng Meijuan, Fang Nanshan would not have done it. It was precisely because Dong Jiaojiao didn't care about chastity that he could let go.
This kind of woman is easy to get rid of.
And Dong Jiaojiao, who was either stupid or smart, didn't even ask for money for doing this kind of thing with a man! Fang Nanshan, adhering to the principle of not giving up something for nothing, the two of them easily got together.
Fang Nanshan spit out his eyes and said, "I know you're good. But haven't you made any progress with Tian Jiaguang yet? He's asked for money several times. This can't go on."
Dong Jiaojiao said disdainfully, "Don't worry, I've seen people like him many times. He's a gigolo! He's trying to live off Qiu Pan'er and wouldn't dare do anything. But just wait, once he gets Qiu Pan'er's job, his true colors will be exposed sooner or later."
Fang Nanshan felt a little uncomfortable. He hummed perfunctorily and changed the subject, "Who else do you like in our building? I can help you get it."
"Don't give me that." Dong Jiaojiao touched Fang Nanshan's face. "I saw Zhou Zhixing, but he didn't fall for it. You're the only one who's not as good-looking as Zhou Zhixing, but you're still acceptable. I just don't know how good Zhou Zhixing is in bed."
As she spoke, Dong Jiaojiao showed a look of regret on her face.
A hint of gloom flashed across Fang Nanshan's eyes, making Dong Jiaojiao giggle. "Why, are you jealous of Zhou Zhixing? Are you also attracted to Jiang Nan? You are such a scheming person. I feel a little sorry for that idiot Cheng Meijuan. She was fooled by you. Her heart and eyes are full of you, but you don't take it seriously."
Jiang Nan: Just keep talking, why mention me? It's unlucky.
She glanced at Zhou Zhixing, who raised his right hand and swore in a low voice: "We went in and out together, but I have never seen Dong Jiaojiao alone. If I lie, I won't be able to eat meat during the New Year, and I won't be able to drink wine during the festival..."
Jiang Nan snorted and turned back to reading the gossip.
Fang Nanshan, at the center of the gossip, felt incredibly proud after hearing Dong Jiaojiao's words. He was able to seduce Cheng Meijuan, something he could boast about for a long time. Fang Nanshan chuckled, "Alright, Zhou Zhixing, I can't help you. He's not a pushover. What about Lin Bing? He's also quite strong."
Dong Jiaojiao shook her head: "He's not good-looking, I don't like him. I'd be at a loss if I slept with him."
"Wu Jianguo?"
Dong Jiaojiao squinted her eyes: "Why, are you a pimp?"
Fang Nanshan chuckled, "I'm doing this for your own good. Wu Jianguo is a driver now, and he has quite a bit of money. If you stick with him, you won't be short of money. Besides, Wang Jianyi is pregnant, and Wu Jianguo has been single for so long. If you just move a little, won't Wu Jianguo be at your mercy?"
Dong Jiaojiao giggled. Although she didn't need money for this job, she was not short of money. Especially since that idiot Yuan Jianshe was unemployed, she had to find a good one. If she could hook up with a long-term meal ticket, she would consider it. She said proudly, "I'll think about it."
Fang Nanshan raised an eyebrow. Wu Jianguo's extravagant wedding had increased his wedding expenses, and Fang Nanshan still remembered it. He was a man who never thought revenge was too late, so he was naturally very proud of what he heard. In fact, the person he wanted revenge on the most was Lin Bing, who had outshone him at the wedding. Unfortunately, Dong Jiaojiao didn't like him, and Fang Nanshan had no choice but to wait for another opportunity.
Fang Nanshan stamped out his cigarette, dusted off his clothes, and said, "It's getting late. I'm leaving now."
Dong Jiaojiao nodded: "Okay, you go first, I'll go out later."
Jiang Nan and the other three hid carefully, and only breathed a sigh of relief after Dong Jiaojiao disappeared.
Chen Jinhua said angrily, "How could Fang Nanshan be such a person! It's so difficult to get pregnant, and he actually wants Dong Jiaojiao to go and help build a country. This is really too much!"
Jiang Nan comforted her softly, "Mom, don't worry. I'll find time to talk to Sister Yan and ask her to be careful about Dong Jiaojiao. Wu Jianguo is a decent person, so nothing should happen to him."
Jiang Mancheng said quietly, "What do you think? Is there something going on between Sun Qiaolian and Yuan Jianshe? This mother and son, and this husband and wife, this is a bit unbelievable."
The four of them were silent.
How could they forget that Sun Qiao Lian was very close to Yuan Jianshe, who even called her "Sister Qiao Lian".
Jiang Nan shuddered. It was outrageous, too outrageous.
It's outrageous. It's outrageous to the extreme.
"Alright." Jiang Mancheng shuddered after he finished speaking. "Forget what I said. Just pretend you didn't see what happened today. After all, it's a matter between a man and a woman, and we shouldn't interfere."
The other three nodded in unison. They had no intention of interfering in this matter. It was really a bit beyond the line.
But even so, they didn't plan to do anything.
They are not so bored as to use such things to attack others.
After waiting for a while and confirming that Fang Nanshan would not associate the time of the four people's return with the affair, he left the grove.
After visiting the market, they'd almost finished their New Year's shopping, and the festive atmosphere was growing stronger. However, this year's call for a revolutionary New Year celebration, with the slogan "Don't stop fighting on the 30th, and keep working on the first day," meant that Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing, two junior officers, couldn't expect any special treatment. They remained at their posts until New Year's Eve.
The good news was that by the end of the year, the six teams had apprehended an average of 3.5 thieves per person. Combined with their exceptional performance, they were awarded the title of Best Field Team of the Year. Lan Qingshan also proved incredibly effective, securing a reward of five kilograms of apples, two kilograms of pork, and two kilograms of peach cakes for everyone, much to the envy of the other five teams.
On New Year's Eve, no one was in the mood to go to work. They kept looking at their watches in the hall, and their meaning was self-evident. In the afternoon, Shen Suo saw that there was nothing to do, so he simply asked everyone to go home early and celebrate the New Year happily.
Because there were no holidays during the Lunar New Year, few people in the tube-shaped buildings returned to their hometowns for the New Year celebrations; most people spent the holiday in the buildings. When Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing arrived at the family compound, Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua were walking slowly ahead, pushing a cart loaded with New Year's goods distributed by the oil field.
"Dad, Mom, why is the office waiting until the last day to distribute New Year's goods?"
Jiang Mancheng laughed and said, "What do you know, little girl? It's the last day and no one is in the mood to work. We can just dawdle and collect the New Year's goods and then go home. Who wouldn't want to?"
Jiang Nan asked casually, chuckled twice, and looked at the New Year's goods in Jiang Mancheng's car bed. He said happily: "Oh, the New Year's goods are quite abundant this year. We won't be short of meat for the New Year."
Jiang Mancheng: "That's a pound of pork, a pound of spareribs, a fish, apples, peach cakes, and this year they also got a bottle of canned yellow peaches, which is quite a lot. I heard that the frontline workers get half a pound more taro cakes than those in the office."
As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Nanshan and Lin Bing passed by carrying New Year's goods, with their heads held high. They even deliberately placed the tiaozi cakes on the outermost edge, as if they were afraid that others would not see them.
Chen Jinhua didn't notice and said happily, "Didn't Xiaonan also get two kilograms of peach cakes? We got two more kilograms, so we don't have to buy cakes for the New Year."
She asked the father and daughter, "We're making dumplings this afternoon. What filling should we use this year? Cabbage or radish?"
Jiang Nan started to make requests: "Mom, let's make a few more fillings. Chives and eggs, pickled pork, kimchi and pork, and then lamb and radish. Four kinds of fillings, okay?"
Chen Jinhua felt a little distressed: "With so much stuffing, how much meat is needed? Besides, why not make a vegetarian one?"
At that time, people generally classified eggs as meat. The vegetarian dumplings mentioned by Chen Jinhua were purely vegetarian, without any eggs or meat.
"Mom, including the two pounds of meat I gave you, we have a total of four pounds of pork. We can use two pounds of meat with one filling, and add more vegetables. Besides, leeks and eggs are vegetarian fillings. Hehe, there's no need to make dumplings with purely vegetarian fillings. Let's make more. They won't go bad if they're frozen outside. If we don't feel like cooking one day, we can just make dumplings and eat them. How convenient."
Jiang Mancheng joined in the fun and said, "Then let's make some more buns and flower rolls. We can heat them up when we want to eat them. If Xiaonan gets off work early, she can just heat them up and eat them without having to cook."
Chen Jinhua made the decision: "Okay, then let's do more."
Zhou Zhixing smiled and joined in: "Then I'll go get some lunch, so I can help out this afternoon."
Chen Jinhua hesitated a bit: "Xiaoxing, it's New Year's Day, and there must be work to do at home. Aunt Cao and Brother Zhou, don't they have any objections to you coming over?"
"It's okay, Aunt Chen. Brother Zhilai and his wife are back for the New Year, and they brought little Siqi with them. Grandma and uncle love Siqi so much that they won't mind where I go at noon."
Seeing that Zhou Zhixing was not at all embarrassed, Chen Jinhua felt relieved.
While New Year's Eve dinner was the main meal, lunch on New Year's Eve couldn't be made do without. The four decided to stay indoors and enjoy a sauerkraut and pork hot pot. With the system, there was no shortage of beef rolls, lamb rolls, shrimp balls, and pork tripe, and Jiang Nan was busy exchanging them. For the beef rolls, Jiang Nan even went the extravagant route and exchanged them for Japanese Wagyu beef.
Humph, it’s New Year’s Day, you have money and you can do whatever you want.
When northerners eat hot pot, sesame paste is indispensable. The four of them dipped their hands in the sauce and ate without even raising their heads.
Chen Jinhua: "This shrimp paste is delicious. I've never had it before."
Chaoyang Oilfield is located in an inland province, not near the sea, so seafood is rarely available there. Jiang Nan bought authentic shrimp balls from the system, which were tender and delicious, perfectly suiting Chen Jinhua's taste.
Jiang Mancheng nodded. He took a piece of beef with his chopsticks and sighed, "I didn't expect I could have all-you-can-eat beef. This beef is really delicious, not dry at all."
You know, in ancient times, even if he was a capable eunuch of a favorite concubine, he couldn't eat beef. Killing oxen for farming was illegal in ancient times.
Jiang Nan laughed and said: "As long as it's meat, I like to eat it."
Zhou Zhixing also felt satisfied. Looking at the nearly 30 kinds of hot pot ingredients, he sighed: "I've eaten hot pot before, but the ingredients were not as rich as this."
Jiang Nan and others naturally knew that he was talking about his previous life, and nodded.
Jiang Mancheng felt the same way. Life in ancient times was far from being as good as it is now. They were in a new era now, the masters of the country.
After eating and drinking, Jiang Nan exchanged a bunch of fruits, such as peaches, tangerines, strawberries, and cherries, for free.
It's Chinese New Year, so we have to eat something good. After all, we are at home, so no one cares what they do.
Jiang Nan and Chen Jinhua were eating fruits, which made Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Mancheng look shocked: Didn’t they just say they were full? Why are they eating again so soon?
How could they know that women use different stomachs to eat staple foods, fruits and desserts?
Not at all.
No matter how full a woman is, she will always have an appetite for some fruit and dessert.
Thinking of dessert, Jiang Nan chuckled, opened the system, and changed two more desserts. She said with full energy, "Ding, ding, red velvet and sea salt cheese! It's expensive, just these two small pieces cost me thirty melon coins, come and try it."
Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Mancheng waved their hands repeatedly. They were full and really couldn't eat anymore.
The two who couldn't eat took the initiative to wash the dishes, while Jiang Nan and Chen Jinhua ate fruit and dessert. The mother and daughter were giggling happily, and then they cleared the table, swept the floor, and cleaned up the house together.
After a hearty lunch, the four of them prepared to put up the Spring Festival couplets first.
Nowadays, many families would buy red paper to write Spring Festival couplets themselves. However, Jiang Mancheng had no cultural knowledge in this life or his previous lives, so he originally wanted to just write the couplets. Unexpectedly, when Zhou Zhixing came a few days ago, he brought two pairs of written couplets.
The four seas are surging with raging clouds and waters, and the five continents are shaking with wind and thunder.
Thousands of willows are swaying in the spring breeze, and the six hundred million people in China are all like Shun and Yao.
I didn't dare write anything random on the horizontal banner, they were all just "Socialism is good".
Although Zhou Zhixing was a playboy in his previous life, he still practiced calligraphy. After traveling through time, he pretended to be a cultured person for a while, practicing calligraphy from time to time. Now that he showed off his good handwriting, it was not out of place.
After simply pasting the Spring Festival couplets, the four of them began to work together to make dumplings. Jiang Nan was responsible for mixing the filling and rolling out the dough, Chen Jinhua kneaded the dough, and Jiang Mancheng and Zhou Zhixing wrapped the dumplings.
After Chen Jinhua kneaded the dough, she began to stir-fry the food. Spare ribs, meatballs, radish balls, tofu balls, hairtail, sugar cakes, rice cakes, and noodles—the aroma immediately filled the corridor, attracting many children to the fourth floor.
Faced with the drooling little kids, Chen Jinhua felt soft-hearted for a moment and wanted to just stuff a piece of noodle leaf into each of them. After all, the noodle leaf was not made of pure white flour. It was originally prepared to entertain guests who came to pay New Year's greetings on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
But Jiang Mancheng was a food-conscious person. Life was tough these days, and no one would give food to other people's children for free, not even during Chinese New Year. Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua swapped places, but the man, with his iron heart, ignored the snotty children, causing them to pout in protest. But even the poorest families would always have something good to eat during Chinese New Year. The child, having gotten nothing, went home drooling.
The three of them chatted and laughed in the room, soon finishing over three hundred dumplings and nearly a hundred large buns. Chen Jinhua prepared a little of everything, sent two bowls to the Zhou family, and began preparing the rest of the New Year's Eve dinner. Zhou Zhixing hadn't married Jiang Nan yet, so he could no longer stay at the Jiang family and reluctantly left.
On the Jiang family's New Year's Eve dinner table, there were dishes such as stewed vermicelli with sauerkraut, stir-fried cabbage, braised pork, garlic spare ribs, and family dumplings. Although it was much more shabby than the New Year's Eve dinners of later generations with more than 20 dishes, Jiang Nan felt incomparably happy.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, of course, it's time to stay up all night. According to past customs, you stay up until midnight, set off a string of firecrackers, and then go back to sleep. But this year, celebrating the New Year is not encouraged, so buying firecrackers is even more forbidden.
Jiang Mancheng hadn't originally planned to buy firecrackers. But on the 29th day of the 12th lunar month, he saw Old Lady Liu buying some, and couldn't help but ask about it. Old Lady Liu replied mysteriously, "Wanxiang's neighbor said his family bought some, saying firecrackers can ward off evil spirits. I don't know what Wanxiang thought, but he didn't stop her, so everyone bought some."
Jiang Mancheng knew without hesitation that Wan Xiang was afraid, but it was fine. Setting off firecrackers would bring some joy during the New Year. Thus, at twelve o'clock, firecrackers were heard in almost all the family compounds in the Operations Department.
Crackling, the white snow reflects the red whip, 1967 is truly over, and 1968 is coming.
Early in the morning, New Year's greetings were heard everywhere. Actually, New Year's greetings were not encouraged this year, but everyone was used to it, and the Revolutionary Committee didn't insist on it, so everyone just let it go.
After greeting each other, people go back to work. After all, there is no such thing as a holiday on the first day of the Lunar New Year. I don't know about other places, but the police station is much busier. Thieves also have to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Who would go out to steal things on the first day of the Lunar New Year?
So, the class on New Year's Day was pretty easy. Jiang Nan brought some shredded radish and tofu meatballs to the police station, and they enjoyed the food with everyone. Jiang Nan wasn't alone; Wen Qiang's parents were both cooks, and they even brought a lunch box of dumplings. As expected of professional chefs, the filling was perfectly seasoned with just the right amount of saltiness, making it incredibly delicious.
Those with jobs still have to go to work during the Lunar New Year holiday. While it's relaxing, it's still not very convenient to go out in the middle of winter. Those without jobs are happy at this time. They exchange New Year's greetings, visit friends and chat, and the atmosphere is still very strong, with a festive atmosphere everywhere.
Unexpectedly, when Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing got off work, they heard crying sounds in the building.
The first day of the new year, this is the first day of the new year.
How do you say that? It’s New Year’s Day.
Yes, who would cry during the New Year?
The two looked at each other, somewhat bewildered. No matter what time it was, it seemed that few people would cry on New Year's Day. It was unlucky.
Jiang Mancheng and Chen Jinhua, who were also off work, jogged over to catch up and helped the two young men solve their puzzlement.
"Sui Yun, she must have gone back to see her children and got kicked out by her ex-husband's family. The Sui family didn't give her anything, so she went back empty-handed. It would be strange if the old Wu family would treat her well."
Sure enough, before she could finish her words, she heard Sui Qiang growling impatiently from upstairs, "Big sister, are you done yet? You're crying on New Year's Day. You don't think it's unlucky, but I do. Those two little bastards don't even recognize their own mother, what's there to be sad about?! Grandma is helping you find a partner, so you can have another child after you get married. Don't be sad."
Old Lady Sui whispered something, and Sui Yun gradually stopped crying. Finally, she carried a bowl, lowered her head, and walked downstairs towards the Wu family.
Jiang Nan and the other three were speechless. Was she persuaded by Old Lady Sui again and wanted to marry into the Wu family?
"You're confused." Qiu Pan'er held onto Tian Jiaguang's arm and glanced at Jiang Nan. Unable to suppress the jealousy in her heart, she shouted, "This woman is married. Even if her parents' family is good, she can't always think about them. Otherwise, how can she be someone else's daughter-in-law?"
Tian Jiaguang curled his lips subtly, but said: "Pan'er, don't say that. It's not easy for your parents to raise you. It's our duty to be filial to them."
Qiu Paner snorted, "Dad's mind is all on his unborn son. He's clearly taking a break during the New Year, but he doesn't care about us and is still thinking about what they are doing."
Tian Jiaguang advised: "Don't say that, Dad loves you too. Look, Dad gave you some New Year's gifts and even left some peach cakes."
"Take the rest back to West River Bank and give it to Mom to eat. Do you think you love me?"
The two of them gradually walked away, their voices intermittent, making Jiang Nan roll her eyes. She didn't want to hear it, okay? Qiu Pan'er had been completely brainwashed, and her stinking thoughts were on par with Old Lady Sui's. She felt sick to her stomach just listening to them.
Jiang Nan crouched down and locked the car downstairs with a huff.
Behind them, Tong Lili, Lin Bing, and Lin Youliang gradually overtook the four. Tong Lili smiled and said, "Dad, since you saved Secretary Tu, we should visit him during the holidays. From now on, we should visit him every year to wish him a happy new year. It will be good for Dabing's work. If the team knows that Dabing went to wish Secretary Tu a happy new year, they will definitely consider him for promotions and ratings. I'm doing this for his own good."
Lin Youliang's face turned a little grim. He said sternly, "I didn't save Secretary Tu for any reward. I'm not the type to flatter."
Tong Lili secretly rolled her eyes, but inwardly she was brimming with pride. She'd been planning to pay her respects to Secretary Tu since New Year's Day, and today, without asking for permission, she'd finally managed to trick the father and son out. Perhaps she could even work in the oil fields someday.
Thinking of this, Tong Lili smiled smugly and said in a gentle voice, "I know, Dad, you do everything according to your conscience, which is naturally very good. Even as a soldier, you work diligently in the team and never slack off. We are upright and upright, and we are not afraid of gossip. But since we know the leader, we can't be afraid of gossip and even not go to pay New Year's greetings? That would hurt the leader's feelings too much. And we just said a few words and didn't even bring any gifts, so how can it be said that we are flattering him?"
She listed the reasons why visiting Secretary Tu's home for New Year's greetings was necessary: "We're just simply paying New Year's greetings, not asking for favors. Besides, we're just ordinary workers. Why should we be embarrassed to pay New Year's greetings? Relationships are built through interaction. If we haven't contacted Secretary Tu for several years, or if Secretary Tu has been transferred, we won't be able to find him again if we want to."
She sighed, "I know you think I'm a bit of a philistine, Dabing, but tell me, since the last wedding, have the people in the team been treating you better and speaking to you more politely? I'm doing this all for Dabing, for this family."
At the end, he choked up a little.
Lin Bing had been a little bothered by her groveling at Secretary Tu's house, but after hearing her earnest words, he felt distressed again. He said, "Lili, I know you're doing this for my own good. Don't cry. I will work hard and strive for a promotion soon. You don't have to grovel at the leader's house anymore."
Lin Youliang was not ignorant of the ways of the world. He paused for a moment and said in a gentle tone, "Okay, Dad knows you feel bad for Dabing, and this won't happen again."
"Ah." Tong Lili pretended to wipe away tears, secretly scorning the "hypocritical" attitude of Lin Youliang and his son. Growing up in the countryside, she was used to seeing the powerful being flattered and the weak being bullied. A few kind words could earn you favors, so why wouldn't she say anything? The less capable someone is, the more they care about saving face.
But even though she was complaining in her heart, Tong Lili still said loudly: "Dad, can you make a cart? I saw that Secretary Tu's grandson's wooden cart is a bit old today, let's make another one. I'm not flattering you, if you can make a cart, we can exchange it with Secretary Tu. There are many leaders in the operation department in the leadership courtyard, and they all have this kind of cart at home. Let's..."
The sound grew farther and farther away. Jiang Nan, who had accidentally overheard the entire process, muttered quietly, "Is this Tong Lili really planning for Lin Bing?"
Jiang Mancheng couldn't see through it either. He shook his head and said, "Who knows? Maybe she's attracted by Brother Lin's ability and wants to be the daughter-in-law of the Lin family. After all, Lin Youliang has a monthly pension, and Lin Bing also has a salary. His family is actually doing well."
As the four of them were talking, they met Wu Jianguo and Wang Jianyi who came out to see them off.
Wang Jianhong's older brother, Wang Fendou, came back from the countryside to celebrate the New Year. The four siblings were reunited, and Wang Jianhong took two days off to spend the New Year with her older brother. She was already pregnant, and was supported by Wu Jianguo. After nodding and greeting Jiang Nan, she began to instruct Wang Fendou: "Don't be too honest in the countryside. Farm work is so tiring. If you can be lazy, do it. You are almost twenty years old. If you want to find a partner, you can look for one among the educated youth, but you can't find a rural wife, otherwise you won't be able to come back to the city if you have the chance in the future. Also, don't bring so many things back next time. You don't have much money when you go to the countryside. Life in the countryside is not easy. You should buy them all as food to replenish your body..."
Wang Fendou had been listening with a smile, but interrupted, "Sister, I didn't bring much. Just local produce from the countryside. It didn't cost much. You're pregnant with my nephew, and people say pregnant women who eat more walnuts will have smart children, so I brought a little extra."
Wu Jianguo smiled and continued, "They say nephews resemble their uncles. With an uncle as smart as you, your nephew will definitely be a smart kid even if he doesn't eat walnuts."
Wang Jianyi scolded: "Don't call her a nephew, maybe she is a niece..."
Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng had initially been listening, but as the two men talked more and more, they jumped over to talk to Jiang Nan. They were temporary workers, and since they had nothing to do today, Chief Lan had asked them to come home early. Given their personalities, they would have preferred to work all day rather than leave early, but since their eldest brother had finally returned for the New Year, they didn't hesitate for long and left anyway. Now, they were worried Chief Shen and Chief Lan might have something against them, so they were trying to sneak in and find out.
Jiang Nan tapped their foreheads and said with a smile, "Now that Chief Chen and Chief Lan know that Brother Fendou is back, don't worry too much. You two reported the credit for finding the yellow croaker in the public restroom last time. It's only a matter of time before it's turned into a profit, don't worry."
The two of them then chuckled foolishly.
The nine of them were blocking the entrance to the corridor, which was unbelievable, so Jiang Nan and the other three took the initiative to say hello and leave.
As they reached the fourth floor, passing the Cheng residence, Jing Aihua and her parents opened the door. The three of them had come to the Cheng family to propose marriage. After the Lunar New Year, Cheng Gaigai would be eighteen, and Jing Aihua would be twenty, both of marriageable age. They had been dating for quite some time, and if they didn't discuss marriage soon, people would start gossiping.
Since they were discussing marriage, Cheng Gaigai, as the older woman, didn't offer to escort them out. The three members of the Jing and Jiang families exchanged a few greetings, nodding to each other. Jing Aihua had a younger uncle who was Secretary Tu's chief secretary, so he naturally knew the Jiang family's background. He smiled naturally, not overly enthusiastic, but not distant either. He knew how to strike a balance. No wonder he was officially promoted this year.
Everyone has to work on the first day of the Lunar New Year, and after that, it's just like any other day. While nationwide, people are promoting a revolutionary Spring Festival, centuries-old habits still make it difficult to change. Especially in places like hospitals, where doctors and nurses are all on duty during the Lunar New Year holiday, few actually visit the hospital during the Lunar New Year. Zhou Yuanqing, the eldest uncle of the Zhou family, arrives and leaves work on time every day, demonstrating the leisurely atmosphere of hospitals during this Lunar New Year holiday.
This era isn't like later times, with all the drunk-driving checks, drinking and causing trouble, and gambling during the Lunar New Year. There's a lot more going on during the Lunar New Year than during normal times, and many departments are actually busiest during the Lunar New Year. But these days, first, there aren't that many cars, second, there's not that much money to buy alcohol, and third, the oil fields just recently raided gambling dens, so even if you want to gamble, there's nowhere to go.
I originally thought that the New Year holidays would continue to be so leisurely, but I didn't expect that Jiang Nan would face the biggest case since he joined the police force.
The report came during the Chinese New Year, and it all started with the recruitment of workers in the oil field.
This recruitment has a huge impact on the surrounding brigades, especially some remote brigades that rarely communicate with the outside world, such as Kaoshantun Brigade. The impact can be said to be far-reaching.
Kaoshan Village is nestled deep in the mountains. Even a bicycle ride to the oil fields takes four or five hours, let alone walking. People in Kaoshan Village rarely venture out, and when they go shopping, they gather in groups, asking the team leader or branch secretary, who's out for meetings, to bring them along. Gradually, the villagers lost touch with the outside world and grew increasingly afraid to leave.
This time, ten people from Kaoshantun passed the exam to become workers. Although it is not a lot, these are not job vacancies compensated by the oil field, but are the result of the children's hard work. The people of Kaoshantun feel proud, and the families of the workers are no longer afraid to leave.
After leaving the Kaoshantun Workers' Home and slowly interacting with the outside world, I realized everyone was the same, nothing to be afraid of. Gradually, I gained some courage and thought about contacting my daughter, who had previously "married out" to the oil fields, hoping she could help support her family. However, when I went to the address given by the matchmaker, I found that the people living there were not my daughter and son-in-law!
If this happened to just one family, it could be explained as the daughter and son-in-law moving away, but the same thing happened to all five or six families whose wives had married out, which made everyone feel a bit suspicious. The captain of Kaoshan Village was a cautious man. After smoking three pipes of dry tobacco, he resolutely led everyone to the police station to report the incident.
So early in the morning on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, the police station welcomed people from Kaoshantun who came to report the case.
"Comrade police officer, the girls in our village might have been sold by the matchmaker!"
The loud roar caused an uproar in the quiet police station.
This case involved the trafficking of women. If successfully uncovered, it would be a major achievement for the new year and indeed the entire year. After Shen Mingguang's excitement wore off, he immediately summoned Lan Qingshan, who in turn summoned Team 5 captains Shao Yong and Zhou Zhixing to discuss the matter.
The team leader had a bitter face and introduced the six families in the village whose daughters had been married off.
"These families all listened to that matchmaker Huang, accepted a 200 yuan betrothal gift, and married their daughters off to the oil fields. The offer was high in exchange for a ten-year ban on contact with their parents' family. I initially thought this request was a bit strange, but these families felt that their daughters had just married in the past few years and wouldn't be able to help their parents' families. After ten years, when their daughters were firmly established in their in-laws' families, there wouldn't be much point in continuing contact, so they agreed."
He took two puffs of his pipe and continued, "This year, all the families have to work, so they wanted their daughters to help their brothers, so they went to the sons-in-law's house. But when they got there, they found no one who knew them. They hadn't even heard of the sons-in-law's names, and none of the girls in our village were anywhere to be found. Officers, what do you think? Is this trafficking of women? Is that matchmaker Huang a beggar?"
Shen Mingguang's face was very serious. He asked in detail about the addresses of the six 'sons-in-law' and the matchmaker's original proposal process: "How can you be sure that they are talking about oil workers? Have you visited your husband's family? Did you attend the wedding?"
"No." One of the old men said with a bitter face, "At that time, matchmaker Huang said that our daughter Xiao Cui was pretty and would definitely have a good life if she married into the oil field. Xiao Cui was wild and didn't listen to anyone. She was determined to marry into the oil field. We had no choice. We wanted to visit our son-in-law's family, but they said their house in the city was small and we couldn't all go. At that time, Xiao Cui's mother went with us. They said they lived in a tin house. The house was so small that there was no room to turn around. They treated us to a meal and then left. Xiao Cui's mother, tell me what you saw at that time."
The middle-aged woman whose name was called shuddered, grunted for a long time, and whispered, "I... I just sat in the room for a while, and before I could even say a word, the matchmaker took me away. She said that my in-laws' family had to go to work and wouldn't let me stay. They were all wearing oil worker uniforms, so they must be oil workers!"
The old man's lips trembled with anger. "Then you said you talked a lot with your in-laws and even stayed for dinner? Are you talking nonsense?"
Xiao Cui Niang slumped her shoulders and said, "I...I did that just to save face."
The old man stood up and wanted to hit someone but he didn't dare to start with his daughter-in-law, so he paced around the hall in anger.
Shen Mingguang stepped forward to support the old man, and after a few words of persuasion, he continued to ask Xiao Cui Niang, "Didn't you talk to that family? Did you hear what the matchmaker said?"
The woman shook her head. "I didn't say that. Matchmaker Huang did, but she whispered it to the other person. I didn't hear anything."
Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan exchanged glances and sighed inwardly. This was a tough situation. Matchmaker Huang, having devised such a scheme, was clearly a seasoned swindler. To handle this situation, she'd undoubtedly bribed a family beforehand. For that family, simply having someone visit their home and receive payment was a big no-brainer. They'd likely agree without even asking what Matchmaker Huang did. While the oilfield had good benefits, there were still many poor people. In the fiberglass residential complex, there were plenty of people who met the requirements.
The two men comforted Xiao Cuiniang and the old man, and then asked about the situation of other people.
Xiao Cui's family was considered cautious, even visiting the man's family. Some families simply accepted the betrothal gifts and sent their daughters off with the matchmaker without even meeting the man. Of course, some did meet the man, but without exception, they were all dressed in work clothes and had a stern demeanor. Everyone simply judged them to be oil workers based on their uniforms.
As for weddings, these days, simply saying the country advocates simple weddings, no wedding banquets, and bowing three times to the Chairman's statue is enough, and the ceremony is complete. Even peanuts and sunflower seeds are unnecessary. The people of Kaoshantun have long been isolated from the outside world, and speaking to city dwellers with a straight face is uneasy, so naturally they believe whatever others say.
Shen Mingguang: "What about Matchmaker Huang? How did you meet? Do all the people in the brigade go to Matchmaker Huang for marriage proposals?"
The team leader shook his head. "Matchmaker Huang is from Zaohua Commune. She had never come to our village to propose marriage before. She saw Xiao Cui in the commune and said that Xiao Cui was beautiful and could marry into the oil field, so she came to our village to propose marriage. Xiao Cui's mother also went to the oil field with her, so the villagers believed her. After that, Matchmaker Huang came two or three times with a few workers, and then people gradually turned to Matchmaker Huang for marriage proposals. When I went to the commune meeting, I made a special inquiry. Huang Matchmaker was not only proposing marriages in our Kaoshan Village, but also in a few other places in Shan'aozi. I didn't find any problems, so I didn't care anymore."
Lan Qingshan quickly asked, "Did Matchmaker Huang find a suitable family? Have you met them?"
The captain shook his head. "I didn't see it, but everyone said they saw that woman buying groceries with her mother-in-law, so she must have married well. That's why I didn't care. Matchmaker Huang moved away four years ago, and we haven't seen her since."
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