Chapter 79 I wish there would be no kidnapping in the world
Surrounded by four people, the Qin mother and daughter were still arguing fiercely about buying clothes.
"I'm doing this for you," Widow Qin whispered. "That old man isn't so easily taken in. I have to dress up nicely. I want to look chic in my mourning attire! I have to buy a white sweater; it looks good on me."
Tong Lili pouted: "But this is too expensive, Mom, the gray one next to it is also very nice."
Widow Qin: "It's so gray, how can it be beautiful? What's wrong with spending a little money on Mom? Didn't you say that Lin Bing's salary is in your hands, and you can't even buy Mom a piece of clothing?"
"Mom, this dress costs over thirty. It's just robbing me! It's almost a month's salary. You could buy something different." Tong Lili couldn't bear to part with it. Her mother had been at Deputy Secretary Tian's house for over two weeks and hadn't received any money back. She had already spent a lot of her money. She didn't want to be taken advantage of again.
"you......"
"Someone's coming." Tong Lili whispered, "Mom, stop talking, let's..."
"Isn't it just the floor above you? Why are you hiding?"
Widow Qin's disdain caused Jiang Nan and the other three to pretend to pick up clothes.
Won't someone find out if I eavesdrop?
But, obviously, they overthought it.
Because next, they saw Fang Nanshan and Cheng Meijuan, as well as two young couples, Tian Jiaguang and Qiu Paner, who were also shopping in the department store.
Cheng Meijuan also took a fancy to the white sweater. She paid for it without blinking or even looking at Tong Lili.
This made Tong Lili very angry. She bit her lips and looked at Cheng Meijuan's back with resentment.
If Qiu Pan'er regards Jiang Nan as her rival, then Tong Lili regards Cheng Meijuan as her natural enemy.
After all, they both entered the house one after the other, both being young wives married into Building 4. Not only were they constantly compared to each other, but the older ladies also praising and disparaging one and the other, not to mention the other. Basically, every comparison was a humiliation for Tong Lili.
It goes without saying that everyone is full of praise for Cheng Meijuan. She has a good family background, a strong family background, is beautiful and can win over men, lives in the city and has a job, and is gentle and virtuous, a powerful figure at home and abroad.
Speaking of Tong Lili, it's hard to describe. Although Tong Lili is better looking, what's the point? With a rural household registration, she's outshone by everyone else.
Tong Lili was furious. It was just a sweater, but she wanted to buy two! Cheng Meijuan was so pissed off that she was like a fool!
"Mom, let's buy two!"
This remark caused Qiu Pan'er, who was selecting clothes nearby, to sneer. As a native of Building 4, Qiu Pan'er felt a strong sense of superiority in front of Tong Lili. She curled her lips and said disdainfully, "You're just trying to be rich!"
This really pissed off Tong Lili. She wasn't one for good temper to begin with, so she pinched her waist and cursed, "You're a losing idiot, and you still have the nerve to criticize others! You're a bunch of shit yourself, so stop meddling in other people's business."
Qiu Pan'er wasn't afraid at all. She snorted and said casually, "I didn't mention any names, so why are you rushing to acknowledge me? It's ridiculous. You married into the oil field, but you still have a petty air."
Tong Lili snorted and sarcastically replied, "I don't know who it is, but she's not even a hair better than Jiang Nan, and she found a man who can't even compare to Zhou Zhixing! You must be so jealous that your eyes are red. It's a pity, if you can't compare, you can't compare. Even if you keep deceiving yourself, in the eyes of outsiders, you're still not as good as Jiang Nan!"
Qiu Paner hated being told she wasn't as good as Jiang Nan. She was so angry her chest was heaving and her stomach was aching. She clutched her stomach, her face pale.
This scared Tong Lili. How could she have forgotten that Qiu Pan'er was pregnant? She took two steps back and said with a bluff, "What? You can't argue with me, so you want to fake a miscarriage to blackmail me? I'm telling you, I won't fall for that! Mom, let's go! This woman is trying to blackmail us. We can't afford to offend her, but we can afford to hide. Let's go."
Widow Qin regretted losing the clothes she had secured, but she knew the consequences. If she were blackmailed by a pregnant woman, it wouldn't just be a matter of one or two pieces of clothing. She grabbed Tong Lili's hand, and the two of them sped away. Their speed was so whizzing, their legs like they were on a hot wheel, and they were gone in the blink of an eye.
Jiang Nan blinked again and again. This speed is comparable to that of the Rockets.
"Pan'er, are you okay?" Tian Jiaguang's voice not far away brought Jiang Nan back to her senses. She pricked up her ears and continued pretending to buy clothes.
"It's okay." Qiu Pan'er took a deep breath, felt the strangeness in her stomach, and said, "Jiaguang, let's go to the hospital. I'm worried."
"Okay." Qiu Pan'er was pregnant with his son, so Tian Jiaguang agreed without hesitation. "I'll help you over."
"good."
Qiu Pan'er came to the department store to buy clothes. Her belly was already showing and was getting bigger and bigger. Her old clothes were becoming tighter for her. She had been planning to buy something today, but who knew she would meet Tong Lili, this jinx? She supported Tian Jiaguang, cursing the bad luck in her heart, and her expression did not improve at all despite Tian Jiaguang's thoughtfulness.
Tian Jiaguang was thinking about something else. He felt that it was time to tighten the strings for Qiu Paner.
Ever since she became pregnant, Qiu Pan'er's temper had gotten worse. Not only did she often quarrel with others, she also burst into tears at the slightest provocation, as if she had suffered a great injustice. In reality, it was nothing more than a simple wish for an apple or a peach, but it often forced him to go out to buy groceries in the middle of his meal.
Although he was living off Qiu Pan'er, he still had to be tough when he needed to.
Tian Jiaguang's eyes flashed, and his voice was very soft. He said, "Pan'er, what's wrong with you recently? It seems that you can't control yourself and always quarrel with others. Many times, watching you arguing with others, I felt so strange. You have changed. You are no longer as gentle and considerate as before. You were so beautiful before, and your whole body was glowing. I am such a humble person, but I can be brave for you once, and I am eager to get your favor. But you recently... you... do you dislike me? I know that I don't have a job and I have embarrassed you..."
After a pause, Tian Jiaguang said with reluctance and determination in his voice: "Pan'er, even if you despise me, I still can't help but like you. Who makes you so good? I can't control my feelings. You can understand, right? I will never forget the first time I met you. But don't worry, even if you change your mind..."
"Jiaguang." Qiu Pan'er's cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were shining, almost blinding people. She said happily, "Jiaguang, what nonsense are you talking about. How could I dislike you? I love you so much. I... I don't know what's wrong. It seems that my temper has become worse since I got pregnant. I always can't control my anger. But don't worry, I will pay attention to it in the future. Don't think too much. I will never change my heart. You have to believe me."
Tian Jiaguang nodded heavily, held Qiu Paner's hand tightly, and the two walked further and further away.
Jiang Nan grumbled quietly, "Vicious Phoenix man."
However, her words did not attract the support of her parents and Zhou Zhixing, but instead made several sales clerks at the counter glare at her.
"How can you say that about such a nice man?" A young salesperson who looked no more than twenty glared at Jiang Nan. "How can you be like that, lesbian? You're not kind at all. You can't stand seeing others doing well. Are you going to buy or not? You've been looking for so long. If not, just leave. You're not welcome here."
"That's right. Do you want to buy it or not? If not, don't waste your time. What kind of person are you? You can't stand others being better than you. Let me tell you, I've seen a lot of people like you in the compound. I'm well-informed. Stop annoying me here." Another younger salesperson agreed.
Jiang Nan opened his eyes wide and looked at the two indignant young girls, speechless.
She always feels out of tune with her peers because she is too clear-headed.
Well, not really the same age, after all, she was already in her thirties when she came here.
Jiang Nan sighed. After all, she was the one who was truly knowledgeable.
Zhou Zhixing suppressed his laughter and pulled Jiang Nan away: "Okay, let's go look somewhere else. You don't want to buy clothes, let's go look at some pastries."
Jiang Nan: "Hey, I have a bad temper."
"Alright." Jiang Mancheng also stepped forward to pull people away, "It's not worth it, let's go somewhere else."
The family left the clothing counter early and went to hang out elsewhere.
After work the next day, Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing regained their spirits, but the other people in Group 5 and Group 6 were still listless. Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan encouraged everyone one after another.
"Don't lose heart. The bureau has already sent portraits of Brother Hu and Matchmaker Huang nationwide. I'm sure we'll receive reports from concerned citizens soon. There are other cases in the oil field, so everyone should stay alert and don't let this one case delay future work."
"Director." Jiang Nan stood up and handed Shen Mingguang the report she had been writing for three days. "Although the case of Huang the Matchmaker remains unsolved, I believe her methods of deception need to be exposed throughout the oil fields, the city, the entire province, and even the entire country, so that more people can learn from them. This is a report I wrote after consulting with some of the elderly people in the family compound. It lists 28 methods used by human traffickers to commit fraud. I think we should do a publicity campaign on fraud cases, just like we did with the educated youth legal education campaign last time, so that everyone can be fully aware of the scammers' methods and prevent more people from being deceived."
Shen Mingguang took the report and took a look at it. He was surprised to see that it actually listed 28 different fraud methods. He said, "So many? Are they all told to you by the elderly?"
"Yes." Jiang Nan nodded. "The uncles and aunts have been through a lot. Many of them came from the old society. They have heard of or even seen the beggars, and they have provided a lot of clues."
In fact, it is mostly a summary of Jiang Nan's work based on cases he saw in later generations. Human traffickers not only abduct women, but also children. The report is written in the form of short stories, which is very suitable for preaching to residents.
Shen Mingguang was pleased with what he saw. He handed it to Lan Qingshan and said with a smile, "Okay, young people have ideas. Leave the report here. Lan and I will communicate with the oil field. Don't worry, the publicity will definitely be carried out. Once the matter is decided, you will be the publicist. Okay, go to work with peace of mind."
Seeing that her report was taken seriously, Jiang Nan felt relieved. She was just an ordinary person, and this was all she could do. She just wanted to make sure there was no more kidnapping in the world.
Within two days of submitting the report, Shen Mingguang responded, "Xiao Nan, get ready. You'll go to Zaohua Commune the day after tomorrow to present your '28 Cases of Trafficking.' Two brigades in Zaohua Commune have been involved in women trafficking, and the commune leaders are taking this very seriously. When they heard about this presentation, they specifically asked our police station to go and give a presentation. Don't bring shame to our station."
Jiang Nan said happily: "Yes, Director, I will explain it in detail."
Shen Mingguang nodded and said to Lan Qingshan, "It won't be enough to have only Jiang Nan as the speaker. You should remove another person from the team and have two people work together. That way, if one person is busy, it won't delay the other's presentation. We've already received invitations from three or four factories, and the oil field has also promised to go and give a presentation. If the presentation is good, headquarters will send someone to learn from it."
Lan Qingshan simply said, "Then let Zhou Zhixing cooperate. They both have good eloquence and are an unmarried couple. Their tacit understanding when working together is undeniable."
"Okay, you arrange it."
Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing became members of the anti-trafficking advocacy group. The day of the presentation fell on the second day of the second lunar month, the Dragon Raising its Head, Jiang Nan's birthday. Early in the morning, Jiang Mancheng prepared longevity noodles, and Chen Jinhua made sweet cakes. Jiang Nan happily finished her birthday meal and then rode her bike to Zaohua Commune with Zhou Zhixing.
The lecture was held in the square southwest of the commune. Because grassroots officials had been dispatched door-to-door, the square was already packed when the two arrived. Straight ahead was a podium, and directly above it, a red banner with the words "Zaohua Commune Anti-Trafficking Classroom" in large black ink caught their eye.
The two men arrived in police uniforms, and the crowd automatically made way for them. Jiang Nan scanned the crowd and saw Zou Li, Wen Qiang, He Lin, Wang Zili, and Wang Gengsheng lurking on the periphery. Knowing that everyone was proceeding according to plan, he strode forward with peace of mind.
Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan were already seated on the podium, followed by several commune leaders. After the commune secretary and Tu, the head of the operations department, took their seats, the lecture began. A junior staff member presided over the lecture. After the commune secretary, Tu, and Shen Mingguang spoke, Jiang Nan gracefully rose and began the day's presentation.
"Hello everyone, I'm the speaker for today's anti-trafficking lecture. My name is Jiang Nan. You may not know me, but that's okay. Just know that I'm a police officer. Before I officially begin my presentation, I'd like to invite five of my colleagues to the stage."
Jiang Nan introduced them one by one: "They are Zou Li, Wen Qiang, He Lin, Wang Zili, and Wang Gengsheng. You may not recognize these people, and they are not wearing police uniforms. Before the presentation began, the five of them conducted a small experiment downstairs. Please share the results of the experiment."
Zou Lixian bowed and began to speak, "My experiment was to pretend to have a stomachache and give a candy to a child who was alone, asking them to help me to the public restroom. I found six children in total, some six, some eight, some four, and some five. Without exception, all six accepted the candy. Two even ate the candy on the spot and enthusiastically helped me to the public restroom. Think about it, if I were a human trafficker, these children might have been abducted!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
These days when supplies are scarce, it's normal for children to be tempted by candy. Who would have thought it was a human trafficker?
Seeing everyone start discussing, Jiang Nan said, "There are two points we need to clarify. First, parents must tell their children never to eat anything given by strangers! Many human traffickers use candy, meat buns, white flour buns and other foods to lure children and even grown girls into following them. Everyone must remember that you can't eat anything carelessly. It may contain knockout drugs. If you eat it, you won't know anything. When you wake up, you'll never see your parents or your family again. Second, everyone must remember that adults won't ask children for help when they have problems."
She explained, "Think about it, would you ask a child for help when you have problems? It's only the weak who ask the strong for help. The reverse is not always the case, but everyone should be careful. This includes, but is not limited to, adults asking children for help, or older women asking older women for help. This kind of scam is very common, so everyone should take note."
Someone in the crowd shouted, "So, when someone asks us for help, we won't help them? Isn't it said that we should help others?"
Jiang Nan smiled and said, "It's true that helping others brings happiness, but when you do, you must think about whether you can ensure your own safety while doing so. Imagine that an old lady asks you to help her home, and you help her walk and walk until you reach a dead end. Then three or four strong men suddenly jump out of the alley, knock you unconscious, and abduct you. Doesn't that sound scary? So when you encounter such a situation, it's best to make sure you can handle what happens next before helping. If not, then take the old lady to the police station. We police officers are happy to help. That way, you're helping others and at the same time avoiding being abducted. Isn't that the best of both worlds?"
The crowd erupted in applause, and one man shouted, "Don't kidnappers only kidnap women and children? We men don't need to listen, do we?"
Jiang Nan smiled. "Who says men don't need to listen? There were cases before liberation where human traffickers specifically abducted strong men to work in illegal brick kilns and coal mines, giving them only one steamed bun a day and forcing them to work for free. Many were tortured to death. So human traffickers abduct more than just women and children. Everyone should learn from this. Okay, now I'll let Comrade He Lin introduce her experiment."
He Lin took a step forward and said with a smile, "My experiment is to pretend to be a matchmaker. I can arrange for my daughters to marry into the oil field for a high gift of 200 yuan, but they are not allowed to contact their parents for the first ten years. As soon as I said it, more than a dozen women came to me to inquire about the situation, saying they were willing to let their daughters marry into the oil field."
Jiang Nan nodded and began to explain. "This is a case we recently handled. A matchmaker used this method to abduct and sell at least ten women. Everyone must pay attention. No matter where a woman marries, there's no saying she can't contact her parents' home. Don't believe this. If a married woman doesn't contact them for even a month, let alone ten years, she could be sold to a strange place. This has just happened. Everyone must learn from this."
"Also, there are scams targeting women, like offering help finding a job, or offering you treats while chatting. The latter often happens on trains. Traffickers often look kind, otherwise they wouldn't be able to gain people's trust. Women are generally less wary of older women and are easily tricked. If you then eat something an older woman offers, people around you might think you're in cahoots. By the time you realize you've been scammed and want to run away, it's too late. Think about it, everyone eats steamed bread these days, and if you eat someone's white flour buns, no one will believe you even if you desperately claim you don't know them."
"People should be more cautious about those who say they can help you find a job. You should know that there is no such thing as a free lunch. These days, finding a job requires a formal exam. How can a stranger who doesn't even know you help you find a job?"
After she finished speaking, she nodded to the Wang brothers. Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng blushed. Wang Zili scratched his head and said, "I...the experiment that Officer Zhou asked us to do wasn't very good, so we didn't do it. But I can tell you what the experiment was about. My brother pretended to be a thief and stole..."
Jiang Nan waved his hand and interrupted, "Okay, I know this experiment is a bit difficult for you two. Let's not talk about the content of the experiment for now. Let me ask you a question. If you are walking home with a child in your arms, and suddenly your wallet is stolen, and you can't catch up with the child, then a kind person says, "I'll hold the child for you, and you can go catch the thief without worry." Think about it, everyone, would you hand your child over to that kind person?"
The crowd began to buzz.
Someone shouted, "No, my child is more important than my wallet. Besides, I don't even know that kind-hearted person, so how can I just give my child to him?"
Jiang Nan smiled and said, "What if that wallet contains your recent salary? What if there's a hundred yuan? Would you give it to me?"
"this......"
Jiang Nan stopped testing everyone and started talking, "This is also a scam. Traffickers will pretend to be anything you can imagine to gain your trust. You should all be able to guess that the thief is actually an accomplice of the traffickers. There are other scams, like, at the hospital, you just gave birth, and a nurse asked to take the baby to register. Would you give it to her? When you go to the bathroom, you give the baby to the toilet cleaner. Wouldn't you feel safe? But what if I told you that the nurse was actually a trafficker in white, and the toilet cleaner was also a trafficker in disguise? What would you think?"
"These cases all have one thing in common: they exploit your identity to gain your trust, allowing them to abduct and traffic you. The solution is simple: never let the child out of your sight. If the nurse asks for registration, you can go with her, and you must hold the child in your arms; you cannot give the child to the nurse. Always take the child with you to the restroom; don't leave the child with anyone else."
"Another trick is to pretend to be someone the parents know, gain their trust, and then trick them into going with you. At this point, if you follow them, you're not far from being abducted. This tactic is often used to deceive young children, so it's best for parents to pick up their children in person. Even if you don't have time, you should find someone the child has met and, ideally, set a secret code. That way, the child and the person picking them up will recognize the code and feel safe to go with them. Remember, the code should be changed frequently; if someone else learns it, it loses its effectiveness. Okay, let Wen Qiang describe his experiment."
Wen Qiang stepped forward and said, "My experiment was to get close to two children. After the two children played together, I asked the children to invite the other children to play somewhere else. In front of their parents, three children accepted the invitation, and the parents did not stop them."
For this experiment, Wen Qiang even brought his nephew along and contributed two pieces of White Rabbit milk candies.
Jiang Nan nodded and explained, "This scam uses children to trick children. People might think, it's just a child, so why should we be wary of it? But what everyone doesn't know is that this person might not be a child at all, but a dwarf, or a child actor who has been trained long ago. This scam is also very easy to break. Don't let children go to strangers' homes alone. Parents must accompany them."
The crowd was silent, watching the confident female police officer speak eloquently on the stage, each listening intently. Zhou Zhixing sat in a corner of the podium, taking notes on everyone's reactions, a smile playing on his face.
The lecture ended at 11:30. The Zaohua Commune leaders and Secretary Tu both spoke highly of Jiang Nan's presentation. Everyone followed the leaders to the Commune Revolutionary Committee cafeteria for a modest but filling lunch.
Work started at 2:30 in the afternoon, with a break of nearly an hour and a half. During lunch break, Zhou Zhixing took Jiang Nan to the oil field department store. Today was Jiang Nan's birthday, and he hadn't given her his gift yet.
Zhou Zhixing's destination was the third floor of the department store. This was the secondhand goods consignment point set up by the Revolutionary Committee. Any undamaged items from the confiscated homes, such as combs, boxes, tables, chairs, and other small pieces of furniture, would be moved here for consignment. The proceeds would go towards the Revolutionary Committee's daily expenses, hence the enthusiasm of some members of the committee for the house searches.
Zhou Zhixing whispered, "Although it's nothing fancy, it's much better looking than the new furniture on the market, and the wood isn't bad either. I've got my eye on a dressing table; it's shaped like a shell and is quite unique. It's well preserved and not expensive, only three yuan. If you like it, consider it my birthday present."
Jiang Nan raised an eyebrow: "Three yuan is not cheap. How can a second-hand one be so expensive?"
Zhou Zhixing: "The wood is better. I saw it, it's redwood. Three dollars is not expensive."
"Then go and take a look. If it's good, buy it."
As they chatted, the two of them reached the third floor. Because they were selling secondhand goods, not many people were browsing there. The merchandise consisted mainly of used furniture, with the occasional lamp, water tank, wooden basin, and other miscellaneous items scattered about, all arranged rather haphazardly. Because it was consignment sales, the department store's salespeople were essentially working for the Revolutionary Committee for free, and few of them put in the effort to sell the goods. They browsed for over ten minutes, but no one bothered to talk to them, and no one came to chase them away.
In addition to the dressing box, Jiang Nan also took a fancy to an ebony basin. Although it was heavy, it was obviously made of real materials. It was just right to buy it for soaking feet.
Zhou Zhixing squinted his eyes and said, "Don't you feel disgusted? What if the last person who used it had athlete's foot?"
Jiang Nan was stunned. She hadn't thought of this. She shuddered and wanted to forget it, but Zhou Zhixing smiled and said, "Okay, I was just kidding. Go back and scald it with boiling water a few times, and all the bacteria will be gone."
Hearing this, even the salesperson laughed. Jiang Nan glared at Zhou Zhixing. She had originally wanted to pay for the basin herself, but now she let Zhou Zhixing pay for it and let him talk nonsense outside.
The two of them rode their bikes back to the family compound and put their things back home. When they came out, they saw Sun Qiaolian helping Cheng Meijuan back. Sun Qiaolian smiled and said, "Meijuan, you are pregnant. Don't wear high heels at work in the future. It's not good for you or the baby..."
Jiang Nan didn't want to be an eavesdropper, so she quickened her pace and left. However, Jiang Nan thought, the fourth floor would be bustling in the second half of the year, with at least three little kids, and she would have to listen to the constant crying of children every day.
Arriving at the police station that afternoon, Shen Mingguang and Lan Qingshan again highly praised the morning's presentation and announced that the Operations Office newspaper would publish it as the front-page headline. Another presentation would be held at the oil field next week. They hoped that the members of Group 6 would continue their efforts and win a good fight on their doorstep.
After the two directors entered the office, the six people from Group 6 and He Lin started chattering and discussing the morning's presentation.
Zou Li: "Oh, you don't know, when I was playing the role of a human trafficker, I was afraid of being discovered and beaten. I didn't expect anyone to notice."
He Lin: "That's nothing. I don't think I look like a matchmaker, but people just believed me so easily. It's pretty scary when you think about it. Xiaonan's speech was really good. Maybe she'll become an 'anti-trafficking hero' in the future."
Jiang Nan chuckled: "Oh, if I really become a hero in the fight against human trafficking, I will treat Sister He to a big meal."
Wang Zili and Wang Gengsheng grunted for a long time and pleaded, "Sister Xiaonan, can we switch our roles? We don't want to pretend to be thieves or we'll get beaten."
Jiang Nan laughed. "Silly boy, I didn't expect you two to actually steal. Today's behavior is good enough. But next time, I'll let you two say the anti-fraud words, okay?"
Everyone laughed and chatted for a while, and then people came to report the case one after another.
It was spring, and soon another wave of educated youth was about to go to the countryside. Fights broke out in various communities across the work area, with brothers and sisters fighting over jobs. This time, the person who reported the incident was Yu, the "section chief" of the Glass Steel Community.
Because the fiberglass residential complex is quite large, for ease of management, the logistics department of the operation office divided the complex into twelve sections, each of which elected a "section chief" to manage the twenty households nearby.
Director Yu, a fifty-year-old woman, panted heavily as she described the fight to Zhou Zhixing: "The Liu family has three brothers and a daughter. They are currently unemployed and unmarried, which qualifies them for the "Send to the Countryside" policy. According to regulations, only one child can stay at home; the others must go to the countryside. The Liu family's parents feel sorry for their daughter and think it would be inconvenient for a girl to go to the countryside, so they want the three brothers to go too. But the three brothers refused and started arguing with their parents, clamoring to take over. They also said that if Xiaohui stayed, they wouldn't provide for their parents in their old age. What nonsense are you talking about?"
Jiang Nan poured Aunt Yu a glass of water and asked, "How did the fight start?"
Aunt Yu took the cup, took two sips, and sighed, "It's all about work. Only one of the Liu parents has a job, and if the children want to stay, they have to take over. The three brothers not only don't want to go to the countryside, but they also don't want to give the job to their younger sister. This afternoon, the eldest brother of the Liu family said he had already signed Xiaohui up, which made his mother faint with anger. Now the three brothers have started fighting over jobs too."
She slapped her thigh and quickly stood up and said, "Oh, I won't say anything more. Police comrade, let's go and separate them, otherwise there will be more injuries."
Because it was a fight between three young men, they needed to be prepared to prevent a violent confrontation. If they were too few, they would be embarrassed as police officers if they couldn't stop the fight. So, Zhou Zhixing brought everyone from Group 6 and went to break up the fight. He was quite prepared, though. By the time he arrived, the three brothers had already finished their fight and were exhausted, slumped on the ground, gasping for air. Even then, they weren't above exchanging insults and tug-of-war. Only when they saw the police did they shut up.
Zhou Zhixing and the other six inquired about the cause of the fight. Three of the brothers remained silent, but the neighbors chimed in, echoing Aunt Yu's story. Zhou Zhixing and Jiang Nan took turns trying to persuade the three brothers and Liu's mother, earning their promise to stop fighting before they stood up and prepared to leave.
"Officer Jiang."
A voice was heard, Jiang Nan turned around and found that it was Bai Liujin, the daughter of Bai Shun, the person involved in the gambling case.
The little girl was holding an egg in her hand. She trotted over to Jiang Nan, her pigtails swinging. "Officer Jiang, this is the egg I specially saved for you. It's for you."
After Jiang Nan's shock, a warm feeling flashed through her heart. Although she hadn't solved the human trafficking case, she had saved some people before, right?
After calming down, Jiang Nan said, "Six Jin, we have a rule that we can't take even a single needle or thread from the people. Eat this egg. Study hard in the future, okay?"
Bai Liujin nodded. Last time, Officer Jiang helped her family catch the chicken thief, and the neighborhood didn't dare laugh at her anymore. Her mother said, if it weren't for Officer Jiang, her father might have sold her if he gambled again. She had saved her eggs from the morning, intending to give them to Officer Jiang. But Officer Jiang refused, leaving Bai Liujin disappointed.
Jiang Nan touched the little guy's head and left the fiberglass community with high spirits again.
Unexpectedly, when I returned to No. 1 Courtyard after get off work, I saw another lively scene.
The educated youth movement was underway everywhere, and among them was Su Dazhi, the youngest son of the old Su family on the second floor of Building 4. Su Dazhi hadn't found a job since graduating from high school the previous year, and he'd feigned illness to avoid going to the countryside. This year, the educated youth office arrived early to monitor the situation, determined to get Su Dazhi to the countryside no matter what.
When Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing got off work, the Su family had just sent away two educated youth office staff members who had come to their house to keep an eye on them. Jiang Nan and Zhou Zhixing could see the young staff member's sullen expression from a distance, which showed how tough the Su family was.
But no matter how difficult it was, Su Dazhi was panicking. Last year, he'd deliberately broken his leg and luckily had no sequelae. Was he going to feign illness again this year? He didn't have the guts to do that. After his parents and grandparents saw him off, he rolled his eyes, thinking about how he could escape this year's disaster. And surprisingly, he actually came up with a plan.
What do you think you are?
Well, it's because he is not a human being. He wants to follow the example of the old Sui family and covet his married sister's job.
When he presented his idea during dinner, both elders on both sides of the Su family agreed. A girl should serve her parents wholeheartedly. It's just a job, so why not give her that? Even if she gets divorced, she can always remarry. I haven't seen Sui Yun visiting Wu Dachui's house often lately. It looks like she's almost married.
But their family was just dreaming, not considering that there had already been a case in the building where a married woman had given a job to her brother from her natal family. The story had even spread throughout the office. How could the Su family's sons-in-law not be on guard? When the Su family asked the two married women to go home to discuss something that night, the two sons-in-law came along, making it difficult for the Su family to speak up.
Afterwards, the Su family's daughter was placed under stricter surveillance. Any return to her parents' home required her in-laws to accompany her, with no chance for private contact. For the past two days, everyone in the building had been watching the Su family's commotion, betting that this matter wasn't over yet and that there was more to come.
Given Su Dazhi's character, he would either covet his sister's job or take over his parents' business. He definitely wouldn't go to the countryside. It all depends on the outcome of the fight between the Su family and their two in-laws.
Jiang Nan wasn't particularly interested in such matters; he'd been preparing for the Operations Department's presentation the past two days. Because the Fiberglass area was bustling with people, especially outsiders, and the population was highly mobile, the Operations Department held its first presentation near the Fiberglass residential complex. Family members and children who didn't work in the community were invited to attend. Jiang Nan and Group 6 used the same process and delivered their presentation again. With the experience gained from the previous presentation, everyone was more proficient this time, and the presentation was even more effective.
During this time, the Publicity Department at headquarters sent personnel to take photos and interview all six groups, including a separate interview with Jiang Nan. When asked about the original intention of the presentation, Jiang Nan consulted with Chief Shen beforehand, sharing the story of human traffickers abducting women through marriage fraud. He also urged colleagues in the Publicity Department to publish portraits of Brother Hu and Matchmaker Huang, encouraging everyone to provide leads as soon as possible.
After finishing all the work and returning to the family compound, not surprisingly, I received everyone's praise.
"Xiao Nan, you really brought honor to our Building No. 4. Well done."
"Not only Building No. 4, but our entire Courtyard No. 1 is proud. Xiaonan is not only from Building No. 4, but also from Courtyard No. 1, right?"
"That's right. Xiaonan, thanks to your speech, I, your Grandpa Wu, have finally had a second spring in my career."
Jiang Nan was puzzled. Old Wu hadn't jumped around for a long time. What happened today?
Seeing Jiang Nan's confusion, Old Wu smiled smugly: "As for me, I'm now a full-time helper for working couples picking up and dropping off their children. Ten eggs per child per month, so your Grandpa Wu has saved up dozens of eggs now."
Jiang Nan held his forehead. Ever since Old Wu was crippled, his mind has been solely focused on making money. Sure enough, the money-hungry eunuchs in TV dramas have a basis in life.
Qiu Pan'er was just getting off work when she saw everyone gathered around Jiang Nan, all the while praising her. She couldn't help but mutter, "She just loves to be in the spotlight. It's not like the presentation can't be done without her, so why is she showing off?"
Beside them, Dong Jiaojiao looked at Jiang Nan with a complicated expression. However, upon hearing Qiu Paner's words, she exploded: "How can you be so devoid of public morality? How can you just hand over such an important matter like preaching to someone else? The leader gave such an important task to Jiang Nan. What, do you have any objections?"
She looked Qiu Paner up and down and said disdainfully, "You're just a rat in the gutter who only knows how to envy others." After that, she snorted heavily and left with a twist of her waist.
This really pissed Qiu Paner off. She looked at Tian Jiaguang who was holding him up, and said in disbelief, "Jiaguang, do you think she was shot? What does what I said have to do with Dong Jiaojiao? It's ridiculous. She's already full of shit, yet she still has time to meddle in other people's business! I don't know when she became Jiang Nan's dog!"
A trace of disgust rose in Tian Jiaguang's heart, but his face was very gentle. He patted Qiu Pan'er on the back and said softly, "Pan'er, don't be angry. It's a loss of face to argue with a woman like Dong Jiaojiao! Let's go, let's not watch the fun. You're pregnant and can't starve. Let's go home and eat."
"No." Qiu Paner gritted her teeth and insisted, "I want to see how long Jiang Nan can show off."
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