Zhou Xueqin also saw the photos. The child was her own, beaten to a pulp, and the vivid images showed the child's hands, feet, and head covered in shocking injuries. She felt heartache and intense anger.
However, as a distributor, Ma Yuan was very capable in sales, and Zhou Xueqin didn't want to lose such a distributor.
So when Ma Yuan came to her for help, Zhou Xueqin scolded her but eventually decided to settle the matter privately.
But the situation escalated rapidly. Within the police force, many officers reported that their children had been targeted for revenge by criminals' families or had been bullied by colleagues' children due to work-related conflicts.
Such cases were not isolated; they were widespread.
As a result, the case was elevated to the municipal level and designated as a model case for serious handling. It involved the safety of police officers' families and children.
Seeing the gravity of the situation, Ma Yuan made a bold move, ordering 500 pagers worth 150,000 yuan, forcing Zhou Xueqin to settle privately.
Zhou Xueqin was prepared, waiting only to receive the payment before going to find Little Wang and Little Lang.
But then, a major accident occurred.
Ma Yuan's sister, an innocent victim, saw her son's reputation tarnished across the city without her knowledge. Now she was to be taken away by the police for re-education. Unable to bear the shock, during a quarrel, she lost control and stabbed her sister with a fruit knife, causing severe intestinal bleeding and nearly killing Ma Yuan.
Ambulances wailed, police surrounded the house with guns drawn, Ma Yuan collapsed in a pool of blood, and her sister, wielding the knife, roared through the residential building. The incident eventually made headlines in the newspaper's social section, bringing the matter to a close.
Zhou Xueqin was too frightened to speak, but the 500 pagers had already been delivered, and the payment was not received, resulting in a significant loss.
As for Xu Xiaoliang's punishment, it was to undergo re-education at a juvenile reformatory for half a month, without being recorded in his file.
Before that, he had to apologize to Little Lang in front of the leaders of the Jindong Branch Bureau, where his father worked.
On this sunny summer day, two little boys in singlets and sandals sat in the back seat of a car, their feet happily kicking in the air.
Little Wang repeatedly reminded Little Lang on the way: "Don't forgive him, because he pushed you off the balcony several times. If you weren't so plump, you would have died. So he's a murderer, understand?"
Little Lang clenched his fists and said, "Okay, brother, I definitely won't forgive him."
Chen Meilan looked back at the two boys, one full of energy and the other more gentle.
If Yuanyuan were here too, the three of them would be like three little speakers, enough to drive her crazy.
Upon entering the police station, they went upstairs. In the corridor, a young boy, tearfully, saw Little Lang and rushed over to bow deeply, his voice trembling as he said, "Yan Minglang, I'm sorry, brother apologizes to you, okay?" This was clearly taught by an adult.
Wang Gang and Ma Yuan's sister and brother-in-law stood behind the boy, their smiles more painful than tears.
Little Wang whispered behind Little Lang, "Don't accept, definitely don't accept."
But Little Lang was a kind child, peace-loving and not fond of fighting. He immediately said, "Okay, brother, I forgive you." Then he turned to Chen Meilan and asked, "Mom, can I forgive this brother?"
For the adults, this was just a formality; the unseen struggle had already concluded. Wang Gang was a bit worried, fearing Chen Meilan wouldn't agree and insist on recording the incident, so he quickly said, "Alright, the children have made up, Chen boss, please be magnanimous and let my son go, okay?"
Chen Meilan remained silent but scrutinized Xu Xiaoliang closely.
This was her first time meeting the boy, who was only 12 years old. His eyebrows were particularly distinctive, thick and almost joined in the middle, leaving a deep impression on Chen Meilan.
In her previous life, she had seen this child, not in reality but in a file she saw while passing by the courthouse.
A family had a daughter who had once studied with Yuanyuan and was very beautiful.
When Chen Meilan saw her at the courthouse, the girl's face had been slashed, disfigured.
The parents were petitioning the court, seeking justice for their daughter.
Chen Meilan had read the petition materials, which stated that the girl had been gang-raped and disfigured by this boy and three other fifteen or sixteen-year-old boys. However, due to insufficient evidence, the police did not accept the case, and the girl's parents continued to petition for justice.
Eventually, the matter was quietly resolved.
Chen Meilan later inquired and learned that it involved the children of powerful families, who paid off the victims, suppressing the incident.
Looking at the boy, just 12 years old and a bit plump, those joined eyebrows made him look uncomfortable.
But the child was still a child, crying pitifully.
Would this boy, in the future, be involved in gang-raping and disfiguring a girl?
Seeing Zhang Chao, the bureau chief, Chen Meilan stepped forward to shake his hand: "Director Zhang, this child must be sent for re-education. As a mother with children, I value their education above all else. My ultimate goal is not to record his file but to ensure he receives education. Can you understand my feelings?"
Zhang Chao found Chen Meilan's thoughts quite righteous and appreciated her. He firmly shook her hand, saying, "Little Chen, don't worry. I will personally instruct the juvenile reformatory to educate the child well."
Wang Gang quickly added, "Yes, yes, as parents, we will definitely educate him well in the future."
This incident resulted in a serious reprimand, though he didn't lose his job. His wife was seriously injured in the hospital, the pager shop closed, and relatives became enemies. He had truly suffered a harsh lesson.
Unshaven and unwashed, with a greasy collar, it was clear that he had been knocked down and frightened by this incident.
Xu Xiaoliang's mother slapped her son on the neck and said, "Go and apologize to this aunt again, make her forgive you. If she doesn't let you go, you'll have to spend your life in prison. Do you want to be a man or a dog? It's all in her hands."
These words were harsh, and Chen Meilan felt the woman's attitude was wrong.
Moreover, whether Xu Xiaoliang would be accused of gang-rape in the future was uncertain. His mother's education was far more important than the reformatory's.
Chen Meilan immediately retorted, "Sister, how can you talk like that?"
"Isn't it true? Aren't you the one forcing my son to be taken away by the reformatory?" the woman retorted.
Wang Gang quickly advised his sister-in-law, "Alright, can we stop talking?"
The matter had concluded with Chen Meilan's insistence, and she had no regrets. After receiving some education in the reformatory, Xu Xiaoliang might be able to start anew.
His mother, however, didn't seem like someone capable of educating a child.
Chen Meilan then said to Xu Xiaoliang, "When you go to the reformatory, be sure to listen to the police officers' teachings, understand their reasoning. They won't harm you, okay?"
Xu Xiaoliang nodded and walked behind his mother, his eyes still filled with hatred.
Yan Zhao was also present, but as the bureau chief and involved in the case, he couldn't say much. He approached Chen Meilan and said, "Why don't you say a few more words?"
He didn't want Little Lang to so easily forgive a child who had bullied him so many times.
Unlike Little Wang, Little Lang's personality was like a soft melon, seemingly not holding grudges at all.
This was not good at all. Yan Zhao worried that if something like this happened again, his son would easily forgive someone who simply offered a casual apology after hitting him. More than being concerned about other children's upbringing, Yan Zhao feared his son might be taken advantage of in the future.
Among the three children, Chen Meilan actually liked Little Lang's personality the most - generous and gentle. Because he had an older brother and sister who always instructed him, he never got to make his own decisions, which prevented him from showing his character's strengths. But Chen Meilan felt that although he was young and appeared soft, he wasn't someone without opinions or someone whose kindness made him weak.
She wanted to see how he would handle this situation, to give him a chance to exercise his judgment.
So she said to Little Lang, "Yan Minglang, since you've said you forgive him, this matter is settled. Is there anything else you'd like to say to Brother Xu Xiaoliang? Share your thoughts, okay?"
Little Lang tilted his head thoughtfully for a moment, then suddenly extended his hand and said, "Brother, would you like to arm wrestle with me?"
Xu Xiaoliang was taken aback. Already frightened by his family's reaction, he was especially careful with Little Lang now, so he extended his hand, though he didn't understand what Little Lang was trying to do.
Little Lang couldn't win fights because he was small, but he regularly practiced punching and horse stance, giving his small hands tremendous strength. After gripping Xu Xiaoliang's hand, he first said, "I'm going to use my strength now, okay?"
"Ah... it hurts... it hurts!" When Little Lang gripped with force, Xu Xiaoliang felt intense pain in his hand. The boy was already crying, and trying to break free from Little Lang's grip, he began spinning around Little Lang, hoping to shake him off. But Little Lang's frequent horse stance practice had given him a stable foundation, and his grip was strong. He didn't budge an inch, holding Xu Xiaoliang's hand firmly until he had pressed him against the wall, only then releasing his grip.
"Amazing, amazing, this child is really something, such great strength," Wang Gang quickly applauded. "This child really has incredible strength."
Little Lang released Xu Xiaoliang and raised his wrist, saying, "He couldn't beat me before either, he only hurt me because he always pushed me from behind when I wasn't looking." Then he said to Xu Xiaoliang, "We can fight in the future if you want, but no sneak attacks - let's fight fair and square."
He didn't hold grudges and could forgive, but he needed to prove he could beat this older boy.
When the child finished speaking, Zhang Chao smiled and shook Yan Zhao's hand: "Like father, like son. Yan Zhao, your son has the makings of a general. I bet when he gets bigger, even I might not be able to beat him. You can rest easy now - he probably won't be bullied at school anymore."
Everyone from the branch bureau who was watching this scene laughed, with Ma Bo and Xiong Xiangdang laughing especially loudly.
Wang Gang's family looked embarrassed, appearing as if they wanted to shrink into a mouse hole.
And with that, this small group's attempt at revenge came to an end.
Little Wang, who had been furious earlier about his brother being too kind and quick to forgive others, had been planning to properly educate his "spineless" brother when they got home. But now he was pleased and said to Chen Meilan, "I didn't realize your little softie had it in him."
Indeed - gentle and kind, but firm when needed and flexible when appropriate. Even though Chen Meilan hadn't caught them in the act or found evidence at the time, and even though Little Lang might still get bullied by other children, she knew he would eventually earn their respect through his strength, thanks to his stable stance and powerful fists.
This little fellow truly had the makings of a general - broad-minded and generous, yet dignified and composed, even more exceptional than his father.
After accepting the apology, the family declined Wang Gang's offer of a reconciliatory dinner. Since Yan Zhao had just finished work, they happily headed home together.
On the way home, Little Lang and Little Wang were discussing how they would tell Yuanyuan about what had happened when she returned.
Especially the part where Little Lang arm-wrestled Xu Xiaoliang until he spun around him - Little Wang found it increasingly amusing and planned to embellish the story when retelling it, making sure to emphasize that particular scene.
However, just as the car stopped, Little Wang suddenly cried out, "Mom, look quickly, something big must have happened!"
Chen Meilan looked outside and was also startled, because at their doorstep stood about twenty young men.
In the height of August summer, against the snow-white wall and beneath a large peony tree, stood a group of young men in olive-green military uniforms.
Factory 271 currently had 28 people, all veterans, young men whose daily work involved going out to sell old military uniforms, old leather shoes, belts, and caps. They all wore old-style military uniforms themselves.
Usually, they stayed at the factory, where Chen Meilan also worked. Only Xue Mingfang, who was fond of the children, frequently visited Chen Meilan's home - the other young men didn't come.
Today should have been their day off, yet they were all here, squatting on the ground with their heads in their hands, looking completely dejected. Xue Mingfang's eyes were red, but strangely, his face looked more flushed than usual. When Chen Meilan looked closer, she noticed several large handprint marks on his face, which he must have slapped onto himself.
He reached into his pocket, and several of the young men couldn't hold back their tears.
Some were quietly sobbing while covering their eyes.
In that moment, Chen Meilan even wondered if someone had died heroically and Xue Mingfang was about to present her with some memento. If his pocket hadn't been too small to hold a dead person, she might have thought he was about to pull out a corpse.
Staring at Xue Mingfang's hand, Chen Meilan's heart was racing with fear.
She felt certain that Xue Mingfang must have gotten into serious trouble that she couldn't handle.
The entire Factory 271 might be finished.
So she watched intently.
Xue Mingfang's hand trembled as he pulled out a wallet from his pocket, held it out to Chen Meilan, and suddenly dropped to one knee: "Commander, you might as well execute me by firing squad. Out of this week's 5,600 yuan in sales, there are 5 counterfeit bills."
Nearly scared to death, Chen Meilan had thought something much worse had happened, but it was just about counterfeit money.
In those days, people weren't very familiar with hundred-yuan bills, and counterfeits had just started appearing. Banks hadn't yet educated people on how to identify fake bills, and soldiers, being honest by nature, were particularly susceptible to being deceived.
Ordinary people who received counterfeit money wouldn't make a fuss about it, they would quietly try to spend it elsewhere.
But veterans had received education and understood right from wrong - discipline wouldn't allow them to do that.
And now the money they had earned from sales was their entire salary. Although the factory was operating, it wasn't doing well at all. They worked hard to make sales to support their families and themselves. Five hundred yuan was two months' salary for one person - it felt like the sky was falling.
Xue Mingfang was the manager, and although everyone had collected the money, he was in charge of finances, so this was his responsibility.
"Who received the counterfeit money, where was it received, do you remember anything about it? Step forward," Yan Zhao said as he took the money.
A man named Wang Meng stood up and said through gritted teeth, "I remember what the person who gave me the fake money looks like. If I catch him, I won't let him off easy."
"Where did you receive the counterfeit money?" Yan Zhao continued to ask.
Wang Meng said bitterly, "Near the airport."
Yan Zhao glanced at Chen Meilan - of course it was the airport. Not only were there opium smokers, pickpockets, and machete gangs there, but also people specifically passing counterfeit money.
The fake money was in Yan Zhao's hand, and he was looking at Chen Meilan. Little Wang and Little Lang were also watching their mother.
Little Lang, being the kindest and most gentle-natured, reached out to shake his mother's arm: "Mom, please don't execute Uncle Xue!"
Little Wang also took it seriously, pulling out his wool wallet from his pocket and saying, "I have five 'Great Unity' notes, I'll compensate you, just please don't execute Uncle Xue, okay?"
Xue Mingfang was a good young man, conscientious, hardworking, and responsible.
But true to his name, his tendency to make a big show of things sometimes really angered Chen Meilan.
"I won't forgive you, and if you don't stand up right now, I'll execute each and every one of you by firing squad," Chen Meilan said angrily.
The group of veterans realized Chen Meilan was angry and gradually stood up, looking confused and at a loss, except for Xue Mingfang who remained on one knee.
Having a group of soldiers gathered at their doorstep was attention-grabbing enough, but having one kneeling before Chen Meilan - what had this turned into?
"Xue Mingfang, what, you're so eager to be executed? Then go find me a gun! I don't have a gun or bullets, so how am I supposed to execute you?" Chen Meilan said.
Xue Mingfang realized Chen Meilan was angry and immediately stood up, saying, "I made a terrible mistake, it's unforgivable."
"You received counterfeit money. Learn from this lesson. Tomorrow morning, don't sell clothes first. Go to the bank and find a teller. Let's all learn properly how to identify genuine currency. What's the point of executing you? Who would sell the clothes then?" Chen Meilan retorted.
Since they had received fake money, getting some training and remembering the key points of identifying counterfeits would be enough to be more careful in the future. Xue Mingfang nodded in agreement but quickly added, "I'll compensate for this five hundred yuan."
His mother was still in the hospital, and his girlfriend Liu Jingjing had only agreed to come to Xiping City to see him and reconcile after Commander Liu's intervention. He desperately needed money right now - how could he afford to compensate?
"Commander, I'll compensate!"
"I'll pay for it, Commander, I have money!"
The group of veterans started shouting again.
If Chen Meilan actually let them compensate, she would look like the bad person in Little Wang and Little Lang's eyes again.
Besides, in business, there were ways to handle such situations without everyone getting so worked up. Chen Meilan said, "We'll record the counterfeit money as a bad debt first and offset it with future profits. But this is an exception - from now on, whoever carelessly accepts counterfeit money will have it deducted from their wages. Let's make this an official rule."
"Yes, Commander!" Xue Mingfang immediately responded loudly.
Military orders were truly absolute, and these people were genuinely obedient - they just loved to shout and insisted on calling her Commander, refusing to change.
Chen Meilan had a reserved, quiet, and low-key personality. She didn't like drawing too much attention in the village and worried about gossip when these veterans kept calling her Commander.
"Dismiss now," she said.
The young men lined up and gave Chen Meilan a ceremonial salute, looking at her as if she were their mother. However, just as everyone was smiling and about to leave, Yan Zhao suddenly called out, "Xiao Xue."
"Colonel, present!" His scalp tingled at the colonel's call.
"Starting tomorrow, try to sell clothes around Jinan Airport. If you encounter any pickpockets, motorcycle thieves, or counterfeiters..." Yan Zhao walked over and saluted Xue Mingfang, "Catch them in the act and take them to the police station. If the local police are too lazy to detain the criminals, bring them directly to Jindong District."
"Yes, sir!" Xue Mingfang returned the salute and led his men away, marching in formation.
As soon as Yan Zhao turned around, he saw Chen Meilan, who had been cheerful on her way home, now looking resentful. She coldly snorted, "I get to be the bad guy while you father and son curry favor with them. Those are my soldiers, I'm their commander - what right do you have to make them catch criminals?"
Yan Zhao was stunned for a moment. "I thought you wouldn't mind?"
"How could I not mind? I mind very much." Chen Meilan entered the bedroom, deliberately throwing her handbag onto the bed. "A group of salespeople not selling goods but catching thieves instead - who's going to pay their wages, you?"
The 28th group of veterans were police officers who could start work without training, perhaps even more suitable for maintaining order than non-veteran police officers. Having them temporarily maintain order at the train station and airport while selling goods was the best solution Yan Zhao could think of to handle the chaos at these locations before Gu Xiao arrived. He would then figure out how to deploy more police forces and promote strict law enforcement.
But these veterans only earned three hundred yuan a month and worked extremely hard from dawn to dusk to make money. While others used public resources for private gain, Yan Zhao's approach could be considered using private resources for public good.
The bigger problem was that the veterans particularly enjoyed catching criminals. There was a risk they would prioritize catching thieves over selling goods properly. If this affected their sales, Chen Meilan might not even be able to pay their wages next month.
The man was undressing, removing his military green short-sleeved shirt. His white undershirt served as a dividing line - bronze skin and fierce muscles above, milk-white, delicate, and firm skin below.
He was about to remove his undershirt, his arms raised in the air, when he managed to squeeze out three words: "I'm sorry!"
Chen Meilan was clearly genuinely angry, but Yan Zhao didn't know what to do. Although Chen Meilan's shoes were actually clean, he still pulled his undershirt back down and grabbed the slippers, asking, "Shall I clean your shoes?"
"The shoes are clean, no need," Chen Meilan said.
Yan Zhao then asked, "Should I massage your feet?"
If he massaged her feet and then her face, Chen Meilan wouldn't be able to eat dinner.
"No need," she said impatiently.
Yan Zhao stood there, truly at a loss for what to do.
Chen Meilan tried to maintain her composure, though her heart was nearly beating out of her chest. She patted her pillow and said in a voice that she didn't realize was both suppressed and barely containing laughter, "If you want to use my people, it's not impossible, but starting tonight, Director Yan, you must sleep in my bed."
Actually, wherever there was chaos, having those veterans do business there while maintaining order was something Chen Meilan had thought of when Yan Zhao mentioned Gu Xiao a few days ago. She had planned to suggest it then, but Yan Zhao hadn't picked up on it.
Today he had brought it up himself, so she would continue with her own demands - she wanted him to sleep with her from now on.
But Chen Meilan was still a woman after all.
She didn't understand why this man stubbornly refused to take her hints. She was a woman - how could a woman always be so forward?
Didn't she know how to feel shy?
So before Yan Zhao could react, she covered her face and ran out the door.
Of course, it wasn't just Chen Meilan who was nearly dying of embarrassment when she said those words. Director Yan's ears were redder than a rabbit's eyes, staying red from dusk until after dinner. When she was in the courtyard taking a shower, Chen Meilan suddenly noticed that his originally milk-white skin had turned completely pink.
No, when he turned around, his eyes were red too.
A big rabbit with red eyes - how frightening!
