Chen Meilan received an early call from Yan Zhao tonight, telling her not to cook at home as he wanted to take the children out for a meal.
Dad treating them to dinner, and a big one at that?
After picking up the kids, Chen Meilan borrowed a tricycle from Yan Bin. She hurried the children to finish their homework, and they all waited at home with excitement.
It was already 8 PM when Yan Zhao returned, and everyone's stomachs were growling with hunger.
Little Wang was the quickest, leaping into the tricycle with one stride. Of course, at this point, he had no idea that his father's plan for dinner was not just about eating, but also to teach a lesson to this little troublemaker who dared to cut someone else's brake lines.
The evening breeze was gentle, and the streets were full of vendors pushing carts selling rice noodles, cassette tapes, and the most common sight was video halls. Their doors were tightly shut, but speakers hung outside, blaring the "hiya" and "haha" sounds of kung fu movies.
People who couldn't afford to watch the videos gathered around the speakers, listening intently to the sounds and trying to guess what was happening in the movie.
"Are we going into town for dinner?" Chen Meilan asked Yan Zhao, noticing that the tricycle was heading into the city.
Yan Zhao didn't have much money, could someone be treating them?
Instead, Yan Zhao said, "During the 1983 crackdown, only three female hooligans were caught nationwide, and one of them was from our Xiping City."
Chen Meilan knew this, which was why she felt Qi Songlu was wrongly accused.
"Our city's Public Security Bureau gained national recognition because of this," Yan Zhao still looked displeased, continuing to talk about work in a disjointed manner.
Chen Meilan didn't feel she had offended this dog of a man, why had he been so grumpy these past few days?
The tricycle bounced along, with Yuanyuan and Little Wang whispering about something. When Little Lang tried to join in, Little Wang pushed him away.
The little one took out his wool wallet, counting with Yuanyuan until they reached 400 yuan. Seeing Yuanyuan's rosy apple cheeks smiling at him, he suddenly felt a twitch in his hand and flicked her forehead with a loud snap.
Before Yuanyuan could get angry, Little Lang, always protective of his sister, grabbed Little Wang's face and blew a big spit bubble on his brother's cheek.
As Little Wang moved to retaliate against his brother, Yuanyuan stepped in to protect him. The three children tumbled about in the cart, fighting.
"Stop fighting now. Little Lang, come here, mommy will hold you," To end the conflict, Chen Meilan pulled Little Lang to her side.
The two older ones huddled together, whispering mysteriously about something, occasionally glancing at Chen Meilan and laughing happily. Little Lang was upset and tugged at Chen Meilan, tattling, "Mommy, control big brother and big sister. They won't play with me and they're always bullying me."
The two older ones had formed their own clique, excluding Little Lang, which made him very angry.
"Let's not play with them either, we'll play by ourselves," Chen Meilan held out her hands. "Shall we clap hands together?"
"No," Little Lang pouted, nestling in Chen Meilan's arms, still quietly watching his laughing brother and sister. Why did they look so happy? It was infuriating.
Yan Zhao drove the tricycle to the busiest and most prosperous area of the city, stopping in front of the department store.
Then the family walked to a small alley behind the department store, where there was a large food stall. There were vendors selling grilled lamb skewers and draft beer sold by the cup. Many locals were drinking beer from their own enamel mugs and eating grilled meat.
As they walked, Little Wang noticed a table with several people and suddenly became excited: "Uncle Ma, Uncle Xiong?"
Ma Bo stood up smiling: "Deputy Yan, you really brought your wife and kids?"
Xiong Xiangdang was also there and quickly stood up: "Hello, sister-in-law."
"Sit down, we're having barbecue skewers today," said Yan Zhao.
Chen Meilan's memories of this era were a bit fuzzy, but seeing people in the distance setting up televisions and DVDs, she became curious: "Is that an open-air karaoke?"
Sure enough, an old man picked up the microphone, tested it with a couple of "hello"s, and announced loudly: "In response to the national initiative, we need to vigorously promote spiritual civilization. Karaoke is the trendiest form of spiritual civilization. It's 50 cents per song, anyone who wants to sing, sign up."
Immediately, someone stood up holding 50 cents: "I'll sing one for everyone, please give me a round of applause."
As the music started, some people whistled while others clapped. Little Wang suddenly felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and shouted: "Mom, it's 'My Future is Not a Dream'! It's Zhang Yusheng's song, my favorite!"
The TV was also playing the music video, showing Zhang Yusheng running, playing guitar, and singing.
This was the first time Little Wang had ever seen a music video. He was stunned, his jaw nearly dropping. His eyes were fixed on the TV screen, unblinking. If there was ever a moment of being on cloud nine, this was it.
"Mom, mom..." Yuanyuan was also at a loss for words, suddenly screaming, "Ah, mom, the next song is 'Love Song 1990'!"
Only Little Lang noticed that Uncle Maimaiti, the barbecue vendor, was picking his nose with one hand while arranging the grilled lamb on the table with the other. He immediately grabbed a skewer and started eating.
Since Yan Zhao had seemed a bit gloomy all the way, Chen Meilan decided to have a deeper conversation with him.
Although his salary was low, this man worked harder than an ox at home. If Little Wang was like Yuanyuan from her past life, then Yan Zhao's diligence at home was comparable to her own in her previous life.
Chen Meilan wasn't Lu Jingyu, she wasn't so heartless. In a second marriage, when it was time to show goodwill to your partner, you had to do so. So she asked quietly, "Are you angry with me?"
"Do you really think I married you just because Yuanyuan looks like Yan Xing?" Yan Zhao asked in return.
"Isn't that the reason?" Chen Meilan was astonished. If not for Yuanyuan, why would he have married her?
Seeing Yan Zhao staring at her, Chen Meilan quickly said, "I don't mind, not at all. I think things are great as they are now."
Yan Zhao continued to look at Chen Meilan, his fingers tapping on the table. Just as he was about to say something, Ma Bo came over with a toast, saying, "Sister-in-law, my relationship with Wang Ding'an is actually just average, we're not close friends, and I don't have any issues with Brother Xishan..."
"Ma Bo, sit down. We're here on a mission," Yan Zhao said coldly.
Ma Bo and Xiong Xiangdang exchanged a smile: "Yes, yes, Director Yan is right."
"It's Deputy Director Yan," Yan Zhao corrected.
With his bad temper and attitude, it's a wonder he hasn't been beaten to death. It's really thanks to his strong abilities.
Chen Meilan looked around and noticed that the young men eating barbecue here all looked quite young and familiar. Upon closer inspection, she realized that most of them were young officers from the Jindong Branch Bureau, Yan Zhao's comrades who had come back from the frontlines. Despite their youth, they had eaten porcupines and drunk horse urine in Vietnam, each with glorious battle achievements, with the lowest ranked being company-level officers.
Right, the department store was under the jurisdiction of the Jinxi Branch Bureau. If Chen Meilan remembered correctly, this area behind the department store had always been controlled by the city's gangsters, who collected protection fees.
In her past life, she had heard that several notorious gang leaders in the city had always been active in this area.
"You're here to catch gangsters today, aren't you?" Chen Meilan felt she understood now. Yan Zhao's bad mood was because he was on a mission to catch gangsters.
Yan Zhao nodded and said, "Recently, a legally operated barbecue stall opened in this area. It doesn't involve prostitution, drugs, or gambling, but some gangsters keep coming to cause trouble and wreck the place. This is Jinxi Branch Bureau's territory, under Wang Ding'an's management."
No wonder Ma Bo specifically said he wasn't close to Wang Ding'an. The Jindong Branch Bureau was really efficient; she had only mentioned it last night, and today Yan Zhao was already leading his subordinates to catch people.
However, because it was Wang Ding'an's territory, they came in plain clothes.
"Why isn't Yuanyuan eating?" Yan Zhao said, "Dad's paying today, have some?" Today's barbecue expenses were fully reimbursed by the bureau.
Yuanyuan tried a bite of lamb, but immediately spit it into her hand, then took out a tissue from her schoolbag to wrap it up and threw it in the trash: "Spicy!"
"What do you know? This round thing tastes really good," Little Wang was eating with both hands, and asked Ma Bo, "Uncle, what is this? It's so delicious."
"Lamb testicles," Ma Bo said.
Xiong Xiangdang suddenly slapped the table and burst out laughing: "Little Wang, your dad doesn't need that kind of nourishment. Have another one."
Yan Zhao glared, and Xiong Xiangdang immediately shut his mouth.
Looking at the table, how had the twenty skewers of meat that were just served disappeared so quickly? In front of Little Lang was a stack of empty skewers, as he contentedly chewed, the little guy could really eat a lot.
Barbecue, beer, outdoor karaoke - one song after another. The adults chatted while the children huddled together, greedily listening to the off-key singing and watching music videos they'd never seen on TV before.
During this time, an incident occurred. A hooligan whistled at a girl at the next table. An plainclothes police officer punched the hooligan and kicked him away. Shortly after, the hooligan returned with two more troublemakers, only to be beaten off again by the same officer.
Around 11 pm, a plainclothes officer came over and said something to Yan Zhao, who then stood up and said, "Little Wang, come with us to the bathroom."
Ma Bo and Xiong Xiangdang started to get up, but Yan Zhao stopped them with a look, taking only Little Wang with him.
Little Wang followed his father into a back alley. He really did need to pee, so he started undoing his pants as they walked. He was planning to show off by peeing while walking when suddenly his father stopped and turned Little Wang's face towards a dark corner.
At first, Little Wang couldn't make anything out, but as his eyes adjusted, he was startled to see a person - a police officer no less - crouching by a motorcycle. Suddenly a lighter flared, and the officer was cutting the brake line, burning the rubber, and snipping the copper wire.
Little Wang had seen this before - some police officers would cut people's brake lines. He was about to mention this to his father.
Yan Zhao patted his son's shoulder and slowly walked over, standing with folded arms above the officer's head. After a long moment, he suddenly spoke: "What are you doing?"
"Can't you see? I'm cutting the brake line," the officer actually replied.
"Cutting brake lines is attempted murder. Are you trying to kill someone?" Yan Zhao countered.
The officer got up and ran.
In the dark alley, the officer had barely taken a step when Yan Zhao's hand grabbed the back of his shirt.
The man threw a punch, but Yan Zhao caught his wrist and twisted it, making it crackle.
With muffled grunts, Yan Zhao dealt out blows while the other man could only take the beating.
"Please, sir, have mercy. I'm a police officer," the man finally begged.
Yan Zhao scoffed, "Cutting brake lines is attempted murder. Even minors would be sent to juvenile detention for this. You're a police officer - don't you know this would be referred to the prosecutor's office for a death sentence, public trial, and execution?"
"Sir, please!"
"Call for the police, you disgrace to law enforcement!" Yan Zhao growled. There was a click as he handcuffed the man to the wall. Yan Zhao turned to Little Wang: "Stay here and think about what you've done. I'll deal with you after I finish dinner with my son."
Of course, this was likely all an act put on for Little Wang's benefit. Once Yan Zhao left, the officer would probably use his own key to unlock the handcuffs.
But Little Wang didn't know that. He no longer even felt the need to pee. Suddenly he felt light on his feet, tugging his father's hand and bouncing as he said, "Dad, I'll tell you a secret. Remember Officer Wang Ding'an who came to our house yesterday? He's cut someone's brake lines before."
Little Wang jumped up and said, "You should arrest him too, okay?"
"Alright, if he's a bad person, I - no, the police - won't let him off," Yan Zhao said gravely.
"Yay!" Little Wang flung out his arms and ran like an eaglet leaving the nest for the first time. "I know my future is not just a dream, I'll cherish every minute seriously."
The father and son returned to the beer stall. About half an hour later, twenty or thirty hooligans suddenly showed up, some carrying clubs, others cracking their knuckles. They surrounded the plainclothes officer who had beaten people earlier.
One of the hooligans picked up an enamel mug of beer and slowly poured it over the officer's head.
When the officer didn't react or make a sound, the hooligan followed up with a slap across his face.
Yan Zhao signaled Chen Meilan and the children not to move. With just a glance, a group of plainclothes officers from the Jindong Branch Bureau, all veterans from the Old Mountain front, casually stood up.
These were battle-hardened soldiers. Though they looked relaxed, they quickly secured exits and prepared to fight. With just eye contact, they had the whole place surrounded, trapping the dozens of hooligans like fish in a barrel.
While Little Lang was slowly munching on roasted potato slices, lamb tendons, and mushrooms, and Little Wang wanted to sing "My Future Is Not a Dream" but was too shy to start, a fierce battle broke out between the plainclothes officers and the gang of hooligans.
Little Lang remained steadfastly focused on his food, no matter what was happening around him.
Yuanyuan, Little Wang, and Chen Meilan, who held the three children tightly, witnessed a police action scene straight out of a movie.
Of course, every single hooligan ended up in handcuffs, courtesy of the plainclothes officers.
...
On the way home, Little Wang got a stomachache halfway and ran straight to the toilet as soon as they got in the door.
Chen Meilan, unable to resist temptation, had eaten two skewers of lamb and now had severe stomach pain. Unable to wait for Little Wang to come out of the bathroom, she had to rush to the public toilet while clutching her stomach.
Only Little Lang, who had eaten the most, seemed to have the most stable stomach. Chen Meilan, worried he might get indigestion or stomach pain during the night, decided to sleep with him and Yuanyuan.
The little one slept soundly, but having returned home so late, he was a bit overexcited and stayed awake, amusing himself by blowing bubbles. When Chen Meilan came back from one of her bathroom trips and got into bed, she saw Little Lang's bright eyes still watching her.
"Does Mama's tummy hurt? I'll rub it for you," Little Lang said, placing his hand on Chen Meilan's stomach and massaging it. After a while, he added, "Mama, I used to be inside your tummy, right?"
"Who told you that?" Chen Meilan asked with a smile.
"Big brother did. He also said that the police Dad works with are different from other police. Our dad is the real police, the others are fake," Little Lang said, curling up on Chen Meilan's stomach and falling asleep.
Chen Meilan lifted Little Lang off her stomach, thinking that Yan Zhao's practical lesson had been quite effective.
At least Little Wang and Little Lang had seen them catch a group of hooligans and now understood the difference between right and wrong.
As for Yan Zhao, he of course worked through the night.
Interrogating the hooligans.
Usually, when these young troublemakers got into fights or caused disturbances, they'd get off with a warning or a few days in lockup. They actually didn't mind that - free meals in jail, and most had some connections, so they'd do a bit of work and be out in no time. No big deal.
But this time was different. Yan Zhao and his team had set up a sting operation, and the hooligans were now facing charges of assaulting police officers. This meant prison time and a criminal record.
Most of these street thugs were unemployed youth from the city, waiting for job placements. That's why they got mixed up in gangs. But no one plans to be a hooligan forever - they all expect to find work eventually, start families, have kids. A prison sentence would make it nearly impossible to find a job after release.
So the small fry weren't important. Once arrested, Yan Zhao and his team just had to wait and see who would try to pull strings to get the hooligans off the hook.
But Yan Zhao had started this investigation assuming Wang Ding'an was the gang leader, and the results surprised everyone.
That night, Bureau Chief Sun Nutao, who was at home recovering from illness, received a call from his former superior, Director Mi.
Director Mi said on the phone: "The people Yan Zhao arrested are all underage troublemakers. Several of them are children of friends and relatives I know - all good kids with bright futures, about to be placed in jobs. Nutao, Yan Zhao's family is related to ours. Of the three brothers, he has the most stubborn and vicious personality. He's a mule who won't listen to reason. I'm afraid he really intends to sentence a group of 17 and 18-year-olds, ruining their futures. For those kids, give Yan Zhao a heads up. Don't let them be interrogated at your Jindong Branch. Transfer them to the Jinxi Branch, let Wang Ding'an deal with them. He'll teach them a harsh lesson. Afterward, have their parents apologize and make amends to the Jindong Branch police!"
In Xiping City's military circles, there were a few notable figures: Yan Peiheng was one, Director Cui was another, and Director Mi's brother had been one too, though he passed away back in the 1970s.
Director Mi had previously been promoted from the Jindong Branch Bureau and was Sun Nutao's former superior. He had overseen the "Strike Hard" campaign in 1983.
He was the mentor and predecessor of Sun Nutao and his fellow police officers, and the person they respected the most.
Sun Nutao really thought that Yan Zhao and his team had arrested a group of 17 or 18-year-old kids. Because he was still recovering from an illness, he discussed with Yan Zhao over the phone, suggesting that if it wasn't serious, they shouldn't sentence them, but instead give them a beating, detain them for a few days, and then release them.
Yan Zhao advised him to come to the bureau and take a look before making a decision.
So Sun Nutao returned to the bureau.
Then, in the detention room, he saw dozens of hardened criminals, some with facial scars, others covered in tattoos, and some with rough, intimidating faces.
Their eyes were cold and fierce, and they answered questions smoothly, obviously very experienced. They looked at the police officers as if they were children playing house.
Were these the so-called "naughty kids" Director Mi had mentioned?
...
It was the weekend, and the two older children were at home. Chen Meilan took Little Lang to visit Cui Min, specially dressing the chubby boy in a Black Cat Detective vest, which was already a size too big for him.
Seeing Chen Meilan enter with a bouquet of flowers, Cui Min asked with a smile, "Where did you buy these? Such beautiful roses!"
"Do you have a vase? I'll arrange them for you," Chen Meilan said.
Cui Min's children were older and studying away from home. Upon seeing the chubby Little Lang, her maternal instincts were about to overflow. She busied herself trying to find chocolate and cookies for him.
Chen Meilan quickly stopped her: "He doesn't eat those things. Just give him some water. My child is quiet and likes to read. If you have any picture books, you can find a few for him."
That was easy - there was a whole bookshelf full of picture books left by her children.
Cui Min took Little Lang to her son's bedroom, gave him a cup of water, and true to Chen Meilan's words, the little boy sat quietly on the balcony and started reading the picture books.
Cui Min had a vase and scissors, but in her mind, flowers just needed to be put in water, right?
Chen Meilan first trimmed the leaves for her, then sprinkled some sugar in the clear water. She then carefully trimmed each stem, removed the thorns, and sealed the cut ends with a lighter before arranging the flowers in the vase.
Flower arranging wasn't yet considered an art form in China, but people's sense of aesthetics is universal. Although it was the first time they had met, and Cui Min had heard that Chen Meilan was a rural woman and a contractor, she was worried they might not have much to talk about. But when Chen Meilan placed the bouquet of roses on the coffee table, Cui Min suddenly felt she might have found a kindred spirit.
"Have you met Mi Lan's mother, Wang Gebi?" Cui Min asked Chen Meilan.
Chen Meilan hadn't even met Mi Lan, so she shook her head: "Did her husband die early, and she's been a widow ever since?"
"Her husband was a martyr who died young. During the revolutionary era, martyrs' families received preferential treatment, so she always lived comfortably. However, comfort has its limits. About ten years ago, she started doing business and suddenly became incredibly wealthy," Cui Min paused for a moment, then just smiled without saying more.
Chen Meilan knew, of course. She also knew that although there was nothing between the mother-in-law and Lu Jingyu, because of that money, while Yanguan Village was fine with it, Yan Peiheng's old comrades and colleagues in the capital viewed Lu Jingyu as Yan Peiheng's true cuckolder.
Cui Min volunteered more information: "By the way, do you know why Yan Zhao's ex-wife returned from the capital?"
Chen Meilan smiled but didn't speak, though she was willing to listen.
Wasn't this why Cui Min had invited her over? To share this gossip?
"When Yan Zhao's ex-wife went to the capital, she was already pregnant. During pregnancy, women tend to be a bit lazy and like to sleep more. That's why I don't like living in military compounds. Mi Lan and Wang Gebi were extremely good to her. Wang Gebi was always cooking soups and stewing meat for her, treating her even better than Commander Yan. Gradually, she became lazy and careless about her appearance, going out with messy hair and in pajamas. Some of the older folks in the compound started gossiping, saying she didn't care about her image and was embarrassing Commander Yan. Some even said behind her back that she had been a socialite in Xiping City. Somehow, she got the idea that Mi Lan and Wang Gebi disapproved of her and were spreading rumors behind her back. So they had a big fight, and that night, Wang Gebi took sleeping pills and almost didn't make it... Commander Yan got angry and kicked her out immediately." Cui Min smiled again and added, "Don't you think it was such a small matter? People should always try to handle things gently, shouldn't they?"
Zhou Xueqin was impulsive, quick-tempered, and acted on her whims.
When she went to find Lu Jingyu, she must have just recently been reborn. She went and immediately slept with him.
However, she wasn't the type to sit back and wait for success. She was always ambitious, looking for business opportunities everywhere. Although Chen Meilan found her a bit hateful for neglecting Little Wang and Little Lang, she had to admit that sometimes she also found her rather pitiful.
Although she hadn't met Mi Lan and Wang Gebi yet, from Cui Min's tone, they seemed to be very gentle women who knew how to appear vulnerable.
Zhou Xueqin, on the other hand, was born with a refusal to be bullied and would explode at the slightest provocation. It was no wonder they clashed so violently.
