Chapter 335

With Xiao Jiu around, Zheng Tan isn't afraid of those short‑sighted people bothering Xiao Youzi, and he feels much more at ease about the school side.

Xiao Youzi, although not planning to immediately retaliate against those rumors and mockery, is biding his energy, waiting to ace the final exams and slap those people in the face. That is the best way to strike back.

After New Year's Day, the atmosphere in primary and secondary schools becomes tense, as everyone prepares for this semester's final exams; a poor score may mean the year won't be enjoyable at all.

Zheng Tan looks at the wall calendar in the living room; the new calendar has already replaced the old one.

This is Zheng Tan's fifth year here.

By converting cat years to human years, Zheng Tan counts as a middle‑aged uncle.

The good news is that Zheng Tan feels his parts are still quite resilient, not much different from the past few years, and in his mind he still sees himself as a handsome young man in his twenties.

At noon they ate at the small restaurant at Jiao Wei's house; Jiao Wei's parents were already discussing when to buy tickets home. Of course, according to Jiao Wei's schedule, they have to wait until he finishes his exams before buying tickets. Since they are all within the province and there are no trains there, they can simply go to the bus station and buy a ticket whenever they want, luggage in hand, without needing to book in advance like others.

Strolling along the street by the school gate, Zheng Tan noticed a newly opened shop; the former clothing store was gone, replaced by a large sign reading "Wu Tailang Shaobing." The shop is small, but many people buy the flatbreads, and the line snakes into a Z‑shape. The aroma makes passersby glance over repeatedly, while impatient queue‑jumpers think about returning when it's less crowded. Food lovers, however, remain especially patient.

Zheng Tan moved closer to take a look; the busy owner turned out to be the previously leg‑impaired vendor who pushed a small stall.

No wonder, when that person reappeared a few days after disappearing, his face was beaming—apparently he rented a storefront.

The area where the shaobing are made occupies half the shop, while the other half appears to be a resting area. Zheng Tan saw two small children emerge from a side door, hug the owner's leg, giggle and say something, then go back inside—that must be the bakery owner's two kids.

After looking around, Zheng Tan headed toward the school gate, intending to go home. It was a bit chilly outside, and he wasn't in the mood to wander. After a few steps, he spotted a person he had seen while with Zuan Shi—a bodyguard of Tang Mo. The guard was now standing beside a deli not far from the shaobing shop, watching the passing crowd.

What is this person doing here?

When Zheng Tan looked toward the shaobing shop, another person walked in, and after a short while emerged with three shaobing without queuing. Moreover, the shop owner was very courteous to that person.

Zheng Tan followed that person a short distance, and near the road a black car was parked—it was Tang Mo's.

After the person got into the car, it drove off immediately; Zheng Tan watched the departing vehicle, shook his head, and jogged home.

Meanwhile, in the car, Tang Mo took the shaobing handed over by his subordinate, sniffed it—it was quite fragrant—took a bite, and the taste… seemed pretty good.

"Over there we still haven't noticed any irregularities; the people buying the flatbreads include nearby vendors, some teachers, but mostly students," the person reported to Tang Mo.

Tang Mo gave a short "hm" and said nothing more. After Zuan Shi was returned by an unknown person, he had someone investigate the shaobing seller; after all, there are many sellers of Wu Dalang Shaobing, but there is only one Wu Tailang Shaobing in this area. The investigation yielded no useful leads, and Tang Mo, looking at the pencil‑written label on the paper bag, leaned toward believing that the person who returned Zuan Shi was a young student.

Tang Mo even asked Xiao Guo whether anyone else heard him when he made the call; the answer was no—Xiao Guo made the call in his own break room, alone. Of course, there were also two cats, Li Yuanba and Zheng Tan, and ordinary people wouldn't read anything into the cats.

When Tang Mo's group questioned the shaobing shop owner, they promised a sum of money and obtained plenty of information, mostly about the people who bought the flatbreads, yet so far they haven't found the target. The seller used his savings and the money Tang Mo gave to rent a shop, and has made a good profit over the past few days. Don't underestimate such a small snack; the owner's constant grin shows he's earning well. Zheng Tan never imagined that a paper bag he casually picked up would lead to this outcome.

"The person we're looking for won't be him," the woman beside Tang Mo said.

Tang Mo nodded, "I know, but let them keep observing, have Wu Tailang cooperate a bit, so we don't lose his money."

"Yes, boss."

After returning home, Zheng Tan spent the afternoon idle, browsing forums on his computer. The entertainment section had many discussions about Gongzi Xiao during this period, sparked by an official channel's report two days ago that a well‑known actor Zhao was detained. When an official broadcast announces 'detained' or 'under investigation,' it usually means the charges are already decided, just as Fang Shaokang said—no way out.

Gongzi Xiao, whose real surname is Zhao, sparked heated debate after the news aired; a stone caused a thousand ripples, with conspiracy theories flying everywhere and fans spitting verbal fire in a lively clash.

The topic around Gongzi Xiao only began to subside when the weather grew increasingly severe.

In mid‑January, Chu Hua Shi was hit by heavy snowfall. At first, people talked about 'auspicious snow,' and many happily played in the snow outside to relieve the tension and fatigue from the finals. It wasn't until after the exams, when everyone prepared to return home, that worries began—especially for those living far away, whose families are in the southern region.

Some people were lucky, their tickets fell on the two days when the weather eased, so their journey home was relatively smooth. Others bought tickets for dates with terrible weather—wind and snow, icy roads, highway closures, delayed trains, postponed flights—so many had to wait a day before they could board.

Jiao Yuan and Xiao Youzi stayed at home, lacking any desire to play in the snow, dutifully completing the winter‑break assignments set by their teachers. In recent days, Jiao Lao Yezi called several times to ask about their return home and repeatedly reminded them to drive carefully—better to go slow than risk safety.

Television reports said this was a once‑in‑fifty‑years snow disaster; many southern drivers are unaccustomed to icy conditions, and preventive measures were insufficient, leading to many accidents. It was heard that some drivers from the north were dispatched to help.

Jiao Ba needs to stay at the school longer; this morning it was reported that a bus carrying a student home had an accident before leaving the city and the victims are now in the hospital. The School of Life Sciences held an emergency meeting. Every class teacher, graduate supervisor, and doctoral advisor must fulfill their responsibilities.

Jiao Ba has many graduate students under him; he must wait until all of them leave campus before returning home. According to meteorologists, this snowstorm won't end anytime soon.

In late January, the students at the school gradually left, regardless of how difficult the process was. That evening, Jiao Wei's father came over and discussed their plans.

Jiao Wei's father knows a man who now drives at a bus station; he previously did business heading north and has driven in the north, so he can handle icy conditions. Many local drivers lose control even on a clear day with a bit of ice, but this man is competent; they talked yesterday, and since the weather is unusually mild for the next couple of days and a few highways have temporarily reopened, Jiao Wei's father called him. If possible, he'll arrange a few tickets for a ride part‑way; the service can only reach the county seat, and from there they'll have to transfer to get home.

After hearing this, Jiao Ba decided to have Jiao Ma first take Jiao Yuan and Xiao Youzi to return with Jiao Wei's group, while he himself would stay at the school a few more days and later drive Zheng Tan home. After all, it's inconvenient for Zheng Tan to ride the bus.

Once, Zheng Tan paid little attention to the disaster; he was probably busy seeking carefree fun. News? What's that? He never had the patience to watch. But now, being in the midst of it, Zheng Tan feels a different mood. Especially on the day Jiao Ma's group took the bus home, Zheng Tan watched provincial news, the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the TV, or simply opened his computer to check online updates—such as a highway temporarily closed, accidents on a road, unrest in a region, and so on—until he received word that Jiao Ma's party arrived safely, at which point his lingering anxiety finally eased.

"Hei Tan, it's just the two of us left," Jiao Ba said, looking out the window.

Now the house only has Jiao Ba and Zheng Tan, quiet and empty; during the day Jiao Ba is rarely home, and Zheng Tan shares three meals with him at the staff cafeteria, while at other times he stays alone at home watching the news on TV.

On TV, experts use sophisticated academic language to analyze the causes of this snow disaster, along with meteorological terms that Zheng Tan can't understand at all, driving many viewers crazy. What people want to know isn't that; they want to know how long the weather will last, when transportation will resume, and when they can board the trains or buses they've bought tickets for.

Every day Zheng Tan turns on the TV, and regardless of whether it's a municipal, provincial, or national news channel, they all report on this southern snow disaster. Many migrant workers and students are stranded during the Spring Festival travel rush. From the footage, some provincial stations show stations packed with crowds. As the days pass, people grow increasingly irritable. Prices for illegal taxis skyrocket, and vegetable prices surge. As for the big star Gongzi Xiao, aside from a few, no one follows him anymore.

Here, the traditional Minor New Year falls on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, and after it passes, the news still shows some provincial stations' stations looking the same, with daily reports on which areas are severely affected, the economic losses, and casualty numbers.

At night, some people stranded away complain online, "Forget it, I won't go home for the New Year this year."

But others say no, "I've been out here working myself to death, scraping by on scraps, saving that little money just to go home for the New Year, reunite with my family, and give my wife and kids a better life. A single snowstorm wants to stop my steps? There's no way!"

If you can't snag a plane or train ticket, or wait for a vehicle, you have to think of other ways. Thus, Zheng Tan can always find a variety of opinions and suggestions online, including proposals to hike across provinces back home.

Two days before New Year's Eve, Jiao Ba's side was completely done, and the weather had temporarily eased. Looking from above down at the campus scenery, many areas were still white, the temperature wasn't high, and the difficulty of driving remained considerable.

Zheng Tan, wearing that little vest, hopped into Jiao Ba's car. Jiao Ba glanced at the obvious pocket on Zheng Tan's vest that was holding something, said nothing, closed the window, and drove away from the school. (To be continued…)