[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji":3,"chapter-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-33":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Siheyuan: Food, Love, and Family in 1960s Beijing",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2314083,4526,"Chapter 33","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>Even with the steel stamp on this bicycle, there was no denying it—Hu Jinbu could only nod and say, “It’s mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good, admitting it is enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu finished speaking and turned to Han Yating, signaling her to search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Check what’s inside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Yating replied, “Yes,” and began feeling inside the sawdust sack with her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the sawdust was packed tightly, she had to exert great effort to pull out seventeen or eighteen palm-sized brass components.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other sack was the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Han Yating search the sacks, Hu Jinbu froze, silently praying to all the gods and Buddhas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was useless—this wasn’t asking the gods for help, it was tormenting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When people do good, they always want the gods to make sure everyone knows.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they do bad, they want the gods to make sure no one finds out—this is too much for the gods to handle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment Han Yating pulled out the first component, Hu Jinbu collapsed onto the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all were pulled out, his eyes went blank; only when Liu Fu shoving him toward the office building did he turn back to see the guards at the gate running toward the watchroom, finally regaining some courage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pushed the bicycle behind them, Han Yating carried the copper parts strung together on a rope, while Liu Fu and Xu Ning escorted Hu Jinbu back to the office building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as they entered, Liu Fu locked Hu Jinbu in the holding cell; Li Xuewu wrote a situation report and sent Xu Ning on the bicycle to the police station to obtain a summons, while Han Yating went to verify the origin and value of the copper parts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time everyone finished, an hour had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assigned Han Yating and Xu Ning to duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Led Liu Fu and Wei Tong downstairs to the holding cell at the end of the first floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the holding cell, a very arrogant young man lay on the bed, his legs propped on the headboard, swinging lazily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu peered through the window in the door—he was even more relaxed than if he were at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the holding cell? Anyone would think it’s a hotel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu ignored their awkwardness: “Open the door.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wei Tong pulled out the key and unlocked it; Li Xuewu stepped inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young man inside stopped swinging his legs, feigned sleep, and even snored loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked closely at the man—he wasn’t bad-looking, thick eyebrows and big eyes, but his clothes weren’t fully buttoned; underneath was a white shirt and a blue sweater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re Hu Jinbu?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only reply was a long, rhythmic snore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, sleeps soundly—looks like a good guy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rhythm of the snoring suddenly broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pulled the handcuffs from Liu Fu’s belt, snapped them onto Hu Jinbu’s wrists, then yanked hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jinbu cried out, “Ow!” and sat up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu dragged him by the handcuffs a few steps to the door, then shackled him to the iron bars of the ventilation window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jinbu’s toes just barely touched the ground, his entire body hanging diagonally against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Hu Jinbu tried to lower his feet to relieve the strain, the handcuffs would tighten further—he could only stand on tiptoes to support himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu slapped Hu Jinbu’s angry face and said, “Two hours and fifteen minutes until shift ends. If you don’t confess before then, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jinbu looked up at the scarred man, standing on tiptoes to meet his gaze, yet spoke with bluster: “Who the hell are you? Trying to persecute workers like Hongyadong? I’m going to report you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pulled out a cigarette, lit it, blew the smoke toward the vent, and the cold wind instantly scattered the smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rebirth: Financial Titan\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Want to report me? Hah. You’ll have to get out of here first. In this place, I’m in charge. The air’s cool here—stay and sober up. Decide whether it’s better to admit guilt and pay a fine, or refuse to confess and wait until I send you to the bureau to get you fired.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jinbu glared sideways: “Try to trick me? Dream on! Even if you kill me, I won’t admit it—it’s a frame-up! And my uncle’s the factory’s logistics warehouse chief. I won’t even stay until shift ends—you’ll have to let me out. When I’m free, if I don’t beat you until you shit green, I’ll say you’ve never eaten leeks!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smirked mockingly: “Any other powerful connections? Let’s see how strong your backer really is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Jinbu stopped looking at him, turning his head toward the ventilation window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The steam from his nose and mouth quickly dispersed in the cold wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu didn’t care—he waved to Liu Fu and Wei Tong, then left the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fu Sheng, lock the door. No one opens it unless I give the order. You and Wei Tong take turns guarding. Don’t respond to him unless he calls you ‘Grandpa.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fu and Wei Tong both shouted: “Yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From inside, Hu Jinbu yelled: “Fuck your grandpa! I’m Hu Jinbu, your fucking grandfather!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu ignored him, went upstairs to the second floor, grabbed the guard roster, and headed for the guard dormitory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dormitory was right next to the gatehouse; Li Xuewu didn’t knock—he just opened the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa~~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like stepping into a biochemical training room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke, moldy bedding, stove fumes, stinking clothes, stinking feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stepped back, watching the smoke drift out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Great Sage, stop your magic~~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men inside, seeing the door open but no one enter, shouted: “Who’s at the door? If you’re not coming in, close it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the smoke thinned, Li Xuewu walked in—a long corridor, with bunk beds on both sides, and two stoves at the entrance for heating the beds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, men stood, lay, snored, smoked, and played cards—a lively scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is the guard team? Even the Nationalist Army was more disciplined than this—this is clearly a local security squad standard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t recognize him, but they recognized the police uniform—when did the factory get new security? And why were they here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dumb-looking guy sitting on the edge of the bunk, knees propped up, smoking, tilted his head and asked: “What do you want? Who’re you looking for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu glanced at him, then turned to the room and held up the roster: “I’m the newly appointed Head of the Factory Security Bureau’s Public Order Division, Militia Company Commander, and Head of the Guard Team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the men still unmoved, Li Xuewu tapped the roster against his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have three minutes to get dressed, get off the bunk, and stand in front of your bed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stared at the wall clock at the end of the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The men, suspicious, began dressing and climbing down; some poked awake sleeping comrades. Everyone scrambled off the bunks, standing crookedly before their beds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door behind Li Xuewu remained open; those slow to dress already felt the cold wind making them shiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When time was up, they stood before him—each one misshapen and disheveled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One man still lay asleep on the bunk; his buddy woke him, but he grumbled: “I don’t care who the hell you are—I only recognize Comrade Wang as our commander,” then pulled the blanket over his head and went back to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stepped forward slowly, carefully inspecting each guard; those being watched instinctively lowered their heads and straightened their appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked to the end, then turned back, arriving at the position of the man still under the blanket.\u003C\u002Fp>",1275,"2026-06-20T13:46:54.288Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","a2f19af926793230f39de3defdabada0f9335e17f2f7fbebcd98b9b2e96a1373","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-34","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-32",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]