Chapter 430

Fei Shanying knew Wen Saner was hiding something from her, including the time he lied to her about getting married.

If this old rascal didn't want to say something, you couldn't beat it out of him.

She only cared about who the woman was now; she didn't care what business they were doing.

Since the person is already back, what else is there to worry about?

"Wife, I'll tell you, but you can't go spreading it around!"

"Are you going to say it or not? If not, get out!"

"I'll say it, I'll say it~"

Wen Saner blinked his eyes and said awkwardly, "I don't know her specific name."

Seeing his wife getting impatient again, he quickly added, "But just like me, she takes orders from him."

"He is..."

Fei Shanying wanted to ask more, but she remembered what Wen Saner had said earlier, as well as what she had seen and heard herself.

That Li Xuewu was no ordinary person now; she had never dreamed that her family would one day have such a connection.

"Is it related to him?"

"I don't know, how would I dare to ask~"

Wen Saner waved his hands in a panic and said, "You can't go asking either!"

"Do I look stupid to you?"

Fei Shanying looked into Wen Saner's eyes and asked, "You aren't lying to me?"

"How would I dare!"

Wen Saner hugged his wife and whispered, "You'll see for yourself later on."

Fei Shanying pushed Wen Saner away, glared at him, and said, "Hurry up and go wash your face and brush your teeth~"

"Alright, alright~"

Wen Saner answered and followed Fei Shanying into the kitchen.

After they finished tidying up and got onto the kang, Fei Shanying looked at the relaxed Wen Saner and said, "Don't learn these things from him in the future."

"I know, I'm not that kind of person."

Wen Saner swore solemnly, "You know what I'm like; it was just a coincidence this time."

"Hmph~"

Fei Shanying turned over to pat the child and pushed away Wen Saner's hand.

She didn't really believe what Wen Saner said, but what could she do about it?

In the middle of the night, where was she supposed to go to find evidence against him?

Even if she found evidence, she couldn't treat their life together like a court case.

Besides, even if Wen Saner really did find another woman, she couldn't just throw away a perfectly good life and get a divorce over someone she didn't even know.

She knew best how Wen Saner treated her, the children, and their home.

So, giving Wen Saner an out tonight was her way of letting the matter pass.

As for the interrogation just now, that was just her method.

One should play dumb when necessary, but when it's time to tighten the screws on a man, one shouldn't go soft; she had to remind him that she wasn't easy to fool.

Listening to Wen Saner's snoring, it took a long time for Fei Shanying to fall asleep.

"Cluck~ cluck~"

"Cackle~ cackle~"

"Mom! It laid an egg!"

"Mom!"

Banggeng ran out of the chicken coop in the backyard, clutching an egg in each hand, and ran excitedly into the middle courtyard.

He kept announcing the good news to his mother along the way, but the way he phrased it sounded a bit... a bit off.

"Yo~ Banggeng, your mom laid an egg, huh~"

"Hahaha~"

Liu Guangfu was the type who never learned his lesson; the beating from last night hadn't even been a day, and he was already looking for trouble again.

Yan Jiefang, a bird of a feather, teased, "You got that wrong; his mom can't lay eggs, hahaha~"

The neighbors waiting by the well to fetch water all started laughing when they heard this.

"Screw your dads, your moms are the ones who laid eggs!"

Banggeng was a brat too; hearing Liu Guangfu dare to insult his mother, he retorted immediately.

Just then, the Second Master was walking toward the moon gate, preparing to go to the toilet, when he heard that remark.

"Hey! You little brat~"

Seeing Banggeng dare to talk back, Yan Jiefang pointed his finger and prepared to grab him.

His finger followed Banggeng's fleeing figure all the way to the Jia household.

Suddenly seeing Qin Huairu standing at the door holding a basin, the words he had prepared died in his throat.

And the people standing by the well stopped laughing too.

"Mom, they started the name-calling!"

Fearing his mother's blame, Banggeng explained aggrievedly.

Qin Huairu gave Banggeng a look, signaling him to go inside, then lectured him: "That doesn't mean you can curse or use foul language. If a dog bites you, are you going to bite the dog back?"

"Hey! You..."

Standing by the well, Yan Jiefang heard this and was about to retort to Qin Huairu, but just as he opened his mouth, he saw Qin Huairu step down from the stairs and splash a basin of water right into their faces.

"Ptooey, ptooey~"

"Cough, cough~"

There was no way to dodge that water; even though the people by the well dodged quickly, some still got hit.

But these people didn't dare to confront Qin Huairu, because they had indeed been laughing at Banggeng earlier.

Bullying the young, they deserved it no matter what.

Furthermore, Qin Huairu's status wasn't what it used to be; as a deputy section-level cadre, she wasn't someone just anyone could mess with.

Qin Huairu had aimed specifically at Yan Jiefang and Liu Guangfu, and after splashing the water, she saw the Second Master standing right there at the moon gate.

But she didn't care about that; she glared at the two young men and said, "You haven't brushed your teeth since getting up this morning, no wonder your mouths smell so bad."

As she spoke, she glanced at the Second Master and added, "Just right to use this foot-washing water to brush your teeth."

After speaking, she turned around and went back home.

"Blech~"

"Ugh~"

The two of them grabbed the water faucet and kept rinsing their mouths.

The Second Master walked out with a frown, kicked Liu Guangfu, and said, "Get home, now!"

"Blech~ Dad, wait for me to rinse my mouth~ I feel sick~"

Liu Guangfu couldn't care less if his dad was going to beat him; detoxing was more important.

The Second Master frowned and said, "Have you ever seen anyone wash their feet first thing in the morning? You believe anything she says. Hurry up and take the water home! Your mom is waiting to cook!"

After scolding his son, he glanced at the Jia household once more before continuing on his way out.

Liu Guangfu thought about his father's words and realized it was true; the feeling of nausea had vanished.

Yan Jiefang felt the same; after spitting out the water, he just felt like a fool.

The two looked at each other, and amidst the muffled laughter of the people queuing behind them, they silently poured out the water they had fetched and started over.

Just then, the Jia family's door suddenly opened; Banggeng walked out in front, followed by a limping Qin Jingru.

Qin Huairu stood at the door and asked Banggeng, who was walking out, "It's time to eat, where are you two going?"

Banggeng turned his head and said, "I'm letting my aunt see my chicken coop and teach me how to raise chickens."

"Can't you go after eating?"

Today was the first day of school for the kids, but her son had absolutely no interest in going to school; he had been obsessed with the chickens in the backyard since early morning.

Qin Huairu also knew her son wasn't cut out for studying; she had originally been worried that her mother-in-law would spoil him into a good-for-nothing.

But she hadn't expected Banggeng to have kept up with cleaning and feeding the chickens for these past few months.

Fine, whatever he does, he still needs to eat.

Qin Huairu had made up her mind: Banggeng could study for as many years as he could; she didn't ask for him to be a success, just that he didn't grow up to be crooked.

Seeing her son excitedly going to learn about feeding chickens, she could only say helplessly, "Come back early. Your aunt's foot is injured, and she just washed it, don't let her catch a cold."

"Blech~"

"Ugh~"

Why did this thing have to be so effective? You couldn't even talk about it.

Qin Huairu looked at the two fools by the well, curled her lip, and went back inside.

That basin of foot-washing water this morning wasn't just to avenge her son; it was also to avenge her uncle and the others.

Don't mess with women; they hold grudges.

He Yu Shui came out of the backyard carrying her satchel and happened to see Banggeng passing through the moon gate.

"I heard you shouting early in the morning."

"Aunt Yushui, the chickens I'm raising laid eggs~"

Banggeng was careful to speak clearly this time, because the two grandsons behind him were still retching.

"I heard~ I heard~"

Yushui patted Banggeng's big head and walked past with a smile.

Qin Jingru turned her head back and looked at He Yu Shui, the "urban white-collar worker," with envy, feeling that fate was unfair.

He Yu Shui hadn't expected that one day someone would envy her life; having no father or mother had become an object of envy.

When she passed by the well, she looked at Liu Guangfu and Yan Jiefang, wondering what they were playing at.

But seeing that the people fetching water didn't look amused, she knew those two were up to no good.

Entering the front courtyard, Li Shun had just come out of the Third Master's house and ran right into He Yu Shui, who was coming out.

"Morning, Uncle Li."

"Hey, morning, Yushui."

Li Shun was walking home with his medicine chest on his back and answered when he heard Yushui speak.

"Is the Third Master not doing well again?"

"Hmm."

Li Shun never revealed a patient's privacy when treating them; that was a rule passed down by his ancestors.

However, He Yu Shui lived in this courtyard, so seeing her ask so eagerly, he didn't pay much mind to it.

Seeing He Yu Shui, Li Shun still gave her a word of advice.

"Persuade Zhuzi, don't get into it with the Third Master."

As he spoke, he frowned and whispered, "If it falls into your brother's hands, just wait for the trouble~ Sigh~"

"I know, Uncle."

Yushui answered very seriously, "I'm going to find my brother right now."

Just as they were talking, Wen Saner walked in through the gate.

Having not shown his face for several days, Wen Saner felt like a lifetime had passed.

"Morning, Big Brother."

Wen Saner greeted Li Shun politely first, then held his lower back and said to Li Shun, "What a coincidence, please take a look at me; I haven't been able to get off the kang for several days."

"Come home."

How could Li Shun not guess what Wen Saner meant? He carried his medicine chest and went home first.

Wen Saner nodded at Yushui, stepped aside, and followed Li Shun into the house.

Li Shun didn't pay much attention; he had seen Wen Saner when he walked in, and there was nothing wrong with his legs.

But as soon as he felt his pulse, he frowned.

This gave Wen Saner a fright; he was just putting on an act, he hoped there wasn't actually something wrong.

Li Shun frowned and looked at Wen Saner, then felt the pulse on his other hand.

After checking the pulse, he examined Wen Saner's lower back.

"In a hurry to have children?"

"Huh?"

Hearing Li Shun's words, Wen Saner was stunned, then shook his head.

"No... no, not in a hurry, haven't even thought about it yet."

"Be moderate."

Li Shun tapped Wen Saner's kidneys and said, "Being young isn't a capital; if you squander it excessively, be careful of developing chronic ailments."

"Ah~..."

Wen Saner was stunned, and his heart skipped a beat.

Does... does this count as a work-related injury?

"Big Brother, do you have anything here that can provide a boost?"

"It's nothing, just be moderate and you'll be fine. You're young; taking too many supplements will actually be bad for you."

Li Shun didn't pay much mind to it and just gave his medical advice.

"Big Brother, this..."

Wen Saner said somewhat embarrassedly, "What if I take a little bit, just a slight boost?"

Li Shun looked at Wen Saner; they were both men, so of course he knew what that meant.

"Wait a moment."

Li Shun carried his medicine chest to the south room, and after putting it down, he went to the cabinet to get his medicinal wine.

But upon opening the cabinet door, he discovered one bottle was missing.

"Mother of the children!"

"Yes!"

Liu Yin was adding firewood to the stove and stood up to go to the south room when she heard Li Shun call.

"What's the matter?"

"A bottle of medicinal wine is missing from the cabinet."

"I don't know, no one touched it."

Liu Yin looked into the cabinet and asked, "Did the Third one use it?"

"Impossible."

Li Shun frowned and pointed at the large medicine jar where the medicinal wine was soaking, signaling Liu Yin.

Liu Yin turned her head to look and also frowned.

It wasn't that she felt bad about the medicinal wine, but Chinese medicine is three-parts poison, especially this kind of potent supplement; if handled poorly, it could cause problems.

"It seems..."

Liu Yin remembered and turned to look at Li Shun, saying, "It seems the Second one took a bottle of wine when he left. I was holding the child at the time and didn't pay much attention."

"That brat!"

Li Shun was anxious; if that bottle of wine was drunk directly, wouldn't it kill his son?

As he spoke, he prepared to go out to the backyard to make a phone call.

Liu Yin chased after him and said, "He's not a child anymore; he understands pharmacology. Wouldn't he know something was wrong when he saw the color of the wine?"

"He doesn't know squat!"

Li Shun rarely swore, and he didn't even have time to pay attention to Wen Saner; he pushed the door open and left.

The person was gone, but his words drifted in from outside the door.

"A half-full bottle that just rattles."

Wen Saner blinked, not knowing what had happened.

Liu Yin also heard Li Shun's words and walked back to the inner room to prepare the medicinal wine for Wen Saner.

When she came out and handed it to Wen Saner, she explained, "Xuewu took the medicinal wine your Li Ge hadn't finished diluting yet. Your Li Ge is afraid something will happen, so he went to make a phone call."

"Oh~ hahahaha."

Wen Saner laughed speechlessly at this moment.

That kid was as tough as nails; he definitely wouldn't drink this wine himself. Who knows who he's going to mess with.

But he couldn't say this in front of Li Xuewu's parents; everyone thinks their own son is the best.

Knowing Li Xuewu was fine was enough. Wen Saner carried the small bottle of medicinal wine, didn't mention paying, thanked Liu Yin with a smile, and went out.

Entering the south-facing room and seeing the "recovered" Wen Saner, everyone put down their bowls and stood up to congratulate him.

Wen Saner also cupped his hands and said some polite words with a smile.

Only Old Biaozi knew a little bit here; the others were curious but didn't know what was going on.

Seeing that Seeing Sha Zhu's hair had been shaved off and his head was wrapped in gauze, Wen Saner joked, "Yo, man, what happened? Is there someone who can actually open a wound on your head?"

"Sigh, don't mention it!"

Even though he said that, Seeing Sha Zhu had a grinning expression on his face.

"It was from an explosion at Dongzhimen~"

"Whoa~~~!"

Wen Saner gave Seeing Sha Zhu a thumbs up and complimented him, "So you've been practicing the Iron Head Skill!"

"Hahaha~"

The people eating couldn't stop laughing; the steamed bun Erhai had in his mouth fell out.

Seeing Sha Zhu laughed like a madman, "If I hadn't missed out on it, with my skills, I would have at least been a captain of a suicide squad back in the day!"

"Brother Zhuzi has been blowing this horn all night~"

Old Biaozi laughed, "It was just a small piece of dirt from a detonator blowing up the city wall; it was just bad luck that it hit Brother Zhuzi on the head."

"That's not true!"

Seeing Sha Zhu gestured, "Was that a piece of dirt? That chunk was as big as a city wall brick!"

"Blow it out your ear!"

Shen Guodong laughed, "If it was as big as a city wall brick, it wouldn't just be this effect if it fell from the sky, let alone if someone threw it. I can guarantee you that."

"Ugh~ anyway, that chunk wasn't small!"

Seeing Sha Zhu couldn't argue with these guys; when it came to throwing bricks, these guys were all experienced.

Under the gaze of everyone at the table, Seeing Sha Zhu still emphasized the size of the dirt clod.

He Yu Shui sighed in worry; when would this brother of hers ever grow up?

Hanging out with Li Xuewu and the others had already made his heart wild, and now with these fifteen or sixteen-year-old brats added, her brother was living his life in reverse.

She had tried to persuade him for a while, but there were too many people here, and she had to save face for her brother, so she didn't dare to say too much.

Even so, her brother still retorted, saying he couldn't just stand by and be laughed at.

It wasn't until Big Brother and the Second Master spoke up, mentioning the Third Master's illness in the front courtyard and the character of his family,

and explaining the severity of the situation, that Seeing Sha Zhu finally listened and said he would be careful in the future.

His mood had been a bit low then, but now, with Wen Saner's teasing, he was laughing heartlessly again.

Seeing Sha Zhu was just that kind of person; if he were smart, would he still be Seeing Sha Zhu?

Coming out of the south-facing room laughing and joking, he happened to see Qin Huairu pushing her bicycle out as he walked out of the courtyard gate.

The two hadn't spoken for several days; one was because of the Qin Jingru matter, and the other was because Qin Huairu was now riding her bike to work, so they didn't cross paths.

"Sister Qin, you're not angry with me anymore, right?"

"Get lost, it's early in the morning, are you bored?"

Seeing Sha Zhu sat directly on the back seat of Qin Huairu's bicycle.

"Hey, I was the one who saved you two sisters the other day, and now you're not acknowledging it~"

Seeing Sha Zhu laughed and leaned on the saddle, saying to Qin Huairu, "For the sake of that contribution, don't hold a grudge and don't be angry with me."

Qin Huairu curled her lip and said, "I'm not angry with you, but you need to change that stubborn temper of yours. What's wrong with you? You can't even stand to hear a word from anyone."

"Yes, yes, yes."

Seeing Sha Zhu laughed, "I'll change, I'll change."

As he spoke, he boasted, "Yesterday, in front of the First Master, I spoke to those two brats who dumped ash on your uncle, and their old man was right there too."

"Don't you go messing around~"

Qin Huairu wouldn't accept this favor from Seeing Sha Zhu; Seeing Sha Zhu was just saying that to puff himself up, it had nothing to do with avenging her uncle.

"The Third Master's health isn't great. If you anger him into something serious, just wait for you to be the one carrying the funeral banner!"

"I didn't care about that."

Seeing Sha Zhu got off the bike and said with his head held high, "Look at what kind of pests they're raising; if the upper beam isn't straight, the lower ones will be crooked."

Just then, the Second Master was riding his bike past them and turned to glare at Seeing Sha Zhu when he heard this.

"Hey! You're the one who's not straight, and you've got the nerve to talk!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Qin Huairu poked Seeing Sha Zhu and said, "How are you getting more childish as you get older? Have you given up on yourself?"

"Is it that serious!"

Seeing Sha Zhu put his hands in his pockets and said indifferently, "Ah, is she the only woman in the world? If I don't have her, I won't get married? There are plenty of people chasing me!"

"Look at how cocky you're getting!"

Qin Huairu curled her lip, got on her bike, and said, "Alright then, I'll stay away from you, so I don't affect others chasing you."

With that, she pedaled away.

Seeing Sha Zhu looked at Qin Huairu's back and thought of Liu Lan's behavior when she got off work yesterday.

Married women aren't bad either, right~

One is Liu Lan, with a child, a section chief; the other is Qin Huairu, with three children and a mother-in-law, a deputy section chief.

Do those who have lost their husbands get promoted faster?

Qin Huairu didn't know Seeing Sha Zhu was pondering her behind her back; she arrived at work fifteen minutes early, checked in, and then started her rounds.

She wasn't checking new posts, but the night shift from last night, checking hygiene and safety, and also looking at the operational situation from last night.

She specifically asked the front desk and knew that the person in that room last night had moved in, so she paid attention when checking the posts.

Just as she looked over, coincidentally, the door opened.

A woman wearing a white high-neck sweater and a graceful figure walked out.

Qin Huairu thought she looked graceful because the woman wasn't wearing the baggy cotton pants ordinary people wore, but the most fashionable and expensive khaki pants, and on her feet were a pair of mid-heel leather shoes.

The woman wasn't short to begin with, and wearing leather shoes made her look even taller.

"Hello, I am the director of the guesthouse, my surname is Qin."

Seeing the guesthouse director take the initiative to greet her, Zhou Wang Yamei was slightly stunned and gestured to the thermos in her hand.

"Hello, comrade, I'm just fetching some water, nothing else."

Zhou Wang Yamei had also misunderstood, thinking Qin Huairu had come to question her.

Qin Huairu also understood and smiled, took the thermos, and handed it to Xiao Li beside her, instructing her to help fetch a thermos of hot water.

Watching Xiao Li leave, Qin Huairu smiled and explained to the stunned Zhou Wang Yamei, "I arranged this room for you."

"Oh~ thank you."

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled then; so it was because of Li Xuewu.

She didn't think anything else of it, because she knew Li Xuewu was a deputy section chief in the rolling mill; arranging a room for her and her son in the guesthouse wasn't a problem.

"I came late yesterday and still received your care, thank you very much."

Zhou Wang Yamei was referring to the fact that after she entered the room yesterday, the service staff had brought over food.

She had stayed in guesthouses before and knew what the service was like at this time.

"You're welcome."

Qin Huairu smiled and said, "I was on the day shift yesterday and specifically instructed them to save food for you."

"Yes, the food was delicious."

Zhou Wang Yamei nodded very politely and said with a smile, "I've caused you trouble, and I don't know how long I'll be staying."

"It's no trouble."

Qin Huairu smiled and explained, "This room is for Deputy Section Chief Li's exclusive use; he also rests here when he has work and doesn't go back."

"No wonder I saw his clothes in the wardrobe."

Zhou Wang Yamei smiled and said, then took the thermos handed over by the attendant Xiao Li and said, "You go ahead and get busy, I'm going to dress my child."

Qin Huairu's eyes flickered when she heard Zhou Wang Yamei say she recognized Li Xuewu's clothes.

Just then, she smiled and reminded her, "There is also food in the canteen downstairs in the morning, from seven to eight, don't miss it."

"Alright, thank you."

Zhou Wang Yamei exchanged polite pleasantries with Qin Huairu and closed the door.

Qin Huairu took another look at the direction of the room before continuing her inspection.

Looking inside from the half-open door just now, Qin Huairu saw several books and some documents on the desk that Li Xuewu never used.

Looking at the woman's demeanor and temperament, she knew she was an educated person.

Qin Huairu sighed in her heart, unable to help but feel a sense of frustration.

She could never possess this kind of quiet temperament, because she had little schooling, and even if she wanted to pretend to be cultured, she couldn't.

As the old saying goes, "Poetry and books in the belly make one's temperament naturally elegant"; that's what it means.

The books and documents on the desk in the room were brought by Zhou Wang Yamei, the book manuscript Li Xuewu had mailed to her.

It was that "Criminal Psychology"; the two of them had proofread and revised it left and right several times, and she was doing the final review.

It was expected that the final work would be completed in three or four days, at which point Li Xuewu would hand it over to the publisher for review.

"Mom, morning~"

"Morning, Zhidong~"

Zhou Wang Yamei heard her son wake up and ended her conversation with the director.

Just then, she put down the thermos in her hand and reached out to hold her son as he stood on the bed.

"Did you eat too much last night and get an upset stomach?"

Zhou Wang Yamei poked her son's little belly and said, "Remember not to eat like that before going to bed in the future, do you understand?"

"I understand."

Fu Zhidong nodded, looked at his mother, and asked, "Then, Mom, are we going to see Uncle Li?"

"No, your Uncle Li isn't home."

Zhou Wang Yamei directed her son to get dressed and corrected him where he got it wrong.

Fu Zhidong put on his little sweater with effort, then looked at his mother and said, "Then, since he isn't home, we'll go find him where he is."

"He's too far away from us right now."

Zhou Wang Yamei stood in front of her son and said with a smile, "But Uncle Li should be back very soon."

"Oh~"

Fu Zhidong answered, then looked at the little toy gun by the pillow and said, "Then can Uncle Li take me to school? I don't want to play by myself."

"Alright~ We'll find a school when Uncle Li comes back~"

Zhou Wang Yamei understood her son's mood very well; he hadn't been in school in Steel City for many days, and now he had to find a school all over again.

After tidying up her son, Zhou Wang Yamei put on a short wool coat and took her son downstairs to eat.

There were gradually more people in the small canteen on the first floor, much more than when it first opened.

One reason was the good taste, the other was the good environment.

Few workers came here to eat; they were mostly guests staying here or cadres above the deputy section level.

When Zhou Wang Yamei arrived, the canteen had already started serving food. She wasn't very familiar with the system here and was still a bit lost as she took her son to the serving counter.

"I'll help you."

Just then, Qin Huairu, who was eating, put down her chopsticks, stood up, and walked over to say something to Zhou Wang Yamei, then asked Master Yang at the serving counter for three flower rolls, a plate of side dishes, and two bowls of porridge.

"Thank you~"

Zhou Wang Yamei also saw the abnormal attitude of this director toward her, but she still thought of Li Xuewu's status.

She didn't want to show off using Li Xuewu's status, so she hurriedly handed over the food coupons, took the bowls and plates, and walked toward an empty table.

Qin Huairu helped carry the rest and then said with a smile, "Don't be polite, eat slowly."

After speaking, she returned to her seat.

She usually ate at work in the morning because it was a work meal, which was cheap and could save a portion of rations for her family.

Zhang Songying, who was eating with her, was there because no one cooked at home.

Her husband was away all year round, and even when he was home, he didn't cook; he always went back to his mother's house to eat.

So Zhang Songying also ate with Qin Huairu every day without fail.

Looking at the woman eating breakfast elegantly and lightly over there and the well-behaved child learning to use chopsticks, Zhang Songying asked in surprise in a low voice, "This wouldn't be...?"

Qin Huairu raised her eyes and glared at her, then lowered her head and continued eating.

Zhang Songying stuck out her tongue, knowing this wasn't the place to talk.

Qin Huairu's initiative to help just now had already attracted the attention of some people to that mother and child, but looking at that kind of temperament, no one dared to step forward to strike up a conversation.

After finishing breakfast, under the gaze of some people, Zhou Wang Yamei took her child and didn't go directly back upstairs, but walked a circle along Tuanjie Lake.

"What is Uncle Li doing?"

"Uncle Li is busy with work~"

"Then, why is Uncle Li so busy?"

"Hehe, ask him when you see him~"

Li Xuewu was indeed busy.

Early in the morning, it wasn't even light yet, and he was woken up by a phone call from his own father.

He also never expected that even though they were separated by two time zones, his father's wake-up service would still be so powerful.

After repeatedly assuring his father that he hadn't drunk that bottle of wine, he hung up the phone.

But he couldn't fall back asleep no matter what.

He simply got up to wash and prepare for today's itinerary.

He didn't know if Ji Wang Weidong had installed surveillance in his room, but not long after he got up, this kid showed up at his door.

"You're spying on me!"

"Bullshit!"

Ji Wang Weidong yawned and threw himself onto the sofa.

"If someone of my level were spying on you, you'd have to work a few more years."

He dismissed Li Xuewu with disdain, then said with a sleepy expression, "I got up to go to the toilet this morning and heard the water pipes."

As he spoke, he stared at Li Xuewu and asked, "What are you doing, getting up so early?"

Li Xuewu ignored him, tapped the water pipe to listen, and then continued washing.

After everything was tidied up, he sat down beside Ji Wang Weidong and rinsed his mouth.

The two sat there staring at each other for more than ten minutes.

Now Ji Wang Weidong finally believed Li Xuewu wasn't doing it on purpose; he was just bored and couldn't sleep, so he got up to torture people for fun.

"If you're not going to sleep, can you just be quiet? If you aren't tired, I am!"

Ji Wang Weidong lay on the sofa, looking at Li Xuewu and complaining.

"Does it bother you!"

Li Xuewu took a sip of hot tea, looked at the light outside the window, and said boredly, "Whether I sleep or not has nothing to do with you; I didn't ask you to watch me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah~"

Ji Wang Weidong said with a hurt expression, "I'm afraid you'll get bullied because you're not familiar with the place. Who am I doing this for!"

"Pfft~"

Li Xuewu said impatiently, "Thanks to you, otherwise I wouldn't even dare to step out of the door~"

"What do you think!"

Ji Wang Weidong sat up and looked at Li Xuewu, saying, "I'm not losing out by accompanying you. There are many things you don't know; this isn't Beijing, who knows you here!"

"Ah, so they know you?"

Li Xuewu curled his lip, pulled open the left side of his coat, and revealed the M1911 in the holster.

"They don't know me, but do they know this?"

"Pfft~"

Ji Wang Weidong said with disdain, "This thing of yours isn't very useful here."

"Oh?"

Li Xuewu was truly surprised, then pulled open the right side of his coat, revealing two "wow" grenades hanging on the holster strap.

"They don't know that, but do they know this?"

"Holy crap!"

Ji Wang Weidong was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; he jumped up on the spot and leaped directly behind the sofa.

"Why the hell did you bring this thing up here!"

As he spoke, he kept his eyes on Li Xuewu's coat, saying, "Hurry up and dismantle it; if it gets scratched, we're both finished!"

Li Xuewu let go of his hand indifferently, ignored Ji Wang Weidong's words, and drank his tea.

The tea here was truly terrible; if he didn't know Li Huai De next door hadn't woken up yet, he would have definitely gone to sponge some tea leaves.

Seeing Li Xuewu unmoved, Ji Wang Weidong walked over and wanted to do it himself, but was blocked by Li Xuewu.

"Don't mess with me; you're no match for me."

Li Xuewu said while holding his teacup, "I'm not familiar with the place, what if I encounter danger?"

As he spoke, he said with a righteous expression, "This one is for the enemy, and the remaining one is for both of us; this is called a glorious bullet."

"Go play with an egg!"

Ji Wang Weidong jumped and said, "I haven't enjoyed my prime years yet, who the hell is going to be glorious with you!"

As he spoke, he pointed at Li Xuewu's clothes and said, "Hurry up and dismantle it. With me around, aren't you safe! I am the greatest guarantee of your life!"

Li Xuewu looked up at Ji Wang Weidong and said, "It's precisely because you're around that I have to carry this thing."

As he spoke, he patted the holster on the left and said, "If it weren't for you, I'd only carry a pistol; you know my habits."

"I'm..."

Ji Wang Weidong was speechless, looked at Li Xuewu, and asked angrily, "Are you saying I'm a jinx?"

"What do you think!"

Li Xuewu curled his lip, drooped his eyelids, and said, "Think about it yourself; when have you been around and nothing happened?"

"..."

Ji Wang Weidong sat on the sofa in defeat, looked at Li Xuewu, and said, "I can definitely guarantee your safety."

"Hmm, hmm, I believe you."

Li Xuewu nodded very seriously, but he just wouldn't say anything about dismantling the thing in his coat.

Ji Wang Weidong had no choice but to stare at Li Xuewu's right coat.

Li Xuewu was annoyed by his gaze, dodged him, and said, "There was nothing wrong, but you're making it into something. If you want to stare, go stare at a girl."

Ji Wang Weidong knew Li Xuewu had a sharp tongue, but he didn't pay much mind to it; in the face of life-threatening danger, everything else was just floating clouds.

The two of them waited until the sun came out, then yawned together and went downstairs to eat.

This Ji Wang Weidong's words were a bit flighty, but he definitely wasn't flighty when it came to doing things.

Someone had delivered the car he promised yesterday to the door early this morning.

It was also a jeep, a GAZ-69, the same model as the battle-damaged one in the recycling station.

It didn't look as cool as Li Xuewu's command car, but the license plate wasn't local.

Connections are really useful at this time; if it were a later era, Li Xuewu wouldn't dare to do this even if he were beaten to death.

"Are you sitting in the front or am I sitting in the front?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Li Xuewu jumped directly into the passenger seat, leaving Ji Wang Weidong and the two people he brought to squeeze into the back seat.

This kid really kept his word about being able to protect Li Xuewu's safety; Li Xuewu saw that there were no fewer than two long guns in the car.

After everyone was seated, the driver in green uniform asked, "Leader, where are we going?"

"To the market, the biggest and most complete market you have here."

The driver looked at Li Xuewu, then stepped on the gas and drove toward the city.

At the intersection of Jiefang South Road and Tianchi Road in Wucheng, there was an Erdaoqiao Department Store.

Next to the store was the Erdaoqiao Market, which had a history of over a hundred years.

Speaking of history, this place hadn't just become prosperous recently.

In the late Qing and early Republic era, Erdaoqiao was famous for its rich ethnic characteristics.

There was a large flow of people here, and many artisans gathered here, setting up stalls along the street.

The market here had a special name, called a "Bazaar," which meant a fair or an agricultural trade market.

Li Xuewu took the lead, Ji Wang Weidong followed on the side, and behind them were the driver and two cadres from the Investigation Department.

These people looked like they weren't to be trifled with, so no one came to look for trouble in the market.

The kind of plot from a TV show where a young girl is chased by a group of big men couldn't happen here, and there would be no opportunity for a hero to save a beauty left for them.

Because this was the largest market in Wucheng, Li Xuewu saw no fewer than seven or eight groups of people patrolling with long guns.

Li Xuewu, like a young master from a landlord's family, wandered around the market with his study companion and bodyguard Ji Wang Weidong.

It must be said that although the market at this time was dirty and messy, it was full of the atmosphere of life.

Markets in the interior generally considered nine to twelve in the morning to be the busiest time, but not here.

Markets in Wucheng were busier the earlier it was.

Why?

Don't ask; Li Xuewu wasn't a local, so he didn't know either.

Dodging a few Afantis wearing small flower hats, sporting big beards, and riding small donkeys,

Li Xuewu saw the things he was looking for.

"How much for the mutton?"

"Seven mao."

Li Xuewu curled his lip when he heard the price and asked again, "Do you need coupons?"

"What do you think?"

Fine, no need to ask; it was a planned economy market, which would never make concessions for natural disasters.

He found a beef stall and asked the price; it was the same, one yuan and two mao, only one fen lower than in the interior.

Li Xuewu curled his lip and continued shopping with his study companion.

There were quite a few stalls selling snacks in this market, and Li Xuewu regretted eating breakfast.

But even so, Li Xuewu bought a piece of yogurt for everyone to chew on.

It was so cold that the yogurt had already frozen solid, so they could only bite it like a popsicle.

Just after turning past the yogurt stall, he saw an artisan just like the ones in the interior.

He saw a barber wearing white sheepskin boots, a white sheepskin coat, a white sheepskin hat, and sporting a white beard, holding a razor and shaving the face of a guest sitting on a bench.

Whether it was the clothing or the barbering tools, according to Li Xuewu, they weren't as good as the master he met in Beijing.

After a glance, Li Xuewu lost interest and turned his gaze to the carpet sellers.

"How much for the carpet?"

"Five yuan!"