[{"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-957":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},2315007,4526,"Chapter 957: Show Your Face!","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-957",957,"\u003Cp>Has anyone ever told you how to handle an interrogation?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu propped his arm on the table and asked Chai Yongshu: “Admit some, evade some, and flat-out refuse to say some—right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-No!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu grimaced awkwardly and said: “I just got carried away a moment ago, didn’t pay attention—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No next time~ No next time~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He noticed Li Xuewu’s sour expression and cautiously added an explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at him and said: “Continue with the letters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… it’s just letters, you know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu scratched his head, hesitated, then, seeing Li Xuewu’s narrowed eyes, quickly admitted: “I didn’t write the letters.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not—I didn’t ask you that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu frowned and said: “Do you know Du Xiaoyan? Trying to take some blame for her?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No! No connection!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu waved his hands frantically: “She looks down on me, and I look down on her—that woman’s waistband is looser than Liu Lan’s!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu snapped: “How dare you play tricks on the branch? You don’t strike me as someone who’s lost his mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s exactly why I’m wronged~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu seized the opening, wailing: “I’d just recovered when Lai Shao sent someone to call me—he said he had a great job for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it, last time he said the same thing—ended up making me clean up corpses. Now he’s saying it again!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You could’ve refused, you know~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu lit a cigarette, raised an eyebrow: “No one forced you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course you can say that~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu sighed: “When Zhang Shuqin died, someone reported it—you treat it as a major case. But if I get silenced, who cares about me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed at himself: “You think Liu Lan would notice I’m missing? My parents don’t care—I’m dead, I’m dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I took their money—I have to do what they ask. What they want me to do? I dare not ask. I dare not speak.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu recounted: “He took me to Du Xiaoyan’s house, told me to wait outside—he had business to attend to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course he had business—didn’t you hear how loudly that woman screamed once the curtains were drawn?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I stood three meters from the door, and you know what? I heard her yell ‘No…’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t say that, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu paused, seeing Li Xuewu and the others’ expressions, then sheepishly said: “Off-topic, off-topic—I’ll start over.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be serious. Tell us what’s relevant to the case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu snapped: “Who the hell are you telling these nonsense stories to?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! Yes! I’ll talk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu thought a moment and said: “After they finished, I heard Du Xiaoyan crying inside for a long time—then Lai Shao finally came out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He handed me three letters, a stack of cash, some documents and letters of introduction, and told me to go to Zhili, mail the letters at the post office there, then find a guesthouse and call back here—he’d tell me the next destination then.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait—you used Zhang Shuqin’s documents?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu frowned: “You’re a man, she’s a woman—how did you check into a guesthouse and make a call using her papers?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t use Zhang Shuqin’s documents—I was afraid something would go wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu explained: “I knew he was up to something—I wasn’t going to get myself caught.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I just found some random woman to help me book a room, then used the daytime to make the call and mail the letters—I didn’t even stay overnight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise: “How’d you find a woman? Randomly? Did she agree to take the risk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can’t just say the world’s big—I want to travel. It’s not that simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Working people needed unit-issued letters of introduction; students needed school-issued ones; the unemployed had to get travel permits from their neighborhood committees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buying train tickets, staying at guesthouses, eating out—you’d constantly face inspections. Without proper documents, you risked detention and deportation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such people were later called “blind flow.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu was a classic example—he had no unit, and couldn’t get a legitimate letter of introduction from any neighborhood committee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So how did he manage to roam the country, wander far and wide?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could say: the strong never confine themselves to rules or complain about their environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu looked at Li Xuewu helplessly: “You think all women are good girls, virtuous wives?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—you’re a proper man, so everyone you know, meet, see is proper.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But I’m different—I live in the dark corners of the city, a low-level, passive element. The women I meet? They’re the same—class, you see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had some education—his words carried weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t believe me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu raised an eyebrow at Li Xuewu: “Want me to take you out for a walk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey! We go to a crowded place, stand there—any woman who walks past me? I can tell right away if she’s decent or not!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t say I’m lying—I’ve lived by these eyes for thirty years!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured to his own eyes: “Who’s rich, who’s powerful, who can fight, who can talk—I know it all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You asked how I found someone to help me? In Zhili, I just walked the streets—I saw at least three women who’d been in the trade.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu tapped the small table with a smug look: “Once a woman enters that life, she carries that stink till she dies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, boss, want me to teach you how to tell a woman’s profession by her walk…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Enough, enough—showing off?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu cut him off irritably: “I told you to be serious—you’re off track again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does he really think Li Xuewu needs him to teach social experience? What knowledge hasn’t Li Xuewu learned? What people hasn’t he seen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But you heard him—Li Xuewu knew this wasn’t nonsense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In later generations, ordinary people might live their whole lives without ever encountering society’s dark corners—because they themselves are people of light, or simply lack the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Prostitution, drugs, gambling—none of these are accessible without real power. At best, you might stumble upon prostitution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other two? Without money, forget it—they’re games for the rich.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But all three share one thing: birds of a feather flock together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They gather, share experiences, feed each other thrills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just take drug addicts—how do you know who’s one when you walk down the street?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Go to a strange city, drop one in, let him wander for a bit—he’ll know exactly where to find others who do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For these people, for the whole environment, it’s impossible to ever fully eradicate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like certain online addresses—you delete them a hundred times in your saintly state, but once you revert to your true nature, you find them again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Chai Yongshu could roam the land, wander far and wide, and still return to Jingcheng unharmed—he had experience, he had lived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He told Li Xuewu how to find the right woman in a strange city—no need to spend much, just a little bit, and she’d help you use her work ID to book a room at her unit’s guesthouse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Li Xuewu, this trick wasn’t impressive—but to the others in the interrogation room, it was a fascinating new insight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also explained how to board trains without worrying about document checks—even if caught, he had excuses and escape plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In an era when travel required letters of introduction and household registration books, such men truly had skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in the most bustling cities, there was space—and rules—for small people to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After he mailed the first letter and received the next address over the phone, he erased all traces and set off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tell me—in an era without surveillance—would the woman who booked the room for him ever tell investigators the truth: that she’d shared a room with a man?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially when investigators showed up, proving the man had done something wrong? Even a fool wouldn’t speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening, Li Xuewu had no new leads, so he turned to ask about Lai Yide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides the things you mentioned and his grand dreams, are there any other specifics about Lai Yide?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Specifics…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu thought, then shook his head: “He’s just a half-grown kid—no special business talent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything we handled—looted goods, warehouse hauls, other rich kids’ stolen items—we were the ones who moved them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All no-cost deals—hit the black market, you’d clear at least sixty to seventy percent profit. What business beats that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu said: “Those rich kids always ate out together—either Lao Mo, or grilled meat, or hot pot—every meal had wine and meat, very flashy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because of drinking, they once got caught with some girls—his father had to step in…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to go into that—tell me something else.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu cut him off—he knew this story well. Extremely well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did Lai Yide have close associates or unusual hobbies?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Girls count?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu grinned: “Once these brats got money, it’s all eating, drinking, and fun.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Same as us—close associates and hobbies are the same thing, no conflict.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Xuewu’s narrowed eyes, Chai Yongshu knew he’d gone off track again—said useless stuff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A special hobby… actually, yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He widened his eyes: “Lai Yide had a gun—he even took us out to the suburbs to practice shooting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why the hell didn’t you say this sooner?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu’s eyes snapped open and he pressed: “Long or short? Do you know the model?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Long. He hits with deadly accuracy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu sighed helplessly: “I don’t know how to shoot. I don’t even recognize the kind he used—rare, and the bullets are different.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, by the way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly remembered: “Lai Yide said he was on the school’s shooting team and even won a medal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really deserve to be shot!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu glared at him fiercely, stood up, and snapped: “You’ve been blabbering for ages—and the most useful info comes now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t know…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu wanted to explain, but Li Xuewu had already stormed out the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t understand why Li Xuewu was so frantic—just moments ago he’d been calm, how could he flip out like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Furious” was too mild—Li Xuewu wanted to pull out his little hammer and beat him senseless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He left the interrogation room and bumped into Zheng Fuhua coming downstairs in the lobby; he immediately reported the situation to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fuhua was startled too, hurried to the duty room, arranged for someone to call the school for details, and sent notices to Yu Daru and others: be extra cautious with Lai Yide—he’s dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu and Zheng Fuhua both knew Lai Shanchuan having a gun wasn’t the real threat—Lai Shanchuan was an adult, cautious, unlikely to fire recklessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was these hot-headed kids who were dangerous—especially when they had a gun and shooting skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two had just hung up the phone when the school and frontline hadn’t yet replied—then headlights flashed at the gate, followed by two cars turning in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a light at the gate; Li Xuewu recognized one of the cars as a Volga M24.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the cars drew closer and he saw the license plates, he realized—it was Old Li’s car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this about Liu Lan? Or had he come directly because he couldn’t reach him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cars stopped at the gate; Li Xuewu watched Liu Lan step down from the front car of the branch bureau, and Li Huai De  step down from the back Volga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What startled him slightly was that Zhou Miaomiao got out with Li Huai De —what the hell was going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Love Connection!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stepped out of the duty room and came face-to-face with the arriving group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan was being led over by a criminal investigator, her face full of innocence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more innocent were Li Huai De  and Zhou Miaomiao behind her—two more criminal investigators trailed them, as if fearing they’d flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way here, Li Huai De  had remained silent—even when Zhou Miaomiao tried to speak to him, he didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the top boss of the steel rolling mill, a senior cadre, the type who wouldn’t flinch even if Mount Tai collapsed before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the composure he’d maintained all the way shattered the moment he saw Li Xuewu—his eyes betrayed his panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at Li Xuewu, not knowing what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stared back, equally at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The investigator who’d gone to pick them up hadn’t noticed their silent exchange; seeing the leader here, he stepped forward to introduce them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason for summoning so many people was complex—and simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Complex was their relationship; simple was that this watch had linked all three together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chai Yongshu, trying to win Liu Lan back and reconcile, used their child as leverage—offered to repay debts, gave her a watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan hadn’t immediately agreed, but seeing Chai Yongshu prosper, she secretly rejoiced—she felt her luck had turned, that misfortune had finally ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d never owned a watch; for years Chai Yongshu hadn’t even given her a stone, let alone a watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan loved this watch—brand new, clearly expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know this watch was a stolen import, taken by Zhao Ziliang to please Zhang Shuqin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While they exchanged glances and hesitated, the trophy ended up in Liu Lan’s hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan loved the watch—but she loved advancement more. She craved advancement desperately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being ignored by Li Huai De , she’d been given the minor post of director of the small canteen as compensation—and had no further contact with Li Huai De .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Cultural Propaganda Team formed, she’d heard that Li Huai De  often went to dance with the girls from the dance troupe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At midnight, dancing “proper” dances—what did she think?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t hate Li Huai De , nor the dance troupe girls—she hated only herself: low rank, no status, no power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she had power, she’d go dance too—there were no men in the dance troupe, but weren’t there men in the Cultural Propaganda Team?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Find young men. Find strong young men!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Find strong young men who were talented and handsome!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Year-end came, coinciding with personnel reshuffling; she’d heard that the newly appointed deputy director of the Management Committee, Shi Ruoweng, was capable, decisive, and visionary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So here she was—her brand-new watch, still warm in her hands, packed in its box with some local specialties, taken to Shi Ruoweng, asking him to help her secure the deputy manager position at the new Red Star International Hotel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Songying had been her equal at the guesthouse—why could Zhang Songying become deputy manager and not her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her focus wasn’t on Zhang Songying moving from the guesthouse to the hotel—it was that the deputy manager post was a deputy section-level position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the guesthouse, assistant section chief was barely a cadre—it was just a transitional post, Suishikeche .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But deputy section-level? That was real career advancement—she wanted to rise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ruoweng had spent years as a long-suffering wife finally becoming the matriarch—he’d only watched and heard others bribe leaders; this was his first time receiving a gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was wary of Liu Lan’s sudden approach—after all, her past relationship with Director Li had been far “closer” than his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan, having been with Li Huai De  for so long, had finally woken up—she praised him, said she wanted to learn from him, would work hard in her new post, emulate him, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These words pleased Shi Ruoweng—he wanted to plant his flag at the Red Star International Hotel; without his own people, how could he succeed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan’s past with Director Li was a problem—but it also proved her loyalty wasn’t an issue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Shi Ruoweng took courage and accepted Liu Lan’s gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, when he inspected the gifts, he saw the expensive watch—compared to the local specialties, his heart lurched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Helping Liu Lan could use his influence, but appointing a deputy section-level cadre—especially at the hotel—required higher approval; he dared not promise anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he made up his mind: kept the local specialties, took the watch, and delivered it to Li Huai De ’s home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a veteran office worker, he knew well how to deal with leaders—he didn’t mention Liu Lan’s request to him; instead, he claimed Liu Lan had come to him to ask for help with Li Huai De .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan had worked at the guesthouse for a while and proven herself as director of the small canteen—promotion was reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai De  didn’t care much about the watch he received—he only thought: Liu Lan had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, when they were close, she’d come directly to him, then mention it afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d feared her promotion might reflect badly on him—damage his reputation—so he’d always refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now they were distant, yet Liu Lan knew how to use bureaucratic rules to get things done—this stirred an odd emotion in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Liu Lan understood this, it meant she’d grown up, matured, wouldn’t cause him trouble anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Li Huai De  gave no clear answer—but didn’t tell Shi Ruoweng to return the watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shi Ruoweng knew perfectly well the matter was settled—he didn’t even glance at the watch as he left, afraid he’d regret it too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He regretted it—but Li Huai De  wouldn’t. A watch, no matter how fine, only one hand can wear it; no one wears two watches—what a fool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So when he realized it was a delicate ladies’ watch, he handed it straight to Zhou Miaomiao, who’d come to teach dance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was why Liu Lan was summoned, why Li Huai De  came along, and why Zhou Miaomiao came too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Absurd. Speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were taken to the reception room; after hearing their explanations, Li Xuewu didn’t know what to say anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lan stood there, head down, silent. Li Huai De  sat on the bench, frowning, silent. Zhou Miaomiao stood beside them, twisting her fingers, so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a crack in the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowing they were from the steel rolling mill, Zheng Fuhua didn’t enter—he went to wait for frontline updates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Li Xuewu and one criminal investigator remained inside; the investigator took the statements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Li Xuewu heard the investigator finish questioning, he stopped him from taking the transcript, patted his shoulder, and called him outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After speaking a few words outside, the investigator went back in, took Liu Lan away, and left Li Huai De  and Zhou Miaomiao behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, none of them knew what had happened to the watch—Liu Lan had first thought Chai Yongshu had stolen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after arriving at the Discipline Inspection compound, seeing the scene in the lobby, and meeting Li Xuewu, all three were now dazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just a watch—why were the branch bureau and Discipline Inspection jointly investigating?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Liu Lan was brought out, she tried to speak to Li Xuewu—but he stopped her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember: cooperate fully with investigators. Say everything you know. Don’t play clever—hurting yourself and others.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu nodded at her, gave only that warning, then signaled the investigator to take her back for a new statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after watching her enter the interrogation room did he push open the door and walk into the reception room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai De  glanced awkwardly at Li Xuewu and asked: “What’s going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s complicated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu sat beside Li Huai De , ignoring Zhou Miaomiao standing nearby, and whispered: “This case is huge—I told you I’m stuck here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I didn’t think you’d be here… sigh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai De  sighed helplessly: “I never thought I’d get tangled up in this case.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled faintly, patted Old Li’s knee, stood up, walked to the desk, and said: “That watch was taken from the corpse’s hand by Chai Yongshu—you didn’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai De  didn’t react much—but Zhou Miaomiao, standing beside him, was terrified; she collapsed onto the bench, face pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gasp startled Li Huai De —he glared at her, then turned to Li Xuewu, frowning: “Did you investigate this case?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu picked up the transcript on the desk, tore off a page, folded it, and walked back to hand it to Li Huai De .\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai looked at Li Xuewu, reached out and took it, then nodded: “I didn’t realize it was this serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s troublesome—too many people are involved.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu pulled up a chair and sat diagonally across from him, pulled out a pen, and tapped the notebook in his hand: “Just those at deputy section-head level and above—probably close to two hundred.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Li Huai’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at Li Xuewu, unable to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t doubt what Li Xuewu said—he just couldn’t believe he was tangled up in something this big.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh~~~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After her initial shock, Zhou Miaomiao finally reacted—but violently. She must’ve done something inappropriate to the watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, it was Li Xuewu who stared at her in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai understood Li Xuewu’s shock and said awkwardly: “She’s probably scared.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh~ oh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu’s lips twitched as he glanced at Li Huai. If he was this confident, Zhou Miaomiao was truly frightened—not trying to frame someone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When a person is pushed to the brink of tension, or fear triggers a past trauma, they feel nauseous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing Li Huai’s explanation, Li Xuewu ignored her and continued: “Think again—could this be connected to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the matter laid out this clearly, Li Huai knew exactly what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought carefully and said: “I didn’t know about the earlier events. Shi Ruoweng sold me this watch.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow: “Wasn’t it sold directly to Comrade Zhou Miaomiao?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Miaomiao, still fighting nausea, froze when Li Xuewu mentioned her name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai glanced at Zhou Miaomiao, who was still sick, and asked: “You bought this watch from Deputy Director Shi, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Y-yeah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Miaomiao wasn’t stupid—she understood now, but her words were vague, unsure whether this would implicate her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu quickly took notes while saying: “Comrade Zhou Miaomiao, you bought this watch from Deputy Director Shi for 160 yuan. He didn’t say where it came from.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes… right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Miaomiao read Li Xuewu’s gaze, pressed her chest, and mumbled her agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu continued: “Today, you were summoned, panicked, worried about cadres at the factory getting into trouble, so you voluntarily reported to Director Li and asked him to come along, correct?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s exactly it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Miaomiao nodded, realizing Li Xuewu was teaching her how to answer future questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that she was linked to Director Li and shown as having voluntarily reported, she felt more secure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, distracted, she stopped thinking about the watch—and the nausea vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai sat quietly beside them, listening as Li Xuewu untangled the connections and committed them to memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d been panicked earlier—unable to explain himself, and hadn’t distanced himself from the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But with Li Xuewu’s arrangement, the case had nothing to do with him—every link was erased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu turned to Li Huai: “Comrade Leader, where is Deputy Director Shi? He needs to give a statement.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tapped his notebook with his pen as a reminder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai nodded: “Comrade Shi Ruoweng is hospitalized with injuries. He won’t be able to come until tomorrow. I’ll arrange it as soon as I get back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, the explanation is clear.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu smiled, placed the revised statement before them, and said: “Misunderstanding cleared, everyone’s happy. Sign your fingerprints and go home—you’ve got work to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the more detailed statement, Li Huai nodded and pressed his fingerprint on it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Zhou Miaomiao signed too, Li Xuewu tucked the statement away and whispered: “I’ll coordinate with the Discipline Inspection Commission—no problems.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But what about our factory?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu’s eyes narrowed slightly as he Huang ed his notebook: “Deputy Director Shi can’t have any issues.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai nodded: “Focus on your investigation. I’ll handle this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood, smiling apologetically: “This afternoon, Director Zheng and the Discipline Commission pinned me down. I called you but couldn’t reach you, so tonight’s dinner…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand. Calling you wasn’t meant to blame you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai stood, patted Li Xuewu’s arm, and said gently: “Tonight’s dinner’s out—it’s bad luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled faintly: “We’ll do it after you finish this case. No rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll finish this work as soon as possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu solemnly promised: “I’ll return to my post quickly and won’t delay factory operations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai’s spirits were low today; his patience was gone. Since Li Xuewu wasn’t a stranger, he simply nodded and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu had been about to follow, but turned to see Zhou Miaomiao still sitting on the chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Li… I’m sorry.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhou Miaomiao looked at Li Xuewu, head bowed, confessing guilt, her voice trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu looked at her: “Are you unwell? Should I call a doctor?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“N-no.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her head, cheeks flushed, whispering: “My legs won’t move…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was just scared—he’d thought she’d wet herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s warm tea on the table. Rest for a moment. I’ll speak with the Leader—wait for me outside.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wouldn’t help her up, wouldn’t offer to escort her. Girls like this were best avoided—especially the Leader’s daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the door, Li Huai smoked, clearly waiting for Zhou Miaomiao.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu lit a cigarette too, gestured for him to see her off, and explained Zhou Miaomiao’s condition as they walked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai sighed, shook his head, and admitted: “It’s my fault. This mess… sigh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just bad luck.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu offered a simple comment. The wind outside was strong, scattering his smoke quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The parking lot was well-lit and empty—no one around to overhear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This case involves many factory and collective leaders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu began with that, then, as Li Huai stared blankly, shifted topics to business travel groups.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai nodded vaguely, but his mind was already calculating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Qin Hui had a few friends—he had his own circle. This information was priceless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu had deliberately let it slip—clearly warning him to act fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This favor was no smaller than the last. Li Huai watched Li Xuewu, the subordinate reporting to him, and grew even more satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Li Haiyang running over, he gestured toward the office building: “Go get Zhou Miaomiao.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Haiyang glanced at Director Li’s face—clouds had cleared. He knew Li Deputy Director had pulled off another big win.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the chaos at the International Hotel’s opening, the leadership hadn’t ignored it. Deputy Director Shi had even complained to the Leader about Li Deputy Director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it was clear: Li Deputy Director had outplayed him. A man blessed by heaven—Heaven itself was helping him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Haiyang didn’t know what Director Li thought—he only knew today, Director Li had walked straight into Li Deputy Director’s trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Li Haiyang helped Zhou Miaomiao out, Li Huai patted Li Xuewu’s arm, smiled faintly—everything understood without words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu watched Li Haiyang help Zhou Miaomiao into the car, waved goodbye, and stared as the Volga M24 drove off with its lights flashing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would protect Li Huai—even if he hadn’t acted, Li Huai would’ve escaped unscathed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a real problem. They couldn’t pin anything on Li Huai, couldn’t drag him into the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he and Li Huai were getting along well. Though Li Huai had begun balancing against him, he still held no real malice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This shield must stay—because the storm hadn’t passed, and finding another suitable one wouldn’t be easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Huai and Zhou Miaomiao could leave. Liu Lan had to stay for further questioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she was the first link in the chain after the watch left Chai Yongshu’s hands, and they’d been married—this had to be clarified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She must’ve learned where Chai Yongshu got the watch—after entering the building, Li Xuewu heard her crying and cursing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She cursed Chai Yongshu as a monster, a piece of trash, for giving her this thing—she’d never consider reconciliation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu watched the crowd in the lobby, amused—today had been pure chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xuewu, come.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu was inside the interrogation room, questioning the former station chief of the grain station.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main interrogation was nearly done, and he couldn’t leave, so he’d chosen this room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to avenge Wei Wei—he wasn’t that childish. He just wanted to know how this man had opened Pandora’s box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mid-interrogation, Zheng Fuhua stood at the door, frowning, calling him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu stood and hurried out—Zheng Fuhua wouldn’t come personally unless something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something happened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fuhua pulled Li Xuewu aside, grim-faced, gesturing toward the lobby: “Come, we’ll talk as we walk.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu frowned slightly—when Zheng Fuhua said “something happened,” it meant serious trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaders of his rank always chose words with extreme care.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his face showed no panic, his hurried steps betrayed tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two pieces of news—one good, one bad.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fuhua walked as he spoke: “The good news is that Lai Yide has been found—at Mingde Building Restaurant near the train station; Lai Shanchuan is there too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The bad news is that Lai Yide has gathered over a dozen youths from the same background; they have several long rifles, and explosives can’t be ruled out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fuhua took Li Xuewu outside and warned: “Your report has been confirmed by the school—Lai Yide is indeed a top shooter on the school’s team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The good news isn’t good at all, and the bad news is truly bad!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu held the door and gestured for the other to go first, then asked: “What’s the point of calling me out?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Gao is already on-site; he ordered me to coordinate support from the Third Guard Regiment, so you must go to the scene to assist in command.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fuhua waved to signal the driver in the parking lot to bring the car over, adding: “I specifically requested the special operations team you mentioned to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How’s that? Show me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Show what? A clown show?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu gave a bitter smile, looking at the approaching Jeep and his own command vehicle with its headlights on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Zheng, we agreed—I’m in charge of interrogations; field ops are Yu Daru’s responsibility.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No time for formalities now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Fuhua ignored his remark. When the car arrived, he opened the door for Li Xuewu himself and pointed to the command vehicle: “Keep your vehicle behind mine. When this is over, you can go back to sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think I’ll believe that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Xuewu gave Han Jiankun a gesture of resignation, then held the door and gestured for Zheng Fuhua to get in first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two sat in the back seat. As the car started moving, Zheng Fuhua began briefing Li Xuewu on the actual situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Investigators had been following Lai Shanchuan since he left the bureau building with his suitcase, got into his Jeep, and drove off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Discipline Inspection team extracted Lai Yide’s involvement from Du Xiaoyan’s confession, they began searching for the boy’s whereabouts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They checked Lai’s home, the school, and all places he frequently visited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Lai Shanchuan acted strangely, and Lai Yide vanished as if he’d disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Shanchuan first drove his Jeep home; investigators monitored his phone and found no outgoing calls, then waited outside for nearly an hour and a half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only when the driver left alone did they assign personnel to tail him, while waiting for Lai Shanchuan to reappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time night fell completely, there was still no movement. Had the lights inside not been on, and had investigators not detected voices from within, they would have stormed the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They feared Lai Shanchuan might go to extremes—or make an even bigger move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Intelligence from behind indicated that high-purity potassium cyanide had been found in Lai Shanchuan’s office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The office secretary said she discovered white, partially dissolved powder while washing the boss’s teacup; she didn’t know what it was, only that it had a faint bitter taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Higher-ups ordered that Lai Shanchuan’s safety be guaranteed while maximizing surveillance of all his contacts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This case has already dragged in too many people; the higher-ups aren’t afraid of the hole growing wider—they just need someone tall enough to step forward and take the blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Assessing targets before arrest and interrogating after arrest are two entirely different levels of difficulty; the best outcome is to identify more suspects before the arrest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lai Shanchuan has already sensed something’s wrong, and he’s given them no opening—and none for himself either.\u003C\u002Fp>",5380,"2026-06-20T13:47:03.676Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","24b5647f6d33dbf8663ae5071545e3d8f5ce22dc6d79f071d649201c7b63296f","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-958","the-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-chapter-956",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-siheyuan-food-love-and-family-in-1960s-beiji-cover.jpg"]