Restarting life in Siheyuan

"Dear Director, I really don't understand why you released these Asians after just a few simple inquiries?"

"President Nick, there is no evidence to prove that they are related to the tragedy that happened in your industry. You said that your industry lost a lot of wealth, but the facts prove that they were just spending money reasonably. I have no reason to continue to detain them."

The middle-aged man sitting in the boss chair with a gloomy face is Nick. Sitting in front of him is the police chief. The chief looked at the president with amusement. If it wasn't for the damn Speaker Joseph, he would not have come to this place. Now the thugs in the casino are either dead or injured. Several bosses are dead and several gunmen are all killed. It is obvious that there is an internal strife. This is what he is happy to see. As for the Speaker, go to hell.

"Mr. Edward, I need a reasonable explanation for this tragedy. I seriously suspect they are involved. We should go to the airport and detain them immediately. I think you must have a way to make them talk. Of course, if your police officers are not competent, I think I can provide you with some help."

Nick's eyes were cold and he had a mask on. He didn't take the director seriously at all. How could it be such a coincidence that he just left after winning the money and then an internal conflict broke out in the casino. Although he couldn't figure out why, he had a hunch that it must be related to these people.

Nick didn't even call him director. Director Edward was very unhappy. Ordinary people might not know this, but he should be clear about it. He just hooked up with a few congressmen and fawned on the Speaker. He really thought he was someone he knew. He didn't even take himself seriously and actually gave him orders. He even tried to directly intervene in foreign affairs. I don't know if this guy has become so willful because he has not received due punishment for his misdeeds over the years.

"Dear President, I remind you once again that suspicion cannot be used as evidence. The other party is a wealthy person who came to invest, and his partner is General Webster. I think I don't need to explain it any further."

Nick was speechless. General Webster? Isn't that Rear Admiral Webster? Compared to him, Nick is nothing. Although he can stir up trouble in the city, he is only a stronger grasshopper compared to a security company with rich experience, hundreds of subordinates, and powerful weapons.

But this time he suffered a great loss, his power and prestige were greatly reduced, and he had to take revenge. Yes, revenge. His old team of more than ten years was inexplicably cleared out. If he didn't vent this anger, who would cooperate with him in the future?

"Rich people, I understand, hey, rich people."

...

Zhu Xuefeng had been waiting in Moscow for four days and was getting a little anxious, but he still hadn't seen Guli Nazha. The agreed contact location and the signal he left behind had not been touched, proving that Guli Nazha had not appeared.

It will be difficult to come back with a legitimate reason this time. I originally wanted to persuade the stubborn girl to leave, and if it doesn't work, I would just take her away without consulting her first. But now there is no news from her, and my legal stay time is running out, so it's time to go.

Unwilling to give up, he searched aimlessly around Moscow for two more days, until he was exhausted, had a splitting headache, and had no choice but to leave. He could only sadly take back a few white-eyed buzzards, board the plane and leave.

I guess this young swallow is doomed. I don't know what she is doing. Didn't they say there is no danger? I can't think about it anymore. I have been using my mental power to search for two days without interruption. Now I can't even think for a long time. I pray silently for this poor girl in my heart, then empty my mind and fall asleep.

When I woke up again, the plane was descending. Looking at the flight attendants who kept reminding passengers to fasten their seat belts, I couldn't help but look among the flight attendants, always hoping that a miracle would happen and the plane would land safely. I rubbed my temples and felt basically refreshed. I looked at the blue sky and felt the warm embrace again.

As soon as I got out of the airport, I felt the changes. A lot of wasteland had been reclaimed on both sides of the road. In just one year, they had all turned into vegetable fields. It should be that last year's call took effect. There is no village nearby, but vegetable fields have actually been opened here. The power of the spirit is indeed beyond one's imagination.

When I got home, my little sister was not there and there was no one at home. I took out the key from the space and opened the door. I once again sent Niu Xiaoben and his enthusiastic friends away with a bag of candy.

After putting down my backpack and luggage, I felt tired for the first time. I was dazed for a while, got a basin of cold water and wiped my body, then took out my shorts and slippers, and with a slightly unhappy mood, I transformed myself into a big gangster from Beijing.

The younger sister's bicycle was not there, so she might have gone to the library to read. The younger sister and the second oldest child followed their older brother's example and loved to hang out in the library. Now that the college entrance examination is over, they have nothing to do. It is likely that they were bored and went to the library again.

Prepare dinner for the younger sister. I guess the two girls will come over too. I wonder if the fourth child will come back for dinner. Zhu Xuefeng put on a white vest and strolled out. He had to go to the vegetable garden and get some vegetables first.

"Hey, Xiaofeng is back."

"Well, Third Auntie, where did you come from? It's so hot, and you're not idle, still running around outside."

The third aunt smiled and said, "My second son has graduated. I'll go to the street office and register to wait for the job opening."

"Oh, I didn't realize your second child has already graduated, it's gone by so fast."

The third aunt seemed to want to say something, but Zhu Xuefeng obviously didn't notice. He said hello and went into the vegetable garden. He took a look at the two chickens. They were so pitiful. They might have been kept in captivity for too long. They had no activity at all and even half of their feathers had fallen off. They looked extremely ugly. He had to find a chance to persuade the younger sister to slaughter them. If he kept them any longer, it would be difficult to eat their meat.

The vegetable garden was well maintained, with a few more varieties. I didn't know where the seeds came from, but there were actually water spinach and red-leafed amaranth, which are only found in the south. I picked some of each, and also picked a few green peppers and two cucumbers, making a total of four vegetables.

A black shadow suddenly jumped down from the wall and gently landed on the shelf of the chicken coop. He waved his hand, and Xiao Hei jumped directly onto his shoulder. He rubbed his head against his owner's neck and made a soft cry.

"Greedy ghost, let's talk about it when we get home."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Hei jumped off his shoulders and disappeared quickly. No need to guess, he must be waiting for the small yellow croaker at home. Zhu Xuefeng was speechless. Every time he went home, he would prepare some small yellow croaker, but he seldom had the chance to eat it, so Xiao Hei almost always got it.

I went down to the cellar and was really pitiful. There was not a single piece of meat, only a pile of potatoes and sweet potatoes. It seemed that the ham I had saved had been eaten up long ago. Well, I hadn't been home for a year, and it seemed that my younger sister had a hard time this year. Without me, she couldn't get many things, and couldn't save them. So I saved a few pieces of ham and took them out of the cellar.

After feeding Xiao Hei, he lazily lay down and took a nap. After cleaning up the dishes, I saw that it was only a little after four o'clock and the yard was still very quiet. After thinking for a while, I decided to simmer the rice first. I went to the rice jar and grabbed a few handfuls of rice. The rice was too coarse and there were obviously more pebbles in it than before.

I moved a small stool to the front of the door and cleaned up the small stones bit by bit. There were some stones in the food before, but definitely not as many as there are now. It seems that my younger sister has suffered a lot this year. Although the family has left some money, plus the regular pension from my father, it is impossible for her to be short of money, but other things cannot be guaranteed.

"Yo, Xiaofeng is back."

A figure pushed a second-hand bicycle into the front yard. It was Uncle San.

"Uncle, it's so hot, why are you still going out fishing? Didn't you only fish in the morning before?"

"Haha, it's a bit sunny, but it's okay under a big tree. Find a big tree, lie under it, and feel the breeze. It's more comfortable than staying at home. But the harvest this afternoon is not good, and there are not many bites."

As the third uncle was talking, he set up the car and came to the door of Zhu's house with the bucket in his hand. While talking to Zhu Xuefeng, he poured the fish into the tank.

"Xiao Feng, you came back this time because you graduated, right? Where do you plan to work?"

"Yes, he has graduated. I have to wait for the job arrangement. I will report tomorrow and wait for the notice. By the way, your Jiefang has also graduated. I heard from the third aunt that he went to the street office to register him today. It should be easy to find a job for high school graduates now."

"Yes, I heard there are many opportunities, but it is difficult to get into a unit like a steel rolling mill." When the third uncle saw Zhu Xuefeng picking stones and looking at the water tank, he suddenly had an idea.

"Xiao Feng, you are going to cook, right? There are more than a dozen crucian carps in this water tank. You can catch a few and add them to the dishes. It will be your uncle's congratulations to you for returning from school."

Zhu Xuefeng was thinking about what meat dish to make later. He might as well cut some ham. Otherwise, if he didn't have any meat dish, he could add a few crucian carps and make grilled crucian carp with bamboo fragrance. It happened that his sister liked it, so she stopped what she was doing and thanked him with a smile.

"Uncle, you are really particular. I won't be polite then."

Unexpectedly, Zhu Xuefeng responded so readily. The third uncle's mouth twitched, and he took off his straw hat to fan himself with the wind, and said with a smile, "We are just neighbors. Why are you being so polite? I have been occupying your water tank. Neighbors should help each other, right?"

"Thank you for that. By the way, my fourth brother must have caused a lot of trouble for everyone this year. I brought some foreign stuff with me. You can take it back and try it."

The third uncle smiled brightly, "That won't do. Foreign stuff is expensive. Last time you brought us foreign candy, but our eldest son said that it's also available at the Friendship Store. It costs more than one yuan to buy it with foreign exchange coupons. It's not suitable. Besides, your fourth child is very sensible and doesn't cause any trouble."

Zhu Xuefeng smiled and turned around. He came out again with a small plastic net bag in his hand. "A little thing. Bring it back for everyone to try."

The third uncle took it happily. Each one looked like a small ball, crystal clear red, very beautiful, and looked really good. It seemed like a rare item.

"This fruit is called gooseberry. I came here from Moscow and it's just in season. I've tried it and it's a bit sour. I wonder if you can get used to it."

"Then thanks to Xiaofeng, I have another chance to try foreign fruits. Haha, thank you, uncle. I'll go back first and we'll talk again when I have time. I need to wipe off the sweat all over my body."

The third uncle smiled and left with the empty bucket. Zhu Xuefeng came to the vegetable garden, cut two small bamboos, split them into bamboo strips, and made some small things. He would then grill the crucian carp with them. When it was done, the crucian carp had the fragrance of bamboo, which was the way his younger brothers and sisters liked to eat it very much back then.

After cooking the rice, he came to the water tank. There were quite a few crucian carps in the tank, but they were all small. After counting the number of people, Zhu Xuefeng didn't hesitate and directly caught five. Knowing that the third uncle must be watching at home at the window, he pretended not to know and happily went home to clean up the crucian carps.

"Old man, this foreign fruit tastes good, you should try it too."

The third uncle then turned around and left the window. Xiao Zhu caught five fish, but he only used two for one dish at home. He felt a little sad, as he only caught about ten fish a day and only four in the afternoon. Fortunately, the big ones were all sent to the market.

"Old man, I feel sorry for the crucian carp."

"No, I'm trying to find out if Xiao Zhu can help Lao Er and get him to the steel mill. Giving him a few crucian carps is nothing."

"You didn't say anything? I met him this afternoon and wanted to talk to him, but I think it's better for you to say it."

"I started talking right after delivering the crucian carp. How will people see me? If we can get along well, some things will fall into place naturally. Wait. By the way, didn't the fourth child go to the movies with his daughter? Why hasn't he come back yet?"

The third aunt looked at the wall clock and said, "Yes, she went out at noon. It's already 6 pm. She should be back. She should be fine. She is young, but Xuemei is not young. She is a grown-up girl."

After packing up the crucian carp again, he thought and decided to wait for his sister to come back before grilling it. It tastes best when it is freshly grilled. Looking at the lazy Xiao Hei, Zhu Xuefeng also felt a little sleepy. He simply fell on the bed and took a nap first. Sleeping could quickly restore the damaged spirit.

While drowsy, a pair of warm little hands covered my eyes.

"Little sister, I'm back, stop making trouble."

"I knew your little sister had forgotten all of us."

The little hand was suddenly taken away, and a pretty face with a pouting mouth came in front of her, and behind it was a pretty face with a faint smile.

"Oh, you two are off work, what time is it now, and my little sister hasn't come back yet?"

"No, we came here. Her car was not here, and you were the only one here, snoring. You must be very tired."

Lin Na said with a smile, her eyes full of sweetness, "A year has been too long since they last saw each other, and the man has finally come back."

"You are so heartless. You took so long to come back. Shouldn't you have had a few days off? How come you still came back so late?"

Although Xia Yuhong was very happy to see the man, she habitually wanted to show some signs and kept counting the days, but she waited and waited but he never came back.

"It's not good if you don't come back, Xiaohong, come here and let me see you two ladies, you seem to have become more beautiful again. Tsk tsk, I'm worried if you don't come back, I'm afraid someone will steal you."

"Go to hell, there's nothing nice to say when we meet. Are you saying that we're cheating on each other? Sister Na, shouldn't we punish him? He hasn't been home for a year, and he's become a bad person outside."

"That's right, but it's just nonsense. We need to clean it up. Xiaohong, let's go." Lin Na smiled and waved her fist.

Seeing that the two women united to deal with him, Zhu Xuefeng quickly begged for mercy.

"I was wrong. I was wrong. I confess. I went to North America and stayed there for a few days. Qianqian should have informed you about this."

"I did. By the way, how are things arranged? You made such a big fuss all of a sudden. The news Qianqian brought back scared us."

Now that they were talking about business, the three stopped joking around. Xia Yuhong carefully closed the door and listened to the man's brief description.

Until the door was suddenly pushed open and Yan Jiedi rushed in.

(End of this chapter)