You're supposed to be a security officer, what case are you solving?

Chapter 198 You'll always be a child!
January 27th, the 1th day of the twelfth lunar month, Lunar New Year's Eve.

Chenjia Village, Guangwu County.

Inside a bungalow nestled in the mountains.

As soon as Yang Jinwen got up, he started cleaning the house with his grandparents.

The most festive atmosphere during the Spring Festival is always in the countryside.

As soon as December arrives, both adults and children look forward to the New Year.

Yang Jinwen's family was no exception, but the atmosphere wasn't as lively.

Normally, their family lacks nothing, and if they lack nothing, their expectations for life will be greatly reduced.

Yanzi, who was helping Yang Jinwen clean the yard, said excitedly as she swept the floor, "Brother, I bought a new outfit. Mom bought it for me at the market."

As Yang Jinwen pasted up the Spring Festival couplets, he asked, "Do they look good?"

Yanzi straightened up and said happily, "It's beautiful. I put it under my pillow and couldn't sleep all night."

After she finished speaking, she asked, "Brother, did you buy new clothes?"

Yanzi was only eight years old, with bright, sparkling eyes.

Yang Jinwen brought Wen Ling to the countryside for a visit. It was still summer then, and the Yanzi family was harvesting rice. Half a year had passed, and Yanzi had grown quite a bit taller, but she was still dark-skinned and thin.

Yang Jinwen is very tall and doesn't need a ladder to put up the Spring Festival couplets. He shook his head and said, "I haven't bought one yet."

"That's true. If your aunt were still here, she would definitely buy it for you. My mom said that if you buy new clothes for the baby, the baby will be a year older next year."

Yang Jinwen nodded, his throat tightening slightly.

Yanzi walked over, took a chocolate out of her pocket, and handed it to him.

"Brother, have some candy."

She had a big bag of candy in her pocket, all given to her by Yang Jinwen.

He smiled, took it, tore off the wrapper, and put the chocolate in his mouth.

The chocolate was awful; it was bitter and not nearly as sweet as I'd hoped.

Yanzi continued sweeping the floor, asking, "Brother, is that sister who came in the summer coming for the New Year?"

Yang Jinwen shook his head: "She also has family to celebrate the New Year with. By the way, the candy I gave you was asked to be brought to you by her."

Yanzi smiled and said, "I knew it, sister wouldn't forget me. Brother, is she your girlfriend?"

Yang Jinwen nodded: "Yes."

"Is she also a police officer?"

"Yes."

"You guys are amazing," Yanzi said enviously. "When I grow up, I want to be a police officer too."

Yang Jinwen looked at her and encouraged her, "You should study hard, there will be opportunities in the future."

Yanzi nodded emphatically: "Besides helping with chores at home, I've been studying. Grandpa gave me a lot of books to read, and I've finished them all."

The grandfather she mentioned was Yang Bin, Yang Jinwen's grandfather.

Right now, he's behind the house, clearing the ditch with a hoe.

After Yang Jinwen finished pasting the Spring Festival couplets, he looked into the distance. The snow had stopped a few days ago, but the weather was still cold and the sky was overcast.

At noon, Grandma prepared lunch, and the family of three sat around the table.

Yang Bin remained silent, simply eating his food.

The reason he was unhappy was simple: Yang Dachuan said on the phone that he wouldn't be able to come back for the Chinese New Year.

Grandma glared at him: "Why are you making such a sour face? Your son isn't coming back, but your grandson is spending the New Year with us."

Yang Bin cursed, "This brat has been wild since he was a child. It's all your fault for not disciplining him properly."

Grandma put down her chopsticks and pointed at him: "Yang Bin, I've put up with you for a long time. You blame me when the child doesn't meet your expectations."

They even said I didn't raise Da Chuan well. Over the years, he has been making progress and has become the deputy director of the steel plant step by step. You should know that you are just an old fitter. They even said that your son is not good enough!
"How dare you! At its peak, our An'nan Steel Plant had tens of thousands of employees. My son was the deputy director. How many deputy directors were there?"

Yang Bin took a sip of his drink and sighed, "So what? He took a leave of absence without pay and went to Shenzhen to start his own business. He's a businessman now."

"What's wrong with being a businessman? Are businessmen shameful? Da Chuan wants to revitalize the steel plant and save those laid-off workers! Haven't you gone to the city to take a look?"
These days, so many laid-off workers don't even dare to buy much pork!

As Yang Jinwen ate his meal, he listened to his grandparents arguing and sighed softly.

At first glance, one might think Yang Dachuan is a young man in his twenties.

Grandma picked up her chopsticks again and put a piece of braised pork in Yang Jinwen's bowl: "Don't mind your grandpa, my dear grandson, let's eat."

As Yang Bin poured wine into Yang Jinwen's glass, he said, "Old woman, you don't understand what I mean. The girl who came in the summer is the daughter of the deputy director of the municipal bureau, understand?"

Today is Lunar New Year's Eve. If Da Chuan can come back, he can take Jin Wen to visit other people's homes to wish them a Happy New Year tomorrow morning!
Otherwise, who should go? You or me?

Jinwen's mother passed away early, and if that bastard Yang Dachuan doesn't worry about this, who will?

When Grandma heard this, her expression turned somber.

She glanced at Yang Jinwen: "My dear grandson, have you offered incense to your mother yet?"

Yang Jinwen nodded: "I bought yellow paper candles, I'll go this afternoon."

"Tell your mother that she worked hard her whole life, and even now she's still thinking about you and your father. I understand now why your father never remarried; he was thinking about her."

I won't force you. Your mother was a good person. Even after she passed away, she was still thinking of you. Those sweaters she knitted for you two, just looking at them makes me..."

Grandma wiped away her tears, her throat choked with emotion, unable to speak.

Yang Bin also looked dejected. He said, "When Jinwen was little, the New Year was so lively. Your mother loved to make dumplings for us and was always busy. If she were here, our house wouldn't be so quiet."

Yang Jinwen smiled, put down his chopsticks, and said, "Grandpa and Grandma, I'm full." He walked out of the house, looked at the distant mountains, took out a cigarette case from his pocket, and lit a cigarette.

He recalled the boy chasing the train on the platform a week ago when he returned from Yuncheng.

Watching the train disappear into the distance, he kept running on the platform, calling out "Mommy, Mommy..."

Yang Jinwen took a deep breath, went back into the house, and found the incense paper and candles he had bought from the city.

In Annam, there are two times to visit the graves of deceased relatives: Qingming Festival and Lunar New Year's Eve.

Yang Jinwen walked to the back of the mountain and arrived at his family's cemetery.

Yang Jinwen squatted down, lit candles and incense, then sat on the ground and burned paper money in front of the grave. His mother's grave was right here.

My mother's portrait is on the tombstone, which was added later.

As Yang Jinwen burned paper money, he muttered to himself, "Mom, a lot has happened this year. I told you before, I became a policeman."

Also, I found a girlfriend named Wenling.

She doesn't look much like you. I originally wanted to find a woman like you, but Wenling is quite good too, so don't worry.

You left too early to see any of this.

Yang Dachuan isn't coming back this year, saying he's too busy with business. He asked me to offer incense on your behalf.

I've thought about it. If he dares to find other women without your permission, I'll take all the million he left with me and burn it for you.

I don't care if he's committed a crime or not; as long as he dares to wrong you, I'm willing to do this.

"Mom, Happy Chinese New Year."

After burning the paper money, Yang Jinwen did not leave immediately. He just sat there, just like on New Year's Eve the year his mother passed away. He got up in the middle of the night, secretly went to his mother's grave, and slept next to the tombstone.

Yang Dachuan searched for a long time before finally finding him.

As the sun set, the sound of firecrackers echoed continuously from the distant foothills.

Swallow climbed up the mountain and called out, "Brother, the village is showing an open-air movie tonight, are you coming?"

Yang Jinwen stood up, patted the dirt off his clothes, and laughed, "Didn't you want to watch the Spring Festival Gala?"

"I want to watch them all, so I don't know which one to watch. What about you?"

"Whatever you look at, I'll look at too."

"I'm really torn."

"How about we watch a movie?"

"Okay, after you've eaten, brother, call me."

"it is good."

Yanzi smiled and dashed down the mountain again. She was always in such a hurry, especially during the days leading up to New Year's Eve. She was constantly running around, as if she had inexhaustible energy.

In the evening, Grandma made dumplings, and after the family finished eating, they strolled around the village.

The open space in the village commune was bustling with activity, as every household brought their own small stools and reserved a spot.

In those days, there were many young and middle-aged people in the village, unlike decades later when, due to urbanization, only men and left-behind children remained, or villages disappeared one by one.

Yang Jinwen's mood gradually improved as he was infected by the lively scene.

The open-air movie featured a flower wreath from the foot of the mountain, which suited the villagers' tastes perfectly.

Yang Jinwen has watched this movie countless times, but he still enjoys it immensely.

In Yangjia Village, Yang Jinwen's family was the wealthiest. His grandparents were factory workers, his father was the deputy factory director, and he himself was a civil servant. So when the villagers saw him, they were half flattering and half mocking.

Yang Jinwen didn't care about the stares. He sat with Yanzi, eating sunflower seeds and watching a movie.

Yanzi was a very emotional girl; after reading it, tears streamed down her face.

People in this era are very simple and honest, and they all believe that the things in movies are real.

But it's true, life is even crueler than the movies.

After the movie ended, Yang Jinwen went home with his grandparents. Before they even got inside, they saw a car parked in the yard.

The car's headlights were on, and a figure was standing beside the car.

As Yang Jinwen and the others approached, Yang Dachuan laughed smugly and said, "Dad, Mom, son, I'm back."

Grandma was very excited and quickly ran over, took his hand, and asked him about his well-being.

Grandpa, however, said coldly, "You still have the nerve to come back? Why didn't you come back tomorrow?"

"Grandpa, I almost totaled my car. Don't yell at me as soon as I get back!"

Yang Jinwen appeared calm, merely glancing at him: "Didn't you say on the phone that you weren't coming back?"

“I don’t want to come back. Your mother appeared to me in a dream more than a month ago. In the dream, she said that if I dared not come back to celebrate the New Year with you, she would burn my one million yuan.”

Yang Jinwen frowned: "You really had this dream?"

Yang Dachuan nodded: "Of course it's true. She even asked me to give you new clothes, saying that other kids have new clothes to wear, but you don't."

I swear to your mother, I haven't told a single lie.

Hey, you're already in your mid-twenties, and your mom still wants me to buy you new clothes. Seriously.

I bought you a suit in Shenzhen. You're so tall, I even had someone measure it out for you before buying it. Come inside and try it on to see if it fits.

Upon hearing this, Yang Jinwen looked towards the dark back mountain.

There, mist drifted and a cold wind blew across the hills, making a mournful sound...

(End of this chapter)