Zhao Qiang, unaware of what had happened, asked, "Going to Donghai City? What for? If you have something to do, I'll have someone take care of it. I know Donghai City well."
Liu Huilan said, "If you can't get someone to handle it, your father, your grandfather, and I will go and meet Xiaoya's parents to set a wedding date for you."
Zhao Qiang was startled and dropped the chocolate in his mouth onto the ground: "What? Setting a wedding date?" No wonder his father brought this up in the car earlier; the two of them must have discussed it beforehand.
An elderly woman was walking towards them when Wang Meng's men blocked her way. The woman said, "Hygiene, mind your hygiene! I'll fine you if you litter!"
The bodyguard smiled and said, "Sorry, Grandma, we'll pick it up right away." The old lady left satisfied, but she didn't go far. She kept an eye on them through the sparse crowd, afraid that Zhao Qiang and his group would make another mistake.
Xu Xiaoya bent down and carefully wrapped the chocolate Zhao Qiang had dropped on the ground in paper. She looked at Zhao Qiang with a smile, appearing incredibly tender. Zhao Qiang was completely bewildered. Xu Xiaoya must have given his mother a love potion. As they got older, they prioritized marriage, and realizing they wouldn't get a clear answer from him, they were going to use their own methods while their parents were in Beijing.
Liu Huilan patted Zhao Qiang: "What are you looking at? Xiaoya is such a good girl, it's a blessing for our Zhao family that she's willing to marry you. You should be content. You have to treat her well in the future, do you hear me?"
Zhao Qiang nodded repeatedly: "Definitely, I will definitely treat her well."
Xu Xiaoya whispered in Zhao Qiang's ear: "I've already texted my parents to come to Beijing so they can discuss the wedding date with your parents as soon as possible. You won't blame me, will you? This is what your mom asked for."
A special forces soldier standing at a distance reported over the radio: "Company commander, the situation is bad."
Liu Jia was startled: "What's going on? Everything's normal here."
The special forces soldier said, "It's not that there's danger, it's our regimental commander's love life."
Liu Jia breathed a sigh of relief: "You scared me! Tell me what happened quickly."
The special forces soldier said, "Zhao Qiang's mother is forcing him to marry Xu Xiaoya, and it seems Zhao Qiang has already agreed."
Liu Jia slapped his thigh: "This is really bad. This Xu Xiaoya actually took advantage of this opportunity. I will immediately notify Commander Yang and have her come to turn the tide." Liu Jia was naturally biased towards Yang Shiqi, and he wanted to stand up for Xu Xiaoya who took advantage of the situation.
Zhao Weidong and Zhao Tiancheng finally saw Tiananmen Square. The father and son held hands tightly, their eyes brimming with tears of excitement. Zhao Tiancheng suddenly knelt down far away and shouted, "**Ah!" This shout startled Zhao Qiang and the others. They could hardly comprehend the old man's respect for Chairman Mao. People from that era had such a strong faith that modern young people could never understand.
"I never thought I, Zhao Tiancheng, would be standing here one day," Zhao Weidong said, helping his father up. Zhao Tiancheng said with emotion, "I'll definitely be proud to tell the villagers about this. Tiananmen Square, what a sacred place."
Xu Xiaoya said, "Uncle, Grandpa, let's go see the Monument to the People's Heroes later."
Zhao Tiancheng said, "Of course, of course. Qiang, go buy Grandpa a bouquet of flowers."
Zhao Qiang dared not stray too far from his parents at this moment, and Wang Meng appeared just in time, saying, "Grandpa, I'll go buy it for you." Without waiting for Zhao Weidong's consent, he went to take care of it.
Zhao Qiang was constantly separating energy, keeping his father and Xu Xiaoya enveloped in an energy shield. This was the main way to prevent attacks from superhumans. However, the constant energy depletion worried him that he might not be able to fight back in time if something happened. That's why Zhao Qiang kept eating chocolate, after all, it was a high-calorie food.
The group walked along the road toward the city gate, planning to take some photos at the gate later. They said the gate would look even more magnificent up close. Not far along, a commotion arose from the side. Zhao Qiang paid attention, fearing someone was deliberately making noise to attract attention. However, after seeing that it was just the old woman who had been shouting for a fine arguing with a tourist, he relaxed his guard.
"How can someone your age be so unreasonable?" The old woman pointed to the trash on the ground. Someone had just been resting there, and when they left, the garbage was piled up like this.
A woman in her forties pressed the old woman, asking, "What's wrong? What's wrong with us? Who's being unreasonable? Just because we're from Beijing doesn't mean we can bully tourists from other places. What are you being so arrogant about?"
The old woman was furious: "Where did I act arrogantly? If everyone acted like you, Tiananmen Square would have been a sea of garbage long ago. Only when everyone is self-aware can we maintain the cleanliness of the city."
The woman was aggressive: "We paid money to come to Beijing for tourism. We paid money to enjoy ourselves. If you can't even do basic sanitation work, what's the point of having cleaners? Isn't that a waste of our taxpayers' money? It's really funny that you're pushing your own work onto us. Aren't you ashamed?"
Zhao Qiang found it amusing from afar; this woman was quite formidable, managing to articulate such a reasoning, which, to be fair, did have a slight logic to it, though it seemed like sophistry.
Zhao Weidong trembled upon hearing the woman's voice, then turned and walked over, his steps hurried and unsteady. Because of the distance, he couldn't see clearly, so he had to walk over. Liu Huilan seemed to sense something as well, closely following behind her husband. Zhao Tiancheng had no choice but to follow, and Zhao Qiang, of course, couldn't stray too far from his parents.
"Fang? Is that you?" Zhao Weidong called out from afar.
Volume 2 [602] There was a girl in the village named Xiaofang
[6o2] There was a girl in the village named Fang
"Who is Fang?" Zhao Qiang wondered to himself. His father had suddenly encountered an acquaintance in unfamiliar Beijing. What was going on?
Zhao Weidong quickened his pace, as the woman drew closer and became clearer, which only strengthened his conviction. While a person's appearance may change drastically over time, their demeanor and tone of voice can remain constant. Zhao Weidong remembered her vividly. Some people you might meet every day and never notice, but others, even after decades apart, feel as if you just parted ways yesterday.
The woman who was arguing with the old lady in charge of sanitation looked up, her eyes filled with doubt and confusion. When Zhao Weidong strode towards her, she was startled and stepped back, probably because Zhao Weidong's anxious expression frightened her and she thought she had encountered a bad guy.
"Who...who are you?" The woman pushed forward with one hand, resisting Zhao Weidong's approach, and took a few steps back at the same time.
Zhao Weidong stopped and said, "I am Zhao Weidong, from Shantou Village, Zaolin Town, Hedian District, Dongyang City."
The woman exclaimed, "Wei Dong? Is it really you? How... how is this possible?" The woman was no longer so wary, and instead rushed forward, even taking Zhao Wei Dong's hand. The two were almost embracing. Perhaps their age made them less impulsive, or more likely, Liu Huilan was watching them from behind, and she still didn't understand what was going on.
Xu Xiaoya also took Zhao Qiang's hand and chuckled softly, "Zhao Qiang, really? Your dad ran into an old flame in Beijing?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Don't talk nonsense, my dad is not the kind of person who would fall in love with someone else."
Xu Xiaoya stuck out her tongue: "Why don't you learn this good quality from your dad?"
Since Zhao Qiang remained silent, Xu Xiaoya dared not discuss the matter any further. Although she was Zhao Qiang's class monitor, she had lost that imposing presence over the years, and now Zhao Qiang was her superior.
"Fang, decades have passed, and you haven't changed at all. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't have recognized you at all." Zhao Weidong's body trembled, and tears involuntarily streamed down his face. Seeing his daughter-in-law about to cry as well, Zhao Tiancheng explained in a low voice, "Huilan, don't worry. Weidong isn't the kind of person who gets bored easily. Fang is a girl from our village who was sent to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution. She and Weidong are just close friends; there's nothing special between them."
Although Liu Huilan received comfort from her father-in-law, she was still very uneasy. Later, when she saw her son who was always by her side, she felt relieved. Zhao Weidong loved his son and would never abandon his wife and son for a woman.
Fang held Zhao Weidong's hand tightly: "Weidong, but you've changed. You've gotten old."
Zhao Weidong sighed: "Yes, life in the countryside is not like in the city. Time waits for no one. I never dreamed that I would meet you on this trip to Beijing. I thought I would never see you again until I closed my eyes in my coffin."
Fang said, "Me too. I never expected to run into you here. Otherwise, I would have come much earlier."
Zhao Weidong then realized that a group of people were following him. He immediately blushed and became timid because he saw that his wife, Liu Huilan, looked displeased. Since they got married, Zhao Weidong hadn't even given other women in the village a second glance, but now he was shaking hands with another woman and had just expressed such strong feelings for her. He guessed he would be kneeling on a washboard tonight.
Zhao Weidong said to Fang, "Fang, let me introduce you. This is my father, Zhao Tiancheng."
Fang stepped forward and shook hands with Zhao Tiancheng: "Uncle Tiancheng, I still remember you. I especially loved your pancakes back then. Later, I tried to make them myself, but no matter how I made them, they never tasted the same."
Zhao Tiancheng chuckled and said, "I'll cook it for you again when I have the chance." People who lived through that era cherish those memories especially.
Zhao Weidong continued, "This is my wife, Liu Huilan." Liu Huilan looked at Fang with unfriendly eyes, but Fang didn't care at all. He even came up and shook hands with Liu Huilan, saying, "Sister Huilan, you are so lucky. Brother Weidong is a kind and honest man."
Liu Huilan said, "That's right, he loves me." Is this a sign of jealousy?
Zhao Weidong pulled Zhao Qiang over: "Fang, this is my son, Zhao Qiang. Qiang, quickly call Fang Auntie."
Zhao Qiang stepped forward and stared at Fang carefully. This woman wasn't particularly beautiful, but her makeup was quite alluring. It seemed a bit inappropriate for someone her age to wear such makeup. Nevertheless, Zhao Qiang obediently greeted her, "Hello, Aunt Fang. Aunt Fang, wasn't the song Li Chunbo wrote back then based on you? Where's your long braid?"
Fang playfully punched Zhao Qiang on the shoulder, saying, "You rascal, there were plenty of people named Fang back then. How would I know that brat Li Chunbo?" This wasn't untrue. Considering the time when she was sent to the countryside, Li Chunbo wasn't even born yet, or he was still being breastfed by his mother. Calling him a brat wasn't an insult; it was just a nickname.
Zhao Weidong then introduced Xu Xiaoya, whom he greatly favored and wanted to show off. "Fang, this is my daughter-in-law. You can just call her Xiaoya. Her parents are civil servants in Donghai City. She was Qiang's classmate in college."
Fang held Xu Xiaoya's hand, admiring Xu Xiaoya's skin. "Oh, so you're childhood sweethearts! You're such a beautiful girl." Although Xu Xiaoya could tell that Zhao Qiang didn't like this suddenly appearing Aunt Fang, she was overjoyed to hear Zhao Weidong publicly call her his daughter-in-law.
"Hello, Aunt Fang," Xu Xiaoya greeted.
Fang agreed and then said, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Liu Fang. Back when I was working in the countryside in Shantou Village, I lived with Uncle Zhao. I'm so grateful to Uncle Zhao and Brother Weidong for taking care of me; otherwise, I don't know if I would be alive today. Since we've met in Beijing, it must be fate. Tonight, let's go to the best restaurant; it's my treat."
Zhao Qiang said, "Aunt Fang, we still have things to do." He dared not take his parents out for a stroll, even though this afternoon's outing had already involved a large-scale operation with over a hundred people mobilized.
Zhao Weidong said to his son unhappily, "What else is there? Your Aunt Fang is inviting you to dinner, that's a big deal."
Zhao Qiang could only say, feeling wronged, "It's alright. Even if something happens, I still have to make way for you, Dad."
Liu Huilan said unhappily, "My son and I are going back. You can eat by yourself."
Liu Fang grabbed Liu Huilan's hand and said, "Sister Huilan, don't be like that. My husband and daughter are here. It's alright if we have a meal together. I'll cover all the expenses." Liu Fang noticed that Zhao Weidong, Zhao Tiancheng, and Liu Huilan were dressed in rural clothes, so she assumed that Liu Huilan was afraid of spending money.
Upon hearing that Liu Fang had a husband and daughter, Liu Huilan immediately felt relieved and even gave her husband a somewhat defiant look, as if to say, "Give up, she already has a husband and a child."
Actually, Liu Huilan really wronged Zhao Weidong. His feelings for Liu Fang were purely childhood friendship, and he had no intention of developing an extramarital affair. Even if Liu Fang threw herself at him, the honest and unassuming Zhao Weidong might not have dared to make a move. Zhao Qiang, on the other hand, was not like him. He would accept anyone who came his way, provided that he also liked the girl.
A middle-aged man led a girl and a young man toward them. Liu Jia broadcast over the radio: "We have obtained the information from the Ministry of Public Security's household registration database. The man in front is Lu Yalong, Liu Fang's husband and the mayor of a prefecture-level city in H province. The girl is Lu Chun Chun, Liu Fang's daughter. The young man is Lu Chun Chun's boyfriend, Gong Shijie."
Wang Meng replied in a low voice, "Received. Continue to scout the surrounding area. It's safe here."
Liu Fang called out from afar, "Ya Long, come over here quickly, I've run into someone I know."
Lu Yalong quickened his pace. He was the first to arrive. When he saw Zhao Weidong and Zhao Tiancheng, his expression was clearly displeased. He said, "Beggars? Don't pay attention to them, or they'll keep bothering you. What's wrong with Beijing's urban management officers? Letting people like that into the square."
Zhao Qiang's anger flared up. Even if his parents and grandfather were dressed plainly, they couldn't possibly be like beggars, could they? This Lu Yalong is supposed to be the mayor, after all. Even if his mother were a beggar in front of him, he shouldn't talk like that. This shows what kind of person he is.
Liu Fang hurriedly explained, "Ya Long, what are you saying? This is a family I stayed with when I was sent to the countryside. This is Uncle Zhao Tiancheng, who took good care of me back then. This is his son..."
Before Liu Fang could finish speaking, Lu Yalong said impatiently, "Alright, alright, it's getting late. Secretary Wu has already booked the hotel. Let's hurry up and have dinner so we can get some rest."
Liu Fang said, "Yalong, I'd like to invite Uncle Zhao Tiancheng and his family to dinner. We owe them a debt of gratitude from back then, and now that we've met again in Beijing, we can't just let this opportunity pass us by."
Lu Yalong glanced at Xu Xiaoya and asked, "Is this their child?"
Liu Fang said, "Yes."
Lu Yalong said, "Okay, I'll call Wu and have him come pick me up. It's such a hassle."
Even if Zhao Weidong was slow-witted, he could tell that Lu Yalong didn't like his family. At this point, he couldn't insist on going to the banquet anymore, so he declined, saying, "No need, let's go back and eat. It's too much trouble."
Liu Fang said, "I just agreed, Wei Dong, so you can't be polite with me. I ate so many meals at your house back then, so how about this meal as my way of thanking you? You have to do me the honor."
Zhao Qiang snorted inwardly and said to his father, "Dad, Aunt Fang is so hospitable, I think we should go. Food at home is nowhere near as good as hotel food. We didn't eat enough last night, so let's treat ourselves to a meal."
Zhao Weidong was so angry that his teeth ached. Why did his son have to bring up such a sore spot at such a time? Didn't he realize that the husband didn't welcome her?
Zhao Weidong glared at Zhao Qiang: "Are you an idiot? All you can do is think about food all day."
At this moment, Lu Chun Chun arrived with her boyfriend. When she saw Zhao Weidong's family, she frowned and said, "Mom, where did you get these friends? You must have mistaken them for someone else."
Liu Fang called to her daughter, "Chun Chun, come here quickly. This is your Grandpa Zhao, Uncle Zhao, and Brother Qiang."
Lu Chun Chun pouted and didn't move forward. At this moment, Lu Yalong put down his phone and said, "Alright, stop talking nonsense. The car will be here in a bit. Anyway, we won't be short of money for food and drinks. Let's go together."
(Thanks to Chang Erye, Fengyue Wuxian, Id Wentian, and afis for their donations; thanks to Fengyue Wuxian [2 images], Longlong Jiuye, neimenren, Fengwu Jiutian, and Wo Bu Kuchi for their monthly ticket support.)
Volume 2 [603] The Unruly People
【6o3】Troublemaker
Faced with the contempt of Liu Fang's family, Xu Xiaoya remained calm and composed, believing there was no need to get angry with such people. Zhao Qiang, on the other hand, watched coldly. Since the other party showed a tendency to insult his parents, Zhao Qiang would not let it go easily. Zhao's parents, however, remained silent. Zhao Weidong deeply regretted expressing his intention to go out for dinner earlier; that was simply asking for trouble.
Xu Xiaoya whispered in Zhao Qiang's ear, "Should we teach this Lu Yalong a lesson? We don't even respect the mayor."
Zhao Qiang said, "Let's wait and see what tricks he can pull. He won't be satisfied until he's had enough of causing trouble."
Xu Xiaoya said, "It's just an ugly act. I'm only worried about whether my parents will get angry or upset because of it."
Zhao Qiang chuckled, "You changed your address so quickly." He was referring to Xu Xiaoya calling her parents 'Mom and Dad'.
Xu Xiaoya lowered her head, feigning shyness: "My parents have already agreed, and they just publicly admitted it to others. So what am I supposed to do? If I don't change my mind, what if I make you angry? At the very least, I should change my mind behind your back."
Lu Yalong raised his hand to look at the watch on his wrist, which was extremely luxurious and probably cost tens of thousands of yuan. It was a symbol of status. He said, "The car will be here in a few minutes. Chun Chun, Shi Jie, how are you? Are you tired? Beijing is big, isn't it?"
Lu Chun Chun said in a coquettish voice, "Dad, I'm a native of Beijing. Don't ask people that in that tone, okay? Besides, Shi Jie has seen a lot of the world. You're really something."