Chapter 9

Either bring back the money or bring back the meat.

How could you sell the meat so cheaply?

Amidst a chorus of sorrowful laments, Comrade Du Zhigang delivered a speech, characterizing the situation bluntly: “A son selling off his father’s land without a second thought.”

The other comrades unanimously agreed with the director’s incisive analysis of Comrade Li Chaomei.

Li Chaomei abruptly changed the subject: “Director Du, have the people we apprehended been fully interrogated? I can help with that.”

“They were finished long ago, waiting just for you.”

The seasoned veteran officers at the station had already questioned them extensively.

Skipping over the usual protests of innocence, claims of first-time offenses, and other standard stalling tactics, the woman in the wool hat admitted to purchasing two thousand yuan worth of counterfeit bills from someone else for just two hundred yuan.

Officer Fang Jiang, in charge of her interrogation, explained, “She said the counterfeit money was meant to be spent in rural areas, where people’s ability to detect fakes is weaker. She felt farmers work hard to earn money and couldn’t bear to cheat them, whereas merchants earn quickly and losing a few bills wouldn’t ruin them. So, she chose the big market.”

Wang Xuejiao commented, “She has a conscience, but not much of one.”

Since the counterfeit operation might involve an organized crime group, Du Zhigang had already reported the case to the municipal bureau.

With the year-end approaching, people’s willingness to spend was unprecedentedly high.

The municipal bureau took the matter seriously and planned a meeting to discuss how to swiftly eliminate this potential threat before the true shopping peak arrived.

For the time being, the Tianjin police station was free of trouble. Undercover surveillance in the big market had concluded, and Wang Xuejiao returned to her routine duties as a household registration officer.

Her only worry now was that the station still lacked a computer, something they would inevitably need in the future.

When the time came, tens of thousands of household records and all the files requiring preservation would have to be entered into a computer. Who would do that?

No doubt it would be her—already familiar with input methods and fortunate enough to have a computer at home.

Wang Xuejiao pondered how she might persuade the station to acquire a computer soon, even if it had minimal functions, so she could begin entering some of the records in advance.

Even if the data ultimately needed to be transferred to a specialized system, tasks like copying and pasting were easy enough for older officers to learn quickly, enabling everyone to share the workload.

The happiest moment of each day was leaving work.

The happiest moment of each week was leaving work on the weekend.

On Saturday as she prepared to leave, Xu Yong approached her mysteriously: “Are you free tomorrow?”

Wang Xuejiao replied, “Tell me what you want first, then I’ll decide if I’m free.”

“Can you bring that bottle of Phoenix Placenta Cream from your home and come with me to the intersection on Construction Road at noon?”

“Ah? You want to give her used face cream?” Wang Xuejiao didn’t understand his intention.

“No… I bought a new one this morning and want to give it to her at noon. If she refuses, could you help me explain that it’s a welfare benefit from our station, and since I can’t use it, I’m passing it on to her? If she won’t accept it, it’s just a waste.”

Wang Xuejiao glanced at his flushed face and clicked her tongue twice. “Spring’s here. Fine.”

The next day at noon, the two arrived at the intersection, where a male traffic officer was on duty. The female officer named Yang Xuefeng was scheduled for the afternoon shift and wouldn’t arrive until two.

Xu Yong decided to wait there, while Wang Xuejiao planned to grab something to eat at the KFC in front of the big market, returning when the time was right.

Passing the market entrance, she peeked inside and saw the “Matching Eyes” stall crowded with customers, several times more than the day before.

As she marveled at the booming business, a clerk at “Matching Eyes” pointed at her from afar: “She’s over there!”

A crowd surged toward her like zombies unleashed.

Voices clamored: “Why wasn’t she selling today?”

“Has she moved locations?”

“Did she make more today? I finished yesterday’s and wanted to buy more to take home, but she wasn’t there.”

Wang Xuejiao kept her identity secret—who knew if this persona might come in handy someday?—and began a tearful lament:

“I just started here yesterday and already got six hundred yuan worth of counterfeit bills. Lost all my capital. Ugh, this place jinxes me—I’m scared to come back.”

The market vendors had heard about the chase scene the day before but didn’t know the main player. Hearing her story, they finally connected the dots: “Oh, it was you!”

Everyone was a businessperson; receiving one counterfeit bill would ruin their mood for a day, let alone six hundred yuan.

“Sigh, those people are getting way too arrogant.”

“I heard over ten stalls got fake bills.”

“Definitely more than ten. They just don’t want to say anything. If you don’t say, maybe you can still find a way to spend them. Once reported, they’re confiscated, and the loss is yours alone.”

Someone persistently asked, “So what will you do now?”

“I’ll work in a factory first, at least to earn back some capital,” Wang Xuejiao said mournfully.

“Isn’t that a shame for your skills?” an elder brother said with heartfelt regret.

He had eaten at her stall yesterday, been enchanted since, and eagerly waited for her to open again this morning, hoping she’d reserve some boxes for him. But she never showed.

Hearing she’d lost everything and planned to work in a factory, he immediately said, “How about this: I’ll provide the capital, you bring the skills, and we split the profits fifty-fifty. How’s that?”

Others enthusiastically agreed, with some wanting to join too.

Wang Xuejiao blushed, “Thank you all for your kindness. I appreciate it, but my husband doesn’t want me to associate with others, especially… male comrades…”

She lowered her head shyly to hide the smile tugging at her lips.

The little business owners, deprived of delicious braised pork, exploded in anger: “Who does he think he is, telling you what to do?”

“Exactly! You married him—you didn’t sell yourself to him.”

“Is he really strict with you?”

“Men like that need to be put in their place!”

Wang Xuejiao continued her act: “Don’t say such things about him. He’s very good. When I’m sick, he even makes me porridge. He’s given me a warm family.”

The small business owners fell silent.

Enough said—the young couple was sweet and happy.

They could only leave with regret.

“Phew…” Wang Xuejiao never imagined she’d have to come back for after-sales service today. If she hadn’t watched enough melodramatic soap operas, she couldn’t have concocted so many personas.

After finishing at KFC, wiping her mouth, she planned to check the intersection again but found Xu Yong pushing open the door, looking around excitedly before rushing over: “Success! It’s delivered!”

“What did she say?”

“Thank you.”

“Anything else?”

Xu Yong scratched his head: “She went to work.”

Wang Xuejiao looked at him: “Did you arrange a meal together?”

“Ah? No, we haven’t reached that step yet. We just…”

Suddenly, Wang Xuejiao realized a serious problem: “You don’t even know if she’s married or has a boyfriend, do you?”

“Ah?! She’s so young. Probably not!”

Wang Xuejiao gazed at the ceiling: “The legal marriage age for women here is twenty, and the law doesn’t say how old you must be to date, right?”

Xu Yong was speechless.

Once, Wang Xuejiao had read a news story about a female police officer who was scammed, drafted her own statement, and laughed at her own foolishness.

Back then, she didn’t believe it. Being a police officer, how could someone fall for such a crude trick?

Now, seeing Xu Yong’s dumbfounded, helpless expression, she believed it.

No wonder doctors try to avoid operating on their own relatives—care clouds judgment, and in confusion, who knows what absurd mistakes might be made?

Wang Xuejiao joked, “You haven’t even picked out names for your kids, have you?”

Xu Yong’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

Ha! Men… Wang Xuejiao teased, “I can read fortunes.”

Xu Yong leaned forward eagerly: “Tell me my fortune!”

“Too late.”

“Ah!” Xu Yong’s heart sank halfway. “She has a boyfriend? She can’t already be married with kids, can she?”

Wang Xuejiao smiled: “No, I mean you’re late. I only do one reading a year, and I’ve already used up my quota this year. Any more won’t work.”

Xu Yong hung his head in disappointment. Wang Xuejiao checked the time. “You’ll have to find out yourself. I’m off now.”

As she entered, the smell of solder and rosin hit her nose. Wang Jianguo sat at the table, holding a soldering iron, poking at a green circuit board. Nearby was a square battery.

“What are you doing?”

“Your mom complains about the cold wind when she rides her bike in winter. I’m thinking of adding a motor to her bicycle.”

Wang Xuejiao blinked: “You know how to do this?!”

“No.”

“...Then what are you fiddling with?”

Wang Jianguo poked the circuit board a few more times and blew on the solder joints. “Nobody is born knowing everything. If it doesn’t work, try again.”

Zheng Yuezhen called from the kitchen, “Wash your hands, eat an apple!”

She handed over a bowl filled with apple chunks, a small fruit knife stuck in them. “Take this to your dad.”

Wang Xuejiao responded and took the bowl, slipping a piece into her mouth: “Crisp and sweet. Where’s this apple from?”

“Delicious, right? Aunt Xu’s hometown. It frosted the day before yesterday, picked yesterday, delivered today. You can’t find apples this fresh anywhere else. Here, have some.” Zheng Yuezhen handed her another plate of cut apples, nibbling on the leftover slices herself.

Wang Xuejiao stuffed two more pieces into her mouth. “Don’t just eat the core. Otherwise, people will think the weather’s turned cold and our Wang enterprise has gone bankrupt.”

“What nonsense.” Zheng Yuezhen didn’t understand Wang Xuejiao’s joke but was very pleased by her daughter’s thoughtful gesture.

After washing her hands and drying them on a towel, Zheng Yuezhen said, “Help me take the stove outside. It’s going to get cold tonight; we need to light a fire.”

Suddenly, she slapped her thigh. “Oh, I forgot—we still need the chimney pipe. Jiao Jiao, go to the big market and pick up the chimney pipe we ordered.”

Wang Xuejiao went to the north building to fetch the chimney pipe and saw several people in police uniforms talking with stall owners nearby, discussing the counterfeit money situation.

Most faces were unfamiliar, except for one familiar one: Police Chief Fang Jiang from Tianjin station.

Fang Jiang noticed Wang Xuejiao but didn’t have time to introduce her before a chimney pipe vendor called out, “Hey, girl, come quick! The police are gathering information. You should talk to them.”

Seeing Wang Xuejiao hesitate, Fang Jiang said anxiously for her, “This poor girl has been setting up a stall here and got six hundred yuan in fake bills in one day!”

“I believe the police will catch the bad guys! Um, I’m just here to get the chimney pipe. How much?”

Seeing their leader on a day off was ominous. Based on Wang Xuejiao’s years of experience, she’d probably be forced to work overtime. Now she just wanted to pay and leave quickly.

The vendor refused payment: “No, no, consider it good karma. You’ve had a rough time, sigh…”

Wang Xuejiao and the vendor haggled playfully, like villagers insisting on giving eggs to Red Army soldiers.

A man called Liu, summoned by Fang Jiang, suddenly spoke: “Young lady, you got fake bills too? After you put the chimney pipe away, come down to our station and talk it through.”

Great, overtime again.

Wang Xuejiao silently nodded.

The vendor’s eyes lit up: “You live nearby? How about if I buy some meat, pay you to cook it?”

Liu laughed: “Is it that good?”

At that, the vendor’s entire face expressed the answer—eyes squinting, lips pursed, nose wrinkled, head tilted: “It’s amazing!”