“Our team’s execution capacity must be thoroughly evaluated. Public security capabilities are increasingly grassroots-oriented, with execution becoming more challenging. Your starting point is good, but the results might not be. The old hundred surnames’ sorrow comes from police law enforcement being unfair, sympathizing with the police. My stern stance is to draw the police’s knife, to drive out those within public security and social forces who collude with the underworld!”
The bureau chief’s voice wasn’t very old. Song Ruohan told Yue Ya: I’m in my forties, a party member, and currently serving as the city’s first political commissioner. “And do you know how far the bureau has gone? Last week’s meeting, with on-site nominations and arrests, didn’t even require public security – it was all military.”
Jia Mu heard this and felt conflicted: “I’ve always thought Zhang Bureau represents the police, doing everything by the book. Actually, I’m quite biased. Public security law enforcement is massive. If I were in that position, I’d be breathless. Zhai Beimo is Old Zhang’s subordinate, and Old Zhang didn’t arrest people casually. Old Zhang has done many practical things, but society is like this and will never be fair.”
Song Ruohan looked out the window. The courtyard’s white hibiscus flowers grew taller, white petals crossing the window, casting strange shadows on her face, like a pre-war special meeting’s front, her eyes catching the light, extremely bright, her pupils almost transparent, layered and rich, like a physics textbook’s star cloud. Her gaze was calm, the light shifting from the window to Jia Mu’s face. She said, “I’m increasingly feeling that life is incredibly beautiful. Living, with so many changing landscapes, in a world with people I deeply love. Nothing can make me desperate now, whether immediately present or temporarily untouchable, just like this tea tree – if not watered, how can it be transplanted?”
A smile appeared on her lips, Her spirit sitting upright: “What’s happening at Zhang Bureau?”
Jia Mu responded: “The provincial city bureau sent a document, the entire city’s public security system’s upper and middle-level departments are in meetings. After the division chiefs return, they’ll put down their work, preparing to deploy new tasks. The specifics, I’m not clear about.”
Song Ruohan said “Ah”, her mood vastly different from Jia Mu’s. Yue Ya grabbed her brain bag, staring blankly, her face having a half-hidden shadow, but Yue Ya’s gaze wasn’t on that shadow, but on the handmade milk in the market, intense in color, painting three shades: white, white-red, white-gray.
When striking, he led his cavalry to assist; there was fire, he descended from the cloud to extinguish; plague spread, he dispersed the epidemic; water disaster occurred, he brought white-clothed people to investigate…
That year, the young Jia Mu told A’Pu Nainaizi: I am Nainaizi’s three months.
Jia Mu said: “I’m an untrustworthy person. If I hadn’t introduced you to your life, you’d be fine now. No one could persuade A’Ru to try medicine, so A’Ru won’t give himself plague, so he won’t be cross-infected later, so he’ll live well with you, giving birth to daughters safely. A’Zhen won’t have any relationship with you, won’t cause Zhai Beimo to be killed for me, I’m destined to be killed early, to kill each of you. A’Pu Nainaizi saw through me at first glance, so he didn’t keep me.
Song Yanru put her hand on her forehead, her palm cool and moist, slightly sweating. She smiled and asked, “How are you? Aren’t you feeling hot? You’re already so grown up, yet still talking like a child. Are you still thinking that all women are gentle, and without a sense of justice, they won’t fight back? Just because someone is kind doesn’t mean they can be bullied without consequences. If you make others feel uncomfortable, you’ll definitely have conflicts. Don’t be a pushover, you’re not willing to do so. Even if you’re a pushover, there’s still the black society that could catch and punish corrupt officials. Don’t you want to avoid being looked down upon?”
Jia Xu suddenly stood up, his left hand gripping her wrist, his right hand pressing on the back of her head, densely tangled hair. After doing this, he seemed hesitant and didn’t move further. Jia Xu held her tightly, she slightly struggled, unable to push him away. Jia Xu held her so tightly that her breathing became difficult, her chest automatically aligning with his, making her feel breathless. She tried to move her body back to maintain distance, resulting in her waist forming a clear curve. The summer hand pressed against her back, not looking away.
His eyes were unfamiliar to her, those eyes that had appeared in Su Shi’s eyes before, electric and ambiguous, the most private space and intimate moment between men and women. These eyes made Jia Xu’s gaze burn intensely, momentarily unbearable. She began to use her hand to push his chest, but Jia Xu used force to pin her down. His breathing became heavier, Song Yanru was helpless, grabbing his head and face chaotically. She scratched his hands, her hair tangled by him into a mess. Chicken feathers flew, Song Yanru found his appearance strange, involuntarily laughing, but then felt her laugh was inappropriate, so she continued fighting. Jia Xu then opened the room door and ran away.
During meal time, everyone sat around the big table. Jia Xu sat far from Summer, her hair neatly arranged, her face wearing light makeup, delicate round nails. A-Pu looked at him silently, saying nothing, chatting with the headmaster and A-Tai slowly eating. Her eyes kept moving between Song Yanru and Jia Xu, looking like two chickens sizing each other up.
Jia Xu put his face on his chest while eating, barely touching the dishes, quickly finishing a small portion of rice before going to the kitchen to collect the cutting board and knife. A-Pu’s voice broke the silence: “Use the tap water, the water in the basin is too cold.”
The tap water was actually warm water, good for skincare. A-Pu put down the basin and went into the bathroom, her small feet making excited sounds. A-Tai also entered to help clean.
A-Pu’s voice was extremely low, whispering to Jia Xu: “Wait until you’re clean before going out. Don’t let me introduce you to others. In the past, I just raised chickens, but now I’m starting to feel the flow of water.”
Jia Xu only ate vegetables, eating a few bites. A small wild chicken ear was suddenly seen, A-Pu took a spoon to hit Summer’s head. Jia Xu just ate heartily, A-Pu dragged the dish to the table, Jia Xu still looked, but A-Pu had already quickly connected the phone to call someone. Summer didn’t say anything and left. A-Pu’s生水 said, “Your rice isn’t finished, don’t waste food!” Jia Xu didn’t care, went to the yard to dry in the sun.
In the large courtyard where Cheng Tai was dozing off, he was suddenly startled awake. This summer, he was called by the wild boar, who was staring at him intently, as if blaming him for something.
Ah Pu’s wife was sitting with the remaining half bowl of rice, mixing fish meat and placing it in front of Cheng Tai. The wild boar ate while making satisfied grunting sounds. Other wild boars nearby heard the noise and gathered around in a semicircle, while Ah Pu’s wife then took some dishes and placed them on the ground.
Mu Zhu said: “I never wanted to raise this wild boar from the beginning.”
Ah Pu’s wife used a spoon to stir the dishes at the bottom of the bowl, making a clanking sound, and said: “You’re causing trouble again. Everyone is annoyed with you and has a grudge against you.”
