My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]

Chapter 27

Zhao Guihua found a wooden stick that felt just right to use as a weapon for patrol duty.

Though unlike Ming Mei who had trained in martial arts since childhood, Zhao Guihua was still considerably stronger than the average person. After all, she was still a dance leader at the square dancing group when she was eighty, and at ninety, she led the neighborhood elderly ladies in tai chi exercises.

So she believed she was stronger than most people!

Whether it was just for show or not, she could certainly make that wooden stick whistle through the air with impressive force.

Zhao Guihua was determined to go on patrol, and no one could stop her. Shortly after dinner when darkness fell, Aunt Wang came to gather people. Households came out together, and perhaps because it was the first day, everyone seemed quite energetic.

Ming Mei, wearing a padded jacket, said, "Mom, I'll come with you all."

Zhao Guihua shook her head, "That won't be necessary. We have plenty of people here. You stay home and don't cause me any trouble."

Since no one could dissuade her, the Zhuang family didn't insist further.

Zhuang Zhixi assessed the situation and said, "There shouldn't be any problems. Let Mom go."

It wasn't that he didn't care about his mother's safety, but he could see they couldn't talk her out of it. Besides, there were quite a few people patrolling together, so even if something happened, his mother wouldn't need to handle it alone. Moreover, his mother had always been quite boisterous by nature, so chatting with neighbors during patrol might not be such a bad thing.

Zhao Guihua gave Zhuang Zhixi a glance before heading out to join the others. Although the New Year had passed, the weather was still quite cold. Everyone was bundled up in layers, with Zhao Guihua wielding her wooden stick like the Monkey King.

She wasn't the only one prepared - being the first day, everyone had come ready.

The group set out together, a small squad of about ten people led by Aunt Wang. They walked out into the darkness under an overcast sky without a trace of moonlight. Zhao Guihua remarked, "A dark night perfect for murder."

The others: "..."

Aunt Su shuddered and said, "Don't say such things, Lao Zhao. It's frightening."

Old Man Bai quickly chimed in, "That's right, why would you say such things? Don't be scared, Sister Su. I'm here, and I won't let anything happen to you."

Aunt Su gave a delicate smile, which Zhao Guihua caught from a distance and shuddered.

Truthfully, when this old woman pulled such acts in her youth, it might have been charming, but now at over fifty - even older than herself - still acting this way, she was like an old demon.

She quickened her pace in disgust, moving to the front of the patrol group, nauseated by their behavior.

Madam Zhou Li, who had been walking at the front, immediately became displeased when she saw Zhao Guihua come forward. She spoke with sarcasm, "My, why are you walking so fast? Is there something up ahead for you to pick up?"

Zhao Guihua sneered, "I'm not like some people who spend all day waiting for free handouts to fall from the sky."

Madam Zhou Li: "You!"

She was about to curse but remembered Zhao Guihua's outburst earlier that day, and truth be told, Madam Zhou Li was somewhat afraid now. She was the type who envied others' good fortune while being a bully to the weak and fearful of the strong.

Zhao Guihua seemed particularly angry today, and Madam Zhou Li had nearly been beaten.

It must be said that she didn't dare to completely offend Zhao Guihua, given that Zhao Guihua had many family members. While Zhao Guihua was a shrew, she had several strong men in her family, whereas Madam Zhou Li's family was relatively small.

She gritted her teeth, deciding to temporarily avoid confrontation with this old hag Zhao Guihua.

She looked back at Old Man Bai, once again feeling bitter that he had refused to join families with her when they were younger. Actually, Madam Zhou Li hadn't really fancied Old Man Bai himself - he was neither tall nor handsome, and she didn't find him attractive. But he had a formal job, which was what mattered.

She had thought that since Old Man Bai only had one son and a formal job, he could have helped support her family. As for his son Bai Fendou, she hadn't given him much thought - a bowl of vegetable soup would have been enough to keep him from starving.

What could a mere child do? He would have been easy to control, and when he grew up and started earning money, he could have served her and her son like a beast of burden. Madam Zhou Li thought this plan was brilliant. She had thought a thousand wonderful thoughts about it, believing that securing Old Man Bai would be effortless.

But she never expected that Old Man Bai wouldn't be interested in her at all - this dog actually fell for Aunt Su instead. If there was anyone in this courtyard that Madam Zhou Li hated most, it would be Aunt Su.

Back when her husband was still alive, he used to secretly watch Aunt Su and even secretly gave her steamed buns. Later, after both their husbands passed away, the two widows were constantly compared. Even Old Man Bai, that improper old man, had feelings for Aunt Su - this was what Madam Zhou Li hated most.

She felt that in their courtyard, except for her family, there wasn't a single good person, and the Su family was the most disgusting. But... she pressed her lips together and lowered her eyes. Zhao Guihua wasn't any better. Now Zhao Guihua was doing well, with a prosperous family, and she needed to figure out what to do.

Relying on just her family, how could they stand against Zhao Guihua?

If she could win over Aunt Su, it would be like gaining the support of both father and son from the Bai family. She thought that although she hated Aunt Su the most, a temporary alliance might be necessary. Otherwise, Zhao Guihua would become increasingly arrogant. She clearly didn't take them seriously at all. Additionally... she was still thinking about getting children's urine from the Su family.

There were quite a few children in the courtyard, but with Aunt Wang and Li Fang at home, it wasn't easy to take advantage of Li Junun and Li Weiwei. As for the Zhuang family... they had a little boy, but he was always running around with his sister. The two children never separated, so it wasn't easy to find an opportunity.

The only suitable target was the youngest of Su family's three boys, Tong Lai.

Tong Lai was five years old, a year younger than Tiger, and definitely easier to deceive.

She narrowed her eyes, continuing to stare at Aunt Su. Aunt Wang noticed and frowned slightly, whispering, "Old Zhou is acting strange."

Zhao Guihua: "She's up to no good."

She knew that Madam Zhou Li was the worst of them all. Actually, she didn't think much of Aunt Su either, but at least Aunt Su had purpose in her actions and wouldn't do harmful things without benefit. But Madam Zhou Li wasn't like that - she would do bizarre things that hurt others without benefiting herself.

She muttered, "She better not provoke me, or I'll slap her."

Aunt Wang was startled, then smiled and said, "Your temper has been quite hot lately. What did she do to you?"

Although they were all patrolling together, people walked in small groups, chatting as they went. This proved Zhuang Zhixi's guess right - they were all gossiping about this and that. Aunt Wang walked with Zhao Guihua and said, "She is a bit improper, but don't bother with her. She's slow-witted."

Zhao Guihua didn't think Madam Zhou Li was slow-witted at all. She said, "She's purely evil, what do you mean slow? Look at her face."

Though she made this mocking comment, Zhao Guihua knew that Aunt Wang, as the courtyard manager, certainly hoped everyone would get along peacefully. It would save her the energy of dealing with various disputes.

She smiled and changed the subject, saying, "I'm going fishing at the Back Lake tomorrow, want to come?"

Aunt Wang teased, "People go ice skating at Back Lake, but you're going fishing. I heard you bought a fishing rod, how's it going? Any success?"

Zhao Guihua: "Almost there, almost there."

She said, "I think with my skill level, I'll get used to it in a few days."

Aunt Wang: "..."

She really couldn't believe that.

She smiled and said, "You go ahead, I won't join. I'm not interested in that, though my old Li might go take a look when he's free. Oh right, I heard from Little Chen at the street office. Your eldest daughter-in-law keeps going to the street office looking for work?"

Actually, the street office was annoyed and had asked her to tell the Zhuang family to have Liang Meifen stop coming to the street office to complain. They were clearly a well-off family, so why compete for jobs with the truly needy? Besides, hadn't she previously had a formal job herself?

If every household did what she did - giving up their formal jobs and seeking work through the street office - what would be left for the street office to do? The street office staff had almost explicitly said this, but Liang Meifen was thick-skinned and still went there every few days. It was truly bothersome.

So, as the building manager, Aunt Wang came to address this issue.

Actually, this matter had started before the New Year, but since it coincided with the holiday celebrations, she thought Liang Meifen surely wouldn't go during that time, so she hadn't rushed to discuss it. After all, bringing up such matters during the New Year festivities wouldn't be pleasant and would only cause distress.

How coincidental that today presented the perfect opportunity - Aunt Wang felt the timing couldn't be better to discuss this matter.

She said, "Regarding job hunting, I think people need to figure it out themselves. What's the point of constantly hanging around the street office? If that worked, my daughter Li Fang would be there every day. Don't you agree?"

Zhao Guihua immediately understood what she meant.

She spoke frankly, "Has Liang Meifen been causing trouble for you?"

Aunt Wang smiled, "Oh, I'm fine, but the street office thinks she's really clueless."

Though Liang Meifen might not realize it herself, she had quite a reputation in the neighborhood - and not a good one. She was known for being foolish. With a son and daughter to care for, she neglected her own children's needs while thinking about her brother back home, even giving up her crucial job. How foolish could one be?

There wasn't anyone more foolish than her in the entire compound.

Zhao Guihua was well aware of Liang Meifen's current reputation and said decisively, "Alright, I understand. Don't worry, I won't let her bother the street office anymore."

Aunt Wang replied, "I knew you'd understand the situation."

Zhao Guihua gave her a sideways glance, "No need for flattery. I just don't want her embarrassing herself anymore. She might not realize it, but she has no idea what people say about her behind her back."

Aunt Wang sighed, "That's exactly right."

She continued, "Speaking of your eldest daughter-in-law... oh, by the way, I've noticed your younger daughter-in-law seems quite nice, always wearing a cheerful smile. What's she like?"

Zhao Guihua replied, "She's very good."

Then she added, "By the way, I'd like to borrow your sewing machine in a few days."

Aunt Wang responded, "Of course, that's no problem. Just come over whenever you need to use it."

In their compound, there were only two sewing machines - one belonged to Aunt Wang's family, and the other to Madam Zhou Li's family, which was part of Jiang Lu's dowry. Zhao Guihua glanced back at Madam Zhou Li, who was whispering something with Aunt Su.

She clearly didn't have good intentions.

Zhao Guihua smirked, thinking to herself that she'd better not cross her path.

Aunt Wang also looked over and, seeing Old Man Bai, turned away in disgust.

Noticing that the two of them had moved away from the others, Aunt Wang lowered her voice, "Old Man Bai came to see me with Bai Fendou."

Zhao Guihua: "Oh?"

Aunt Wang: "He's still looking for a young, unmarried woman. He asked me to make introductions."

Mentioning this, Aunt Wang's mouth twitched with disbelief as she complained to Zhao Guihua: "I've never seen someone so shameless. You know what their requirements are? They insist the girl must never have been married before and must be under twenty-five. They say older women aren't good for bearing children, yet Bai Fendou is thirty-one, no, since New Year has passed, he's thirty-two now. How dare they! Besides that, she must have a formal job, no family burdens, and look as good as Wang Xiangxiu. She must be able to guarantee bearing sons. And her family background can't be poor - ideally like Jiang Lu's. If not exactly like Jiang Lu's, at least comparable to your Ming Mei's family background. Nothing less."

At this point, Aunt Wang spat and said, "How do they have the nerve to make such demands! I was shocked just hearing it."

She really didn't want to speak ill of others, but she truly couldn't hold back. She'd been matchmaking for over ten years but had never encountered someone so clueless about their own worth. She lowered her voice: "Don't you think he's gone mad?"

Zhao Guihua was also shocked and nodded firmly, saying, "He's definitely lost his mind, and quite severely at that. Any girl under twenty-five with a formal job wouldn't want him, let alone meeting all those other conditions. What is he thinking? When Jiang Lu got married, her dowry included a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch - these were the three major items that ordinary families couldn't afford. This was unique in our factory, and no one has matched it since. How dare he ask for that?"

"Exactly!"

Zhao Guihua continued: "And to demand at least Ming Mei's family background - he really has the nerve to ask. He clearly has no idea how good my Ming Mei's conditions are. To be honest, if it weren't for my third son's good looks, even though my eldest son and Ming Mei's older brother were classmates, they wouldn't have had a chance. As for Bai Fendou... with his looks? He's in his thirties but looks like he's in his forties, barely has any hair left, got mixed up with a widow, and isn't even right in the head. Why would any young girl be crazy enough to marry him? He's clearly not serious about finding someone; he just wants to fool around with that widow."

"Pfft!"

Aunt Wang pinched Zhao Guihua and said, "Don't say that to others."

"It's the truth."

"The truth isn't always pleasant to hear."

They both laughed, not to mock anyone, but because Bai Fendou truly had no self-awareness.

This man really had no sense of shame at all!

The first day of patrol ended quietly amidst the cheerful gossip. Indeed, nothing happened all day. Zhao Guihua couldn't quite remember which day the thief had appeared in her previous life, and now that the three-day patrol rotation had changed to four days, it was hard to say if they would encounter them.

However, regardless of the uncertainty, Zhao Guihua figured that if they did encounter the thieves, she would rally everyone to fight back; if not, then so be it. She wasn't particularly concerned. Unlike Ming Mei, who eagerly hoped to catch thieves at her workplace, she, as an elderly woman, certainly had no such desires.

Zhao Guihua felt that Ming Mei belonged to the category of being bold due to her skills.

As the patrol system got underway, the machinery factory also resumed work. Zhuang Zhixi and his colleagues returned to work on the seventh day of the New Year. This holiday period was their longest break of the year. Early on the morning of the seventh, Zhuang Zhixi arrived at work - on the first day back, everyone wanted to clean up properly.

Fortunately, everyone had the same idea, arriving early, and together they quickly got the medical office spotlessly clean.

Zhuang Zhixi had brought some loose tea leaves with him, a reward from his wife for his excellent behavior the night before. He brought hot water and made himself tea, enough to last the whole day. Doctor Wang smiled and said, "Well, well, little Zhuang, look at you drinking tea now?"

Zhuang Zhixi nodded happily: "Of course! My wife prepared it for me. Having a wife really makes such a difference!"

Doctor Wang teased: "Won't you share some with us?"

Zhuang Zhixi replied seriously: "That's not possible. This is a gesture of care from my wife. If she found out I gave away her thoughtful gift to others, she'd surely be heartbroken, and I couldn't bear to hurt her feelings!"

"Oh my, just because you've got a wife now, it's always 'my wife this' and 'my wife that'."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled: "Of course! Before getting married, I never knew how wonderful it was to have a wife."

Everyone burst out laughing with a hint of suggestiveness - those who understood, understood. Zhuang Zhixi was the youngest in the medical office, and now even he was married, so naturally, everyone else got the implications. They all laughed heartily.

As they were chatting and laughing, a voluptuous woman pushed open the door to the medical office. It was none other than Wang Xiangxiu. Her eyes swept the room, landing on Zhuang Zhixi, and she gave a soft laugh, saying, "Little Zhuang, Sister Xiu isn't feeling well. I've come to have you take a look."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled politely and said, "Mrs. Su, you see, you and Brother Fendou are truly on the same wavelength. Earlier, he mistook me for a doctor and asked me to treat your son's dog bite, and now here you are. As I said before, I'm not a doctor. Even if you both think of me as one, I can't just pretend to be something I'm not. I'm just a paid worker here, not a doctor at all."

To hell with calling her "Sister Xiu" - he wasn't going to let her get familiar with him.

He smiled distantly and said, "Whatever your ailment is, you need to see a proper doctor. I can't help you."

Wang Xiangxiu pursed her lips and gave Zhuang Zhixi a seductive glance, saying, "Look, I just want to save some money. Why won't you help? I trust you, and that's all I need. No one else necessary."

Zhuang Zhixi shrugged, keeping a straight face: "Mrs. Su, are you here to get your head checked?"

Wang Xiangxiu was stunned for a moment before responding, "What? What nonsense are you talking about?"

Zhuang Zhixi scratched his head: "Well, if you're not here to get your head checked, why can't you understand what I'm saying? Mrs. Su, I don't mean to be rude, but this isn't how you save money. If there's something wrong with your head, you need to go to a proper hospital. You can't just cut corners to save a few bucks. How is coming to someone like me, who knows nothing about medicine, any different from going to some quack doctor in an alley?"

He maintained a "I'm saying this for your own good" expression and continued, "Look, you have three children at home. If not for yourself, at least for their sake, you can't go around with an untreated head condition."

"How dare you insult me!" Wang Xiangxiu became upset.

Zhuang Zhixi looked particularly innocent and said, "What do you mean? I'm not insulting anyone. When I say there's something wrong with your head, I mean it literally. It's not an insult. See, you're misunderstanding me again. I'm young, so maybe I'm not good at expressing myself, always being misunderstood."

Doctor Wang chimed in: "I've heard it said that being misunderstood is the fate of those who express themselves."

Zhuang Zhixi applauded: "How scholarly."

Doctor Wang smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing special."

'I'm a university graduate, after all!'

Wang Xiangxiu: "..."

What nonsense are you both spouting?

Doctor Wang gave Wang Xiangxiu a sideways glance. As a middle-aged woman herself, she immediately saw through this woman's intentions and felt particularly disgusted. With a fake smile, she said, "Listen, comrade, are you here to see a doctor or not? If you're here for treatment, then let's get to it. If not, please return to your workshop. You're not here just to slack off, are you? That won't do."

Wang Xiangxiu: "I'm not that kind of person!"

She snorted, feeling very unhappy. She glanced at Zhuang Zhixi again, but saw he had already turned to talk with other doctors. She bit her lip in extreme frustration, thinking this man really didn't know what was good for him.

She had done him a favor by coming to see him, and he didn't even care!

"Comrade, are you going to see a doctor or not?" Doctor Wang's expression grew even more displeased.

Their medical office was a proper place - what was this woman doing? Did she think this was a place for her flirtations?

Wang Xiangxiu snorted again and said, "Forget it!"

She didn't actually have any medical issues - she hadn't really come for treatment. Her original plan was to seduce Zhuang Zhixi by claiming she had gynecological problems. Once in the examination room, she thought things would naturally progress after she undressed for the examination.

But she hadn't expected Zhuang Zhixi to completely ignore her advances.

She slammed the door shut and stormed away with heavy steps, thinking the medical office was full of useless people. No wonder they couldn't handle serious illnesses here. A medical office that hired non-doctors - the factory leadership must be idiots.

A bunch of useless waste.

Wang Xiangxiu's door-slamming exit infuriated Doctor Wang and the other medical staff. Doctor Wang exclaimed, "What's wrong with that woman? Is she mentally ill? Who does she think she is, slamming doors in our office? Taking out her anger on us? She's too spoiled! We won't stand for this!"

"Exactly, how shameless can she be?"

"Little Zhuang, you know who she is, right? What's her name? This can't be handled like this - I'm going to speak with their workshop supervisor!" Doctor Wang wasn't someone to be trifled with; her husband was also a factory leader.

She wouldn't let anyone bully her like this.

Zhuang Zhixi didn't try to cover for Wang Xiangxiu - they had no relationship anyway. He said, "Her name is Wang Xiangxiu, from Workshop Seven."

"I'm going to deal with them right now!" Doctor Wang slammed down her pen and marched off righteously. Zhuang Zhixi stood up: "Doctor Wang, let me come with you. You shouldn't go to the workshop alone - it might not be safe."

It was well known that different departments always protected their own.

Doctor Wang laughed and said, "They wouldn't dare bully me! They know better than that. Don't worry, I'll go by myself. A young man like you shouldn't go - that vixen might try to get her claws into you. I can see she's shameless and trying to get close to you. Does she really think everyone wants someone like her? Ridiculous!"

Doctor Wang waved her hand: "You're the flower of our medical office, stay here. I'll go handle her!"

Zhuang Zhixi didn't know whether to laugh or cry - since when was he a "flower"?

But then he thought about it and smiled, saying, "Well, at least I can brag about this to my wife."

Doctor Wang and the others: "..."

A grown man being called a flower - what's there to brag about?

These young people were really hard to understand.

But Doctor Wang said, "Alright, I'll go by myself. Don't worry about it. What's a workshop to me? You think I'm afraid? Coming to our medical office to slack off and then slamming my door - does she think being the factory director's favorite makes her untouchable?"

Doctor Wang left in a huff.

Zhuang Zhixi blinked, feeling no sympathy for Wang Xiangxiu.

Whatever Wang Xiangxiu did was none of his business, but when she harassed him, it became his business. He had no patience for Wang Xiangxiu, and it was good that Doctor Wang went to teach her a lesson. It would stop this woman from constantly coming to the medical office to find him.

She might not care about her reputation, but he did.

What if his wife misunderstood? He couldn't win against his little wife anyway.

Zhuang Zhixi sat down calmly, and the nurse curiously asked, "You live in the same compound, right? Is she always like this there?"

Zhuang Zhixi smiled and asked, "Like what?"

The nurse gave him a look and said, "Stop playing innocent. You're a married man - you know what I'm asking about."

Zhuang Zhixi put on a serious face: "I wouldn't know, I'm not close to her. For things like that, you'd have to ask Bai Fendou and the others from the security department."

The nurse burst out laughing and scolded, "You little fox."

He hadn't said anything specific or spoken ill of anyone, but suggesting they "ask Bai Fendou" was quite meaningful.

Everyone understood what that meant.

"Little Zhuang, Little Zhuang!" Just as Zhuang Zhixi was about to defend himself, he saw Doctor Wang hurrying back, calling out, "Zhuang Zhixi."

Zhuang Zhixi quickly stood up and said, "What's wrong?"

He decisively grabbed a nearby broom and said, "Did the workshop people cause trouble? Let's go, sister, I'll help you settle this... uh."

Behind Doctor Wang appeared several factory leaders and a familiar face.

Wasn't that the police officer they'd met on New Year's Day?

There were also two others in police uniforms. The nurse held Zhuang Zhixi back and asked, "Did you get into trouble?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "How could that be possible!"

He smiled at everyone, and the senior police officer said, "Comrade Zhuang Zhixi, we meet again. I'm Police Officer Li, you remember me, right?"

Zhuang Zhixi: "Yes, I remember. What brings you here...?"

Police Officer Li smiled: "We're here to present you with a banner of honor to thank you and your wife, Comrade Ming Mei, for your brave deed in helping catch those thieves."

They had wanted to come earlier, but thought it would be more appropriate to present the banners to the young couple at their workplace on the same day, so they had waited for the machinery factory to open. Now that it was finally open after the holiday, they had come right away.

Police Officer Li sincerely said, "Thanks to you and your wife, we were able to catch these people. Although it was during the New Year holiday, we worked efficiently, and the suspects have already been processed. You can rest assured that they had no accomplices outside, so there won't be any revenge incidents." This was meant to put their minds at ease.

Zhuang Zhixi laughed cheerfully and said, "I'm not afraid. Actually, my wife is the tough one - I'm just the supporting role. If my wife finds out they have accomplices out there, she'd be delighted for them to come find us. Then we could catch them all at once."

Police Officer Li nodded slightly, thinking Zhuang Zhixi was a good man - courageous and honest, speaking straightforwardly without pretense. He was someone you could get along with.

Not just him, but every police officer knew that Ming Mei was the fighter, not Zhuang Zhixi. They were impressed that Zhuang Zhixi didn't try to claim the credit for himself just to maintain his male pride.

"You're a really good young man," he patted Zhuang Zhixi's shoulder, and Zhuang Zhixi responded with an innocent smile.

Police Officer Li presented the honorary banner to Zhuang Zhixi on behalf of their unit. Zhuang Zhixi immediately broke into a brilliant smile, and the factory leaders were absolutely delighted - after all, who would turn down recognition these days? Although this honor wasn't given to the factory directly, having it awarded to Zhuang Zhixi was still excellent.

After all, Zhuang Zhixi was a factory employee, which proved that their factory's educational work was effective - their workers could heroically catch thieves even while on vacation, contributing to society.

The machinery factory's director, Gu Factory Director, happened to be at the factory that day. Encountering such an event made him very happy, and he said, "Zhuang Zhixi, right? You've done an excellent job with this incident. Everyone in the factory should learn from you. I've always said that the young people in our factory are both hardworking and virtuous - this proves it perfectly."

Zhuang Zhixi smiled shyly and said, "Director Gu, this is just what we should do. I believe if it were you or anyone else, they would have done the same. It's not my virtue that's worth learning from - everyone in our factory is like this. I just happened to be the one who encountered the situation. If it had been any of you leaders, the result would have been the same. I was just lucky."

Though the flattery was quite obvious, the listeners couldn't help but be pleased.

The factory leaders all displayed brilliant smiles. Police Officer Li raised his eyebrows and smiled too. At his age, he understood human nature well and knew what the young man was thinking. He nodded and said, "Besides the banner, our police station has prepared some gifts for you. This isn't just a thank you - it's a reward. Although we're not from the same unit, we're truly grateful to you."

Zhuang Zhixi said, "This is too kind."

But he didn't refuse.

Police Officer Li replied, "Don't be modest. You deserve this - it's just a small token of our appreciation."

Zhuang Zhixi accepted the reward from Police Officer Li. At first glance, it was a thermos flask - military green in color, neither too big nor too small, perfect for carrying around. The military green color was particularly appealing.

Zhuang Zhixi said, "Thank you, leaders, thank you."

Police Officer Li smiled, "It's our pleasure."

Under the thermos flask was a pair of pillowcases.

The gifts were undeniably practical, and Zhuang Zhixi happily accepted them. Police Officer Li smiled and said, "Alright, I won't take up any more time here. We still need to visit Comrade Ming Mei's workplace."

Actually, visiting Ming Mei's workplace was the main purpose. If the machinery factory hadn't been closer and on the way, Police Officer Li would have gone straight to see Ming Mei to try to persuade her to change careers. He had tried to convince her before, which resulted in Ming Mei's mother showing up at his house.

However, Police Officer Li never gave up, never admitted defeat.

The factory leaders said, "Why don't you all come back and have lunch in our cafeteria later? Our cafeteria's cooking is quite good."

Police Officer Li waved his hand, "No need, no need. We're quite busy lately, so we won't eat out. Thank you for your trouble."

"It's no trouble at all - we'd be very happy to have you."

Everyone being polite, they exchanged a few more pleasantries before Police Officer Li finally led his people away.

Zhuang Zhixi smiled as he saw them off. Gu Factory Director looked back at Zhuang Zhixi and saw that the young man remained calm and composed, neither proud nor impatient. He nodded slightly, thinking this young man was good - he could keep his composure. He wasn't the type to get cocky over a little recognition.

He asked, "Zhuang Zhixi, how many years have you been working here? What's your current grade?"

Hearing this, Zhuang Zhixi quickly reported his details.

Upon hearing this, Gu Factory Director pursed his lips, feeling it was a bit difficult to handle. He had thought about promoting the young man one grade since he had done a good deed and won honor, but he was too young, and according to the grade system, his years of service weren't enough.

If this incident had happened within the factory, a promotion would have been natural, but since it happened outside, it was different.

Since a promotion wouldn't be appropriate... direct rewards it is!

They were a factory with ten thousand workers - they couldn't do less than the police station, could they? Besides, if the police station could show appreciation, how could they not reward their own people?

Gu Factory Director thought for a moment and said, "Your brave act of catching thieves deserves encouragement. If outside units can reward you, our factory should do the same. So..."

He looked at the deputy director and the office director who had also come along. When their eyes met, having worked together for some time, they had developed a certain understanding. The office director immediately said, "The factory will reward you with a bicycle voucher and an additional ten yuan."

Zhuang Zhixi: "!!!"

He quickly said, "Thank you, leaders!"

Gu Factory Director smiled, "Young comrade, keep up the good work and contribute to your position - that's the best way to thank us!"

Zhuang Zhixi replied earnestly, "I definitely will."

The leaders nodded with satisfaction before leaving together.

Zhuang Zhixi rubbed his hands, keeping a straight face as he returned to his position. He rubbed his face, then covered it while giggling...

Doctor Wang: "..."

Others: "..."

So that composure earlier was just an act!

But thinking about it, they all started laughing too. Doctor Wang and the others were extremely curious and pulled Zhuang Zhixi aside, saying, "Little Zhuang, you have to tell us what happened! How did you catch the thief? You're really something!"

Looking at his rewards again, they thought this guy was really lucky.

The nurse said, "Come on, let me hang this banner for you, right here in our medical office. Let them know we're not just good at treating illnesses - we can catch thieves too!"

"Hahaha!"

Everyone's laughter was hearty.

Zhuang Zhixi was happy too and said, "Sounds good to me."

Not getting a pay raise was within Zhuang Zhixi's expectations. He had only expected a banner or a letter of thanks, but he hadn't anticipated these extra rewards. This kind of thermos flask wasn't just any water bottle - it wasn't easy to buy.

And it wasn't cheap either. As for the bicycle voucher from the factory... that was even more precious.

These rare vouchers were usually only awarded to advanced workers each year, and even in the workshops, they were hard to come by. Not to mention, such a voucher could fetch at least thirty yuan on the black market, and with luck, it could sell for forty or fifty.

It depended on when the voucher was issued and what type it was - Forever and Phoenix brands could usually fetch high prices. Some lesser brands could get thirty yuan. But regardless of the price, these vouchers didn't appear often.

Take Old Zhuang for example - even though he was a level-five riveter, he had never received one. Medical office workers like Zhuang Zhixi were even less likely to get one. Doctors in their factory were practically overlooked.

He hummed a tune, and Doctor Wang laughed, "Look how pleased you are."

Zhuang Zhixi said seriously, "This is my first time being commended."

He lowered his voice, "Actually, I'm just riding on my wife's coattails."

Doctor Wang burst out laughing and said, "Alright, we know your wife is capable. In my hometown's dialect, we'd say you're totally whipped."

Zhuang Zhixi declared righteously, "Between husband and wife, there's no such thing as being afraid or not - it's all about deep feelings and mutual love and admiration."

"Ugh... blegh!"

The female colleagues silently turned away, refusing to talk to him anymore.

Zhuang Zhixi said quietly, "I guess Police Officer Li should have reached my wife's workplace by now..."

Sure enough, Zhuang Zhixi was right - Police Officer Li and his team had arrived, but unfortunately, Ming Mei was out driving. Luckily, since they were at the bus transit station and there were many vehicles, Ming Mei quickly returned with another bus.

Ming Mei rushed through the door with her small shoulder bag. As soon as she entered, she saw Police Officer Li, who smiled and said, "Comrade Ming, we meet again."

Ming Mei: "Hello."

Police Officer Li was still using his usual approach. Compared to Zhuang Zhixi who was good with words, Ming Mei was more innocent. She simply accepted the reward with a sweet smile, without saying much. Police Officer Li smiled and asked, "Would you like to transfer to our department? Although we're different systems, with your excellent skills, we'd be happy to make an exception. If you agree, we'll handle all the communications..."

Before he could finish, Ming Mei quickly waved her hands: "No, no, I can't do that."

If she dared to go, her mother would break her legs. Her mother had said that even marriage wouldn't change her mind about this.

But she couldn't say it like that. Ming Mei couldn't just say "my mother won't allow it," could she? She pointed to herself and said very sincerely, "I really can't do it. My physical skills might be good, but I don't understand anything about your line of work. I'd be completely lost. I'm just a simple person. If I went there, apart from knowing some martial arts, I wouldn't be good at anything else. I can't do work that requires so much thinking. I really enjoy selling tickets on the bus. Besides, selling tickets is also serving the people. And if I catch a few pickpockets along the way, even better. I quite like it this way."

Catching pickpockets meant getting a raise.

Police Officer Li looked at her big watery eyes and couldn't help but laugh. He had actually expected Ming Mei wouldn't agree.

Her family wouldn't allow it anyway.

He said, "Well, if you ever want to change careers, make sure to come find me."

Ming Mei: "Yes, yes, of course."

After finally seeing Police Officer Li off, Ming Mei heaved a deep sigh of relief and said, "I'm happy being a ticket seller."

Her supervisor, a man in his fifties known as Director Wang, smiled at her and said, "If you had dared to agree, I would have told your parents."

Ming Mei: "..."

This was the "benefit" of following in her family's footsteps - her parents would know about any slight movement she made.

Ming Mei declared righteously, "I'm very happy being a ticket seller, serving the people wholeheartedly!"

"Just wait."

Ming Mei: "Huh?"

How did the topic change?

Aren't you going to praise me?

"You silly girl, I'm going to submit an application and see what kind of reward our bus station will give you. If others are rewarding you, we can't fall behind."

Ming Mei's eyes immediately lit up!

This was great!