The tavern owner's mouth must have been blessed.
Having drunk too much, Jiang Yujin knew he'd get another lecture, so he stopped drinking at—not exactly at the right time—and left the tavern to go home.
It was quite lively outside his house tonight. As he took out his keys to open the door, several people appeared from the shadows behind him.
There were no lights, but Jiang Yujin could see that the faces of the people who appeared all had "0" tattooed on them, indicating that headquarters considered them trash.
But these people didn't think they were trash; they still believed they were recognized and were working hard for the cause of restoration. A cold, metallic object pressed against his back, and Jiang Yujin heard someone say, "Don't move."
Being a considerate citizen, Jiang didn't move, and asked curiously, "What are you doing?"
"We're going to use you to exchange for our locked-up boss," said the bald man behind him. "The strange thing is that you know Xu Tonggui."
They were originally part of the same branch, but when they returned from a shopping trip, they found their hideout had been raided, and their boss was missing. Later, they found out that Xu Tonggui, the captain of the special investigation team, had single-handedly taken down their branch, and their boss had been imprisoned in the special investigation bureau's jail.
Judging from their boss's past actions, he was bound to die sooner or later.
This bald man was incredibly polite and answered all questions. Jiang Yu thanked this helpful person for their answers and briefly applauded the tavern owner's remarkable predictive abilities.
The group was well-prepared; they parked their car around the corner, ready to leave immediately.
The previously cooperative man suddenly refused: "No, I just drank alcohol; I'll get carsick."
In a way, he was concerned for his health.
This man was resolute and surprisingly calm, even bargaining, seemingly oblivious to his predicament, more like a comrade than his own.
Taken aback by his words, the group paused. The man with the black beard, who had been holding a gun to the man's back, pushed the gun forward again, trying to make him understand his situation.
But his threat was ineffective; the man in the wrinkled shirt turned and started taking out his keys again, seemingly preparing to go inside. He acted recklessly
, completely unlike a hostage.
Footsteps echoed on the street, and several figures were illuminated by the streetlights. Blackbeard frowned, then changed his mind at the last minute, saying, "Go in."
He meant go inside. Boss Jiang was quite magnanimous, not stopping the guests outside, only reminding them, "Remember to take off your shoes before going in."
Keeping the room clean was everyone's responsibility, he turned and pointed to the stairs, saying that anyone who didn't would be thrown down there.
The man looked over, his threat quite convincing, but the group didn't intend to comply.
Blackbeard stepped onto the wooden plank first.
In an instant, the world spun. Light and the evening breeze rushed past his eyes and ears; Blackbeard could feel himself falling rapidly, a dull pain in his back and shoulder blades, followed by the excruciating pain of a dislocated hand.
"..."
The remaining people standing inside still had their feet dangling above the wooden floor, motionless, watching the man who had been casually talking to them catch the dropped, loaded gun, skillfully ejecting the magazine and pulling the bolt.
When the man looked up, a chill ran down their spines, and the group couldn't help but shudder.
What this man had said was true.
...They only knew that Xu Tonggui had a carefully tended family member, but no one told them that this family member was not to be trifled with.
Maintaining the same posture for too long, someone lost their balance and their feet began to slip.
This person was also thrown down.
The back and legs repeatedly slammed against the stairs, producing a sound that sent chills down one's spine.
The person who had rolled down landed in a bizarre position in front of a pair of feet.
"..."
The tavern owner, who had been feeling uneasy since his regular customer left, decided to come and check on things. He looked down at the person at his feet, and at the blood on someone's face, his pupils dilating. He looked up at the stairs.
Jiang Yujin, who had also seen the tavern owner downstairs, casually pocketed the gun hidden in the darkness and said to the two men behind him, "They missed a step and fell. Go check if they're alright."
His voice was calm but tinged with anxiety, as if he genuinely cared.
The other two reacted quickly, running downstairs and helping the two people who had fallen to the ground.
Blackbeard was the most seriously injured, his face covered in blood, but he was still conscious, though his pupils were dilated and he was trembling, likely from shock.
With the help of the kind tavern owner, the two who had fallen down the stairs were taken to the ambulance, while the other two, whose limbs were temporarily intact, accompanied them to the hospital.
Their car was nearby; leaving now would have been the best option, but the man in the wrinkled shirt kept watching. Though silent, the immense pressure emanating from him prevented the other two from making any further moves, and they could only go to the hospital.
Citizen Jiang dialed the Special Investigation Bureau's hotline, and their team arrived and took over the case of the four men. Citizen Jiang was offered a reward for his tip, and would receive a corresponding bonus for exposing the criminal.
However, when the Special Investigation Bureau members mentioned the reward, their gazes towards the four criminals were slightly ambiguous; it wasn't a friendly look.
These four men were practically handing over money to this man—money from the Special Investigation Bureau, no less.
The tavern owner later learned that the four men were actually ruthless kidnappers who intended to harm the firm's owner. However, he hadn't been careful, and two of them had tripped and fallen, preventing the kidnapping from succeeding.
The firm's owner, Jiang, who narrowly escaped death, received heartfelt comfort from the tavern owner and was eventually taken away by Xu Tonggui, who arrived at the hospital.
The drinking incident couldn't be kept secret, and the safety and health mini-lecture resumed.
That night, Jiang dreamt of the safety and health mini-lecture, and in his sleep, he couldn't help but pat Xu Tonggui on the head, telling his teacher to stop reading.
After the safety mini-lecture, Jiang Yu was overjoyed to welcome his eldest son home for the first time after two weeks of university military training.
Carrying his suitcase, he got off the bus at a familiar spot, and Chen Jing casually helped Zhang Xin with her backpack. Looking up after getting off, they saw Little Fatty already waiting at the station.
The three of them had arranged to meet before the holiday, and had agreed to come to Chen Jing's house.
Chen Jing and Zhang Xin went to the same school and walked home together after school. Xiao Pang was currently studying at a school arranged by the bureau and wasn't with them, so he arrived at the station first to wait.
He seemed relaxed, but when he saw the two of them, his gaze paused for a moment before he casually looked away.
Even after just half a month, returning here would reveal a change. Walking from one end of the street to the other, acquaintances would pause, seemingly not recognizing Chen Jing, before smiling and greeting him.
When they reached the downstairs, the barbershop was open. Behind the half-open glass door, a man with a cigarette dangling from his lips, sifting through the floor, looked up at the footsteps and met the gaze of three college students.
Chen Jing was the first to greet him with a "Hello, Uncle."
The barber stubbed out his cigarette and asked, "Bringing friends back today?"
Chen Jing nodded, about to continue upstairs, when he noticed Zhang Xin's expression change. He asked, "What's wrong?"
Zhang Xin was thinking, her mind racing.
—That voice was familiar, the figure behind the glass door was familiar too; she must have heard it somewhere before.
Rainy day, park, a conversation between two people.
Zhang Xin was still thinking.
No, it must have been much earlier.
—Rainy day, river, a sky ablaze with golden-red flames, a person holding an umbrella.
The previously hazy memory instantly became clear. Zhang Xin's eyes widened, and she lowered her voice, saying, "Is this person Yuan Sanshui?"
Her voice trembled at the end, turning a statement into a question, making it sound unbelievable even to herself.
The person in the place they had passed through so many times before was the same person many people had been searching for but whose whereabouts were still unknown—a bizarre yet inexplicably reasonable conclusion.
After all, there was the precedent of Chen Jing's unreliable father. Just thinking about this person made even the most outrageous things seem less absurd in comparison. They
had come here happily to have fun, but unexpectedly, this discovery occurred. Xiao Pang glanced at the barbershop several times before looking away and whispering, "Do you think if he gets emotional while cutting a customer's hair, he might burn their hair off?"
That's a good question.
Chen Jing thought it was unlikely. Since even his father, who was very good at manipulating people's emotions, had his hair survive in the other person's hands, others should be fine.
The three of them went upstairs.
Footsteps and the sound of suitcases were heard, and the door opened before the college student knocked.
Xu Tonggui opened the door. Tall and long-legged, he looked intimidating, yet he wore an apron, looking completely domestic.
Chen Jing was used to this sight, but the two people behind him couldn't quite process it; their brains nearly overheated.
Three pairs of slippers were already laid out at the door; they could slip them on and go inside. Other shoes were also placed in the entryway, indicating there were likely other guests.
Xu Tonggui called out, "You're back."
A white-haired man popped out of the kitchen.
"..."
Chen Jing knew immediately upon seeing the white-haired man that he must have been up to something lately. The man who
had been up to something lately emerged happily, but upon seeing the two tanned men at the door, his expression froze for a moment.
"..."
After a moment of silence, a burst of laughter erupted. Jiang Yujin, looking at the two men tanned like black eggs, couldn't help but laugh so hard he bent over backward. Xu Tonggui caught him from behind.
Chen Jing and Zhang Xin, both tanned from military training, fell silent. The chubby guy, who had been holding back his laughter since the train station, couldn't help but laugh a couple of times as well.
As their cheeks ached from laughing, the people sitting in the living room looked over.
Jiang Yujin finally recovered after a long while, patted Chen Jing on the shoulder, and introduced, suppressing a laugh, "Let me introduce you, this is... Shi Bu, just call him Uncle."
His eldest son had mentioned before that Zhang Xin and Little Fatty would also be coming, and this silly boy had been clamoring to meet his long-time nephew, constantly bothering him until he finally did. Jiang Yujin was getting a headache from all the nagging, and since the timing was perfect, he'd arranged for him to come today.
Shi Bu was dressed in a shirt and suit pants, and even wore glasses, looking every bit the successful elite.
The elite said, "Brother, were you about to say something else?"
Jiang Yujin waved his hand: "Just a misperception."
The elite looked at someone to the side, cautiously seeking confirmation: "Brother Xu?"
Xu Tonggui said, "Just a misperception."
It was just a misperception.
Shi Bu smiled and shook hands with each of the college students, full of enthusiasm.
He had some intelligence, but not much.
Within a minute of meeting, the three college students had a full understanding of each other's true appearance.
Chen Jing, tanned to a dark, potato-like color, returned home, put down his suitcase, and the first thing he did was put on an apron and head to the kitchen to prepare lunch with Xu Tonggui.
The remaining four people sat in a circle in the living room, chatting and eating sunflower seeds, with the television playing nearby.
Shi Bu looked at the two in the kitchen, peeling sunflower seeds for his brother as he said, "Brother Xu and my nephew get along quite well."
They had only just met, but he was already calling Chen Jing "my nephew." Aside from that title, Xiao Pang and Zhang Xin agreed with him.
They had always found it hard to imagine what the two would be like together, but they were surprisingly harmonious, almost like a father and son.
Citizen Jiang, also a father, chimed in, reminding the group that he was, after all, a father himself.
Zhang Xin looked away from Chen Jing and casually remarked, "He's got quite a few admirers at school."
The three of them instantly perked up. Jiang Yujin lowered his voice, "Tell me more."
Actually, there wasn't much to say in detail, since they were all in the same school and gossip was inevitable. Zhang Xin had been hearing his name frequently since the opening ceremony.
Objectively speaking, he was indeed good-looking. Although he seemed a bit cold to others, he was polite, respectful, and had a good temper—at least his emotions were stable. Because they were close, people would often ask her for his contact information.
Zhang Xin was a true friend; despite various temptations, she remained true to herself and didn't betray her friend.
Citizen Jiang gave his good friend Zhang a thumbs up.
Shi Bu glanced at the two people in the kitchen, then at the white-haired man sitting beside him, handed the peeled sunflower seeds to his brother, and said, "If you hadn't had a teenage romance, you probably could have had several boyfriends too."
The two college students glanced at the smiling white-haired man cracking sunflower seeds, then thought back to the photo they had seen at No. 6 Middle School, and agreed.
Jiang Yujin smiled without saying a word. The person who had been washing vegetables in the kitchen quietly walked out. Shi Bu had been hit on the head and was clutching his head, gasping for breath.
Jiang Yujin, enjoying the spectacle, laughed and said, "Serves him right."
After finishing his melon seeds, Boss Jiang inspected the kitchen and found everything was almost ready. He then went downstairs to call the barbershop owner.
To ensure he could continue freeloading in the future, he couldn't keep taking advantage of people forever; he needed to treat them to a meal eventually, and today's lunchtime was perfect.
He dragged the barbershop owner upstairs.
The dining table was a bit old, but sturdy and large.
At first, only one person sat in a corner, with a bowl, a dish, a bottle of wine, a lamp, and complete silence.
Because it was so quiet, someone started playing TV while eating.
Later, it became a two-person table, the dishes became more varied, the meals were served at more regular times, and conversations began to emerge.
Then, three people sat there; important family matters like the rule that everyone had to be in bed by midnight were decided here, and any dissenting voices were considered invalid protests.
Now, the table is packed with people. Recently, a man who had been banned from drinking after being caught secretly drinking raised his milk and said, "Today, to celebrate Jiang becoming everyone's father..."
Jiang Yujin couldn't finish his sentence before the barber slapped him on the forehead, almost spilling his milk.
He turned to Xu Tonggui to complain about the barber's brutality, and Xu Tonggui gently rubbed his forehead.
Shi Bu, too busy with his brother, was still asking around among the college students if anyone was secretly dating. Despite
his ears being filled with people talking like machine guns, Chen Jing still managed to sneak away the bottle that Bai Mao almost managed to reach, while Xiao Pang and Zhang Xin watched their silent struggle with amusement.
Even without the television, the room was still lively.
The duckweed took root here, made a home, and blossomed.
Author's Note:
[The End]
Thank you for your company!
My story is over, but Lao Jiang's story continues!
My next book is "After Successfully Helping the Villain to Become a Good Person [Quick Transmigration]", and I plan to challenge myself to write the entire story from scratch! It will start this year, but I'm a bit busy, so the start date is uncertain. I'll post a notification in the synopsis and on Weibo when it's confirmed.
Regarding Lao Jiang's commission, it was actually commissioned two weeks ago, but it's still in the queue, probably for a very—long time. Orz
PS: (Floating duckweed can't really take root)