The rain poured down heavily, showing no signs of stopping even during the day.
However, the police officers, together with the neighborhood committee and other officials, were all clad in raincoats, inspecting the scene.
This incident was just too bizarre, so it had to be thoroughly investigated. Otherwise, the matter of soone being struck by lightning would inevitably spark so unfavorable rumors among the public. Officer Wang, the most experienced among them, was leading the investigation.
He was accompanied by a few forensic experts as they examined the scene, while a dense crowd of onlookers gathered around, watching the spectacle. Zhuang Zhixi had taken the day off work, and so had Ming i.
Both of them were among the crowd. Officer Wang scanned the area and then waved to Zhuang Zhixi, who quickly scurried over and asked, “Officer Wang, you called for ?”
Officer Wang nodded and asked, “How many tis did he slash at the wall while chasing you?”
Zhuang Zhixi replied, “How could I rember? There were quite a few. I just kept hitting him with a tile. Oh, by the way, Officer Wang, you see, I’m a victim here. I’m so unlucky—I just went to the restroom and ran into a criminal. Do you think it’s fair? And this tile—you can’t make pay for it, right?”
Officer Wang: “...”
So, all you care about is the tile?
But it’s true that getting caught up in such a ss and having to pay for damages is quite unfortunate.
He said, “Don’t worry about this matter. We’ll handle the communication with his workplace and family.”
The neighborhood committee representative added, “We’ll take care of it first.”
Officer Wang agreed, “Alright.”
Everyone knew that the victim shouldn’t be held responsible. It was better to settle this cleanly and avoid any awkwardness.
He then asked, “Did he do anything else besides slashing at you?”
Zhuang Zhixi scratched his head and said, “I was too panicked at the ti. I didn’t notice if he did anything else, but I don’t think so. That scoundrel—both Wang Xiangxiu and I were running away. I even climbed onto the roof, and he still chased after with his knife. Seriously, even in such a situation, he still favored n over won.”
Officer Wang: “...You really shouldn’t misuse words like that.”
Zhuang Zhixi sighed, “I’m so damn unlucky.”
He lanted, “There’s always sothing happening with the restroom here. I’m scared to even go at night now. What kind of ss is this?”
Officer Wang said, “Alright, stop complaining. I ask you one question, and you go off on ten tangents. Can’t you act like a man?”
Zhuang Zhixi retorted confidently, “When it’s a matter of life and death, who cares about acting like a man or a woman? If I were a woman, he wouldn’t have chased , and I wouldn’t have minded. But you don’t understand—I was really scared out of my wits. His family should compensate .”
He added seriously, “At least so nutrition fees would be nice.”
Officer Wang was speechless. He pushed Zhuang Zhixi aside and asked, “Old Qin, what’s the situation?”
Old Qin was calm and composed. “In short, he brought this upon himself.”
“How so?”
Officer Wang knew that Old Qin always spoke objectively, without any bias.
Old Qin pointed to a section of a fallen wire on the ground and explained, “See this wire? He must have cut it while chasing Zhuang Zhixi up the wall. Look here—these wires are all exposed, running along the walls under the eaves. When he cut it, it naturally fell to the ground. Last night’s weather was terrible—the ground was soaked with water, creating the perfect conditions for electrocution. There was thunder and lightning, and the area was flooded. Plus, the handle of his knife was made of a material that conducts electricity easily in the rain. So, who else would the lightning strike? Even if it hadn’t struck him, he was already at high risk of electrocution. He basically created the perfect environnt for a lightning strike. If he had just run away, he wouldn’t have died. Even if he had chased Wang Xiangxiu, he might not have been struck. But he had to go and cut the wire.”
At this point, there was no distinction between forensic and investigative work—everyone pitched in.
Old Qin gave a detailed explanation and concluded with a shrug, “Simply put, he cut the wire, stepped on it, and was holding a knife with a conductive handle. That’s what attracted the lightning.”
The scene fell silent. Old Qin had laid out the facts clearly, but everyone was fixated on the final conclusion—he had essentially killed himself.
What incredibly bad luck.
Zhuang Zhixi was stunned. He had never imagined that so many coincidences could lead to Yu Baoshan’s death. He exclaid, “I thought the lightning strike was an act of—”
He stopped himself mid-sentence.
Of course, even if he had said it, no one would have held it against him, as everyone was thinking the sa thing.
Before the forensic team had analyzed the scene, everyone had assud it was divine retribution. After all, even in a storm, it’s rare for lightning to strike the sa person twice in one night—it was as if the heavens were determined to kill him.
But now... a perfectly scientific explanation had been found.
However, even though it seed scientific, it only made the whole thing feel even more unscientific. Think about it—how many coincidences had to align, and all of them were his own doing. It was as if he was deliberately tempting fate.
With Yu Baoshan’s knack for self-sabotage, it’s a wonder he hadn’t died sooner.
Wasn’t this just fate?
What had Yu Baoshan done to deserve such a punishnt?
“Alright, Little Qin, let’s pack him up and take him away.”
A young man in a police uniform with a white lab coat over it approached.
Yes, both Old Qin and Little Qin shared the sa surna—all the forensic experts were Qins.
Director Wang from the neighborhood committee stepped forward and said, “Officer Wang, I was wondering if we could ask Old Qin to host a safety workshop for our community. It’s the rainy season now, with frequent thunderstorms. We’d like to learn how to stay safe.”
While no one in their right mind would go around cutting wires, they had heard about how certain knife materials could conduct electricity, which was sothing they didn’t fully understand. As a responsible director, she felt it was her duty to organize such a workshop to educate everyone.
Officer Wang nodded, “That’s a good idea. How about this—I’ll file a report later and have Old Qin co over to give a few lectures. We can cover so everyday safety tips too.”
“That would be great.”
If done well, this initiative could also count as a political achievent.
Director Wang was pleased. The neighborhood committee, seeing this gaining montum, chid in, “We’d like to join as well.”
Officer Wang replied, “Sure, that’s fine.”
Usually, they were quite full of themselves, but now they were being polite. Who wouldn’t be? They were scared too. Yu Baoshan’s death was just too eerie. They spent their days criticizing others for superstition, but that didn’t an they didn’t harbor so beliefs themselves. This incident was just too strange.
If you said it wasn’t divine retribution, no one would believe you.
Officer Wang had finished the investigation, and everyone was starting to leave. He waved to the crowd in the pouring rain and said, “Everyone, head back now. It’s not safe to stay outside for too long during a thunderstorm.”
He then turned and quietly instructed, “We need to get these wires fixed as soon as possible to avoid any further accidents.”
“Understood.”
Officer Wang then asked, “What about Yu Baoshan’s family?”
“Ever since he hit Bai Fendou’s father with a brick yesterday, his family has been keeping their distance, afraid of getting involved.”
Officer Wang shook his head slightly, lanting the lack of familial affection.
But in these tis, it wasn’t uncommon for family mbers to turn against each other. In his line of work, he had seen it all. After a while, it didn’t faze him anymore. Different people react differently—it’s just the way of the world.
He ordered, “Let’s wrap it up.”
Director Wang, however, didn’t leave imdiately. Instead, she said, “Let’s go too. We should remind everyone in this area to be careful.”
“Alright.”
Even in the heavy rain, they had to carry out their duties. Safety was paramount. People stood around in small groups, reluctant to go ho. While they were afraid of death, there was always that lingering thought—such bizarre things wouldn’t happen to them.
No one seed particularly eager to leave.
The crowd began to chatter: "What do you think Yu Baoshan did that was so bad he got struck by lightning?"
"It wasn’t because of the environnt or the power lines or sothing like that…" Many had heard the explanation but didn’t quite understand it. Still, they knew they had to be careful in such situations in the future, or they’d be in trouble.
"Don’t talk nonsense. Even if it was because of those things, he still got struck by lightning. And didn’t you hear what the old man said? He cut the power line himself. He brought it on himself. Isn’t that just asking for it?"
"That’s true. He really… But what about his family?"
"They’re probably too ashad to show their faces. Yesterday they didn’t co out because they were afraid Bai Fendou would hold them accountable and demand compensation. Now they’re not coming out because they’re too embarrassed. I an, he was struck by lightning! Who knows what kind of evil deeds he must have done."
"He broke up his sister’s relationship, sent her to the countryside, and stole her job. Isn’t that enough? Her boyfriend broke up with her because she was sent down to the countryside with no hope of returning. And then Yu Baoshan went to him demanding money, causing a scene if he didn’t get it. I heard he extorted 150 yuan from him. Can you believe how shaless he was? Then, when the guy got engaged to soone else, Yu Baoshan showed up again. The guy’s parents were so scared of him they had no choice but to give him another 50 yuan. And he didn’t even work at the job he stole from his sister. He just wore a red armband and wandered around all day, but the factory still had to pay him. If they didn’t, he’d accuse them of sothing. The textile factory has suffered because of him for a long ti." This person clearly knew a lot about the situation.
"Oh, by the way, what’s going to happen to his job now that he’s dead?"
"I know, I know. I live in the sa courtyard as his family. None of them went to work today. They’ve been arguing behind closed doors all day, fighting over who gets Yu Baoshan’s house and his job. It’s a ss. Yu Baoshan had a room to himself, and now they’re all fighting over it. And the job—it was originally his sister’s…"
"Do you think the girl can co back?" This was Ming i, who had been listening to the gossip in the crowd. She chid in, "It was her job in the first place. Yu Baoshan took it from her. Shouldn’t it be returned to her now?"
"Ah, young Mrs. Zhuang, you don’t understand. Your family didn’t have anyone sent down to the countryside, did you?"
Ming i nodded. "No, I’m the youngest in my family. I missed the big wave of people being sent down. And I don’t have any younger siblings, so there was no need."
"Ah, your parents really tid it well. You don’t understand what it’s like. Once you’re sent down, it’s very hard to co back. It’s not just a matter of whether the factory wants you back. There are layers of bureaucracy to navigate, and it’s not easy. Plus, the policies are stricter now. Before, it was just a suggestion to go down to the countryside, but now it’s mandatory. And every family has to send at least one person. There’s no way his family can bring their daughter back."
Ming i sighed.
Zhuang Zhixi joined the conversation. "I also think it’s impossible for their daughter to co back. But as for the job, I don’t think they’ll be able to keep it. It’s pointless to fight over it."
"Why’s that?"
Zhuang Zhixi explained, "Think about it. Yu Baoshan was never liked by the leadership. He never showed up for work and used threats to keep his job. Do you think the leaders would want to keep him around? And now he’s died in such a disgraceful way—struck by lightning after causing trouble. The factory has every reason to get rid of him."
It’s true that people weren’t usually fired unless they made a big mistake, but Yu Baoshan had injured soone and then gone after them with a knife.
No one would consider him a good person.
And, to be a bit cynical, if they fired him, it would free up a position that they could "reassign" to soone else. Of course, that part didn’t need to be said out loud—it didn’t sound very good.
Zhuang Zhixi added, "We’ll just have to wait for the official announcent. This matter will probably be decided soon."
"That’s true."
"Hey, what about Wang Xiangxiu? She ca out of the bathroom with Yu Baoshan. Do you think she was really just threatened into going to find Bai Fendou?" So people were more interested in this kind of gossip. The crowd chuckled suggestively.
"Who knows? Only she knows the truth."
"Can’t you think of sothing positive? Don’t be so cynical. Maybe nothing happened at all. Yu Baoshan wasn’t exactly in a state to do anything, was he?"
"Hey, that’s not fair. That’s not how it works. The one who’s completely incapable is Zhou Qun. Yu Baoshan wasn’t like that. He couldn’t have children anymore, but he was still capable of other things. He probably could’ve done sothing."
Zhuang Zhixi silently pitied his "good neighbor" Zhou Qun, who had been dragged into this for no reason.
"I don’t think Wang Xiangxiu is innocent. With her face, her figure, and her… assets, Yu Baoshan couldn’t have resisted her…"
"Not necessarily…"
Director Wang interrupted, "Alright, alright, stop talking about this. If nothing happened, then don’t spread rumors. Don’t ruin her reputation. She’s a single mother, and it’s not easy for her. Plus, she’s a victim in all this. Everyone, go ho. Go ho now."
"Go ho, everyone! Don’t gather outside during a thunderstorm. Go ho!" The neighborhood committee mbers began dispersing the crowd.
"Don’t crowd together. If you want to chat, wait until the weather’s better. Go ho, everyone. Go ho now."
Zhuang Zhixi took Ming i’s hand. "Let’s go ho."
Ming i nodded softly. She had taken three days off work.
It wasn’t that she was trying to slack off. Zhao Guihua had insisted, saying that last night’s events had been too frightening and that Ming i needed to rest at ho to avoid any risk to her pregnancy.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
Zhao Guihua was also worried about Ming i going back to work as a bus conductor. Even though Ming i had been transferred to a different position, Zhao Guihua still wasn’t comfortable with it. So she took advantage of the situation to have Ming i take a few days off.
Ming i didn’t know what Zhao Guihua was thinking, but she trusted her premonitory dreams, so she listened to her mother-in-law. Both of them had their own thoughts, but they were on the sa page. Zhao Guihua said, "When the rain lets up this afternoon, I’ll take you to the hospital for another check-up. We need to be careful."
Ming i replied, "Alright."
The Zhuang family headed ho together. Even though such a big incident had happened the night before, not many people had taken the day off. People back then weren’t the type to slack off. They were diligent and rarely missed a day of work.
In their courtyard, only four people had taken the day off.
One was Bai Fendou. His father was in the hospital, and his condition was serious, so he had no choice but to take care of him.
The second was Jiang Lu. She had finally gotten pregnant, and she was extrely cautious. She’d take ti off at the slightest hint of trouble. She was taking half the month off and didn’t care about her salary. While so people had issues with this, there wasn’t much they could say.
Again, as long as you didn’t make a big mistake, state-owned enterprises wouldn’t fire you.
And Jiang Lu worked in the Won’s Federation, which was a relatively easy departnt. Her absence didn’t affect the work. As for the salary deductions, Jiang Lu didn’t care. Of course she didn’t care. Even though she’d been handing over her salary all these years, after the recent incident, she had taken control of Zhou Qun’s salary. Zhou Qun had saved up 5,000 yuan, which was a huge sum back then. Jiang Lu suspected he had even more, and she planned to slowly take it all. The 5,000 yuan was just a lump sum he’d deposited in the bank.
Don’t think it’s strange that Zhou Qun had 5,000 yuan. It’s not strange at all. Jiang Lu had been covering all the household expenses, and Zhou Qun had been working for over a decade. He started working early, at fourteen or fifteen. Even though he had to support his family in the early years, after Jiang Lu married into the family, he stopped contributing to the household. Because he had a "good relationship" with his ntor’s wife, he had connections and rose through the ranks quickly. His salary was high from the start, and he’d been getting raises over the years.
So 5,000 yuan was actually on the low side for him.
Although he handed over the bankbook, Jiang Lu believed that he still had so money that wasn’t deposited in the bank. This wasn’t surprising, as people nowadays still preferred to keep cash on hand. So, it was likely that only a portion of his money was in the bank. Jiang Lu had no evidence of exactly how much he still had, but she was determined to get her hands on it eventually.
Besides this money, she also retrieved the thousand yuan from her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law had been taken from the hospital in a hurry, leaving no ti to hide the money again. The last ti there was a theft, Jiang Lu had seen where the old woman hid her money. Now that her mother-in-law wasn’t around, Jiang Lu simply took it all.
As for getting it back? Forget about it.
That money was rightfully hers.
It was her salary, and she had already been more than generous with the old woman. But from now on, there would be no more of that. Jiang Lu now had six thousand yuan in cash, and she still received her monthly salary. Her childbirth expenses were also covered by her workplace, so she wasn’t worried about anything. She could rest and recover without a care in the world.
Because of this, and because she had been a little scared the night before, coupled with the heavy rain and thunderstorm today, Jiang Lu decided not to go to work.
The last ones not going to work were Ming i and her husband.
As “witnesses” from last night, it was understandable that they didn’t go to work. They were too shaken, weren’t they? On the other hand, Wang Xiangxiu, who had also experienced a lot last night, still managed to go to work today. She was truly resilient. She couldn’t bear to miss a day’s work.
Despite the heavy rain, it didn’t stop people from visiting each other. Soon, soone ca to the Zhuang household.
A group of won sat together, chatting about this and that. Zhuang Zhixi, the only man who hadn’t gone to work, didn’t feel the slightest bit embarrassed.
Old Wang: “Zhuang Zhixi, isn’t it a pity to miss a day’s work? You don’t seem to have anything wrong with you.”
Zhuang Zhixi: “Nothing wrong with ? Look at my face, isn’t it pale? I was scared last night.”
Old Wang: “…”
He added, “Besides, I’m taking my wife to the hospital this afternoon. We need to make sure everything’s alright.”
The topic shifted to Ming i, who gently shook her head and said, “I’m fine.”
She hadn’t actually done anything last night; she had just run over in a hurry and was a bit shaken.
“You’re such a brave child. How could you, a pregnant woman with two kids, dare to run out like that? What if sothing had happened?”
Ming i scratched her head, feeling a little embarrassed. She said softly, “I just got carried away at the mont. I thought, if no one went to help Zhuang Zhixi, what would happen? Even though running over might have risked a miscarriage, it wasn’t certain. And I was confident I could handle Yu Baoshan. I had to prioritize the person in imdiate danger.”
Zhuang Zhixi chid in, “My wife was just worried about .”
He chuckled and said, “So you see, having a good wife gives you so much peace of mind. But I’m lucky—not just my wife, but my mother is also amazing. The won in our family are all strong, so the n can afford to be little guys.”
Uh… Aren’t you embarrassed to say that out loud?
The won rolled their eyes in unison, a sea of eye-rolls.
Zhuang Zhixi remained unfazed and continued, “If people knew, they’d be so jealous that I found such a good wife.”
“Zhuang Zhixi…” Old Wang wanted to say sothing, but seeing that her friend Zhao Guihua didn’t say anything, she decided to let it go. She just said, “You’d better be careful.”
Zhuang Zhixi laughed.
“By the way, did Ming i take leave from work?”
“She did. Luo Xiaohe helped her apply for it,” Zhao Guihua said. She usually called Luo Xiaohe by her na because, although Luo Xiaohe was technically a generation older in terms of family relations, she was only two or three years older than Zhao Guihua and looked even younger. Standing side by side, people would assu Zhao Guihua was the older one. So, calling Luo Xiaohe “Auntie” was sothing Zhao Guihua just couldn’t bring herself to do.
Luo Xiaohe worked as a temporary employee at a bookstore near the bus station where Ming i worked, so she had offered to help Ming i apply for leave early in the morning. In such circumstances, they couldn’t deny her the ti off, could they?
Ming i: “I took three days off. I’ll submit the dical certificate when I go back to work.”
So, she really did need to go to the hospital; otherwise, taking three days off without a dical certificate would be hard to justify. Her leave was different from Jiang Lu’s. Ming i’s was a dical leave with a certificate, so the company would cover it, and her salary wouldn’t be deducted.
Jiang Lu, on the other hand, simply said she wasn’t feeling well and didn’t go to work. Although it was also “illness,” without a dical certificate or proof, it was considered personal leave, which ant her salary would be deducted. But Jiang Lu didn’t seem to care about that.
Ming i: “Luckily, things are slow in our departnt.”
However, what Ming i didn’t know was that not going to work today actually saved her so trouble.
Sotis, things just happen for a reason.
Today, the bus team ca to borrow soone, and they specifically asked for Ming i.
If Ming i had been at work… well, she wouldn’t have agreed, but it would have caused so awkwardness.
At the bus station, Jiang Baohong, the new female leader of the bus team, ca to the office to borrow soone.
Half a month ago, the previous leader of the bus team had retired, and Jiang Baohong, a woman in her forties, had taken over. She had imdiately started making big changes. A new broom sweeps clean, and she was no exception. First, she required drivers and attendants to clean the bus windows every morning. Second, she strictly prohibited internal shift swaps.
In the bus team, because shifts were irregular, employees would arrange their days off in advance. But sotis, unexpected things ca up, so the attendants would often swap shifts among themselves.
For example, even though today was supposed to be Xiao Hong’s shift, Xiao Green would actually work instead. Xiao Hong would take the day off, and when it was Xiao Green’s turn to work, Xiao Hong would return the favor.
This was their own arrangent, and in the bus station’s official records, it would still show the originally scheduled person. This wasn’t like decades later; back then, this was a common practice, and as long as the work got done, no one minded.
But Jiang Baohong outright banned it.
She was all about rules. Was she right? Yes.
But for everyone else, it was just annoying. Who didn’t have ergencies sotis? Swapping shifts was better than taking a day off, which would an losing a day’s pay.
But Jiang Baohong didn’t care about that.
In addition, she also demanded that attendants strictly crack down on theft on the buses. No one was to be let off.
Everything Jiang Baohong did was technically correct, but it made everyone uncomfortable.
She expected the attendants to catch thieves, but not everyone was like Ming i. Most attendants were delicate won, while the thieves were often burly n. It was a dangerous task.
Since Jiang Baohong took over, the bus team had been filled with complaints.
Jiang Baohong had heard about Ming i’s prowess. After all, Ming i had been rewarded several tis for catching thieves, and it was all on record. Jiang Baohong had wanted to use Ming i as a poster child.
She had even planned to transfer Ming i to a long-distance route with more thieves. That way, if Ming i caught thieves, it would reflect well on Jiang Baohong as her direct supervisor. If she could take credit for it, even better.
It would show how effective her leadership was!
She had it all planned out, but to her dismay, she found out that Ming i had been transferred to the office as a statistician.
This infuriated her.
She thought her predecessor was a complete idiot, a real fool who had only made things harder for her. She had everything planned, but it had all fallen apart.
She wanted to have soone transferred back imdiately, but that was just wishful thinking. She was in charge of the vehicle team, which was a different departnt from the office. The office director and the vehicle team director were of the sa rank, so she had no authority to transfer soone from the office.
Moreover, even if a transfer were possible, it would require the person’s consent. Forcing it was out of the question.
However, Jiang Baohong didn’t even consider Ming i’s feelings. She believed she could persuade Ming i. What was the problem? Won should strive harder. How could they waste their days in an office? They should be pushing themselves to achieve more!
She had it all figured out, but she couldn’t force the office’s hand. The office didn’t think much of her either, and who could bla them? Most of the staff at the bus station were old acquaintances, and many of the younger employees had taken over their parents’ jobs to avoid being sent to the countryside.
In other words, most of them were long-ti colleagues. Jiang Baohong, as a newcor parachuted into the position, was already stirring up trouble. Who would give her any respect?
If she really wanted to do well, she could work hard on her own, but she kept making demands on others, stepping on people to climb higher, which only made her more unpopular. On top of that, Ming i was pregnant with twins. Who would dare ss with that?
So the office simply ignored Jiang Baohong’s request.
Jiang Baohong had heard that Ming i was pregnant, but she didn’t think it was a big deal. People used to work through minor injuries, didn’t they? Pregnancy was just a temporary condition. Back in the day, won even gave birth in the fields. Why couldn’t Ming i hold her post until the end?
If sothing happened to the baby, it was just fate. Such a child wouldn’t be healthy anyway, so it was better not to have it. Jiang Baohong didn’t see any issue with wanting to transfer Ming i back to the vehicle team as a ticket seller. She thought she was helping Ming i improve herself.
However, her work wasn’t going smoothly. She knew the relationships here were complicated, and it was hard for a newcor to make a mark. But she didn’t think she was in the wrong. Instead, she believed that overcoming these challenges would prove her competence.
Her first move was to try to use Ming i. She wanted Ming i to help catch thieves on the bus. Transferring soone wasn’t an option, but since no one was paying attention to her, she decided to borrow soone instead. Coincidentally, it was raining heavily that day, so she rushed over to borrow soone.
As everyone knew, bus thefts were more common on rainy days.
Although she was an outsider transferred from another place, she was aware of this. Raincoats and wet conditions made it easier for thieves to operate unnoticed. Statistics showed that thefts were more frequent during bad weather like rain or snow.
So early in the morning, she hurried over to borrow soone.
She didn’t realize that her actions were widely criticized. Almost everyone at the bus station disliked her because of this. It wasn’t that everyone liked Ming i, or even knew her, but Jiang Baohong’s insistence on sending a pregnant woman to work as a bus attendant to catch thieves—though she didn’t explicitly say it—was obvious to everyone.
This made people think she had no morals.
If this wasn’t endangering soone, what was?
She was willing to sacrifice others for her own benefit, even if it ant risking the lives of a pregnant woman and her unborn twins. Her lack of concern spoke volus about her character.
On top of that, she pressured drivers and attendants to catch thieves and denied them internal leave. All these incidents had already sparked widespread resentnt before she could even make a na for herself.
People thought, if she could treat others like this now, what would happen if she got promoted and had more authority? Wouldn’t she harm them too?
The vehicle team was already overworked, which was why they received an extra three yuan in subsidies. Yet, she still wanted to stir up trouble. If she were to manage other departnts like logistics or the office—places where people could slack off—it would be even worse.
For these reasons, almost everyone wished she would just leave.
Jiang Baohong’s poor relationships didn’t bother her. She understood that people resented her as a woman who had been parachuted into the position, but she wasn’t afraid. She believed she was more capable than most and was determined to reform the station’s deep-rooted problems and achieve results.
So early in the morning, she went to the office to borrow soone. She had already decided that if they refused, she wouldn’t leave until she got her way.
A transfer required approval from various departnts, but borrowing soone only needed the leader’s consent.
As for the person’s own wishes?
Why wouldn’t they agree!
She had no idea about Ming i’s personality. If she did, she would have known that Ming i would refuse.
But she didn’t know that and was determined. “Old Chen, you have to lend her to . We’re all part of the sa unit. If I achieve results, it reflects well on everyone. Besides, she’s so skilled. What can she do in the office? She’d be able to shine in the vehicle team. If she helps catch thieves, I’ll nominate her for an award. It’s a win-win!”
“She’s pregnant.”
“So what? Pregnant won can’t work? It’s the modern era—n and won are equal. If n can work, so can won. She shouldn’t stop working just because she’s pregnant. Besides, giving birth isn’t that hard. If she can keep working and even give birth on the bus, I could get the newspapers to publicize her story. She’d be a model worker, dedicated to her job until the very end. That would be great for our unit’s reputation! If she catches a thief while giving birth, even better. She wouldn’t just get an award—she’d be a labor hero!”
Jiang Baohong was full of herself, getting more excited as she spoke.
She thought having soone like that in her team would bring her glory as a leader.
Director Chen looked at this harsh woman in disbelief. How could another woman be so heartless? The more she looked at her, the more disgusted she felt. She believed in won’s equality, but she couldn’t accept Jiang Baohong’s reckless disregard for human life. It was practically the sa as harming soone.
She said coldly, “I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. First, I can’t lend Ming i to you. She’s pregnant, and if sothing happens, I can’t take the responsibility. As for what you said, I’ll treat it as nonsense and advise you to think carefully before speaking like that again. Second, even if I could lend her to you, she’s not here. Ming i had a complication with her pregnancy and took three days off.”
“What!” Jiang Baohong was furious. “She took three days off just for a pregnancy complication? How spoiled can she be?”
Director Chen thought to herself, “What an idiot. If it weren’t for her connections, soone like her would never have risen to this position. She’s incompetent and unethical, even willing to risk lives for her own achievents. I’ve seen shaless people, but never this shaless.”
She said, “I’m short-staffed here. I can’t lend anyone to you—not Ming i, not anyone else.”
She stood up. “I won’t keep you. I have things to attend to.”
Jiang Baohong said, “You…”
Her face darkened as Director Chen opened the office door and said, “I need to go to the logistics departnt. Will you stay here for a while longer?”
Jiang Baohong said, “You’re too lenient with approving leave.”
Director Chen replied, “We’re in a new society now. It’s been over twenty years since liberation. This isn’t the old society where people were exploited. She has the right to take leave.”
Jiang Baohong left, frustrated.
But she still wondered if Director Chen had lied to her on purpose. She went to the office and asked, “Which desk is Ming i’s?”
“That one over there.”
She looked and saw it was empty.
“Ming i took leave.”
Jiang Baohong’s face darkened. “Such a petty, selfish ntality!”
A woman knitting quickly put her knitting away and pretended to work. Although Jiang Baohong wasn’t their direct supervisor, everyone knew how unpleasant she was. It wasn’t fear—they just didn’t want to deal with her.
After all, they’d heard she had so connections.
The office staff exchanged glances, silently mocking her. After Jiang Baohong left, soone whispered, “We can’t let this woman get promoted. If she ends up managing us, we’ll never get a day off.”
The older sister who had been secretly knitting earlier nodded in deep agreent.
“Look at her now, making all these demands on the team, it’s pitiful to see.”
“She’s just being difficult.”
Jiang Baohong didn’t get her way and was furious.
anwhile, Ming i had already gone to the hospital with Zhuang Zhixi. She kept sneezing, and Zhuang Zhixi gently patted her back, asking, “How are you feeling? Did you catch a cold last night?”
Ming i shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
She rubbed her nose, feeling that it wasn’t too bad.
Ming i joked, “Maybe soone’s talking about behind my back.”
Zhuang Zhixi chuckled. “Who would be talking about you?”
Ming i shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe my colleagues? They’re quite fond of , so maybe they’re just concerned?”
Zhuang Zhixi clicked his tongue, and Ming i playfully punched him. The two of them teased each other until Zhuang Zhixi said, “Alright, alright, it’s our turn now.”
Although Ming i seed fine after rushing out last night, they couldn’t be entirely sure.
Zhuang Zhixi handed over the registration slip along with a rolled-up one-yuan bill. The elderly doctor sighed, “What’s this for?”
Zhuang Zhixi smiled naturally. “Please take a look at my wife. She…”
He didn’t ntion the money.
The doctor pointed at him from a distance. “There’s no need for this. I’ll treat her properly. What’s the point of doing this?”
Zhuang Zhixi replied, “It’s only right. My wife is carrying twins, so we need to be extra careful. We, as family mbers, don’t know much, so we’ll have to trouble you often. Even the slightest issue might require your attention.”
He continued earnestly, “We’re already imposing on you so much, how could we not show our gratitude? Besides, I used to work in the clinic and had connections here. Now that I’ve moved to a different departnt, I don’t want to lose touch. It’s only natural for a younger generation to show respect to their elders.”
The doctor was both amused and exasperated by his excuses.
Zhuang Zhixi smiled. “Please take a look at my wife. Last night, she was running around…”
The doctor glanced at him again but didn’t say anything more.
As it turned out, being cautious was indeed wise. Although Ming i felt fine, her pulse was slightly irregular, indicating that last night’s events had affected her, whether it was the shock or the physical exertion. The doctor advised seriously, “I recomnd your wife rest at ho for a week.”
Zhuang Zhixi’s expression turned serious. “Is she…”
“Your wife has indeed experienced so instability in her pregnancy. She might feel fine because she’s usually healthy, but her pulse is a bit irregular. Normally, this wouldn’t be a big issue, but since she’s carrying twins, extra caution is necessary. Resting now is a precautionary asure. It’s better to prevent problems than to deal with them later, which would be hard on both the mother and the babies.”
Zhuang Zhixi nodded.
Ming i asked cautiously, “Is there anything I should be extra careful about?”
“I’ll write down so precautions for you. Also, you should focus on nutrition. Eat well…” The doctor looked up at Ming i. “Well, you probably don’t lack for food, but you’re eating for three now. If you have the ans, eat even better.”
Ming i replied, “Alright.”
She smiled softly, feeling a bit more at ease.
It had to be said that while pregnancy was a shared experience with her husband, seeing the doctor at tis like this was more reassuring than seeing her man.
This was no exaggeration.
As the doctor wrote down the precautions, Ming i carefully tucked them into her pocket.
“Your condition isn’t too severe, so I won’t prescribe any dication. Focus on dietary supplents at ho.”
“Got it.”
The young couple left the hospital with the dical records. Zhuang Zhixi had one arm around Ming i, which would have been considered inappropriate in public, but since Ming i was visibly pregnant, it was fine.
He held his wife with one arm and carried a bag with the other, being extrely careful.
Ming i laughed. “I’m really fine.”
“Still, we need to be cautious.”
Ming i said, “I didn’t expect to need so much rest. I don’t feel anything wrong. I thought they’d prescribe a bunch of pregnancy dications, but they didn’t…”
Zhuang Zhixi thought to himself that while the seven-day leave was due to Ming i’s unstable pregnancy, it might also have sothing to do with that one-yuan bill…
He didn’t say anything, just smiled. “The doctor said to focus on dietary supplents. I’ll ask Mom to make you stead egg with minced at tonight.”
Ming i swallowed. “That sounds great.”
She mumbled, “Ever since I got pregnant, I’ve been craving food more than ever.”
Zhuang Zhixi said seriously, “It’s not you craving food. It’s the babies. They’re the ones who are hungry.”
Ming i burst out laughing.
The couple returned ho, where everyone was still chatting. Zhao Guihua imdiately asked, “How is she?”
Zhuang Zhixi replied, “The doctor said she’s a bit unstable and needs to rest for a week. He’s prescribed a week of leave.”
“Oh!”
“That’s not good.”
“Pregnant won need to be careful…”
To everyone, a week of rest prescribed by the doctor was a big deal.
“It’s not easy being pregnant.”
“Definitely not.”
Zhuang Zhixi said, “You all stay here. I’m going to Ming i’s workplace.”
They needed to submit the dical records. If it were just three days, Zhuang Zhixi would have waited for Ming i to bring them when she returned to work, but since it was a week, he decided to deliver them personally. Three days and seven days were quite different, and he didn’t want to disrupt their work.
“Alright, go ahead.”
He held Ming i’s hand. “If you’re not feeling well, lie down for a bit.”
Ming i shook her head. “I’m fine. I want to chat with everyone.”
Who doesn’t love a good gossip session?
Everyone understood, and Zhuang Zhixi smiled as he left.
Truth be told, he visited Ming i’s workplace often, but this was the first ti he went upstairs. He registered at the security desk downstairs before heading to Director Chen’s office with the dical records. “Hello, Director Chen. I’m Ming i’s husband, Zhuang Zhixi. I’m here to deliver her dical records. The hospital recomnded a week of rest, and my wife didn’t want to disrupt work, so she asked to bring them over imdiately.”
Director Chen nodded. “I recognize you. You always pick her up.”
She looked down at the records and was surprised. “A week of rest?”
Zhuang Zhixi nodded, putting on a concerned expression. “Yes, the doctor said she’s unstable and needs to rest. It’s mainly because of last night’s scare…”
Director Chen quickly asked, “I only heard that Ming i needed leave due to instability, but I don’t know the details. What happened? Did you not take good care of your wife?”
Zhuang Zhixi hesitated. “Well, it’s a long story…”
“Go on.”
Zhuang Zhixi began, “A while ago, a young man from our compound got into a fight with a neighbor from the next compound. He ended up injuring the neighbor… down there.”
Director Chen nodded. “I see.”
Zhuang Zhixi continued, “Yesterday morning, it was confird that the injured man can no longer have children. So, he went crazy and attacked our compound in the afternoon…”
He recounted the story vividly, concluding, “I was unlucky enough to run into him when I went to the bathroom at night. He tried to kill to cover his tracks, but just as he was about to strike, a bolt of lightning hit him. My wife was terrified when she ran out, and that’s why she’s unstable now.”
Director Chen was silent for a long ti. Finally, she said, “So, the story about soone being struck by lightning was from your compound.”
Zhuang Zhixi nodded. “Yes. Has it already spread that far?”
Director Chen nodded, "Indeed, it seems the whole city knows about it by now."
After all, such a bizarre and superstitious incident spreads like wildfire.
Director Chen continued, "Well, that's that. Co with . Let Ming i rest at ho. I'll take you to the personnel departnt to hand this over."
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "Alright, thank you."
"No problem, it's the least I can do. Ming i's mother and I go way back."
The two of them headed to the personnel departnt. Director Chen imdiately started chatting, "Hey, did you hear? About the one who got struck by lightning..."
Zhuang Zhixi... couldn't leave now.
"Ah, I heard it happened twice?"
"What does it look like when soone gets struck by lightning? Did you see it?"
"Just thinking about it gives the chills."
"Xiao Zhuang, right? Tell Ming i to rest at ho. Coming to work now would only invite trouble..."
It wasn’t just their courtyard neighbors who were gossiping; everyone was. Hearing this, Zhuang Zhixi imdiately asked, "Trouble? What kind of trouble could a pregnant woman possibly invite?"
"Ugh, there are always those shaless ones. About half a month ago, a woman was transferred here. She’s really... Even though we’re all won, she doesn’t seem to understand the struggles won face. All she cares about is how much she can benefit. You have no idea, this person..."
Zhuang Zhixi listened with a smile, paying close attention.
In no ti, Zhuang Zhixi had a rough idea of what was going on. His expression remained unchanged, and he said with a smile, "She probably doesn’t know about Ming i’s condition. If she did, she wouldn’t be saying such things. Ming i’s current state requires her to rest more, as per the doctor’s orders. She can’t even work as a bus conductor catching thieves right now. Even if she were to work normally, she’d likely need frequent leave. Of course, one should strive in their work, but her health and circumstances don’t allow it. There’s just no way around it. Ming i’s been feeling down about not being able to work, so I’ve been telling her not to overthink it and to focus on taking care of her health."
"Exactly."
"You’re quite naive, always seeing the good in people. So just want to step on others to get ahead."
Zhuang Zhixi smiled, looking innocent and pure, "That can’t be true, can it?"
"Are you stupid?"
Zhuang Zhixi remained pure, his smile radiant.
However, no one pressed the issue further. Everyone was more curious about the lightning strike victim.
After finishing his leave application, Zhuang Zhixi didn’t linger, leaving the gossip to the others. But no one knew that as soon as he left Ming i’s workplace, his expression darkened. Instead of going ho, he headed straight to his mother-in-law’s house...
Soone was scheming against his wife, and he needed to find out who this woman was and where this mad dog had co from.
Zhuang Zhixi rode his bike towards his mother-in-law’s house and unexpectedly saw a familiar face from their courtyard—Hu Huihui.
Hu Huihui claid to have fled her ho to escape an arranged marriage and now worked as a temporary worker at the cultural center, earning ten yuan a month. But at this mont, she was coming out of another place—the local committee.
She walked out with a sling bag, accompanied by soone else.
Well, Zhuang Zhixi recognized this person too.
It was Deputy Director Zheng, the one who had been leading the team cleaning the toilets at their alley entrance for days. Not just Zhuang Zhixi, even little Yanzi from the kindergarten could recognize him at a glance.
The two of them walked east together, with Hu Huihui seemingly having so trouble with her legs, swaying and leaning into Deputy Director Zheng.
Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
So, her coming to the courtyard was indeed for ulterior motives.
Zhuang Zhixi shook his head, not bothering to figure out what this woman was up to. It was probably what he suspected anyway.
Zhuang Zhixi didn’t want to say much more; he just needed to keep it in mind. He sped towards his mother-in-law’s house, pedaling like the wind, turning the corner in a flash...
anwhile, Hu Huihui was saying to Deputy Director Zheng, "My cousin definitely lied. She slept with Yu Baoshan, I’m sure of it."
She was very excited, but Deputy Director Zheng didn’t care about that.
He was more interested in whether there was any news about hidden treasures.
He wasn’t interested in these affairs.
Unless it was his own.
"So, she’s hiding it because she’s close to Yu Baoshan?"
Hu Huihui: "I’m not sure, I can’t say for certain, but she can’t hide it, no way, hehe..."
Wang Xiangxiu had always been rude to her, but now, she wasn’t going to let it slide!
She was going to make sure everyone knew about this.
You, Wang Xiangxiu, took money and still treated poorly?
Well, I’m not to be ssed with either!
Hu Huihui cackled, feeling imnsely satisfied...
Now, she had caught your little secret!
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