Chapter 67

For ordinary people, the lunar New Year's Eve is the real start of the New Year. As soon as the twelfth lunar month begins, the festive atmosphere in Kuanyang Township becomes increasingly thick. People are busy cooking meat, pasting Spring Festival couplets, buying New Year's goods, steaming New Year cakes, and setting off firecrackers, all with great enthusiasm.

Cheng Jemin walked down the bustling street, watching the crowds at the New Year's market. His originally somewhat depressed mood was lifted by the lively scene. In recent days, he had met Lu Xiaoyang several times, but each time, although Lu Xiaoyang was very friendly, he never mentioned work.

From Lu Xiaoyang's reaction, Cheng Jemin could already sense the coldness and distance. Moreover, the attitudes of others towards him were also changing subtly. Although everyone politely called him Deputy Township Chief Cheng, it was clear that not many people took him, a deputy township chief on a temporary assignment, seriously.

Faced with this situation, although Cheng Jemin felt uncomfortable, his rationality told him that the more such a situation persisted, the more he needed to stay calm. As a newcomer, what he needed to do now was to observe calmly and make plans after the New Year.

With a more relaxed mindset, Cheng Jemin felt much more at ease staying at the township government, as if he had returned to his middle school days in the countryside. This was also one of the reasons he had come out to the market this morning.

"Beep beep beep"

Suddenly, his pager rang. Cheng Jemin picked it up and saw the message: "Cheng Jemin, this is Li Jinhui, call me back quickly."

What could Li Jinhui want? Cheng Jemin looked around and saw a public phone at the entrance of the post office nearby. He walked over and dialed the number Li Jinhui had left.

"This is Li Jinhui, who is this?" As soon as the call connected, Li Jinhui's authoritative voice came through.

Cheng Jemin had often heard Chen Bingnan speak this way in the past. Hearing Li Jinhui's voice now, he felt a bit strange. However, he still smiled and said, "Leader Li, it's me, Cheng Jemin!"

"Oh, you're just joking, calling me leader. Are you upset that I didn't call you Deputy Township Chief Cheng?" Li Jinhui spoke with great skill, making you feel very close from the start.

"Brother, what are you up to?" Li Jinhui, knowing that Cheng Jemin was five years younger, had started calling him brother.

Cheng Jemin chuckled and said, "What can I be busy with? I'm not busy at all."

"Me neither. I really don't know why the leadership sent us down here at this time! Although the leadership meeting assigned me a lot of responsibilities, who has the heart to work during the New Year?"

From Li Jinhui's words, Cheng Jemin could sense that Li Jinhui's work environment was quite good, which further confirmed his suspicion that he was being deliberately sidelined.

"Brother, it's almost the New Year. I plan to return to the province after the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. Although we are from all over the country, since we have come to Cangliu County, we are working towards a common goal. This is a rare bond. Therefore, I want us to gather and chat." Li Jinhui changed the subject and expressed his intention.

Cheng Jemin smiled and said, "Brother, you decide the time and place, and I'll be ready whenever you call."

"Since you say that, I'll set the place. But we must agree in advance that everyone must come, no excuses!"

After hanging up with Li Jinhui, Cheng Jemin began to reflect on himself. Although these people who came down with him were his competitors, they were also a resource for him. Being assigned to the same place for rural support was a rare bond. Li Jinhui's initiative to organize this gathering showed that he was quite perceptive.

Thinking about Li Jinhui, Cheng Jemin couldn't help but think about his own responsibilities. From Li Jinhui's attitude on the phone, it seemed that the phone was Li Jinhui's personal line. In a township, there were only three or four phones, and for Li Jinhui to get a dedicated line so quickly suggested that he was doing well in his new position.

Thinking about how he was still being sidelined and left to familiarize himself with the environment, Cheng Jemin felt a bit sad. However, as soon as this feeling of dejection appeared, he encouraged himself: "Is this little setback enough to make you give up? If you give up now, how can you face Gu Xixi, who has such deep feelings for you? Do you really want her to have a big fight with her family after three years just to be with you?"

"Stop that thief, don't let him get away!" Suddenly, a commotion broke Cheng Jemin's thoughts. He looked up and saw a young man running towards him like a sprinter, holding what seemed to be a fruit knife in his hand.

Behind the young man, a man in a police uniform was chasing him from the back door, shouting for people to intercept him. However, the young man's wild waving of the fruit knife intimidated anyone who tried to stop him.

Seeing this, Cheng Jemin quickly made a judgment: the one running in front was a thief. In the past, he had also gone to the market with his family in his hometown and remembered an old man who had cried bitterly after his money from selling a pig was stolen.

Without much thought, Cheng Jemin ran over. At the same time, a man in his forties also ran over.

"Damn it, who wants to die, I'll bleed him out!" The thief, seeing someone trying to stop him, roared in anger and wildly waved the fruit knife.

The man hesitated when he saw the knife and stepped aside.

The young thief, seeing the middle-aged man step aside, fled in a panic. As long as he could get past this street and into the alley, his accomplices would be waiting. Even if the police officer ran fast, it would be in vain!

However, just as he was feeling triumphant and thinking he was about to succeed, he suddenly felt a powerful force from his side. Before he could react, he felt a pain in his body and fell to the ground hard.

Before the thief could struggle to get up, a young figure appeared beside him. Without waiting for him to react, the figure kicked the fruit knife out of his hand and pinned him to the ground.

How could this guy be so strong? The thief, in despair, tried to push him off but found his hands like they were clamped in iron, unable to break free.

At this moment, the police officer also rushed over. Without a word, he handcuffed the thief's hands and then panted and smiled, "Brother, you have good skills. I'm Liu Tairan, from the township police station."

Cheng Jemin then carefully examined Liu Tairan. He was about thirty years old, sharp and capable. Seeing him, Cheng Jemin thought of Wu Daguang and wondered if all the police were clones, as they all had a righteous appearance.

"Cheng Jemin, from the township government." Cheng Jemin smiled and introduced himself.

"From the township government? I don't think anyone new has joined the township government recently!" Liu Tairan smiled strangely and asked, "You wouldn't be the Deputy Township Chief Cheng who came down from the province for a temporary assignment, would you?"

Cheng Jemin smiled lightly and said, "What Deputy Township Chief? That's just what the higher-ups say. To be honest, I'm just a regular soldier."

"Liu Chief, please forgive me this time, treat me like a fart and let me go! I promise I won't come to your territory again!" The young man handcuffed by Liu Tairan began to beg for mercy.

Liu Tairan slapped the young man's shoulder hard and said, "Jiang San, how many times have you done this? Look at these people at the market, they are all neighbors. How hard do they work to earn their money? How can you steal from them and feel so at ease?"

Jiang San's eyes darted around and he said pitifully, "Chief Liu, I have no choice. My mother is waiting for me to support her. I can suffer myself, but I can't let my mother starve. I promise, if you let me go this time, I won't do it again!"

Liu Tairan ignored Jiang San and said to Cheng Jemin, "Deputy Township Chief Cheng, this guy is a habitual thief. I'll take him to the station first. If you have nothing to do, let's go to the station and chat."

Cheng Jemin, who was bored shopping alone, smiled and said, "Sure, I'll come along."

Seeing Cheng Jemin agree so readily, Liu Tairan's opinion of him improved even more. As a police officer, he liked people who could step up in critical moments. Cheng Jemin's kick just now was clear to him—accurate and powerful.

At that moment, he felt this young man was extraordinary. Now, this person had agreed to his invitation so readily, without any pretense, showing a very generous character.

"Come, follow me to the station." Liu Tairan thought about Cheng Jemin but said to Jiang San.

Jiang San, a practical person, followed Liu Tairan westward but was pulled back by Liu Tairan, who pointed east and said, "This way."

"Chief Liu, did the police station move?" Jiang San looked at the crowd watching and said to Liu Tairan with a grin.

Although Cheng Jemin had only been in Kuanyang Township for three or four days, he knew that the police station was right across from the township government. Jiang San was right; Liu Tairan was leading him the wrong way.

Liu Tairan hit Jiang San's head and said, "Where I tell you to go, you go. What's with all the talk?"

Cheng Jemin looked at the market ahead and the serious Liu Tairan, gaining a deeper understanding of this righteous police officer. Despite Liu Tairan's rough exterior, his idea was brilliant. It was the peak of the market, and people from all over the area were there. If Jiang San walked through the market, he would lose face and be less likely to commit crimes in Kuanyang Township in the future.

Cheng Jemin almost applauded Liu Tairan's ingenuity!

PS: Next week, I will be competing on the charts with several famous authors. I may not be a god, but I write with great care and have been fortunate enough to be seen and appreciated by many of you. I can't give up easily! Please give me the strength to move forward, brothers!