Reborn in 97, I solved a cold case at the Municipal Bureau

Chapter 456 Saying Goodbye to You

Zhou Yi remembered that he stayed by Lu Xiaoshuang's side for the two days she was unconscious, almost never leaving her side.

He did mutter some things to himself, but not much, because he was in a regular ward with other patients and their families, so he couldn't say much.

But he couldn't be sure which sentence Lu Xiaoshuang had heard, after all, she was too smart.

"Hey Mom, where's Dad? And Uncle?" He quickly changed the subject.

"He went to buy some snacks to go with the drinks, saying he wanted to have a few with you guys." Zhang Qiuxia glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's already this late, it's already this late, why isn't your dad back yet?"

"I guess they ran into someone they knew and started chatting," Zhou Yi said.

At this moment, the aunt asked, "Sister-in-law, you said we're eating dumplings today because Zhou Yi's merit was approved. What merit did he perform?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qiuxia exclaimed excitedly, "It's called something like 'First-Class Merit,' isn't it, son?"

Zhou Yi nodded: "Yes, the full name is First-Class Merit for Individuals of the Public Security Organs and People's Police."

He was referring, of course, to the first-class merit awards he and Chen Yan received in the Long Zhiqiang case, along with the collective first-class merit award from the Hongcheng Public Security Bureau, which finally came through in early June.

That's why my mother made arrangements to make dumplings for dinner to celebrate.

Auntie exclaimed in surprise, "Really? This first-class merit is the most prestigious one, isn't it?"

Theoretically speaking, the first-class merit is not the highest honor. There are second-class and first-class hero and model worker awards, but those are practically impossible to achieve.

Aunt said to Zhou Yi, "Hey, I heard them say that only family members can receive the first-class merit award."

Zhou Yi was startled and quickly said, "My dear aunt, what you're talking about is the first-class merit in the army, which is different from ours. That's much harder to get than our first-class merit."

In the military, the common saying goes that a third-class merit is received standing up, a second-class merit is received lying down, and a first-class merit is received by the family. There used to be a special-class merit for defending the country, but it was abolished in 1955 because the country was at peace and there was no more war.

Those combat heroes who were awarded the Special Merit Citation deserve the respect of future generations, because they are the pillars of the nation's peace and prosperity.

Aunt Zhou Aihua asked Zhang Qiuxia, "Is there a bonus for Zhou Yi's first-class merit?"

Zhang Qiuxia's voice instantly rose eight octaves, "Of course!"

How much money are you offering?

Zhang Qiuxia proudly held up one finger.

Auntie exclaimed in surprise, "A thousand? That's a lot!"

Zhang Qiuxia instantly grinned so wide her mouth stretched to her ears, and then vigorously flicked her fingers.

The aunt was stunned. "Sister-in-law, it's not ten thousand, is it?"

Zhang Qiuxia smiled smugly and said, "That's right, it's ten thousand."

Upon hearing this, the aunt was overjoyed and kept praising Zhou Yi for his success.

This was in 1997! Ten thousand yuan was more than many ordinary working-class families could earn in a year.

Seeing Grandpa come out of the house, Aunt said to the old man, "Dad, look how successful your eldest grandson is! He has brought so much honor to our Zhou family."

Grandpa was so happy he almost lost his teeth, nodding repeatedly in agreement.

Suddenly, the old man said with some emotion, "You know, they're all our own children, but Zhou Yi is so successful, and what about Xiao Kai...?"

The aunt glared at the old man and said, "On a happy day, don't bring up things that are hard to talk about."

The old man was afraid of his youngest daughter because she was straightforward but had a fiery temper, just like his late grandmother, Zhou Yi.

So the old man quickly shut up and said he'd see what good TV shows were on.

Zhou Yi knew that because of his recent layoffs, his grandfather had probably heard about his second uncle's situation.

That's how the elderly are. No matter how bad their children are, they still have moments of soft-heartedness because in their eyes, they will always see the innocent and naive appearance of their children when they were young.

Aunt said to Zhou Yi, "Zhou Yi, marry Xiao Shuang as soon as possible so that your grandfather can hold his big, fat great-grandson soon."

Lu Xiaoshuang blushed and lowered her head to wrap dumplings.

Zhang Qiuxia spoke up: "What nonsense are you talking about? Xiaoshuang is still in college and should focus on her studies. Marriage should wait until she graduates and starts working. Besides, Zhou Yi needs to work hard, earn more money, get promoted, and create better conditions to provide his daughter with a future guarantee, right?"

"Oh my, he's already so protective of her even before they're married," Auntie teased with a smile.

"Oh no, it's all over!" Zhao Min suddenly exclaimed.

Everyone immediately looked at her, only to see her holding a dumpling with a broken skin, saying, "How did this give me away?"

Lu Xiaoshuang quickly said, "You've stuffed too much filling in this."

The aunt glared at her daughter and said, "Don't cause trouble and waste food, go do your homework."

"Did not bring."

"Hey, didn't you tell me you brought it?"

"I forgot to take it when I left home," Zhao Min said matter-of-factly.

Zhou Yi sat down to help make dumplings and asked, "Mom, how are my grandparents doing?"

"It's fine. Why are you thinking about your grandparents?"

"Oh, I might have to be transferred to Wuguang for a while," Zhou Yi said casually.

"What? Why are you being transferred out of nowhere?" Zhang Qiuxia immediately became anxious.

"Don't worry about the work arrangements. It won't take too long, maybe a few months," Zhou Yi said to Lu Xiaoshuang. "Besides, Wu Guang lives nearby, so I can come back anytime on weekends when I'm free."

Zhang Qiuxia asked nervously, "Won't that affect your promotion?"

Zhou Yi smiled helplessly and shook his head. Sure enough, his mother was still the same: "It won't affect anything; it should even help."

"That's good, that's good. When are you going? I'll tell your second uncle and have him pick you up."

"I'm still waiting for notification from above. I estimate it might be in August."

Wu Yongcheng had told him earlier that this matter had to wait for unified instructions from the provincial department, because it wasn't just Zhou Yi and Chen Yan; each city had at least two slots. So, who would go, where they would go, and where the local authorities would place them all had to be studied and discussed.

Zhou Yi was in no hurry. He wanted to wait until Lu Xiaoshuang's summer vacation started so he could take her to Yunxia Mountain to watch the sunrise first, and then go back to the Northwest with her to meet her parents. After all, this was what he had promised her.

In Hongcheng, at least he has more flexible hours and can easily take leave.

If we go to Wuguang, we definitely won't have that much time.

"Xiao Shuang's summer vacation is almost here, right?" Zhang Qiuxia asked.

Lu Xiaoshuang nodded: "Yes, by the end of this month."

"Have Zhou Yi take a leave of absence and accompany you back to see your parents. You haven't been back for so many years, you must miss them."

Zhang Qiuxia then said to her son, "Your father and I will cover the travel expenses. You can buy some things to take with you."

Lu Xiaoshuang's eyes reddened, and she quickly said, "Thank you, Auntie."

Zhou Yi shook her hand and smiled.

"Hey, what's wrong with Zhou Jianguo? We've almost finished making dumplings, why isn't he back yet? Is he lost or something?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the door opened, and Zhou Jianguo walked in excitedly carrying several bags of snacks to go with his drinks.

Before she could speak, Zhang Qiuxia questioned, "Don't you even know what time it is? You don't know to come home unless I call you, do you?"

Zhou Jianguo said excitedly, "Look who's back!"

Immediately afterwards, a person walked in behind Zhou Jianguo.

Upon seeing this, everyone immediately stood up excitedly, because the person dragging a suitcase in was none other than Zhou Jianye, the youngest son of the Zhou family.

"Oh, it's Third Uncle!" Zhao Min exclaimed happily.

Zhou Jianguo said happily, "Anything else?"

"besides?"

Immediately after Zhou Jianye, a beautiful woman in her early thirties walked in, carrying a four-year-old boy in her arms.

Zhou Aihua excitedly shouted to the old man, "Dad, your youngest son has come back to see you with his wife and son."

Immediately, laughter and cheerful voices filled the Zhou family's old house.

……

When we ate, the table wasn't big enough to seat eleven people.

So Zhou Yi and Zhou Jianye carried out a desk from the master bedroom and placed it on the square dining table, and then everyone squeezed in.

Zhang Qiuxia was busy making dumplings in the kitchen, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Lu Xiaoshuang and Zhao Min are playing with the child.

Zhou Jianye's son is four years old this year. He is fair-skinned and has a pair of bright, piercing eyes, making him especially endearing. Zhou Yi's youngest brother is named Zhou Yuxuan, a true post-90s generation.

“Third Uncle, you didn’t even tell us you were coming back. You’re just catching us off guard,” Zhou Yi said. “You should have told me, and I would have come to pick you up.”

Zhou Jianye chuckled and said, "No need. It's so convenient to take a taxi from the train station. There's no need for you to pick me up. Besides, the surprise is what makes it exciting, don't you think?"

That's definitely Uncle Three's style.

After Zhou Jianguo returned, he went out again, saying that his fourth brother had returned, and today was a day of triple celebration, so he had to go buy two bottles of good wine.

Zhou Jianye patted Zhou Yi, looked at Lu Xiaoshuang and said with a wicked smile, "I told you last time you had something going on, but you wouldn't admit it. It's only been two months and you've already brought such a beautiful wife into the house. You've been hiding it well."

Zhou Yi couldn't explain this. When Zhou Jianye came back last time, he hadn't even met Lu Xiaoshuang yet.

"Isn't that all thanks to you, Uncle? Look how beautiful and elegant Aunt is, and how cute Xuanxuan is. You are my role model."

Zhou Jianye said smugly, "That's right."

"But your partner looks a bit young. How much younger is he than you?"

“Four years old,” Zhou Yi replied.

"Four...four years old? That's only nineteen."

Zhou Jianye clicked his tongue repeatedly: "Tsk tsk tsk, I really didn't realize you, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, had such a talent."

Zhou Yi was both amused and exasperated, and changed the subject by asking, "Third Uncle, how long are you staying this time?"

"See? We'll go back in a few days."

"Okay then, I'll introduce you to someone sometime tomorrow or the day after."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jianye asked curiously, "Who is it?"

Before Zhou Yi could speak, Zhang Qiuxia shouted, "The dumplings are ready!"

"Zhou Yi, why hasn't your dad come back yet?"

……

The temperature was still a bit cool at dusk in June, but it was estimated that it would start to get hot in another ten days or so.

After getting off the bus, Zhou Yi took Lu Xiaoshuang's hand and strolled in the sunset.

“You said before that I wouldn’t have to pay for your return trip. Look, now that my mom has spoken, she’s going to pay for it. You shouldn’t refuse now, right?” Zhou Yi said. “If you don’t agree, my mom will definitely nag me to death. You know how talkative she is.”

Lu Xiaoshuang smiled and did not deny it again.

"Then I'll ask my workplace for leave."

She was referring, of course, to her internship at the tax bureau.

"It's alright, please feel free to go ahead. Your Uncle Wu has been promoted to branch captain and is now the head of criminal investigation. He still has some influence."

The two walked hand in hand without saying a word, and soon they saw the grand school gate not far away.

Zhou Yi cleared his throat and asked, "Um, can a person still be conscious while unconscious?"

What he wanted to ask was, of course, the rambling that Lu Xiaoshuang had mentioned earlier.

Lu Xiaoshuang thought for a moment and said, "It seems a little bit, but it's very blurry. It's like I'm floating somewhere, as if a very long time has passed, or as if time is passing very slowly."

"Then... what did you hear me say?" Zhou Yi asked tentatively.

Lu Xiaoshuang smiled slyly and said, "Guess."

Her words put Zhou Yi in a dilemma; he couldn't very well confess without being asked.

"Brother Zhou, I've arrived. You should go back and rest now," Lu Xiaoshuang said, pointing to the school gate ahead.

Since the Hongda case was closed, the first thing the school did was to install surveillance cameras at the side and back gates of the school, as well as at the exits of the student dormitories.

Therefore, the security situation in Hongda is much better now.

However, physical prevention is always passive. What is truly important is to improve the moral character of teachers and students, as well as their respect for the law.

Watching Lu Xiaoshuang walk into the school gate, wave to him through the gate, and then watch her back disappear into the distance, Zhou Yi turned and left.

I had only taken a couple of steps when my phone rang in my pocket.

"Hello, who is it?"

"Officer Zhou?" a woman said on the other end of the phone. "This is Ding Chunmei. I was wondering if you have some time. I'd like to invite you for a cup of coffee."

Zhou Yi asked curiously, "You have time? But why did you suddenly decide to ask me to have coffee?"

What he was worried about was that something else might happen.

Ding Chunmei said apologetically, "I'm sorry, it's a bit abrupt. It's mainly because I'm planning to leave Hongcheng, so I wanted to say goodbye."

……

Zhou Yi arrived at the coffee shop where he had arranged to meet Ding Chunmei. As soon as he entered, he spotted Ding Chunmei in the corner, head down, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhou Yi quickly walked over, and Ding Chunmei only looked up when she noticed someone approaching.

Zhou Yi noticed that her eyes were red, but when she saw him, she still managed a smile.

"Officer Zhou, I'm sorry to disturb your rest." Seeing Zhou Yi sit down, she quickly handed him a menu and said, "Take a look and see what you'd like to drink."

At that moment, the waiter also came over.

Zhou Yi casually ordered a cup of coffee, then asked seriously, "Has something happened?"

Because in his memory, Ding Chunmei was a very cheerful person.

Ding Chunmei forced a smile and shook her head: "It's nothing."

How could nothing be wrong? A job at a city-level TV station is such a lucrative position, and to just quit like that means something serious must have happened.

“Ding Chunmei, since you came to me, it means you trust me. So don’t feel guilty, just tell me. If it’s within my ability to help, I will definitely help.”

Zhou Yi said solemnly, "If there is any illegal or disorderly conduct, the public security department will definitely investigate to the end!"

Upon hearing this, Ding Chunmei burst into tears and said, "Thank you, Officer Zhou, thank you so much..."

Zhou Yi asked the waiter for tissues and handed them to Ding Chunmei to wipe her tears.

After she calmed down a bit, she finally told the reason.

“I had a senior from our school, two years ahead of me. He was a reporter at a newspaper. A few days ago… I heard he committed suicide by jumping off a building…” Ding Chunmei said with grief and indignation.

"Suicide? Did you encounter some kind of setback or difficulty?"

Ding Chunmei shook her head: "I've asked around among my classmates, but no one knows why he committed suicide."

Zhou Yi frowned and asked, "So, you don't believe he committed suicide?"

Ding Chunmei nodded.

"why?"

Ding Chunmei took a letter out of her bag and handed it to Zhou Yi.

"This is a letter he wrote to me last month."

Zhou Yi took the letter and first looked at the envelope. The address on it was not the TV station, but Ding Chunmei's home address, which indicated that the two had a close relationship and should have maintained the habit of corresponding by letter.

Zhou Yi took the letter out of the envelope, unfolded it, and began to read it.

The contents of the letter were nothing special; it was just sharing some daily work and life experiences, without any special concern or ambiguity, indicating that the two were not in a romantic relationship.

The person who wrote this letter has beautiful handwriting, and the tone of the writing is soothing and peaceful, yet full of vitality.

The letter alone vividly portrays a cultured and idealistic young man.

The letter was short, and it wasn't until the very last paragraph that Zhou Yi realized something was wrong.

"Where justice lies, I will not yield to power or disregard personal gain. I am willing to use my pen as a torch and my heart as a witness, even if it means burning myself out, I will never allow the truth to be shrouded in silence."

“This…” Zhou Yi was stunned, because the last line of text was written with a powerful and vigorous style, like iron strokes and silver hooks.

It seems to express a firm resolve, but in reality, it carries an extraordinary sense of tragedy, as if it were a scene of desolation and impending doom.

“Looking back at this letter now, I realize…” Ding Chunmei said, tears streaming down her face, “It’s as if he had a premonition that something was going to happen to him, and he was saying goodbye to me.”

Zhou Yi turned the envelope over and looked at the sender's information.

"Li Chong, Fenghu District, Wuguang City..."

Zhou Yi was stunned. Wu Guang?

(End of this chapter)