We asked you to make an anti-corruption film, but you made one in the name of the people!

Lin Mo stayed in his hometown for ten days.

From the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month to the 7th day of the first lunar month, his mother would drag him out of bed every morning to eat breakfast. At noon, he would help his father move things and do some odd jobs. In the evening, the three of them would sit around the TV and eat sunflower seeds.

On the evening of the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Lin Mo was scrolling through his phone in his room when he heard his mother's voice coming from the living room.

"Son! Come here!"

Lin Mo shuffled into the living room in his slippers and saw his mother squatting next to her suitcase, with a pile of things spread out on the floor beside her.

Six pieces of cured pork, two large bags of sausages, a bag of lotus root slices, three jars of chopped chili peppers, a bag of tea, and several boxes of Xiaogan sesame candy and Wuchang dried fish.

They were stacked up neatly, like a street stall.

"Mom, this is too much." Lin Mo felt a chill run down his spine.

"What do you mean, 'a lot'?" Lin Ma didn't even look up as she started stuffing the box, muttering as she did so, "Listen to me, of these six pieces of cured meat, two are for Director Wang, the leader of the unit where you're on temporary assignment. He's been so good to you, you have to remember that."

Lin Mo opened his mouth, but couldn't get a word in edgewise.

His mother continued, counting on her fingers: "These two points are for Chief Prosecutor Zhao. Didn't you mention on your last phone call that he awarded you a second-class merit? It's your good fortune that such a high-ranking leader would remember a young person like you."

"These two—" She picked up the last two pieces of cured pork, "One is for your former section chief, the one surnamed Han, and the other is for your colleagues to share. Slice it thinly and stir-fry it with garlic sprouts, so everyone can have a couple of bites."

Lin Mo stood to the side, unsure of what to say.

His mother picked up the three jars of chopped chili peppers again: "These are for close colleagues. They're not expensive, just a token of our appreciation. You can divide these three jars as you see fit." She then stuffed the packet of tea into the corner of the box. "This is for your Director Han. You mentioned before that he likes to drink tea."

Old Lin sat up from the sofa at some point. The TV was still on, but he didn't watch it. He watched the mother and daughter pack their things.

"Where's your bottle of wine?" Old Lin suddenly asked.

Lin Mo was taken aback: "What kind of wine?"

"Take that bottle from my cabinet back with you." Old Lin stood up, walked to the cabinet, took out a bottle of wine, wrapped it in two layers of newspaper, and stuffed it into the box.

Lin's mother nodded in agreement: "Yes, Chief Prosecutor Zhao must be given something. The big boss has everything he needs, but you can't come empty-handed; it's a matter of courtesy."

Old Lin spent his entire life working at the grassroots level. He wasn't high-ranking, but he was very adept at navigating interpersonal relationships.

"Okay, I'll take it." Lin Mo took the bottle of wine, wrapped himself in another layer of clothing, and put it in the middle of the suitcase.

Lin's mother stuffed two more sweaters into the box—one gray and one dark blue, both of which she had rushed to knit during the Chinese New Year.

The stitches are much neater than last year's scarf; his mother's skills have improved.

"Mom, there's heating in Yanjing, you don't need to wear so many layers."

"Don't you need to wear it when you go out?" His mother rolled her eyes at him. "You're out and about every day when you're filming, aren't you cold?"

Lin Mo fell silent.

Old Lin stood by and watched, then added, "When it's time to give gifts to the leaders, don't be shy. Giving gifts isn't about currying favor, it's about showing your appreciation. We can't be of much help to you while you're out there, so here's just a little something for the leaders to try."

Lin Mo nodded: "Dad, I understand."

The next morning, Lao Lin drove him to the high-speed rail station.

Old Lin didn't say much the whole way. When they arrived at the high-speed rail station, he took his suitcase out of the trunk, placed it in front of Lin Mo, and said, "Be careful on the road."

Lin Mo took the box.

Old Lin added, "Remember what your mother said? Don't be stingy when giving gifts; give what you should give."

"Dad, don't worry."

......

The high-speed train journey took more than four hours, and we arrived in Yanjing at 2 PM.

As soon as I stepped out of the station, a cold wind hit me in the face. It was dry and cold, and the wind felt like a knife scraping my face.

Unlike my hometown, which is damp and cold with moisture in the wind, it's cold but not bone-chilling.

Wrapped himself tightly in his down jacket, Lin Mo hailed a taxi back to his residence.

Pushing open the door, the room was as cold as an icebox.

I turned on the heater, laid my suitcase on the floor, and started taking things out.

Cured pork, sausages, lotus root sandwiches, chopped chili peppers, tea leaves, sesame candy, dried Wuchang fish, sweaters, Lao Lin's liquor... one by one, they were taken out and arranged in categories.

After he finished tidying up, he sat on the sofa to catch his breath.

The next morning, Lin Mo went out with a backpack slung over his shoulder. The backpack was so full that the zipper could barely be closed.

When he arrived at the Ministry of Public Security building, the security guard glanced at him and said, "Director Lin, why are you carrying such a big bag today? Moving?"

"Bring some local specialties." Lin Mo smiled.

I swiped my card to enter the building, went to my office to put my things down, and then took out the first bag—two pieces of cured meat—and went upstairs.

The door to Director Wang's office was ajar, and Lin Mo knocked on it.

"Enter."

Pushing open the door, I saw Director Wang sitting behind his desk reading a document, his glasses perched on his nose. When he saw Lin Mo come in, he took off his glasses.

"Kobayashi, you're back? When did you arrive?"

"It just arrived yesterday afternoon." Lin Mo put the bag on the coffee table. "Director Wang, I brought you some cured meat from home. I gave you two pieces to try. My mom cured it herself."

Director Wang stood up, walked to the coffee table, picked up a piece of cured pork, looked at it, and smelled it. "Hmm, this is good. The ones from the supermarket aren't as fragrant." He put the cured pork down, looked at Lin Mo, and said, "Your mother cured this herself. You're giving it to me. Doesn't your mother feel bad about wasting it?"

"My mom specifically asked me to bring this to you," Lin Mo smiled. "She said Director Wang is taking care of me and told me to make sure to bring it to you."

Director Wang paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Your mother is a very honest person." He patted Lin Mo on the shoulder, "Alright, I'll take it. Later, I'll have your sister-in-law stir-fry some garlic sprouts and cured pork, and you can eat with her."

Lin Mo agreed.

Director Wang sat down again, picked up his teacup, and took a sip: "How was your holiday at home?"

"It was great. I spent a few days with my parents."

"That's good." Director Wang nodded. "At your age, this is the time to work hard, but you can't forget your family. Your mother brings you things, and you give gifts to your superiors. These are all favors—favors are not a bad thing; they are the most basic warmth between people."

He paused for a moment, then said, "But don't overthink it. Whether I send you gifts or not, my opinion of you will remain the same. What you did last year can't be measured by two pieces of cured meat."

Lin Mo nodded: "Director Wang, I understand."

After leaving Director Wang's office, Lin Mo went to Sun Jianguo's office.

"Xiao Lin is back! How was the New Year? Did you gain weight?" Sun Jianguo looked him up and down.

"Director Sun, I'm the kind of person who can eat whatever I want and not gain weight." Lin Mo took out a jar of chopped chili peppers from his bag and placed it on the table. "This is chopped chili peppers from my hometown. It's good for stir-fries and noodles. Please try it."

Sun Jianguo picked up the jar of chopped chili peppers, unscrewed the lid, took a sniff, and his eyes lit up: "This is great! I love spicy food!" He put the lid back on, looked at Lin Mo, and asked, "Did your mom make this?"

"Yes, I pickled them myself."

"Your mom's cooking is pretty good." Sun Jianguo placed the chopped chili peppers in the most conspicuous spot on the table. "I'll get some rice from the cafeteria at lunchtime and eat this with it."

The two chatted for a while about the New Year. Sun Jianguo said that seven or eight relatives had come to his family for the New Year, and the children were making a lot of noise, which gave him a headache. Lin Mo said that there were only three people in his family, and it was quiet. Sun Jianguo was extremely envious.

After leaving Sun Jianguo's office, Lin Mo returned to his own office, picked up another bag—a piece of cured meat and a packet of tea—and then took a taxi to the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

I went to Lao Han's office first.

Old Han was frowning at the computer screen, his fingers tapping the keyboard twice and then pausing; it was clear he was revising some materials.

Seeing Lin Mo enter, his brows remained furrowed.

"Director Han, I brought you some things from my hometown." Lin Mo placed the bag on the table.

Old Han put down the mouse, opened the bag and saw—a piece of cured meat and a packet of tea.

He picked up the cured meat, smelled it, nodded, then picked up the tea leaves, brought them closer to examine them, and smelled them again: "From Enshi?"

"Yes, my dad got it from a colleague; it's good tea from Enshi."

Old Han put down his tea leaves, finally looked at Lin Mo properly, and his brows relaxed: "Are your parents in good health?"

"That's fine."

"That's good." Old Han leaned back in his chair, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked in a surprisingly calm tone, "How many days have you been at home?"

"Ten days."

"Ten days." Old Han repeated, then nodded. "Okay, you barely rested last year."

Lin Mo smiled and said, "Without Director Han's decision to let me direct 'In the Name of the People,' there would be nothing like this."

Old Han waved his hand, his tone returning to its usual stern: "Alright, alright, enough of this nonsense. I've taken the cured meat and the tea. You should head back now; there's still work to be done at the Ministry of Public Security."

Lin Mo stood up and walked to the door when Old Han added, "By the way, your temporary assignment will expire in a few months. After you come back, the institute has been considering your situation. Just do what you need to do and don't worry about anything else."

As Lin Mo stepped out of Lao Han's office, he took a deep breath.

The last stop – Prosecutor Zhao's office.

Zhao Jian's door was closed, so Lin Mo knocked twice.

"Come in."

Pushing open the door, I saw Prosecutor Zhao sitting in his seat, flipping through a thick file.

Upon seeing Lin Mo, he closed the file and took off his glasses.

"Kobayashi, you're back?"

"It just arrived yesterday, Inspector Zhao. I wish you a belated Happy New Year." Lin Mo put the bag on the table. "The cured meat was made by my mother herself, and there's also a bottle of wine—my dad asked me to bring it. It's not any fancy wine, it's from a local winery in our hometown. My dad said it's just a token of his appreciation."

Zhao Jian looked at the cured meat, then picked up the bottle of wine and looked at it again.

It's not Moutai, it's not Wuliangye, it's just an ordinary local liquor, and the label is even a bit worn out.

"I'll keep this bottle of wine. I'll drink it myself during the holidays and won't give it away."

Lin Mo nodded.

Zhao Jian patted him on the shoulder and added, "After you come back from your secondment, do a good job. The institute has high hopes for you."

After delivering most of the cured pork, Lin Mo tidied up the remaining items—slicing one piece of cured pork to distribute to colleagues, keeping the sesame candy and dried fish in the office, and freezing the lotus root slices in the refrigerator to eat slowly.

I was just about to cook a bowl of noodles for a quick meal when my phone vibrated.

Old Zhao sent a message: "Director Lin, are you home? I'm downstairs at your place."

Lin Mo paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes, yes, I'm on the third floor. I'm coming down!"

I shuffled downstairs in my slippers, pushed open the unit door, and there stood Old Zhao standing there.

Wearing a black cotton coat, he was stamping his feet from the cold, carrying two large bags that were so heavy they made his arms tremble.

"Old Zhao! What brings you here? It's freezing cold." Lin Mo quickly stepped forward and took a bag from him.

"I brought you some things." Old Zhao chuckled, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "I went back to my hometown for the Chinese New Year and brought back a lot of things. I figured you must be back too, so I came over."

The two went upstairs.

Lin Mo poured a cup of hot water for Lao Zhao, who took it to warm his hands first, then held it in his hands without drinking it.

"Director Lin, these are all things from my hometown." Old Zhao opened the two bags. "One bag of millet, grown by my mother herself. One bag of dates, from the date tree in my father's yard. They were dried in the autumn and stored until now. There are also a few pairs of cotton insoles, made by my wife. You can wear them in your shoes to keep them warm."

Lin Mo squatted down and examined them—the millet was golden yellow, the dates were bright red, and the cotton insoles were densely stitched, layer upon layer, and felt as thick as shoe insoles.

"Old Zhao, you're too kind. It's not easy for you to come home for the New Year, and you're giving me so much of the things you brought back..."

"Hey, what are you saying, Director Lin?" Old Zhao interrupted him, his tone unusually serious. "Last year, I worked with you on three films. Before, I, Old Zhao, was just a handyman in the industry, anyone could hire me. But now it's different—people are scrambling to hire me as an executive director. Why? Because I've worked with you."

"You are my benefactor. These things are worthless, they are just a token of my appreciation."

Lin Mo remained silent for a few seconds, then sat down and refilled Old Zhao's cup with hot water.

"Old Zhao, do you think you made a significant contribution to the three films last year?"

Old Zhao was taken aback: "Me? I'm just a gofer."

"Without you running errands, I couldn't have filmed it all by myself." Lin Mo looked at him, her tone very calm. "On the first day of filming for 'In the Name of the People,' the sound system broke down, and you carried the spare sound system three miles away. When filming the dock scene for 'All or Nothing,' it was raining, and you covered all the equipment while getting soaked, and the next day you had a fever of 39 degrees Celsius. When filming the fish stall scene for 'The Storm,' there weren't enough prop fish, so you drove to the suburbs in the middle of the night to find a fish farm to buy some."

Old Zhao opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"You think of yourself as just a gofer," Lin Mo said, taking a sip of water. "But without you, not a single film could be made. Old Zhao, don't feel like you owe me anything. If anyone owes anything, it's me who owes you."

Old Zhao chatted with Lin Mo for a while and then left. Lin Mo went downstairs to see him off.

The day after Lao Zhao's visit, Lin Mo received a call from Zhang Yixing.

"Director Lin, are you at work or at home?"

"At home, what's wrong?"

"Then send me your address, and I'll send you something."

Lin Mo leaned back on the sofa: "No need. You must have a lot to do right after the New Year. Don't make a special trip."

"I'm already near your house," Zhang Yixing chuckled. "If you don't give me your address, I'll wander around the area until I find it."

Lin Mo had no choice but to send the address.

More than half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. When the door was opened, Zhang Yixing was standing in the doorway, wearing a black hoodie with the hood pulled down low, revealing a small section of his dark brown hair.

He was carrying an insulated bag, which was wrapped in a down jacket cover.

"Director Lin! Happy New Year!" He grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

"Happy New Year! Come in, it's cold outside."

Zhang Yixing entered the room, looked around, and paused for a second.

"Director Lin, you live here? This is too..." He swallowed the rest of his words.

"What's wrong?" Lin Mo poured him a glass of water.

"It's too simple." Zhang Yixing chose a polite word, took the water glass, and sat down.

"As long as it's comfortable, that's fine." Lin Mo sat down opposite him and pointed to the insulated bag. "What's this?"

"Oh!" Zhang Yixing quickly opened the insulated bag, inside which were three neatly stacked food containers. He took them out one by one and placed them on the coffee table. "These were made by my mom. Steamed fish head with chopped chili peppers—do you like spicy food? Steamed assorted preserved meats—preserved pork and sausages steamed together. And her homemade braised duck necks, not the Jue Wei kind, but a hundred times better than Jue Wei."

Lin Mo opened the food container and took a look—the chopped chili fish head was covered with a layer of bright red chopped chili, the steamed preserved meat was thinly sliced ​​and arranged in a circle, and the duck neck was shiny with oil.

"Your mom is a good cook."

"That's right." Zhang Yixing rarely showed a hint of pride.

The two chatted for a while, and then saw Zhang Yixing off.

Lin Mo had only closed the door for less than two minutes when his phone rang again.

This time it's Jin Chen.

"Director Lin, Director Lin, are you home?"

"exist."

"I'll be right downstairs!"

Lin Mo sighed, then shuffled to the window in her slippers and looked down—Jin Chen and an assistant were standing downstairs, the assistant carrying two large suitcases.

As soon as Jin Chen saw him downstairs, she waved with a grin: "Director Lin!"

"Why are you here too—and with so much stuff?"

"Not much, not much!" Jin Chen had his assistant carry the box upstairs. The assistant was panting heavily and left as soon as he put the box down.

Jin Chen squatted down and opened the two boxes. "Director Lin, these are all things I brought from my hometown!"

A box of frozen pears—dark black, as hard as rocks.

A box of red sausages—thick, thin, long, short, all kinds.

Several large bags of dried black fungus and several large bags of hazelnuts. In the corner, there was also a fluffy hot water bottle with a cartoon bear printed on it.

"Frozen pears need to be frozen on the balcony. When you want to eat them, take them out and soak them in cold water until they're soft. When you bite into them, the juice is especially sweet. You can eat sliced ​​red sausage without heating it up. Wood ear mushrooms are good for soup. Hazelnuts are good to eat while watching TV." Jin Chen took out each item one by one, introducing them as if reciting a memorized text.

Lin Mo looked at the things scattered on the ground: "Jin Chen, did you move here?"

"Haha, no, no. It's just that when I went home I told my mom I'd bring you something, and she said to bring a lot, so I brought a little extra." She stood up, dusted off her hands, and sat down on the sofa as if they were old friends. She looked around the room and exclaimed, "Director Lin, your house is so small!"

"It's enough for one person."

"Hmm...that's true." Jin Chen thought for a moment, then grinned and pulled a red envelope from his bag. "A New Year's red envelope for you!"

"Stop messing around." Lin Mo pushed him back.

"It's not for you, it's for your future children." Jin Chen said seriously. "In my hometown, it's customary to give red envelopes to unborn descendants during the Lunar New Year as a way of giving blessings in advance."

"What rules? You made them up on the spot, didn't you?"

Jin Chen laughed and put the red envelope on the coffee table: "Anyway, I've put it here. Whether you accept it or not is your business."

Lin Mo had no choice but to shake his head and sit down.

After seeing Jin Chen off, Lin Mo looked at the growing pile of things in the living room—cured meat, sausages, millet, dates, frozen pears, red sausages, wood ear mushrooms, hazelnuts, chopped chili fish head, steamed assorted cured meats, sesame candy, Wuchang fish… The balcony was full of them, the refrigerator was overflowing, and they were piled up under the coffee table as well.

He stood in the middle of the living room, hands on his hips, and looked around.

He sighed.

But the corners of his mouth were turned up.

Zhang Hao and Wu Erwo did not come to Yanjing in person, but their gifts arrived even though they were not there.

That afternoon, Lin Mo was sitting in his office reviewing some documents when he received a call from the security guard downstairs: "Director Lin, there's a package for you. The box is quite large. Would you like to come down and take a look, or should I bring it up?"

How big?

"They carried it up there by two people."

Lin Mo went downstairs. Next to the front desk was a large box. On the express delivery slip, the sender's name was written crookedly—Zhang Hao.

There was a note stuck to the box, mostly covered by transparent tape. Lin Mo had a hard time reading it: "Director Lin! This place is a specialty of Siping! We eat it with pancakes and pickled vegetables, and dip everything in soybean paste. You can use that bag of rice when you cook!" It was signed by Zhang Hao and Wu Erwo, and a crooked smiley face was drawn at the end.

Lin Mo stood in front of the box, looking at the note, and laughed for a long time.

Lin Mo managed to get the box back to his office.

Upon opening the package, I found two bags of corn pancakes, two boxes of Korean pickled vegetables, a bag of pine nuts, a bag of hazelnuts, a large bag of Jilin rice (10 jin), and two bottles of soybean paste.

He checked the contents of the box, took a picture, and sent it to the "Police and People Working Together" group.

Zhang Hao quickly replied with a photo—he and Wu Erwo were filming in Siping. The two were wearing police uniforms from the drama, standing in the snow, each holding a candied hawthorn and giving a thumbs-up to the camera.

Wu Erwo added a voice message: "Director Lin! Pancakes have to be eaten hot, they're not as good when they're cold! The pickled vegetables are Korean style, they're spicy! Use less water when cooking the rice, make sure each grain is separate!"

Lin Mo replied: "You two should focus on your work on set and stop thinking about sending me things."

Zhang Hao replied immediately: "That won't do. Director Lin, you are our benefactor, and a benefactor must be honored."

Wu Erwo added: "+1".

Lin Mo looked at the screen, shook his head, and starred the chat box between the two people.

Once the Lantern Festival (January 15th of the lunar calendar) has passed, the New Year celebrations are truly over.

Lin Mo's life returned to normal.