The beloved but ungrateful girl is reborn: This time she has truly changed.

Ling Heping sighed softly, "Weiwei, relax. You've been holding your breath the whole time, and it's tiring for you. Don't worry, you still have me, your parents, your grandparents, and all your older brothers and sisters. We're all behind you."

Qi Weiwei wiped away her tears: "Which police station is Tang Tiantian in? I want to go see her."

Ling Heping hesitated for a moment: "This matter... would be better discussed between Zhang Qingshan's apprentice and Tang Qu. But if you want to go, then we'll go."

The jeep turned around and drove in the opposite direction.

.

The Hongxing Hutong Police Station is located in a narrow alley in the old city. It has blue bricks and gray tiles, a small storefront, and a white wooden sign with black characters hanging at the entrance, the paint of which is peeling off.

On a winter evening, darkness falls early, and there are few people in the alley, only the distant sound of bicycle bells and faint broadcasts.

Ling Heping's jeep stopped at the entrance of the alley. The two got out of the car and walked into the alley on the frozen ground.

The police station was quiet. A young police officer was on duty at the front desk. When he saw Ling Heping show his identification, he immediately stood up and said, "Chief Ling, Chief Niu is waiting for you in the backyard."

The backyard is a row of separate bungalows, made of red bricks, which look like they were added later.

The courtyard was clean, with some honeycomb briquettes piled up in the corner, covered with straw mats. A man in his thirties, wearing a police uniform, was standing at the door of the middle room smoking. When he saw them come in, he stubbed out his cigarette and went to greet them.

This man is Director Niu.

He wasn't tall, but he was very capable. What was most striking about him were his eyes—they were exceptionally large, with very white sclera and shiny black pupils. His gaze was as sharp as a knife, and when he looked at someone, it was as if he could see right through their flesh to their very bones.

"Brother Ling." Director Niu greeted Ling Heping first, his voice hoarse, then turned his gaze to Qi Weiwei, looked her up and down, and smiled.

That smile was a little scary—not out of malice, but because his features were fierce, and when he wasn't smiling he looked like a door god, and when he smiled he looked even more...incongruous.

Ling Heping smiled and said, "You flatter me. I'm actually a few years younger than you. When I met Minister Zhang, I was just a kid soldier. You can just call me Xiao Ling!"

"Then I'll call you Heping! By the way, this must be Comrade Qi Weiwei, right?" Director Niu said. "Comrade Qi, I'm Niu Dayong, the director here."

Qi Weiwei nodded and bowed slightly: "Hello, Director Niu, I'm sorry to trouble you."

"No trouble at all," Niu Dayong waved his hand. "I will definitely handle this matter personally assigned by Minister Zhang."

He paused, glanced at his watch, and said, "Tang Qu will be here in about half an hour. I've already prepared a room; come with me to wait there."

As he spoke, he turned around and pushed open the door of the easternmost bungalow.

The room was small, about ten square meters, with a square table, a few chairs, and a portrait of Chairman Mao and several certificates of merit on the wall.

A young policewoman was wiping a table when she saw them enter. She stopped and asked, "Chief, would you like to bring your fine tea?"

Niu Dayong nodded: "Brew tea for the three of us. As for the one coming later," he smirked, "just brew him some moldy tea!"

The policewoman smiled knowingly: "Okay!"

She quickly brewed three cups of tea and brought them over.

The tea leaves are indeed excellent; the jasmine dragon pearls slowly unfurl in the boiling water, releasing a delightful aroma.

The cup was a white porcelain cup with the words "Serve the People" printed on it. There was a small chip on the rim, but it was very clean.

The three sat down and waited.

The room was quiet, with only the ticking of the wall clock.

Ling Heping and Niu Dayong chatted, mostly about Zhang Qingshan's interesting stories.

"You know how stingy Minister Zhang is."

Niu Dayong took a sip of tea and said with a smile,

"Back when I was his orderly, he once asked me to buy cigarettes. He gave me fifty cents and told me to buy the cheapest kind. I bought a pack of 'Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers,' which cost thirty-five cents a pack, and I put the remaining fifteen cents in my pocket. Then he asked me for my change, and I said I didn't have any change because the price of the cigarettes had gone up. Guess what he did?"

"What's wrong?" Ling Heping asked.

"He went to the convenience store himself to ask!" Niu Dayong slapped his thigh. "The store owner said the price hadn't gone up, it was still 35 cents. When Minister Zhang came back, he came to me and demanded I hand over the money. I said I'd already spent it, and he made me write a self-criticism, saying I wouldn't get to eat until I wrote a thousand words!"

Ling Heping laughed too: "Hahaha, that's the kind of thing he's capable of doing."

Qi Weiwei listened quietly, occasionally taking a sip of tea.

The tea was indeed fragrant, but she had something on her mind and couldn't taste it.

Through their conversation, Zhang Qingshan's image gradually became more three-dimensional in her eyes—a somewhat stingy, meticulous, but also straightforward old man.

She also learned the root cause of the conflict between Zhang Qingshan and Liang Bing: it turned out that Zhang Qingshan had once taken a liking to one of Chen Hongli's cousins ​​and wanted to marry her, but Liang Bing ruined the whole thing.

Liang Bing felt that Zhang Qingshan was stingy and much older than the girl, so they were not a good match.

The two became sworn enemies from that moment on.

Qi Weiwei listened, feeling a mix of emotions.

The relationship between people is sometimes just that subtle.

A small thing can be remembered for a lifetime.

As we were talking, we heard footsteps outside.

The policewoman arrived with one person.

The door opened, and Qi Weiwei looked up.

Then, the color drained completely from her face in an instant.

The person who came was not Tang Qu.

Yes—Tang Aijun.

He was wearing an ill-fitting dark gray cotton-padded coat, with long sleeves and a long hem, loosely draped over his body.

Qi Weiwei recognized it at a glance; it was Tang Qu's old clothes.

Tang Qu was taller and stronger than Tang Aijun. Tang Aijun looked like a child wearing adult clothes when he wore Tang Qu's clothes.

Tang Aijun looked much thinner than when he last saw him at the railway family compound.

Sunken cheeks, prominent cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and bloodshot eyes.

His complexion was ashen, and his lips were dry, cracked, and peeling.

His beard was stubble, and even his shaved head was covered with dark stubble.

He saw Qi Weiwei, paused for a moment, and then subconsciously raised his hand to smooth his hair—this was his habitual gesture; he used to do this when he thought he was very handsome.

When I was smoothing my hair, I realized that my hair had been shaved off, and I awkwardly withdrew my hand.

Qi Weiwei tightened her grip on the teacup.

She never expected that it would be Tang Aijun who came.

What about Tangqu?

That old fox, he didn't come himself, but sent his son instead?

Ling Heping's expression also changed.

He glanced at Qi Weiwei, then at Tang Aijun, his eyes becoming wary.

Niu Dayong truly lives up to his reputation as a veteran police officer; his ability to read people is top-notch.

He saw Qi Weiwei's pale face, Ling Heping's tense expression, and then looked at Tang Aijun, who was clearly a young man, and immediately understood.

He had somehow acquired a black leather belt—it must have been taken off his waist.

The moment Tang Aijun was brought in by the policewoman, he suddenly raised his belt and slammed it hard against the table!