There were still a few days before the new police officers' induction training. When he returned home on Saturday, his sister Zhou Qian was also back. She was sitting outside on a small stool picking leeks. She skillfully picked up a handful of leeks from a large bundle of spread out leeks. After picking them, she used scissors to cut off the roots that still had dirt on them and placed them in the clean pile of leeks.
As I got closer, I could smell the strong aroma of fresh leeks. The big bowl of fresh, green and neatly arranged leeks made me feel relaxed just by looking at it.
Saturday, a lackey came to help quickly:
"The forensic method is different. It's neat and clean."
Zhou Liuyi takes after his father, with tall and delicate facial features, and he can be easily spotted even when standing in a crowd. His sister takes after her mother, with flat facial features and a rather plain look, the kind that you can hardly find if you throw her into a crowd. However, the eyes of these two siblings are equally bright and sharp, and they look very energetic. Even though they have ordinary facial features, they still add a lot to their charm.
Zhou Qian shook her long hair:
"Of course."
Zhou Liu smiled and asked Zhou Qian:
"What cases have you been busy with recently?"
Zhou Qian's hands kept moving:
"I should have gone to see you during the two days you were at work , but I was busy with a case and couldn't leave. It was an elderly couple with a son and daughter-in-law. They were boiling water with gas in their house in the city, but they forgot to turn off the fire. The two fell asleep, and the water extinguished the gas. Later, they were poisoned by gas. When their grandson came home from school, he couldn't open the door, so they called the police, and the fire department also came. 120 took the people away.
The son could not be saved, but the daughter-in-law was.
Later, the daughter-in-law wanted to sell the house at a low price and take her grandson away.
He called again and pestered us, saying that our daughter-in-law had poisoned the water dispenser, rice, and milk at home.
The old lady makes trouble at the door of our unit every day, and our leader can’t do anything about it, so the senior leader has to come down to inspect.
I had no choice but to take samples of the things she mentioned and feed them to the lab mice..."
Their mother Luo Meixia's voice in the kitchen rose eight or nine degrees, roaring like a tornado:
"Go away! If you keep talking, you'll scare the guests away. How dare you come back? You're going to piss me off to death!"
The two of them quickly stopped talking about work, and heard his mother, Ms. Luo Meixia, still scolding his sister:
"I bought you a house so you can live in it and have a better life, not so you can rent it out and squeeze into the company dormitory to work overtime every day. Stay away from my leeks, they smell like formaldehyde..."
Zhou Liu looked at his sister, his eyes widened, and he said in surprise:
"You rented out the house my mom bought?"
Zhou Qian sorted out the last handful of leeks in her hand:
“I often work overtime and can’t get home until 11pm. It takes me half an hour to walk and only five minutes to get back to the dormitory.
The rent of that house is 2300 yuan a month, which is just enough to pay the monthly mortgage. If it is not rented out, it would be a waste. The monthly property fee is 500 yuan, the water, electricity, gas and coal fee is 70 yuan, and the heating fee in winter is 3000 yuan.
I basically just sleep there and eat all three meals in the cafeteria, which is more cost-effective.”
Saturday gave a thumbs up:
"Sister, you really know how to live!"
Zhou Qian said:
"Of course."
But his body was honestly hiding behind Zhou Liuyi, because his mother Luo Meixia had turned off the fire and came out with an iron spoon, looking murderous, and smashed the spoon on the man's head.
His mother has always been busy. When educating her children, she always does it when there are no customers in the store. She just picks up whatever is at hand and beats them, basically relying on the feel of her hands.
If you don’t get first place in the exam, you will be beaten.
He didn't go home after class and went out to play, so he got beaten.
His sister was dating a second-rate boy and was beaten up.
He cut off the little girl's braids and beat her.
…
Over the years, this family atmosphere has remained almost unchanged.
"You've pissed me off. I went to tidy up your room, clean the place, and put food in the refrigerator, but I was still wondering when there was a man in this room. When did you get a boyfriend and live with him secretly without letting me know?
I was thinking, it doesn’t matter if this man’s conditions are not so good, as long as you live well, I don’t care so much. I cooked a table of food and waited for you to get off work.
As a result, the people who came in were a man and a woman.
I couldn't get through to you on the phone, and I was so angry that I called the police. I thought you found a man, stole your house, and brought back a mistress.
This is too arrogant.
As a result, the police came and found out that the two people were a couple and tenants! I actually beat them up and was so embarrassed.
You rented out the house I worked so hard to buy and renovate to outsiders!"
Zhou Liu saw his sister Zhou Qian hiding behind him and couldn't help but give her a thumbs up:
"You are so capable. You actually rented out the house your mom bought for you!"
His sister rolled her eyes:
"Don't gloat over your misfortune. Mom will be even angrier about you. Now, people who work in the system can't afford to buy a house. Isn't it because I want to save more money to help you buy a house and get married in the future?"
this?
This is quite convincing.
Saturday shakes his head:
"No, no, no, you can just save up your dowry. You don't have to save money for me to marry a wife. I'm still young."
His sister also said of him:
"I called you before and asked if you wanted to live in that house. You said you didn't, so I rented it out. I didn't have time to call you, but I sent you money every month. Didn't you notice?"
Well, he owes a debt of gratitude to others. Zhou Liuyi was able to buy so many equipment, and most of it was all from the money his sister sent him. His sister also paid two-thirds of the money for his first computer, and his first mobile phone was also bought by his sister...
Zhou Qian clasped her hands together and said pitifully:
"Help me now!"
Zhou Liuyi is now a head taller than Zhou Qian. His sister standing next to him looks particularly petite. The two of them are hiding from his mother, like they are playing the game of "Eagle Eats Chicken".
Zhou Liu raised his hand and the iron spoon fell on his arm. He shouted:
"Mom, stop hitting me, it hurts!"
Luo Meixia threw down the iron spoon, sat on the stool beside her, looked at her two children with regret, and said with great sorrow:
"I really can't do anything about you two. You want to be a doctor? There are so many top-level hospitals, right? You become more popular as you get older, earn more money, and are respected. Why do you want to be a forensic doctor? You're almost 30, and you don't even have a partner.
You say you want to be a policeman, why can't you apply for a job in the provincial government, write some materials, hold meetings, and come down to inspect? Going to the grassroots level is tiring as a dog. Look at you, you are tanned like a coal ball, so ugly. If I give you a safety helmet, you can go to the construction site to move bricks.
You two are always embarrassing me, and none of you is worry-free!"
Zhou Liu picked up the iron spoon on the ground, put it aside, squatted beside his mother, shook his mother's arm, and said coquettishly:
"Mom, I've been on the bus for more than two hours. It's already past noon and I haven't eaten yet. I'm starving."
When his mother heard the child say he was hungry, she could no longer get angry:
"What? Your company doesn't provide meals?"
Saturday one:
"I was in a hurry to come back to see my mom, so I didn't eat the food in the cafeteria. Besides, the food in the cafeteria is nothing compared to the food at home."
Zhou Qian also came over:
"Mom, I'm hungry too!"
Luo Meixia wiped her hands on her apron, stood up and went in. She first went to the refrigerator to look for vegetables, then went to the kitchen to start cooking:
"You two little monkeys, I really owe you in my past life. You eat my food and use my things. When will I be able to enjoy two days of happiness?"
Zhou Qian took out two sausages from the seasoning box and shared them with Zhou Liu. His mother rolled her eyes:
"Like a starving ghost, I went to the refrigerator to get some meatballs to eat. I fried them this morning."
Saturday Monday has already been turned out and eaten:
"Mom, you fried so many meatballs!"
She quickly thawed the ribs in the microwave, blanched them in cold water, and then like a dragonfly touching the water, she grabbed the onions, ginger, and garlic from the small bowl of seasoning on the counter and threw them into the pressure cooker to stew.
Once the leek, meat and egg filling are mixed together, the dough is made like flying and one dumpling can be made in two seconds. It is so fast.
I even found time to fry three scrambled eggs in the pot and cut two tomatoes. I really couldn't wait to stuff the cooked meal into the mouths of the two children in the next second.
For a moment, the kitchen was filled with fragrance in the afternoon.
Zhou Qian took a deep breath of the aroma, drooling:
"Mom, your cooking is still the best. Our cafeteria is just pig food."
Luo Meixia said disdainfully:
"Tell me, how busy can you two be at work? You never come back to see me. I cook for others every day, but I can't even cook a meal for my own children.
It would be nice if you could find a job near us so we could eat together every day.
I was thinking, why not sell this stall, find a place closer to you two, and open another store, but your training schedule is not fixed, I don’t know when you can settle down…”
Zhou Qian nodded repeatedly, then washed the dishes in the sink, and Zhou Liuyi started mopping the floor.
In less than half an hour, the two of them finished their work, and his mother placed three dishes and a soup on the table. His mother drank half a bowl of soup in one gulp and was busy greeting the two children:
"Try it now. These dumplings are different from frozen ones. They are delicious."
In fact, his mother got up at four o'clock every morning and was busy. She could only find time to eat a bite, and it was almost at this time that she could have a proper meal.
But before I had taken a few bites of the meal, someone came in:
"Is there any more food?"
Zhou Liuyi was just about to say: There is no food.
His mother had already put down her chopsticks and put her hand on his shoulder:
"Yes, what do you want to eat? There are instant noodles with meatballs, noodles, and you can add some mutton and beef. You can also make an egg pancake."
The guest said:
"Meatball instant noodles, and an egg pancake."
The guests saw the dumplings in Zhou Liuyi and Zhou Qian's bowls. The bright green leek and meat fillings were exposed from the thin skin. They looked delicious, so they said:
"Give me some dumplings too."
His mother smiled and refused:
"We don't sell this. I made it for my son and daughter when they came back. The steps are too complicated."
The customer had no choice but to give up and scan the code to pay for the instant noodles and egg pancakes.
He quickly cooked the instant noodles, put the meatballs in, and while waiting for the noodles to soften, he fried an omelet in a frying pan.
I smelled the aroma of scallion oil eggs on Saturday:
"Mom, I want an omelet too!"
His mother took out a frying pan, sat on the gas stove, poured oil, beat eggs and added chopped green onions, and asked Zhou Qian:
"Qianqian, do you want one?"
Zhou Qian picked at the dumplings in the bowl:
"Mom, I don't want to. I've been too fat lately. I want to lose weight."
But he's already made a double batch:
"Why are you losing weight? You're as thin as a stick. Eat one more."
Five minutes later, his mother served the guests and also brought out two egg pancakes for the two children, and gave one to Zhou Qian without saying a word.
The two children, like two sinners, hurriedly buried their heads in their food.
His mother put the ribs in the two bowls and didn't eat herself, just watched them eat.
The guest smiled and said:
"Big sister, I heard that your shop has betrayed two college students."
Luo Meixia said proudly:
"Of course. My daughter passed the civil service exam a few years ago. She's a technical position, which pays two thousand more a month than an administrative position, and she's promoted quickly."
Zhou Qian choked on the soup and coughed several times. His mother quickly took out a tissue:
"Eat slowly. No one is competing with you for it. If it's not enough, I'll make more for you."
Zhou Liuyi remained silent.
His mother introduced to the guests:
"This is my youngest son. He ranked first in the provincial exam this year, more than ten points higher than the second place. He can choose any job in the province."
Now, it was Zhou Liuyi's turn to be choked. Zhou Qian silently took some tissues for her brother:
"Slow down."
The guests were shocked and wanted to get a parenting guide right away:
"Sister, your two children are so outstanding. How did you educate them?"
Luo Meixia pretended to be relaxed and said:
"I don't know. The child grew up on his own. I had no time to take care of the child because I was running this store. I never went to the parent-teacher conferences at school. In the blink of an eye, the child grew up and started working."
The guests were even more envious:
"My child is such a tearful child. His mother used to have a good job, but now she has quit to stay at home to take care of him. He has to attend cram school and interest classes every day, and the tuition for a summer is at least 50,000 or 60,000 yuan.
You see, I can’t even bear to smoke a cigarette, and I can’t bear to add an extra sausage to my instant noodles.
But I am still at the bottom of the class. I am going to college and get a junior college degree. I have to put my reputation aside and ask for help. "
Luo Meixia smiled and said:
"We are both worried about our children. There are no children in this world that are worry-free. Isn't it shown in TV dramas? When children visit the graves of their children, they always say: Dad, Mom, please protect me!"
The guest laughed:
"Indeed, the debt of children lasts a lifetime."
After the guests left, Luo Meixia still felt that the dish was not enough, so she fried another plate of shredded pork instant noodles for the two children. When they finished eating, both of them patted their bellies and said:
"Mom, that's enough, stop doing that. I can't eat any more."
"If you eat any more, I'll have to go out and buy some digestive tablets."
…
His mother sat aside, feeling a little sad, watching Zhou Liuyi and Zhou Qian, as if she could never get enough of them, because Zhou Qian came back in the morning and left in the evening to go on a business trip:
"Look at the company you're looking for. You've traveled all over the country, and there are confidentiality regulations. I can't find you even if I want to."
Zhou Qian walked behind his mother and pressed her shoulders affectionately:
"Mom , I'm young now, so I'll just work hard for a few years. When I get married and have kids, I won't be so careless and my employer won't force me to work. Then I can work from nine to five."
Luo Meixia slammed her hands on the table, furious:
"When you two were little, I looked forward to you growing up. Now that you have grown up, I hope you can live a stable life. I look forward to it every day. When will it end?
I think what people say online is correct.
Only good-for-nothing children come here to repay their gratitude, and you smart ones are here to collect your debts.
Those who studied best all stayed abroad and never came back. It was like their parents had given birth to a child for nothing. Those who were somewhat successful got into big cities and even took their parents’ life savings to pay for the down payment…”
Zhou Qian said:
"Mom, I will come back every week and bring some dry food. If you arrange a blind date for me, I will definitely not let them down and will try to get to know them carefully."
Luo Meixia's face turned from anger to joy, and then she looked at Zhou Liuyi:
"And you?"
ah?
Zhou Liuyi wanted to laugh it off, but Zhou Qian had already gone to clean up the dishes and hid in the kitchen, leaving him alone in the battlefield of gunfire.
Saturday, he said with a brave face:
"Mom, I will get back the 80,000 yuan you were cheated of."
His mother sighed and shook her head:
"Do you remember what the police said when you called them? The money was transferred to more than a dozen places, including southern Yunnan, Mohe, Shaanxi, and taken away by different people. It's not that the money can't be recovered, but it's very expensive to recover it.
The police need to travel, take the train or high-speed rail to the local area, then contact the local police, and then contact the local bank to retrieve surveillance, and then they need victims like us to confirm the transfer information.
This process could take as short as a few months or as long as one or two years, and the money spent would far exceed the 80,000 yuan lost.
The public security department cannot afford to waste this time, and ordinary people like us who run small businesses can't afford to waste so much time.
Out of 80,000 yuan, maybe only 10,000 or 20,000 yuan can be recovered.
This sunk cost is too high and we cannot afford it.
Son, when will you understand that your life cannot stand such wasted time and sinking? "
Luo Meixia rarely has so many philosophical words. Most of the time, she is nagging and seems to have a lot of resentment towards life. She will get furious if radishes and cabbages are one or two dollars more expensive, and will argue with people in the vegetable market for a long time.
If she could save a few cents, she would be happy all day.
When pork was 30 yuan a pound, she spent an entire night struggling between raising the price by 30 cents and not raising the price at all. When pork was 8 yuan a pound, she raised the living expenses of her two children by more than 1,000 yuan.
Her focus is only on money.
As far as she can remember, the happiest day for her was when her family bought their first house. Luo Meixia used a black bag to withdraw all the money from the bank and went to the sales office to complete the transaction.
The mother, who never allowed her children to miss classes and forced them to go to school even when they had a cold or fever, asked her two children to take leave and go with her.
Be vigorous, be proud, and hold your head high!
Before moving, they set off a string of firecrackers, hung a particularly tacky big red silk character called "Fu" on the door, and cleaned the house over and over again with the two of them.
Tell everyone I meet: Our family bought a house here!
The year after my father passed away, the company distributed housing for the last time. Then the price of commercial housing soared. The three of us, mother and son, who rented a house, have been homeless ever since.
It seemed that since she bought the house, Luo Meixia finally showed some joy on her face, but she became more hardworking and capable than before. After settling down, her only goal was to make sure her two children lived a good life!
As far as Zhou Liu could remember, Luo Meixia had never been a kind mother. She didn't have the patience to say too much and was very rough in taking care of the children. She would not speak when she could do it herself.
However, the mother in Zhou Qian’s memory is different.
Luo Meixia would knit sweaters according to the fashionable styles seen on TV, would go to the flower and bird market to buy small goldfish and turtles to raise, would dance with her daughter in the yard with the speakers on, and would patiently braid her daughter's complicated braids.
In the eyes of Zhou Liuyi and Zhou Qian, Luo Meixia are two completely different people.
Luo Meixia had said so much, but he still didn't back down:
"I just want to try it."
Luo Meixia stood up and rubbed her waist:
"Okay, a grown-up son is no longer under the control of his mother. When your sister leaves this afternoon, you go and see her off. I'll go back and rest for a while. You can stay in the store and help out for the next few days. I'm planning to hire a dishwasher."
Luo Meixia said something and Zhou Liuyi nodded. Luo Meixia didn't want to see Zhou Qian off because she kept seeing people off and after that she was the only one returning to the empty store, which made her feel sad.
Saturday one:
"Mom, hire a dishwasher for 2,500 yuan a month. I'll buy you a dishwasher. A 13-piece machine only costs 7,000 yuan. It can be used forever."
Luo Meixia had already stepped out of the door, but turned back:
"The dishwasher can only clean the dishes that are put in order. The dishes will not run into the dishwasher by themselves. The dishwasher can occasionally help me look after the store and can be responsible for carrying the dishes when it is busy.
Liuyi, I know that you are a child who grew up under the Internet, but you also need to understand that machines can never completely replace human labor.
For a small shop like ours, hiring a person is much better than buying a machine."
Saturday is busy:
"I know, Mom, go back and have some rest."
After cleaning up, his sister came out, wiped her hands, took out moisturizer from her pocket and applied some on her hands, then sat down and leaned against the wall to rest.
Zhou Qian called Zhou Liuyi over:
"I think we can pool our money together to buy a dishwasher and give it to Mom, and then we won't object to her hiring someone else."
Saturday one:
"That's what I thought. My salary . I can just buy one for my mom."
Zhou Qian disagrees:
"We agreed that after you start working, we have to be fair about family matters, half for each of us!"
Zhou Liuyi had no choice but to agree. However, he obviously wanted to say something but didn't know how to say it. Zhou Qian kicked him:
"Just say what you want to say! Don't hesitate."
Saturday one:
"I'm sorry."
Zhou Qian rolled her eyes:
"Haha, is there anything else you're embarrassed about?"
Saturday scratched his head:
"Mom is about fifty years old, not too old, right? Can she find a companion? She will have her own life, and she won't focus on the two of us anymore."
Zhou Qian slapped the table, Zhou Liu said hurriedly:
"You object? Then just ignore what I said."
Zhou Qian shook her head excitedly:
"Such a good idea, why did you bring it up now? Why didn't I think of it? You are smart and have many ideas. No wonder I can only study hard for the entrance examination, but you can skip a grade!
You are too busy with your studies and come home too seldom. Let me tell you, Uncle Li next door comes to our house almost every day. He is good at talking and makes our mother very happy. He has been divorced from his wife for several years and they only have one daughter, who is also married.
Do you think this is okay?"
Saturday immediately objected:
"No, he has a big mouth and always owes money on credit. Every year I have to go and collect the debt. He is too shameless. I don't want to call him my stepfather."
Zhou Qian added:
"What about Uncle Sun who is the contractor of the school cafeteria? He is a reliable person and never defaults on payments. Sometimes he even brings a small cake or something. He seems pretty nice."
Zhou Liuyi shook his head again:
"That high school is now a day school. The food in the cafeteria is not tasty, so all the students run out. He wants our mom to work in the cafeteria. Our mom's store is doing well, and she makes as much money as that small cafeteria. Why should we go to work for him?"
…
Zhou Qian proposed a question, Zhou Liuyi objected to it, and as they were chatting, it was time. Zhou Liuyi helped Zhou Qian carry the luggage and went to the station one kilometer away to catch the train.
Zhou Qian's suitcase was full. Zhou Liuyi felt it was too heavy and couldn't help but open it to take a look. There were neatly folded new clothes, snacks and fruits:
"That's too much. It's fine if you pretend to be a meatball, but you also pretend to be a grapefruit?"
Zhou Qian unscrewed the kettle and took a sip :
"Look at the pimples on my forehead. Mom thinks I have a fever and should eat more fruits."
Soon, the car arrived. Zhou Qian got in with her suitcase and said to Zhou Liu what she had not said before:
"I'm leaving. You work hard. If you don't want to go to work, come back."
"It would be enough for our family to have someone working in the public security, procuratorate or court."
"I haven't forgotten that incident. I haven't forgotten it for even a minute."
…
The train whizzed away, and Zhou Liuyi waved towards the distance, his eyes already red.
Zhou Liuyi had been at home for less than a week. He originally wanted to wash the dishes honestly, but people in the electronics mall kept calling him:
"Liuyi, come and help uncle solder a motherboard!"
Saturday one:
"No, I have to wash the dishes."
The young boss A said:
"Two hundred for you!"
Saturday ran away as soon as he put down the bowl.
Boss B:
"Liuyi, there's no end to the virus in this computer. Come over and take a look."
Saturday one:
"No, I have to wash the dishes."
Boss B:
"This kid, the client needs it urgently, I'll give you three hundred!"
Zhou Liuyi put down the bowl and ran away again.
Boss C:
"Liuyi, the screen of this phone is broken. Come over and get a replacement."
Saturday one:
"No, I have to wash the dishes."
Boss C:
"How about three hundred yuan? The client's request is a bit high."
On Saturday, he put down his bowl and ran away again.
…
On Saturday, he put down his bowl and ran away again.
On Saturday, he put down his bowl and ran away again.
…
Damn Luo Meixia stared at the dishwasher in the corner of the restaurant. After 40 minutes of rumbling, she opened it and saw that the dishes were still quite clean. Before she lost her temper, Zhou Liu put her head in front of her with one hand:
"Mom, don't scold me. I have already earned back the money for this dishwasher."
His mother put her hands on her hips:
"I really don't know what the point of being a policeman is. Doesn't this repairman make a lot of money?"
On Saturday, my throat was about to smoke, and I drank half a bottle of water in one gulp:
"In the 1980s, the people who repaired washing machines also thought the same way. In the 1990s, the people who repaired color TVs also thought the same way. How can you make money all the time?"
Luo Meixia was too lazy to pay attention to him:
"Whatever you want, I can't convince you. I will definitely hire another person."
When he left on Saturday, it was in the afternoon. He washed all the dishes in the store, polished every steel seasoning basin until it was sparkling clean, mopped the floor several times, wiped every corner, scraped up the old grease in the kitchen with a shovel, washed the filter of the range hood, and sharpened several knives...
I looked at it over and over again until I could no longer see the housework that needed to be done. I went to buy a lot of things and came back. When I walked in the door, my hands were so heavy that I couldn't lift them.
The fucking thermos can’t keep warm after a while, the throat tea is finished, the slippers are almost worn out, and the old chopsticks in the store have to be thrown away and replaced with new ones...
When he left on Saturday, his mother also carried out a heavy box, which was the same as his sister's. It was filled with new clothes, dry food, fruit snacks, and it was so full that it was about to overflow.
I took out the clothes and tried them on on Saturday, and they actually fit me perfectly.
His mother said with disdain:
"I'm your biological mother, how could I not know what size you wear? I bought you socks of the same color, so if one gets torn, just throw it away, don't bother mending it."
Luo Meixia closed the shop and went to see her son off. She insisted on carrying Zhou Liuyi's suitcase and kept on talking:
"It's not easy to be a policeman, but since you are a policeman, you should not mess around, work hard and make a name for yourself."
"Remember to get some rest. Nowadays, there are fewer police officers being hacked to death by criminals, but there are more who die suddenly from cerebral thrombosis and heart disease due to staying up late. You start working earlier than others, but you will retire at the same age. You have five or six more years to work, so there is still a lot of time. Don't fight over the short term."
"Come home more often when you have time. Forget it. I'll go see you more often when I have time. People are always filial to their parents. In my life, I have only been filial to you two."
"If you encounter difficulties, tell your family. Mom has saved money for you. We are not afraid of anything!"
…