"Hey? You little old lady, my son has become successful and bought a big house. Can't I just be happy?"
Zhou Zhigang argued.
"Okay, take your time and watch. I'm going to get food. Our family has a big reunion this year, so we have to prepare a lot of things."
"Go and do your work, I'll come around and help."
"No, dad, your daughters-in-law are here. There is no need for you to work. After the visit, we will go to the living room and watch TV."
Bingkun said with a smile.
"Have you all bought a TV? There is one in our construction site leader's office. At night, all the workers gather around the office to listen."
"This isn't Brother Bin who brought one back just to have fun during the Chinese New Year."
"Okay, Binzi is really promising."
Before Zhou Zhigang's sighing voice could be heard, he saw two small figures rushing over, chasing him, and bumped into Zhou Zhigang's legs, almost knocking him down.
"Yueyue, Nannan, what's going on? You're so careless. Please apologize to grandpa."
Zhou Bingkun lowered his face.
"Hey, it's okay. It's not because I'm not prepared that I can't stand still, Yueyue? Nannan? Look, what have I prepared for you?"
Zhou Zhigang took out a handful of White Rabbit milk candies from his pocket. Even though the two children had never been short of mouthfuls, they were still excited when they saw the candies. They instantly fell in love with the old man who gave them the candies.
"By the way, Dad, do we have to take a family photo during the Chinese New Year this year?" Bingkun asked.
"I definitely have to take a photo. Oh, look at how hard it has been for this big family to get together. We have to take a photo to commemorate it. Everyone has one photo."
"Then let's go to Dongsheng Photo Studio. I'll make an appointment and try to take the photo before the year, otherwise they can have a holiday."
"Yes! This is a serious matter, Bingkun, I leave this matter to you."
"Don't worry, I guarantee it will be done properly."
After visiting the house, Zhou Zhigang returned to the living room and was about to light a cigarette when Li Suhua snatched the pipe away.
"This damn old man started smoking as soon as he came back. Didn't he see that there were children there?"
Zhou Zhigang patted his forehead and smiled:
"Look at me, I'm not used to it anymore. You're right, I won't smoke anymore, eh? Where are Binzi and the others? When will they come back?"
"Binzi is a big leader now and is very busy. The Chinese New Year is coming soon. He has to take care of all the public security issues in the city. He didn't get home until late at night last night. He was exhausted because of his children."
As Li Suhua talked, she couldn't help but feel distressed.
"Look at you, is it not hard to be a leader? It's not easy for Binzi to run this family. What about Xiaobing and Dongmei?"
"They are in the hospital, and they have to come back from get off work in the evening."
"Well, the children have their own work to be busy with, which is a good thing."
"Yes, we should be happy to see each of our children becoming more successful than the other."
The old couple were sitting in the living room talking. In the kitchen, Bingkun and Zheng Juan were busy eating. People live their whole lives not just for stuttering.
"Juan'er, I may have to go to sea after the new year."
"I know, didn't you say that before?"
"Then the family will rely on you, and you will be alone..."
Zheng Juan touched Bingkun's face gently:
"Don't worry, I'm at home, and you all have to do big things. I don't know anything, so I can do some housework and make sure the house is taken care of."
Zhou Bingkun smiled, hugged Zheng Juan, and said in her ear:
"Let's go back and have another child to keep Nannan and the others company."
"Go, you're not a serious person. Can you help me? If you don't want to help me go out, don't get in the way."
"Help, help!" Bingkun rolled up his arms and sleeves and started working.
In the next few days, Zhou Bingyi and Zhou Rong came back one after another. On New Year's Eve, the whole family was finally reunited.
On this day, even the second floor could not cover the excited voices of the Zhou family. The lively chatter spread to the street and could be heard dozens of meters away.
The two children loved the excitement and ran back and forth in the courtyard and house. Every time they screamed, they could get a handful of candy from the adults.
"Bingkun, have you made an appointment at the photo studio?"
"We made an appointment. Tomorrow morning, we'll do the last thing. After taking care of them, they'll be closed for the holidays."
"Okay, let's walk there together tomorrow morning, just in time to go back to the old house and take a look."
Xu Bing saw the opportunity to perform and said quickly:
"Dad, should I ask the compound to arrange a car? It's too far to walk back."
Zhou Zhigang was about to say it didn't matter, but Li Suhua made the final decision:
"Yes, that's troublesome, Xiaobing. With your dad and I, it's okay to walk somewhere closer. I'm afraid we have to wait until dark to get back to the old house."
After hearing what his wife said, Zhou Zhigang couldn't refuse, so he just asked:
"Can't I cause you any trouble?"
"No, the compound motorcade is to serve the families. Even if I don't open my mouth, it will be the same if I ask Sister Dongmei to open her mouth."
Hao Dongmei nodded in agreement:
"That's right, Mom and Dad, you don't have to be burdened. Xiaobing and I want a car each. Let's go there by car. We'll go early and come back early. We'll have to make croquettes or something when we come back."
Zhou Zhigang listened to the advice:
"Okay, okay, then we will enjoy the happiness."
Turning around and asking Bingyi:
"Our old house can't stay empty forever. Don't you and Dongmei have no house? Why don't you move back in?"
Hao Dongmei definitely won't do it. It's not that she dislikes the old house. The main reason is that she has a place to live, so why move outside.
Bingyi thought so, but he had to estimate Hao Dongmei's thoughts:
"Dad, don't worry about it. It's fine for me to live in Dongmei's house. As for the old house, can't it be accommodated by Zhou Rong and his wife? We can also take the children over and take care of them."
Zhou Rong said without thinking:
"No, we can't come back. I plan to continue studying for graduate school and try to stay in school."
It’s Zhou Bingkun’s brain work:
"Dad, if that doesn't work, let's rent out the house first. It can also supplement the family income. Although our family is not short of money now, we would like to have more."
Zhou Zhigang thought about it:
"It's okay, but you have to rent it to an acquaintance. I built that house brick by brick. I don't feel comfortable renting it to outsiders."
Bingkun nodded:
"Okay, leave it to me. Our old neighbors are jealous of our house. I'll make sure someone wants it when I get back."
Several members of Lao Zhou's family started chatting, but the wife, son-in-law and son-in-law couldn't get in the conversation. They were all discerning and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
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When she got to the kitchen, Hao Dongmei became the boss:
"Come on, we are the only outsiders in this room now, and we are all helping Juan'er with her work."
"It's okay, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, you can go in and talk. The dishes are all ready-made and can be eaten hot."
"You can't handle it alone. There are so many dishes. Besides, we only laugh with you when we go in. We don't have a chance to eat." Hao Dongmei found an apron and tied it on.
Xu Bing also followed:
"I have never seen Binzi, Bingkun and the others so happy."
"Isn't it? Today is a great reunion. It's not easy for 12 years." Hao Dongmei sighed.
Throughout the whole day, there was no rest in the house. After lunch, the old couple stayed up and played with the children.
As for the adults, some were playing chess and some were drinking tea and chatting.
The women get together to chat about small gossips about life. During the New Year, what is important is the excitement.
"By the way, Bingyi, don't you take out the gift from Lao Yao and show it to our parents?" Hao Dongmei suddenly remembered and called out to Zhou Bingyi.
He was playing chess with Feng Huacheng, and when he heard this, he quickly put down his chess pieces:
"That's right, forget about that."
He ran to the storage room and took out a box of gifts:
"Mom and Dad, this is a gift brought from the south by my comrades in the Corps, especially for you and your elders."
I opened the box and found a large box full of southern specialties, snacks, honey, etc.
"Okay, these are all good things, eh? Hurry up and install them all to decorate Dongmei and Xu Bing's parents and family."
Simple working people give good things to outsiders, but they are reluctant to use or eat them themselves.
"No, parents, please keep it. Xiaobing and I have both."
Bingyi nodded and said:
"Yes, my comrade-in-arms is very thoughtful. Every house has a box like this, so don't worry."
"That's good, that's good."
Zhou Zhigang has been away from home for the past few years, and he really doesn't know the changes in his family.
Just look at the attitudes of Li Suhua and the two children and you will know that these things that may seem strange in other people’s homes are not uncommon in this house.
Also, Shui Ziliu was sent to the south by Gao Bin to make money. He and Lao Yao are like grasshoppers on a rope. Every month, people bring gifts to the house. Can the family be short of it?
In other words, Gao Bin’s family can see anything new in the south immediately, so it’s not unusual at all.
Zhou Zhigang also remembered something, clapped his hands and ran to the storage room:
"These are two tubes of tea given by my leader in the third-line work. It's such a good thing, Dongmei and Xiaobing. You two can take one tube each as a token of my gratitude."
Hao Dongmei hesitated whether to accept it or not, but Xu Bing was rude:
"Thank you, Dad. My parents love to drink tea. By the way, my parents wanted to have a meal with you and your two elders. After all, it's a pity that you didn't come back when we got married."
When Zhou Zhigang heard this, he immediately said excitedly:
"Really? Did your parents say it themselves?"
"Yes, if you don't believe me, wait until Binzi comes back and ask him."
"Believe it, why don't you believe it? Hey, old lady, before the holiday, let's go to the bathhouse to take a bath and tidy up properly. We can't embarrass Binzi!"
Seeing Zhou Zhigang's excited look, Hao Dongmei felt sad.
She has always had a knot in her heart. She has been married for such a long time and has never met her relatives. It would be unbelievable if she told her.
Looking at Xu Bing's parents again, they are actively thinking about this matter. Comparing the two, they can see clearly the superior and inferior.
But at this moment, she didn't dare to say anything. She just made up her mind to go home tonight and make her parents nod no matter what she said. I really don't know what they mean.
In fact, Gao Bin is also very strange. Logically speaking, without Cai Xiaoguang's incident, the Hao family should not continue to look at the old Zhou family with colored glasses. Why are they still condescending?
Although Li Suhua had met Xu Bing's parents, she didn't say a few words. Once she heard the old man's instructions, she had no objection.
"Dad, Mom, it won't happen. My parents are not big shots, they are your in-laws. There is no need for this." Xu Bing quickly advised.
"Xiao Bing, your parents are big leaders after all, and we are all ordinary people. If we can take time out of our busy schedules to see us, we must show our best mental outlook. You don't need to persuade me on this matter. Listen.
I’m absolutely right.”
Zhou Bingyi was also quite embarrassed. It was difficult for him to be caught in the middle, but he had no control over this matter, and he would not take the initiative to ask Hao Dongmei to tell her family, so he could only endure the helplessness alone.
This afternoon and even at dinner, Zhou Zhigang was immersed in his own little excitement.
This shows what kind of status a high-ranking official occupies in the minds of the people at this time.
Gao Bin came back late. There were a lot of things going on in the past year. He was also the captain of the criminal investigation team, so he had to make the final decision on everything. He wished he could split him in half, but even that might not be enough.
The bureau sent a car to take him home. I thought everyone had rested, but unexpectedly the small building was still brightly lit, and before he entered the hospital, he heard lively chatter.
I said hello to the driver, covered my tired look with a smile, and stepped into the house.
As soon as he entered the room, everyone looked over, which made him quite embarrassed:
"Why are you looking at me? It's like you've never seen me before."
Zhou Rong's bad mouth has no good words, so she opens her mouth to yell:
"That's right, you are also a big leader. It's not easy to meet you."
Gao Bin will naturally not show mercy to her:
"Then when you see the leader, why don't you come over quickly and curry favor? Aren't you afraid that the leader will give you little shoes to wear?"
The two of them started fighting each other as soon as they met. While others were watching the joke, Zhou Zhigang said:
"You two have never fought against each other since you were little, and now that you are adults, you are still fighting against each other. You are really natural enemies."
Zhou Rong suppressed a smile:
"Then it's not my fault. Who asked him to come back so late? The whole family is waiting for him alone."
"Hey? Zhou Rong, if you say so, I can give you orders as a leader. From now on, when I go home late, no one will have to wait for me. You have to wait for me."
"Why?"
"Just because you recognize me as a leader, do you still want to live a good life?"
"Dad, look at him, he bullies me again."
It's still the same as when I was a child. I went to my parents to complain if I couldn't handle it. This Zhou Rong has not made any progress at all at this age.
Everyone was watching the joke, but Xu Bing cared about Gao Bin and helped him take off his coat and asked:
"Have you eaten yet? There's still some food left in the pot and it's still hot."
"I haven't eaten yet. I was so busy at night that I hit the back of my head with my feet and didn't have time to pour it out."
Upon hearing that he had not eaten, Zhou Zhigang quickly said:
"Juan'er, please help Binzi heat up the rice. My dear, I'm too busy working to eat, and I'm starving again."
Xu Bing comforted Zheng Juan:
"Dad, don't worry about it. I'll heat it up. Juan'er, just rest. You've been tired all day."
"It's okay, the kitchen is my place. If you don't cook often and don't know where things are, I'd better go there."
Bingkun said helpfully:
"That's right, sister-in-law, stop doing it and let Juan'er do it. She is fast."
Gao Bin smiled and said to Zheng Juan:
"Thank you for your hard work, Juan'er."
"Brother, why are you talking about this? Just wait, it will be ready soon."
"Grandpa, I'm hungry too!"
As soon as he heard that he wanted to eat again, the children didn't care whether they were hungry or not. They shouted first and then talked about it, just to join in the fun.
Everyone laughed, Zhou Zhigang flicked Xiaoya’s head, but it was useless:
"You little kid, you want to eat when you see others eating."
Bingyi followed and spoke:
"Don't talk about Yue Yue, we are so chatting that I feel hungry. How about we set up another table to be fashionable and have a midnight snack?"
His suggestion resonated with the whole family.
In fact, it’s not really about being hungry, it’s mainly for the fun.
After a while, the table was set up again, and mainly men came to the table to eat and drink and enjoy themselves.
"Binzi, tell us about your work. I'm curious. When I was in Sichuan and Chongqing, I told my co-workers that my godson had become the leader of the municipal bureau, but they still didn't believe me and said I was bragging!"
Zhou Zhigang asked enthusiastically.
"I am mainly responsible for criminal cases. Now the higher authorities have separated the criminal area separately. That is, cases involving the safety of people's lives and property are all under my control."
When he said this, everyone had an idea.
"Eh? When I just got off the train, I heard someone said there was a murder over there?"
"Oh, it was the day before the new year. A thief was caught stealing a bag and was discovered by the victim. As a result, the thief became so angry that he took out a knife and stabbed the victim. He was dead before he could be taken to the hospital."
Gao Bin explained the case concisely and comprehensively, and Feng Huacheng said with emotion:
"By the end of the year, people who have not made any money will have no choice but to take risks. I think there will be no shortage of such cases."
Gao Bin nodded:
"Indeed, there are quite a few. In our Jichun City alone, there are injury cases every day. It is found that more people report to the police than others."
Now everyone understands why he is so busy.
Bingyi has some political thinking, although it is not yet mature, so he asked:
"Have the cases been solved? If not, will it have any impact on your future?"
"It definitely has an impact, but with luck, most cases can be solved within a week, and only a small number of cases are more difficult."
Gao Bin took a sip of wine and his body felt warm:
"The field of criminal investigation in our country started relatively late. Compared with developed countries in Europe and the United States, both detection ideas and technology require time to develop. We cannot rush this, we have to do it step by step. Fortunately, the provincial leaders are patient and do not rush for success.
”
Zhou Bingyi knew in his heart that the provincial leader Gao Bin mentioned was actually Xu Hesong, his father-in-law.
If it weren't for that big mountain holding his head, Gao Bin's position would definitely not be secure.
This man is afraid of comparison. Without Xu Hesong, Gao Bin would not have any negative thoughts about Lao Hao.
But now, he felt that Mrs. Hao was not a human being and did not take his son-in-law seriously at all.
Let's not talk about the distance, just take the meeting of the in-laws as an example. In the whole world, he, Old Hao, ignored it, but Zhou Bingyi couldn't express his pain, so he was so angry that he took a sip of wine.
To be able to make Zhou Bingyi, who has a troubled heart, angry, shows how much Lao Hao has gone too far.
Gao Bin didn't know it yet, but his little butterfly was already flapping its wings. As for the result, who could know.
"Indeed, our country is currently facing a lot of waste. Not only your public security, but also all walks of life need development. We must not rush it, we must do it step by step."
As soon as Zhou Bingyi said these words, Gao Bin was impressed. He was indeed a far-sighted person who could later become the mayor.
Many people are eager for quick success and instant benefits in order to seek results. This is absolutely not possible. In the short term, the results are indeed quick, but over time, it will inevitably lead to nothing.
"Brother Bingyi, which department are you going to join after graduation?" Gao Bin asked with concern.
"I don't know. Just follow the organization's assignment. I don't have the right to be picky."
In fact, he does have it, but he can't use it.
Seeing Zhou Bingyi drinking depressedly, Gao Bin didn't know what to say and just had a drink with him.