Chapter 1362: Chapter 174: Watch Their Words and Deeds (Part 2)

Now that he’d turned things around, he got back in touch again.

Chen Fang also wanted to hold her head high, and couldn’t help smiling. "Okay, I’ll go with you tomorrow."

...

Meanwhile, Fang Zhiqiang, who hadn’t drunk that evening, drove back to the unit for his shift.

The Legal Affairs Team wasn’t as busy as the Security Team; normally they didn’t have to do night duty.

But it wasn’t "normally" right now. Today was the twenty‑sixth day of the twelfth lunar month, just a few days before New Year. To let the more than one million residents of Linghai have a safe and peaceful Spring Festival, all the office Police had to take turns on duty.

He walked into the office, put down the foldable wire‑frame cot, opened the cabinet, took out the quilt and spread it out. Then he thought for a moment, sat down at the desk, picked up the phone and dialed Han Yu’s mobile.

He knew Han Yu always liked to use his mobile like a pager. Once it connected and he heard three beeps, he put the phone down and waited for Han Yu to call back.

As usual, he hadn’t waited two minutes before Han Yu called.

"Second Senior Brother, it’s so late. What made you think of calling me?"

"Sounds like there are people talking on your end. Are you on duty tonight too?"

"I don’t have a boat or a crew now, just a bare commander with no troops. What duty would I be doing?"

"Then how come you’re not asleep this late?" Fang Zhiqiang asked curiously.

Han Yu looked back at his father‑in‑law and mother‑in‑law, who had just come back from their hometown in Si Gang that afternoon, and at Senior Sister, who was cracking melon seeds, and said with a wry smile, "We’re having a family meeting, discussing major issues of the household."

You don’t have any status at home anyway!

Even if there were some so‑called "major decisions" in your family, would Xiang Ning ever solicit your opinion?

Fang Zhiqiang found it very odd and asked with a laugh, "What major issues are you discussing?"

"Ningning wants to buy an apartment in Binjiang, my mother‑in‑law is against it."

"You guys are buying another place?"

"Yeah."

"Why is your mother‑in‑law against it?"

Seeing that his father‑ and mother‑in‑law had both gone back to their rooms and Senior Sister had gone to the bathroom, Han Yu explained helplessly, "Ningning originally felt living together with her parents would be inconvenient and planned to buy a place in Binjiang. But my mother‑in‑law said instead of buying in Binjiang, it’d be better to buy in East Sea."

"Going to buy a commercial apartment in East Sea again!" Fang Zhiqiang was stunned; he really couldn’t understand why the people in Salted Fish’s family were so obsessed with buying real estate.

Han Yu had no idea his Second Senior Brother was dumbfounded, and went on, "My mother‑in‑law kind of has a point. She says our formal household registration for me and Han Han will be transferred to East Sea soon. Since Han Han is an East Sea person, she should go to school in East Sea. She’s retired, and my father‑in‑law has stepped down to a deputy position. If we buy a place in East Sea, then they can move there together to look after Han Han."

"Don’t you already have an apartment in East Sea?"

"We do, but it’s rented out. We’re relying on the rent to pay the mortgage."

Han Yu paused, then added, "I’m already scared of buying properties, but my mother‑in‑law says times are different now. Back then we bought such a big place, first because we didn’t understand East Sea’s policies, and second because we really did need to buy something bigger—at least big enough to meet East Sea’s policy requirements, so the whole family could get East Sea’s blue‑seal household registration.

Now we don’t need to consider the household registration issue anymore. We can buy something smaller; even a small, second‑hand apartment is fine. But if we buy again, it has to be in Pu Xi, not Pu Dong. After all, the schools and hospitals in Pu Xi are all better than Pu Dong’s."

This family is crazy!

Not only is Han Xiangning crazy, even her mother is crazy! 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Fang Zhiqiang deeply sympathized with Han Yu’s plight. As he pictured Han Yu continuing to live a bitter, pinched life, he asked, half holding back his laughter, "Housing prices in East Sea are pretty steep. Even if you buy second‑hand and small, it’s probably still a lot of money, right?"

"During dinner Ningning called my older sister. My sister asked her colleagues at the hospital and also called some real‑estate agents. They said if we buy sixty to seventy square meters of second‑hand in Pu Xi, it’ll still cost more than three hundred thousand."

"Do you guys have that kind of money?"

"How could we? We only have a bit over sixty thousand."

"If you don’t have enough, how are you going to buy?"

"Take out a loan. Not only a mortgage—we’ll also have to borrow some money for the down payment."

He’s done for!

Han Yu is completely done for this time!

For the foreseeable next five years, he was still going to be living dirt‑poor, scraping by.

Fang Zhiqiang felt boundless sympathy for Han Yu, and asked, stifling a laugh, "What’s Ningning’s opinion?"

"She agrees—not just agrees, she’s all for it, hands and feet in favor."

"Figures. Once you buy another apartment, your father‑ and mother‑in‑law will take Han Han to East Sea. Then it’ll just be the two of you living in the current place, and there won’t be any ’inconvenience’ problem."

"That’s exactly what she’s thinking."

"What about you, what’s your opinion?"

"Same as my father‑in‑law. We both feel there’s no need to buy."

"Master Han is scared too?"

"He’s not scared, really. He just doesn’t want to go through those years again."

"So did you come to any conclusion?"

"Our opposition doesn’t count. They said they’ll go to East Sea in a few days to look at places."

If you already know your objections don’t matter, what are you and Master Han even doing in that so‑called ’family meeting’? They’re just informing you!

Fang Zhiqiang really didn’t know how to evaluate the family status of Han Yu and his father‑in‑law, so he simply changed the subject. "Salted Fish, Zhang Lan is bringing Yuanyuan back tomorrow."

"I know."

"In the evening Niu Bin treated Director Shi and Inspector Wu to dinner. At the table he said he’d go to the bus station tomorrow to pick them up."

"Niu Bin treated Director Shi and Inspector Wu?"

"He’s someone who went out from our Police Bureau. It’s normal for him to treat his former leaders to a meal."

That brat Niu Bin is bouncing around pretty energetically!

Han Yu cursed inwardly and asked, "Did he say anything else?"

Fang Zhiqiang shot back, "What exactly do you mean? Which aspect? He talked with Director Shi and Inspector Wu for a whole evening. I don’t know what it is you want to ask about."

"Business."

"He’s going to open a shop selling mobile phones in Linghai; he’s already rented the store. After the New Year he’ll start the renovation."

Fang Zhiqiang thought for a bit, then added, "This afternoon I passed by Lianhua Supermarket and took a look. The place he rented is quite big, but a shop isn’t a home. Even though the space isn’t small, the renovation workload won’t be heavy—it’s just putting up a big lightbox sign and getting some display counters."

When someone shows you kindness for no reason, they’re either a thief or a crook!

Old Ge did have a point with that one.

Han Yu didn’t believe Niu Bin would honestly come back just to run a business, and asked, "Did he say which mobile phone brand he’s going to represent?"

"He didn’t." Fang Zhiqiang scratched his neck and pondered, "Speaking of mobile phone specialty stores, our Linghai already has several: Nokia, Motorola, Samsung—the big cities have them, and now so do we. Those guys all have the dealership rights. If he wants to be the agent for Linghai again, I don’t think it’ll be that easy."

"Second Senior Brother, I haven’t been back much these past six months. Even before that, I never paid attention. Are there a lot of mobile phone shops in Linghai?"

"Quite a few. Big and small together there are a dozen or so. Mobile phones aren’t like small appliances; they’re expensive, and the call charges are high. Those who can afford them already bought, those who can’t won’t buy. The market is already saturated. I think it’s risky for him to go so big."

"Interesting."

"What’s interesting about it, Salted Fish? What are you really getting at?"

"Nothing." Han Yu was silent for a moment, then said meaningfully, "Second Senior Brother, you’ve been Niu Bin’s immediate superior and worked with him before, but I think if he organizes a dinner like that, you’d better not go if you can help it. Not just you—same goes for Wang Yan."

Of course Fang Zhiqiang could hear what Han Yu was implying. He froze for a second, then quickly said, "Got it, I’ll be careful."

"I’ll call Sister Zhang Lan and ask her to buy a ticket back to Binjiang tomorrow. Xiang Ning and I will go to the bus station to pick her and Yuanyuan up."

"That’s fine too," Fang Zhiqiang lit a cigarette and said quietly, "We didn’t work with that brat for very long, and back then he’d just started on the job. It’s not like we have some deep comradeship with him."

The Eldest Senior Brother was very steady.

Because of the special nature of his work in Legal Affairs and Pre‑trial, the Second Senior Brother was even steadier in how he dealt with people.

Han Yu didn’t need to say too much; he merely tossed out lightly, "Second Senior Brother, you shouldn’t just be careful, you’d better also keep an eye on things."

The onlooker sees more than the person in the situation.

After listening to Han Yu’s remarks, Fang Zhiqiang suddenly felt that brat Niu Bin was indeed a bit off as well, and said quietly, "I know. First listen to what he says and watch what he does."

...

PS: Won an award today and drank a bit tonight, so there’s only one Chapter. I hope all readers can understand.

Also, Binjiang Police Affairs winning second prize in the 7th Realism Writing Contest is inseparable from the support and encouragement of all you new and old readers. Without you brothers and sisters there would be no Mu Xian today. Mu Xian is grateful and thankful!