Courtyard House: Railway Police at the Start

Chapter 20: Style

Tang Zhenghong returned home and opened the letter.

It was indeed written by the platoon leader, asking Tang Zhenghong how his health was recovering and how his work was going.

In addition, the platoon leader copied a few sentences from a thank-you letter written by Xiao Sichuan's younger siblings, which everyone had donated to Xiao Sichuan's family.

Tang Zhenghong wrote back: "I was overjoyed to receive your letter, as if we were face to face again..."

The letter included his work phone number. Tang Zhenghong folded it up and put it in his pocket, planning to mail it on his way home.

After taking a shower and eating fried rice in the space, Tang Zhenghong packed his things, tied them to his bicycle, locked the gate, and set off.

"Zhenghong, are you going back to your hometown again?"

Looking at the bicycle, which was practically brand new, and then at the several large, fat fish hanging on the handlebars, Jia Zhangshi couldn't take her eyes off it. When did this kid start living such a good life?

When Old Tang was alive, he was the worst off in this courtyard.

"Aunt Jia, are you taking a stroll? Hmm, I'm going back to Hongxing Village."

Jia Zhangshi looked at the fish on the front of the car and saw its mouth move, but she was too embarrassed to open it. After a while, she looked away and said, "Then ride slowly and be careful on the road."

Seeing Tang Zhenghong nod his thanks and about to leave, he stopped him, saying, "I forgot to ask, why haven't you been contacting your brother Dongxu since you came back? You seem quite distant. You two grew up together, you should try to get closer in the future."

It sounds like we're very close, but when the original owner was a child, he rarely played together with other children his age in the neighborhood.

While others were playing, he was helping his grandfather with chores and taking time to do his homework. In addition, since the original owner of this body was adopted into the city, Jia Dongxu and the others didn't include him in their play.

"Dongxu got married, so it's not good to bother him. Plus, I'm working now and don't have much time. I'll try to get together with Dongxu when I have some free time in the future."

Madam Jia then smiled broadly: "That makes sense. You all grew up together, so you should get together more often. In the future, you can help and support each other in your work and life and make progress together."

Is this refined, scholarly style attributed to Jia Zhangshi?

Tang Zhenghong found it hard to accept, so he gave a few perfunctory replies and left.

On his way back to his hometown by bicycle, Tang Zhenghong was still wondering if the person he had spoken to back then was really Jia Zhangshi. He had a Yi Zhonghai-like accent, and he hadn't seen the other party summoning undead for so long, which was hard for Tang Zhenghong to accept. There was no fun in it at all.

If Jia Zhangshi knew what he was thinking, she would cry out that she was wronged. "I'm old, but I'm not stupid. You're a martyr's family member, who would dare to take advantage of you? Besides, you have such a good job now, everyone is thinking about building good relationships with you."

Back home, Jia Zhangshi sighed, "I just ran into Zheng Hong from the front yard riding his bicycle back to Hongxing Village. Now we don't have to worry about the fish anymore; we took them all."

"Mom, you've already run into this situation, why didn't you just ask for a different one?"

Madam Jia rolled her eyes at her daughter-in-law. Only Qin Huairu had given the Jia family a son, which was a meritorious act. Otherwise, given her previous temper, would she have allowed her daughter-in-law to speak to her like this?

"You may be shameless, but I still have my pride. I can't bring myself to say this without proof. If you're so capable, then you can handle these kinds of things from now on. We're not getting involved anymore. I can live without meat."

"Mom, don't be angry. I'll take care of this from now on. We have a sewing machine at home, right? I don't believe he doesn't have some sewing and mending work to do. He'll come to us for help eventually."

Upon reflection, Jia Zhangshi realized it was true, and slapped her thigh in regret for not having thought of that earlier.

"Hey, you've hit the nail on the head. He's a grown man, he can't handle these things. But from now on, let Dongxu handle this. After all, they grew up together. What kind of woman would you be doing going there?"

At this point, Madam Jia paused, then stared at her daughter-in-law and gave her a yellow card warning: "Also, watch your step in the yard. Dress more conservatively. I've seen Sha Zhu and his gang staring at you like wolves several times, calling you 'Sister Qin' all the time. What kind of attitude is that? They have no manners at all."

That's absolutely right. Qin Huairu was married into the family, so according to the Jia family's custom, she should be called sister-in-law.

Just like her, Jia Zhangshi, most people call her Jia's wife, Aunt Jia, or Aunt Jia, otherwise they're not treating the men of the Jia family as human beings.

In April, spring is in full bloom, flowers are in bloom, and birds are singing.

The last time Tang Zhenghong returned to his hometown, the small river not far from his house was still frozen. But now, everything is reviving, the ice and snow have melted, the water is clear, and it flows eastward around Hongxing Village, nourishing this land.

It has also become a playground for some children.

Some people were fishing with bamboo baskets, some were playing in the water, and some women were washing clothes.

Tang Zhenghong saw from afar that his younger sister and sister-in-law were washing clothes with soap pods by the river, acting like little adults, and using a stick thicker than her arm to beat the clothes.

The third brother, Tang Weijun, was also among the fishing group. Next to him was a basin with several small loaches he had caught, which he was going to feed the few croaking fish at home.

Tang Zhenghong rode a bicycle, this time wearing a railway police uniform and leather shoes.

The young girls washing clothes by the river couldn't help but stop what they were doing and secretly peek at him, wondering whose relative he was.

Some bolder women would glance at the girls and then say a few risqué things, making the young girls, just beginning to experience romantic feelings, blush.

"Laidi, look at this guy. He's tall from a distance, no less than your Aiguo. I wonder which slut will end up with him."

With her child's future aunt standing nearby, Meng Laidi rolled her eyes at the audacious woman, but her mind was racing. She turned around, only to be dumbfounded.

They've gotten themselves involved in the gossip.

"This is my brother-in-law. Hongxin, look, your second brother is back."

Tang Hongxin was diligently helping her sister-in-law wash clothes when she heard this. She dropped the washing stick, yelled, and ran to meet her.

Several women had come here to do laundry. They usually lived in the western part of Hongxingzhuang and had never seen Tang Zhenghong before. They exclaimed in surprise, "Ah? This is our Zhenghong? Her sixth sister-in-law! How dare she talk nonsense again? She's even bringing it up to her own brother!"

The woman who had just made the crude remark blushed deeply with embarrassment.

"Zhenghong really does look like Guijuan. He's patriotic, does your Zhenghong have a girlfriend yet?"

In the past, Meng Laidi would have happily agreed and asked someone to introduce a potential partner to her second brother. But now, seeing Tang Zhenghong's attire, her pride has risen considerably. She can't just introduce anyone to her second brother casually; she has to find someone suitable, at least someone who lives in the city and has a fixed income.

"I didn't actually ask about this, and besides, it's not my place to worry about it. If Zheng Hong is going to look for someone, he'll definitely be looking in the city. You guys go ahead and wash up, I'm going back now, no one's home."

After Meng Laidi left, the woman who had asked the question snorted, "She was asking about it non-stop a while ago, but now she's denying it."

"Of course, I reckon she just found out Zheng Hong became a policeman, otherwise she wouldn't have done this. Sigh, the seventh brother's family is really on its way."

Tang Shun was the seventh child in the family, and the villagers were used to calling him Tang Laoqi (Old Seven Tang).

Tang Hongxin got back on the bicycle and waved her little hand restlessly on the front frame to greet her friends: "Xiaoshan, Wangcui, this is my second brother's bicycle, hee hee."

Especially today, with my second brother wearing a peaked cap and a police uniform, she's even more smug. My second brother is a policeman, you know. If he doesn't play with me again, I'll have him arrest her.

Tang Weijun didn't even bother catching fish anymore; he grabbed his tools and ran over barefoot.

"Second Brother."

"What are you doing? Get in and sit in the back."

Tang Weijun jumped onto the back seat with a look of delight, eagerly asking, "Second Brother, is what Hongxin said true?"

"Third brother, it's true, second brother bought it."

Tang Weijun grinned and shouted happily to his friends by the river in the distance, "This is my second brother's bicycle! This is my second brother's bicycle!"

"Zhenghong, no one's home right now, and the door's unlocked. You take Weijun and Hongxin back first, and I'll come back after I finish washing this last piece of clothing."

Tang Zhenghong parked his bicycle next to the stone steps where he washed clothes.

"Are you all doing laundry? Aunt Hu, how's Brother Cai?"

Tang Zhenghong didn't recognize the others. Lai Cai was the chubby boy who went back to the village with Grandpa Tang when they were kids and taught the original owner to swim. Back then, there wasn't enough room at home, so Tang Zhenghong even slept at their house.

"It's really Zheng Hong, you're such a good boy, you've really made something of yourself. Your brother Cai is doing well, he's gone to the fields."

After being introduced by his sister-in-law, Tang Zhenghong greeted everyone in turn and noticed that several pairs of eyes were glancing at him like they were looking at a monkey.

Perhaps sensing that her brother-in-law was uncomfortable, Meng Laidi stepped in to ease the tension: "Zhenghong, you go back and rest first. I'll be back after I finish washing the clothes. Weijun, go tell Dad that your second brother is back."

Before Tang Weijun went to inform his parents, he was reluctant to leave the back seat of the bicycle and only sat there for a few minutes.

"Second brother, aren't you going back to the city at this hour?"

"Yeah, I'm not going back."

Tang Weijun was overjoyed and ran off, patting his behind.