Chapter 1 Expectation

To be honest, Zhou Ze was quite looking forward to the bonus that Lao Zhang would bring back.

As for the banners and the like,

He didn't really care.

It wasn't as if he would push open the bookstore door,

And the first thing that would catch his eye would be a wall of honor,

With slogans like "Advanced Collective," "Advanced Individual," "Environmental Protection Pioneer Unit," or "Sanitation Model"?

That kind of aesthetic,

Was too dated.

Boss Zhou just couldn't get it.

But the bonus was different. Although the amount couldn't be too large, the feeling of taking advantage of the government was really pleasant.

For a long time in the past,

Even if you didn't lack anything, you weren't short of anything, you didn't need anything,

But if you could scrape something back from the government,

Relatives, friends, neighbors, and fellow villagers would think you were awesome, capable!

Lao Zhang also sent a WeChat message, asking if he wanted to accept a reporter's interview, but Zhou Ze directly refused.

Boss Zhou didn't have any intention of turning the Late Night Bookstore into an "internet celebrity bookstore."

What was the point of gaining fame?

When a bunch of蹭热度 (ceng re du - popularity-seeking) flies came to take pictures,

How could he lie there and drink coffee?

Thinking of the interview,

Zhou Ze looked at the old Daoist in front of him,

And asked:

"By the way, old Daoist, what happened to the matchmaking thing last time?"

Lawyer An had really gone all out.

The old Daoist blinked and said, "A bunch of men have been added to the account..."

"Hahaha."

Zhou Ze laughed so hard that tears almost came out.

At this moment,

Zhou Ze saw Lao Zhang's car driving over,

And rubbed his hands nervously.

Time to collect the bonus.

This feeling,

Was comparable to Boss Zhou's feeling when he received his first year-end bonus in the hospital.

Lao Zhang's car began to slow down, preparing to park,

However,

Just then,

A woman riding an electric scooter happened to come over, and he didn't know how, but she fell directly in front of Lao Zhang's car. Lao Zhang immediately braked and didn't touch her.

Boss Zhou stood up,

While the old Daoist directly exclaimed:

"Oh my god, she's trying to scam the captain of the criminal police."

Lao Zhang immediately got out of the car to check the situation and helped the woman up.

His identity was what it was,

He wasn't afraid of helping!

Zhou Ze envied Lao Zhang a little. In this day and age, even people with tens of millions of assets didn't dare to help people on the road casually.

Walking closer, Zhou Ze heard Lao Zhang shouting:

"Are you okay? Are you okay?"

The woman looked to be only twenty-seven or eight years old, but her lips were pale, and there was blood on her forehead from the fall. Based on his experience as a doctor in his previous life, this woman should have relatively severe malnutrition, and was likely anemic.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, brother, I'm sorry brother, I'm fine."

What was surprising was that,

This woman didn't seem to have the slightest intention of extorting money,

Instead, she seemed very uneasy and disturbed.

She struggled to stand up, but the electric scooter was already broken, and the front cover had come off.

The woman wanted to continue to ride the electric scooter back, but she had only lifted it halfway when she swayed and was about to fall again.

Zhou Ze was quick-witted and grabbed her. He looked at the woman's face up close and said:

"You're very anemic, aren't you?"

"Ah, it's okay, I'm fine."

The woman wasn't used to being in other men's arms, and instinctively began to struggle,

"I'm sorry, I've caused you trouble, I'm really sorry, I'm really sorry, brother, did I scratch your car? How much, I'll pay."

She said this to Lao Zhang,

Lao Zhang immediately waved his hand and said:

"I didn't scratch it, I didn't scratch it. Should I take you to the hospital?"

Lao Zhang had been a criminal policeman for over twenty years. He might not be good at seeing ghosts, but he was really good at seeing people. Whether this woman had a problem, whether she was trying to scam him, or whether she was a fugitive, he could basically tell eight or nine times out of ten.

"I don't need to go to the hospital, I don't need to go to the hospital, I want to go back, I want to go back, I have something to do at home, something to do."

Zhou Ze helped the woman pick up the electric scooter, and also picked up the things that had fallen from the electric scooter. He found a package of white cloth and a large stack of ghost money (冥钞 - ming chao).

He picked them up little by little, reorganized them,

And put them back into the bag for her.

"Where do you live?" Zhou Ze asked.

"In Jiang Zao Town."

Zhou Ze nodded and said to Lao Zhang, "You take her back. This scooter can't be ridden for now."

Moreover, in the woman's condition, if she had another accident, it wouldn't be worth it.

At this moment,

Lao Zhang's phone rang,

Lao Zhang answered the phone, responded a few times, looked at Zhou Ze with some embarrassment, and took out a red paper-wrapped envelope from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Ze.

This should be the bonus,

Zhou Ze took it,

And felt it.

Sigh,

It was really thin...

"Boss, there's a robbery in the West District. I have to go take a look. I'm sorry to trouble you to give her a ride."

Zhou Ze glanced at Lao Zhang,

Thinking, was this little bonus enough for the old man to burn for gas money?

But looking at the woman with pale lips, he still nodded and said:

"Alright, I'll take her."

Lao Zhang got in the car and left.

The woman wanted to push the electric scooter herself,

But Zhou Ze stopped her,

"I'll take you back."

"No need, really no need, I'll find a shop to repair the scooter, and then I'll take a taxi back."

"Come on, get in the car, old Daoist, drive the car out."

"Alright."

The old Daoist went to drive the car. Jiang Zao Town wasn't too close or too far from here.

Zhou Ze and the woman sat in the back row together. He pointed to the things the woman was carrying and asked:

"Is there a funeral at home?"

The woman nodded and reached out to tidy up the hair around her temples to hide her embarrassment and unease.

"An elderly person passed away?"

The woman shook her head,

After a while,

She timidly said:

"My husband."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

The woman nodded.

"Hey, lady, do you live in the town or in the countryside? Point the way, and I'll follow your directions," the old Daoist shouted as he drove.

"Okay, thank you, old man."

"It's nothing."

Finally,

After wandering around on the rural cement roads for a few circles,

The car finally drove to the front of a two-story building,

This two-story building really seemed a bit shabby compared to the surrounding neighbors' buildings. It still had red brick walls, and hadn't been plastered or tiled. The surrounding residents' houses looked very bright and beautiful, while this one seemed a bit out of place.

The small vegetable plot in front of the building should have been removed,

And two sheds had been set up on it.

The shed on the left was for the hired drum band, and the shed on the right had people specializing in making paper figures and gold and silver ingots.

The old Daoist drove the car to the vegetable plot and stopped.

The woman pushed open the car door and got out of the car.

Zhou Ze also got out of the car, wanting to smoke a cigarette.

"Thank you, I'm really sorry." The woman bowed to Zhou Ze and the old Daoist.

"You're welcome. He'll bring your scooter to you tomorrow."

Zhou Ze pointed to the old Daoist.

The old Daoist smiled foolishly. He was willing to.

"Thank you. I'll give you the fee tomorrow. Thank you so much. Would you like to come in and have a drink of water?"

Zhou Ze looked at the funeral shed behind him, shook his head, and said:

"No, you're busy. There should be a lot to do. Oh, right, take some time to go to the hospital for a check-up, or buy some chocolate. Force yourself to eat a few pieces if you have nothing to do."

She was already anemic,

And with the matter of losing her husband,

Her body could really easily collapse.

Many people don't pay enough attention to anemia. In fact, this problem can lead to big problems.

"Okay, thank you."

Just as Zhou Ze lit his cigarette,

A woman with white cloth on her head, probably in her fifties, suddenly ran out of the shed,

Directly pulling her throat and pointing at Zhou Ze and others, she screamed:

"Oh my god, son, open your eyes and look, look, you conscienceless people, conscienceless people!

You just left, and your wife came back in another man's car. Oh, oh, conscienceless people!"

Hearing this,

Zhou Ze frowned slightly.

The woman immediately turned to the old woman, stomped her feet with some unease and anxiety, and cried, "Mom, it's not like that, it's not like that."

"Which one isn't like that? I saw it with my own eyes. Your husband's bones are still cold, he hasn't been buried yet, he hasn't been taken to the crematorium to be burned to ashes yet!

You can't help it anymore, you can't wait anymore!!!!!

You heartless wretch,

How good was my son to you when he was alive,

Even if you can't help it, you have to wait for him to be truly buried!"

"Mom, it's not like that, they're taking me back."

"Oh, you pair of adulterers, bah, bastards, scoundrels, goddamn sons of bitches!"

Boss Zhou pointed his finger at the old woman,

His eyes narrowed,

And he directly shouted:

"Clean up your mouth!"

"Oh, you're threatening me now, huh? Good!

Everyone come out and take a look,

Villagers,

Come out and take a look,

This wild man is yelling at me, he really knows how to feel sorry for people, hahahaha, he really knows how to feel sorry for people!!!!!"

"Mom, don't be like this, please don't be like this."

The woman walked to the old woman crying and begged.

Many villagers gathered around, watching the excitement together.

"Get out of here!"

The old woman pushed the woman away,

The woman's body was already not well,

And she lost her footing,

And fell directly onto the ridge of the field.

"You heartless wretch, you maggot-hearted thing, I was really blind in the first place to let you into my house!

My son was killed by you,

You jinx!

Get out, get out, get as far away as you can!

My son is already dead, get far away, I get angry when I see you now!"

At this moment,

A little girl ran over crying and hugged the old woman,

"Grandma, don't scold my mommy, don't scold mommy."

The old woman glared fiercely at the woman lying on the ground,

Holding her granddaughter's head with one hand and pointing at the woman with the other, she said:

"I'm warning you, get out, Miao'er, my granddaughter, will never be with you!

I can't let you take my granddaughter out to find another wild man!"