Chapter 15
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Jian Yan noticed Wang Xuejiao watching her and felt embarrassed, lowering her head. She had promised to just have a bite but ended up finishing the entire bowl without realizing it.
“Is it really delicious?” Wang Xuejiao asked sincerely.
“Mm-hmm.”
“Do you like the flavor or the texture better?”
“Both.”
“Which aspects do you like specifically?”
“...It’s just tasty...” Jian Yan didn’t know what else to say; all she knew was that it was good.
Feeling even more ashamed after eating a whole bowl and being unable to articulate anything, she remained silent.
Wang Xuejiao smiled and took away the empty bowl. “As long as it tastes good.”
“Could I have another bowl? I want to let my colleague try it. She has a keen palate and is eloquent—she might be able to offer some useful feedback.”
Jian Yan hesitated, not daring to look Wang Xuejiao in the eye, fearing she would be seen as greedy or gluttonous for inventing a “colleague” just to get more.
“All right, take it,” Wang Xuejiao said, turning the bowl upside down inside the lunchbox, revealing a smooth, rounded shape.
The pale yellow pudding was coated with a layer of amber caramel syrup, which had thickened as the temperature dropped.
When it was in the bowl, it looked just like a simple steamed egg custard, but inverted, it transformed completely.
Jian Yan carefully carried the lunchbox away. Before, she would have dashed off without a car, but now she patiently waited at the traffic lights, afraid that rushing might damage the pudding’s perfect roundness.
By one-thirty, the crowd gradually thinned, and Wang Xuejiao found herself bored again, wondering what to do to occupy her restless hands.
She had an idea: knead dough!
The kneaded dough wouldn’t go to waste. Without yeast, it would be handmade noodles; with yeast, steamed buns.
No time to waste—she got to work.
Just as Wang Xuejiao was vigorously kneading the dough, all the nearby vendors suddenly hastily packed up and fled the scene.
Her hands sticky with flour paste, she grabbed a rag to wipe them before running.
But in that moment’s delay, the urban enforcement officers were already upon her.
“Illegal street vending. Fine of four hundred yuan,” said the officer, handing her a ticket.
Nowadays, whether for traffic violations, spitting in public, or other offenses, fines were issued and paid on the spot.
Wang Xuejiao was shocked by the amount. Was it really that expensive?
She recalled Du Zhigang telling her, “Fines like this are hard to reimburse. If you get caught, you’ll have to pay out of your own pocket.”
She really didn’t want to pay.
The officer impatiently urged her to pay immediately. Wang Xuejiao thought to herself: Just because Du Zhigang doesn’t get along with the urban management doesn’t mean the police bureau does. Maybe Captain Liu can help.
She decided to stall the officer and then find Liu Zhiyong for a solution.
Smilingly, she said, “Sorry, I don’t have that much money on me. Could you please...”
“The vehicle will be impounded. Bring the money to retrieve it,” the officer snapped, waving dismissively. Someone immediately came to take her three-wheeler toward the Integrated Management Team.
Fortunately, Qian Gang’s bulky stove and pot had been stashed away in a dead-end alley nearby, or else they would have been confiscated too.
As Wang Xuejiao pondered how she got caught, her pager buzzed again—another order to deliver two boxes of braised meat to the printing factory.
Standing at the printing workshop’s entrance, she frowned, “My vehicle was just impounded by urban management. It costs four hundred yuan to get it back. I don’t have that kind of money... sigh.”
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The man placing the order was a burly fellow. Seeing her worried and pitiful expression, he threw four hundred yuan at her: “Go redeem your vehicle. Consider this money a deposit with me; I’ll deduct from it next time you bring meat.”
Wow... so generous?
After experiencing a gym and a hair salon both absconding with five thousand yuan of her money, Wang Xuejiao had lost trust in any prepaid service.
Why was this man so confident to hand over four hundred yuan—a large sum—to a street vendor on a tricycle?
Could it be because... he was kind?
Wang Xuejiao thanked him profusely and left. At the door, her radio buzzed again, summoning her back to the police bureau.
Two days ago, a murder occurred in a neighboring city. The victim carried several bundles of counterfeit bills and had gunshot wounds.
The victim had a criminal record, and preliminary judgment was black-on-black crime.
The bureau now suspected the counterfeit bill gang was armed, making the case more serious.
The bait had been set for some time, and Liu Zhiyong had the three surveillance teams report their findings, hoping to uncover clues and determine if more police force was needed.
All five officers gave their observations; the three locations were all clear.
When Wang Xuejiao spoke, she emphasized: “What struck me as really unusual is that there were no thieves there.”
The others laughed. What was unusual about that?
Thieves didn’t operate strictly by schedule. She had only been there a few days; maybe thefts happened where she didn’t see.
Liu Zhiyong instructed the six to keep watching. He planned to approach the dismemberment case to see if it could yield more evidence.
After the meeting, Wang Xuejiao wanted to tell Liu Zhiyong about her vehicle being impounded, but he had already been pulled away by another team to join the dismemberment case discussion.
The room was thick with smoke; everyone looked grave and furrowed their brows.
They were busy handling a serious murder and dismemberment case; it felt inappropriate for her to ask about retrieving her tricycle now.
She thought it over and quietly asked Qian Gang if he had any connections.
He didn’t, and told her the fine was really hard to reimburse.
Wang Xuejiao sighed, “Forget it, I’ll go redeem the vehicle. Could you cover for me at work until I get back?”
Qian Gang readily agreed, teasing, “You actually got caught, haha.”
Wang Xuejiao slouched and started down the stairs but was stopped by Qian Gang, “Do you have enough money? Want me to lend you some?”
“No, I have it,” she replied.
She had earned quite a bit these days; four hundred yuan was not an issue, just a mood dampener.
Seeing her downcast, Qian Gang said with a smile, “Don’t look so gloomy. Things like this happen often. Last time when I was staking out a drug dealer at a bar, a prostitution crackdown happened and I was locked up for a while too. It was Captain Liu who got me out.”
Wang Xuejiao couldn’t help but smile bitterly, “Thanks. I’ll take that as comfort.”
Qian Gang scratched his head, “That’s exactly what I was doing.”
Stepping outside, Wang Xuejiao looked up at the blue sky, white clouds, and bright sun. The sunlight felt as cold as a fridge light.
She walked listlessly to the entrance, overhearing the old security guard say, “Why so glum? Sick?”
“No, my tricycle and everything on it were impounded by urban management.”
The old man squinted, peering over his glasses at her. “Where?”
“At the Tianjin Police Station side. Our chief doesn’t get along with theirs, so I can’t get it back.”
The old man picked up the phone, dialed seven numbers, and once connected, said, “Ask for Wu Chaoyong.”
Then, “Did you impound a three-wheeler selling braised food?”
And, “Tell her to come get it.”
After hanging up, he said, “Alright, just go straight there to pick it up.”
Wang Xuejiao cautiously asked, “Who should I say I’m calling for?”
“Wu Chaoyong,” the old man waved his hand.
Though she didn’t know who Wu Chaoyong was, it had to be someone important.
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The Integrated Management Office had a separate yard filled with vehicles parked haphazardly. Wang Xuejiao spotted her tricycle, the stove and pots chained tightly.
There was a standalone building with a bustling service hall on the first floor, crowded with people.
She wasn’t sure where to find Wu Chaoyong.
A uniformed man, likely a parking attendant, was wandering about. Wang Xuejiao approached politely: “Excuse me, where is Wu Chaoyong?”
The man sized her up and asked, “What are you here for?”
“To retrieve my vehicle.”
“Who are you to him?”
Wang Xuejiao froze. How would she know? The old security guard from the police station must have told her to come.
Seeing her at a loss, the man looked at her with disdain. This little girl, obviously not from around here, was trying to pretend to be acquaintances with their director.
The management office dealt with dozens of people daily claiming to be relatives or friends.
Such a cliché trick!
The man sneered and turned away, ignoring her.
Wang Xuejiao had no choice. She noticed stairs on the hall’s side and guessed the offices were upstairs. Since Wu Chaoyong answered the call, he must work there.
She decided to go upstairs.
Before entering, she saw a middle-aged man in a leather jacket exit, looking around.
For some reason, inspiration struck her. Standing beside him, she softly asked, “Are you Wu Chaoyong?”
He glanced down at her. “You are...?”
“My grandfather told me to come get the vehicle,” Wang Xuejiao replied awkwardly, not even knowing the old man’s surname.
Wu Chaoyong immediately smiled warmly. “Oh, so you’re the one Mr. Xu mentioned! Hey, which vehicle is yours?”
Wang Xuejiao pointed to the tricycle. Wu Chaoyong walked with her to inspect it, checking if anything was missing or broken.
Even the pots were there, though the stove was cold. The gelatinous broth in the braised meat had solidified, sparkling under the sun. The fat floating on top resembled snow on a mountain, pure and white.
“Need to start a fire again,” Wang Xuejiao thought, dreading the choking smoke.
The parking attendant, seeing the young girl standing side by side with Director Wu, smiled broadly and approached. “Why don’t you go to the office and rest a while? I’ll take the pot to the canteen to reheat—won’t take long.”
“Good!” Wu Chaoyong nodded in agreement and said to Wang Xuejiao, “Come with me and have some hot water; it’s too cold outside.”
Inside the office, Wu Chaoyong washed a porcelain cup several times before filling it with water. “Is Mr. Xu doing well...?”
He cautiously inquired about Wang Xuejiao’s relationship with Mr. Xu, and she understood. She didn’t lie but chose to keep some things to herself, successfully establishing the image of someone with connections whose family asked her to keep a low profile.