Return to the 1982 Staff Compound

Chapter 74 Who are you?

The office is the third one. There are only two desks in it, placed back to back near the window. You can just see the forest and the view is good.

"Please sit down." She stood up and searched for a cup, then a slightly embarrassed look appeared on her face, "There are no cups."

There was only one cup on the table with the lid open. It contained strong tea that had gone cold. This should be her own cup.

"It's okay, I'm not thirsty." Qiu Huoming asked, "Aunt Zhang, you're alone here, so you should keep the door closed at all times."

"There are five young people here, all of them are out. It's usually quite lively here." She said with a smile and sat down.

Qiu Huoming faced her and said solemnly, "I came here today specifically to see you. The guy I met at the door last time and was talking to you, was his last name Hu?"

Sister Zhang was stunned and nodded subconsciously.

"She is my apprentice."

"You should check the stamps issued by the quarantine department recently. Don't do nothing and end up throwing dirty water on others." Qiu Huoming stood up.

"I overheard it by accident. I have no evidence. I just want to remind you."

Sister Zhang looked at him in a daze and stood up, "Who... are you?"

Qiu Huoming didn't know how to explain to her for a moment, "I just admire your skills. I don't want a person with real skills to be dragged down by those incompetent people. Also, if you are alone in the office, please lock the door. This place is really too remote..."

Sister Zhang looked at Qiu Huoming thoughtfully, "I see. No matter who you are, I want to thank you. If you really heard something, just tell me directly. I won't mind."

She seemed to have sensed something. After all, she was a small leader and could sense some slight disturbances.

"Be careful of Huang Xiaocui and Qiu Jianjun, especially the latter. Don't stay alone with him... That's all I can say. Aunt Zhang, I'm going back now. Don't tell anyone else that you've seen me."

Qiu Huoming walked to the door, turned around and emphasized again: "By the way, there is also a guy named Kong! If no one is here, remember to lock the door."

After saying this, he didn't care about Sister Zhang's reaction behind him.

He walked quickly out along the corridor.

He had done his best to this extent. He could faintly hear Sister Zhang's voice behind him: "Thank you!"

The corners of his mouth rose slightly, and it seemed that she probably listened to him.

Qiu Huoming rode his bike back the same way. Around four o'clock in the afternoon, the wind suddenly blew, the sun hid in the clouds, the fallen leaves on the road were blown up by the wind, and Qiu Huoming's neck felt cold.

It looks like things are going to change.

I rode my bike all the way back home. My parents hadn't gotten off work yet. My older sister and younger sister were catching insects for the egret chickens in the vegetable garden. There was a tattered basin on the ground. It seemed that they had made a good harvest.

Qiu Huoming put down his schoolbag. Since he had nothing to do, he took out his math textbook and started doing exercises.

In less than an hour, the sky suddenly darkened.

After a while, we heard raindrops hitting the roof. My little sister ran back screaming, opened the firewood room, chased the chickens in, and then turned around and ran back home.

The eldest sister is already washing rice and cooking in the kitchen.

Qiu Huoming stood up belatedly and turned on the light. The warm light filled the small room.

He called out, "Are mom and dad back?"

"No!" the eldest sister replied from the kitchen.

"I'll go get the umbrella." Qiu Huoming rushed into the living room and pulled out two long-handled umbrellas from behind the door.

He went out with a flashlight in his pocket and an umbrella.

He planned to go straight to the textile factory to pick up Chen Suniang. As for Qiu Jianshe, a grown man, why did he need an umbrella?

As soon as I walked to the door of the Supply and Marketing Building, I heard Chen Suniang's surprised voice behind me: "Huo Ming, Huo Ming!"

He turned his head and saw that the long eaves of the Supply and Marketing Building were already full of people hiding from the rain. The rain came suddenly and many people did not bring umbrellas.

Chen Suniang was standing side by side with Qiu Jianshe. Her eyes were burning and her hands were stretched into the rain. The inspector stretched her neck and yelled at Qiu Huoming. Qiu Jianshe pulled her back. Half of his shoulder was already wet.

Qiu Huoming hurried over and handed the big umbrella in his hand to Qiu Jianshe amid the envious gazes of the crowd.

Holding umbrellas, they walked down the stairs one after another and walked onto the long street. Qiu Huoming took out a flashlight from his pocket and turned it on. The faint light flickered in the rain.

Chen Suniang held Qiu Jianshe's arm. Raindrops hit the umbrella, leaving thin rain lines. Through the rain, all she could see was the back of her son walking in front of her.

She whispered, "Is Huo Ming high again?"

Qiu Jianshe didn't say anything.

She went on to say, "Look, the hem of his clothes is too short. Go to the store tomorrow, Sunday, and buy him a new set of clothes."

Qiu Jianshe nodded and said, "You are a grown man now, you should dress decently."

Qiu Huoming listened to the sound of rain and the splashing of water by his ears, but he didn't expect that his parents behind him were talking about him.

Early on Sunday morning, Qiu Huoming woke up from his dream. The rain that had stopped at night started falling again, and it was even heavier than last night.

The temperature, which had just warmed up, is getting colder again.

Chen Suniang originally planned to go out to buy clothes today, but after looking at the day, she decided to give up and stay at home to make underwear for the children.

Especially since my older sister is getting older, she needs to prepare a few more sets of inner clothes.

At the same time, the meat processing plant in XC District was still busy.

Because today is Sunday, a batch of pigs were slaughtered last night. The young people in the quarantine department were exhausted after working all night, and now Sister Zhang was the only one left in the office.

She walked in from outside, leaned her umbrella against the wall of the corridor, opened the door, walked into the room, and looked at the rain falling outside the window, feeling a little upset.

She turned her head to look at the door behind her, and suddenly remembered what the young man said. After thinking about it, she walked over, closed the door, and locked it.

When I walked to the window, I couldn't help laughing again.

I really believed what a child said.

She sat in the chair and began to process the documents of the past few days.

Before she could finish the work in her hands, the door handle was pulled down with force, making a metallic clicking sound.

The door was locked. The other party did not open the door. Instead, due to inertia, his head was hit by the door and he let out a cry of pain.

Sister Zhang's eyebrows jumped and she asked sharply, "Who!"

A familiar voice came from outside the door, "I'm Team Leader Kong from the slaughterhouse."

There was a hint of disgust on Sister Zhang's face.

"What's up?"

"Something's up. I have a few lists. Can you sign them for me?"

"Put it on Xiao Huang's table and I'll check it later." For some reason, Sister Zhang just didn't want to open the door.

Xiao Huang and his colleagues' office is a large interconnected room right next door, and usually everyone goes there directly to discuss things.

"I have something else to talk to you about, please open the door." Squad Leader Kong knocked on the door and shouted.

"The door is broken. I'll wait for Xiao Qian to come and fix it. You can go back first." Sister Zhang made up an excuse.

Xiao Qian is a young technician in their department and the only male in the quarantine section.

"Broken?" A trace of anger appeared on Squad Leader Kong's face.

He took a few steps back and slammed hard towards the door.

Sister Zhang started to panic, and the boy's words from yesterday came to her mind again. She opened the drawer and took out a dissecting knife from the iron box. The knife was an obsolete one, but it was sharp enough.

The door was old after all, and the lock was a little loose. Just as she was about to tighten her grip on the knife handle, the door was knocked open with a bang, and cold wind rushed in...