The Department Store Incident

Leaving the State-owned Embroidery Shop, Jiang Nian kept thinking about Ge Mai's words on her way back to the dormitory.

She walked outside the dormitory and glanced at the gate pillar. Previously, when she lived in the dormitory, Lu Yu would stand here holding breakfast. Ge Mai had completely brought to light the things she had hidden in the depths of her heart, things she didn't want to face or think about.

Even if she wanted to escape and pretend nothing had happened, it was impossible.

Jiang Nian exhaled a breath of turbid air. Returning to the dormitory, she already smelled the fragrant aroma of meat. Seeing her alone, Di Peipei asked in confusion, "Where is Director Ge?"

Lu Xiaojing peeked out the door: "Huh? Why didn't Sister Ge come?"

Jiang Nian said, "Sister Ge has something to do at home, so she went back first. She told us to eat first."

Zhang Xiao brought a basin of fish and chicken to the table, along with two plates of vegetarian dishes. Lu Xiaojing filled everyone's enamel cups with water, raised her cup, and said, "Come, let's have a toast to celebrate our State-owned Embroidery Shop finally returning to its former peaceful days."

Everyone stood up, raised their cups, and clinked them together: "Cheers!"

After eating and drinking their fill, Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao cleaned up and washed the pots and dishes. Lying in bed at night, Zhang Xiao hugged Jiang Nian and acted spoiled: "Sister Jiang, I missed you to death these past few days when you weren't here."

Jiang Nian felt like teasing her: "Then do you miss Zhou Jun?"

Zhang Xiao's face instantly turned red. She let go of Jiang Nian and crawled into her blanket: "I'm not talking to you."

Lu Xiaojing clicked her tongue and said, "My, my, my, still shy, huh?"

Di Peipei teased, "She's still a young girl, of course she's shy."

Lu Xiaojing asked, "Then what am I?"

Di Peipei laughed, "You're an old maid."

Lu Xiaojing snorted angrily, "Fine, fine, fine, I'm an old maid."

Amidst the joking and laughing, they gradually fell asleep. The next morning, Di Peipei got up and heated the leftovers from last night. After eating breakfast, they went to the Embroidery Shop. Jiang Nian touched up the embroidery work, and only after ensuring it was flawless did she hand it over to Ge Mai.

Ge Mai smiled and said, "I truly admire your craftsmanship."

The embroidery was finished, and there was nothing to do in the afternoon. Jiang Nian planned to go to the Department Store to buy some fabric, needles, and thread, intending to make two summer outfits for Lu Yu and herself. Ge Mai said, "Let Zhang Xiao go with you to keep you company."

Hearing this, Zhang Xiao stood up happily: "Thank you, Sister Ge."

After lunch, Jiang Nian and Zhang Xiao went to the Department Store together. On the way, they encountered police officers arresting people on the street, all of whom were troublemakers who had sneaked into the city. Jiang Nian turned her head to look; there were over a dozen men and women.

"Sister Jiang, Hu Zhongming's father is among them."

Zhang Xiao gasped in fear, clutching Jiang Nian's sleeve. Jiang Nian looked in the direction she pointed. Behind two women followed a group of short but sturdy-looking men with disheveled hair and unshaven faces, who looked very similar to Hu Zhongming.

As the police led them past Zhang Xiao and Jiang Nian, Hu Zhongming's father must have spotted Zhang Xiao. He turned his head and glared at her with a sinister look. Frightened, Zhang Xiao swallowed hard and drew closer to Jiang Nian: "Sister Jiang, let's go."

"Yeah."

Jiang Nian withdrew her gaze and quickly walked away with Zhang Xiao.

Meanwhile, Hu Zhongming's father had clearly heard Zhang Xiao call the woman next to her "Sister Jiang." Surname Jiang, female, and the age matched. Hu Zhongming's father turned to look at Jiang Nian's retreating figure, a dark look flashing in his eyes.

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The Department Store of this era could not compare to the new century. Jiang Nian selected several types of fabric, bought a little of each, and also bought a few shoe insoles to make two pairs of shoes for herself and Lu Yu. Jiang Nian paid with money and fabric coupons, then walked out with Zhang Xiao. Outside, two police officers were looking for someone. As they passed by, they heard the police asking if anyone had seen a man of a certain height with a long beard.

The two of them wandered around for the afternoon. Jiang Nian bought some jujubes for Sister Di and the others. By the time they headed back, the sun was already setting. They had to pass through two alleys to return to the Embroidery Shop. Unexpectedly, just as Zhang Xiao stepped in, she was knocked unconscious by a brick.

"Zhang Xiao!"

The jujubes and fabrics in Jiang Nian's hands rolled all over the ground. Zhang Xiao collapsed, her head bleeding, and standing opposite her was a man—none other than Hu Zhongming's father. Jiang Nian instantly realized that the man the police were looking for at the Department Store was the person in front of her.

"You must be Jiang Nian, right?"

Hu Zhongming's father walked toward Jiang Nian. As Jiang Nian turned to run, he quickened his pace, grabbed her by the neck, covered her mouth to stop her from crying for help, and said savagely, "You ruined my Hu family, made us lose our jobs, our house, and forced us to be driven to the countryside!"

Jiang Nian's body couldn't stop trembling. She tightly gripped his arms, trying to pull his hands away. She was worried that Zhang Xiao would bleed out, and wanted to beg him to let Zhang Xiao go first, but the man in front of her had clearly lost his humanity.

He glared with sinister eyes: "My old Hu family only has Hu Zhongming as a son. I want to take your life to exchange for my son!"

The opponent's strength was immense, and Jiang Nian had absolutely no room to resist.

She was dragged away by Hu Zhongming's father to an unknown location. Before leaving, she saw a small pool of blood forming around Zhang Xiao's head.

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Zhang Xiao was found by the dormitory auntie. Terrified, the auntie quickly ran to the State-owned Embroidery Shop to call Ge Mai and the others, who rushed Zhang Xiao to the city hospital. Seeing Zhang Xiao unconscious, Di Peipei stamped her foot in panic: "Which bastard did this?!"

Lu Xiaojing also asked anxiously, "Where is Jiang Nian? Auntie, did you see Jiang Nian?"

The dormitory auntie shook her head, her hands still trembling: "When I passed by, I only saw Zhang Xiao alone. I didn't see Jiang Nian."

"Call the police!"

Ge Mai's face was pale, panicked for the first time: "It must be Hu Zhongming's father! I'll call the police!"

Di Peipei stayed with Zhang Xiao, while Lu Xiaojing and Ge Mai first went to the Public Security Bureau to report the incident. After explaining the situation, the police quickly contacted their colleagues, confirmed that Hu Zhongming's father had fled, and began to search for him and Jiang Nian.

Lu Xiaojing was crying: "Sister Ge, what should we do? What if something happens to Jiang Nian?"

Ge Mai's body swayed, and Lu Xiaojing quickly supported her. Ge Mai looked around in panic: "Call, call Deputy Regimental Commander Lu."

If something happened to Jiang Nian under her watch, she wouldn't have the face to see Deputy Regimental Commander Lu.

For so many years, this was the first time Ge Mai was too panicked to walk. Leaning against the brick wall, she said to Lu Xiaojing, "Go back to the Embroidery Shop and call Deputy Regimental Commander Lu immediately. Tell him the truth about the situation."

By this time, the sky was dark, and the road was pitch black.

Ge Mai leaned against the wall, her heart pounding with intense anxiety.

Lu Xiaojing ran all the way back to the Embroidery Shop, unlocked the door with trembling hands, ran inside, and picked up the phone. It took her a moment to remember the number for the military camp's security office. After dialing, the operator's voice came through. Lu Xiaojing panted, "Quick, connect me to the military area!"

"Sure, please wait a moment."

After a moment, an unfamiliar man's voice came from the other end. Lu Xiaojing said hurriedly, "Help me find Deputy Regimental Commander Lu of the Second Regiment! His sister-in-law is in trouble, we are currently at the State-owned Embroidery Shop!"

The guard dropped the phone almost instantly and ran toward the family quarters at top speed. By chance, he met Deputy Regimental Commander Lu and Deputy Regimental Commander Song on the way.

"Deputy Regimental Commander Lu—"

Lu Yu had just unbuttoned two collar buttons of his military uniform. Hearing the voice behind him, he turned around. Seeing the guard's anxious face, his cold face instantly darkened: "What happened?"