After choosing a topic, she then researched the topic and discovered that forest police officers were still managed by the Forestry Bureau. However, their duties remained the same.
Lin Shuyue decided to go to Saihanba for an interview, so she had to postpone her return home. She called Lou Fengqin. Lou Fengqin was very happy that Lin Shuyue was successfully selected as one of the top ten young journalists, but she was also worried about Lin Shuyue going alone to such a far and unfamiliar place, and her tone was full of concern.
But she knew that grown-up chicks would eventually leave home, so she just gave her support to Lin Shuyue, repeatedly reminding her to be careful and take care of herself.
When Hang Jiabai knew that Lin Shuyue was going to Saihanba, his eyes lit up: "I'll go with you on Saturday or Sunday."
Hang Jiabai used to do this all the time. On Friday afternoons, after school, he'd rent an SUV and drive directly to Mulan County in Rehe, arriving there a little after 10 a.m. He'd stay overnight and head to Bashang early the next morning, arriving before noon.
He would stayed in the forest for two days and returned to the capital at around two o'clock on Monday. He would arrived at school around eight o'clock, so there was no problem attending classes normally.
Lin Shuyue thought that Hang Jiabai hadn't seen his parents for many years. Who doesn't miss their parents? Lin Shuyue's heart softened: "Okay, then I'll wait for you."
Hang Jiabai hugged Lin Shuyue into his arms, wishing he could hold her in his heart.
Today is the weekend, and Lin Shuyue has to wait for him in the capital for at least five days. During these five days, Hang Jiabai has to go to school, so Lin Shuyue can only wait. Hang Jiabai is very happy.
Lin Shuyue patted his shoulder and said, "It's not easy for me to come to the capital, and I want to visit all the attractions in the capital."
"Okay." Hang Jiabai said, "Zuo Xiangfeng has a Siheyuan. When we were in college, he rented it out to visiting classmates and their families at a low price. I'll ask him if he's rented it out recently. If not, we can rent his house for a few days." (TL's Note: Siheyuan is a traditional type of Chinese courtyard house, particularly common in northern China.)
Hang Jiabai also understood Lin Shuyue's personality. She seemed to have a special obsession with things like houses.
Hang Jiabai was 80% sure that he could get Lin Shuyue to stay there.
Lin Shuyue was indeed tempted. The price of Seaview Hotel was quite high, about 100 yuan a night. It was fine for one or two nights, but it wouldn't be worth it if she stayed longer.
Lin Shuyue had money and originally thought it would be nice to stay at the Seaview Hotel, but after hearing the word "Siheyuan", she couldn't choose the hotel anymore.
Speaking of which, Lin Shuyue has never seen a real siheyuan in her two lifetimes. Her knowledge of siheyuan comes from movies and TV dramas and pictures on the Internet.
Seeing Lin Shuyue's interest, Hang Jiabai said to her, "Our Senior Brother Zuo, don't be fooled by his inconspicuous appearance, but his grandfather was a wealthy businessman in the past. He handed over a lot of his assets before the special period began, and during the special period, his family was saved."
"After the reform and opening up, all the property his grandfather's family had handed over was returned. His grandfather's health was not good at the time, but he still managed to divide the family property. His mother got three or four houses and a few plots of land, and his uncle got all the family funds and the remaining real estate."
"His uncle is now developing his business in Jinshi and usually doesn't come back. His mother built several courtyard houses and used all the land to build houses and rent them out. Now several houses have been demolished, so their family is not short of money."
"That courtyard house was given to him by his mother after he came of age. We used to sleep there almost every Saturday and Sunday."
Lin Shuyue's eyes were full of stars. The courtyard houses in the capital and the small Western-style buildings in Shanghai are what many internet surfing girls dream of.
"His family is so awesome! Okay, Ah Bai, ask around. If it's rented out, we'll make other plans." Lin Shuyue said.
Hang Jiabai nodded and lowered his head to send a message to Zuo Xiangfeng. Soon Zuo Xiangfeng called. After Hang Jiabai answered the phone, he said to Lin Shuyue, "He said that he turned the house into a daily rental two years ago. It just so happens that the main house hasn't been rented out yet, so we can go and live there."
Lin Shuyue was surprised: "He has a good business mind."
"It's always been like this. When we were in college, we followed him out to make money. Otherwise, how could the living expenses from our family be enough for us to eat and drink so lavishly every day?"
Speaking of this, Lin Shuyue became interested: "Tell me quickly, what business have you done?"
"There were several schools near our school, all of which were girls' schools like normal schools. So we sold clothes, accessories and the like. Our stalls did pretty well. My aunt was the most annoyed with me at that time because I always asked her to help me get clothes from Yangcheng."
This was the first time that Lin Shuyue had seen a real-life example of starting a business in college. What she had seen most often was graduating seniors setting up stalls in the school to sell their used items when new students arrived.
But students' money is certainly easy to earn, she said: "So now, does your aunt still bother you?"
"She doesn't bother me anymore because she has opened a clothing mall in Guangzhou. She has to thank me. If I hadn't always asked her to go to the clothing wholesale market to help us get clothes, she definitely wouldn't have chosen to sell clothes."
"Now she's the richest person in our family." Hang Jiabai smiled as he recounted the past. Judging from his tone and demeanor, he must have been spiritually rich growing up.
Lin Shuyue envied him very much.
She stood on tiptoe and kissed Hang Jiabai. The snow outside hadn't melted yet. They were talking in the reception room on the first floor of Seaview Hotel. People were coming and going around. Hang Jiabai wanted to kiss her back but couldn't. He sighed for three seconds and could only sigh helplessly.
Hang Jiabai had classes in the evening, so after chatting for a while, he went back home. Lin Shuyue went upstairs to find Feng Qinqin, who was checking the photos they had taken today on her computer.
As soon as Lin Shuyue entered the room, she gave Lin Shuyue a thumbs up: "Ah Yue, your photography skills are amazing. I don't think anyone in those photoshops can compare to you."
As Feng Qinqin spoke, a corner of the Forbidden City's rooftop was displayed on her computer screen. The blue sky, white clouds, and the lingering snow on the yellow glazed tiles formed a stark contrast with the vermilion walls.
Very beautiful.
"If you like it, make a copy and then develop it and look at it later." Lin Shuyue planned to pack all the photos she had taken and put them on Big Eyed Boy.
She plans to open a photography account to take beautiful photos.
Feng Qinqin nodded rapidly. She'd previously used a camera only to take pictures for news releases, but now she didn't think so anymore. She wanted to learn photography, too. She wanted to be like Lin Shuyue!
Lin Shuyue didn't realize she'd unknowingly inspired Feng Qinqin. She went to bed, and soon after, she ran into Mr. Zhou. That afternoon, they strolled through a famous alley nearby and grabbed a bite to eat.
When they went to bed at night, the two talked in the dark for most of the night and said a lot of things. Lin Shuyue couldn't remember when she fell asleep.
The next day, she was woken by the alarm clock Feng Qinqin had set. She glanced at the time and saw it was already eleven o'clock. There was a noise coming from the bathroom. It was Feng Qinqin washing up in the bathroom. There was a suitcase next to the middle bed. Feng Qinqin had already packed her luggage.
After she came out, Lin Shuyue also went to wash up. Then she sent Feng Qinqin downstairs and watched her leave in a taxi.
The snow on the road has melted, but there are still some piles of snow swept together on the roadside. Feng Qinqin said that the snow will not melt until after the New Year and the beginning of spring.
Lin Shuyue returned to her room and began to pack up. When she was in the bathroom getting the toiletries she had brought with her, she saw a very delicate brooch. The brooch was in the shape of a pink and white peony and was very beautiful.
Lin Shuyue had seen this brooch before. It was sold at a very high price in a shop outside Shenwu Gate.
With a "Ding Dong" sound, Lin Shuyue's mobile phone received a message. She took it out and saw that it was a message from Feng Qinqin: A gift for you, thank you for accompanying me through my saddest days.
Lin Shuyue smiled and put the brooch into the system backpack, and wrote a label on it with special care.
After parting with Feng Qinqin, perhaps there will be no chance to meet again in this life, but Lin Shuyue still cherishes this fate.
"Knock knock knock", there was a knock on the door of the room. Lin Shuyue opened the door and saw that it was Hang Jiabai who had finished class and came to take her to the courtyard.
He drove up in a beautiful army green off-road vehicle. Hang Jiabai said, "This is my teacher's car. I pestered him to lend it to me. He saved up his own savings for over a decade to buy this car, and he treats it like his son. He won't let anyone touch it."
Hang Jiabai spoke with pride. He was a teacher known for being stingy in the school. As someone who could borrow a car from him, Hang Jiabai estimated that he would become a legend in the school.
Zuo Xiangfeng's courtyard house was not far from Haiyue Building, and the car arrived there in no time.
The alley was quite narrow and the car could not enter at the entrance. Lin Shuyue walked in front with her bag on her back, and Hang Jiabai was carrying the large bags at the back.
Zuo Xiangfeng's courtyard is divided into front and back yards. The east and west wing rooms in the front yard are already full, but no one lives in the main house. The back yard is Zuo Xiangfeng's private territory and is not open to the public.
Zuo Xiangfeng had already come and was waiting. His house was usually managed by someone, so he usually didn't come here.
Seeing Lin Shuyue looking towards the backyard, Zuo Xiangfeng said, "Yuanyuan likes this house very much. The backyard is where we used to live. It's also where we agreed to be our wedding room. I guess it won't be open to the public anymore."
Lin Shuyue hadn't expected that just a casual glance would touch upon Zuo Xiangfeng's sorrow. She apologized softly, "I'm sorry."
Zuo Xiangfeng pushed open the door and said, "There's nothing to apologize for. I just wanted to say it. I've been wanting to tell others about her these past few days. I feel like the more people remember her and talk about her, the more she stays the same."
Lin Shuyue and Hang Jiabai looked at each other, Hang Jiabai shook his head at her, and the three of them entered the main room together.
The main house is divided into three rooms. The two rooms on the left and right are bedrooms, and the middle one is the living room. The living room is full of huanghuali furniture, and the furniture on the left and right sides are also made of huanghuali, which is very antique.
The bed was made of white, just like in the hotel.
Lin Shuyue lives in the east room with a bathroom, and Hang Jiabai lives in the west room, but he probably doesn't have time to come and live here.
After putting down their luggage and having lunch together, Hang Jiabai sent Lin Shuyue to the entrance of the alley and hurried back because he had classes in the afternoon.
Lin Shuyue walked into the courtyard, and a slovenly young man wearing a military coat came out of the east wing next door. He was stunned the moment he saw Lin Shuyue, then turned around and ran back to his room.
When introducing the tenant, Zuo Xiangfeng told Lin Shuyue that the tenant was a novelist who couldn't write at home and thought it was due to the environment, so he packed his bags and came to live here.
Hevusually don't go out, he just stay at home in a different place.
Lin Shuyue took out the key and opened the door. Just then, two more people came in. They seemed to be in a bad mood, and the girl walking in front was very angry.
She paused when she saw Lin Shuyue, then went straight to the west wing. The man looked at Lin Shuyue for a moment, then followed her. When Lin Shuyue closed the door, she heard the quarrel between the two.
Zuo Xiangfeng said that they were a young couple who came to the capital for their honeymoon. They rented the house for a week and left early and came back late during these days.
Lin Shuyue took a nap and when she woke up, she saw a woman in her forties sweeping the yard.
"You are the Lin Shuyue that Ah Feng mentioned, right? Where are you going?"
"Aunt Zhao?" Aunt Zhao was the yard manager hired by Zuo Xiangfeng. She usually worked with her husband, Uncle Zhao, to be responsible for the sanitation and safety of the yard. Lin Shuyue and the others didn't see her when they came because they had gone home for lunch.
"It's me, it's me. Ah Feng told me, if you need anything, just tell me and I'll do whatever I can to help you." Aunt Zhao wasn't from the capital. They rented a large house in the next alley.
The couple also supports a junior high school student and a high school student. Zuo Xiangfeng's offered job pays well, and if he does a good job, he will also receive various benefits. Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao are completely devoted to him, and they carry out his orders as if they were imperial decrees.
"Okay, I'll call you if I need anything. Auntie, I'm leaving now. I want to go for a walk in the alley."
"Go ahead, go ahead. Come back for dinner in the evening. Our courtyard house provides lunch and dinner." Aunt Zhao was afraid that Lin Shuyue didn't know, so she gave her instructions specifically.
"Okay, I got it." Lin Shuyue waved at her and left. Aunt Zhao continued to clean. She cleaned meticulously and there was no dust inside and outside the house.
Lin Shuyue had just left the house when the couple who had been throwing a tantrum at noon also left. Lin Shuyue walked slowly, and the three of them met at the entrance of the alley. Since they lived in the same courtyard, Lin Shuyue nodded at them as a greeting. The girl gave Lin Shuyue a stiff smile in return, then strode off. Behind her, the boy, carrying large and small bags, chased after her.
Fu Xiao apologized humbly, but the girl scolded him impatiently.
They separated at the entrance of the alley. Lin Shuyue walked in the alleys of the capital in winter, taking pictures as she walked. From time to time, she met old people who were strolling and chatting outside, and she would stop to chat with them.
The day passed quickly. Hang Jiabai didn't come over at night. Lin Shuyue set the alarm for five o'clock. She got up at dawn. She wanted to go to the gate of the city to watch the flag-raising ceremony.
There is a breakfast stall at the entrance of the alley. In front of the smoking hot wok, a man wearing a white apron stretches a piece of dough with his hands, and the dough is formed into a pancake on the greasy panel. He cuts two slits on the pancake and throws it into the boiling oil wok.
The aroma of fried carbs burst out instantly, bringing a touch of homeliness to this cold morning.
Some people who had gone to work early were already sitting in the shed behind the oil wok to eat breakfast, and Lin Shuyue also sat in.
The cold wind was instantly blocked by the simple shed, and people became warmer.
"Boss, two servings of tofu pudding and two fried pancakes." The two girls who came in just before Lin Shuyue ordered dishes, and Lin Shuyue also followed their example and ordered a meal.
The two of them sat on the stool next to Lin Shuyue.
Lin Shuyue took a small condiment dish and picked out some pickles from the small plastic box on the table.
Pickled mustard greens are shredded mustard greens. These days in the capital, no matter which restaurant you go to, you will always find them. Whoever wants to eat can take as much as they want, and it's free.
"Xiaoyou, have you noticed that there are more and more hooligans on Line 027?" The girl who spoke was wearing a black down jacket and a white woolen hat on her head. She took out a tissue from her bag and started wiping the table.
"Hasn't bus No. 027 always been like this? It's simply a gathering place for hooligans. If it wasn't the nearest bus to the company, I really wouldn't want to take it. And I'm not riding alone. I heard that sometimes those people commit crimes in gangs. It's disgusting." The girl who replied in the black down jacket was wearing a beige down jacket. She had a muffled tone when she spoke. She probably had a cold, but there was a small chance that she had rhinitis.
"Yeah, it used to be okay, but it's been really rampant lately. Last night, when I was coming back from the bus, someone kept standing next to me and trying to touch me. I turned around and looked, and everyone looked normal. I had no idea who it was, and it's so annoying. Once I work for another two years and make enough money, I'll go back to my hometown and never come back to this crappy place again."
With this sentence, the topic of the two people shifted to other things.
The tofu pudding is here. There is a big difference between the tofu pudding in the north and the south. The tofu pudding in the south is sweet and made with various sugar syrups, while the tofu pudding in the north is salty and made with boiled brine.
The tender white tofu pudding shimmered in the sauce-colored broth. Lin Shuyue, having tasted salty tofu pudding for the first time, scooped it up with a stainless steel spoon and shoveled it into her mouth. The broth was salty yet savory, with minced meat, chopped wood ear mushrooms, and day lily flowers, creating a distinct texture and a delicious flavor.
The little girl at the next table tore the sizzling fried cakes with chopsticks and soaked them in tofu pudding. Lin Shuyue also learned to eat it.
The fried cakes and fried dough sticks are not much different in size, but they are soft inside and crispy outside. After being soaked in tofu pudding, they are covered with tofu pudding soup, and are crispy with a salty fragrance, which is surprisingly delicious.
A bowl of tofu pudding and a fried pancake cost two yuan in total, which is considered a very cheap breakfast.
It was winter in the north, and it was still dark at five o'clock. The street lamps on the roadside were still emitting dim light. Just as Lin Shuyue was having breakfast, the little girl at the next table walked hurriedly past her.
Lin Shuyue also quickened her pace. Coincidentally, from the route she'd asked Aunt Zhao about last night, the closest route to the flag-raising ceremony was three stops on bus No. 027.
There were already many people standing under the No. 027 bus stop. Some of them were standing alone, while others were gathered with people they knew, chatting together.
The two girls were standing and talking with an older woman, and they were obviously acquaintances.
Lin Shuyue was looking at the bus stop for No. 027 bus on the bus stop sign. The weather was too cold, and she was wearing a mask, so the breath she exhaled was covered with white mist.
People kept gathering towards the station, and the wind brought the aroma of food from somewhere. Lin Shuyue followed the smell and saw that someone was eating a green pepper pancake.
The delicate aroma of green peppers seemed to carry a hook, and Lin Shuyue heard someone's stomach rumble. The frustration of the migrant workers waking up early was fully revealed at this moment. Lin Shuyue took out her camera and took some photos of these people. She had a hankering to write a story based on these photos. She was still figuring out the details when someone announced the arrival of a car.
Lin Shuyue looked over and saw a yellow car with the 027 street sign coming from afar. The people who were chatting just now stopped talking, and those who were eating pancakes put the unfinished pancakes into their bags. Everyone spontaneously lined up in a row, and some of them had calculated the time very well and were now running towards the platform.
The bus stopped at the platform and everyone squeezed onto the bus like sardines in a can. The ticket seller had a hoarse voice and kept repeating over and over again that people should buy tickets through the back door, and those who had bus cards should swipe them at the door and not evade fares.
Having heard the conversation between the two little girls, Lin Shuyue followed them after getting in the car.
Lin Shuyue had heard of this bus pervert countless times, but she had never seen the real one. She wanted to see how dirty this bus pervert's hands were.
The stop where Lin Shuyue boarded the bus wasn't the starting station, so the seats were already full before they boarded, leaving them standing in the aisle. Lin Shuyue was three steps away from the two girls, and from there, she could clearly see the two little girls standing close together with the older sister who was talking to them behind them.
"Ding Dong! The bus is starting. Please hold on tight. Next stop..." Following the announcement from the bus, the bus slowly pulled ahead. The attendant moved back and asked people to buy tickets. Lin Shuyue took the three-stop ride, which cost fifty cents.
It was already 5:14. It was a sunny day today. The sky was already turning pale and the sky was getting brighter with the appearance of pale sky.
No one was talking in the car. Everyone was standing or sitting in silence. Everyone held their bags tightly in front of them. Some were leaning against the window to catch up on their sleep, while others were looking out the window.
Lin Shuyue looked around and saw two men in the crowd moving in small steps. As the car swayed, they swung their bodies widely and approached the girl next to them, who was wearing white clothes.
They were indeed very rampant. Sometimes when they were discovered, two men who obviously did not know each other would even smile at each other. They squeezed tighter and the girls squeezed in between them tried to escape helplessly, but they could not escape.
Their hands also began to become restless, attacking the girls' strides and breasts.
Lin Shuyue raised her camera, took pictures of their ugly faces, pushed through the crowd, and pulled the girl who was stuck in the middle out. At the same time, she reached out and pinched his wrist.
One of them was attacking the girl's buttocks and was enjoying it, but suddenly he lost his target and his hand was pinched so hard that it hurt. He was very dissatisfied and glared at Lin Shuyue.
Lin Shuyue held the girl in the white down jacket tightly behind her and met his gaze without any fear.
Seeing this, the other man took a step back and hid in the crowd.
"Let go, you bitch." The man that Lin Shuyue was pinching struggled hard, but he couldn't open Lin Shuyue's twisted hand. He wanted to use his other free hand to rub Lin Shuyue, but he didn't know when a 50-year-old aunt appeared beside him. She was looking at him with a serious look, holding a hammer in her hand. When she saw him looking at her, she smiled at him.
Lin Shuyue listened to the man's insults and increased her strength. The man's face twisted in pain. "Driver, please drop us off at the nearby police post."
"Okay." The driver's voice was particularly loud. The aunt stood directly beside Lin Shuyue, using her thin body to protect her from being attacked.
The two girls sitting at the next table also came over with the older sister they knew. The girl in the black down jacket was very angry and slapped the man in the face.
"Pervert, hooligan, beast! Do your family members know that you did this on the bus? Don't you have a mother, sister, or daughter?" As the girl in the black down jacket finished speaking, another loud slap was heard.
"You're right, young lady. We caught the man who just retreated. I'll go with you to the police duty post this time."
"Yes, we'll go too. We saw what they did just now. They're hooligans."
The people in the car who were originally watching indifferently all expressed their support at this moment, and the girl in the white down jacket thanked them with tears in her eyes.
The driver drove the car to the nearest police post, and a group of people got off the car.
There have been perverts on bus No. 027 for a long time. It was fine if they couldn't be caught in the past, but now they have been caught. All the women who were offended by the perverts on the bus in the past have to get off the bus. These two perverts must be nailed to the pillar of shame.
Lin Shuyue was the first person to stop the two perverts' shameless behavior. She provided her phone number and photos taken in the bus.
Even in the dim light of the bus, the two perverts' lewd smiles and their hands reaching out to the girl were clearly captured. They had no way of denying this.
The police registered the victims' information, and Lin Shuyue withdrew. However, when she arrived at the square, the flag-raising ceremony was about to begin, and many people had come to watch. Lin Shuyue didn't squeeze to the front, but she stood on the periphery and listened to the honor guard emerge from the city wall and march in orderly steps to the flag-raising platform to take their place.
As she listened to the stirring national anthem and watched the five-star red flag rising slowly in the sky, she felt an indescribable sense of pride and emotion in her heart.
After the flag-raising ceremony, Lin Shuyue took a picture of the back of the honor guard leaving, and took a few selfies of herself and the square.
Just as she was about to go home, her phone rang. "Excuse me, is this Ms. Lin Shuyue? We're at the police booth on Guangchang West Road. The pervert you just brought here was beaten to death in an alley while trying to escape. We need you to come over and take a statement. Is that convenient for you?"