Chapter 75: The Familiar Bus
Since Xiao Liang was in Dongzhou, he didn’t need to clock in at the juice factory. But after breakfast at home, he still timed his departure and went to the teachers’ college stop to catch the No. 9 bus to Yunshe.
When the bus stopped at Sucheng Town, he unexpectedly saw Zhang Feili board, holding Lin Xi’s hand.
Zhang Feili’s parents lived near Lin Xuetong and He Hong, separated by only one household. She had also worked with He Hong at the juice factory for years. It could be said she had watched Lin Xi grow up, and they had even acknowledged each other as godmother and goddaughter.
Now that both Lin Xuetong and He Hong were in detention, it was only natural for Zhang Feili to look after Lin Xi a little more.
Still, Zhang Feili had only returned to Yunshe yesterday afternoon. Seeing her appear in Sucheng early this morning and ride the bus with Lin Xi still surprised Xiao Liang.
It was summer vacation. Xiao Liang remembered that Lin Xi had only graduated from primary school this year. If she wasn’t transferring schools, she should be starting junior high in Yunshe next. Was Zhang Feili taking her to register at school this morning?
Seeing Zhang Feili and Lin Xi walking toward him, Xiao Liang noticed there was only one empty seat left in the back, so he stood and gave it to them.
Even in the middle of summer, the little girl was used to wrapping herself up tightly. The moment she got on the bus and saw Xiao Liang, her dark eyes lit up. For an instant, her face seemed to bloom with the bright warmth of early summer.
But when she came closer, she acted like a stranger. She quietly sat down and turned to look out the window, not sparing Xiao Liang another glance.
Xiao Liang couldn’t guess what was going through her mind.
Zhang Feili wore no makeup, yet she was in the full bloom of her youth. Morning sunlight streamed through the bus window and fell across her face—fair, luminous, flawless. Her features were delicate and vivid, carrying a sculpted beauty.
She looked surprised to see Xiao Liang. After politely declining his seat for a moment, she finally sat down. Her conservative dress had a shirt-style upper half, slightly stretched at the chest, revealing a glimpse of smooth, snow-white softness.
Noticing Xiao Liang’s gaze turn away unnaturally, Zhang Feili lightly covered her neckline with her hand and asked in a flustered voice, “Director Xiao, are you going to work on time today?”
“I’m used to taking the bus to Yunshe at this hour when I’m home.”
Xiao Liang reached up to grip the overhead rail and asked, “Why did you come to Sucheng so early?”
“Some personal business,” Zhang Feili said uneasily.
Although Xiao Yujun was the real mastermind behind the false accusation against Xiao Liang, He Hong had still been directly involved.
Zhang Feili felt panicked now. She didn’t dare let Xiao Liang know she had any connection to He Hong’s family, afraid he might hold it against her. How could she possibly dare tell him that Lin Xi was actually He Hong’s daughter?
“Oh…”
Xiao Liang pretended not to understand and didn’t ask further.
This time, he didn’t ride all the way to the juice factory. When the bus reached Yunshe Town, he got off just before Lin Xi.
Zhang Feili, however, didn’t follow them off. No one knew what she was thinking.
Only after the bus drove away did the little girl seem to relax. She walked a little closer to Xiao Liang and said, “Grandma hasn’t been feeling well. She’s been resting at home these past few days. Godmother came early this morning to see her.”
“Is your grandmother alright?”
“Grandma says she’s had a cold these past few days. Maybe she’s just tired,” the little girl said, pouting.
Xiao Liang thought of the scene he had seen not long ago—He Hong’s mother hauling precast floor slabs on a handcart. That was heavy labor no woman in her fifties could easily withstand, let alone someone with a disability.
“I understand. I’ll think of something.”
Looking at the expectation in the little girl’s eyes, Xiao Liang couldn’t harden his heart. He wondered whether he should mention it to Gu Peijun and have him step in somehow.
Lin Xuetong and He Hong were both still in detention. Even at the fastest pace, their cases might not be transferred to the procuratorate this month.
If He Hong’s mother collapsed too, and Lin Xuetong’s illness became public on top of that, Xiao Liang didn’t know whether the girl could withstand such a double blow.
At the fork in the road, Lin Xi headed toward the town middle school, while Xiao Liang walked toward the township government compound.
Although the Xiao Yujun case had shaken Yunshe like an earthquake, over a month had passed. Aside from certain people who still dared not relax deep down, to most staff at the township government, it had already faded like passing smoke.
The government compound had returned to its usual calm.
When people saw Xiao Liang appear there early in the morning, they greeted him politely.
“Well, look who it is. Director Xiao, what brings you here today to visit us poor brothers?”
Although Gu Peijun had not fully revealed the sales figures to the Nanting Village committees or the township, he had laid some groundwork. At the very least, Xiao Liang’s sales work at the juice factory had far exceeded expectations.
At present, the juice factory’s account was under direct supervision by both the township and the county township enterprise bureau.
Over the past month, one to two million yuan in sales payments had been transferred into the factory’s account. That was no secret in the township compound.
That alone was enough to make everyone look at Xiao Liang differently.
First, the Xiao Yujun case had quickly faded from the minds of ordinary cadres and staff. Second, Xiao Liang had indeed achieved results beyond everyone’s expectations after transferring to the factory.
More importantly, Zhou Jianqi and Fan Chunjiang had initially spread word in secret about Xiao Liang taking unpaid leave and leading a team to contract the factory’s inventory sales.
Their original intention had been to watch Wang Xingmin make a fool of himself, to make him lose face. But now that the results were there, many people in the township had begun guessing how much commission Xiao Liang and his team would receive.
Their hearts burned with envy, yet their greetings became even warmer.
“I missed you all, didn’t I? That’s why I came over specially,” Xiao Liang replied with a smile. “Let’s drink together when we have time.”
Having seen too much of human warmth and coldness, Xiao Liang appeared far warmer than he actually felt.
