“This must be Comrade Lu, right? Thank you so much for what you did today!”
Just as Lu Miaomiao had finished seeing off the enthusiastic Han Junqing and was preparing to return to the lounge to continue eating sunflower seeds, a short woman in her mid-twenties wearing a white shirt and military-green trousers walked toward her excitedly and grabbed her hands.
“You are?” Lu Miaomiao quickly searched her memory but found no recollection of this woman.
“Miaomiao, this is Comrade Zhu Hongjiao, the mother of Zhao Haojie—ah, no, city people usually say ‘mother.’ She came to thank you. I just finished taking her statement, so I brought her over,” Sun Yueyue explained enthusiastically. After giving her statement, she had finally recovered her spirits and was no longer wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant.
“Comrade Zhu, there’s no need to be so polite. I just did what I should,” Lu Miaomiao said with a smile. She had rescued the child simply because she hated traffickers and also wanted to do Officer Qian a favor.
“No, Comrade Lu,” Zhu Hongjiao said, her eyes already glistening. “Comrade Qian has already told me everything. If you hadn’t noticed the donkey cart was suspicious in time, I might never have seen my child again.”
“You didn’t just save him—you saved our entire family. We will never forget this kindness.”
She and her husband Zhao Yingxiong lived in the capital. Her husband was a brigade commander and usually very busy. This time, he had specially taken leave to accompany her and their child to Qing City to visit her parents.
When Zhao Yingxiong’s superior learned they were going to Qing City, he asked him to secretly visit the Hongniu Brigade in Huaishu Village to check on a former superior who had been sent down.
But just after arriving at the hotel, before they could even make inquiries, their child was kidnapped.
They searched for three days with no results and were on the verge of collapse—only to receive a call today saying the child had been found.
“It really was nothing. It was just fate between me and the child,” Lu Miaomiao said, quickly steering the conversation away. She wasn’t used to all this gratitude.
“Please go take care of your child. Don’t let them be traumatized.”
“Comrade Lu, my husband has already taken the child to the hospital for a check-up. I’m still worried about him, so I won’t keep you any longer. My husband and I will visit you another day to thank you properly.”
With that, she bowed deeply before turning to leave.
“Miaomiao, I’ll also tell my parents to thank you properly when I get back! Just tell me what you want—my dad can make it for you for free!” Sun Yueyue said enthusiastically.
“Alright then, I’d like a bathtub made.”
“No problem! I’ll tell my dad as soon as I get home!”
“You’re amazing! You took down those two men in one go—they were really strong, you know!” Sun Yueyue looked at her with admiration.
“It was just two weaklings, nothing impressive,” Lu Miaomiao said casually. “But you—did you tell your mother you’re safe?”
“Ah! Oh no, I forgot! I’m going to make a phone call right now—I’ll be back soon!”
Before she even finished speaking, she was already gone.
“What a nimble little chubby one,” Lu Miaomiao muttered as she watched her leave.
She then went to find Team Leader Qian to say goodbye.
“Alright, go buy it quickly then, don’t delay,” Officer Qian said with a smile. “When you go buy your bicycle, just mention my name and say you’re my relative. They’ll make things easier for you.”
“Also, I’ll apply for a commendation for your act of bravery this time.”
“Thank you, Team Leader Qian. I’ll head off then.”
..
After that, Lu Miaomiao entered full shopping mode. Under Sun Yueyue’s stunned gaze, she bought a brand-new Phoenix bicycle.
At the supply and marketing cooperative, she bought:
Then she asked Sun Yueyue to help watch her things.
She went on to spend all her meat coupons:
After that, she stored everything in her space in a small alley and took out:
She didn’t want to eat coarse grains at all.
Then she went to the state-run restaurant and bought:
At a pastry shop, she bought over ten jin of various sweets.
“Hey, little girl, buying so much? Why don’t you share some with us—we’re too poor to eat,” a sly voice came from behind her.
The three men had been following her since she entered the restaurant. Seeing how generously she spent money, they figured they had struck it rich today.
Lu Miaomiao curled her lips slightly and turned around to look at them.
So they finally followed her—she had even been worried they’d lose her.
Looks like she could make a little extra money today.
But she didn’t realize her thoughts were perfectly in sync with the would-be robbers.
“Tsk tsk… you want to share my things?” she said lazily, taking out a meat bun from her basket and eating it casually.
“You don’t look very good—but your imagination sure is beautiful.”
“Cut the nonsense! Money or your life—choose one!” the tall, ragged middle-aged man stepped forward, pulling out a rusty kitchen knife and threatening her coldly.
“Money, I guess. I already have my life, so I don’t need another,” she replied lazily.
“You little bitch… you’re asking for death! Believe it or not, I’ll sell you to the mountains so you’ll never eat meat buns again!”
A hungry thirteen- or fourteen-year-old boy named Lin Junjie realized he was being toyed with. Holding a wooden stick, he looked fierce like a wolf cub ready to strike.
The other boy, Lin Junxian, said nothing—but his eyes were also fixed on the meat bun in her hand and the large bundle beside her.