When they reached the doorway, the oldest girl turned back and smiled at Lu Ping’an.
“Big Brother, thank you for saving us!”
The other children didn’t speak, but they all looked at him, their eyes filled with gratitude.
The man addressed as Director also glanced at Lu Ping’an, though he said nothing.
He left with the four children, not walking together with the others.
What followed was simple. Aside from Bai Laosan—whose arm had been broken—being sent to the hospital for bandaging, the rest were handcuffed and taken away.
Lu Ping’an and Li Lingyi naturally couldn’t leave either. They followed the group to the Dongcheng Police Station.
The Dongcheng Police Station was no small place—it served the urban district and had over thirty officers.
Lu Ping’an and Li Lingyi were arranged to rest in a room.
During that time, Zhou Liang came to question them in detail about what had happened.
Meanwhile, the station conducted a strict interrogation. Before long, confessions were obtained, matching Lu Ping’an’s account.
“Comrade Lu, leave your address. If anything comes up later, we’ll contact you,” Zhou Liang said with a smile. The earlier “Little Comrade Lu” had now become simply “Comrade Lu.”
Lu Ping’an left both his second uncle’s city address and the address of Leping Village, then quickly left the station with Li Lingyi.
It was already past twelve. They hurried home, knowing their families must be worried.
“Cousin, you’re amazing! You took down six people by yourself and didn’t even get hurt!”
Li Lingyi looked at him with admiration.
Lu Ping’an chuckled and didn’t explain further. To him, saving people that day was nothing extraordinary—just the right thing to do.
They rushed back and didn’t arrive home until nearly one o’clock.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, they saw Li Jianguo and Lu Fajia pushing their bicycles toward the gate.
Seeing them return, both men visibly relaxed.
“You two—where did you go? Why are you only just coming back?” Li Jianguo frowned slightly. In truth, they had only returned not long before.
That morning, they had handled work matters and completed the household registration and grain-oil ration transfers.
They, too, had come from Dongcheng Police Station—but hadn’t seen Lu Ping’an or Li Lingyi there.
“Dad, Uncle, let’s go inside first. We’ll explain in a moment,” Li Lingyi said quickly, noticing neighbors looking over.
Li Jianguo nodded. They hadn’t eaten yet either and were starving.
The four went back inside. Aunt Zhang Huimei had already heard the commotion and was standing at the doorway.
The moment she saw them, she launched into complaints. “You wretched girl! Went out and didn’t want to come back, is that it?”
Li Lingyi wasn’t afraid of her mother and made a face in response.
Zhang Huimei glared at her but said nothing more.
The table was already laden with dishes. Besides the wild chicken, fish, and mountain rat Lu Ping’an had brought, there was also a large bowl of braised pork, a plate of tofu, and two vegetable dishes.
“Wow! Is it New Year’s? So much delicious food!” Li Lingyi exclaimed dramatically, reaching for her chopsticks.
Smack! Before she could grab them, Zhang Huimei slapped her hand aside.
“Go wash your hands first!”
Li Lingyi made another face and dashed to the kitchen.
Lu Ping’an quickly followed—he was hungry too.
Soon everyone was seated.
Li Jianguo brought out a bottle of Red Star Erguotou liquor, while Zhang Huimei produced three bottles of Beibingyang soda—one for each of the three younger ones.
Looking at the soda, Lu Ping’an remembered his father mentioning many times that it was a treasured memory of their generation. He had seen it earlier at the supply and marketing cooperative—glass bottles, available only with ration coupons.
“Let’s eat!”
Li Lingyi cheered, taking a gulp of soda before grabbing a piece of wild chicken. Lunch officially began.
Everyone was hungry, so little was said at first.
After a few bites, Li Jianguo spoke. “Ping’an, where did you two go earlier?”
Li Lingyi had been waiting for this. She eagerly began recounting everything, describing in detail how she had rushed to Dongcheng Police Station to report the crime.
When Li Jianguo, Lu Fajia, and Zhang Huimei heard that Lu Ping’an had single-handedly knocked down six men, they were stunned.
“Ping’an, although you did a good deed, you didn’t handle it well,” Li Jianguo said seriously.
“After figuring out where they were, the first thing you should’ve done was report to the police—not enter that courtyard alone.”
“A wise man doesn’t stand beneath a crumbling wall. No matter what you do, your first priority must be your own safety.”
“In the entire Lu family, you’re the only grandson. If anything happened to you, how heartbroken would your loved ones be?”
“Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t do good deeds—but you must use your head.”
“It’s good you weren’t hurt. But if you encounter something like this again, don’t try to be a hero alone.”
Li Jianguo’s expression was solemn.
Lu Ping’an knew his uncle was right. He had indeed acted impulsively.
And fortunately, those men hadn’t had guns. If they had, the situation could have turned disastrous.
“Second Uncle is right. I acted on impulse and didn’t think it through.”
“If I encounter something like this again, I’ll notify the police first. I won’t try to play hero.”
He accepted the criticism sincerely.
“Good, good. As long as you understand. You’ve really grown up.”
“Stay here for a few days. I’ll keep an eye out and see if I can help you find a job in the city.”
Seeing his nephew’s good attitude, Li Jianguo felt relieved.
Lu Fajia said nothing, only smiling and nodding at his son.
He worried too, of course. But his son was grown now, with his own thoughts. As parents, they had to understand that.
Li Lingyi had expected her father to heap praise on her cousin. Instead, he had scolded him. She felt somewhat indignant.
But since her cousin had admitted his mistake, she couldn’t say much.
Besides, she had contributed too—and hadn’t even received a word of praise. She felt a bit sullen.
“Ping’an, here—try your aunt’s braised pork. If you like it, I’ll make it for you these next few days.”
“Look at you—skinny as a bamboo pole. Eat more meat and build yourself up!”
Sensing the awkward mood, Zhang Huimei quickly changed the subject and placed a large chunk of braised pork into Lu Ping’an’s bowl.
“Thank you, Aunt.”
He smiled. The braised pork was rich without being greasy—truly delicious.
“My good daughter did well today too. Here—have a big drumstick!”
Zhang Huimei placed a wild chicken leg into Li Lingyi’s bowl. The girl immediately brightened.
“Thanks, Mom!”
“Hahaha…”
Lu Fajia and Li Jianguo couldn’t help laughing, and harmony returned to the table.