When the neighbor heard this, they thought it was a great thing!
"Aren't those Li Chuchu and the others? Come here quickly! The police are here to give you an award for the good deed you did yesterday!"
Sister Ge waved enthusiastically, motioning for them to come over.
The police officer stepped forward and handed the pennant to Li Chuchu in person. "Comrade Li, we meet again. This is the police station's reward for your courageous act. Besides this pennant for outstanding contribution, there's also a bonus of 100 yuan."
Then he turned to the crowd. "This is not only an award for Comrades Li Chuchu and Shen Yanshan, but also an encouragement for all of us ordinary citizens. We hope everyone will do more things beneficial to society in the future!"
This was not only a personal honor but also a guiding light for people's actions. As long as everyone strived in the same direction, society would surely become better.
Li Chuchu took the pennant and said respectfully, "Thank you, Comrade Police Officer."
Aunt Wang was beaming. Afraid that Li Chuchu, being young, might not know, she specifically reminded her, "You must keep this pennant well. You can rely on it to be rated as an advanced individual in your unit in the future!"
Sister Ge also chimed in, "Yes, yes. Maybe there will really be a big shot from our alley in the future!"
...
Liu Xiaocheng's mother stood at the back of the crowd. Seeing Li Chuchu's family surrounded and complimented by the neighbors, her face wrinkled like an old bitter melon.
Her wrinkled old eyes stared at Shen Yanshan resentfully. She just couldn't stand him no matter how she looked at him.
It was just blind luck that he happened to encounter such a thing.
A hundred yuan!
It was almost two months' salary for Xiaocheng.
It would be so much better if it was given to her son. Her son had been working hard as a teacher, but he never got any awards.
...
The old lady left, and the house finally became quiet. Luo Yingshu finally got a chance to catch her breath. She was about to wash the vegetables and cook.
Not long after,
The old lady kicked the door open angrily and walked in, scolding, "The couple next door caught a human trafficker. The police rewarded them 100 yuan today!"
"Caught a human trafficker? You mean Li Chuchu?"
Luo Yingshu's hand paused while washing the vegetables. Her eyes showed disbelief.
With Li Chuchu's small build, wouldn't she be the one to be abducted by the human trafficker?
Mother Liu snorted, her tone sharp and unpleasant. "So what if they caught a human trafficker? They were just lucky! And even if they caught the trafficker, the lost children might not be found."
"Hey, by the way, your missing elder brother still has no news, right? It's really hard on your parents for searching for so many years. After all, it's been more than a decade..."
Mother Liu pretended to be sorry on the surface, but her hypocrisy was disgusting.
This old lady had lived in the city for a few days. Instead of learning to abide by the law and etiquette, she had learned all the hypocrisy and posturing of the city old ladies.
Hearing this, Luo Yingshu couldn't help but recall that last Chinese New Year when she went home, her mother was still crying when talking about her elder brother.
All the human traffickers in the world should just die out!
If they did, her elder brother wouldn't have been lost!
Li Chuchu did a good thing!
Mother Liu smacked her lips. As an elder, she spoke to Luo Yingshu in a self - assured and worldly way. "But then again, if your elder brother hadn't been lost, your parents might not have doted on you so much. You're the only child in your family, so that house will be yours in the future. So..."
"Smack!"
The basin for washing vegetables was slammed onto the table.
Mother Liu was so startled that she trembled all over. She subconsciously said, "What are you...".
"Do you dare to say that again?"
Luo Yingshu glared at her fiercely.
The toughness in her was something Mother Liu had never seen before. It made the old woman swallow her words.
She just wouldn't say it, but it wasn't because she was afraid of Luo Yingshu.
...
Luo Yingshu rushed out of the door.
She took a few quick steps and arrived at Li Chuchu's house.
Li Chuchu was hesitating whether to put the pennant in her space or hang it on the wall when she suddenly heard the rapid footsteps outside. Looking back, she was surprised to see Luo Yingshu standing in front of her.
Just as Li Chuchu was wondering what she was here for,
Luo Yingshu walked quickly up to her, stared at the pennant in her hand, and looked at it carefully for several times. Then she confirmed with Li Chuchu, "Li Chuchu, did you really help the police catch a human trafficker?"
Li Chuchu nodded blankly. "Sort of."
Had she offended her again?
Was she here to pick a fight because of this?
Although Li Chuchu knew it was unlikely that the human trafficker she caught was the same one who abducted Luo Yingshu's elder brother.
But Luo Yingshu sized up Li Chuchu at this moment. There was an indescribable feeling in her heart. It was as if the person who used to be inferior to her in every aspect had suddenly done something she had wanted to do for a long time but failed to achieve.
It wasn't envy but admiration and respect.
The Li Chuchu she used to dislike seemed to have changed unconsciously. The arrogance and vanity in her eyes had gradually faded away. Her eyes were now soft, calm, and full of strength.
She said sincerely, "You've changed so much."
"I used to pick on you all the time. Although you deserved it back then. But now I'm proud of you. I admit you're really amazing."
It was a rather unconventional way of reconciliation.
It quite fit Luo Yingshu's style of being impulsive and unpredictable.
Li Chuchu's mind went blank for a while before she realized that this person wasn't here to pick a fight. But she still couldn't believe it. "Why? Just... just because I caught a human trafficker?"
Luo Yingshu nodded as if it was the most natural thing. "Yes, but not only for this. You just need to know that I won't pick on you from now on."
Li Chuchu nodded reluctantly. "Okay."
It was good to have one less enemy and one more friend.
Luo Yingshu stayed at Li Chuchu's house for a while and then went back.
...
Shen Yanshan bought the earliest ticket, which was for next Wednesday.
There were still a few days left to pack their luggage.
Li Chuchu had asked for leave from her unit. Unexpectedly, the labor service department approved it quickly. She would have a ten - day leave starting from next Wednesday. This matter couldn't be known by too many people. After all, they bought the tickets under the pretext of visiting relatives, so they told others they were going to visit relatives.
Before leaving, Li Chuchu specifically went to tell Aunt Wang.
Aunt Wang was a bit reluctant to let Li Chuchu go. "Once you're gone, half of the yard will seem empty. There won't be anyone to chat with me for at least half a month. Sigh."
Li Chuchu was the only one she could talk to and who was good at chatting. She didn't expect Li Chuchu to leave so soon.
Li Chuchu patted Aunt Wang's hand. "It's okay. You can save all the interesting things and tell them to me when I come back."
"Okay."
Mentioning this, it hit Aunt Wang's excitement point. "Do you know? Liu Xiaocheng hasn't been home for five or six days," she deliberately lowered her voice, "Even if the school is far from home, he shouldn't not come back at all. I think he must be held up by that woman outside."
...