Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 165 - 134: Wishing You Grow Taller

Chapter 165: Chapter 134: Wishing You Grow Taller

No matter the chaos on the Yangtze River, it has little to do with the shore.

Many people from Four Factory, despite its proximity to Bailong Port, have never been to the port, let alone seen the Yangtze River.

Then again, out of Linghai’s population of over a million, how many work on boats? Besides, people are either celebrating the New Year away from home or have returned for it.

So, waterway congestion and frequent capsizing incidents aren’t really a concern for the local masses involved in river transportation.

As for drowning, it hardly counts as news.

If no one died on the river in a year, that would be the big news.

Apart from a dozen or so villages along the river, few people are aware of what’s happening on the river, and even if they did, they wouldn’t care.

In short, the heated eel fishing battle does not affect the festive mood of the Spring Festival at all.

Bailong Port is not only decked out in lights to welcome the New Year but has also embraced an abnormal prosperity.

Tickets for boats returning from East Sea to Binjiang are hard to come by on a regular day, let alone during the Spring Festival period.

Add to that the intermittent congestion of the waterway, and ferries often being delayed or even suspended; many who are eager to return for the holiday embark on circuitous homebound journeys.

The luckier ones can get tickets from Sixteen Piers Pier or Wusong Port to Bailong Port and then take a long-distance bus home.

The less fortunate travel from East Sea by bus to Wusong Port, then by ferry to Zhuangming Island, and rush on public buses or various private vehicles to Niu Peng Port. From there, they switch to ferries such as the 901, 904, 905, 906 to reach Bailong Port and then take another bus home.

Furthermore, due to the influence of the eel fishing fleets and the tides, the services from Zhuangming Island North Bao Port to Dongqi County’s San Tiao Port and Wucang Port, and the North Three and North Wu lines, as well as the service from "Wu Qi" farm on Zhuangming Island to Dongqi Sansing Port, are often delayed or even suspended. Consequently, many travelers between Zhuangming Island and Dongqi switch to the Bainiu Line.

The five ferries operating on the Bainiu Line run continuously one after another like buses, with as many as sixteen additional services on the twenty-ninth day of the last lunar month and New Year’s Eve!

The passenger flow at Bailong Port Passenger Pier jumped from the usual 8,000 to 9,000 people per day to over 23,000 passengers.

Bailong Port Long-distance Bus Station also added dozens of bus services, and even bus tickets were hard to come by.

Nearby small restaurants, shops, vendors, and locals transporting people with various vehicles made a tidy profit.

However, the captains and crew of the ferries, the workers at the pier, the staff at the stations, the bus drivers, and the police and Port Supervision ensuring the safety of travel during the Spring Festival were exhausted to the point of collapse.

The north wind howled across the river’s surface, bringing bone-chilling cold.

Zhang Junyan, the police station chief of Bailong Port, spent day after day on vessel 002, ensuring the waterway of the "Bainiu Line" remained clear. His face and ears were affected by frostbite, and his hands suffered even worse, swelling up like two steamed buns.

Old Liu had just become an instructor at Bailong Port Police Station a few days before the eel fishing battle and had to stay on the colder vessel 001 every day. On New Year’s Eve, he couldn’t bear the cold any longer and blacked out.

Had it not been for the quick actions of a dock worker assisting law enforcement, grabbing him in time, he would have fallen into the river and ended up in the hospital like Old Zhang.

On New Year’s Eve, Director Yu from the pier knew the comrades were very tired and had prepared a sumptuous reunion dinner.

However, everyone, including Xu Sanye, who was usually a good eater, had only a few bites before going back to rest, too lazy and out of energy to complain about the superiors not caring.

On the first day of the New Year, only vessel 002 remained in Bailong Port Waters on escort duty.

Xu Sanye was on duty personally, Captain Wang was in charge of sailing, and everyone else went home to celebrate the New Year with family.

River transport was still bustling on the first day, with masses from the island and the shore visiting relatives for New Year greetings. It was precisely when the Police Station was most understaffed, and Han Yu had not intended to visit his brother and sister-in-law’s parents for New Year’s greetings.

But then the radar on vessel 001 malfunctioned, and who could be found to repair it during the New Year’s holiday?

During the day, 002 was sufficient, but at night 001 was needed, and since it couldn’t be dispatched, it had to return.

On the second day, it was the Instructor’s turn to be on duty, allowing him to continue his rest. He took his family on their cement boat to visit his grandmother and aunts and uncles in Sansing.

Being young had its advantages at times like this.

His grandmother gave him ten yuan as New Year’s money, his two uncles, now successful businessmen, each gave him twenty yuan in red envelopes. In total, fifty yuan—equivalent to a month’s salary!

When the salary from his company finally arrived, he would have to deposit it.

On the third day of the first lunar month, he rode his beloved motorcycle back to the Police Station for duty.

To his surprise, just after he had exchanged New Year’s greetings with the Instructor, the Instructor handed him three red envelopes.

"Instructor Li, what is this for?"

"Lucky money. This one is from me, this one is from Director Xu, and this is entrusted to me by Old Zhang. It’s New Year’s, a gesture, don’t think it’s too little."

"Instructor Li, how could I take your red envelopes!"

"You’re still young. Director Xu said this is just for once. Next year when it’s New Year, you’ll be eighteen and won’t be able to ask for it anymore."

"How can I accept this? I haven’t given any New Year’s presents to you guys."

"Work well, study hard—that’s the best gift you can give us."

Li Weiguo rolled up his sleeves to check his watch, then pulled out the key to the gun cabinet: "I have to go back to greet my elders. The Police Station will be in your hands. Director Xu is also visiting elders today. If anything comes up, call Bailong Port Police Station."

To think that the station leadership would also give New Year’s money, Han Yu felt both happy and touched, hastily saying: "How are you getting back? Let me drive you."

"No need, it’s not far to my house, and cycling is good."

Li Weiguo patted him on the shoulder, put on his gloves, and walked away.

Just as Han Yu was about to see him off, the radio crackled with Director Zhang’s call from Bailong Port Police Station: "Old Li, Old Li, can you hear me?"

"Hello Director Zhang, this is Salted Fish. Our Instructor Li has gone back, I’m on duty today."

"So it’s Salted Fish. Happy New Year, I wish you in the new year, grow twenty centimeters tall!"

Han Yu found it both amusing and baffling, hastily saying: "Director Zhang, I also wish you a Happy New Year, good health, work smoothly, and may all your wishes come true!"

Zhang Junyan opened the drawer, took out a red envelope that was prepared earlier, and, holding the walkie-talkie, smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I’ll be right over to your place. How many people do you have there?"

"There are four of us at our station, me, Uncle Qian, Uncle Zhu, and Brother Lv. The Port Supervision Bureau Third Team is about to change shift. Sister Zhu said their bureau is sending a car to pick up Sister Xiang Ning for the shift, and she will take their bureau’s car back later."

"Tell Old Qian not to cook lunch; everyone should come over here to eat."

"Director Zhang, there are also people on duty at the Fourth Squad. Even if Uncle Qian doesn’t have to cook for us, he still has to cook for the people on duty at the Fourth Squad."

"Then let’s leave them be; you guys just come over when it’s time."

"We can’t leave the Dunship unattended."

"I’ll arrange for someone to cover for you for a while."

"Thank you, Director Zhang."

Han Yu had just put down the walkie-talkie when Sister Zhu, who had finished packing up and was ready to go home after her shift, walked in and actually pulled out a red envelope.

"Little Salted Fish, this is for you. I hope you grow taller in the new year, nice and tall."

"Sister Zhu, what are you doing?"

"Ningning has one too. Look, this is for her. I won’t be happy if you don’t accept it."

"I..."

"Take it."

Sister Zhu smiled slightly, then went back to her dormitory and brought out a big bag of sunflower seeds, peanuts, milk candy, and fruit.

To get red envelopes even at work, and to receive several at once!

Han Yu felt quite embarrassed and didn’t know what to say when the sound of a car horn came faintly from the river embankment.

Following Sister Zhu to the back window of the conference room, it turned out to be the Santana from the Port Supervision Bureau.

What surprised Han Yu even more was that four people got out of the car.

A middle-aged couple was carrying things and following his senior sister towards the pontoon bridge. Wait, was the person in front his senior sister?

"Sister Zhu, which one is Sister Xiang Ning? They look identical, even wearing the same wool coats. I can’t tell them apart!"

"I... I also can’t tell which one is Ningning and which one is Mengmeng."

Sister Zhu didn’t expect the entire Han Xiangning family to come out. She patted Han Yu on the shoulder, "Let’s go down and greet them."

Han Yu came to his senses: "Okay."

The two went down to the first floor and walked up to the pontoon bridge. Just as they were unsure how to greet them, Han Xiangning sweetly smiled and said, "Sister Zhu, happy new year. I wish you good health and everlasting youth!"

"Don’t be hasty with the new year’s greetings, introduce us first."

"Almost forgot, Sister Zhu, this is my dad, this is my mom, and this is my sister..." Han Xiangning hurriedly introduced them.

While her parents were busy exchanging new year’s greetings with Sister Zhu, Han Yu had no chance to speak and couldn’t block their way. Just as he started turning back to the Dunship’s passageway, Han Xiangmeng, who looked just like his senior sister, pulled him aside and asked, "Are you Little Salted Fish?"

"Yes, hello Sister Xiang Meng."

"You know me?"

"Sister Xiang Ning told me about you."

"I heard you have a girlfriend."

Her family is so blunt, coming right out and asking such questions.

Han Yu felt so awkward that he wished he could crawl into a hole. Then his senior sister shouted, "Mengmeng, don’t bully San’er!"

Han Xiangmeng had heard Han Xiangning talk about the local police from the Yanjiang Police Station more than once. Finally meeting him in person, she couldn’t miss out on this opportunity to tease and chuckled, "Little Salted Fish, you are the third child in your family, and here you’re the third as well."

"What do you mean third?"

"I’m the boss, Ningning is the second, and you’re the third."

"What do you mean you’re the boss? I’m your sister, I’m older than you!"

Er Girl always resists, wanting to be the sister.

Mr. Han couldn’t help but laugh, "You two stop messing around, or people will laugh at us."

Han Xiangning promptly pushed her sister aside and pulled Han Yu over, "Dad, Mom, this is the Little Salted Fish I told you about. Is he small or what?"

Who introduces people like this?

Han Yu was torn between laughter and tears, only able to bravely greet and pay new year’s respects to the elders.

Mrs. Han and Mr. Han, like their daughter, were originally military officers, with cheerful personalities, and they hugged Han Yu’s shoulder and smiled, "Salted Fish, Ningning tells me you take good care of her here. Without you, she wouldn’t be able to stay for a day. Thank you. Anyway, we’re all Han family people; from now on, we’ll call you San’er too."

When someone treats you like a younger member of their family, what can you say? If it’s San’er, then let it be San’er.

Han Yu was still foolishly grinning with them when Mr. Han suddenly said, "San’er, Ningning said your radar is broken. Take me to have a look."

"Uncle Han, can you fix radars?"

Before Mr. Han could speak, Han Xiangning proudly said, "My dad is a radar specialist. He came here today to help fix your radar."

Han Yu asked puzzled, "Uncle Han, aren’t you into meteorology research?"

Mr. Han held up his toolbox and laughed heartily, "I do both weather forecasts and radars. Have you heard of meteorological radars? I’ve been working on them for over twenty years."