Binjiang Police Affairs
Chapter 45 - 41 A Bowl of Water Isn’t Level

Chapter 45: Chapter 41 A Bowl of Water Isn’t Level

Late at night loading the ship at Liuhe Port, setting sail fully loaded at dawn, another busy day.

Clear skies and calm seas make for a good mood.

Soon they would see their second son. Han Zhengxian and his wife Luo Yanfeng were in even better spirits.

However, while anchoring near the Bailong Port lock to go ashore in a small iron boat, they rushed to the Yanjiang Police Station only to find that San’er was out for training and the leaders of the station were not around.

Han Zhengxian felt very disappointed and could only ask Master Qian, the gatekeeper, to take good care of San’er and hurried to the Bailong Post Office to call his daughter who works at the Binjiang Seaman Club.

Along the way, he bought some vegetables, candies, and oranges that his little grandson liked at Bailong Port, and returned to the ship to set sail.

The water was slow to navigate, especially with forty-five tons of steel on board.

Arriving at the anchorage five or six miles downstream from Number Four Pier at Binjiang Port, it was already past nine in the evening.

Every time they agreed to meet here, they rowed the small iron boat to shore where his daughter was eagerly waiting with the child in her arms, and his son-in-law brought a big bag of rice, five pounds of pork, forty pounds of vegetable oil, and a pile of daily necessities like soap and toothpaste.

For those who run ships on the river, there is nothing happier than a family reunion.

Han Zhengxian hugged his little grandson lovingly several times and invited his daughter and son-in-law onto the boat.

Luo Yanfeng had cooked the meals already and seeing the amount of meat her son-in-law bought, she complained: "Didn’t your dad tell you not to buy so much meat, why did you buy so much again?"

"It’s not hot, just salt it a bit, it won’t spoil for a few days, you can eat it slowly."

"Mom, I knitted you a wool sweater, try it on for size."

"Keep it for yourself to wear. I don’t need to wear something so nice on the boat."

"I have several pieces, you try this one first."

Luo Yanfeng, not wanting to upset her daughter, had to wipe her hands and take the sweater to try it on in the cabin.

Zhang Jiangkun curiously asked, "Dad, where are these steel materials being shipped to?"

"He Fei."

Han Zheng held his grandson on his lap and picked up a bottle of newly opened vintage liquor: "Originally, I was supposed to haul corn to Xijiang. But just when it was almost our turn to load, the manager said the corn for Xijiang was taken by someone else and asked me to go to Suxian."

Zhang Jiangkun picked up his bowl of wine and asked, "Hauling corn is more profitable than hauling steel, why did you switch from hauling corn to steel?"

"If it were anywhere else, I’d definitely haul corn. But he asked me to go to Suxian. There are too many water bandits there, many have been burned before, no matter how much they pay I wouldn’t go."

"Is the Grand Canal so chaotic now?"

"It’s just the area around Suxian and Huai’an that’s chaotic, other places are still fine."

Han Zheng then fed a piece of lean meat to his little grandson and continued: "In order to transport these steel materials, we waited four days at Liuhe. The docks were all filled with ships, we could only wait at the anchorage. It’s too much trouble to go ashore, otherwise, I would have called you and San’er earlier."

Zhang Jiangkun smiled, "San’er has gone for training."

"I know, the guard at the police station, Master Qian, said he’s been gone for ten days and will finish training in two more days. It’s not timely, we can only wait until the New Year."

"Did you see Captain Wang?"

"Which Captain Wang?"

"Our shipping company’s Wang Dalong. He is a member of the Cooperative Defense Team at San’er’s station, helping with repairing and sailing the ships, and he has to listen to San’er’s orders."

"Wang Dalong has gone to Yanjiang Police Station!"

"He had nothing to do after retiring. And having been a captain for so many years before retiring, none of those old neighbors at the company dare to ask him to sail, fearing inviting a ’grandpa’ over."

Wang Dalong was previously an officer, piloting the best tugboats, hauling the most cargo, and was very bullish at the shipping company, several deputy managers had to treat him respectfully.

And now he had become a member of the Cooperative Defense Team, unexpectedly having to follow San’er’s orders...

Han Zhengxian really felt the shift of times, as things change across the years, and couldn’t help but laugh: "San’er is almost the same age as his grandson, a man in his forties working under San’er and even taking orders from him without feeling ashamed."

"Dad, now everything revolves around money. Not just him, even Director Liu from the ship repair factory has gone private."

"What’s Director Liu doing going private?"

"He helps San’er’s station oversee Dunship construction, and once the Dunship is built, he will work at a privately operated shipyard."

Zhang Jiangkun chuckled, raising his wine bowl to clink with his father-in-law.

Han Ning popped out from the cabin, laughing, "Dad, Jiang Kun also does private work at San’er’s place. He helps repair ships at San’er’s station, earning fifteen per job."

"Fifteen per job, San’er’s station is quite wealthy!"

"Their director is very capable."

"How capable is he?"

"Their director is Xu Sanye."

"San’er is working under Xu Sanye!"

Han Zhengxian was shocked, unable to believe it was true.

Han Ning pulled a stool and sat down, laughing: "Why would I lie to you? Director Xu is not as fierce as people say outside. He cares a lot about San’er and is very kind to us too. The first time Jiang Kun went to help repair the ship, he even invited us for a meal."

From the director to the officers at Linghai Police Bureau, Han Zhengxian only knew about Xu Sanye.

Back when the shipping company’s finance department was burgled, someone broke in through a window and stole over five hundred yuan and more than six thousand pounds of food coupons.

At that time, over five hundred was equivalent to over fifty thousand now, and food coupons were something money couldn’t buy.

When the company’s fleet went out to haul cargo, they could go without money but absolutely couldn’t go without food coupons, otherwise, they would starve to death.

After the case occurred, the entire city was in uproar.

Every shipping company thought it was an inside job, everyone was on edge, afraid of being implicated. In the end, the investigation revealed an outsider who had long been eyeing the company.

Back then, it wasn’t called the Police Bureau, but the Human Protection Group.

Xu Sanye was the deputy director, personally cracked the case, caught the thief with his own hands, and after recovering the stolen money and food coupons, personally escorted the thief to the execution ground to be shot.

Many people went to witness the execution, and Han Zhengxian followed along.

Even today, he vividly remembers Xu Sanye standing imposingly next to the thief, stern-faced, hands on hips, the gun resting on his armed belt, turning his head to survey the crowd, no one daring to meet his gaze.

Immediately after, at his command, the execution was announced.

His men removed the tag hanging around the thief’s neck, raised their rifles, aimed at the back of the thief’s head, and fired...

Han Ning didn’t know what he was thinking, picked up his chopsticks and asked, "Dad, what do you think about changing the boat? I think San’er makes sense. Policies change so suddenly, if the state really bans cement ships, it will be impossible to sell them by then."

Han Zhengxian recovered his senses, looked up and said, "Who doesn’t want to switch to iron ships, but iron ships are so expensive, where is the money to switch."

"Not switching now will result in greater losses later."

"The policies should not change that fast; in our company, the new system applies new methods and the old system old methods."

Han Zhengxian thought again and said, "There are so many cement ships on the river; if they really impose a one-size-fits-all, how huge the loss would be? The shipowners definitely won’t agree, there will surely be disputes, the state cannot possibly overlook that."

It sounded somewhat reasonable, the state would definitely take the interests of the people into account before implementing any policy...

Han Ning didn’t know what else to say, and asked quietly, "So, you’re saying you won’t switch?"

Han Zhengxian helplessly said, "It’s not that I don’t want to switch, it’s that I can’t afford it. Han Shen’s boat was bought on loan, how long will it take him to pay off the loan?

If I sell this boat, not to mention whether there is enough money to switch, just waiting for the new boat to be built would take several months; surely we can’t just sit idle ashore."

Zhang Jiangkun felt that this matter shouldn’t be delayed and reminded, "Dad, San’er is an officer, and their police station also manages the river’s security; if he says the policies might change, they probably will."

"He is still a child; he has only been working for a few days, what does he know."

"..."

The old man had been a big team secretary and captain of a motor sailer team. Although he wasn’t as illustrious as Wang Dalong back in the day, he was very authoritative in the team and later in the motor sailer team.

Zhang Jiangkun realized that persuading was futile and said nothing more.

Han Ning simply changed the topic, "Mom, Ji Xiaohong is about to give birth, you are now a mother-in-law, and once the child is born, you’ll be a grandmother; such a big event, don’t you want to come ashore?"

"I do want to come ashore, but what about the ship?"

"If you don’t come ashore, people will gossip."

"I’m not goofing around on the boat; your father and I work hard running the boat, isn’t it all to help them pay off the loan sooner and help them build a house ashore?"

"Alright, I’ll go check on her when the time comes."

The birth of a child is indeed a big event.

Today, Han Zhengxian was reuniting with his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson, also to discuss this matter, pulling out the money he had prepared earlier from his pocket: "You guys will help us make a trip when the time comes."

Han Ning took the money and counted, mumbling, "Only three hundred, how can this be presentable?"

"There’s a bit of money on the boat, but we need to refuel, pay lock fees, be liquid."

"I’ll front an extra two hundred."

Without a house ashore, the bride can only return to her parents’ house for childbirth. The mother-in-law has to help take care, and once the child is born, help take care of them.

As parents-in-law contributing only two hundred, it does seem somewhat unreasonable.

Han Zhengxian took a deep breath and nodded, "Alright, I’ll return it to you during the New Year."

Han Ning, knowing the old man was under a lot of stress, hurriedly said, "Dad, San’er has received his salary, July, August, and September, salary plus bonuses, he got four hundred and fifty-nine."

"That much!"

"With bonus and rewards, also travel allowances. He called me, saying he kept twenty for petty cash, the rest he saved. He plans to withdraw it when you return, to give it to you."

"What do I need his money for, let him save it. I can’t even take care of Han Shen, let alone him; he has to rely on himself."

"That’s what I told him."

"What did San’er say."

"He said it’s no problem, he’s also planning on taking you ashore when you can no longer run the boat, to take care of you."

Three children, each more sensible than the other, but it’s impossible to balance out completely.

Their daughter had the toughest childhood, contributed the most to the family, not receiving much dowry when she married was one thing, but even now, she still has to worry about her parents’ home.

San’er, being the youngest, although he didn’t suffer much during his childhood and didn’t contribute much to the family, he also didn’t add much burden to the family.

These past few years, through storm and rain, was almost entirely helping the second child.

After helping the second child pay off the boat loan, they still need to earn money to help the second child build a house ashore.

Facing his daughter and son-in-law, thinking of his youngest son, Han Zhengxian felt full of remorse.

"Han Ning, Jiang Kun, you’ve both come ashore, have good jobs, San’er has also made it through, now it’s just Han Shen and Xiao Hong who are struggling the most..."

Han Ning knew what the old man was about to say, hurriedly said, "Dad, why mention this, Han Shen is my brother, San’er’s older brother, we all hope he does well."

"Alright, let’s not talk about this, let’s eat."

Han Zhengxian felt a pang of sorrow, turned his head away and rubbed his eyes.