Back To The 80s-Chapter 364 - 374: Clearing Obstacles_1

Gu Xiaobei left the city government office, took a few deep breaths to vent her frustration. She couldn’t bring herself to compromise and make bribes.

With a belly full of resentment, Gu Xiaobei decided to visit the little courtyard to see her children. She thought about how inconvenient it was to travel by foot and bus daily, and figured she should buy a bicycle.

As she entered the courtyard, she spotted a brand-new black bicycle parked under the grapevine.

Zhanguo was standing by the bike with Xiaopang in his arms, ringing the bike bell, much to Xiaopang’s amusement.

Wen Xiuqing was standing nearby, holding Mo Wang and smiling. Seeing Gu Xiaobei returning, Wen Xiuqing laughed and said, "Look, Zhanguo bought a bicycle for you."

Pleasantly surprised, Gu Xiaobei walked over, circled the bicycle, and exclaimed, "How did you know I wanted to buy a bicycle? I was just thinking about it on my way home, and there it was when I arrived. It’s magical."

Zhanguo remained silent. He was pleased by the surprise and satisfaction expressed on Xiaobei’s face.

Gu Xiaobei pressed the bell on the handlebar, listening to its sound, her heart filled with joy.

After lunch, while laying down in the west room of the courtyard for a nap with the kids, Gu Xiaobei asked Zhanguo, "Did you borrow money for the bike?"

Zhanguo shook his head and replied, "No, you gave me twenty bucks every month as pocket money and I haven’t spent any of it. I’ve been saving it up. Once it’s enough, I plan to buy you a gold necklace or gold earrings."

The sweetness in Gu Xiaobei’s heart fermented into tears welling up in her eyes. She playfully pouted at him, "That money is for you to entertain. Why didn’t you spend it?" 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"I don’t smoke, and I spend my days training in the army, so there’s no need for me to entertain. This money can be used to buy things for you and the kids. I know I don’t earn much, but I hope to give you the best I can afford," Zhanguo replied, while holding Xiaopang and Mo Wang’s little hands.

Gu Xiaobei sniffled and responded with a smile, "As long as we are together as a family, that is the greatest happiness for me."

Afterwards, Gu Xiaobei remembered today’s encounter with Zhan Hezhi and mentioned it to Zhanguo, "It’s surprising how much he’s changed. I guess it’s because the new policy has benefited him, and it stoked his greed."

Zhanguo expressed disbelief. He had admired Zhan Hezhi’s talent when they met on the train, and it was hard to believe how much he had changed within two years. He asked, "Are you also planning to bribe him?"

Gu Xiaobei shook her head, "I’m not going to let him have his way. Don’t worry, I’ll handle this." Since she knew about Zhan Hezhi’s affair with Liao Qing, how could she let the chance pass her without taking advantage of it. But for this, she needed Bai Xiaolan’s help.

After dinner, Gu Xiaobei discussed the matter with Bai Xiaolan.

Bai Xiaolan, the embodiment of justice, wholeheartedly agreed with Gu Xiaobei and suggested, "Let’s work up a plan."

Gu Xiaobei smirked and said, "We should rent a camera from the photo studio and take their pictures. We only need shots of the two of them entering and leaving the residence."

"Sure, I’ll take the pictures. I’m good at photography. You just need to show me who they are," Bai Xiaolan was excited about the plot and couldn’t wait to be part of it.

Gu Xiaobei didn’t plan on immediately using the photos to threaten Zhan Hezhi, she wanted to save them for future use.

Bai Xiaolan took a few days off and they both went to the provision store where Liao Qing used to work.

Gu Xiaobei described Liao Qing’s physical characteristics to Bai Xiaolan and asked her to go in and see if she still worked there.

After stepping inside the store to take a look, Bai Xiaolan confirmed, "She stands out. She doesn’t seem to be a decent person."

Gu Xiaobei laughed, saying, "She’s not that bad, she’s just looking for a man to rely on. Let’s wait for her to finish work to see if her residence is at the coal housing complex."

Once it was time for their shift to end, they followed. Indeed, Liao Qing lived in the coal housing complex. They waited for a while, then saw Zhan Hezhi briskly entering the complex as well.

Gu Xiaobei pointed Zhan Hezhi out to Bai Xiaolan, and they both waited for the two to show up together. Xiaobei emphasized that Bai Xiaolan needed to take clear frontal shots of them.

The two women waited with their camera in the coal housing complex for two days. Bai Xiaolan’s initial enthusiasm was dampened by multiple mosquito bites, and she grumbled, "Why don’t we just ruin their relationship? We could just expose them and save ourselves the trouble."

Gu Xiaobei laughed and replied, "We can’t afford to touch Zhan Hezhi. Think about it, if his scandal gets out, he’ll be fired and we’ll have to deal with a new director whose temperament and character are unknown. Better the devil you know. At least we have something on him, he won’t dare to make things difficult for us."

On the fourth day of surveillance, they finally caught Zhan Hezhi and Liao Qing coming out together half an hour after Zhan Hezhi entered the housing complex. Both had satisfied smiles on their faces. Gu Xiaobei ordered Bai Xiaolan to take pictures while she circled around to bump into Zhan Hezhi and Liao Qing.

After taking a dozen shots, Bai Xiaolan finally stopped, satisfied with her work.

Gu Xiaobei then wandered into Zhan Hezhi’s path, pretending to be surprised, "Director Zhan, what a coincidence. Do you live here? Oh, Liao Qing, is that you? You’ve changed so much I almost didn’t recognize you." She moved to exaggerate her surprise and warmly shook Liao Qing’s hands.

Zhan Hezhi’s face changed, but he could not express his displeasure. He just watched Gu Xiaobei warily.

Liao Qing was completely taken aback by Gu Xiaobei’s sudden appearance. She was afraid Xiaobei might reveal her past with Gu Xiaodong.

Gu Xiaobei had a triumphant smile inside, but her face looked excited, "Liao Qing, you don’t remember me? We used to be neighbors and were almost related by blood. Remember, wasn’t your sister almost married to my brother?"

Liao Qing couldn’t do anything but give Gu Xiaobei a stiff smile, forcing out a response, "Oh, it’s Xiaobei. I never thought I would bump into you here. Did your family move to the provincial city too?"

Gu Xiaobei gestured towards the road, "I now live in a military compound less than a kilometer ahead." Throughout the conversation, Gu Xiaobei only casually chatted with Liao Qing, paying no further attention to Zhan Hezhi or probing into their relationship.

After chatting for a while, Gu Xiaobei enthusiastically said, "You should come over to visit when you have time. I’m new here, and do not know many people in the city."

Liao Qing responded with an awkward smile, meanwhile praying that Gu Xiaobei would leave her apparatus as quickly as possible. She did not want to have any contact with her and certainly did not want her past to catch up with her.

After Gu Xiaobei bid them goodbye, she noticed Zhan Hezhi’s face was not looking good. Inwardly satisfied, she thought how she would resentfully, but inexorably compel him to approve her paperwork.

Once they were far enough away, Bai Xiaolan ran over, beaming, "The photos turned out very clear. We should have them developed tomorrow. This was an exciting adventure, make sure to include me next time."