Binjiang Police Affairs-Chapter 1070 - 697: Old Ding’s Worries

During summer vacation, children visiting relatives with other children is a tradition in Linghai.

Xunxun loves coming to the riverside because his uncle and aunt treat him especially well. Every time he visits, there are delicious treats and even new clothes.

Ji Xiaohong knows that her younger brother-in-law led a team to Beihu for flood control and that Han Xiangning has been very busy. She didn't let Xunxun visit for some time because of this.

But now that the sailor training class at Linghai Vocational School located in the development zone is starting, she didn't think of becoming a sailor to run ocean ships. Domestic ships don't require female sailors; she just wanted to get an Inland River Crew Certificate like her mother-in-law, so she could join Han Shen on the ship. She brought Xunxun to the development zone.

Han Xiangning saw that Zhang Lan frequently had Xu Yuan with her, so she simply brought Han Han over from the city, allowing the three children to play together.

The Port Supervision Department office building is large, with meeting rooms and activity rooms where Xunxun and Yuanyuan can do their homework. After finishing their homework, they can take them to the Linghai Reserve Camp and ask Chief Ding of the Sanhe Heroes' Cemetery Management Committee to help watch them, or even take the three kids to Longgang Rice Industry and ask Old Zhang to look after them.

In the blink of an eye, it was time to get off work again.

Zhang Lan rode her scooter to the Port Supervision Department and took the elevator to the director's office.

Han Xiangning had just finished her work and, while packing her things, smiled and asked, "Are we going back to the city or home tonight?"

"Of course, we're going back to the city. Otherwise, why would I come to find you?"

"Are you taking our free ride again?"

"Is there no room?"

"We can squeeze in. Anyway, you're the police, if traffic cops check for overloading, we'll just push you out."

"They hardly check on this route."

The living conditions in the Customs dormitory are better than houses in Linghai City District. Since Zhang Lan was transferred to the Water Police Station, she has considered the Customs family area her home.

Nearing thirty, Han Xiangning was worried about gaining weight and wanted to maintain her figure, so she would take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible.

As Zhang Lan followed Han Xiangning downstairs, she curiously asked, "Ningning, is your sister-in-law really planning to go on the ship with Han Shen?"

"It's quite normal. They can't keep living apart."

Checking the time on her phone, Han Xiangning explained, "The business at Sansing Home Textile City hasn't been as easy as before. In the past two years, many Zhehai bosses have come, not only opening shops but also factories, making the competition too intense.

My sister-in-law, unlike Salted Fish's uncles, doesn't have a factory. She's just a middleman and can't compete on price, making it progressively harder to earn money, while the rent keeps rising. Instead of staying at the market with little business, it's better to reunite with her husband on the ship."

Zhang Lan asked, "Does running a ship make good money?"

"Running a ship is alright, but it's very hard work."

"How much did Salted Fish's parents make this year?"

"They made over two hundred thousand in the first half of the year, but it's really tough work, with no day or night, hardly any time to go home."

"What about Xunxun if your sister-in-law goes on the ship?"

"Her parents will help take care of him. She's planning to sell her commodity house in Sansing, but houses there aren't worth much."

Making money is truly difficult, and nobody has it easy.

Han Xiangning added, "Didn't my sister get transferred to the East Sea? My brother-in-law will also transfer to the East Sea Salvage Bureau after the flood control. Dongdong's grandma runs a grain and oil shop in the East Sea. Although it's a small business, it does well. My sister and brother-in-law don't want Dongdong's grandpa to continue running the ship. They want him to go to the East Sea as well."

Zhang Lan, like Han Xiangning, envied Han Ning and Zhang Jiangkun, sighing, "It's nice for the whole family to go to the East Sea."

"But then, the old boat we intended for Dongdong's grandpa won't have anyone to captain it. My sister-in-law's brother wants to take over, but Ji Xiaojun can't do it alone, so my sister-in-law's sister-in-law doesn't plan to wholesale bedding anymore and will join the training with my sister-in-law. Once they get the Seaman's Certificate, they'll go on the ship together."

"Han Shen has really been through it all these years, going around in circles, only to end up running a ship again."

"All those who come out from the shipping company are like this. Lin Xiaohui and Lin Yuzhen have enough money, yet their parents are not used to being on land and still run ships or even switch ships."

"Working hard just to change ships, and when they save enough, they think about changing to a bigger ship. They just keep making money to change ships and never know how to enjoy it. It's like a cycle with no end in sight."

"San'er is the same, except he wants to switch to a government-operated ship."

The thoughts of shipmen truly differ from ordinary people, and Zhang Lan really didn't know how to comment on it.

The two walked to the Linghai Reserve Camp area, where they saw Xunxun operating an anti-aircraft gun, and Xu Yuan and Han Han running back and forth under Xunxun's command, playing energetically.

In just a few days by the river, her daughter had tanned.

Han Xiangning really didn't know how to explain to her mom, so she called out, "Xunxun, Han Han, stop playing, hurry and wash your hands, it's time for us to go home."

"Mom, let me play a little longer."

"Be good, you can play again tomorrow."

Zhang Lan saw a wrapper from an ice cream on the ground and asked, "Yuanyuan, did Grandpa Ding buy ice cream for you again?"

"Yes, I ate two." Xu Yuan, pulling Han Han's hand, skipped over.

Han Xiangning looked at Old Ding who came out to greet them and complained, "Uncle Ding, didn't I tell you, why did you buy them ice cream again?"

"The kids like it, so let them have some." Old Ding smiled and then asked, "Yuanyuan, Han Han, was the ice cream tasty?"

"Delicious!"

"If it's delicious, come again tomorrow, Grandpa will buy more for you."

"Thank you, Grandpa Ding."

As you get older, seeing kids makes you happy.

Old Ding patted the heads of the three little ones and asked, "Ningning, Zhang Lan, did Salted Fish and Ming Yuan call you?"

"No."

"They are so busy that they can't even find time to call you?"

Talking about the junior who was far away in Beihu fighting the flood, Han Xiangning said with a bitter look, "This flood just never ends, we barely held off the fourth flood peak, and the fifth came again. Just when we sent off the fifth flood peak, we have to prepare for the sixth!"

Xu Mingyuan has been out with Salted Fish for over a month, Zhang Lan also misses him a lot, hugging her daughter who was being clingy, she sighed softly, "I called Director Ge, and Ge said the newly appeared sixth flood peak upstream is even fiercer than the fourth. When the fourth flood peak came, Angong County relocated more than 300,000 people to safety zones, and they finally returned home, now they have to be evacuated again."

"Evacuate again?" Old Ding asked instinctively.

"Yes, I heard this time they might really have to divert the flood. The higher-ups organized over 300 assault boats, Ming Yuan, Ma Jintao, and Xiao Yu all received orders and went there, ready to enter the flood control area anytime to rescue people who haven't had the chance to evacuate."

Zhang Lan took a deep breath and continued, "Director Ge said outside the flood diversion gate, there is a water-blocking dam, and explosives have already been planted inside the dam, ready to blast it open for flood diversion. Blasting the dam is very dangerous, so the higher-ups have sent 001, 002, Changhang police 110, and Supervision 48 to perform security duties. Both on the river and onshore, within a three-kilometer radius, there are hundreds of police officers performing security duties to ensure safety during the dam blast."

This flood just never ends!

Old Ding was silent for a moment and asked, "What about Salted Fish, what's Salted Fish busy with?"

Han Xiangning sighed deeply, with a wry smile, "When the flood peak arrives, they have to assemble on standby to rush and protect major risks at any moment. When the flood peak passes, they must seize the time to assist local areas in reinforcing the embankment. As the sixth flood peak is approaching, Director Ge said they have started assembling and waiting again."

Old Ding could imagine how tense it was over there in Jingzhou, and said worriedly, "Yesterday I met Secretary Chen, and Secretary Chen said Secretary Ye came back from Jingzhou. Secretary Ye said during the meeting how dangerous the fourth flood peak was, and Salted Fish and the others helped Jingzhou hold it off. The expectation was no more big floods would come, and once the water level drops, and large ships can pass through the Hanwu Yangtze River Bridge, Salted Fish and the others could return. But who would have thought there would be a fifth and sixth flood peak."

Han Xiangning also misses San'er a lot, and said helplessly, "Primarily, it keeps raining upstream, I really don't know what's going on with my dad, his past weather forecasts were accurate half the time. But now his forecasts are spot on every single time. My sister even joked over the phone about buying a train ticket for him to come back quickly, we don't even dare let him predict anymore."

"What does this have to do with your dad, it wouldn't rain if he didn't forecast?"

"Though that's true, this situation is so uncanny, even my mom says he jinxes it."

Poor Master Han, when his predictions were inaccurate, his wife and daughter complained. Now that they are accurate, they still grumble.

Old Ding felt sorry for Master Han and immediately changed the subject, "Secretary Chen said over there, to ensure the safety of the Jingjiang Embankment, the higher-ups instructed many civil dikes to be removed for flood diversion, resulting in many people's homes, rice fields, cotton fields, and fish ponds being flooded. Secretary Ye, upon returning, had the Labor Bureau and each township, each street, identify what companies need to recruit workers to support disaster relief.

The construction stations are in greatest need of workers, with just the three construction stations in Sanhe, Tianbu, and Jiangbin reporting over 600 recruitment slots, hiring as many skilled bricklayers, carpenters, and steelworkers as they can. Helping people find employment is a good thing, but good intentions often lead to mistakes. But I am long retired, even if I weren't, my words would not carry weight with the leadership."

Han Xiangning had already heard about the recruitment, didn't expect Old Ding to have objections, she couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Ding, what are you worried about?"

"People from here go out to do construction work and do make money, but it's all hard-earned money. They leave at the beginning of the year and return at the end, with no breaks throughout the year, working twelve hours a day. Our people here are honest and willing to endure hardship, but people over there may not be accustomed. What if they come over and find it difficult to adapt, and say our Linghai's construction stations and engineering teams don't treat people right?"

Old Ding paused, then continued, "Moreover, here, the construction stations and engineering teams don't pay salaries monthly but settle accounts at year-end. If they can't recover project funds or the benefits aren't good, they might delay for a year or two. Our people here are used to it, but people over there who urgently need money to rebuild their homes, can they wait for a year's salary? Can it be delayed for a year or two?"

Linghai people are wealthy, but it's all through hard work.

Just to mention, even the elderly in their seventies and eighties, as long as they can work, they do work. If anyone doesn't work and goes to play mahjong or long cards, they'll really get criticized behind their backs by neighbors.

The customs and social practices vary by region. Linghai people can endure hardship, leave home for money, and even swallow insults. It doesn't mean people from other places can do the same.

Especially construction teams, the work is not only very exhausting, but the food isn't good either.

Han Xiangning thought Old Ding's words made sense, quickly took out her phone, while searching for Deputy Mayor Shen's number, she whispered, "I'll tell Mayor Shen, every unit can recruit, construction stations shouldn't, otherwise good intentions might just backfire."