Before Xu Haoran could speak, Sister Wei poked her head out with her travel bag: "We are here."

Zhang Lan squeezed forward joyfully: "Master's wife, let me carry your bag!"

"Both of you came? What about Yuanyuan?"

"Yuanyuan is at my colleague's house."

"Gui Feng, why didn't you spend a night in Jiangcheng and come back later? You took a bus right after getting off the train, and it's a seven to eight-hour journey. That's too exhausting."

Only then did Sister Wei notice that the ones who came to pick them up were not just the young couple Xu Mingyuan, she was astonished and asked: "Director Ge, why are you here too?"

Comrade Old Ge, although no longer the head of the Transportation Bureau, still looked distinguished.

His hair was neatly combed, his beard cleanly shaved, wearing a black leather trench coat and carrying a large pager bag without a pager inside. His shoes were brightly polished, clearly a figure of leadership.

Comparatively, Li Weiguo was dressed much more simply, standing behind Comrade Old Ge, smiling without saying a word.

"I've stepped down to a secondary role now, I'm officially without any responsibilities and usually free. Since you and the children have come back, I had to come pick you up once I heard."

"How could we impose like this?"

Sister Wei felt confused; after all, although the two families had known each other for many years, their acquaintance wasn't close enough to justify a late-night pick-up.

Xu Haoran, usually dressed in a military uniform, unconsciously raised his arm in a salute: "Hello Uncle Ge, and Uncle Li, sorry to trouble you this late at night."

Lin Xiaoqin curiously examined Comrade Old Ge, holding back her laughter and greeted him with a standard Mandarin.

Li Weiguo took the bag from her hands, feigning ignorance, "Now that everyone is back, who looks after Chenchen?"

"My in-laws do."

Sister Wei regained her composure, smiled and explained, "Usually, I'm the one who takes care of him. They heard I was going back to my hometown and didn't let me take Chenchen with me, saying he is too little to endure the trouble."

"It's a long journey indeed, tough on adults, let alone a child," Comrade Old Ge agreed, then turned and smiled, "Gui Feng, Haoran, the car is over there, it's cold outside, let's get in the car first."

Calling her Gui Feng so affectionately, what's got into Director Ge?

The more Sister Wei thought, the more puzzled she became, but considering Yan Yang had heating while Linghai did not, and despite being from the north, the new wife felt colder than the Linghai people, she could only follow Old Ge.

The minivan could not fit everyone.

Comrade Old Ge was busy arranging everything, took out the keys, opened the trunk of his new vehicle, put on a helmet and gloves, and led the way on a brand new scooter for the minivan.

Zhang Lan had to go to work after dawn and went straight home.

Xu Mingyuan sat in the back of the minivan, going to Bailong Port with everyone else.

Sister Wei felt very embarrassed about having the two veteran comrades come to pick them up in the middle of the night, couldn't help but say: "Instructor Li, maybe let Xiao Ge take you home first?"

"I'm not sleepy, besides, Salted Fish's mother has prepared a big table of dishes, I want to join you all for a drink of old wine."

"Yanfeng is also waiting for us?"

"Not just her, Old Qian is also waiting."

"We shouldn't have, had we known it would disrupt everyone's sleep, we would have stayed a night in Jiangcheng."

"It's okay, Director Ge has stepped down, I'm retired, Old Qian retired even earlier than me, we're just idle anyway, and sometimes play cards all night long."

Sister Wei really wanted to ask why Director Ge had come as well, but in front of Director Ge's nephew, she didn't feel it appropriate to ask, and instead inquired about the situation with Salted Fish and Han Xiangning.

Li Weiguo and Xu Mingyuan both knew that Salted Fish was soon to be appointed as the head of the Port District Bureau, but before the official announcement, they couldn't discuss it in front of outsiders, so they changed the subject to talk about Salted Fish's crackdown on waterways this year.

"He went out to sea to arrest during the typhoon!"

"The wind wasn't small those days, but the typhoon didn't head our way. It made landfall in East Guang; I heard East Guang suffered a great loss."

Talking about natural disasters, Xu Haoran said in a low voice, "This year has been filled with disasters. Beihai, such a dry place, unexpectedly had continuous heavy rain in August, affecting over 1.4 million people in ninety-one counties province-wide. We all went to fight the floods, and later, the direct economic losses were estimated to be over 40 billion."

"I saw it on the news on TV, not just you in Beihai, the Dongting Lake area in the Upper Yangtze River also had severe flooding and experienced a flood disaster."

"How about Linghai?"

"Linghai has been okay this year, no typhoons, and no urban waterlogging."

...

Linghai City District is not very far from Bailong Port, and as everyone chatted along the way, they unwittingly arrived at the passenger terminal dormitory area.

As the former team leader of the Criminal Investigation Team's major crime squad at the Linghai Police Bureau, Xu Mingyuan had been issued a mobile phone during the crackdown period and had called Han Yu upon leaving the bus station.

Han Yu and Han Xiangning had both gotten up, and when they saw Old Ge drive the van into the yard on the big pedal, they immediately came out to greet them. Old Qian also came over in a military coat, holding a large tea cup, standing by the van to greet Sister Wei's family.

Mrs. Han had already served the cold dishes on the table and was busy stir-frying the hot dishes in the kitchen.

Sister Wei wasn't very hungry; as soon as she got out of the car, she wanted to check on Little Han Han, and Han Xiangning quickly took her there.

Xu Haoran and Lin Xiaoqin were busy distributing local specialties they brought back from Yan Yang - jujubes, walnuts, hawthorns, chestnuts… Not only dry goods, but they also brought back several bottles of Laobai dry liquor.

It was a rare get-together, and everyone wasn't sleepy.

Eating and chatting merrily, not knowing whether the meal is a supper or a breakfast.

Director Ge's nephew had to take someone to Binjiang today, didn't drink alcohol, stayed a while then left first.

With no outsiders, there weren't as many reservations in the conversation, and Li Weiguo put down his glass, enthusiastically announcing the news that Han Yu was going to be the chief of the Port District Bureau and Xu Mingyuan was going to be the deputy chief.

"Really?" Sister Wei asked joyfully.

"Really, Salted Fish will be my direct superior in the future, I have to follow Salted Fish's orders and listen to his commands."

As soon as Xu Mingyuan finished speaking, Old Ge couldn't help but laugh and said: "Gui Feng, Salted Fish will not only be Ming Yuan's leader but mine as well."

Han Yu couldn't help but laugh: "Director Ge, don't joke around, you are both a former leader and an elder, I can't lead you."

Sister Wei agreed and exclaimed: "Yeah, that's a joke that shouldn't be made."

"I'm really not joking."

Old Ge pointed at Han Yu, speaking animatedly: "Gui Feng, Old Li didn't explain clearly just now; not only is Salted Fish going to be the chief of the Linghai Port Industrial Park District Bureau, but he is also going to join the Linghai Port Industrial Park District Committee. He is the leader of the Port District Police Bureau and also a leader in the Port District."

"So what, he still can't lead you."

"I'm now semi-retired, assigned by the City Committee to contribute to the Port District, and I have to obey the arrangements of the Port District Party Working Committee. Salted Fish is a member of the Port District Party Working Committee, of course, he can lead me."

In order to please Sister Wei, he really went to great lengths.

Li Weiguo couldn't help but chuckle: "If that's the case, then Salted Fish can truly lead Director Ge."

Old Ge wouldn't miss this opportunity to curry favor, turning and saying: "Salted Fish, in front of your master's wife, let me declare this, once you take office, I will definitely support your work wholeheartedly. The situation in Sanhe is very complex, but if anyone disobeys you, I'll be the first to disagree!"

Although Old Ge is semi-retired, but before he retired, he was the director of the Transportation Bureau.

Among the many bureaus and committees in Linghai, the position of the Transportation Bureau is second only to the Finance Bureau, having the support of Old Ge, who was once the director of the Transportation Bureau, Salted Fish will certainly be able to establish himself.

Sister Wei became more and more delighted, looked up and laughed: "Salted Fish, aren't you going to hurry up and toast a glass to Director Ge?"

"Oh, right, Director Ge, I replace wine with tea and toast to you, thank you for your support for my work."

"There's no need for thanks, it's what I should do."

...

Eating and chatting, without realizing it, it had dawned.

The dormitory had been tidied away with all bedding and linens being new.

Knowing that Sister Wei's family must be tired, Mrs. Han and Han Yu didn't let them help clean up the table, sending them to the dormitory to rest.

Comrade Old Ge felt awkward to keep calling out "Gui Feng," and being old, having stayed up all night, he was very tired, so he went to rest in the forward dormitory first.

To Sister Wei's surprise, as soon as Comrade Old Ge left, Mrs. Han, Li Weiguo, Xu Mingyuan, Han Yu, Han Xiangning and their children crowded into the dormitory.

"Yanfeng, Instructor Li, what are you doing."

"Just chatting a bit longer."

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