Chapter 36: Where Did the Motorcycle Come From?

With the garment factory's bottom line now clear, there was no need for Lu Fan to continue wasting time there. His next move was to position himself as the intermediary, constantly maneuvering between his uncle and Old Ding until he could extract a solution that satisfied both parties.

Lu Fan wasn’t sure how many days this would take—perhaps three or five, or maybe a week or two. However, he knew he couldn't let it drag on too long; otherwise, he would have to escalate his tactics. Over at the Baoshan District night market, he was maintaining a consumption scheme where the number of customers grew daily, and the costs doubled accordingly. Given his current financial resources, one week was his absolute limit. Therefore, he had set a firm goal to secure the garment factory within that timeframe. If he failed, he would have to find a way to source clothing elsewhere to satisfy the customers at the Baoshan market. He also needed to prepare contingency plans for various unexpected factors, lest he find himself scrambling in a panic.

When Bai Lu saw him emerge, she ran over immediately. "Lu Fan, are you finished?"

"Yeah, let’s go home."

"Your pager went off earlier. See who called you."

After Lu Fan bought a mobile phone, he had given the pager to Bai Lu. She treasured it; even though it only had a few buttons, she could fiddle with it for ages. Just last night, he had seen her and her daughter lying in bed playing with it for a long time.

Lu Fan took one glance at the pager, not even needing to scroll through the messages, and knew exactly who had called. No one but Xia Hongying would refer to him as a "little brat." Lu Dawei usually called him a "little bastard." Lu Fan felt a bit speechless—didn't they realize that calling him those names would only backfire? Was he born to a rabbit and a turtle?

He remembered two phone numbers with perfect clarity—numbers that would later become his passwords for various accounts. One was the office number for Xia Hongying’s department, and the other was the first telephone ever installed in their home.

Lu Fan dialed the department number directly. The person who answered was named Xiao Li—Lu Fan forgot if it was Li Juan or Li Mei—a new intern at the textile factory and a relative of the deputy director. He heard her crisp voice say, "Director Xia, someone is looking for you."

A moment later, Xia Hongying’s voice came through. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Little brat!"

"So, you finally know how to call me, you little brat? Living at someone else’s house, enjoying not having to listen to your mother’s nagging, aren't you?"

"Mom, I have to stay here for a few more days. I really have business to attend to."

"Business or not, you get yourself back here. That mother and daughter are living there; what are you doing crashing their place? They only have one small room—how are the three of you supposed to sleep?"

"I... Mom, can't you be more mindful of the situation? You’re at work."

"I’m the boss in this office, I’ll say whatever I want. Did you hear me? Get yourself back here immediately. If you don't come back, I’ll have your father go and drag you back in handcuffs."

Lu Dawei was very submissive to Xia Hongying, and Lu Fan knew they were perfectly capable of doing exactly that.

"Fine, I’ll come home for lunch, will that do?"

"You still don't get what I'm saying, do you? I’m telling you to move back home. Don't spend all day freeloading there and causing them trouble—they're busy enough without having to wait on you."

"Mom, Bai Lu is here with me. I’ll bring her back for lunch."

Xia Hongying fell silent for a moment before changing her tone, feigning sweetness: "Oh, that’s fine. Bring Bai Lu back. I haven't seen her in a few days; I’ve actually missed her."

Lu Fan let out a cold scoff. How hypocritical!

"My mom says she misses you and wants me to bring you home for lunch," Lu Fan said after hanging up.

"Oh, Auntie... okay, that sounds great!"

"Let’s go. We'll pick up the clothes and toys we bought for Bai Shuang and head back now."

Lu Fan was genuinely worried about Bai Shuang. When she was home alone, she did nothing but watch television, and he feared she would ruin her eyesight.

After returning to the house and leaving a note for Liu Yue’e explaining they wouldn't be back for lunch, they set off with the gifts. Bai Lu had wanted to wear her white dress, but since it wasn't practical for riding the motorcycle, she had to change into a pair of trousers. Before they left Dongping, Bai Lu leaned toward his ear and whispered, "Should we buy some gifts for your parents? It’s my first time visiting, and it would look bad to show up empty-handed."

Lu Fan nodded. "You're right. Let's buy some fruit; Bai Shuang likes bananas."

"I was thinking of buying something more meaningful, like a piece of clothing for your mother or a belt for your father."

"Who would have thought that you, my daughter-in-law, would have more of a conscience than I do? Fine, let's head to the shopping mall." Bai Lu gave his waist a gentle pinch from behind.

They arrived back in Changle County before noon. When Bai Shuang saw them, she jumped for joy, and the two sisters hugged affectionately for a while before letting go. Bai Shuang hadn't quite developed a sense of worry yet; instead of asking about her father’s health, she grabbed Bai Lu and started telling her which television programs were good and at what times they aired.

Lu Fan interjected, "Bai Shuang, don't just watch TV all day. We brought your textbooks this time. Review them when you have time, and next time I come, I’ll buy you some workbooks."

Bai Shuang’s face fell, making her life seem suddenly joyless. However, when Lu Fan pulled out a doll for her, her face lit up like sunshine, and she immediately forgot the terror of the workbooks. She didn't seem particularly excited about the clothes he’d bought her—likely because Xia Hongying had already bought her plenty—and she didn't even glance at the toy gun.

The three of them sat on the sofa watching TV until noon, when Xia Hongying walked in carrying groceries. As soon as she entered, she smiled and said, "Bai Lu is here."

"Hello, Auntie!"

Bai Shuang also ran up to Xia Hongying like a sycophant, helping her carry the groceries into the kitchen before starting to prep the vegetables.

Xia Hongying laughed, "Bai Shuang, go out and play with your sister. I’ll handle this."

"It's fine, we've been playing all morning."

Xia Hongying sighed, "Such a young girl, yet so sensible. Unlike some people." She shot Lu Fan a sharp glare.

"Bai Lu, I bought you an outfit on my way home. Go try it on and see if it fits."

Bai Lu picked up a package from the sofa and said shyly, "Lu Fan and I bought one for you, too."

"Oh, is that so? It seems we have a psychic connection, mother and daughter. Let’s try them on for each other."

Xia Hongying looked delighted when she came out in her new outfit. It was a sleeveless, knee-length, straight-cut dress with a blue floral pattern. Lu Fan and Bai Lu had chosen it together, and it fit perfectly. She stood in front of the mirror, spinning around and showing it off, feeling quite beautiful.

Bai Lu emerged in a Li Ning summer tracksuit—a short-sleeved athletic top and cropped pants that showed off her fair, jade-like arms and calves, a very pleasant sight. Neither outfit was cheap; Xia Hongying’s dress cost 136 yuan, making it one of the most high-end items at that clothing stall, and the Li Ning tracksuit likely cost over a hundred as well.

While they were modeling, Bai Shuang had already finished prepping the vegetables and started washing them. Lu Fan urged them, "Keep vanity-tripping, and Bai Shuang will have finished cooking the whole meal by herself."

A moment later, Lu Fan was dispatched to the local police station to call Lu Dawei home for lunch. Xia Hongying had mentioned that the station was working on a case lately and frequently worked overtime, often missing lunch. Lu Fan was puzzled—the station only had a dozen officers, half of whom were administrative, and the patrol officers were busy walking the streets; what kind of case could they possibly be breaking?

The residential compound was only one street away from the county public security bureau, but the police station was five or six intersections further. As Lu Fan entered the station, a wave of familiarity washed over him; he had spent much of his childhood playing in this courtyard. Although the public security system required frequent rotations, this didn't apply to grassroots stations, where, in this era, some people stayed for their entire careers.

Upon entering, he saw several familiar faces. As he greeted them, they recognized him immediately. When he reached Lu Dawei’s office, the man looked surprised. "Why are you here?"

"I brought Bai Lu back, and Mom told me to come get you for lunch."

Lu Dawei paused, then scolded, "You little bastard, you're dating at such a young age, and you're so self-righteous about it in front of me."

"Hurry up and pack your things. The food is already cooked, and it looks like you don't have anything going on here anyway."

"Don't talk nonsense. I just got back from patrol. There’s been a major gang-related theft case in the city. There's a chance they might be fleeing, so we’re assisting in the investigation with surrounding counties and cities."

"Residential burglary?"

"No, car and motorcycle theft."

Lu Fan wondered to himself, *When will the Skynet surveillance system be installed?* Once that was in place, crime rates would surely drop.

The two walked out to the courtyard. As Lu Dawei watched Lu Fan expertly swing his leg over a motorcycle and kick it to life, his brow furrowed deeply.

"Where did you get this motorcycle?"