Chapter 85: She Is the Tumor

A little past one in the afternoon.
Most of those who'd come to eat had already left, leaving only a dozen or so close colleagues and comrades of Director Wu, as well as a leader from the city bureau.
Liu Xing, seated at the table, paid no mind to their presence, instead sharing a meal with Gua Zi.
Ding Lan and Niu Lianfang, along with two other officers who had helped out, sat nearby enjoying the food and drink, unable to stop praising Liu Xing's culinary skills.
Seeing that the hour was growing late, Zhang Xiangjun stood and approached Director Wu. "Old Wu, lend me your jeep for a bit. I need to go to the Industry and Commerce Bureau."
"Of course!" Director Wu, knowing what Zhang Xiangjun was up to, immediately produced the keys and handed them over.
"You should spend some time with Liu Xing. He helped us out tremendously again today," Zhang Xiangjun said softly, then turned and left with Ding Lan.
Director Wu gave an awkward smile, excused himself from his colleagues, and came to Liu Xing's side. "Thank you for your hard work today."
"It's nothing, really," Liu Xing replied modestly.
"Ah, I never expected so many people would come," Director Wu settled into a nearby chair. "I just wanted to invite a few colleagues from Donghe Police Station for a meal, to chat about the handover."
"Who could have foreseen it," he gestured toward the mess in the backyard. "Four or fifty turned up, some I haven't seen in years."
"It's a good thing, not a bad one," Liu Xing set down his chopsticks. "If you feel guilty, Uncle, just invite me alone next time."
"Deal! Deal!" Director Wu agreed without hesitation.
"Uncle, will you invite me too?" Gua Zi asked, tilting her little head.
"Of course... hahaha..." Director Wu happily patted Gua Zi's head. At the door, Tian Jun appeared hurried, so Director Wu excused himself to Liu Xing and went to meet him.
"What's happened?" Director Wu asked, brow slightly furrowed.
"Several dozen family members of employees from Hengshui Distillery have come to report that Director Zhang abused his power and disregarded human life. The ringleader, Yu Bin, specifically asked to see you," Tian Jun said in a low voice.
"Yu Bin wants to see me?"
"Is it about the previous explosion in the workshop?"
Director Wu scratched his head in confusion.
The leadership at Hengshui Distillery had already discussed the matter with him, claiming it was an accident.
Since there were no casualties, it was handled internally.
He had agreed at the time—so why was Yu Bin causing trouble now?
If he remembered correctly, Yu Bin was the son of Yu Lajun, the veteran repairman at Hengshui Distillery.
Yu Bin currently worked at the distillery as well—he couldn't have resorted to reporting his superior, Director Zhao, unless forced.
"Could there be some hidden scandal at play?" Director Wu mused, then snapped back to attention. "Let's go meet Yu Bin and hear what he has to say."
"Right!" Tian Jun led the way, Director Wu following behind.
...
Liu Xing saw Director Wu and Zhang Xiangjun leave and thought of heading home, but Niu Lianfang stopped him. "Don't go yet. Sister Zhang went to the Industry and Commerce Bureau to get the shoe shop's business license for you. If you leave, she'll have to drive to your house later."
"I see," Liu Xing smiled, resigned, and continued to wait with Gua Zi.
Half an hour later, Zhang Xiangjun returned, Ding Lan following with an official document bag in hand.
Liu Xing hurried forward to greet them.
"Here are your shoe shop's business license and related paperwork, all in this bag. Be sure to keep them safe—losing them would be a hassle to replace," Zhang Xiangjun said, handing Liu Xing a black briefcase with a smile.

"I'll take good care of them," Liu Xing nodded as he took the bag.
Even without Zhang Xiangjun's reminder, he understood the importance of a business license in the 1980s.
Moreover, the approval cost for a private business license wasn't low; he asked Zhang Xiangjun, "Auntie, I never asked how much the licensing and approval fees were. Now that you've handled it, I can't let you pay out of pocket. Please tell me the amount, or I'll feel uneasy."
"Twenty-eight yuan and six cents," Zhang Xiangjun replied matter-of-factly, knowing Liu Xing had money and not bothering with false modesty.
Her finances weren't comfortable, and if Liu Xing didn't pay, half a month's wages would vanish.
Another important point: she and Liu Xing were only acquaintances, with no complicated interests between them, so it was best to keep money matters clear.
This was better for everyone—no fear of future scrutiny.
"Here," Liu Xing had Gua Zi hold the black briefcase, then handed thirty yuan to Zhang Xiangjun.
He knew that if he'd gone to the bureau himself, the cost would have been higher and the process slower.
He might have been stuck at the approval stage for ten days or half a month—the subconscious bias of civil servants in the 1980s looked down on rural entrepreneurs and sometimes refused to issue licenses because they were from the countryside.
He'd heard of such things before his rebirth.
Otherwise, the vendors at Dongyuan's black market wouldn't have been forced to sell goods in makeshift tents.
It wasn't that they couldn't afford the license, but lacked connections and understanding of policy.
As a reborn person, Liu Xing naturally had an advantage.
Zhang Xiangjun took the money and put it away without counting—it was clear she trusted Liu Xing's character.
Ding Lan, seeing business concluded, handed her woven bag to Liu Xing. "This contains leather for making shoes—all genuine leather. Make me a proper pair of sandals. Make a pair for Niu Lianfang and Sister Zhang, too, but not the same style."
"Don't worry, you'll be paid fairly," Ding Lan added after a pause.
Liu Xing smiled, checked the leather in the bag, and saw it truly was genuine, with some pieces quite valuable. He couldn't help but suspect Ding Lan's background, as ordinary people in the 1980s would find it hard to obtain such materials.
"By the way, where's your Uncle Wu?" Zhang Xiangjun glanced around the backyard.
"Probably busy with a case." Liu Xing replied.
"He should leave it to Tian Jun—he's not the leader here anymore," Zhang Xiangjun said, a little exasperated. She checked the time, then apologized to Liu Xing. "Why don't you head home? When your shoe shop opens, I'll bring Uncle Wu to support you, and we'll have a good chat."
"Alright," Liu Xing nodded, slung the bag over his shoulder, and left the backyard, holding Gua Zi's hand.
"Lianfang, don't just sit there—come with me to the office. I want to see what kind of case warrants the deputy director's personal attention."
Still slightly angry after seeing Liu Xing and Gua Zi off, Zhang Xiangjun led Ding Lan and Niu Lianfang toward the office.
...
Cycling home,
it was already a quarter past three in the afternoon.
After putting away the shoe shop's business license, Liu Xing planned to nap in his room.
But something felt off—his parents were home, his eldest sister, Sixth Aunt, Kang Hu, and Zhao Xiaomo were all busy making shoes in the main hall, but everyone was silent, faces grim as if something serious had happened.
Even the little one wasn't playing outside, but sat obediently in the corner eating a White Rabbit milk candy.
She saw Gua Zi return and wanted to play together, but Liu Dongju's stern look stopped her.
"Sis, did something happen while I was gone?" Liu Xing asked quietly beside Liu Dongju.
"No," Liu Dongju forced a smile, but her uneasy eyes betrayed her.

If nothing had happened, she wouldn't look like that.
Liu Qiujuan wanted to say something but held her tongue.
Liu Xing noticed and didn't press further, instead seeking out his parents.
His father, Liu Dazhao, sat smoking at the door and turned his face aside when Liu Xing approached.
This annoyed Liu Xing, but he held back his temper. "Dad, something happened at home. If you don't tell me, it's not fair."
"Xingzi, don't pressure your dad. Let him calm down—he's having a hard time," Zhou Qiuxiang said, coming from the kitchen, her voice low and resigned.
"What happened?" Liu Xing, thinking something serious had occurred, blurted out.
Even Gua Zi, playing nearby, was bewildered, not daring to eat her stolen twist pastry.
"Your Aunt Liu Wanqiu came by earlier and scolded your father," Zhou Qiuxiang finally revealed after some hesitation. "He lost his temper and argued with her. This time the break is complete—never to see each other again, severed for life."
"What right did she have to scold my dad?" Liu Xing was confused.
True, a sister can scold her brother, even for no reason.
But his father was already so old—didn't Liu Wanqiu know to show some respect?
Her character wasn't just flawed—it was deeply problematic.
"Because he didn't visit Liu Changsheng at the Eighth Hospital," Zhou Qiuxiang explained. "But Liu Wanqiu didn't just scold your dad—Sixth Aunt got scolded too, and so did your Third and Fifth Uncles."
The scene was quite sudden.
First, Liu Dazhu at the east end of Xiaoshi Village was scolded so harshly, the sound carried over here.
Then, at Liu Deqi's house, Liu Wanqiu not only scolded but smashed things.
Finally, she came to the drying yard and berated Liu Dazhao and Liu Qiujuan, but didn't get her way.
Even the stray dogs at the roadside couldn't stand it, and chased her out of Xiaoshi Village.
"Did Third and Fifth Uncle also sever ties with Liu Wanqiu?" Liu Xing asked quietly.
"Isn't it obvious?" Zhou Qiuxiang couldn't help but laugh, but seeing Liu Dazhao's stern face, quickly reined in her smile.
Liu Xing wasn't concerned, laughing heartily as he pleased.
For his family, this was a blessing, not a misfortune.
Seeing Liu Dazhao's glowering face, he said, "Dad, if you want to hit me, just do it—don't hold it in, it'll only make things worse. But before you do, think about whose fault it is."
"If you're not in the wrong, there's no need for the whole family to suffer and no reason to be upset. To me, your sister is just a cancerous tumor. If you still think fondly of her, you'll have to endure the pain of her harm." With that, Liu Xing took Gua Zi to rest in his room.
Liu Dazhao didn't explode, but pondered Liu Xing's words, and suddenly seemed to awaken. He sighed quietly and entered the kitchen.
"Dazhao..." Zhou Qiuxiang followed nervously behind.
"I'm fine. Your son woke me up."
"From now on, I'll never fret over Liu Wanqiu's affairs again, and I'll never quarrel with you because of her family," Liu Dazhao said, taking Zhou Qiuxiang's hand, his eyes full of tenderness.
"Dazhao..." Zhou Qiuxiang felt warmth bloom in her heart.
...