The end of a blue duckweed (4)
“Go back, take care of yourself, take your medicine on time, and go for regular check-ups.”
“Did you receive the clothes that Yuhang asked me to bring for you last time? If you need anything else, let me know, I’ll bring it for you next time.”
Zhao Junfeng smiled, causing the handcuffs on his wrist to clatter with movement.
“I still want to eat a dumpling you made, with cabbage filling.”
“Oh, okay, okay. When you come back, I’ll make some for you to eat. I know, the skin should be thin, and there should be plenty of filling. You only eat the lean ones, not the fat ones.”
The old woman nodded tearfully and gave him some warm clothes for protection against the cold, fussing over every detail.
“It’s getting cold. I brought some ointment for your old cold legs.”
“And some warm clothes to wear underneath, to keep you warm.”
“I brought two pairs of cotton slippers, alternate wearing them.”
“I also brought some toiletries. If it’s not enough, you can ask someone to bring them for you.”
Zhao Junfeng originally thought she would ask why he was in prison, but she didn’t mention it at all. Instead, she just kept urging him to take care of himself, which made his eyes slightly reddened.
He took a step back. In just a few months, he had aged too much, his body swaying as if about to fall, and his hands began to tremble.
“I understand… You should go back too, don’t let people laugh at you.”
The visiting time is almost up, and the prison guards have started urging.
The old woman was almost collapsing on the ground, relying entirely on Song Yuhang’s support.
He glanced up at her and moved his lips, “All these things were done by me alone, and have nothing to do with her. If you have time, please go see her for me.”
Song Yuhang didn’t respond. A hint of irony flickered at the corner of Zhao Junfeng’s lips. He shook his head and turned to leave.
At this point, what right did he have to ask her to do anything?
Song Yuhang handed the old woman over to the prison guard waiting on the side, then leaned closer to the microphone and said in a deep voice,
“I’ll do it. After all, I’ve eaten plenty of dumplings too. But can you tell me why you did this?”
Her gaze was sharp as a sword, staring fixedly at his back, hoping for a turn or an answer.
Zhao Junfeng gave a bitter smile, lifted his foot, and continued walking forward.
Song Yuhang clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles turning white.
“Do you still remember what you said to me the first time you met me?”
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The time rewinds to when she was eighteen years old.
She had just been admitted to the police academy. Despite having experience in combat sports on the provincial sports team, in this place where there are hidden dragons and couching tigers, she was just a drop in the ocean.
In the first class, whether it was free combat, ten-meter pistol shooting, or physical fitness, she was brutally defeated.
A male classmate joked, “What do women still want to be detectives for? You might as well take a civil service exam and find a stable job.”
Song Yuhang, with red eyes, clutching her injured arm, limped away, while behind her, the crowd burst into laughter.
By nightfall, her classmates had all returned to their dormitories to rest, but she stood alone on the platform punching the sandbag, without gloves, until she was completely exhausted, blood oozing from between her fingers.
Her knees gave way, and she knelt on the ground, slowly tilting backward until she lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
The echoes of her classmates’ laughter from earlier in the day still resounded in her ears.
“Get up, aren’t you the provincial champion?”
“What champion? Must be rigged!”
“Let me tell you, don’t bother competing with us for spots. You’d better go home early and get married to have children.”
……
Song Yuhang gritted her teeth, tears swirling in her eyes.
The originally dark gymnasium suddenly lit up, and she instinctively raised her arm to shield her eyes from the glaring light. A somewhat stern voice came over.
“Get up.”
She looked in astonishment at the middle-aged man standing in front of her. He was wearing an old jacket and had a resolute Chinese character face.
“Who are you?”
She had never seen him at school before.
The man repeated again, “Get up.”
For some reason, he stood with a straight back, exuding an aura of authority that made people instinctively want to obey him.
Song Yuhang struggled to prop herself up on her arms. Seeing her trembling, the man’s lips curved into a slight smile as he reached out to help her up.
Once Song Yuhang steadied herself, she still had some doubts. “This is the police academy, not a place where just anyone can come and go. Who are you?”
The man didn’t answer her question. He just said, “This is the police academy, and there are only two types of people here: police officers and reserve police officers.”
Song Yuhang was taken aback. He had already turned and was walking away, about to disappear at the door.
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The young woman took a few steps after him. “Hey, who are you exactly?”
The man stopped in his tracks, turned slightly, and the light and darkness divided his figure.
“You’ll find out in the future.”
The next day, in the combat class.
Classmates changed into their white Taekwondo uniforms, bustling with activity, and whispers floated around.
“Hey, did you hear? A new instructor is coming today. They say he’s a second-level police supervisor from the provincial anti-drug brigade, with numerous achievements. He even once captured drug traffickers in Southeast Asia. Quite impressive.”
Generally, such glossy resumes raise suspicions of being fabricated. Song Yuhang remained noncommittal, pursing her lips as she wrapped her hands with bandages. Suddenly lifting her head, Zhao Junfeng walked in.
He was dressed in a brand-new navy blue uniform, standing tall with a straight back, wearing a broad-brimmed hat, adorned with two four-cornered stars and a silver olive branch on his shoulders.
Back then, he didn’t have any gray hair at his temples, his physique hadn’t changed, and his fingers were close to the seam of his pants. He saluted as he raised his hand.
“Hello, everyone. My name is Zhao Junfeng, a guest lecturer at the Binhai Police Academy. In the coming days, I’ll be the instructor for the course 《Police Fitness and Tactical Skills Training》.”
At that time, his vigor and vitality contrasted sharply with his current aged and weary appearance, especially with the prison uniform he was wearing, which was even more striking.
Song Yuhang gritted her teeth. “You said, in the police academy, there are only two types of people: police officers and reserve police officers.”
“Later, when I graduated and started working, you specially came from the provincial department to Jiangcheng to attend my appointment ceremony. It was also you who said…”
She paused slightly, tilting her head slightly upwards to prevent tears from falling.
“Once you’re in the Public Security Bureau, there are only two types of people: those who have already sacrificed themselves as police officers, and those who are ready to sacrifice themselves at any moment.”
“And what about you? Which one are you?”
This question left him speechless. Zhao Junfeng fell into a long silence, staring at the bright handcuffs on his wrist.
Song Yuhang kept watching his figure, waiting for an answer.
Zhao Junfeng slowly lifted his foot, still walking forward in silence, while the prison guard had already opened the iron gate.
“Master…” Song Yuhang’s heart tightened, her eyes reddening, her voice hoarse as she called out.
Zhao Junfeng’s steps paused slightly, and his back straightened again. As the end approached, the old man thought that in his life, besides his beloved, there was nothing else that could stir waves in his heart.
Song Yuhang was an exception.
The young woman was steady, intelligent, and ambitious, but most importantly, she had a heart as resolute as gold, never giving up.
In the police academy, female students were few in number, and those with single-minded determination to join the front lines were even rarer.
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Attending his class naturally meant enduring strict discipline. With a certain casualty rate in practical training, Song Yuhang often ended up bruised and swollen, yet after class, she would stay behind alone, practicing until late into the night.
Sometimes, when Zhao Junfeng returned to the gym to lock up, he would still see her punching the sandbag, panting heavily, sweat dripping down her short hair.
He stood below the platform, watching her. “Why push yourself so hard? Isn’t logistics work good enough?”
Breathless, Song Yuhang punched the sandbag, sending it flying.
“Why give up? Isn’t being on the front lines good?”
Zhao Junfeng shook his head. “No, it’s very dangerous.”
“Eating carries the risk of choking to death, drinking water carries the risk of drowning, even sleeping at home carries the risk of sudden death. Just because there’s risk, does that mean we stop eating, drinking, and sleeping?”
An unexpected answer. Moments of valor like this perhaps occur in the youth of every police officer.
With one hand supporting himself, Zhao Junfeng climbed onto the platform.
“Your movements are incorrect. Take another step back, wait for the sandbag to swing back, then strike.”
“Yes, left hook.”
“To the right, low route, roundhouse kick. Treat the sandbag as the enemy, don’t let it get close to you.”
……
Song Yuhang followed his instructions, sweating profusely.
An hour later, she completed the entire set of movements not only efficiently but also with deep insight.
She slumped to the ground, panting heavily. The middle-aged man smiled faintly and handed her a can of cola.
“Not bad.”
Song Yuhang looked up at him, reached out and took the can of cola, pulled open the tab, and drank it in big gulps. After a while, she wiped her lips.
“Thank you, Instructor Zhao.”
From that day on, whenever Song Yuhang came to the boxing gym in the evenings, she would often encounter him.
Sometimes Zhao Junfeng would spar with her, sometimes he would give pointers on her techniques. Her address for him changed from instructor to teacher, and finally to master.
Zhao Junfeng was the person she admired most throughout her student years, her ideal, lighthouse, and guide.
This address as “master” awakened long-dormant memories within him.
(LP: I may have… mistranslated ‘master’ as ‘mentor’ before, if so, I’m sorry áµ” ᵕ áµ”)
He remembered the day she graduated, the two of them agreed to have one last boxing match, from the beginning when she couldn’t beat him, to being evenly matched, and finally to him admitting defeat.
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It took Song Yuhang a whole four years.
Throughout these four years, she had been eagerly anticipating this day. But when she finally knocked him down, Song Yuhang felt a twinge of sadness. It meant she had grown up, while Zhao Junfeng was growing old.
At that time, a few strands of white hair had already appeared at his temples, and he wasn’t as agile as before. After she knocked him to the ground, he couldn’t get up for a while. Song Yuhang reached out and helped him up.
“Master…”
Zhao Junfeng waved his hand repeatedly. “No need, no need, my arthritis is acting up again…”
She helped him sit down at the edge of the platform. Zhao Junfeng pulled out two cans of cola from his bag and handed her one.
“Here, congratulations on graduating.”
Song Yuhang was taken aback, then opened the tab and clinked it with his. Foam spilled out.
“Congratulations on graduating.”
In the end, the young woman felt a bit dissatisfied.
“After four years, you’re just treating me to this?”
Zhao Junfeng laughed heartily and patted her shoulder firmly.
“The police academy has regulations. Students are not allowed to drink alcohol.”
Song Yuhang muttered, “Sounds like as if you can drink once you’re on duty.”
Speaking of work, Zhao Junfeng’s smile faded, his expression becoming somewhat meaningful.
“Starting work marks the beginning of your career.”
Song Yuhang set the soda can aside and stretched her shoulders. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”
Zhao Junfeng smiled faintly, took a sip of cola, then stopped drinking. His doctor had advised him against consuming high-sugar, high-calorie drinks.
“A detective’s career isn’t as easy as you imagine. You’ll encounter danger, experience setbacks, and even…”
He hesitated slightly. “There are many invisible temptations.”
Song Yuhang seemed to understand, then picked up the soda can and took a sip. “Have you experienced all of these things you mentioned?”
Zhao Junfeng fell silent for a while, glanced at his watch.
“It’s getting late. I should go back.”
Song Yuhang stood up to see him off, helping him up from the seat. Zhao Junfeng picked up his backpack and dusted it off.
“No need to accompany me. Aren’t you going to report tomorrow? Go back and rest early.”
For some reason, Zhao Junfeng today gave her a feeling of being unpredictable.