Chapter 445: 445 friends
"Alright, shall we also head home, the three little ones?"
"Sure, I want to play with them."
Her son rarely made requests. So Han CuiZhen nodded without hesitation.
"Let's go catch up with the kids."
The mother and her child ran outside, only to see the group of four walking slowly under the shade of a tree.
Zhuang Yuanxi caught up and walked beside Qi Yan without saying a word, just following along silently.
Su Yuanyuan couldn't help but think about this mother and son; they were quite reclusive indeed.
"Comrade, can my child play with yours?"
"Sure, but we can't play for too long, the kids need their nap." Well-rested kids are smart kids.
"Same here. How about we play for half an hour?" The latter was directed at Zhuang Yuanxi.
The little child nodded and looked eagerly at Qi Yan and the other two.
Neither of the two women were talkative, so they just watched as the four kids crouched down to tease ants with grass.
Su Yuanyuan couldn't understand the children's fun. But she was willing to accompany them.
Time was up. The two called their children to go home.
Tan Shaoting already knew his wife took the kids to the canteen for meals. She had mentioned it yesterday. The kids needed to get used to outside people and environments, so their meals outside would increase.
He thought he would join them for lunch tomorrow, spending time with his wife and kids.
The afternoon interrogation continued, and Tan Shaoting didn't utter a word. Just by sitting there, Lu Shaoqun obediently confessed everything.
More than ten cadres were implicated. After two hours, Tan Shaoting drove directly to take Lu Shaoqun's confession to the senior leader.
It was already an hour and a half later when he arrived.
Initially expecting to finish by the next day, he didn't expect Lu Shaoqun to be so cooperative. So he had to come immediately.
Looking at the names of more than a dozen cadres, the senior leader ordered strict actions against them all, with orders to bring them to the Capital.
"Xiao Tan, this task is yours."
"Leader. I will send my subordinates to make the arrests. I'll handle the interrogation."
"Manage it as you see fit. I want to see who and why they disregard public welfare."
"Understood. The three from the Capital will be arrested by midnight today. I'll return to make arrangements now."
After returning, Tan Shaoting dispatched six people in three vehicles.
Beyond that, he didn't worry about a thing. He hurried home, knowing meal time was already over.
As expected, the kids were already having their milk, and he didn't dare to disturb them, fearing they'd become hyper.
After taking a bath and finishing dinner, he quietly entered the room, seeing the three kids sleeping peacefully in their light vests and shorts, like little pigs.
Seeing him come in, Su Yuanyuan motioned for him to get on the bed with the kids. She went to take a bath herself. Although it was already September, the temperature was still quite high.
Tan Shaoting didn't listen this time. Instead, he carried his wife to another room. "Wife, let's wait a bit and shower together."
After horsing around for over an hour, she refused the idea of showering together with him.
Tan Shaoting was still a bit distracted. His wife's figure had improved a lot. Although he didn't know about others, compared to when they just got married, her physique felt much better.
The next day at the morning meeting, he learned the three from the Capital were already apprehended. Immediately, five people were dispatched to drive the truck for the arrests.
There was no rush for interrogation matters, as it would exert some pressure on them.
Of the six people he instructed last night, five had already left.
Some people were aware enough, although Tan Shaoting wouldn't let it go easily. But with so many involved, some appearances needed to be maintained.
But isn't there a future? Putting his wife and kids in danger was a huge enmity after all.
"Before noon today, the rest must leave.
Haven't you noticed that the air seems fresher after they leave?"
No one expected Tan Shaoting to say that; he rarely ever talked about off-topic stuff. But this topic was tricky; should they respond or not?
Hence, there was a momentary silence in the meeting room.
Work continued busily after returning. Tan Shaoting managed it all orderly.
He had already planned to have lunch with his wife this morning.
So, when the time came, he went to the canteen with his lunchbox.
The canteen was usually quite peaceful. His arrival made it even more so.
Su Yuanyuan sighed. It might be better if he didn't come tomorrow.
The family of five lined up, and those in front felt quite pressured, making the line the fastest to get served.
The three kids got to choose their own meals yesterday and were looking forward to doing the same today.
How could Su Yuanyuan let them down?
Today's menu had some changes, but the two brothers still asked for different dishes.
However, Qi Wen still opted for meat. She truly had a fondness for it.
Su Yuanyuan felt a bit helpless. She hadn't deprived her, had she? This was simply being a natural-born meat lover.
Tan Shaoting thought his wife was worrying unnecessarily. If the young woman loved eating meat, just let her be, what's wrong with that?
His and his daughter's tastes were almost identical. The father-daughter duo simply loved meat.
Today, Zhuang Yuanxi and her son were still waiting for them, but noticing the dad was here today as well.
Su Yuanyuan also saw them. She led the three kids over to sit at the same table and instructed them to wait patiently. Only then did she join Tan Shaoting to fetch their meals.
Tan Shaoting disliked dining with strangers, especially women. But since his wife had chosen the spot, he didn't say a word.
Han CuiZhen was also a bit uncomfortable, but her son's excitement was evident.
The four children raced each other to eat. Seeing her son manage to finish one bowl, she felt happy inside.
Su Yuanyuan felt quite satisfied with her. Tan Shaoting was good-looking, but the woman across didn't glance at him much. This indicated good character.
Tan Shaoting quietly ate but took care of the kids, letting his wife enjoy her meal.
After eating, he cleaned the dishes for the mother and children before leaving.
The four children walked home together, having already planned to catch grasshoppers after their nap.
The two women followed silently behind the kids.
But their plans were inevitably dashed. By one in the afternoon, thunderstorms had begun.
Because of the rain, it wasn't as hot. Su Yuanyuan fell asleep with the three kids next to her, and it was quite a comfortable rest.
Su Yuanyuan and Tan Shaoting weren't aware that many people were talking about their family now.
Today at the canteen, it was apparent from Tan Shaoting's actions that the leader valued his wife and kids.
Everyone found it quite refreshing, a young guy achieving such accomplishments, surely through immense effort. One would assume his temper wasn't the best, but seeing his patience and meticulous care for his wife and kids, he really wasn't what they'd imagined.