Eating Melons in the Police Station

Since the last brawl with Wogua, Zhong Jin has become much more confident in Aunt Liang's ability to take care of the child. Aunt Liang has proven herself capable, raising the child well—she's always smiling happily, full of energy, and noticeably putting on some weight.

Zhong Jin even had a special discussion with Aunt Liang about controlling the child's diet, as Zhong Yuntong couldn't afford to gain any more weight.

In late August, weather forecasts predicted that a hurricane with winds exceeding 11 levels would make landfall in Haishan. The orange typhoon warning signal had been issued for two consecutive days, urging residents to prepare in advance.

When Zhong Jin returned home from work, he brought back several rolls of duct tape and carefully applied "X" patterns to all the large and small glass windows in the house.

Aunt Liang brought dinner to the dining table, looking somewhat anxious. "Mr. Zhong, do you think the wind will really shatter the glass? I've lived in Haishan for over a decade and never encountered a serious typhoon. I can't help but feel nervous."

"No one can say for sure before the typhoon arrives," Zhong Jin replied, noticing Little Tong eagerly looking on. He tossed a roll of tape to her, letting her play with it in the corner.

After the typhoon warning was issued, the Haishan municipal bureau notified the station about standby duty for all police officers. Zhong Jin knew he wouldn't be able to return home during the typhoon. He discussed with Aunt Liang, arranging for her to stay with Little Tong at home, with instructions to call him in case of any issues. If the typhoon disrupted communication signals, Aunt Liang was to take Little Tong directly to the police station.

Despite these plans, Zhong Jin still felt uneasy. That day, after work, he even detoured to buy warning tape, which he applied in "X" patterns to all the glass windows at home. Regarding the effectiveness of the "X" method, opinions online were divided—some said it worked, others claimed it didn't. Seeing that the meteorological bureau had also applied the tape, Zhong Jin decided to follow suit.

After securing the windows, he brought out several blankets, preparing to set up a makeshift bed in a corner of the corridor away from the windows.

Aunt Liang was putting on her coat by the entrance, ready to head home. "I'll go back to check on things at my place and make sure the windows are secure. I'll be back early tomorrow," she told Zhong Jin.

"Alright," Zhong Jin nodded in agreement.

Even Little Tong seemed to sense the tension before the typhoon. While eating, she curiously asked her father, "What's a typhoon?"

Zhong Jin pointed to the floor-to-ceiling windows. "It's when strong winds outside will shake the windows."

Little Tong immediately grew anxious, raising a plump finger. "Will a typhoon boy break in?"

"If the windows break, yes," Zhong Jin replied.

"Oh no, save me!" Little Tong clapped her hands on her forehead. "What if he hits me?"

Zhong Jin chuckled, pinching her cheek. "Even you have something to be afraid of, huh?"

After dinner, Zhong Jin gave Little Tong a serious lecture on typhoon safety. He placed her in the corridor's makeshift bed, surrounding it with stuffed toys to create a protective barrier, resembling a large doghouse.

"During ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‍the typhoon, you'll stay here with Aunt Liang. No matter what happens outside, you must not leave this area or go near the windows. That way, you'll stay safe, okay?"

Little Tong nodded vaguely, "Okay, okay."

Remembering previous incidents like the bean sprouts and water gun, Zhong Jin feared she might repeat her antics. He reiterated sternly, "This time, Daddy isn't joking. You absolutely must not go near the windows. Can you promise me?"

"Yes," the child saw the seriousness in her father's eyes and nodded earnestly.

Zhong Jin then brought over a box of water and large bottles of milk to the corridor, along with some instant foods like bread and biscuits. Emergency supplies, such as a first-aid kit, flashlight, and mini fan, were also prepared. Despite all the preparations, Zhong Jin still felt uneasy.

What if Little Tong got bored and started wandering around? What if Aunt Liang couldn't keep an eye on her?@@novelbin@@

Since the family's tablet had been taken to the station as a monitoring device, Zhong Jin decided to take Little Tong out to buy a new one.

The supermarket in the mall's basement was packed with anxious shoppers stocking up on instant food and bottled water. Fortunately, Aunt Liang had already stocked up on food and water at home, so they didn't need to join the frenzy.

Zhong Jin recalled the last typhoon he encountered when he first arrived in Haishan. The day before the typhoon, the supermarket was similarly crowded, with people fighting over food. That typhoon warning had been even more severe than this one, but Zhong Jin hadn't felt particularly anxious then. He simply secured the house and went to the station.

However, that typhoon ultimately missed Haishan, causing no significant damage, and life quickly returned to normal.

This year, with Little Tong at home, Zhong Jin found himself as anxious as the other shoppers, preparing as much as possible. The more he prepared, the less worried he felt.

After purchasing the tablet, Zhong Jin also bought ten large-capacity power banks, in case the typhoon caused power outages and the batteries could serve as temporary backups.

As they exited the mall, Zhong Jin and Little Tong were stunned by the breathtaking sight before them. They were standing in a plaza, with a glimpse of the sea to the west, where the sun was setting in a magnificent display.

The sunset in Haishan was always beautiful, but Zhong Jin had never seen it like this. The horizon seemed to stretch with a giant, multi-colored phoenix, its feathers of pink and purple light cascading through the clouds, painting the sky and sea in shimmering gemstones. The glass facades of nearby skyscrapers were tinted in various shades of pink, turning the world into a giant oil painting.

Last year, during a typhoon, Mao Feixue had told Zhong Jin that the more beautiful the sky, the stronger the typhoon. Back then, he hadn't given it much thought, but now, the sight made his heart race with unease.

He tightened his grip on Little Tong.

Pointing to the sky, she said, "Strawberry-flavored sky."

Then, turning to Zhong Jin, she added, "I want to eat strawberry ice cream."

Zhong Jin realized she had a knack for connecting things. Pink reminded her of strawberries, yellow of mangoes, clouds of cotton candy, and even dog poop of chocolate balls. Whenever she made a connection, she immediately wanted to eat it.

Once, in the community, she saw an old man walking a light brown Teddy bear dog, its fur curly. The old man, thinking she liked the dog, asked if she wanted to pet it.

Little Tong instead tugged on Zhong Jin's hand, "I want fried chicken."

Upon closer inspection, Zhong Jin noticed the dog's resemblance to a crispy fried chicken, which made him appreciate her abstract thinking even more.

At that moment, Zhong Jin believed his daughter would grow up to be quite a talented writer.

The next morning, Aunt Liang arrived early as promised, preparing breakfast. After eating, Zhong Jin put on his jacket and headed to the station.

Before leaving, he reiterated, "Make sure all the doors and windows are securely closed. There's ten thousand yuan on the coffee table, in case your phone doesn't work, it's for emergencies."

Aunt Liang assured him, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of Little Tong."

"Good."

As he glanced into the room, Little Tong was engrossed in an animation, lying on her side and clutching a tablet, wrapped in her stuffed rabbit. Her eyes were so glued to the screen she seemed about to sink into it.

"Don't restrict her screen time today," Zhong Jin instructed. "Just make sure she stays in the safe area by the corridor."

With a lingering look of concern, Zhong Jin closed the door behind him.

Aunt Liang turned back, neatly placing the dishes into the kitchen, deciding to hand-wash them instead of using the dishwasher, in case the typhoon caused a power outage during its operation. She dried them and arranged them neatly on the rack.

Aunt Liang filled all the large containers at home with water to prepare for the possibility of water outages due to the typhoon. She then rummaged through the cabinets and found some old clothes that Little Tong had outgrown. With these, she stuffed every crack in the windows to prevent drafts.

Standing in the middle of the living room, she surveyed her work and felt satisfied. It should be enough, she thought. She went back to the hallway and sat down beside Little Tong.

Seeing Little Tong laughing gleefully while holding a tablet, Aunt Liang began to feel anxious. Zhong Jin had entrusted Little Tong to her care, and it was as if he had placed his own eyeballs in her hands. She couldn’t allow even the slightest mishap for Little Tong.

With a determined grimace, Aunt Liang used all her strength to push the large, heavy sofa in the living room in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, blocking most of the glass.

*

Earlier at the police station, just after Zhong Jin had arrived, Little Wang knocked on his office door. "Chief Zhong, we’ve received a report of a group gathering to use drugs."

"Where?"

"At the old power company housing complex in Jiuxiya."

Zhong Jin immediately stood up. "Keep the female officers at the station. Little Wang, Hu De, and I will go there."

Upon hearing the news, Hu De cursed loudly as he rushed out. "Let the typhoon sweep these bastards away. Who the hell chooses this moment to indulge in drugs?" He jumped into the car, slapped the driver’s seat, and said, "Little Wang, drive. Just make sure we don’t get caught in the typhoon on the way."

Jiuxiya wasn’t far from the police station, but the usual route was prone to traffic jams. Perhaps due to the typhoon, the roads were deserted. They arrived at Jiuxiya in just over half an hour.

Thankfully, Hu De’s usual bad luck didn’t strike, and they encountered no typhoon on their journey.

The car parked downstairs at the unit, and the three uniformed officers quickly got out, dashing into the dimly lit hallway of the old building.

At some point, the air outside seemed to have frozen. Leaves remained still, no cars or pedestrians could be seen, and the entire world felt like it had entered a silent, motionless state.

This unusual weather even caught Little Tong’s attention.

She set down her tablet, hugged Aunt Liang’s arm, and pressed her face against it, murmuring, "It’s so quiet."

Aunt Liang gently patted her back to comfort her. "Don’t be scared, dear. Auntie is here." Eventually, she turned around and hugged Little Tong tightly, trying to distract her by talking.

"Little Tong, do you love to put on makeup?" Aunt Liang deliberately chose a topic she knew would engage the child.

The little girl nodded enthusiastically. "Yes."

"Is it because you feel prettier after putting on makeup?"

Little Tong clasped her small hands together and frowned in serious thought. "No… because when I put on makeup, Daddy smiles happily."

She turned to hug Aunt Liang’s face. "My daddy works too hard. I just want him to be happy."

Aunt Liang lovingly stroked her smooth hair, thinking to herself, You might know how hard your father works, but when you spend his hard-earned money, you sure don’t hold back.

Suddenly, the phone on the floor rang loudly, jolting them as it pierced through the eerie silence.

Aunt Liang’s heart skipped a beat, filled with a sense of impending trouble.

It was a video call from Aunt Liang’s husband. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried a few times before finally answering the call.

As soon as the call connected, frantic voices came through. "Liang Qiao, something terrible has happened. You must come back right away. Your mother… she doesn’t seem well."