thefictionvixens Chapter 96 Taking Photos
Chapter 96 Taking Photos
Qin Rushan parked the car and, without saying a word, pulled Li Xianglian inside.
The photo studio was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the sour smell of fixative.
Behind the counter, a bald old man was holding a negative up to the light with tweezers, not even lifting his eyelids: "We're out of film. We'll have to come early tomorrow."
"I'm not buying film, I just want to take pictures."
Qin Rushan slammed an unopened package of Daqianmen cigarettes onto the counter, making quite a noise that made the old man's tweezers tremble.
The old man pushed up his thick glasses, which were as thick as the bottom of a wine bottle. He was about to get angry, but then he had to take a good look at the pack of cigarettes and Qin Rushan's intimidating physique. He swallowed the curse that was on the tip of his tongue and put on a lazy tone: "What do you want? Five cents for one, one dollar for two."
"Two photos. One small one to stick on the certificate, and one larger one, the kind that can be hung in the center of the main room."
Qin Rushan didn't stand on ceremony. He pulled over the long bench with the red velvet cover and patted off the dust on it with a loud thud.
The old man put the cigarette in his pocket and slowly fiddled with the bulky Seagull camera: "Sit there and don't move. These young people nowadays, what... what's that word again? Right, extravagant."
Li Xianglian was somewhat flustered. She had rarely even looked in a mirror in her life, let alone taken a photograph.
She sat on the stool, twisting the hem of her clothes with both hands, her body stiff and rigid, as if she were on trial.
How much will this cost? One yuan can buy quite a few eggs in the production team.
"Why are you wearing that long face? Who owes you money?"
Qin Rushan plopped down next to her, spread his legs wide, and pinched her stiff shoulder. "Smile."
Li Xianglian forced a smile, but it looked worse than crying.
The old man crawled into the black cloth and shouted in a muffled voice, "Men, move to the middle! Women, don't shrink back, what are you doing standing so far away? Is the middle reserved for a tractor to pass through?"
Qin Rushan frowned, annoyed by the old man's excessive talking. He stretched out his long arm, put his arm around Li Xianglian's shoulder, and pulled her into his embrace.
Caught off guard, Li Xianglian found herself half-pressed against his chest, her nose brushing against his chin, the rough stubble tickling her.
"I paid to take pictures, not to listen to your lecture. Hurry up and take the picture!"
Qin Rushan roared, but when he looked down at the person in his arms, his voice softened, "Don't be afraid, lean on me."
Li Xianglian's heart skipped a beat, and most of her tension dissipated.
She nestled obediently in his arms, a blush unconsciously rising on her face, and the corners of her mouth naturally turned up.
"Snap!"
A blinding flash of a camera lens captured that moment on the black and white film.
The man had strong features and a roguish air about him, but his eyes, when he looked at the woman in his arms, held a tenderness that had not yet melted away; the woman was gentle and pretty, with curved eyebrows and eyes, like a little white flower.
After leaving the photo studio, Qin Rushan was in a great mood and even hummed a tuneless little tune.
He rode his bicycle, taking Li Xianglian straight to the state-run restaurant in town.
It was lunchtime, and the restaurant was bustling with noise. The smell of cooking oil and the aroma of food mingled together, making everyone's mouths water.
Qin Rushan locked the car and pulled Li Xianglian to a window seat.
"Comrade! A plate of braised pork belly, the fatty kind! And some stir-fried pork intestines, five big white steamed buns, and a bowl of egg drop soup!"
He never looks at the menu when ordering food; he just orders whatever comes to mind, and they're all hearty, oily dishes.
The waitress, a chubby girl with two braids, nearly rolled her eyes to the sky upon hearing this: "It's already past one o'clock, and the braised pork is long gone! We only have stew and steamed buns left!"
Qin Rushan frowned, about to lash out, when Li Xianglian quickly grabbed his sleeve and whispered, "The communal dishes are fine too, let's eat less and not waste money."
Looking at the small hand pressing on his arm, Qin Rushan's anger inexplicably subsided by half.
He snorted coldly, pulled a ten-yuan note from his pocket, and slammed it on the table: "Then give me two large pots of stew, and add plenty of meat slices! If you're short even one slice, I'll tear down your stove!"
The chubby waiter was startled by the pat, muttered a few words, and turned to go to the kitchen to report the order.
Soon after, two large bowls of steaming hot stew were served.
Although it wasn't as satisfying as braised pork belly, state-run restaurants back then used high-quality ingredients. Large slices of pork belly, along with vermicelli, cabbage, and tofu, were stewed until tender and flavorful, with an irresistible aroma.
Qin Rushan picked out all the meat slices from his own bowl and piled them into Li Xianglian's bowl, making it look like a small mountain.
"Eat. From now on, every part of you belongs to me. If you lose even a single ounce of flesh, I will hold you responsible."
Li Xianglian looked at the bowl of meat that was about to overflow, and her throat tightened.
During her three years at the Zhao family's house, every time there was a bit of oil or grease, Zhao Gang and his mother would snatch it all away, leaving her with only cornbread dipped in vegetable soup. When had anyone ever put such good food in her bowl like this before?
She picked up a slice of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat and put it in her mouth. The fat melted on her tongue, so fragrant that she wanted to swallow her tongue, but tears involuntarily fell into the bowl.
"Why are you crying? Is the meat too hot to eat?"
Qin Rushan frowned and roughly wiped away the tears on her face. "Eat quickly, it'll taste fishy if it gets cold."
Li Xianglian sniffed, nodded vigorously, and shoveled the rice into her mouth. It was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten in her life.
While eating, Qin Rushan glanced out the window.
At the street corner, a dark green Jeep was parked silently, with the window half-rolled down, revealing half a hand holding a cigarette.
Qin Rushan stuffed the last bite of steamed bun into his mouth, chewed it twice, swallowed it, and stood up.
"Take your time eating, don't rush. I'm going to buy a pack of cigarettes, I'll be right back."
He ruffled Li Xianglian's hair and casually tossed the remaining half-box of Daqianmen cigarettes onto the table.
Li Xianglian nodded with her mouth full of meat and her cheeks puffed out.
"Okay, then hurry up."
Qin Rushan got up and strode out of the restaurant.
But instead of buying cigarettes, he turned into a quiet alley behind the restaurant.
There, a dark green Jeep was already parked.
A middle-aged man in plain clothes was leaning against the car door, a cigarette between his fingers, puffing out smoke.
Upon seeing Qin Rushan approach, the man straightened up, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
This man was none other than Wei Donghai, the criminal investigation team leader from the Public Security Bureau who went to the village yesterday to arrest Zhang Xiangui.
"You're here?"
Wei Donghai handed him a cigarette.
Qin Rushan took it, but didn't mark it. He just held it in his hand, playing with it, his eyes fixed on Wei Donghai. He went straight to the point: "How is it?"
Wei Donghai exhaled a smoke ring and flicked his cigarette ash: "The evidence is conclusive. That bastard is not only a heartless butcher, but he's also shady. We dug up a lot of things in the basement of his pig slaughterhouse. There were a few missing persons cases before, and I reckon they were all related to him."
At this point, a ruthless glint flashed across Wei Donghai's resolute face: "This time, he won't be able to get out for at least twenty years. He might even get shot."