Chapter 136: Attention, Residents of Lane 9

Chapter 136: Attention, Residents of Lane 9

After Auntie Zhong left, Fu Zhengtu frowned deeply, his brow furrowed as he watched their retreating figures.

As they ascended the stone steps, Fu Zhengtu's frown deepened even more.

He turned to Su Taotao and asked, "Is Wu Lihua Cheng Jianguo's wife?"

Su Taotao shook her head and said, "I haven't figured out who is married to whom. I only found out from Auntie Zhong. Anyway, she's the wife of one of the three male residents who came to our house to apologize that day."

Fu Zhengtu said, "The canteen staff, plus the crowd that just rushed over to watch the commotion—if they all gather on the same stone staircase, it could lead to trouble."

Su Taotao felt a pang of worry, suddenly reminded of the stampede incidents of the 21st century. The stone staircase was narrow, only about a meter or so. A few adults walking side by side was already difficult, and if dozens of people crowded together, any pushing or shoving could easily cause someone to fall and take others down with them.

After all, it was a stone staircase. Even a slight bump could hurt, and if someone fell or collided, it would be disastrous...

The couple exchanged a knowing glance, confirming their shared concern.

The child was counting the steps. Fu Zhengtu held his small, chubby hand tightly as the child finished counting the twenty-eighth step. Fu Zhengtu led him into the house and said to Su Taotao, "I'll call the security team to send people and disperse the crowd."

Su Taotao nodded, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Be careful yourself."

Fu Zhengtu nodded, patted Chenchen's head, and said, "I know."

Chenchen watched his father's retreating figure and asked, "Mama, what is Baba doing?"

Su Taotao replied, "He's helping out."

Su Taotao then said to Fu Yuanhang, "Yuanhang, if you ever see a big crowd gathering to watch something, don't squeeze in, especially when you're with Chenchen. You're small, and if people start pushing, adults might not notice you. Whether you fall or someone else falls, it's easy to get trampled.

Getting stepped on by one person might not be a big deal, but if a whole crowd steps on you or you get crushed under a mass of people, it could be very dangerous. So, it's best not to join such crowds."

Chenchen nodded his little head solemnly, "Hmm, won't go." His expression was so serious, as if he truly understood.

Su Taotao patted his little head.

Fu Yuanhang, however, genuinely understood. He nodded and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. I don't like being in crowds. I won't go."

Fu Yuanhang, like Fu Zhengtu, wasn't the type to join crowds. Su Taotao was just using the situation as a reminder.

"But sometimes, like during necessary lines, group activities, or fire drills, you might find yourself in a crowd. Although the food factory only has a few dozen people now, the number will grow in the future. I should take some time to create educational materials. You can help by drawing illustrations as part of your work-study program, which will help you remember better."

Su Taotao didn't plan to use "child labor" for free; she would compensate appropriately.

When Fu Yuanhang heard about the work-study opportunity, his eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly, "Hmm, sister-in-law, I'll definitely draw well."

Su Taotao ruffled his hair and fell silent, lost in thought. She regretted not stopping Auntie Zhong earlier. The family area was small, and news would spread quickly. There was no need to rush into the crowd.

Entertainment was scarce these days, and people loved to join any commotion. In the village, it was a common habit, but the village was spacious and mostly flat, so the risks were minimal. She hadn't thought much about it earlier.

The houses on the island were built to adapt to the terrain, with staircases dividing the lanes. Su Taotao's house was the first stone staircase along the coastal road after entering the island, known as Lane 1. Wu Lihua's house was much further in, in Lane 9.

By the time Auntie Zhong and Mo Jiazhe arrived, a crowd had already gathered in front of Wu Lihua's stone staircase. Some were there to watch the commotion, while others were there to settle scores after being misled by Wu Lihua and Yang Liuyue. In short, it was a chaotic crowd.

Auntie Zhong tried to push to the front, but Mo Jiazhe stopped her, "Mother, don't go. The front is a stone staircase. Even walking normally requires caution. With so many people now, if someone gets pushed and falls, it could be disastrous."

Mo Jiazhe, who worked with steel furnaces, had a strong sense of safety. He instinctively felt something was wrong with the situation.

Auntie Zhong, on the other hand, was a seasoned gossip enthusiast. Wherever there was gossip, she would be there. This "small scene" didn't faze her at all.

Auntie Zhong patted Mo Jiazhe's hand, signaling him to let go: "What's the big deal? They're not gonna hit me."

Mo Jiazhe still didn't let go: "What if things get out of control and they start swinging at anyone nearby? Who can guarantee they won't hit you?"

Auntie Zhong's eyes lit up at this: "Oh, a brawl? That's something you don't see every day! I gotta check this out. Let go, don't hold me back."

Mo Jiazhe was at a loss for words and could only resort to the all-powerful Director Su: "You're now Director Su's Auntie Zhong, you represent her dignity. If you push in to watch the commotion, isn't that like Director Su pushing in to watch?

Think about it, someone as dignified as Director Su, like a fairy descending to earth, pushing in to watch a brawl—what kind of image would that be? Didn't you see Director Su's hesitation when she heard you wanted to go watch?"

Turns out, the seemingly honest Jiji is also pretty good at convincing Auntie Zhong.

Hearing this and remembering Su Taotao's expression, Auntie Zhong thought it made sense.

She turned to leave, but then someone shouted from behind, "Wow, they're really going at it!"

"They're really going at it! Let's go check it out!"

"Ah, there's a huge crowd ahead, we can't push through..."

"Yeah, can the folks up front hurry it up?"

...

Auntie Zhong's curiosity was killing her, itching to push through the crowd and get to the heart of the action for the latest scoop.

But this time, she gritted her teeth, firmly pulling Mo Jiazhe's hand to turn around: "We're not going up. Let's just head to the main road and take a look from a distance."

Mo Jiazhe chuckled to himself; Director Su's name really did the trick with Auntie Zhong.

Just then, a squad of security guards in protective gear showed up.

The sight left Auntie Zhong and Mo Jiazhe completely stunned.

What's going on? It's just a spat and a scuffle. How did it blow up into such a big deal?

The security team leader barked through a loudspeaker to keep order:

"Attention, everyone in Lane 9!

Attention, everyone in Lane 9!

Please disperse immediately, do not crowd the stairs!

Please disperse immediately, do not crowd the stairs!"

No matter the era, people in uniform command respect and prompt quick compliance.

The loudspeaker blared on: "Those below, head to the main road. Those above, don't push or shove, come down slowly."

"Attention, everyone at Comrade Cheng Jianguo's place! Your actions have broken the family area's rules. Stop any abusive or violent behavior now, or you'll be kicked out of the family area!"

...