The little star from the Gobi Desert, handed over to the state, is hailed as a national treasure.

Liang Zhe ignored him and asked Ah Zhen, "How are you?"

Ah Zhen gently shook her head.

Hearing Liu Mazi's cry of pain, her eyes shrank slightly in fright. Her gaze passed over Liang Zhe's shoulder, landed on the man rolling on the ground, and then quickly looked away.

"Comrade...," she said, her voice trembling, "please...please stop hitting me..."

"Auntie," before Liang Zhe could reply, Tian Tian had already come up, holding the lunchbox she insisted on giving to Sister Xiao Yu.

"Where is Sister Xiaoyu?"

The little girl hadn't seen Xiaoyu since entering the house, and fearing that she had been bullied by Liu Mazi, she asked her with great concern.

"Xiaoyu?" Hearing Tiantian ask about her daughter, Azhen trembled even more violently. "She, she ran away... I let her run away..."

As she spoke the last few words, she couldn't help but sob and cry, "It's my fault, I could only let her run... run... not here..."

These few words reveal the heartache of a mother who is powerless to support her child.

Liang Zhe felt a pang of pain in his heart.

As a parent himself, he knew what it felt like to be unable to protect his own child. If one day, Tian Tian was bullied, and all he could do was let her run away—

He couldn't think straight.

"You...good child," Ah Zhen looked up at Tian Tian. Her eyes were somewhat blank, as if she were seeing this little girl for the first time. "What...why are you looking for Xiao Yu?"

Sweetie didn't understand any of this. She simply handed the lunchbox in her hand forward and opened the lid.

Half a chicken leg lay quietly inside.

The chicken leg was cold, and the oil had solidified into a layer of white grease, but you could still tell how tempting it had once been.

"Auntie," Tian Tian said, "Tian Tian is giving the older sister a chicken leg to eat."

She glanced back at the door, then turned back: "Sweetie, why don't you go find her? She must be terrified."

Upon hearing the child's innocent and naive purpose, Ah Zhen was slightly taken aback. The next moment, her tears flowed even more fiercely.

"Thank you so much, Auntie thanks you on Xiaoyu's behalf..."

"Son of a bitch!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out from the corner of the wall.

Liu Mazi caught his breath and struggled to sit up. He first bit off the needle still stuck in his palm with his teeth, spat it on the ground, then pointed at Liang Zhe and began to curse:

"Who the hell are you! This is my family business, it's none of your concern, mind your own business!"

Liang Zhe suddenly turned around, glaring at him coldly, "Liu Mazi, you've already forgotten the pain after being released? Looks like you wasted those ten days in solitary confinement."

"Stop pretending to be a good guy!" Liu Mazi yelled. "This bitch tried to kill me! I won't let her get away with this!"

"You're lying!" Tian Tian turned around angrily and shouted at Liu Mazi, "I saw it all! You were the one hitting Auntie! You're a liar, a bad person!"

"You little bastard... what do you know!" Liu Mazi glared fiercely at Ah Zhen. "You bitch, why are you afraid to speak up? You were the one who tried to kill me! What are you pretending to be innocent for?!"

Ah Zhen trembled violently when he yelled at her, and instinctively lowered her head even further. Her weak and helpless appearance suggested that she was truly terrified.

"You still won't admit it?!" Liu Mazi was even more furious when he saw that Ah Zhen was silent, and he tried to get up from the ground by using both his hands and feet.

A sharp shout suddenly came from outside the door—

"That's enough!"

With a loud bang, the wooden door was kicked open, and the huge noise shook the dust off the roof beams.

Feng Dapao stormed in, exuding a menacing aura, followed by Xu Fu, Qin Yan, Zhou Xiaobing, and others who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

In addition, the nearby miners and their families were alarmed and gathered around.

The scene inside was horrific. Ah Zhen was disheveled and covered in blood, while Liu Mazi lay sprawled on the floor, writhing in agony. No further questions were needed; the truth was crystal clear.

"Liu Mazi! You're a leopard that can't change its spots!" Feng Dapao roared. "You just finished solitary confinement, and you still dare to go home and beat and scold your wife and kids. You haven't learned a thing or two about the rules of the mining area; you're utterly lawless!"

When Liu Mazi saw Feng Dapao arrive, he panicked, but still managed to argue, "Secretary Feng, this isn't my fault, it's that bitch Azhen's fault..."

"You dare spout such nonsense!"

Feng Dapao was so angry that he blew his beard and glared at Liu Mazi, directly interrupting Liu Mazi's sophistry.

He turned and yelled at the guards behind him, "What are you all standing there for? Drag this incorrigible bastard back to the dark room and lock him up for ten days! He'll be released when he realizes his mistake!"

"If you dare to commit domestic violence again, you'll be kicked out of the mining area and never hired again!"

Upon hearing this, the security guard immediately stepped forward and lifted Liu Mazi, who was still cursing, up like a sack of potatoes.

Ah Zhen's eyes flickered, as if she wanted to plead for mercy, but Qin Yan reacted quickly, stepping forward to help her to the side.

"Ah Zhen, are you out of your mind!" Qin Yan whispered, "Is this kind of heartless wretch worth protecting?"

"Sister Qin, I..." Ah Zhen had barely uttered a word when she was drowned out by Liu Mazi's unwilling curses.

"Secretary, it's really not my fault! She tried to kill me! Secretary..."

Feng Dapao waved his hand impatiently, and the security guards dragged Liu Mazi, who looked like a pig being slaughtered, out of the room.

The wooden door slammed shut, shutting out the annoying noise.

Only then did Ah Zhen's tears, which she had been holding back, burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam.

The onlookers were all sighing with emotion. Some came up to comfort her, some brought brooms to clean up the mess on the ground, and several kind-hearted women handed Ah Zhen clean towels to wipe her face.

Sweetie broke free from Liang Zhe's hand and ran to the place where the fierce battle had just taken place, picking up a pair of scissors that had fallen beside the brazier.

The scissors had sharp, gleaming blades. She tiptoed and obediently placed the scissors on the table.

"Auntie, you dropped something. Let me pick it up for you."

Ah Zhen's shoulders tensed slightly. She didn't speak, still turning her back and sadly shedding tears.

Sweetie put the aluminum lunchbox on the table again. The chicken leg that was hot before had cooled down, but it should still be edible if it was heated up.

"Auntie, when Sister Xiaoyu comes back, give her the chicken leg, okay?" Tiantian thought for a moment, then awkwardly tried to comfort her, mimicking an adult. "Auntie, don't cry. Grandpa Feng chased the bad guys away. We're not afraid anymore."

That tender little voice was like a clear spring, soothing Ah Zhen's sad tears. She nodded and whispered, "Good child, thank you."

Seeing that Ah Zhen's emotions would not calm down anytime soon, and knowing that it would be inconvenient for him as a male leader, Feng Dapao instructed Qin Yan and several women's federation comrades to stay and take care of Ah Zhen, and to send people out to look for the missing Xiao Yu.

Qin Yan nodded in agreement.

Feng Dapao waved to the crowd, "Everyone, disperse, stop crowding around. From now on, as your coworkers, please help Ah Zhen out more."

"Understood, Secretary Feng," everyone replied.

Liang Zhe pulled Tian Tian along with the crowd and walked out. After a few steps, Tian Tian suddenly stopped, looked back at the pair of scissors on the table, and her big eyes darted around.

"Dad," she tugged at Liang Zhe's sleeve and whispered, "Should we help Auntie hide the scissors?"

"Huh? Why are you hiding it?" Liang Zhe asked, somewhat surprised.

"It's just..." Sweetie lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, looking serious as she thought about it, "Sweetie is afraid of Auntie, she'll prick people with scissors."

Liang Zhe turned to the side and saw Ah Zhen leaning weakly on Qin Yan's shoulder, surrounded by female comrades who were trying to comfort her. Her disheveled injuries made her look pitiful.

"Don't worry, Auntie won't prick anyone with the scissors," Liang Zhe told her daughter. "She also needs to use scissors for sewing."

"Oh, okay then." Sweetie nodded, acknowledging this statement.

But after walking a few steps, she asked again, "Why isn't Sister Xiaoyu going home? Don't you know the bad guys were chased away?"

"Grandpa Feng has already sent people to look for her, and I believe he will bring her back soon."

Liang Zhe picked up Tian Tian's small body and let her rest on his shoulder.

"Let's go back. You can come see Xiaoyu again when she's alright."

"Okay," Sweetie obediently agreed.