I painted an aircraft carrier on the courtyard house for Dongda University.

The next day, Zhou Weiguo sat on a train bound for Baoding. No one knew of his trip except He Yuzhu. Even the train ticket was purchased with his military officer's ID. Leaning back in his seat, he watched the scenery rushing past the window, a thousand thoughts churning in his mind. His purpose in going to Baoding was twofold: first, to find out why He Daqing had abandoned his children and run off with a widow; and second, to investigate whether Yi Zhonghai had embezzled the money He Daqing had sent back.

The train journey was smooth. Upon arriving in Baoding, Zhou Weiguo walked out of the station with his small satchel. He took out a specially supplied cigarette, about to light it, only to realize he hadn't brought a lighter, which annoyed him. Just then, a box of matches was handed to him, followed by a weathered voice: "Comrade, need a light?"

Zhou Weiguo turned his head and saw an old man. The old man was wearing a faded coarse blue shirt, holding a box of matches in his hand, and smiling at him. The old man's face was covered with wrinkles, but his eyes were shrewd, and he was scrutinizing the special-supply cigarettes in Zhou Weiguo's hand.

The moment Zhou Weiguo saw the old man's face clearly, he was stunned. What a coincidence! The man in front of him was none other than He Daqing! Although many years had passed and He Daqing had aged considerably, his distinctive triangular eyes, flat nose, and the mouthful of yellow teeth revealed when he smiled made it impossible to mistake him!

Suppressing his shock, Zhou Weiguo stared intently at He Daqing, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "He Daqing, this is truly a case of finding something you've been searching for without even looking for it!"

He Daqing was puzzled when the other person called him by his name, and he was still trying to remember who the person in front of him was.

Without saying a word, Zhou Weiguo slung his backpack over his shoulder, raised his fist the size of a sandbag, and punched He Daqing.

He Daqing was beaten so badly that he covered his head and ran away, screaming repeatedly, "What are you doing! What did I do to you!"

Zhou Weiguo beat and cursed, "You beast! You tricked my sister back then, causing her to lose her life at a young age. Now you've abandoned your family and left the children in Beijing, letting them be schemed against by a bunch of beasts! Zhuzi and Yushui starved to death those years, while you're here enjoying yourself. How can you face my deceased sister?! Today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of the children!"

Passersby stopped to watch, pointing and whispering. Several well-meaning people tried to intervene, but were intimidated by Zhou Weiguo's fierce gaze and could only stand by anxiously.

Suddenly, He Daqing seemed to realize something. He stared at Zhou Weiguo in shock, ignoring the punches and kicks he was still receiving, his eyes fixed on Zhou's face. After a long while, He Daqing's eyes suddenly reddened, and he reached out and hugged Zhou Weiguo tightly: "Weiguo? You're Weiguo? Weiguo! It's so good, you're still alive! This is so good! I thought you were all gone!"

This sudden action froze Zhou Weiguo in place, his fist hovering in mid-air, unable to strike. He looked at the pointing and whispering passersby, his face full of embarrassment.

He Daqing, tears streaming down his face, clung tightly to Zhou Weiguo's leg, sobbing, "I was forced into this situation back then! That widow Bai was too ruthless, her schemes were all interconnected. If I didn't go with her, she would sue me! I'd be fine if I went in, but that would implicate Zhuzi and Yushui! I sent all my savings to Yi Zhonghai so he could take care of the children, I really had no other choice!"

"Let go! I told you to let go first! You're not ashamed, but I can't stand it. Let go!" Zhou Weiguo said, pulling his leg out.

He Daqing didn't mind. He stood up, wiped the dust and tears from his face, and looked at Zhou Weiguo with pleading eyes, his voice full of pleas: "Weiguo, let me explain. I've been living a miserable life in Baoding all these years. I've been thinking about Zhuzi and Yushui every day."

Zhou Weiguo looked incredulous, but He Daqing dragged them to a secluded spot.

Then, He Daqing began to recount his experiences over the years. Years ago, Master Bai from the workshop introduced him to a blind date. He had a meal with Widow Bai in private, but he fainted before they finished eating. When he woke up, he found the two of them lying naked in bed.

Immediately afterwards, Master Bai and several apprentices blocked his bedside and forced him to write a confession. They threatened to call the police and arrest him if he did not cooperate, and even threatened to expose the matter to the factory and ruin his reputation.

To protect his reputation and avoid implicating his young sons He Yuzhu and He Yushui, He Daqing had no choice but to grit his teeth and write a confession. Upon receiving the confession, the widow's expression changed; she threatened him that he must return to Baoding with her, or she would hand the confession over to the police.

Left with no other choice, he could only agree to come to Baoding with Widow Bai. Before leaving, he managed to secure a week's leave, not only keeping his job at the factory and having Yi Zhonghai take Zhuzi to report for duty, but also putting 200 yuan under the bed and giving Yi Zhonghai 300 yuan to help Zhuzi and Yushui if they encountered difficulties.

After that, he would send Zhu Zi 10 yuan every month, and he never stopped, even though the widow Bai threatened him in every way. Now, the widow Bai goes to his workplace to collect his salary every month, and he has no money, so he can only sell lunch boxes at the train station to raise living expenses for He Yushui and He Yuzhu.

Zhou Weiguo frowned, his mind filled with suspicion, and asked directly, "Aren't you supposed to be able to cater banquets? Why are you selling food here?"

He Daqing shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Sigh, banquets aren't something we can get every often, and this isn't Beijing."

His eyes were full of helplessness. "Ever since I came to Baoding with that widow, we were supposed to get married and settle down, but her two sons absolutely refused to agree. In the end, I could only tell everyone that I was her cousin. Luckily, I'm a decent cook, so I found a job outside. But ever since she found out that I was sending money to Zhuzi, she's been taking all my wages. I made a scene, but she threatened me with a confession. I had no choice but to come here every day during my lunch break at work to sell some boxed lunches so I could earn some living expenses for Yushui."

Zhou Weiguo snorted coldly, his face full of mockery: "How could I not believe it? If Widow Bai wouldn't let you touch her, would you have stayed? With your looks, you couldn't even walk properly when you saw my sister back then."

He Daqing's expression changed, and he said somewhat embarrassedly, "Of course we can touch each other. We just didn't get a marriage certificate, but we've done plenty of other things."

"Didn't that white widow give you a son or daughter?" Zhou Weiguo continued to mock.

A hint of embarrassment flashed across He Daqing's face as he awkwardly said, "It's not that easy. Her two sons keep a close eye on her, and besides, she's over thirty and not good at having children."

After saying that, she looked at Zhou Weiguo with pleading eyes and said, "Weiguo, I'm telling you the truth. Please believe me this time. I really have no choice. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gone back even once all these years. Before, it was just Widow Bai threatening me, but now her two sons are grown up and they're threatening me in every way."

P.S.: Please urge me to update more and give me good reviews. Thank you!