Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

"What a coincidence, isn't it?"

Li Zhenhua grinned and pointed to his still slightly aching eye socket.

"I earned my position as section chief through real hard work. For example, this morning I had a friendly match with a captain who was really good at his job, and I came out slightly better."

"You call that a slight advantage? That was a sneak attack! Shameless!"

Lin Taotao was even angrier when she thought of the mess she made in the equipment room.

"Likewise, Captain Lin's slap at the police station entrance just now wasn't light either."

Li Zhenhua retorted sharply. The two exchanged words, and the tension at the dinner table instantly escalated, drawing the attention of diners at neighboring tables.

This pair of adversaries can barely maintain a facade of cooperation when investigating cases, but as soon as they sit at the dinner table, their true colors are revealed, and they become locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to suffer a loss.

The roast duck meal ended in this tense yet somewhat quirky and amusing atmosphere.

When it came time to pay, Li Zhenhua wasn't stingy and paid the bill readily.

The two walked out of the restaurant, and night had already fallen.

"Meet me at the factory gate at eight o'clock tomorrow morning to continue the investigation."

Li Zhenhua pushed his bicycle and said to Lin Taotao.

"I didn't need you to remind me!"

Lin Taotao replied irritably, turned and walked in another direction, secretly vowing to outdo this annoying guy in this case.

Li Zhenhua watched Lin Taotao's tall figure disappear into the night, touched his still throbbing panda eyes, shook his head helplessly, but a smile he himself didn't even realize appeared on his lips.

It seems things won't be peaceful from now on.

As dusk deepened, Li Zhenhua pushed his bicycle and entered the front gate of the courtyard. He saw his third uncle, Yan Bugui, squatting at his door, carefully wiping his old bicycle, which was probably older than him, with a rag.

"Hey! Uncle San, still busy so late?"

Li Zhenhua was in a good mood and took the initiative to greet him.

Yan Bugui looked up at the sound, adjusted his glasses which had slipped down to the bridge of his nose, and saw that it was Li Zhenhua. His face immediately broke into a warm smile, but the smile froze for a moment when he saw the faint bruises on Li Zhenhua's face, and then quickly disappeared.

"It's Zhenhua back! Hey, the bike chain is a bit stiff, so I'll put some oil on it and wipe it down while I'm at it."

Yan Bugui stood up, dusted off his hands, and glanced at Li Zhenhua's brand-new Forever car. A hint of envy flashed in his eyes, and then, as if he had smelled something, he took a deep sniff.

"Wow! Zhenhua, you... just got back from a restaurant? You smell like oil!"

Li Zhenhua pushed the cart inside, casually laughing.

"Uncle, you have a really good nose! That's right, I just had roast duck at Qianmen."

"Roast...roast duck?"

Yan Bugui's voice instantly rose eight octaves, his eyes widened, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

"Quan...Quanjude?"

"Ah, there it is."

Li Zhenhua nodded, stopped, and deliberately smacked his lips, saying with lingering relish.

"Crispy skin and tender meat, rolled up in a lotus leaf pancake, spread with sweet bean sauce, hey, it's so delicious!"

With each word he spoke, Yan Bugui's Adam's apple bobbed, his mouth watered, and his expression was a mixture of extreme longing and heartache, as if the roast duck was his own money.

"Oh my... that's... that's really good stuff..."

Yan Bugui's voice trembled as he calculated how many days' wages this meal would cost. His gaze toward Li Zhenhua became even more complicated. This new section chief not only had a powerful background, but he was also incredibly generous!

"Zhenhua, you really know how to enjoy life!"

Yan Bugui finally managed to utter this sentence, but inside he felt like a cat was scratching at him, wishing he could also have a taste.

"Just treat yourself to something nice every now and then."

Li Zhenhua smiled and pushed the cart further into the backyard.

"Uncle, you're busy, I'll head back now."

"Okay, okay..."

Yan Bugui watched Li Zhenhua disappear behind the moon gate before turning his gaze away. After a long while, he looked at his old bicycle and suddenly felt that the cotton yarn and machine oil in his hand were tasteless. His mind was filled with the aroma of roast duck. He couldn't help but swallow and mutter to himself.

"Life is so hard... comparing people is killing you, comparing goods is making you want to throw them away!"

The Intermediate People's Court, the Jia family.

Jia Dongxu had been peering out the window, and when he saw Li Zhenhua push the cart into the backyard, he immediately turned back and whispered to Qin Huairu, who was clearing away the dishes.

"Quick! Huai Ru, that kid's back! Go get there right now!"

Jia Zhangshi was eating cornbread with pickled vegetables when she heard this. She immediately put down her chopsticks, her triangular eyes shining, and urged him on.

"Yes, yes, yes! Hurry up! What did that pound of meat do yesterday? We barely ate any of the corn stalks! We have to get more today! I think the meat in the backyard is plentiful and juicy!"

Qin Huairu paused in her movements, a look of embarrassment and a hint of barely perceptible resistance on her face.

"Dongxu, Mom... this... it's only been a day, and you're asking again? Do you think they'll give it to you? Besides, we just agreed yesterday to have your clothes washed for a month..."

"You don't know anything!"

Jia Dongxu's eyes widened.

"Look at him, eating and drinking well every day, why would he need your little bit of work? Washing clothes for a month in exchange for a pound of meat? That's a huge loss! Go tell him today that as long as he's willing to give you more meat, you can work for two or three months! Get the meat back first!"

"that is!"

Jia Zhangshi tapped the rim of the bowl with her chopsticks.

"Eat to your heart's content! In our situation, what do we care about saving face? Having enough to eat is the most important thing! Look at my eldest grandson, he's growing up, he can't be deprived of food!"

Banggeng, who was standing to the side, also looked at Qin Huairu with longing eyes when he heard the word "meat".

"Mom, I want to eat meat!"

Under the pressure of the combined gazes of her husband, mother-in-law, and son, Qin Huairu sighed inwardly and nodded helplessly.

"...Okay, I'll give it a try."

She put down the rag, straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and walked out of the house with a stiff upper lip, as if she were going to her execution.

As soon as Li Zhenhua returned to the small house in the backyard, there was a knock on the door.

He opened the door and saw Qin Huairu standing there. In the moonlight, her face was pale, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, her eyes darting around, and her lips moving a few times before she could utter a weak sound.

"Section Chief Li...you're back?"

A knowing smile appeared on Li Zhenhua's face; the scene was exactly the same as yesterday.

He slowly turned around, leaned against the door frame, and looked at her with a leisurely air.

"Sister Qin? It's so late, is something the matter?"

Qin Huairu felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze. She mustered her courage and took two steps forward, her voice even lower, pleading.

"Section Chief Li... I... I still have something to do with the meat... You see, the little bit of meat we had yesterday was gone in one meal because there are so many people in my family... I begged him... He kept saying he wanted more... Please, have some more for us? I... I promise, I'll cover your laundry and cleaning for three months! No, six months if you want!"