I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

Chen Qing walked out of the steel rolling mill gate, his steps unsteady, as if all his strength had been drained away.

He had originally planned to go home and get a good night's sleep to recharge, then return to the guesthouse to find Li Jing'an early the next morning. If he could persuade Li Jing'an, there might still be a chance for his situation to turn around.

Before he even reached the bus stop, two figures in uniforms blocked his way, their expressions serious and their eyes scrutinizing.

"Comrade, stop right there."

Chen Qing was startled and subconsciously stopped in her tracks, a sudden tightness gripping her heart.

"Is there...something wrong?"

One of the police officers stepped forward, speaking in a businesslike tone, yet with an undeniable firmness.

"Name, which organization you work for, and what brings you here?"

Chen Qing dared not hide anything and answered wearily, "My name is Chen Qing, from the technical department of the steel rolling mill."

"Chen Qing from the steel rolling mill, right?" The policeman raised an eyebrow and continued to press, "We received a report that you should be in Huairou. Why did you suddenly return to Beijing? Do you have a letter of introduction? Show it to us."

Chen Qing was completely stunned.

letter of introduction?

He was in a hurry to get back to the city for help, and in his panic, he never thought he would need to drive this kind of thing.

"I...I wasn't feeling well, so I took two days off to rest here. I didn't get a letter of introduction," he explained, his voice tinged with panic. "Why would I need a letter of introduction to go back to my own home?"

"You can't even go back to your own home." The policeman's face darkened, and his tone left no room for negotiation. "You've already been officially assigned to help farmers in the countryside. Your personnel file and work location are not in the city. Now you're returning to the city without permission and you can't produce any legal documents. According to regulations, you're a migrant worker."

Chen Qing's face turned deathly pale instantly, and he hurriedly protested, "I'm not a vagrant! I work at the steel rolling mill; I just asked for leave to come back! I have a job!"

"Whether you have a work unit or not is not up to you to decide." Another policeman stepped forward, his tone icy. "Come back to the station with us. We'll verify the situation in detail. We'll discuss how to handle it after we contact your work unit and the rural outpost."

Chen Qing wanted to argue, but seeing the other person's serious expression and the equipment at his waist, all his words stuck in his throat.

He felt cold all over, his hands and feet went weak, and a huge fear shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He never expected that his simple desire to go home and ask for help would lead to him being labeled a "vagrant" and taken to the police station.

He dared not resist and could only numbly follow the police forward, his mind blank, filled only with despair.

At the same time, the steel rolling mill's closing bell rang.

Zhou Yufei packed her things and quickly walked out of the workshop, her mind preoccupied with her husband, Chen Qing.

He returned to the city late last night, looking haggard, and then went to find help today; he must be exhausted. She plans to go home and cook him some hot, palatable food to help him recover.

But when you open the door, the house is cold and deserted, with no one inside.

Zhou Yufei was taken aback for a moment, a slight doubt creeping into her mind.

Logically speaking, Chen Qing should have arrived home by now.

She comforted herself: maybe he went out to buy something, or maybe he was delayed on the way, and he'll be back soon.

She put down her bag, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to wash the rice and vegetables.

But before the pot could even get hot, there was a rapid knocking on the courtyard gate.

"Yufei! Is Yufei home?"

It was the voice of the neighbor next door, his tone somewhat hurried.

Zhou Yufei's heart skipped a beat, and she felt inexplicably uneasy. She quickly went out to open the door.

"What's wrong?"

Upon seeing her, the neighbor immediately lowered her voice and said nervously, "Yufei, the police from the local police station came looking for you this afternoon, but you weren't home. They asked me to tell you to go to the police station as soon as you get back, it's urgent."

Zhou Yufei's face turned pale instantly.

Urgent?

Police station?

She almost immediately thought of Chen Qing.

"Is it...is it related to my husband?" Her voice trembled as she grabbed her neighbor's arm, urgently asking, "What happened? What did they say?"

The neighbor was startled and shook her head: "He didn't say anything in detail, just that you should go over quickly, nothing else. Go now, don't delay."

Zhou Yufei's mind went blank, completely confused.

She didn't have time to think, or even lock the door. She grabbed her coat and ran outside, her heart pounding as if it were about to explode.

Along the way, all sorts of terrifying thoughts surged into my mind—

Has something happened to Chen Qing?

You were beaten up?

Did you have a fight with someone?

still is……

She dared not think any further, and just kept rushing forward, almost rushing to the local police station.

The police officer who received her checked the records, looked up at her, and spoke in a calm but heavy tone.

"Are you Zhou Yufei, Chen Qing's wife? Your husband, Chen Qing, was detained by Jiaodaokou Police Station near the bus stop this afternoon."

Zhou Yufei's vision blurred, and her voice trembled: "Detained? Why? What did he do?"

"He doesn't have legal documents to return to the city, and according to regulations, he's been identified as a migrant worker and is being held temporarily for investigation," the police officer explained. "We've already received a notification from the Jiaodaokou Police Station, and they'll contact the steel mill and the person in charge of the rural outreach point in Huairou soon. As long as he hasn't committed any other illegal or criminal acts, the police station will generally educate and repatriate him, sending him back to his original rural outreach location."

Repatriation.

These two words struck Zhou Yufei's heart like a heavy hammer.

She felt no relief; instead, her whole body turned ice-cold, and her heart sank deeper and deeper.

Chen Qing was given a lenient punishment by the factory and sent to the countryside because he made a mistake.

Now there's this incident of "returning to the city without permission and being detained as a vagrant." If this gets back to the factory, what will they think? What will the leaders think?

Will the factory give him a lenient punishment?

Will the factory fire him immediately?

Zhou Yufei stood there, her hands and feet icy cold, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

She didn't know how she got out of the police station or how she got home.

She lay in bed all night, her eyes open until dawn, without falling asleep for a single second.

As the light outside the window gradually brightened, her heart sank deeper and deeper into darkness.

The next morning, she forced herself to go to the steel mill and asked for a day off.

Seeing that she was pale, had a vacant look in her eyes, and was in extremely poor condition, the leader approved the application without asking any further questions.

After leaving the factory, she went straight to Jiaodaokou Police Station without stopping.

The police officer who received her checked the procedures, looked up and said, "The investigation into your husband's matter hasn't been completed yet; we'll notify your factory tomorrow. So there's no result yet. Go home and wait for our notification. Your factory will contact you."

Zhou Yufei stood at the entrance of the police station, the autumn wind stinging her face, both cold and painful.

She can't wait.

We can't wait.

She had only one thought in her mind—

There is only one person who can save Chen Qing.