Courtyard House: First, kill the hypocrites, leave none alive.

"Where did Qin Huairu go?"

Sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), Jia Zhangshi asked the same question for the third time. She was sewing shoe soles, her triangular eyes glancing frequently out the window. It was already getting dark; usually at this time, Qin Huairu would have already returned with the grain to cook.

Banggeng was playing with an old, worn-out tin frog on the kang (a heated brick bed), muttering, "Hungry...hungry..."

"What are you hungry for! You good-for-nothing!" Jia Zhangshi cursed, but she also felt her stomach growling.

Qin Huairu should be back by now. The grain station closes at 3 PM, and it should take at most two hours to walk back from the west of the city. But it's almost 6 PM now, and there's not a soul in sight.

Jia Zhangshi put down her shoe sole and walked to the door to look around. The courtyard was quiet, and smoke was rising from the chimneys of each house. The aroma of food wafted over, making her even hungrier.

"Where has that lazy old woman been wandering off to again!" she muttered, just as she was about to go back, when she saw Yan Bugui rushing into the yard in a panic.

"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened!" Yan Bugui shouted as he ran, his glasses askew.

Yi Zhonghai came out of the house, frowning. "Old Yan, what's all the commotion? What happened?"

"Qin Huairu... Qin Huairu, she..." Yan Bugui gasped for breath, his words slurred.

Madam Jia's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stepped forward: "What's wrong with Huai Ru?"

"Dead!" Yan Bugui finally blurted out, "Old Locust Tree Alley... he was hacked to death!"

Jia Zhangshi stood there stunned, and the shoe sole in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud".

Yi Zhonghai's expression changed drastically: "What did you say? Are you sure it's Qin Huairu?"

"Confirmed! Officer Li from the neighborhood committee saw it with his own eyes! He was covered in wounds, bleeding to death!" Yan Bugui wiped the sweat from his brow. "The police have gone there now, to have the Jia family identify the body!"

Madam Jia Zhang felt as if her bones had been removed; she collapsed to the ground and suddenly burst into tears, wailing, "My daughter-in-law! How could you leave like this! How are we, a widow and orphans, supposed to live?!"

The wailing was so shrill and piercing that everyone in the courtyard heard it and came out of their houses.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Who died?"

"Qin Huairu? Really?"

Yi Zhonghai composed himself and said to the people who had gathered around, "Guangtian, go to the steel mill and inform Jia Dongxu. Jiefang, go to the street office and double-check the situation. The rest of you... go back inside first, don't stay here."

But no one went back inside. Everyone wanted to see what was going on in such a big event.

Half an hour later, Jia Dongxu rode his bicycle into the yard like a madman, jumping off before the bike had even come to a complete stop: "Mom! Mom! Where's Huai Ru? Where's Huai Ru?"

Jia Zhangshi sat on the ground, still crying, unable to speak.

Yi Zhonghai pulled Jia Dongxu back: "Dongxu, don't panic. The neighborhood committee said a female corpse was found in Laohuaishu Hutong, it might be Huairu... Go and identify her first."

Jia Dongxu's face turned pale instantly. Without saying a word, he turned and ran out of the courtyard.

Old Locust Tree Alley has been cordoned off. Several police officers have set up a perimeter, and a crowd of onlookers has gathered outside the cordon, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

"Make way! Make way!" Jia Dongxu pushed through the crowd and rushed into the cordon.

A police officer stopped him: "What are you doing?"

"I am Jia Dongxu! Qin Huairu is my wife!" Jia Dongxu roared.

The police officer glanced at him, then stepped aside, saying, "Come on in."

In the middle of the alley, under the locust tree, lay a white cloth. A dark red stain had seeped through the edge of the cloth; it was already dry. Jia Dongxu's steps suddenly became heavy as he moved forward, one step at a time.

The police officer lifted a corner of the white cloth.

Jia Dongxu saw that face.

Although stained with blood and with her eyes still open, it was indeed Qin Huairu. Her expression was frozen in extreme fear, her mouth slightly open as if she wanted to shout something but couldn't.

Looking further down, Jia Dongxu saw the wounds. A deep cut on his shoulder, exposing the bone; a long gash on his back; and… he dared not look any further.

"Ah—!" Jia Dongxu let out a beast-like howl and pounced on the corpse. "Huai Ru! Huai Ru, what happened to you! Who did this! Who did this!"

The two police officers quickly pulled him away.

"Comrade, please accept my condolences." An older police officer said, "Are you sure this is your wife, Qin Huairu?"

"It was her! It was her!" Jia Dongxu's eyes were bloodshot. "Who killed her! Who!"

"We are investigating," the police officer said. "Around 3 PM this afternoon, a passerby discovered her. The time of death should be between 9 and 10 AM this morning. Where did your wife go this morning?"

"She went to the grain station to collect her food! Today is the 15th!" Jia Dongxu suddenly remembered something, looked up sharply, and exclaimed, "It's Chen Feng! It must have been Chen Feng! He escaped from the labor camp! He's back for revenge!"

The police officers exchanged glances.

"Comrade Jia Dongxu, you can't make things up before you have evidence," the older police officer said sternly. "We will investigate all possibilities."

"If it wasn't him, then who was it!" Jia Dongxu roared. "He hates us! He hates Huai Ru! What happened that night..."

He suddenly stopped.

The police officer stared at him: "What happened that night? What happened?"

Realizing he'd let something slip, Jia Dongxu quickly corrected himself, "No...nothing. It's just that Chen Feng got arrested for indecent behavior, so he's definitely holding a grudge!"

The police didn't press further, only saying, "No murder weapon was found at the scene, nor were any valuable clues left behind. The footprints were mostly destroyed because so many people discovered the body. We will continue our investigation and will notify you when we have any updates. The body can be taken back now."

Jia Dongxu stared blankly as the police covered Qin Huairu's body with the white sheet again, and watched as several people lifted Qin Huairu's body onto a stretcher, covered it with the white sheet, and carried it away.

He stood there, his mind blank.

He didn't come to his senses until someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Yi Zhonghai and Sha Zhu.

"Dongxu, let's go back first." Yi Zhonghai sighed. "A mourning tent has already been set up in the courtyard."

Jia Dongxu nodded mechanically and followed them back.

All the way back, only one thought occupied his mind: Chen Feng has returned. Chen Feng really has come back. He killed Qin Huairu, who will be next?

The mourning tent has already been set up in the courtyard.

A white cloth curtain, a simple incense table, and in the center lay Qin Huairu's body, covered with a white cloth. Jia Zhangshi sat beside her, weeping intermittently, her eyes red and swollen like peaches.

People from every household in the courtyard came; some helped set up the mourning hall, while others stood aside whispering among themselves.

"That's terrible, he's covered in injuries."

"I heard there was blood everywhere."

"Who on earth could be so heartless?"

"Who else could it be? It must be..."

The speaker didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood.

Xu Damao leaned closer to Liu Guangtian and lowered his voice: "You're saying, it really was Chen Feng who did it?"

"It's pretty much true," Liu Guangtian said. "Didn't he escape from prison to come back for revenge? Qin Huairu was the first one, so we... we all need to be careful."

After Liu Guangtian finished speaking, he subconsciously touched his neck, as if a knife was already at his throat.

Xu Damao's expression was also grim. That night, he was the first to jump out and testify against Chen Feng. If Chen Feng really wanted revenge...

"What are you afraid of!" Sha Zhu's loud voice rang out. "If he dares to come, I'll kill him! A fugitive, nobody cares if he dies!"

Even so, Sha Zhu's hands were trembling slightly. He thought of the wounds on Qin Huairu's corpse, each cut deep and vicious. How much hatred must have fueled those wounds?

Yi Zhonghai stood in front of the mourning tent, looking at Qin Huairu's body, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He remembered Qin Huairu snuggling against him and acting coquettishly, and he remembered her softly saying, "Uncle, you have to help our Jia family. Those two south-facing rooms in the Chen family's house are so nice. If we could live there, Banggeng wouldn't have to worry about finding a wife in the future."

What did he say at the time? He said, "Huai Ru, this matter needs to be considered carefully. Chen Feng is not a easy opponent."

Qin Huairu moved even closer, the scent of face cream wafting into his nostrils: "Uncle, you're the best. As long as you can get Chen Feng out of here, once his parents... the house will be yours to decide, won't it?"

Yi Zhonghai, his mind wandering, patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, I'm here."

Now that Qin Huairu is dead, she has closed her eyes forever, taking those secrets with her. Yi Zhonghai breathed a sigh of relief. It's better that she's dead; no one will know about those things now. As for Director Wang of the neighborhood committee, he accepted bribes from him, so he naturally knows what to say.

He went to Jia Zhangshi's side and comforted her, "Sister-in-law, please accept my condolences. Now that Huairu is gone, you must take good care of yourself. Banggeng still needs you."

Madam Jia raised her swollen, red eyes and suddenly asked, "Uncle, the betrothal gifts... the gifts from each family should be enough for Dongxu to marry another woman, right?"

Yi Zhonghai was taken aback, not expecting Jia Zhangshi to still be scheming at this time. But he quickly recovered: "It's enough, definitely enough. There are so many households in the courtyard, each contributing a little, raising a hundred or two hundred yuan won't be a problem. Then we can ask someone to find Dongxu a wife, definitely better than Qin Huairu."

Madam Jia nodded, then burst into tears again: "My poor daughter-in-law—"

Only she knows how much of that crying was genuine sorrow and how much was calculated.

Inside the police station, Officer Wang was looking through the on-site investigation report, his brow furrowed.

"Not a single clue?" he asked the veteran police officer in charge of the investigation.

The veteran police officer shook his head: "The murder weapon wasn't found, the footprints were destroyed, and apart from the deceased and the people who discovered the body, no other valuable traces were found at the scene. There are usually few people in Laohuaishu Hutong; between nine and ten in the morning, no one passes by."

"Where are the deceased's belongings?"

"The ration book is gone, and the few cents and ration coupons I had with me are also gone. But..." The old policeman paused, "It doesn't seem like a robbery and murder. The wounds are too severe; every blow was aimed at killing. If it were a robbery, there would be no need to make so many cuts."

Officer Wang nodded: "Jia Dongxu said it was Chen Fengqian."

"Possibly," the veteran police officer said. "Chen Feng's motive for escaping is clear. But a fugitive like him should be hiding, not daring to kill someone so openly."

"Hatred can make people lose their minds." Officer Wang closed the report. "Pass the word down to increase patrols, especially around the courtyard house. Chen Feng is very likely to come back."

"Yes."

After the old policeman left, Officer Wang walked to the window and looked at the sky outside, which was gradually darkening.

He recalled the fire a month ago. The fire department said the fire started suspiciously, not like an accident. But at the time, everyone in the courtyard said it might have been due to Chen Feng's parents' improper use of fire, and Director Wang from the neighborhood office also said so, so the matter was left unresolved.

Now Qin Huairu is dead.

Officer Wang lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. He always felt that there was some secret hidden in the courtyard house, a secret that would lead to the deaths of many more people.

Incense smoke curled around the mourning hall in the courtyard.

Jia Dongxu knelt before Qin Huairu's body, motionless. He had been kneeling for over an hour, and no one could persuade him to get up.

Banggeng was being led around by the three older women to eat inside the house. The three-year-old didn't understand the meaning of death, only repeatedly asking, "Where's my mom? Why isn't my mom back yet?"

No one answered him.

Every household in the courtyard gave a monetary gift, some as little as 50 cents, others as much as one or two dollars. Yi Zhonghai was in charge of registering the gifts, and his hands were sore from collecting so much money. He calculated that he had already collected 68.3 dollars, and he could collect another wave of money after the funeral tomorrow.

That's enough for Jia Dongxu to marry another woman.

Sha Zhu brought over a bowl of noodles: "Dongxu, have something to eat."

Jia Dongxu shook his head, his eyes fixed on the corpse under the white sheet.

"You can't do this." Sha Zhu put down the bowl. "That bastard Chen Feng is still having a good time out there. You need to be strong to avenge Huai Ru!"

Upon hearing the name "Chen Feng," a glimmer of light finally appeared in Jia Dongxu's eyes. He turned to look at Sha Zhu: "Zhu Zi, you're right. I can't fall. I must avenge Huai Ru!"

He took the noodles and began to eat them in large mouthfuls, wolfing them down as if they were not noodles but Chen Feng's flesh.

Yi Zhonghai observed this and nodded inwardly. Hatred can rouse a person, but it can also make them lose their mind. Jia Dongxu was currently consumed by revenge, which was perfect for him.

He walked over to Jia Dongxu and lowered his voice: "Dongxu, Chen Feng will definitely come back. You need to be prepared."

"I know," Jia Dongxu said through gritted teeth. "If he dares to come, I'll make sure he doesn't leave alive!"

"It's not just you," Yi Zhonghai said. "All the young people in the institute need to be mobilized. Chen Feng is a madman now; he's capable of anything. We must unite to protect everyone's safety."

"The old man is right!" Sha Zhu chimed in. "Starting tonight, we'll take turns keeping watch! I don't believe he'll dare come!"

Although Xu Damao, Liu Guangtian, Yan Jiecheng and the other young men were scared, they couldn't back down at this time, and they all expressed their willingness to participate.

Yi Zhonghai smiled with satisfaction: "Alright, it's settled then. Starting tonight, you'll work in pairs, taking turns on night watch. If you see Chen Feng, don't hesitate, just attack! I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong!"

These words gave everyone confidence. Yes, Chen Feng is a fugitive now; killing him isn't illegal. Even if he were killed, it would be the old man's responsibility.

Inside the mourning hall, Qin Huairu's body lay quietly, her open eyes seemingly watching everything unfold beneath the white cloth.

Late at night.

The watchmen began to take turns. Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu were in the first group, walking back and forth in the yard with sticks in their hands.

The wind was biting cold, but no one dared to let their guard down.

Jia Dongxu gripped the stick tightly, his eyes scanning the dark corners like an eagle's. He imagined Chen Feng bursting out of some shadow, and the image of himself smashing Chen Feng's head open with the stick.

"Huai Ru, don't worry," he whispered, "I will definitely avenge you."

The sound of dogs barking came from afar, especially clear in the quiet night.

Sha Zhu shivered: "Dongxu, where do you think Chen Feng is right now?"

"I don't know," Jia Dongxu said, "but he will definitely come back. He definitely will."

The two continued their patrol, their footsteps echoing through the courtyard.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes were silently watching them from the shadows outside the courtyard wall.

Chen Feng, wrapped in a tattered cotton-padded coat, squatted in the corner of the wall, looking at everything in the yard through the cracks in the bricks.

He looked at the mourning tent, at the corpse under the white cloth, and at the people keeping watch.

His face was expressionless, only his eyes burned with a cold flame.

This is only the first one.

He slowly stood up and disappeared silently into the night.