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

Jia Dongxu rode very fast, a cloth bag hanging from the handlebars containing two steamed buns he'd bought from the canteen. His mind was a jumbled mess—Yi Zhonghai's hand was ruined, Qin Huairu's body was still lying in the house, and Chen Feng lurked in the shadows like a ghost. All of this weighed heavily on him, making it hard to breathe.

He barely slept last night. Yi Zhonghai's screams kept echoing in his ears, and the image of those severed hands, dripping with blood, kept flashing back. He was afraid, afraid that Chen Feng would come after him next.

So this morning, he went to the workshop to see the section chief, his eyes red and brimming with tears, and said that something had happened at home and he needed to ask for a few days off. Seeing his distraught appearance and hearing that his wife had just died, the section chief sighed and approved the leave.

"Dongxu, please accept my condolences. Come back to work after you've settled things at home."

Jia Dongxu left, profusely thanking everyone. After leaving the factory, he didn't go straight back to the courtyard house, but instead took a detour to the supply and marketing cooperative. He needed to buy a knife, a knife for self-defense. Chen Feng had a sickle and a dagger; he couldn't go empty-handed.

The sales clerk at the supply and marketing cooperative watched him browse for a long time before finally choosing the longest fruit knife. She looked at him with a strange expression and said, "Comrade, this knife... you don't need to cut fruit this long."

"We need to slaughter a chicken at home." Jia Dongxu made up an excuse on the spot, paid the money, and carefully put the knife into his pocket.

The knife digging into his chest brought him a slight sense of peace. He hopped on his bicycle and headed home. Darkness was falling, the streetlights were still out, and the streets were nearly deserted. Jia Dongxu quickened his pace, glancing back frequently, always feeling someone was following him.

There were indeed people following them.

Chen Feng was about fifty meters behind him, pushing his bicycle at a leisurely pace. He was wearing a tattered hat he had picked up from a garbage dump, the brim pulled low, and because it was dark, Jia Dongxu couldn't recognize him at all.

Chen Feng's original plan was to strike in a secluded spot, but Jia Dongxu was taking the main roads, where there were few people, though occasional pedestrians still passed by. It wasn't a good time.

He decided to continue following Jia Dongxu until he lowered his guard.

The two walked one after the other through two streets and turned into a narrower alley. The streetlights were out, and it was pitch black. Jia Dongxu felt uneasy and tightened his grip on the brakes, slowing down.

Right now.

Chen Feng quickened his pace, preparing to rush forward. But just then, a coughing sound suddenly came from ahead—an old man pushed a cart out of the yard, the cart piled with coal briquettes.

Jia Dongxu quickly braked to make way, and the old man slowly pushed his cart past, nodding to him as he did so.

The opportunity was missed.

Chen Feng stopped and retreated into the shadows. He watched as Jia Dongxu got back on his bike and disappeared at the end of the alley, but he didn't give chase.

No need to rush. If it doesn't work tonight, try tomorrow night; if it doesn't work tomorrow night, try the night after. Jia Dongxu will eventually end up alone.

Chen Feng turned around and pushed his bicycle in another direction. He needed a different approach. Jia Dongxu was now on guard; a direct confrontation was too risky. Perhaps… he could start from another angle.

He remembered what Yi Zhonghai had said: Jia Dongxu had gone after Xiaoyu that night and came back with a blood-stained floral cotton-padded jacket.

Xiaoyu may already be dead.

This thought pierced Chen Feng's heart like a knife. But he forced himself to calm down—without seeing the body, he couldn't be sure. Perhaps Xiao Yu was still alive, just hidden somewhere by Jia Dongxu.

If that's the case, where would Jia Dongxu hide Xiaoyu?

A courtyard house? Impossible, there are too many people and too many eyes in the courtyard.

Outside the city? What kind of place could Jia Dongxu, a fitter, have outside the city?

Chen Feng suddenly remembered something—Jia Dongxu's hometown was in a rural area on the outskirts of Beijing, I think it was in Fangshan. He had heard people in the courtyard talking about it before he got married, saying that the Jia family originally had rural household registration, and Jia Dongxu moved to the city by taking over his father's job.

Hometown.

If Jia Dongxu really caught Xiaoyu, would he hide her in his hometown?

Chen Feng's eyes lit up. This was a clue, worth investigating. But Fangshan was dozens of miles from the city; how could a fugitive like him get there? And how could he investigate once he got there?

He needs more information.

At the same time, in a ward at the People's Hospital.

When Yi Zhonghai woke up, it was already 3 p.m. The anesthesia had worn off, and a piercing pain shot through his broken wrist, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. An older woman quickly called a nurse, who gave him a painkiller injection, which slightly relieved the pain.

"Old Yi, how are you feeling?" an older woman asked, her eyes red.

Yi Zhonghai shook his head, not wanting to speak. He looked at his empty right wrist, a chill running through him. An eighth-grade fitter, his skill lay in these very hands. Now, without them, he was out of a job, and his retirement pension might be affected.

My life is over.

The ward door was pushed open, and Director Wang walked in. She was carrying a net bag of apples, and her expression was not good.

"Master Yi, I've come to see you." Director Wang placed an apple on the bedside table. "How are you feeling?"

"I won't die," Yi Zhonghai said hoarsely.

Director Wang sat down on a chair that an older woman had brought over, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Master Yi, what did Chen Feng... ask you last night?"

Yi Zhonghai's eyes flickered: "He didn't ask anything, he just... he just asked if I knew Xiaoyu's whereabouts."

"What did you say?"

"I said I don't know." Yi Zhonghai turned his face away. "I really don't know."

Director Wang stared at him for a while, then suddenly lowered his voice: "Master Yi, tell me the truth. What exactly did you see on the night of the fire?"

Yi Zhonghai was startled, but he still tried to remain calm: "Director Wang, what do you mean by that? That night, I was just like everyone else, rushing to put out the fire. What else could I have seen?"

"Someone told me," Director Wang's voice lowered, "that they saw Jia Dongxu leaving the Chen family's house that night."

Yi Zhonghai's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Director Wang saw through this and understood the situation: "Master Yi, I know you accepted bribes from the Jia family. But now Chen Feng is back. He killed Qin Huairu and injured you. The next one could be Jia Dongxu, or even me. If you know anything, you'd better tell me, and we'll figure something out together."

Yi Zhonghai closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. The painkiller began to work, relieving the pain and clearing his mind somewhat. He knew Director Wang was right; Chen Feng wouldn't let it go so easily. But he was even more afraid of the responsibility he would have to bear if he spoke out.

"Master Yi," Director Wang said again, "Chen Feng gave me three days to find Xiaoyu. One day has already passed. If I can't find her, I might become the next Qin Huairu. Can you bear to see me die?"

Yi Zhonghai opened his eyes and looked at Director Wang. This usually aloof and arrogant street office director now had eyes full of fear and pleading. He suddenly found it laughable—they were all so dignified in their daily lives, yet they were all afraid of dying when trouble came.

"I..." Yi Zhonghai finally spoke, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, "I saw Jia Dongxu carrying a kerosene can out of the Chen family's house."

Director Wang gasped, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," Yi Zhonghai said. "But I haven't told anyone about this. Jia Dongxu gave me fifty yuan to shut me up."

"Where's Xiaoyu?"

"I saw Xiaoyu climb over the wall and run away, and Jia Dongxu chased after her." Yi Zhonghai paused, "Later, Jia Dongxu came back with Xiaoyu's floral cotton-padded jacket in his hand, which had blood on it."

Director Wang's face turned deathly pale: "You mean... Xiaoyu might..."

"I don't know." Yi Zhonghai shook his head. "Jia Dongxu said he didn't catch up, but I don't believe him. The blood on that cotton-padded jacket... doesn't look like it was rubbed off."

The ward was deathly silent. An older woman covered her face and began to sob softly. Although she had no connection with the Chen family, the thought that a fifteen-year-old girl might be dead still saddened her.

Director Wang sat there blankly for a long while before standing up: "Master Yi, you should get some rest. I'll handle this."

She didn't say how to handle it, but Yi Zhonghai knew that Director Wang would definitely go to Jia Dongxu to find out the truth. That's fine; letting Director Wang ask is better than facing Chen Feng himself.

Director Wang left the ward and walked unsteadily down the hospital corridor. She had initially thought Chen Feng was only retaliating for Qin Huairu's framing of him, but she hadn't expected there to be such a serious matter as arson and murder behind it all.

If what Yi Zhonghai said is true, then Jia Dongxu is a murderer who set fire to Chen Feng's parents, killing them and also harming Chen Xiaoyu. And since he accepted bribes from Yi Zhonghai and classified the fire as an accident, he is essentially an accomplice.

Director Wang felt a chill run through her body. She walked to the hospital entrance, where a gust of cold wind made her shiver.

We must find Jia Dongxu and get to the bottom of this. If he really did kill someone, we must make him turn himself in. Only in this way can we quell Chen Feng's anger and save our own lives.

Director Wang made up his mind and headed towards the courtyard house.

Unbeknownst to Director Wang, shortly after she left the hospital, several uniformed police officers arrived at the courtyard house.

The team was led by Officer Zhang, who showed his identification and said to Liu Haizhong and Yan Bugui, who had rushed over after being alerted, "We received a tip and need to search the homes of Yi Zhonghai and Jia Dongxu. Please cooperate."

Liu Haizhong was startled: "Officer Zhang, what... what's going on? Grandpa Yi is still in the hospital, and someone from the Jia family just died..."

"It's just a routine check," Officer Zhang said expressionlessly. "Chen Feng may have returned after his prison break, so we need to search the area to see if he left any clues."

The real reason was that Director Wang had reported Yi Zhonghai's account to the police station that morning. Although she didn't specify the details, she mentioned that Jia Dongxu might be involved in the Chen family fire. Officer Zhang felt it necessary to search the Jia family home to see if any evidence could be found.

The people in the courtyard were alarmed and came out of their houses to watch the excitement.

"What are you searching for? The Jia family is already in such a state..."

"That's right, Qin Huairu's body is still lying there."

"That bastard Chen Feng must have run away long ago!"

Ignoring the discussions, Officer Zhang ordered his men to begin the search. Two officers entered Yi Zhonghai's house, and two entered Jia's house.

Jia Zhangshi was sitting by the mourning tent, crying, when she saw the police coming to enter her house. She immediately jumped up and shouted, "What are you doing! Someone in my family just died, and you still want to search our house! Is there no law anymore?!"

"Madam, this is just routine work," a young police officer tried to explain.

"What routine! You're just bullying us orphans and widows!" Madam Jia Zhang threw a tantrum, plopping down on the ground. "I don't want to live anymore! You're all bullying me! Huai Ru, open your eyes and see—"

Officer Zhang frowned and signaled the officers to continue the search. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, Jia Zhangshi cried even harder.

The search lasted half an hour. Nothing was found at Yi Zhonghai's house, but at the Jia family's...

"Captain Zhang, look at this." A policeman pulled a tin box out from under Jia's bed.

The box wasn't locked. Inside were some loose change, tickets, and a small cloth bag. Officer Zhang opened the bag; inside was a neatly folded floral cotton-padded jacket.

The cotton-padded jacket was a woman's style, with a youthful pattern, unlike anything Qin Huairu would wear. Officer Zhang examined it closely and found a dark red stain on the collar—blood, already dried and blackened.

"Whose is this?" Zhang Gong'an asked Jia Zhangshi.

Madam Jia glanced at it, her expression changing slightly: "This...this must be Huai Ru's old clothes, I didn't know."

"Would Qin Huairu wear clothes with this kind of floral pattern?" Officer Zhang stared at her. "What happened to the bloodstains?"

"How would I know!" Jia Zhangshi's eyes darted around. "It might have gotten on the chicken..."

Officer Zhang didn't ask any more questions. He carefully wrapped the cotton-padded coat and put it into the evidence bag. He then searched through the box and found a note with an address written on it: Jiajiazhuang, Zhangfang Town, Fangshan District.

"Where is this?" Zhang Gong'an asked.

"It's our hometown." Jia Dongxu, who had returned sometime earlier, stood at the door, his face pale. "Officer Zhang, what's going on here...?"

"Jia Dongxu, you're back just in time." Officer Zhang held up the evidence bag. "Whose floral cotton-padded jacket is this? And what happened to the bloodstains on it?"

When Jia Dongxu saw the cotton-padded coat, his pupils contracted sharply: "This...this is..."

Before he could finish speaking, a cry of alarm suddenly rang out from the yard: "Fire! The backyard is on fire!"

Everyone turned to look and saw thick smoke billowing from the backyard. Officer Zhang's expression changed drastically: "Quick! Put out the fire!"

Everyone ran to the backyard, including Jia Dongxu. In the chaos, no one noticed a dark figure silently vaulting over the courtyard wall and disappearing into the alley.

Chen Feng hid in the shadows of the alley, watching the thick smoke billowing from the courtyard, a cold smile curving his lips.

He set the fire in the Jia family's woodshed. He used the fire to lure the enemy away and create chaos.

He saw the police search, and he saw the floral cotton-padded jacket—he recognized it at a glance; it was Xiaoyu's clothes, made by her mother for her birthday last year.

light rain...

Chen Feng clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his palm.

The blood-stained cotton-padded jacket confirmed his suspicions. Xiaoyu might really be gone.

He wanted to see her alive or dead. Even if Xiaoyu was dead, he would find her body and make those who harmed her pay.

Chen Feng turned and disappeared into the night. He was going to Fangshan, to the Jia family's ancestral home. Perhaps there were answers there, perhaps the whereabouts of Xiaoyu.

The night is still deep, and the road is still long.

Revenge must continue.