Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

When Yan Bugui, Liu Haizhong, and Xu Fugui brought Uncle Jiu back to the Red Star Guesthouse, it was already 5:30 pm.

When Yan Bugui pushed open the door, he imagined Yang Ruihua would stand up from the bedside and Yan Jiedi would rush over and call him "Dad".

The family finally received their savior.

However, the room was empty.

Where are they?

Yan Bugui pushed open the bathroom door; it was empty. He bent down and looked under the bed; it was empty too.

"Ruihua! Jiedi! Where are you?"

Liu Haizhong shouted anxiously, "Zhaodi! Wife! Wife, where are you?"

He rushed out anxiously and knocked on every door, more than a dozen in total, but there was no response from any of them.

He ran back, his forehead covered in sweat.

Xu Fugui watched as the two people went from being full of hope to being panicked, and from being panicked to looking ashen-faced.

He hesitated for a moment and then said, "Old Liu, Old Yan, what if...what if something happened to your wives?"

"No, no, Ruihua, Jiedi will definitely be fine. Old Xu, you're talking nonsense. Don't blame me for being impolite."

Yan Bugui suddenly turned his head to warn him, then rushed towards the stairwell.

"Old Xu, you're cursing my wife. Don't blame me for being ruthless."

Liu Haizhong shouted angrily and chased after her. He wanted to ask the receptionist if she had seen his wife.

"Old Xu, Liu Haizhong's two sons just died and he can't find a wife now. How can he not be panicked? You need to watch your words."

Uncle Nine patted Xu Fugui on the shoulder.

Xu Fugui: "..."

I shouldn't have said anything.

Never mind, I hope Li Zhaodi and Yang Ruihua are alright.

The receptionist was dozing off at the table when Yan Bugui slapped her hand on the table, startling her so much that she almost fell off her chair.

The registration book bounced up and then fell back down. The receptionist was in a flurry of activity, and when she looked up, she saw two deathly pale faces.

"Comrade, have you seen my family? They live on the second floor: my wife, my daughter, and his wife."

Yan Bugui pointed to himself and Liu Haizhong, his face showing a tense and uneasy expression.

The receptionist didn't quite understand what was going on, but still said, "I saw her. A woman came down first, wearing a blue plaid shirt. About half an hour ago, she walked towards the neighborhood office. She was walking very fast."

"That's Zhao Di. Did she call the neighborhood committee?"

Liu Haizhong slammed his hand on the counter. "And then? Did she come back?"

"I haven't seen her come back."

The receptionist shook her head and said, "Later, another woman came down with a little girl and luggage, and hurriedly left."

I asked, "Where are you going so late?" She said, "I have something to do, I'll be back later."

I asked her what was wrong, but she didn't say anything and just left. I didn't notice which direction she went.

"Gone?"

Yan Bugui looked down at the front desk, his hands resting on the counter, crumpling the registration book on it.

Liu Haizhong reacted even more strongly than him.

Liu Hai paced around the lobby of the guesthouse twice, repeatedly pounding his right fist against his left palm.

"What was she doing at the neighborhood office? And why was she making a phone call so late at night?"

He suddenly stopped and looked at Yan Bugui. "Could Zhao Di have gotten scared and run away? No, she's not that kind of person."

Xu Fugui quickly tried to smooth things over: "Old Liu, Old Yan, don't overthink it. Your wives must have had something to do before they went out."

Look, it's only 5:30 now, which is dinnertime. Maybe they've gone to eat.

The state-run restaurant isn't far away, right? They probably went to queue up early, didn't they?"

Uncle Nine stood to the side, placing the wooden box at his feet, and listened silently to the conversation.

I don't think so.

He walked to the front desk, and without looking at Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong, he asked the old man at the front desk directly.

"Was the first woman carrying anything when she left?"

"no."

The old man shook his head, "I left empty-handed."

"The second woman was carrying luggage when she left, right?"

"Yes, carrying a blue cloth bundle and leading a child."

Uncle Nine turned his head and looked at Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong, saying seriously, "If they really went to eat, they should at least leave a message or tell the front desk before they leave."

They left without a word, and the other person even had luggage with them. This wasn't going to eat; it was clearly a getaway.

No, it won't.

Yan Bugui shook his head and said urgently, "Ruihua isn't that kind of person. She wouldn't abandon me and run away."

She's been married to me for over twenty years, and we've weathered even the toughest times together. How could she possibly run away now?

"Third Auntie isn't that kind of person."

Liu Haizhong shook his head beside him, "Zhao Di is not that kind of person either. She's been married to me for almost thirty years and has never..."

"That's even more wrong."

Uncle Nine interrupted them and said in a low voice, "If they're not that kind of people, why did they leave without saying a word?"

Since they weren't the type to run away, their decision to flee suggests they must have discovered something that forced them to leave.

Or rather, something made them think that their lives would be in danger if they didn't leave.

That's why... I packed all my luggage and ran away.

Yan Bugui said anxiously, "Ninth Uncle, what should we do? Ruihua and Jiedi are definitely in danger. I have to go and save them."

With red eyes, Liu Haizhong pleaded, "Uncle Jiu, you have to save my wife! I'll give you whatever money you want. I'm a level seven blacksmith, I have money."

Uncle Nine said in a deep voice, "We must find them. It will be dark in an hour or two at most. If we don't find them soon, they will be in great danger."

Nighttime is when evil spirits are at their most ferocious. Everyone, please help us search; we must find them.

Yan Bugui turned his attention to Xu Fugui, "Old Xu, didn't you used to know all sorts of people? Could you ask them to help you look?"

Xu Fugui: "..."

He is no longer a member of the compound, but the three sons of the Yan family just died last night, and Yang Ruihua has just experienced the pain of losing her son. What reason does she have to leave with her youngest daughter without saying a word?

The Liu family's two sons also died. Li Zhaodi just lost her son, so why did she go to the neighborhood office to make a phone call?

These things, when put together, all seem wrong. Old Liu, Old Yan's wife, and children are probably in grave danger.

But he didn't dare to voice his thoughts.

They were afraid that if they spoke out, these two men, who had just lost their son and now their wives and children, would completely break down.

"Okay, I'll go find someone to help us look."

"Thank you, Lao Xu."

Yan Bugui said something, then rushed out of the guesthouse, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Ruihua, Jiedi, where are you?"

"Yes, find it!"

Liu Haizhong rushed out of the guesthouse and shouted towards the direction of the street office:

"Zhao Di... Zhao Di... my wife..."

...