1985, the year of the great writer, began with Infernal Affairs!

After finally seeing off his brother-in-law's wife, Zhou Tao, who was like a madwoman, Li Hanwen felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

The courtyard quieted down, with only the occasional barking of dogs in the distance.

He wiped his forehead; it was wet.

"What are you all standing there for!" he growled at Zhang Qin, who was standing dumbfounded at the doorway of the main room. "Pack up! Take everything you can!"

Zhang Qin trembled at his shout and hurriedly turned and went into the house.

The sounds of rummaging through drawers and cabinets came from inside the house, clanging and banging.

Li Hanwen paced anxiously in the yard for a couple of steps, then kicked a clay pot, which rolled away with a clatter.

He couldn't care less; his mind was a jumbled mess.

Zhou Tao's words stung him and made him feel uneasy.

I have to leave; I'll leave tonight.

child!

Li Hanwen suddenly remembered that the two children were still sleeping in their parents' room.

He didn't care about anything else, and rushed out of the yard, running across dozens of meters of dirt road. When he arrived at his parents' courtyard, the windows were dark, so he guessed they were asleep. Li Hanwen banged on the door.

"Dad! Mom! Open the door!"

There was a rustling sound inside, and the door creaked open a crack.

Li Hanwen's father, wearing a jacket, squinted and looked outside: "Hanwen? What's wrong in the middle of the night?"

Li Hanwen squeezed in sideways.

There were no lights on inside, only the faint glow of firewood in the stove. His mother also groped her way out.

"What happened? You look so flustered."

"I don't have time to explain in detail!" Li Hanwen walked straight into the inner room.

The two children were sleeping on the kang (a heated brick bed), wrapped in quilts. He went up to them and pulled off the quilts, saying, "Get up! Get dressed!"

The two children were woken up. The older son rubbed his eyes and sat up: "Dad? Is it daytime yet?"

"What are you showing off! Hurry up and put it on!" Li Hanwen grabbed the clothes from the kang (heated brick bed) and put them on the child.

The elderly couple followed him in, and seeing his demeanor, they felt even more uncertain.

"Hanwen, explain yourself clearly. Where are you taking the child in the dark?" His father grabbed his arm.

"Yes, what can't we talk about tomorrow? The child is sleeping soundly," his mother chimed in.

"Tomorrow? Tomorrow's too late!" Li Hanwen shook off his father's hand. "Don't worry about it! You wouldn't understand anyway!"

"What do you mean we don't understand? Have you gotten into trouble again?" His father wouldn't let go, raising his voice, "Is it related to your brother-in-law's matter? Has something happened to Dongchao?"

"You know nothing!" Li Hanwen, annoyed that his secret had been exposed, started to spew nonsense: "You two old hags, stop asking questions! You're just making things worse!"

These words were harsh. In the dim light, the old father swayed, and the old lady cried out, "Hanwen, how can you say such a thing?"

"That's what I said!" Li Hanwen was putting shoes on the younger child roughly, and the child pouted, about to cry: "What are you crying for! If you cry again, I'll throw you here!"

It was unclear whether his words were directed at the child or the elderly couple; the only sounds in the room were the child's suppressed sobs and the old mother's low weeping.

Li Hanwen felt like he was on fire, both annoyed and afraid, so he worked even faster.

After finally getting the children wrapped up tightly, they grabbed one in each hand and headed outside.

"Hanwen! You can't just leave like this! What happened? We'll all face this together as a family!" His father blocked the doorway, his thin body trembling.

"Carry? What are you going to carry? Get out of the way!" Li Hanwen steeled his resolve and forcefully pushed his elderly father aside. The old man staggered and grabbed the doorframe for support.

Li Hanwen didn't look, and pulled the child across the threshold.

A night breeze blew, making him shiver. His mind cleared a little, but his steps quickened. He couldn't turn back.

He had only taken a few steps out of his parents' courtyard when two blinding beams of light shone down from the road ahead, making it impossible for him to open his eyes.

Li Hanwen instinctively raised his hand to block, his heart skipping a beat.

It was the headlights; the Jeep's engine sounded deep and steady.

The car screeched to a halt not far from the entrance of his parents' courtyard, and the bright light enveloped him and the child.

The car door opened, and three people got out. They were backlit, so their faces were not visible. The two in front were wearing uniforms and peaked caps, their cap badges gleaming coldly.

The one behind him was wearing a dark Zhongshan suit and had his hands behind his back.

Li Hanwen felt his blood run cold and his legs went weak. He forced himself to stay still, gripping the child's little hand tightly until the child hissed in pain.

The three men walked over quickly, their footsteps sounding particularly clear in the quiet night, tap-tap-tap.

As they got closer, they realized they were two police officers: one young with a blank expression, and the other older with sharp eyes.

The man in the Zhongshan suit was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a stern face and slightly furrowed brows.

Li Hanwen's parents followed him out and stood at the gate of the courtyard, watching the scene unfold, not daring to utter a sound.

"Are you Li Hanwen?" the older police officer asked first.

Li Hanwen's throat went dry, and he mumbled an "Mmm."

"Li Hanwen, the village clerk of Shuangshui Village?" the police confirmed.

"Yes." Hearing the police question him so thoroughly, Li Hanwen's heart skipped a beat, and he already had a premonition that he was in trouble.

The leader in the Zhongshan suit glanced at him, then at the child hiding behind him, and finally at the small bundle in his hand, which contained the child's clothes that Li Hanwen had just grabbed from his parents' room.

"Where are you taking two kids so late at night?" the leader asked, his tone seemingly calm but carrying a sense of pressure.

Li Hanwen's mind went blank; he opened his mouth but no sound came out.

What could he say?

Should we go out and hide?

He said he was afraid of being arrested?

"I, I..." Li Hanwen stammered, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

The leader didn't press further, but gave him a deep look. His eyes were devoid of emotion, yet they sent a chill down Li Hanwen's spine.

"Li Hanwen, we need your cooperation in an investigation." The leader's voice was calm, with a routine tone: "Come with us."

Shall we go? Where to?

Before Li Hanwen could react, he saw his leader turn his head and give him a wink.

The young policeman stepped forward decisively, and Li Hanwen felt a chill on his wrist as the hard metal gripped his flesh.

A soft "click" sounded particularly jarring in the night.

It's handcuffs.

The gleaming silver handcuffs reflected the car headlights, dazzling Li Hanwen.

He tried to struggle, but his wrists were firmly held, and he couldn't move. The cold metal pressed against his skin, and a chill ran through his entire body.

"Hey! What are you doing! Why are you arresting my son!" Li Hanwen's father suddenly realized what was happening and rushed forward to stop them.

The older police officer reached out to stop the elderly man, speaking politely but firmly: "Sir, we are acting in accordance with the law, please cooperate."

"According to the law? What law did my son break? Explain yourself!" The old woman rushed forward, crying out.

"Where's the child's mother?" Li Hanwen thought of Zhang Qin and turned to look at his own house.

They saw Zhang Qin being led this way by a policeman from the other side of her own courtyard gate.

Her face was deathly pale, and she was clutching an untied bundle in her hand. With each step she took, an old piece of clothing fell out of the bundle, but she didn't notice. She stared blankly at Li Hanwen, who was handcuffed, with empty eyes.

"Take them all with you," the leader gave a brief instruction.

Li Hanwen and Zhang Qin were led to jeeps separately.

Li Hanwen struggled to turn around, but the police forced his head down and pushed him into the back seat. The car door slammed shut, cutting him off from the outside world.

He heard his parents' heart-wrenching cries and his child's wailing, the sounds muffled and distant through the car window.

The jeep started up, its engine humming softly, its wheels rolling over the dirt road, bumping and jolting away from Shuangshui Village and into the deep night.