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

"Director Li, it's like this. There's a girl named Liu Yuanyuan from the Liu family in the front yard of our factory. She just joined our factory and is dancing in the propaganda team. Do you remember her?" Yi Zhonghai then recounted how Liu Yuanyuan had come to see him yesterday. "Could you perhaps use my credit to do someone a favor and prevent Liu Yuanyuan from working in the workshop?"

"Team Leader Yi, how can you treat organizational appointments like a joke? You just replace them like that?" Li Jing'an paused for a moment, "This Liu Yuanyuan resisted the factory's arrangement—to go to the workshop and perform for the workers. She actually wanted to avoid such an honorable thing, and even dared to ask someone to pull strings? In my opinion, she doesn't even need to go to the workshop anymore, she should go straight to the sanitation team."

"Director Li, please don't misunderstand. This child was forced into a corner. Yesterday, she went to see Team Leader Xu Damao first. Xu Damao is taking advantage of people in distress; he takes advantage of their situation..." Yi Zhonghai steeled himself and directly revealed Xu Damao's actions. "Liu Yuanyuan has practically watched me grow up, and I can't bear to see her harmed by Xu Damao."

"What? Xu Damao dares to do this? Does he have a death wish? He's incredibly audacious!" Li Jing'an's face darkened, and he slammed his hand on the table, cursing loudly. In his heart, however, he was thinking: Damn it, Xu Damao has a death wish, daring to stick his chopsticks into my pot?

"Team Leader Yi, your information is very timely. Actually, before you came today, I had just received a notification that Xu Damao had driven a deputy minister of the Ministry of Metallurgy who had been transferred to our area to commit suicide. I was a little skeptical, but I didn't expect you to tell me about this. In fact, I had received many reports about him before, such as extortion and harassment. Now it seems that he definitely has problems."

Li Jing'an's eyes lit up. "Perfect timing. Aren't you the head of the investigation team? I'll give you a new task. Immediately detain Xu Damao and interrogate him. I'll call Deputy Team Leader Gou of the Security Team in a bit and have him hold him in custody."

"Well... Director Li, I..." Yi Zhonghai hadn't expected to get work done for him again. He was about to decline when he looked up and met Li Jing'an's eyes, which were fixed on him. The words of refusal were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Do you know why I called you here?

In the office, Li Jing'an squinted, tapping his pen on the desk as he stared at Liu Yuanyuan standing in front of him.

Liu Yuanyuan sensed something was off the moment she entered the room. Standing in front of the desk, her hands unconsciously clasped together in front of her, her fingertips twisting the hem of her clothes. She secretly glanced at Li Jing'an, then quickly looked down again, feeling as if the sound of him tapping on the desk was striking her heart.

"Director Li, I don't know." Her voice was very soft.

"What don't you know?" Li Jing'an suddenly raised his voice, slamming his pen on the table with a "thud." Liu Yuanyuan's shoulders jerked.

Li Jing'an stared at her, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "Xu Damao had already spoken to you before you joined the factory. Today, Yi Zhonghai came to plead for you again—" He paused, then sneered, "You're so young, yet you've already gone through so much trouble? Is this how you treat revolutionary work?"

Liu Yuanyuan's eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"Director Li, I have no other choice..."

"I'm being ostracized in the dance troupe... They said I was removed from the lead role because I stole Wang Manqi's shoes... Then they made the team members vote to send someone to the workshop... They've openly said they're going to choose me... I really don't know what to do."

She became more and more anxious as she spoke, her voice breaking and becoming increasingly fragmented.

"I...I first looked for Xu...Xu Damao, Team Leader Xu, but he..."

When she mentioned Xu Damao, her voice suddenly caught in her throat. She wiped away her tears forcefully, her lips trembling several times, unable to utter the words following the word "he." Her face flushed red, whether from grievance or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

"I have no choice but to ask Grandpa Yi for help..." She finally managed to say, almost crying.

"What nonsense is this?" Li Jing'an frowned, his tone clearly impatient. "Who spread the rumor that you stole Wang Manqi's shoes? The factory hasn't even officially classified you, so what gives them the right to say that?"

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over Liu Yuanyuan.

"Besides, being selected to go down to the workshop, to go deep into the front lines, to eat and work alongside the workers, and to spread the revolution—what an honor that is! But when it's your turn, you try every possible excuse to refuse. Where is your sense of responsibility? Based on what you just said, I could kick you to the medical team right now and hold a criticism meeting for you!"

As soon as the last three words left her lips, Liu Yuanyuan's body trembled violently, and then she began to shake uncontrollably. She lowered her head, biting her lip, trying hard not to cry.

Looking at her like this, Li Jing'an secretly made a plan in his mind.

almost.

Enough with the hard stuff, time for something soft.

He let out a long sigh.

"Alright, stop crying."

"Alright, stop crying." He softened his tone. "What I said earlier was just my opinion as an elder, that you're a disappointment to your lack of ambition. After all, I lived in your compound for a long time. You might not remember me because you were young then and not home much, but I do remember you. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I was your uncle. I only said those things for your own good. Alright, stop crying."

Liu Yuanyuan's crying subsided a little, but her shoulders were still heaving, and she hadn't completely stopped sobbing. She didn't dare to look up, only staring at her feet.

"I'm so much older than you, it's not too much for me to call you uncle, is it? Come on, call me uncle."

Liu Yuanyuan paused for a moment, hesitated for two seconds, and then whispered, "...Uncle Li."

The sound was soft, but clear enough in the quiet office.

"Mmm—good girl." Li Jing'an drawled out the sound, his smile deepening. He stood up, walked around the desk, took a handkerchief from the drawer, and brought it close to Liu Yuanyuan. "Here, let Uncle wipe you down."

Liu Yuanyuan instinctively shrank back a little and reached out to take it, saying, "I...I can do it myself."

Li Jing'an used his hand to push her hand away. At the same time, his other hand naturally landed on Liu Yuanyuan's shoulder and gripped it tightly.

Liu Yuanyuan froze.

She tried to dodge, but her shoulders were held captive, preventing her from moving. She could only lower her head and let the handkerchief wipe her face.

Li Jing'an's movements were slow and meticulous.

"Why are you looking down?" His voice was low, as if he were coaxing a child. "Lift your head up and let Uncle wipe it for you properly."

Liu Yuanyuan bit her lip and slowly raised her head.

Her eyes were still red, and so was the tip of her nose. Her young face, soaked with tears, looked exceptionally beautiful.

Li Jing'an's hands didn't stop moving, but his eyes had changed.

"That's more like it." His voice lowered. "Uncle is just worried about you. Look at your face—so pretty from crying."

The handkerchief was put away.

Li Jing'an didn't retract his hands. He reached out with both hands, cupped Liu Yuanyuan's face, and lifted it upwards. Liu Yuanyuan's face was forced to tilt upwards, and their eyes met.

She panicked.

But she dared not move, nor dared she push him away. Her eyes darted nervously away from Li Jing'an's aggressive gaze.