"I'm not crazy, I just can't stand your despicable behavior!" Lian Xiao stepped forward and threw another punch, aiming specifically for Li Xingzhou's face.

Li Xingzhou finally found an opportunity to raise his hand to block.

The two started fighting.

The snow was trampled into a mess.

The once gentle and refined Li Xingzhou was now covered in dirty snow, looking disheveled, with his mouth cracked and bleeding from the blow.

Zhao Feng leaned against the courtyard wall, his hands in the pockets of his military overcoat, watching the farce with great interest, a faint smile even playing on his lips.

Before long, Lian Xiao had Li Xingzhou pinned down completely, his punches landing squarely on Li Xingzhou's body.

Zhao Feng then slowly spoke up, "Alright, stop fighting. If you keep going, you'll alert the political commissar, and you'll be in trouble."

Panting heavily, Lian Xiao finally stood up and landed a final kick on Li Xingzhou's side. "Get out!"

Li Xingzhou slowly pushed himself up from the snow, his movements slow but not panicked.

He bent down to pick up the fallen glasses, gently wiping away the snowflakes and mud with his red, frozen fingers. Even though the frame was already a little deformed, he still carefully put it back on his nose.

Next, he smoothed out the wrinkles on his coat, brushed off the mud stuck to it, and even carefully straightened the crooked collar, trying his best to make himself look less disheveled.

After doing all this, he finally looked up at Zhao Feng.

There was no resentment, only smiles.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Zhao."

After saying that, he finally picked up his medicine box. Although his steps were a little unsteady, his back remained straight, maintaining his usual posture, and he turned and left.

Lian Xiao scoffed. At a time like this, he was still putting on an act!

He turned to look at Zhao Feng, his anger still burning, and said in an unfriendly tone, "Lieutenant Zhao, don't think I don't know what you're up to. You just want to make a name for yourself, right? But don't even think about touching Xu Xinghe. I'm telling you right now, you can try and do it! I won't let you get away with it!"

Zhao Feng watched his retreating figure, completely ignoring his words.

Dr. Li was smarter. Even though he was the one who talked too much and got beaten up, he was still able to thank him calmly in the end, as if he didn't hold a grudge at all. He seemed like someone who could achieve great things.

In comparison, Lian Xiao was far inferior; his thoughts were all written on his face, too straightforward, and could be seen through at a glance.

Zhao Feng stamped the snow off his boots and murmured softly, "Jiang Linchuan, Jiang Linchuan, this is all I can do for you. If you can't even keep a woman, then I really have to look down on you."

A cold wind blew by.

Zhao Feng tightened his military coat, turned around and went back into the room. "Miss Xu, the routine questioning begins."

We went inside.

Xu Xinghe put down the book again.

Looking at her quiet little face, Zhao Feng suddenly felt a little bored.

How long will this go on? There's no way to find a breakthrough; it's just a waste of time.

As usual, Zhao Feng asked a few questions, then left the room and instructed the guards, "Today's lunch is to be hard cornbread and cabbage soup. Remember, I said soup, nothing else. I don't want her to have a single hot meal. Understand?"

The soldier hesitated for a moment, but when he met Zhao Feng's gaze, he replied, "Yes, sir!"

It started at noon that day.

Xu Xinghe's standard of living began to decline sharply.

Since she couldn't leave the house, she had no way to file a complaint.

And since it was all Zhao Feng's people who did all this, she had no choice but to endure it.

After finishing the cold, hard food, Xu Xinghe's expression remained unchanged, completely unaffected. In the afternoon, she did some simple stretching exercises in the yard, her arms and legs stretched out like newly sprouted tree branches, exuding a sense of resilience.

Dinner was still cornbread.

She didn't complain; she would take a bite of food and then a sip of water.

There was no hot water left either, because the soldiers said they didn't have enough firewood.

It was evening.

It started snowing again outside, and the wind was blowing in through the cracks in the door. There was no fire burning inside, and it was as cold as an ice cellar.

Zhao Feng deliberately told the soldiers not to help, just to see if Xu Xinghe would come out and make a scene.

A girl from the south would definitely not be able to stand the cold of the north.

Xu Xinghe didn't say anything, and even took out a notebook and started writing and drawing.

Not wanting to miss any possible clues, Zhao Feng immediately pushed open the door and went inside.

"What are you writing so late at night? Are you trying to confess?"

Xu Xinghe looked up, her face warm, and held up the paper in her hand to show him. "I'm drawing a map of Hongxing Village. When I get out of here, I'll see if I can build a biogas digester. It's a great thing. It can not only produce biogas, but also produce organic fertilizer to promote crop growth. In addition, it can also improve the sanitation environment."

In her previous life, she enjoyed reading miscellaneous books, some of which contained related information.

Confined to the basement, she could do nothing but try her best to study and enrich her inner world.

If she hadn't died later, she might have even been able to go to university and do more in-depth research.

Zhao Feng looked at her nose, which was red from the cold, and her bright, sparkling eyes, and a strange feeling stirred in his heart.

Most delicate girls would have sighed and cried in this situation.

She's actually still thinking about this kind of thing.

Zhao Feng didn't say anything, turned around and left.

Before long, the soldiers brought over a bundle of firewood and lit the stove.

The next day, Zhao Feng changed his tactics and made things difficult for Zhao Feng.

The food was delivered at different times, causing complete chaos.

There used to be a tree in the yard, but Zhao Feng cut it down under various pretexts, saying it was obstructing their view.

Xu Xinghe was too lazy to bother with it, so he simply cleaned up the tree stump, which would be perfect as a stool in the summer.

Her hair was always neatly combed, and she wore a variety of clothes. She never gave up on herself because she was confined at home.

She would also go out to exercise and hum softly in the yard.

Zhao Feng had never heard of it before and didn't know what kind of music it was, but it made him feel a strong urge to listen to it.

With the soft, sweet tone unique to Shanghainese, it's like candy soaked in honey, completely different from the style of Northeast China.

When Zhao Feng came back in the afternoon, he immediately noticed the glass bottle on the windowsill.

Several wild jujube branches, broken off from outside the courtyard, were stuck inside, still covered with a bit of snow, giving them a somewhat lively appearance.

Zhao Feng rubbed his fingers, and for the first time, he felt interested in a woman.

She is truly different.

The vibrant, upward-moving life force emanating from him is like a flame in the cold winter of Northeast China; anyone who gets close will feel warmth.

Zhao Feng frowned, feeling that his idea was a bit absurd.

He has no interest in any woman; his only desire is his career, which he will pursue for the rest of his life!