"Xiao Liu, thank you!" Qi Zhifang said to a man who was a little younger than her.

The man smiled shyly and said, "It's alright, Sister Fangzi, you can go ahead with your work!"

Qi Zhifang smiled and said, "Okay! It's because Dongdong's grandparents are so sick that it wouldn't be right for me, their daughter-in-law, not to go. The news came in a hurry, and I didn't have time to go back and tell them, so please tell my family!"

As she spoke, she turned and ran off. Qi Zhifang, who was receiving her salary, was like a bird that had been given a free rein. She wished she could take off right there and then, but she regretted that the journey was too far and the time was too slow, so that she could not see her beloved immediately.

She took leave from work, got a letter of introduction, asked her neighbor in the front yard to pass on a message, and went straight to the train station. Once on the train, she had only one thought: to see Xiao Hu. If she didn't see Xiao Hu, she would go crazy. As for what the consequences and situation would be after she saw him, or whether she could bear it, she didn't consider any of that.

When Xiao Liu delivered the message, Qi's mother and Qi Zhijun were both taken aback. Seeing Qi's mother swaying unsteadily, Qi Zhijun quickly supported her and said, "Xiao Liu, thank you."

Xiao Liu didn't think much of it and left. Qi's mother said anxiously, "Zhijun! I'm not at ease. Something's not right. Why would Dongdong's grandparents contact Fangzi if they need something...?"

Qi Zhijun suppressed his doubts and could only try to think positively. "Ah! Mom's alright. I'll go ask Dongdong in a bit. Don't worry!"

Mother Qi shook her head and said, "Help me, let's go together. Otherwise, I'm so anxious, I can't stay at home waiting." Mother Qi was eager to know an answer, even though she was already 80 or 90 percent sure of the correct answer in her heart, she still kept a sliver of hope.

The two men arrived at Wang Dong's place. He was cooking in the kitchen when he looked up in surprise. Why was his grandmother here at this hour when she wasn't cooking? They didn't seem to be here for a meal either. So he asked, "Grandma, Uncle, what brings you here? Please come inside and sit down!"

Qi Zhijun said, "Dongdong, tell your uncle if you've received any news recently that your grandparents are sick?"

Wang Dong shook his head and said, "No, my grandparents can't get any information out of me right now." He looked at the mother and son with suspicion and said, "What's wrong? Why are your maternal grandparents and uncles suddenly asking this? And even if something happened, they wouldn't be able to contact me. We already signed a letter severing ties."

Qi's mother took two steps back, almost fainting, but Qi Zhijun firmly supported her, calling out, "Mom, Mom, are you alright? Don't get agitated."

Wang Dong put down what he was doing and said, "What happened? Grandma, Uncle, don't hide it from me, what exactly happened? I'm even more worried if you don't tell me!"

Qi's mother burst into tears. Qi Zhijun closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his eyes were full of sorrow. "Your mother told Xiao Liu in the front yard that your grandparents are seriously ill, and asked him to go and see you!"

Wang Dong threw the rag in his hand on the ground and angrily said, "He's a real jinx, a jinx! I bet he went to see that convict! Does he want to kill us?"

Qi Zhijun's mind went blank, and Qi's mother fainted. The two of them frantically tried to revive her by pinching her philtrum. When Qi's mother regained consciousness, she sobbed, "That wretched girl, what a tragedy! What is she trying to do? What are we going to do?"

Wang Dong sat dejectedly on the ground, like a fly clinging to a windowpane in the dark, his future bleak and his path nonexistent.

Qi Zhijun was so angry that his head was throbbing. If he had known she was so good at causing trouble, he should have broken her legs and kept her at home for the rest of her life, which would have been better than her going out and causing trouble for others!

Qi's mother wept bitterly, and the Qi family was thrown into chaos.

As for how this letter of introduction was issued, to be honest, Zhao Dahu did lend her a hand, but Zhao Dahu never dreamed that the effect would be so good.

The two-day, one-night drive left Qi Zhifang pale, her lips dry, and her eyes filled with exhaustion. Her entire body looked extremely haggard, as if she had overdrawn her physical and mental strength.

Upon arriving at the station, she inquired and boarded a bus to this desolate area. She tightened her scarf and braved the cold wind to go to the guardhouse, saying she wanted to see Xiao Hu. She had nothing but a letter of introduction. Xiao Hu was a serious criminal. The guards looked at her letter of introduction and let her in.

Qi Zhifang was unaware that once she became involved with this person, she would be the target of special attention. And with that came her troubles.

After waiting for a long time, when Qi Zhifang finally saw Xiao Hu again, seeing him wearing a tattered hat and a worn-out cotton-padded jacket, no longer as tall and imposing as before, tears of heartache instantly streamed down her face.

Ignoring the fact that Xiao Hu was covered in filth and coal dust, she hugged him tightly and started crying.

"Fangzi, don't be like this, get up!" Although Xiao Hu felt sorry for her, he didn't lose his mind.

"No, I'll go get it, Brother Xiao. What did they do to you? How did you end up here? Do you know how worried I was without your news..."

Before Qi Zhifang could finish speaking, the door was kicked open, and the person who came in shouted, "This woman, she's obviously not a good person. I knew she looked shady. She's committed indecent acts more than once or twice. She's a repeat offender and we should teach her a lesson."

"What are you doing? Let go..." "Let go, let go of Fangzi..."

After being separated, Qi Zhifang was dragged into a coal shed by three men, who put a sack over her head and feet, beat her without regard for her body, and then left her there. When she regained consciousness, she was thrown into the back of a truck with several other people on top of her. She didn't know who had taken her wool scarf, and she was freezing cold the whole way...

The Qi family received the news on the third day after Qi Zhifang left home. Everyone who was working was suspended without pay, which made the already impoverished Qi family even worse off. Xiao Cui was so angry that he punched Qi Zhijun and yelled, "You bastard!"

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