The situation was calmed down, but Zhao Yu's statement, "My dad is Zhao Lidong," continued to circulate among the people.

Shijian Town, Jianning County.

The long-distance bus only goes to the county seat, and then you have to transfer to a rural bus to get to the town. There are many red tricycles parked by the roadside near the breakfast shops. You have to take one of these tricycles to get to Chenjia Village.

It wasn't until it was almost dark that Tang Ping and Zhao Wei reached the village entrance.

This is Chen Shuting's hometown.

Tang Ping had seen Chen Shuting's ID card; her household registration hadn't been transferred here. He had previously had a headache because of Bai Xiaochen's situation regarding attending school on a temporary basis.

People in the countryside go to bed early, and there are no streetlights, so it's pitch black everywhere.

By the moonlight, one could vaguely see various slogans painted on the earthen walls: "It's good to have only one child, so that your children can support you in your old age." "To get rich first, build roads first; have fewer children and plant more trees."

The country is still implementing the family planning policy. Thinking about the future, Tang Ping couldn't help but smile.

Walking further into the village, we finally came across a house with its lights on.

Just as Tang Ping was about to head out, a large black dog darted out and barked fiercely at Tang Ping and Zhao Wei, as if it wanted to fight them to the death.

Rural dogs are generally loyal; guarding the house is a piece of cake for them.

Tang Ping didn't force his way in. He stood at the door and waited for a while. Sure enough, the homeowner came out. He was a middle-aged man who chased away the black dog. When he saw Tang Ping, he asked in confusion, "Who are you looking for?"

Tang Ping quickly offered her a cigarette and asked with a smile, "Uncle, do you know where Chen Shuting lives?"

"That's the house at the west end of the village, next to the back mountain."

The middle-aged man was a little reserved. He took the cigarette, thought for a moment, and then said, "It's pitch black here, and you don't know the way. Here, I'll go get a flashlight and lead you there."

"Thank you so much, Uncle," Tang Ping said with a smile.

A moment later, voices could be heard coming from inside. It seemed to be a middle-aged man talking to his family about this. Soon after, he came out, holding an old-fashioned flashlight, the kind that uses large batteries.

It's much easier to have someone lead the way. Chenjia Village is very big. If Tang Ping were to search in the dark, it would probably take him an hour or two to find Chen Shuting's house.

"Uncle, do you know Chen Shuting?" Tang Ping asked as they walked.

"I know her. She's a good girl. I heard she married a rich boss and went to the big city of Jinghai. She just came back a few days ago."

Tang Ping then asked, "Are there any other people in her hometown?"

"Just my mother, who isn't in good health. The rest are some distant relatives. By the way, who are you?" the middle-aged man asked.

Tang Ping explained, "Oh, Chen Shuting and I are very good friends. I couldn't reach her by phone, and I was worried that something had happened to her, so I came to check on her."

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's nothing. You city folks don't understand these things in the countryside. Young man, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."

"Uncle, what do you mean by this?"

"We've arrived, that's the place."

Just as Tang Ping was about to ask more questions, the middle-aged man pointed to a solitary old-fashioned bluestone and earthen house at the foot of the distant mountain, said something, and turned away.

Tang Ping and Zhao Wei exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat bewildered.

However, this made Tang Ping even more convinced that Chen Shuting had really encountered something serious when she came back this time.

The mud house was dark and gloomy. Tang Ping walked ahead and went up to knock on the door.

Who is it?

Chen Shuting's voice came from inside.

When she reached the door, Chen Shuting did not open it immediately, remaining very vigilant.

Tang Ping smiled and said, "Hello, I'm a food deliveryman. Your scrambled eggs with tomatoes are here, it's twenty-five and a half yuan!"

"Tang Ping?"

Chen Shuting exclaimed in surprise, then immediately pulled open the door bolt. Seeing Tang Ping, she looked shocked and said, "Why are you here? Why didn't you say anything?"

Tang Ping laughed and said, "I couldn't get through to you on the phone. If Xiaochen hadn't secretly called me, I wouldn't have known you were in trouble."

"It's nothing, Xiaochen, that kid, really, she's getting bolder and bolder. When did you arrive? Haven't eaten yet? Come in!"

Chen Shuting complained, but her face revealed joy.

The house was indeed very old; even the ground was muddy, uneven, and bumpy.

The main room was lit by a 60-watt light bulb, the dim yellow light still not very bright.

"Please sit down first, I'll go get you something to eat," Chen Shuting said, quickly bringing over two chairs.

Where is Xiaochen?

"I went crazy all day, so I'm going to bed early."

As the two were chatting, suddenly a woman's voice came from the room on the left: "Xiaoting, who is it?"

Chen Shuting said, "Mom, it's just two of my friends who have come over. You can go to sleep, don't worry about them."

"Shall I go check on Auntie?"

Tang Ping asked.

It would be very impolite not to greet the elders when you're already home. Besides, Tang Ping arrived in town too late, and many shops were closed, so he came empty-handed, which already made him feel quite embarrassed.

Chen Shuting looked a little embarrassed and said, "No, my mother isn't feeling well. You should sit down and rest for a while."

Tang Ping nodded and did not insist.

Chen Shuting went to the kitchen to busy herself, while in another room, Bai Xiaochen was sleeping soundly on the bed.

Tang Ping looked at the mud house for a while. Just then, a woman's voice came from the room on the left again, saying, "Young man, are you Xiaoting's friends?"

"Yes, hello Auntie." Tang Ping felt a little awkward speaking through the door.

The woman said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm not feeling well and can't pour you tea. Xiaoting, I have two cans of mandarin oranges on the table, could you give them to the guests?"

Tang Ping could sense the other person's goodwill. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Auntie, may I come in and see you?"

"Hehe, what's inconvenient about it? It's just that I'm afraid you'll think I'm too dirty."

"What's the big deal? I grew up in the countryside too."

Tang Ping smiled, pushed open the door and went in. The first thing he saw was the woman lying on the bed.

He didn't look very old, maybe in his fifties or sixties, but his temples were completely white and his complexion was poor, which made him look very old.

Tang Ping took the initiative to say, "Hello, Auntie. My name is Tang Ping. You can just call me Xiao Tang."

When they actually met, the woman became a little reserved, repeatedly saying, "Hello, Xiao Tang. Um, you guys have some canned food. Young man, come and get some too."

The room was a mess; the old table was yellowed, and clothes were piled up everywhere, on the floor and on wooden crates.

The house was probably damp to begin with, as there was an unpleasant smell in the room.

However, Tang Ping didn't seem to mind. He moved a chair over and sat down next to the bed, asking, "Auntie, don't be shy, we'll take care of ourselves. What's wrong with your health?"