Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

In the noisy and bustling workshop of the steel rolling mill, the roar of the machines is deafening and the sharp sound of metal collision comes one after another, interweaving into a disturbing melody.

Liu Haizhong was concentrating on operating the handsaw, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat. His eyes were fixed on the thick steel in his hand, trying to cut it accurately into the appropriate size.

However, at this critical moment, without any warning, his heart suddenly twitched, and an indescribable pain instantly spread throughout his body like an electric current, making his face turn as pale as paper in an instant.

At the same time, the hand saw in his hand lost control and slid rapidly along his thumb. The extremely sharp teeth mercilessly cut his skin. Bright red blood gushed out and spread on the surface of the steel, like a strange blooming blood flower.

Liu Haizhong had a dazed look on his face, standing there as if frozen, his eyes so empty that it seemed as if his soul had quietly left his body.

He slowly raised the injured hand and watched the blood dripping from his fingertips. Every drop hit the ground heavily, making a dull sound.

But at this moment his mind was not at all on the piercing pain. Deep in his heart, a feeling of emptiness and loss came over him like a surging tide, and it became stronger and stronger, as if an invisible giant hand had forcibly pulled away the thing that was most precious in his heart, pressing him to the point that he could hardly breathe.

The workers around were stunned by this sudden change. They stopped their busy work and gathered around like a tide.

The co-worker who was usually on best terms with Liu Haizhong asked in a worried and concerned voice, "Brother Hai, what happened to you? Why did you suddenly lose focus and even cut your hand?"

After a long while, Liu Haizhong came back to his senses as if waking up from a dream. He subconsciously shook his head slowly and said in a hoarse voice with a hint of fatigue that was difficult to conceal: "It's okay, I just suddenly felt empty in my heart, as if I had lost something particularly important."

Another worker tried to break the tense and oppressive atmosphere with a lighthearted joke, saying with a smile: "Hey, Brother Hai, could it be that the director originally intended to promote you to be a team leader, but suddenly changed his mind halfway through, and the 'duck in your mouth just flew away', so you are so disappointed?"

When the workers heard this, they burst into laughter.

However, amid the noisy laughter, Liu Haizhong always kept a stern face, with an indelible worry in his eyes, and he turned a deaf ear to the teasing of his co-workers.

He knew very well in his heart that this deep-seated feeling of loss was not simply due to not being able to become a team leader.

The figure of Liu Guangqi involuntarily emerged in his mind, but in a flash, he felt that it was not just because of his son.

His bangs were a mess and he turned around in frustration and walked to the sink next to him, washing his injured hand in the freezing cold water.

The cold water washed over the wound, bringing a piercing pain that made him slightly more conscious. However, the inexplicable uneasiness lingering in his heart still followed him like a shadow and could not be shaken off.

After simply bandaging the wound, Liu Haizhong returned to work with heavy steps.

But at this moment, his mind had already drifted away, not on the work at all. His eyes were always wandering, wandering around the workshop with empty eyes, and the movements of his hands became slow and mechanical, and every cut seemed to be repeated unconsciously.

Every time he pushed the saw in his hand hard, trying to cut the steel, some vague images flashed through his mind without warning.

One moment it was Liu Guangqi playing carefree in the courtyard of a quadrangle as a child, and that innocent and brilliant smile seemed to be right in front of us.

After a while, there was another warm scene of the family sitting around the dinner table, enjoying the meal together. The laughter seemed to still echo in my ears.

However, whenever he tried to concentrate, grasp these images firmly, and savor them carefully, they disappeared without a trace in an instant like illusory bubbles.

After finally getting through the break, Liu Haizhong walked out of the workshop alone in silence.

He pulled a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, lit it and took a deep puff. The acrid smoke instantly filled his mouth and lungs, but it still couldn't dispel the heavy, leaden haze in his heart.

At this time, the morning sun had become scorching, and the bright light shone on his body unobstructed, but he could not feel the slightest warmth.

He frowned, looked into the distance with a serious gaze, and kept thinking to himself: Did something happen at home?

But thinking back to the morning, everything was normal when Second Aunt was with him, and there was nothing unusual.

The more he thought about it, the more irritated he felt, and the uneasiness in his heart grew stronger.

Finally, he threw the unburned cigarette butt in his hand to the ground and crushed it with his foot.

Then he turned around, dragged his heavy feet, and prepared to go back to work.

Thousands of miles away, the green train was speeding along the tracks towards Heilongjiang Province.

Inside the carriage, Liu Guangqi sat quietly by the window, staring intently at the scenery outside the window that was rapidly receding.

The vast fields, rolling hills, and scattered villages flashed before his eyes like slides, but his mind was not at all on the scenery along the way.

At this moment, his heart was filled with guilt towards his parents.

His parents' faces kept appearing in his mind. He remembered his father's serious yet caring eyes, and his mother's gentle smile and meticulous care.

However, he didn't know that at the same moment, his father Liu Haizhong was experiencing an unprecedented huge wave in his heart because of his quiet departure.

As the train sped forward and got farther and farther away from the old city, the guilt in Liu Guangqi's heart grew stronger like a surging tide.

He knew very well that his decision might bring unspeakable pain and harm to his parents.

However, when he thought of his wife Qi Sihui and the future of this small family, a look of determination resurfaced in his eyes.

He secretly and firmly told himself in his heart that for the safety and future of his family, he had no choice but to resolutely embark on this road full of unknowns and challenges.

During the long journey that followed, Liu Haizhong would often inadvertently fall into deep thought.

The feeling as if he had lost something important would haunt him from time to time, causing him to often lose focus at work and fall into inexplicable worry and anxiety in life.

At the same time, Liu Guangqi and his family were experiencing a long and tiring journey on the train.

During this long journey, Qi Sihui gradually came out of the initial sadness of parting and began to plan her future life in Heilongjiang Province with her mother with great anticipation.

After more than a day's long and bumpy journey, the train's continuous roar finally slowly stopped at the Harbin platform.

Qi Tiancheng and his companions, dragging their exhausted bodies that felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead, finally set foot on the land of their long-lost hometown - Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province.

Qi Tiancheng was the first to step out of the carriage. The familiar and friendly air of his hometown, like a pair of gentle hands, instantly wrapped him tightly.

He took a deep breath, and the unique scent of his hometown went straight into his heart and lungs through his nose, making him feel infinite emotion. His eyes turned slightly red, and he couldn't help but whispered softly, "My hometown is still the best..."

That voice is filled with deep attachment and sense of belonging to hometown.

In contrast, when Liu Guangqi first set foot on this strange land, every step he took seemed extremely hesitant and cautious.

As a son-in-law, he followed his father-in-law here. Faced with everything completely unfamiliar around him, the confusion about the future in his heart completely drowned him like a surging tide.

The dialect accents of the people around him and the buildings of different styles on the streets were completely different from the old city where he had lived for many years. All of this made him feel extremely unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Qi Sihui keenly sensed Liu Guangqi's inner uneasiness and hesitation. She calmly reached out her hand, gently but firmly held Liu Guangqi's hand, and passed the warmth of her palm to him without reservation.

This silent yet powerful action seemed to convey to him a firm belief: Don't worry, no matter what happens in the future, I will always be by your side.

Liu Guangqi felt the familiar and warm touch, turned his head and looked at Qi Sihui.

Her eyes were full of determination and trust. Her bright eyes were like the twinkling stars in the night sky, giving him endless strength and courage.

A few people slowly walked out of the station with the bustling crowd. The world outside was sunny and bright, the bright sunshine sprinkled on the earth, and the streets and alleys were filled with a rich and warm atmosphere of life.

They hired a cart, loaded their heavy luggage onto the cart, and then walked along the street towards their home.

Along the way, Qi Tiancheng pointed enthusiastically at the shops and buildings on the street and told Liu Guangqi and Qi Sihui about everything that had happened here in the past.

He vividly described the fun times when he and his friends played on street corners when he was a child, and talked about the old shops full of memories that he had visited, trying to help Liu Guangqi ease the unfamiliarity with this strange land through these stories.

He also enthusiastically introduced the local customs and special food, hoping that Liu Guangqi would feel close to this place as soon as possible.

Soon, they came to a small courtyard that was slightly old but very tidy.

Qi Tiancheng's old father and mother had actually received the news that their son was about to return.

However, they never expected that their son would come home so soon.

Hearing the footsteps coming from outside the courtyard gate, the two old men's faces instantly broke into surprised smiles, and they hurried out with slightly staggering steps.

Qi's father's eyes sparkled with surprise. The moment he saw his son, his eyes instantly moistened. He quickly stepped forward, tightly grasped Qi Tiancheng's hand, and said in a trembling voice due to excitement: "Son, you are finally back! Your father and mother have been looking forward to it so much! The house has become much quieter since you were away for so many years."

Qi's mother stood aside, her eyes full of love and tenderness, tears of excitement welling up in her eyes. She kept her eyes fixed on her son, as if she could never see him enough, and kept repeating: "It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back, you must be exhausted on the way."

Qi Tiancheng looked at his elderly parents, whose faces were full of traces of time, and felt a pang of sadness in his heart, and his eyes became slightly moist.

After a few simple greetings, he quickly introduced Liu Guangqi behind him to his parents: "Dad, Mom, this is Sihui's husband Liu Guangqi. From now on, we are a family."

Liu Guangqi hurriedly stepped forward, with a respectful and sincere smile on his face, and called out, "Grandpa, Grandma."

Although the name sounded a little awkward when it came out of his mouth, the sincerity in his tone could not be ignored.

Qi Sihui's grandparents looked up and down at the young man in front of them, a stranger who was about to become a member of their family, with amiable smiles on their faces.

Qi Sihui's grandfather reached out his hand, patted Liu Guangqi's shoulder affectionately and said, "Good boy, from now on, treat this place as your own home and don't be shy. We are all family, so feel free to talk to us if you have any questions. Here, you are our grandson."